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Language Arts - Secondary Curriculum English Language Arts Grade 9-10
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Writing Standard 2

Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas, concepts, and information clearly and accurately through the effective selection, organization, and analysis of content.
  • Chaucer's Wife of Bath
    This lesson from EDSITEment introduces students to one of the most admired characterizations in Chaucer's "The Canterbury Tales" the Wife of Bath. Learning Objectives include (1) To analyze Chaucer's portrayal of the Wife of Bath in The Canterbury Tales; (2) To consider how the story told by the Wife of Bath reflects on both her character and on Chaucer's view of marriage and women; (3) To examine literary sources that contributed to this characterization; (4) To explore the historical context that informs this depiction of the rights of women in marriage.
  • Evaluating Eyewitness Reports
    This lesson from EDSITEment offers students experience in making historical meaning from eyewitness accounts that present a range of different perspectives. The lesson asks students to evaluate the reliability of this primary source and to draw up a list of questions they would want to ask and issues they would want to explore before making this eyewitness report part of the historical record. To conclude the lesson, students apply their research skills to present-day eyewitness accounts, gathering published examples or conducting interviews, and produce a report on their value and use as historical evidence.
  • Exploring Arthurian Legend
    In this lesson from EDSITEment, students will examine the historical origins of the Arthurian legend. Students will gain insight into the use of literature as historical evidence. Through the references and links in this lesson, students can track the growth of a legend like that of King Arthur, from its emergence in the Medieval Ages to its arrival on the silver screen.
  • Holocaust and Resistance
    In this lesson from EDSITEment, students reflect on the Holocaust from the point of view of those who actively resisted Nazi persecution. Students will learn how the Holocaust happened and understand the devastation suffered by its victims; examine the evidence of resistance to the Holocaust that has been preserved in official documents and by oral tradition; reflect on the responsibilities of individuals when confronted with social policies that violate human rights; consider the significance of the Holocaust in society today.
  • Life on the Great Plains
    In this four-part lesson, students examine the concept of geographic region by exploring the history of the Great Plains. Learning objectives include: to explore the concept of region and learn how culture and experience influence the perception of regions; to investigate the relationships between physical geography and human systems of culture and settlement; to trace the history and character of a region as reflected in literature and art; to examine factors that influenced westward expansion in the United States.
  • Live From Antiquity!
    Ancient languages are the deepest root of the humanities, drawing life from that distant time when the study of history, philosophy, literature, and of language itself began. The goals of this lesson plan are to gain an appreciation for Greek drama through study of a play by Sophocles; to explore the cultural and historical context of Greek drama and its role in Greek society; to reconstruct the experience of seeing a Greek drama performed and share that experience in an imaginative report.
  • Mark Twain and American Humor
    In this three-part lesson, students examine structure and characterization in the short story and consider the significance of humor through a study of Mark Twain's "The Notorious Jumping Frog of Calaveras County." Students will analyze the use of literary conventions and devices to develop character and point of view in the short story; investigate the purposes and significance of literary humor; and examine Mark Twain's storytelling style in relation to that of other American humorists.
  • Ninth and Tenth Grade On-Demand Informative / Explanatory Writing Samples
    Sample informative / explanatory pieces written by ninth and tenth graders in response to a uniform text-based prompt.
  • Ninth and Tenth Grade Range of Writing Informative / Explanatory Writing Samples
    These pieces provide examples of informative / explanatory writing for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes, and audiences, over both extended and shorter time frames.
  • Perspective on the Slave Narrative
    This lesson plan introduces students to one of the most widely-read genres of 19th-century American literature and an important influence within the African American literary tradition even today. The lesson focuses on the Narrative of William W. Brown, An American Slave (1847), which, along with the Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass (1845), set the pattern for this genre and its combination of varied literary traditions and devices. To help students recognize the complex nature of the slave narrative, the lesson explores Brown's work from a variety of perspectives.
  • Tales of the Supernatural
    Monsters have haunted the literary imagination from earliest times (e.g., the Cyclops, Grendel, etc.), but a particular interest in horror and the Gothic form dates back to the 18th and early 19th century. The goals of this plan are to explore the origins and development of a literary genre; to investigate how shared imaginative concerns link the members of a literary period; to examine the evolution of a literary tradition; to compare works of literature from different eras.


UEN logo http://www.uen.org - in partnership with Utah State Board of Education (USBE) and Utah System of Higher Education (USHE).  Send questions or comments to USBE Specialist - Naomi  Watkins and see the Language Arts - Secondary website. For general questions about Utah's Core Standards contact the Director - Jennifer  Throndsen.

These materials have been produced by and for the teachers of the State of Utah. Copies of these materials may be freely reproduced for teacher and classroom use. When distributing these materials, credit should be given to Utah State Board of Education. These materials may not be published, in whole or part, or in any other format, without the written permission of the Utah State Board of Education, 250 East 500 South, PO Box 144200, Salt Lake City, Utah 84114-4200.