September · Week 1 of 4 · School week 1 of 36

Week 1: Reading Like a Detective

Skills this week

Word study

Latin root scrib/script (write) and Greek root graph (write, draw). Students break words into parts and use the parts to predict meaning.

L.9-10.4b

Reading & writing

Cite evidence and make inferences in a suspense story (The Most Dangerous Game), track how the author builds tension, and write a claim-evidence-explanation paragraph.

RL.9-10.1, RL.9-10.5, W.9-10.1

Math

Name parts of an expression (term, coefficient, constant, factor), evaluate expressions with the order of operations, translate words into expressions and interpret expressions in context.

HSA-SSE.A.1

Science

The scientific method: observation vs inference, testable questions, hypotheses, independent, dependent and controlled variables, and a heart rate investigation about homeostasis.

HS-LS1-3

Social studies

The five themes of geography, latitude and longitude, map types and projections, and why early civilizations grew along rivers.

C3 D2.Geo.1.9-12, D2.Geo.2.9-12

Word study this week

Roots scrib/script (write) and graph (write, draw): a scribe writes, a manuscript is written by hand, a biography is life written down.

Words to read: describe, inscription, manuscript, transcribe, prescribe, autograph, biography, graphic

Build it: scribe → describe → description → indescribable

Sentence: “The archaeologist had to transcribe the faded inscription before she could describe what it meant.”

Spelling: describe, inscription, manuscript, transcribe, prescribe, autograph, biography, graphic, subscription, photograph

Day plans

Centers this week

Evidence hunt: find three lines from the story that show Rainsford changing, and write the page number for each
Expression cards: match 8 word phrases (like four less than twice a number) to their expressions
Variable sort: label 10 everyday experiments with the independent and dependent variable
Map corner: find the latitude and longitude of your town and of three ancient cities (Babylon, Memphis, Athens)

Student games this week

Script and Graph Expression Explorer Map Master

Week at a glance (printable)

Week 1 outline by day
Block	Day 1 Welcome to Ninth Grade: Reading Like a Detective	Day 2 The Rules of the Game	Day 3 Hunter and Hunted	Day 4 The Lady, or the Tiger?	Day 5 Prove It: Week One Review
Question of the day	What makes a reader a good detective?	How do you know when a hunch is really evidence?	What is the difference between seeing and inferring?	Where would you build a city if you had no cars and no electricity?	What did you prove this week, and how?
Word study	Introduce scrib/script and graph; word parts chart	Sort 12 words by root; predict meanings	Context clues with the week's words	Build word families; connotation of prescribe vs describe	Spelling and meaning check
Reading	Routines; The Most Dangerous Game part 1: setting, mood and inference	Part 2: suspense, pacing and the author's structure	Characterization of Rainsford and Zaroff with evidence	Pair with The Lady or the Tiger? by Frank Stockton: endings and reader inference	Evidence paragraph on the story; book talk
Math	Parts of an expression; order of operations	Translate words to expressions	Evaluate formulas: d = rt, F = 1.8C + 32, perimeter	Interpret expressions in context (a cell plan: 25 + 0.10m)	Review and quiz
Science	Observation vs inference; testable questions and hypotheses		Design the heart rate investigation: variables and control		Graph and analyze heart rate data; write a conclusion
Social studies		Five themes of geography; latitude and longitude		Map projections and thematic maps; why rivers?	Map skills check with a world map
Writing	Claim-evidence-explanation: the sentence frames	Choose evidence and quote it correctly	Write the explanation: how and why	Draft a full evidence paragraph	Revise and share the paragraph
Game	Script and Graph	Expression Explorer	Map Master	Script and Graph	Expression Explorer