Ninth grade students begin their year looking at important social and political revolutions. They also will work on a significant research based assessment in the Third Quarter to develop an Awareness Campaign about an important social issue.

Unit: Revolutions I – A look at significant political revolutions from the 18th to 20th centuries

Significant Unit Assessment: Research paper– Students must write an essay that adheres to the following structure:

  • 1000 word research paper
  • Research question
  • Thesis statement
  • Outline
  • Annotated bibliography
  • Works cited page
  • In-text citation
  • Sources – primary and secondary
  • Standard MLA format
  • Drafts required
  • Topic arising from relevant history based unit

Unit: Revolutions II– A look at significant social revolutions from the 18th to 20th centuries

Significant Unit Assessment: Unit Exam: Timed essay responding to sources (DBQ), Response to two texts or visual sources to be analyzed and evaluated in a critical essay in response to a prompt within a time-limit.

Unit: Global Citizenship– What does it mean to be a global citizen? In this unit students examine important social issues that impact our globe and our daily lives

Significant Unit Assessment: Students will develop an awareness campaign that focuses on a significant social issue and adheres to the following structure:

  • Rubric provided (to be used in conjunction with assessment criteria)
  • Specified word count
  • Written drafts, storyboards etc. (required)
  • Specified graphic quality/detail
  • Clearly established research parameters (see Research Guidelines)
  • Need to recognize and present an argument (not of their own)
  • Present arguments that are concise and well articulated, and that include some of their own thinking
  • Bibliography in standard MLA format

Unit: Political Geography– Students will learn important social and political geography that is used in advanced Humanities levels and in preparation for their work in Grade 10.

Significant Unit Assessment: Oral presentation that adheres to the following structure:

  • Appropriate eye-contact
  • Proper posture
  • Proper voice projection
  • Clarity and accuracy of language (English mechanics and grammar)
  • Must clearly communicate key words, main ideas, and simple conclusions
  • Present opinions clearly and accurately
  • Glossary provided to students by teacher
  • Bibliography required
  • Need to recognize and present an argument (not of their own)
  • Present arguments that are concise and well articulated, and that include some of their own thinking
  • Handout and/or visual aids

Geography Skills: Students in ninth grade should continue their geography skills by incorporating geographical data into their general work. Students should interpret and analyze maps and be able to:

  • use an atlas
  • use various types of maps: physical, political, topographic, thematic
  • identify physical and cultural features on a map
  • use the points of a compass to determine direction
  • identify and interpret relief using shading, spot heights, color and contour lines
  • construct a sketch map
  • distinguish between different types of map projections
  • Identify and use elements of maps, including legend, direction, title, scale, border
  • Scale
    • measure distances on a map using a linear scale
    • identify scale as written, linear or representative fraction
  • Grid references (locate features on a map using):
    • latitude and longitude
    • area and grid references

Assessment Criteria

Grade 6 • Grade 7 • Grade 8 • Grade 9 • Grade 10 (PDFs, 66-70 KB)