Ninth Grade Academic Program: 2023-2024 – Required Courses

All ninth grade students are required to take English. Students may be placed in particular sections based on their performance on placement tests given to admitted students.

Language, Literature and Writing I

In this introductory foundation, course students begin learning the skills that they will refine throughout their time at NSHAHS. They examine the thematic issue of Heroes and Heroism through their readings and study of classic and contemporary epic, drama, and novel. Students begin their analysis of writing as a multi-level thinking process and become familiar with the standard rhetorical patterns as well as other strategies used in good writing. Grammar and vocabulary culled from works studied are integrated into the curriculum as weekly features of instruction.  All texts are coordinated with the materials presented in the ninth grade writing course. Both accelerated and skills level classes will be available in addition to the grade level course.. Placement is based on student performance.

All ninth graders are required to take Global Studies. Students may be placed in particular sections based on their performance on placement tests given to incoming students.

Global Studies I

This course is the first year of a two-year program in global history. It is a cross-cultural study of history from prehistory through the mid-18th Century. Covered topics include, but are not limited to, the history, geography, politics, economics, and societies of various regions of the globe. In addition to the history and geography curriculum, the course will develop and enhance student skills. Special focus is directed at student reading, writing, note taking, and critical thinking skills that are so vital for their success. Students may be placed in the skills-level section based on performance. This section will have a strong focus on skill development and use modified assessments and classroom material.

All ninth graders are required to take geometry. Placements will be determined by the department and the results of the placement test given to incoming freshmen. There is a skills section for eligible students.

Accelerated Geometry

Students in the ninth grade take this course if their placement test indicates readiness and have successfully completed a course in Algebra.  Students learn the fundamentals of geometry, how to deal with geometric figures and to apply deductive reasoning in the creation of formal proofs. Students learn about logic, deductive reasoning, parallel lines, congruence, polygons, inequalities, similarity, circles, constructions, loci, areas, volumes, coordinate geometry, and transformations.  Algebraic concepts that were completed in middle school will be incorporated into all topics presented in this course.

Geometry

Students learn the fundamentals of geometry, how to deal with geometric figures and to apply deductive reasoning in the creation of formal proofs. Students learn about logic, deductive reasoning, parallel lines, congruence, polygons, inequalities, similarity, circles, constructions, loci, areas, volumes, coordinate geometry, and transformations.

All ninth graders are required to take biology. Both accelerated and skills level courses will be available; placements are determined by the department.

Biology

The Introduction to Biology course presents a comprehensive, modern view of life science. The main topics covered include ecology, biochemistry, cell biology, comparative anatomy, biological energetics, adaptation with respect to physiological functions, perpetuation of life through reproduction and development, Mendelian and modern genetics, and evolution as a unifying principle.  Lesson aims are taught through planned lecture, discussion, demonstration, note-taking, and follow-up exercises.  A series of formal laboratory activities reinforce and/or extend these lesson aims and topic areas.  At both the onset and throughout the course, students will be taught the scientific method and the classic experiments biologists have performed to construct the knowledge base of biology. Many of the lab activities provide opportunities to both discover and apply biological concepts as well as to use current technology.

Computer Science Essentials 

Computer Science and computational problem solving are fundamental skills for engaging the 21st-century marketplace of ideas and economies.  All students should have the opportunity to learn these skills as they will use them in whatever career they are likely to enter. This is one of the reasons NYS has made computer science a graduation requirement.

There are several units of study in computer science essentials gradually building students up to a level of comfort that they too can create and develop sophisticated computing innovations and computational artifacts. The topics include: Your Digital Life, Computer Science For All, Introduction to Web Development, Introduction to App Development, Graphics & Animation with Python and Data Science, Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning.

Four years of Hebrew language and literature is a requirement. Students in the ninth grade are initially placed by ability level measured by personal interviews and formal placement tests. Once placed, students may advance according to the following standard sequence: Mechina (Preparatory) Level; Intermediate Level; Grade Level; Advanced Level.

For example, a student may begin his or her Hebrew Language study in the beginner’s level and proceed to the intermediate level during the course of the ninth grade. In every grade there are class sections to accommodate the varying needs of each student. Students are placed in homogeneous classes with their peers at the precise level that will ensure they will be challenged to improve their language skills.

Mechina

This level is designed for students with no or very little knowledge of Hebrew. The Mechina offers innovative tools for learning to read and write in Hebrew while building vocabulary. Letters and vowels are taught and each student learns how to write, pronounce and understand new vocabulary words, and to use these words in sentences.  The Mechina also helps students develop their speaking ability, as the sequence of new vocabulary words is arranged to help students progress step-wise in basic speech patterns.  Students who complete this level will be able to speak in short dialogues, write paragraphs, memos, and assertions, read paragraphs of information or description and stories or folk tales, listen to and comprehend short dialogues, and recognize and use appropriate morphology and syntax.

Beginners

Students who complete this level will be able to speak in dialogues and interview, to express and support opinions, write short notes, personal and impersonal letters, read and comprehend informative paragraphs, read short stories, poems, and a few Biblical verses, listen to and comprehend short dialogues, songs, and short informative lectures, and recognize and use appropriate morphology and syntax.

All ninth graders are required to take physical education.

Students are encouraged to meet their physical, emotional, and competitive needs through games, teams, and sports. Instruction will include units covering physical fitness, health, nutrition, flag football, volleyball, basketball, soccer, softball, and team handball.