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Our Curriculum › 9th Grade

9th Grade: the whole year

Every subject a 9th grade student takes, and what each one covers. Each subject is 180 daily lessons; open any course to see its units and lessons.

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Math

Algebra I

A full year of Algebra I: linear equations, inequalities and systems, functions, quadratics and factoring, exponential models, polynomials, radicals, statistics and probability, with personal-finance and modeling projects and a long review stretch at the end.

  1. Equations, systems, functions & sequences
  2. Quadratics & special functions
  3. Data models & exponential functions
  4. Polynomials, exponents & factoring
  5. Quadratic applications & radicals
  6. Statistics & probability
  7. Transformations, representations & cumulative review
  8. Algebraic modeling, personal finance & deeper practice
  9. Cumulative review, practice & explainer projects
  10. Final review & celebration

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Reading

English 9: Literature

A year of high school literature built around close reading of novels, plays, short stories, poetry and a few nonfiction texts. Over twenty named works are read in whole or in part, with steady practice in theme, character, craft and literary-analysis writing.

  1. Foundations: evidence, theme & argument
  2. Drama, poetry & literary devices
  3. Short story, novella & To Kill a Mockingbird
  4. Time, argument & war literature
  5. Satire, social themes & dystopia
  6. Style, time & setting
  7. Plays, family & belonging
  8. Justice, sacrifice, loss & forgiveness
  9. Review, projects & celebration

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Writing & Grammar

English 9: Composition & Grammar

A full-year course in composition and grammar: argument, research, narrative, literary analysis, speeches, and personal and problem-solution essays, plus advanced sentence craft. Late-year lessons turn to creative craft, applied projects and review.

  1. Precise arguments & sentence craft
  2. Research paper & narrative craft
  3. Literary analysis, comparison & revision
  4. Persuasive speech, historical essay & revision
  5. Essay types: cause-effect, problem-solution & personal
  6. Comparative analysis, creative craft & an independent essay
  7. Fiction craft, timed writing & presentations
  8. More craft, timed practice & cumulative review
  9. Applied writing projects
  10. Final review, presentation & celebration

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Science

Biology

A full year of high school biology: cells and energy, genetics and evolution, ecology, body systems, the chemistry of life, classification, biotechnology and disease, and how scientists design and judge experiments. The final weeks are mostly review and projects.

  1. Cells & energy
  2. Genetics & evolution
  3. Ecology & populations
  4. Membranes, homeostasis & enzymes
  5. Body systems & the chemistry of life
  6. Classification, microbes, plants & animal behavior
  7. Biotechnology & disease
  8. Doing science & Earth's biomes
  9. Case studies, capstone & genomics
  10. Last body systems, review & projects

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History & Social Studies

World History

A high school survey of world history from the first river-valley civilizations to today, taught as analysis rather than storytelling: comparing governments, weighing causes, reading primary sources and judging competing interpretations. The final third is mostly review, application and projects.

  1. The historian's toolkit
  2. Classical and medieval worlds
  3. Exploration, empires and revolutions
  4. Industry and imperialism
  5. World War I and its aftermath
  6. Dictators and World War II
  7. The Cold War
  8. Today's world and a global-challenges capstone
  9. Applying the frameworks and reviewing the year
  10. Final projects, review and celebration

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Electives at this grade

Add any of these alongside the core subjects.

Spanish

Spanish 1

The first high school Spanish course (the fourth year in this sequence) opens with a review of Spanish 6-8, then adds possessives, indirect object pronouns, stem-changing verbs and the preterite past tense, with personal narratives, nine AI role-plays and a life-story capstone.

  1. Review of Spanish 6-8
  2. Possessives & indirect object pronouns
  3. Stem-changing verbs
  4. The preterite: talking about the past
  5. Personal stories & opinions
  6. Comparing families and schools across countries
  7. Conversation practice with the AI teacher
  8. Writing a day, a different day & Nicaragua
  9. Longer writing & review
  10. Capstone: Mi vida hasta ahora & year-end

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Social Skills

Social Skills 9-12

A social and emotional course meant to be used across 9th through 12th grade, at the pace that suits the student. It covers identity and values, stress and motivation, empathy and systems, healthy relationships, feedback and disagreement, and how to make hard decisions.

  1. Identity, values & personal patterns
  2. Stress, motivation & long-term goals
  3. Understanding others & the wider community
  4. Healthy relationships & collaborative leadership
  5. Feedback, disagreement & repair
  6. Hard decisions & real-world stakes
  7. Looking back & carrying it forward

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