Course Introduction
Completion requirements
Welcome to Language Arts 9-4!
In this course, you will work to continue to develop the language arts skills of Listening, Speaking, Reading, Writing, Viewing, and Representing by completing a variety of lessons based on these themes:
- Communicating with Others
- The Art of Writing
- Constructing Meaning
- Exploring and Understanding
- A Novel Study with Freak the Mighty
OR
- A Novel Study with a Choice of Novels to Read
- Communicating with Others
- The Art of Writing
- Constructing Meaning
- Exploring and Understanding
- A Novel Study with Freak the Mighty
OR
- A Novel Study with a Choice of Novels to Read
- There is no textbook required for the course and you will work both online and with your teacher to complete the lessons and activities that are a part of each theme. There will also be opportunities for you to think about and show what you've learned.
- There is a pop-up dictionary you can use throughout the course. Double click on any word and you will be taken to the definition for it.
- There is also a glossary for this course. You will notice that important words have been highlighted in orange. When you put your cursor over one of these words and click on it, you will be able to read a definition for it.
- You also have access to the content at the links at the top of this page. For more information on Content, Resources, Communication, Assessments, and My Teacher, please watch these Moodle Videos. (These will be linked later.)
- If you need technical support, please talk to your teacher.
Novel Studies
In this course, Themes 5 and 6 are novel studies but you will choose to complete either theme.
If you choose to complete Theme 5, you will study the novel Freak the Mighty by Rodman Philbrick.
Freak the Mighty is about two young boys who do not fit in, but find the power to overcome their fear of the outside world. Max is an overgrown eighth grade kid who is labelled learning disabled by his teachers. Everything changes the day Kevin moves next door. Kevin (Freak) has a normal sized head but the body of a two year old. The two boys develop a friendship and a partnership to fight for good and true causes, including taking on some very mean bullies and even Max's father, who returns from prison during the novel.
If you choose to complete Theme 6, you will have a choice of novels to study.
To make sure that you will have your novel when you reach that part of the course, read the information below now. You can review the list of novels and work with your teacher to choose one.
Big Burn by Lesley Choyce — NOTE: This novel is already used for ADLC's English 20-4
Big Burn is a story about two teens on eastern Canada’s coastline. The main characters take on a big company to protect their community from toxic waste dumping.
The Bread Winner by Deborah Ellis
This is a novel about an eleven-year-old girl who lives in Afganistan. She takes on a dangerous task to support her family. When her father is imprisoned, Parvana must disguise herself as a boy to take her father’s place in the market.
Holes by Louis Sachar
In Holes, Stanley Yelnats finds himself in Camp Green Lake, a work camp for juvenile delinquents, after being wrongly accused of theft. He finds there is no lake there but instead just a gigantic dry wasteland. The warden is convinced there is treasure buried there. All of the boys are sent out each day to dig holes.
Homeless Bird by Gloria Whelan
This is the story of Koly. She is a thirteen-year-old girl in India who must take a husband. Her teenage husband soon dies and she is left a widow. The story is about her struggle to become independent and find love.
The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis
During the bombing of London in World War II, four children are sent to live in the English country side with an eccentric professor. When one of the children hides in an old wardrobe, she discovers it leads to Narnia. Narnia is a land where it is always winter but never Christmas. The novel has a mix of human, animal, and mythical characters engaged in high adventures in a magical world.
Mama’s Going to Buy You a Mockingbird by Jean Little
Mama’s Going to Buy You a Mockingbird is a story about an eleven-year-old boy’s struggle with the illness, and then death, of his father.
Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli
This is a tall tale that tells the origins of Maniac Magee. He is a boy who seems to arrive from nowhere and quickly shakes up the town of Two Mills.
Men of Stone by Gayle Friesen
Fifteen-year-old Ben is feeling overwhelmed; he’s started senior high school and is being bullied by a group of boys. A visit from his great aunt Frieda helps him to deal with his problems.
Mystery in the Frozen Lands by Martyn Godfrey
Mystery in the Frozen Lands is a historical novel that tells of the disaster of the Franklin Expedition. It is told through the journal of Peter Griffin. He is a fictional teenage cabin boy who joined a mission to discover the fate of the lost expedition.
Peacekeepers by Dianne Linden
This novel is about a girl named Nellie Hopkins. She is a thirteen-year-old girl whose mother is with the Canadian Armed Forces on a peacekeeping mission in Bosnia. While her mother is away, Nellie must deal with challenges at school.
The Seeing Stone by Kevin Crossley-Holland
The Seeing Stone is a historical fantasy about a boy named Arthur. He is a foster child who lives in a nobleman’s home in the year 1199. Arthur is a sensitive thirteen-year-old boy who longs to be a knight.
Sees Behind Trees by Michael Dorris
Sees Behind Trees is a novel set in North America’s eastern woodlands in the 16th century. It follows the journey of a young Aboriginal boy. He makes up for his poor eyesight by using his other senses to “see” things around him in a way no one else in his village can.
Shane by Jack Schaefer
When the mysterious stranger, Shane, rides up to the Starrett's small home stead, the young son, Bobby, is mesmerized. Shane is a classic western novel.
Shipwrecked! The True Adventures of a Japanese Boy by Rhoda Blumberg
This novel is the amazing true story of Manjiro, the first Japanese person to set foot in America. Manjiro was a fishing boy whose vessel was swept far out to sea by a storm. After landing on a tiny island, he was discovered by American sailors and returned with the ship’s captain to North America.
The Tomorrow Tunnel by K. Butcher
The Tomorrow Tunnel is about the adventures of two sisters who purchase a magical book. As the sisters discover, the book gives magical power to anyone who places a personal possession inside.
Touch of the Clown by Glen Huser
Touch of the Clown is a novel about a neglected thirteen-year-old who finds support and friendship from a man named Cosmo Farber, a clown instructor living with AIDS.
Trapped in Ice by Eric Walters
Trapped in Ice is set in the winter of 1913–1914 on an expedition to map uncharted arctic islands in Canada’s north. When the ship becomes locked in ice, a small group leaves to try to reach land. The ship’s captain is faced with the challenge of saving the remaining members of the expedition and the ship’s crew as the ship drifts towards Siberia.
Under the Blood-Red Sun by Graham Salisbury
Under the Blood-Red Sun is a story about the prejudice experienced by a Japanese American family in Hawaii following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor during World War II.
Underground to Canada by Barbara Smucker
This novel is set just before the Civil War when the Underground Railroad was helping slaves escape to Canada. The main character, Julilly, makes the difficult trek across the northern states, with the help of Alexander Ross, to escape slavery.
Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech
This is a funny, bittersweet story about two thirteen-year-old girls whose mothers have disappeared. Sal is retracing her mother’s final steps on a car trip from Ohio to Idaho. She tells a story about her friend, Phoebe, whose mother has also left the family suddenly. Phoebe thinks someone has kidnapped her mother and the two girls try to solve this mystery. As Sal tells this story, she figures out some important things about her own life.
Who Is Frances Rain by Margaret Buffie
Who Is Frances Rain is about fifteen-year-old Lizzie, who is spending her usual summer vacation at her grandmother’s cottage in northern Manitoba. To get away from the fighting going on in her family and her new stepfather, she starts exploring a nearby island. Here she finds an old pair of glasses that enable her to see a woman and a girl from the past. Lizzie is determined to discover the identities of these ghosts.
Winners by Mary-Ellen Lang Collura
This novel is set in southern Alberta on the Ash Creek Reserve. It is the story of a fifteen-year-old boy named Jordy Threebears. He has already lived in 11 foster homes and now is sent to live with a man named Joe Speckledhawk, his grandfather. This story follows Jordy as he settles into a new life with the help of his grandfather, his social worker, Mr. Campbell, and the new people he meets in the community. Much of the story details a special gift Jordy was given for Christmas from his grandfather: his own horse.
Big Burn is a story about two teens on eastern Canada’s coastline. The main characters take on a big company to protect their community from toxic waste dumping.
The Bread Winner by Deborah Ellis
This is a novel about an eleven-year-old girl who lives in Afganistan. She takes on a dangerous task to support her family. When her father is imprisoned, Parvana must disguise herself as a boy to take her father’s place in the market.
Holes by Louis Sachar
In Holes, Stanley Yelnats finds himself in Camp Green Lake, a work camp for juvenile delinquents, after being wrongly accused of theft. He finds there is no lake there but instead just a gigantic dry wasteland. The warden is convinced there is treasure buried there. All of the boys are sent out each day to dig holes.
Homeless Bird by Gloria Whelan
This is the story of Koly. She is a thirteen-year-old girl in India who must take a husband. Her teenage husband soon dies and she is left a widow. The story is about her struggle to become independent and find love.
The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis
During the bombing of London in World War II, four children are sent to live in the English country side with an eccentric professor. When one of the children hides in an old wardrobe, she discovers it leads to Narnia. Narnia is a land where it is always winter but never Christmas. The novel has a mix of human, animal, and mythical characters engaged in high adventures in a magical world.
Mama’s Going to Buy You a Mockingbird by Jean Little
Mama’s Going to Buy You a Mockingbird is a story about an eleven-year-old boy’s struggle with the illness, and then death, of his father.
Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli
This is a tall tale that tells the origins of Maniac Magee. He is a boy who seems to arrive from nowhere and quickly shakes up the town of Two Mills.
Men of Stone by Gayle Friesen
Fifteen-year-old Ben is feeling overwhelmed; he’s started senior high school and is being bullied by a group of boys. A visit from his great aunt Frieda helps him to deal with his problems.
Mystery in the Frozen Lands by Martyn Godfrey
Mystery in the Frozen Lands is a historical novel that tells of the disaster of the Franklin Expedition. It is told through the journal of Peter Griffin. He is a fictional teenage cabin boy who joined a mission to discover the fate of the lost expedition.
Peacekeepers by Dianne Linden
This novel is about a girl named Nellie Hopkins. She is a thirteen-year-old girl whose mother is with the Canadian Armed Forces on a peacekeeping mission in Bosnia. While her mother is away, Nellie must deal with challenges at school.
The Seeing Stone by Kevin Crossley-Holland
The Seeing Stone is a historical fantasy about a boy named Arthur. He is a foster child who lives in a nobleman’s home in the year 1199. Arthur is a sensitive thirteen-year-old boy who longs to be a knight.
Sees Behind Trees by Michael Dorris
Sees Behind Trees is a novel set in North America’s eastern woodlands in the 16th century. It follows the journey of a young Aboriginal boy. He makes up for his poor eyesight by using his other senses to “see” things around him in a way no one else in his village can.
Shane by Jack Schaefer
When the mysterious stranger, Shane, rides up to the Starrett's small home stead, the young son, Bobby, is mesmerized. Shane is a classic western novel.
Shipwrecked! The True Adventures of a Japanese Boy by Rhoda Blumberg
This novel is the amazing true story of Manjiro, the first Japanese person to set foot in America. Manjiro was a fishing boy whose vessel was swept far out to sea by a storm. After landing on a tiny island, he was discovered by American sailors and returned with the ship’s captain to North America.
The Tomorrow Tunnel by K. Butcher
The Tomorrow Tunnel is about the adventures of two sisters who purchase a magical book. As the sisters discover, the book gives magical power to anyone who places a personal possession inside.
Touch of the Clown by Glen Huser
Touch of the Clown is a novel about a neglected thirteen-year-old who finds support and friendship from a man named Cosmo Farber, a clown instructor living with AIDS.
Trapped in Ice by Eric Walters
Trapped in Ice is set in the winter of 1913–1914 on an expedition to map uncharted arctic islands in Canada’s north. When the ship becomes locked in ice, a small group leaves to try to reach land. The ship’s captain is faced with the challenge of saving the remaining members of the expedition and the ship’s crew as the ship drifts towards Siberia.
Under the Blood-Red Sun by Graham Salisbury
Under the Blood-Red Sun is a story about the prejudice experienced by a Japanese American family in Hawaii following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor during World War II.
Underground to Canada by Barbara Smucker
This novel is set just before the Civil War when the Underground Railroad was helping slaves escape to Canada. The main character, Julilly, makes the difficult trek across the northern states, with the help of Alexander Ross, to escape slavery.
Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech
This is a funny, bittersweet story about two thirteen-year-old girls whose mothers have disappeared. Sal is retracing her mother’s final steps on a car trip from Ohio to Idaho. She tells a story about her friend, Phoebe, whose mother has also left the family suddenly. Phoebe thinks someone has kidnapped her mother and the two girls try to solve this mystery. As Sal tells this story, she figures out some important things about her own life.
Who Is Frances Rain by Margaret Buffie
Who Is Frances Rain is about fifteen-year-old Lizzie, who is spending her usual summer vacation at her grandmother’s cottage in northern Manitoba. To get away from the fighting going on in her family and her new stepfather, she starts exploring a nearby island. Here she finds an old pair of glasses that enable her to see a woman and a girl from the past. Lizzie is determined to discover the identities of these ghosts.
Winners by Mary-Ellen Lang Collura
This novel is set in southern Alberta on the Ash Creek Reserve. It is the story of a fifteen-year-old boy named Jordy Threebears. He has already lived in 11 foster homes and now is sent to live with a man named Joe Speckledhawk, his grandfather. This story follows Jordy as he settles into a new life with the help of his grandfather, his social worker, Mr. Campbell, and the new people he meets in the community. Much of the story details a special gift Jordy was given for Christmas from his grandfather: his own horse.
- Look through the list and pay particular attention to the information about each book. You can also go online to find out more information about each book, and see a picture of the cover of the novel.
- Talk to your teacher and see what can be arranged so that you have a copy of the novel you would like to read in Theme 6. Your school may already have some of the novels on this list, so you may be expected to use one of them. Your school will be able to order any of the books off of the list if they are not available at your school.
- You may want to print out the list and check off the novels that are of interest to you. You will be able to read them on your own time.