Common Core State Standards for Grades 9-10
According to the State Common Core Standards, students in the 9th and 10th grade should be able to read texts that are of a higher level of knowledge than previously exposed to. They should be able to detect irony, major themes and motifs, humor, metaphors, similes, and other literary devices. There work should prepare them for college and career readiness. Students should also be able to formulate an argument in defense or against one of the major themes of the literature, and develop that theme. In order to fully develop the theme, the student needs to formulate an opinion use supporting textual data as well as adhere to the grammatical standards of the English Language.
The specifics of expectations are listed below:
“Students should be able to…
- Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.
-Use parallel structure
-Use various types of phrases (noun, verb, adjectival, adverbial, participial, prepositional, absolute) and clauses (independent, dependent; noun, relative, adverbial) to convey specific meanings and add variety and interest to writing or presentations.
-Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.
-Use a semicolon (and perhaps a conjunctive adverb) to link two or more closely related independent clauses.
-Use a colon to introduce a list or quotation.
-Spell correctly.
-Apply knowledge of language to understand how language functions in different contexts, to make effective choices for meaning or style, and to comprehend more fully when reading or listening.
-Write and edit work so that it conforms to the guidelines in a style appropriate for the discipline and writing type.
-Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grades 9-10 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies.
-Use context as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase.
-Identify and correctly use patterns of word changes that indicate different meanings or parts of speech
-Consult general and specialized reference materials, both print and digital, to find the pronunciation of a word or determine or clarify its precise meaning, its part of speech, or its etymology.
-Verify the preliminary determination of the meaning of a word or phrase
-Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings.
-Interpret figures of speech in context and analyze their role in the text.
-Analyze nuances in the meaning of words with similar denotations.
-Acquire and use accurately general academic and domain-specific words and phrases, sufficient for reading, writing, speaking, and listening at the college and career readiness level; demonstrate independence in gathering vocabulary knowledge when considering a word or phrase important to comprehension or expression.”
-Taken from the Common Core State Standards Initiative (website listed below)
Common Core State Standards Initiative. "English Language Arts
Standards Writing Grade 9-19." Common Core State Standards Initiative. Core Standards Organization, 1 Jan. 2015. Web. 6 Feb. 2015. <http%3A%2F%2Fwww.corestandards.org%2FELA-Literacy%2FW%2F9-10%2F>.