9th Grade English Lesson Plans and Activities

Creating English Lesson Plans for 9th Graders

As a 9th grade English teacher, the topics you address varies depending on your state's curriculum standards. However, your class will likely need to be familiar with a variety of literary genres, from poetry to fiction. It's common to read a number of classics in the 9th grade, like Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet and Great Expectations by Charles Dickens. Your class will need to read, analyze, discuss and write about these texts and the new terms and ideas they introduce.

When you create an English lesson plan, it can be useful to do it as a series of steps you repeat each time. This might include pre-reading preparation and post-reading analysis, in addition to conducting activities and discussions during the reading.

Before

At the beginning of a literature unit, it's important to discuss literary devices, such as allusion and imagery, and introduce themes. This helps your students better understand what they're reading. First, explain to your class that a theme is the central idea or purpose of a written piece. You might also give them a list of literary devices.

Next, divide your class into groups and assign each group a literary device, asking them to come up with a definition and examples. These might be examples from literary works, or the students can create their own examples. Then, come back together as a class and have each group share what they discussed.

During

As you discuss each chapter in class, ask your students to name what literary devices are being used and what they think the author's intentions are for using them. You can also discuss other literary elements, such as narrative, character development, themes and tone. Finally, have your students write a short paragraph that expresses their individual opinions about the chapter. With each chapter, follow a similar structure.

After

Once you've completed the reading, have your students write sentences explaining what they think the theme is. Compare what different students wrote and come to an agreement as a class, writing the final sentence on the whiteboard. To continue the discussion of theme, you could assign homework that asks students to compare a work with a similar theme to the reading.