KAKhaemenes AcademyEnglish 9 · Unit 3
High SchoolLanguage Arts

Term I · Weeks 7–9

Unit 03

Short Fiction & Narrative Craft

Study character, conflict, setting, point of view, irony, pacing, dialogue, and the deliberate revision of original fiction.

Begin Week 7Unit OverviewAssessments

Essential Question

How do writers shape a reader’s experience through character, structure, perspective, and detail?

Text and Source Family

Public-domain short fiction by writers such as Edgar Allan Poe, Kate Chopin, Anton Chekhov, Rabindranath Tagore, and Ryūnosuke Akutagawa.

Learning Priorities

  • Read closely and cite precise textual evidence.
  • Write through planning, drafting, feedback, revision, editing, and reflection.
  • Use language conventions and vocabulary as tools for meaning and style.
  • Discuss, present, listen, question, and respond with intellectual fairness.
  • Preserve major work in the Grade 9 portfolio.

Unit 3 required reading · The Library Key

Original Khaemenes Academy passage for Grade 9; available offline.

A librarian left a spare key hanging near the door, although no visitor was permitted to use it. Every evening the key caught the last sunlight. When the library closed for repairs, Mara noticed the key was gone.

The story never explains who removed it. Mara wondered whether the missing key marked an ending or a promise that the room would open again.

Focus: Theme and voice. Read twice. Underline two specific details, explain how they support or complicate an interpretation, and write an evidence-based paragraph relevant to this unit's focus. Keep the paragraph in your existing portfolio; revisit it during Weeks 7–9.

Unit reading-response assessment · 100 points

After completing the unit reading, submit a response in the existing portfolio. Your teacher can use this rubric for feedback; this page does not automatically change your grade or mastery status.

Reading response scoring guide
CriterionPointsWhat strong work demonstrates
Comprehension20Accurately explains the text without inventing details.
Textual evidence25Uses specific, accurately contextualized quotations or details.
Interpretation25Explains how evidence supports a nuanced interpretation and acknowledges uncertainty.
Writing clarity15Organizes claims and reasoning in clear, precise language.
Revision15Demonstrates a meaningful change after review and explains why it improves the work.

Process: Read and annotate → draft → check quotations → seek feedback → revise → preserve both drafts. If a reading is a brief instructional microtext, also complete the course's longer assigned literature; the microtext does not replace it.

Three-Week Sequence

Read, analyze, compose, and demonstrate.

Week 07

Character, Conflict & Setting

How do setting and conflict pressure a character into revealing values?

modifiers and precise verb choice
Open Week
Week 08

Point of View, Structure & Irony

How does the arrangement of information shape a reader’s judgment?

pronoun case and shifts in person
Open Week
Week 09

Narrative Workshop

What makes a short story purposeful rather than merely eventful?

dialogue punctuation and sentence rhythm
Open Week

Performance Evidence

Polished short story with craft commentary and peer-review record.

Students submit planning, one meaningful draft, feedback or conference notes, the finished product, and a short reflection explaining the strongest revision.

Add to PortfolioOpen RubricsDraft in PROSE

Standards Emphasis

Measured through authentic work.

  • RL.9-10.3–6
  • W.9-10.3–5
  • SL.9-10.1
  • L.9-10.1–3