Year at a glance
Ten monthly themes, 36 weeks. Tap a month for its goals, or a week for its skills and plans.
September: Welcome / Foundations and Maps
September sets up the habits of a ninth grader: reading closely and proving every claim with evidence, simplifying and solving in Algebra 1, running a real controlled experiment, and learning how geographers and historians know what they know. We start with short stories, expressions and equations, the scientific method and the first cells, and the maps and timelines that frame world history.
Reading & writing
Cite strong textual evidence, make inferences, analyze how an author structures a story and builds suspense, and write a clear claim-evidence-explanation paragraph.
RL.9-10.1, RL.9-10.5, W.9-10.1, L.9-10.4b
Math
Interpret parts of expressions, simplify with the distributive property and like terms, and solve linear equations and inequalities in one variable, explaining each step.
HSA-SSE.A.1, HSA-SSE.A.2, HSA-REI.A.1, HSA-REI.B.3, HSA-CED.A.1
Science
Plan and carry out a controlled investigation about homeostasis, describe the characteristics of life and the levels of organization, and explain cell theory, organelles and transport across the membrane.
HS-LS1-3, HS-LS1-2, HS-LS1-6
Social studies
Use maps, the five themes of geography and historical sources to explain where early people lived, how the Neolithic revolution changed life, and what made the first civilizations possible.
C3 D2.Geo.1.9-12, D2.Geo.2.9-12, D2.His.1.9-12, D2.His.9.9-12
- Week1Reading Like a DetectiveRoots scrib/script and graph · Expressions and order of operations · Scientific method · Five themes of geography · 5 day plans
- Week2Questions and SourcesRoots spec/spect and vis/vid · Properties and like terms · Characteristics of life · How historians know · 5 day plans
- Week3From Caves to FieldsRoots log/logy and bio · Solving linear equations · Cell theory and organelles · Paleolithic to Neolithic · 5 day plans
- Week4Rivers and CellsPrefixes equi-, uni-, bi-, tri- · Equations from words and inequalities · Cell transport · First civilizations · 5 day plans
October: Fall / Ancient Worlds
October belongs to the ancient world. We read Homer's Odyssey in translation and trace its themes of cunning, loyalty and homecoming, while history moves through Mesopotamia, Egypt, India, China, Greece and Rome. In Algebra 1 we build linear functions from the ground up, and in biology we open the cell's instruction book: DNA, mitosis, meiosis and how a gene becomes a protein.
Reading & writing
Determine themes of an epic and analyze how complex characters develop, compare the Odyssey with the Epic of Gilgamesh, and write a literary analysis mini-essay with embedded quotations.
RL.9-10.2, RL.9-10.3, RL.9-10.9, W.9-10.2, W.9-10.9
Math
Understand functions and function notation, find and interpret slope, write linear equations in slope-intercept, point-slope and standard form, and interpret key features of linear graphs in context.
HSF-IF.A.1, HSF-IF.A.2, HSF-IF.B.4, HSF-IF.B.6, HSF-LE.A.2, HSF-LE.B.5
Science
Model DNA structure and base pairing, explain the cell cycle and the stages of mitosis, compare mitosis and meiosis, and decode a gene into a protein using a codon chart.
HS-LS1-1, HS-LS1-4, HS-LS3-1, HS-LS3-2
Social studies
Compare the governments, writing, beliefs and achievements of the ancient river valley and classical civilizations, and analyze primary sources like the Code of Hammurabi and Pericles' funeral oration.
C3 D2.His.3.9-12, D2.His.4.9-12, D2.Civ.1.9-12, D2.Civ.5.9-12
- Week5The Epic BeginsRoots chron and temp · Functions and function notation · DNA structure · Mesopotamia and Egypt · 5 day plans
- Week6Monsters and MitosisRoots gen and herit · Slope and slope-intercept form · The cell cycle and mitosis · India and China · 5 day plans
- Week7Return and RuleRoots dem, crat and polis · Writing linear equations · Meiosis · Ancient Greece · 5 day plans
- Week8Rome and the Code of LifeRoots jur, jus and leg · Interpreting linear models · Protein synthesis · Ancient Rome · 5 day plans
November: Family and Gratitude / Ecosystems
November is about connections: the bonds of a family, the links of a food web and the lines of an argument. We read The Call of the Wild alongside great American speeches, write a full argument essay, solve systems of equations, trace energy and matter through ecosystems, and compare the classical empires and the belief systems that shaped them.
Reading & writing
Evaluate the claims, reasoning and evidence in seminal speeches, analyze theme and character change in a novel, and write an argument essay with a counterclaim, evidence and MLA citations.
RI.9-10.8, RI.9-10.9, RL.9-10.2, W.9-10.1, W.9-10.8
Math
Solve systems of two linear equations by graphing, substitution and elimination, model real situations with systems, and graph linear inequalities and systems of inequalities.
HSA-REI.C.5, HSA-REI.C.6, HSA-REI.D.12, HSA-CED.A.3
Science
Trace energy through food webs and trophic levels, explain carrying capacity and limiting factors with population graphs, and model the carbon and nitrogen cycles and species interactions.
HS-LS2-1, HS-LS2-2, HS-LS2-4, HS-LS2-5, HS-LS2-6
Social studies
Compare the Han and Roman empires and Persia, explain the Silk Road exchange, describe the origins and core ideas of major belief systems fairly, and study harvest traditions and civilizations in Africa and the Americas.
C3 D2.Eco.1.9-12, D2.Geo.7.9-12, D2.His.3.9-12, D2.His.4.9-12
- Week9Claims and Food ChainsArgument vocabulary · Systems by graphing · Energy flow in ecosystems · Han, Rome and Persia · 5 day plans
- Week10Beliefs and BalanceRoots theo, cred and fid · Substitution and elimination · Populations and carrying capacity · World belief systems · 5 day plans
- Week11Harvest and GratitudeRoots eco and sym/syn · Systems word problems and inequalities · Cycles of matter and biodiversity · Harvest traditions, Africa and the Americas · 5 day plans
December: Winter Holidays / Change Over Time
December asks how things change. Scrooge changes in A Christmas Carol, species change through natural selection, parabolas change direction at a vertex, and the medieval world changes from the fall of Rome to the Black Death. Students write a narrative of their own, study author's craft, and close the semester with a portfolio.
Reading & writing
Analyze author's craft (tone, imagery, symbolism, structure) in A Christmas Carol and The Gift of the Magi, and write a narrative with dialogue, pacing, sensory detail and a reflective ending.
RL.9-10.2, RL.9-10.4, RL.9-10.5, W.9-10.3, L.9-10.5
Math
Graph quadratic functions and identify key features, factor trinomials, and solve quadratic equations by factoring, square roots and the quadratic formula in context.
HSF-IF.B.4, HSF-IF.C.7, HSA-SSE.B.3, HSA-REI.B.4, HSA-CED.A.1
Science
Explain natural selection and the evidence for evolution, run a selection simulation and analyze the data, and read cladograms to show common ancestry and speciation.
HS-LS4-1, HS-LS4-2, HS-LS4-3, HS-LS4-4, HS-LS4-5
Social studies
Explain the fall of Rome and the medieval world of Byzantium and feudal Europe, the Islamic Golden Age, the Mongols and Song China, and the Black Death and Magna Carta as turning points, plus how holiday traditions change over time.
C3 D2.His.14.9-12, D2.His.2.9-12, D2.Civ.1.9-12, D2.Eco.1.9-12
- Week12Scrooge and the Shape of ChangeRoots vert/vers and mut · Quadratic functions and parabolas · Natural selection and evidence · Fall of Rome and the medieval world · 5 day plans
- Week13Selection and Golden AgesRoots spir and vita/viv · Factoring and solving by factoring · Natural selection simulation · Islamic Golden Age, Mongols and Song China · 5 day plans
- Week14Light in the DarkTone and connotation words · The quadratic formula · Speciation and common ancestry · Black Death, Magna Carta and holiday traditions · 5 day plans
January: New Year / Genetics
January opens the genetics unit: Mendel's peas, Punnett squares, pedigrees and mutations. In English we read Frederick Douglass's Narrative and learn to research and write an informative essay, in Algebra 1 we meet exponential growth and decay, and in history we ask how people have governed themselves from Athens to the Enlightenment.
Reading & writing
Analyze a seminal autobiography for central ideas and author's purpose, evaluate sources, and write an informative essay with three cited sources.
RI.9-10.2, RI.9-10.6, W.9-10.2, W.9-10.7, W.9-10.8
Math
Use exponent properties, write and graph exponential growth and decay functions, compare linear and exponential models, and work with arithmetic and geometric sequences.
HSN-RN.A.2, HSF-LE.A.1, HSF-LE.A.2, HSF-LE.A.3, HSF-BF.A.2
Science
Predict inheritance with Punnett squares and pedigrees, including incomplete dominance, codominance and sex-linked traits, and explain how mutations create variation.
HS-LS3-1, HS-LS3-2, HS-LS3-3
Social studies
Compare forms of government across history, trace the rule of law from Magna Carta to the English Bill of Rights, explain Enlightenment ideas, and define citizenship then and now.
C3 D2.Civ.1.9-12, D2.Civ.2.9-12, D2.Civ.5.9-12
- Week15Mendel's GardenRoots nat and mort · Exponent properties · Mendel and Punnett squares · Forms of government · 5 day plans
- Week16Growth and DecayRoots duc/duct and reg/rect · Exponential functions · Beyond Mendel · Magna Carta to the Bill of Rights · 5 day plans
- Week17Patterns and PedigreesRoots liber and civ · Compound interest and linear vs exponential · Pedigrees and sex-linked traits · Enlightenment thinkers · 5 day plans
- Week18Mutations and CitizensPrefixes mono, poly, hetero, homo · Sequences · Mutations and biotechnology · Citizenship then and now · 5 day plans
February: Friendship / Human Impact
February pairs friendship and loyalty in Romeo and Juliet with the hard question of how humans affect the planet. We read Acts 1 to 3 of the play, learn to analyze data in Algebra 1, study habitat loss, pollution and invasive species in biology, and meet the leaders, thinkers and travelers who changed world history.
Reading & writing
Analyze Shakespeare's characters, language and dramatic structure, use evidence to argue who is responsible for the tragedy, and write analytical paragraphs with embedded quotations.
RL.9-10.1, RL.9-10.3, RL.9-10.4, RL.9-10.5, W.9-10.1
Math
Represent and compare data with dot plots, histograms and box plots, use two-way tables, build scatter plots with lines of fit, and distinguish correlation from causation.
HSS-ID.A.1, HSS-ID.A.2, HSS-ID.A.3, HSS-ID.B.5, HSS-ID.B.6, HSS-ID.C.8, HSS-ID.C.9
Science
Evaluate human impacts on biodiversity (habitat loss, pollution, climate change, invasive species) and design a solution to reduce one impact.
HS-LS2-7, HS-LS4-6, HS-ETS1-2
Social studies
Analyze the perspectives and impact of important historical figures: leaders, thinkers, explorers and travelers, and present a biography with sources.
C3 D2.His.3.9-12, D2.His.4.9-12, D2.His.16.9-12
- Week19Fair VeronaRoots path and phil · Data displays · Habitat loss and biodiversity · Leaders who shaped history · 5 day plans
- Week20Balcony and BiasRoots terra and geo · Two-way tables and spread · Pollution and climate · Thinkers who shaped history · 5 day plans
- Week21A Plague on Both HousesData vocabulary · Scatter plots and lines of fit · Invasive species · Explorers and travelers · 5 day plans
- Week22Evidence on TrialRoots bene and mal · Correlation vs causation · Designing a solution · Biography project · 5 day plans
March: Spring / Body Systems
March finishes Romeo and Juliet and turns to the systems that keep a body alive. Algebra 1 adds polynomials and finishes quadratics with completing the square, biology tours the digestive, circulatory, respiratory, immune, nervous and endocrine systems, and history moves into the Renaissance, the Reformation and the Age of Exploration.
Reading & writing
Analyze theme and dramatic structure across a full play, interpret vocabulary and figurative language in Shakespeare, and write a complete literary analysis essay.
RL.9-10.2, RL.9-10.4, RL.9-10.5, W.9-10.2, L.9-10.4, L.9-10.5
Math
Add, subtract and multiply polynomials, factor special products, complete the square and convert to vertex form, and graph absolute value and piecewise functions.
HSA-APR.A.1, HSA-SSE.A.2, HSA-SSE.B.3, HSA-REI.B.4, HSF-IF.C.7
Science
Explain how body systems interact to keep homeostasis, build models of organs and feedback loops, and connect systems to disease.
HS-LS1-2, HS-LS1-3
Social studies
Explain the Renaissance, the Reformation and the Age of Exploration as turning points, analyze their primary sources, and compare world regions before and after contact.
C3 D2.His.2.9-12, D2.His.4.9-12, D2.Geo.7.9-12, D2.Geo.5.9-12
- Week23RebirthRoots corp, cord and derm · Polynomials · Digestive and circulatory systems · The Renaissance · 5 day plans
- Week24Breath and ReformRoots neur, psych and cogn · Special products and factoring review · Respiratory and immune systems · The Reformation · 5 day plans
- Week25Control SystemsShakespeare's language · Completing the square and vertex form · Nervous and endocrine systems · Age of Exploration · 5 day plans
- Week26Frame and MovementRoots phon, aud and voc · Absolute value and piecewise functions · Skeletal and muscular systems · World regions before and after contact · 5 day plans
April: Earth and Environment / Resources
April is research month. Students read Muir and Thoreau, build a research project on an environmental question with MLA citations, and run a statistics project on real data. Biology covers biomes, water, soil and energy, and history explains the economics of scarcity, trade and resources from the first markets to Earth Day.
Reading & writing
Conduct a short research project, evaluate and cite sources in MLA, and write and present an informative research essay.
W.9-10.7, W.9-10.8, W.9-10.2, RI.9-10.1, SL.9-10.4
Math
Design a survey, summarize data with measures of center and spread, fit linear and exponential models to environmental data and complete a statistics project.
HSS-ID.A.1, HSS-ID.A.2, HSS-ID.A.3, HSS-ID.B.6, HSS-ID.C.9
Science
Explain how climate shapes biomes, how water, soil and energy resources are used and renewed, and design a sustainability project for Earth Day.
HS-LS2-7, HS-LS2-2, HS-ETS1-3
Social studies
Explain scarcity, supply and demand, specialization and the history of money, trace trade routes and mercantilism, and compare economic systems.
C3 D2.Eco.1.9-12, D2.Eco.2.9-12, D2.Eco.3.9-12, D2.Eco.14.9-12, D2.Geo.4.9-12
- Week27Water and WealthRoots hydr, aqua, pyro and therm · Sampling and surveys · Biomes and climate · Economics basics · 5 day plans
- Week28Soil, Surplus, DeficitEconomic vocabulary · Center and spread · Water and soil resources · Trade routes and mercantilism · 5 day plans
- Week29Energy and Earth DayRoots sol, lun, astr and cosm · Modeling environmental data · Energy and sustainability · Earth Day and stewardship · 5 day plans
- Week30ProposalsEnvironmental vocabulary · Statistics project · Earth Day design project · Economic systems · 5 day plans
May: Oceans / Inventors and Technology
May dives into the ocean with Jules Verne and surfaces with the inventions that connected the world. Students read Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea and Around the World in Eighty Days, review every kind of function they learned this year, design and build an engineering solution, weigh biotechnology, and trace technology from the wheel to the Scientific Revolution.
Reading & writing
Read two adventure novels in excerpt with fluency and expression, analyze how authors use setting and technology, and write a literary analysis.
RL.9-10.2, RL.9-10.3, RL.9-10.5, W.9-10.2
Math
Compare linear, quadratic and exponential functions, transform functions, use the modeling cycle and interpret average rates of change.
HSF-LE.A.1, HSF-LE.A.3, HSF-BF.B.3, HSF-IF.B.6, HSA-CED.A.2
Science
Use the engineering design process to build and test a solution, evaluate biotechnology with evidence and ethics, and describe ocean ecosystems.
HS-ETS1-1, HS-ETS1-2, HS-ETS1-3, HS-LS2-6, HS-LS1-1
Social studies
Trace technology from ancient inventions to the Scientific Revolution, and explain global connections through trade and navigation then and now.
C3 D2.His.2.9-12, D2.His.14.9-12, D2.Geo.7.9-12, D2.Geo.1.9-12
- Week31Twenty Thousand LeaguesRoots tech, mech and fac · Comparing function families · Engineering design process · Inventions timeline · 5 day plans
- Week32NautilusRoots nav, mar and port · Transformations of functions · Biotechnology · The Scientific Revolution · 5 day plans
- Week33Around the WorldRoots tele, scope, micro and macro · The modeling cycle · Ocean ecosystems · Global connections then and now · 5 day plans
- Week34Design and DeliverRoots junct, nect and soci · Rates of change across functions · Engineering build and test · Navigation history · 5 day plans
June: Review and Celebration
June looks back and celebrates. Students read two short stories, review every unit in Algebra 1 and biology, finish a math applications project, retell the year of world history as one timeline, and present a portfolio of their best work.
Reading & writing
Read short fiction independently, review literary analysis skills, and reflect on growth as a reader and writer with a portfolio.
RL.9-10.2, RL.9-10.10, W.9-10.10
Math
Review expressions, equations, functions, systems, quadratics, exponentials and statistics through mixed practice and an applications project.
HSA-REI.B.3, HSF-IF.B.4, HSA-REI.B.4, HSF-LE.A.1, HSS-ID.B.6
Science
Review the year's investigations, design a final short investigation and share results.
HS-LS1-3, HS-LS2-1, HS-LS4-2
Social studies
Build a year-long timeline of world history and present a reflection on change over time.
C3 D2.His.1.9-12, D2.His.2.9-12