Free Course Plans: English 9 (Plans for Boys Who Like History but don’t really love reading, but also like Punching the Air, etc.)

I recently discovered the utility of working with ChatGPT to build out course plans, particularly with pacing and meeting standards. While I do plan to come back and discuss the entire process of how to do this, in the meantime I thought I would share the course as a bit of a teaser for what it can do.

Note: While I have looked this over, I have not done an in depth look, so it is very possible there are errors within the text.

I started asking it about novels. Here is the initial output:

Here are ten novels—both contemporary and historical—that explore themes of coming of age, boyhood, and the transition to manhood, suitable for a 9th-grade English class:

The Outsiders by S. E. HintTwo rival teen gangs (“Greasers” vs. “Socs”) force Ponyboy Curtis to confront loyalty, violence, and what it means to grow up on the wrong side of town.

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

Through Scout Finch’s eyes, her brother Jem’s journey from innocence to moral awareness unfolds against the backdrop of racial injustice in 1930s Alabama.

A Separate Peace by John Knowles At a New England boarding school during World War II, Gene Forrester’s complex friendship with the daring Phineas becomes a crucible for identity and guilt.

The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger After being expelled, 16-year-old Holden Caulfield roams New York City in a quest for authenticity and a desperate bid to preserve childhood innocence.

Lord of the Flies by William Golding

Stranded on a desert island, a group of schoolboys descends from hopeful survivors into competing tribes, testing the fragile line between civilization and savagery.

Johnny Tremain by Esther Forbes (Historical) Orphaned apprentice silversmith Johnny Tremain comes of age on the eve of the American Revolution, learning courage and conscience as he gets caught up in the fight for independence.

Blood on the River: Jamestown, 1607 by Elisa Carbone (Historical) Based on real journals, 12-year-old orphan Samuel Collier navigates the hardships of the first English colony, growing from frightened newcomer to resilient young leader.

Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul CurtiDuring the Great Depression, 10-year-old Bud Caldwell runs away from an abusive foster home to find his father, discovering family, jazz, and his own strength along the way.

Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O’Dell (Historical/Survival) Left alone on a Pacific island, young Karana must master survival and self-reliance, charting a profound inner journey from fear to independence.

Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson RawlsBilly Colman’s deep bond with his two hunting dogs in Depression-era Oklahoma teaches him about love, loss, and the painful edge of growing up.

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How you might use them in 9th grade:

• Literature circles around shared themes of loyalty, identity, and moral choice.

• Comparative essays (e.g. contrasting Gene’s envy in A Separate Peace with Ponyboy’s outsider status in The Outsiders).

• Creative projects, like journal entries from a character’s perspective at key turning points.

• Historical context research for the period novels to deepen understanding of the real-world forces shaping each young protagonist.

Each of these books offers a window into the trials, triumphs, and transformations of boyhood on the cusp of adulthood.

Based on my knowledge of the above novels, I chose some included, some not. Then you’ll see what it suggested after I gave it the novels I wanted in the first doc. Then I went back and did some back and forth about the other resources. I’ll try and include those there at a later time.

English 9 Course of Study:

English 9 Entire Year Lesson Plans:

I think I may have something even more detailed that I will share if I can find it, but right now this is still a work in process. The main thing is that thanks to CGPT I know which books I want to use (I reviewed the suggestions and selected those I preferred or asked for other options). I’ll try to make a post with those books at some point.

It’s important to discuss the process because I built this tailor made to my particular student. Why does this matter? Because he is different from his sisters. He has different interests, different goals, a different learning style, different taste in books. Some of the chat may be contained in the document, so you’ll get a peak at that. But generally, he likes history and pop culture. He has already read some of the books that were suggested, so we swapped in others. I clarified about the length of reading assignments as well as level of difficulty and appropriateness.

I also found lesson plans for the novels separately online from teacher resource pages including districts and individual teacher blogs. I will post those as a comprehensive thing when I have time– just know I didn’t ask the computer to tell me what to do and then do it. It’s a whole process that involves a lot of human thinking by me! lol.

I hope you enjoy! Thanks for reading! Chat more soon!