9th Grade English Portfolio Project
As a 9th grade, traditional-track English student, you are required to compile a learner’s portfolio. You will
receive a list of thirty core standards of instruction. These are the skills and knowledge you are expected to have
mastered as a 9th grade student. Your portfolio provides you with the opportunity to prove that proficiency, or mastery,
through a display and explanation of your work. The requirements for the portfolio will include:

Checklist
o a completed index/checklist page that lists the standards and the evidence

Evidence for all standards
o evidence of work, assignments, and assessments that are linked to the core standards
o in order for you to complete this task, you must keep a neat, organized notebook throughout the
semester; placing items in chronological order will be helpful
o Some pieces of evidence may be used to represent more than one standard (3)

Explanations
o an explanation of how each piece of evidence demonstrates your proficiency of a particular standard
 BE SPECIFIC; I want to know specifically where you mastered the standard

Reflection
o an approximately 500 word reflection discussing how this portfolio demonstrates how you have grown
as a learner, a member of society, and an individual.
To make this project more manageable, the entire portfolio will be collected and evaluated in three sections.
The distinctions are as follows:
Section 1: Informational Reading
DUE DATE: ___________________________
Section 2: Literature Reading, Informational Writing, Research and Language
DUE DATE:___________________________
Section 3: Argumentative Writing and Speaking and Listening
DUE DATE: __________________________
Reflection
DUE DATE: __________________________
READING-INFORMATIONAL
#
Standard Description
Make inferences and
conclusions from nonfiction
texts using textual evidence
Identify theme and how it
emerges using support from
the text
Assignment Title
Score
Explanation
Article of the Week: Reinforce ALL of these standards using the AOW. Use these
standards to guide your lesson planning. You may also choose any nonfiction pieces to
teach these standards.
INSTRUCTION: main idea, summarization, author’s purpose, point of view, context clue
TALKING TO THE TEXT
….
Analyze the text structure and
purpose.
…
Identify and use figurative,
connotative, and technical
meanings of words, and
analyze how the use of
scientific word choices affects
meaning and tone.
Analyze how the author
developed the argument
…
Analyze author’s point of view
and how the author uses
rhetoric to develop that point
of view
Analyze using different
mediums of nonfiction texts
…
Identify false statements and
fallacious reasoning
…
Analyze U.S. documents and
how they address related
themes
Historical texts: supplemental texts for context of TKM, short stories (ex., TMDG written
in 1920s. How did the decade influence the story and it s characters’ motives and
ideologies?)
…
…
ARGUMENTATIVE WRITING
#
Standard Description
Concede, refute, and
summarize at least one
opposing claim.
Develop a classical argument
Assignment Title
Score
Explanation
Othello: Analyze Iago’s arguments (soliloquies) for what he must and/or will do to exact
his revenge.
Othello: Convince
-Iago to abandon his revenge
-Othello to spare Desdemona’s life
-Amelia to reveal Iago’s deception to Othello or Desdemona sooner
-Roderigo to realize Iago’s use of him, reveal Iago to Othello and return home
…or NOT. Argue in favor of any of these points.
Argumentative Essay
Use transitions to show the
relationship between and
within paragraphs.
Eliminate personal pronouns;
economize word choice, use
discipline appropriate style,
conventions, format, and
vocabulary.
Argumentative Essay
SPEAKING AND LISTENING
#
Standard Description
Follow rules as they pertain to
various discussion methods
Evaluate speaker’s point of
view, reasoning, use of
evidence and rhetoric, and
identifying fallacious
reasoning
Present orally using
multimedia while being
mindful of purpose and
audience
Assignment Title
Score
Explanation
Presentation of Argumentative Essay to class
Socratic seminars
Presentation of Argumentative Essays: students will choose an argument to analyze and
refute. (students must provide a copy of their essay to class)
Argumentative Essay
READING-LITERATURE
#
Standard Description
Assignment Title
Score
Explanation
Make inferences and
conclusions from fiction texts
using textual evidence
All short stories and novels require this standard. Evidence can be collected through a
variety of assessments; RACERS
Identify theme and how it
emerges using support from
the text
The Necklace
The Gift of the Magi
To Kill a Mockingbird (TKM)
Fahrenheit 451
Analyze complex characters
and how they develop and
advance plot, theme and
conflict
To Kill a Mockingbird (Jem)
Fahrenheit 451 (Montag)
The Most Dangerous Game (Rainsford)
The Necklace (Mme. Louisel)
Othello (Othello)
TMDG: imagery, conflict, plot, foreshadow
Amontillado: irony, mood, setting, characterization
Necklace: plot, foreshadow, character dev., irony
Magi: allusion, theme inference
TKM: dialect, allusion, metaphor, simile
TKM (Harper Lee reveals NOTHING about her motives; what can we infer? What is her
motive?
ALL texts can be analyzed for author’s craft.
Identify and use figurative
language and the effect it has
on the work
Analyze how the author’s
choices relate to the text
Analyze author’s point of view:
bias, motive, context, etc. of
characters
TKM (Harper Lee reveals NOTHING about her motives; what can we infer? What is her
motive?
Amontillado (Poe based this story upon an existing one. RE: text)
TMDG: What statement is the author making about humanity?
Analyze using different
mediums of fiction texts
Compare and contrast to/emphasize aspects using POETRY, ARTICLES, NONFICTION,
MOVIES, ETC.
Compare and contrast texts to
its original source
Amontillado video
TKM movie
451 movie
INFORMATIONAL WRITING
#
Standard Description
Develop a thesis statement
and a controlling idea
Organization:
compare/contrast
Assignment Title
Score
Explanation
TKM: 1930’s notable person essay
Short story/novel character analyses
Use sufficient and relevant
information for audience and
purpose
Essays
RESEARCH
#
Standard Description
Conduct research by
paraphrasing, summarizing,
completing a works cited,
evaluating sources and
including MLA formatting
(print and digital)
Assignment Title
Score
Explanation
TKM: 1930’s notable person essay
LANGUAGE
#
Standard Description
Demonstrate command of the
conventions of standard
English grammar and usage
when writing or speaking.
-parallel structure
-types of phrases and
clauses
-sentence joining
Use context clues
Use the 9th grade vocabulary
list (word parts) to complete
Word Maps
Assignment Title
Score
Explanation
Essays
RACERS
RACERS
Weekly lessons
Daily practice
Reflection (Approximately 500 words)
Discuss what the portfolio illustrates and proves. Evaluate your experiences in 10th grade English and how you have grown
as a learner, a member of society, and an individual.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________________________________________