Grade 9

The humanities course is designed to provide students with a unique opportunity to explore ideas and to recognize connections that students might not have made during the traditional curriculum of separate English and history courses. This interdisciplinary course encourages students to imagine, to discover, and then to articulate these connections both in their written work and verbally. A goal is to explore the world of 20th century history, not only through the traditional medium of primary and secondary text sources, but also through the world of literature and film. Units of study include Industrialization, World War I, the Russian Revolution, the Interwar Period, World War II and the Holocaust, the Civil Rights movement in the United States, and the Vietnam era.

World Language (French or Spanish) at the ninth grade level continues to hone the skills of speaking, listening, reading, and writing in the target language through communicative activities, drills, and original compositions. At this level, students are expected to use prior knowledge and incorporate new vocabulary themes and grammar concepts into their demonstration of these skills. Topics and skills will depend on the makeup of the particular class, with an emphasis on expanding the use of the past and future tenses.

The ninth-grade math program is a traditional high school geometry course. Woven throughout the course is the algebraic connection between the spatial components of geometry and the equations and formulas learned in previous grades. Emphasis in ninth grade is given to formal proofs and logic. The properties of lines, angles, triangles and circles take up much of the year. Training the students to be able to see and read 3-D diagrams continues through the entire year as well. Problem solving is woven into the curriculum to encourage students to connect the abstract nature of the formulas and terms to real life situations that require one’s mind to visualize connections between shapes and numbers. The TI-Nspire graphing calculator is used regularly as a tool to enhance exploration, instruction and reinforcement of new concepts.

The grade nine Latin curriculum is a traditional Latin translation course. Students study the remaining higher order grammatical constructions including gerunds, periphrastic constructions, conditional sentences, and indirect discourse and then transit from contrived textbook Latin to the original works of the great Roman authors. Authors read in recent years include Livy, Ovid, Virgil, Apuleius, Cicero and Catullus. Historical, mythological, and cultural topics are explored within the context of the literature being studied.

In the Upper School visual arts program, emphasis is placed on balancing fundamental skill development, individual creativity and hands-on experience with a wide variety of materials and techniques aimed at opening as many creative and inspirational doors as possible. Given more unique circumstances of Pike 9, this can take a variety of forms based on the group of students and their interests. This work may include drawing, printmaking, sculpture, film-based photography, alternative process photography, graphic design, furniture design or architecture. Within the study of each of these art forms, the ongoing focus will revolve around technical skill development, self-expression, creative exploration and problem solving as well as critical thinking and discourse. All students’ finished work will be showcased in the annual art show.

*Work with visiting artists may at times, replace these projects to take advantage of special creative opportunities. 

The ninth grade theatre students perform in a play that has already been written. This is a different challenge from the eighth grade theatre project because the ninth graders must interpret the playwright’s intentions by looking for clues in the script. All ninth graders perform and assist as directors during this project. They also work together to build the set and make props for the performance. The ninth grade theatre class culminates in an evening performance for the entire community.

In ninth grade, the music curriculum focuses on inclusivity and music. We ask the question “Who is allowed/able to participate in music, and does it need to be that way?” To answer this question, we explore the different barriers to participation in music, such as disability and socio-economic barriers. We then attempt to create adaptive instruments that allow students with various disabilities across a wide socio-economic range to be able to engage as confident music makers. As part of this process we learn about design thinking and harnessing the power of technology such as Arduinos, Makey Makeys, and more to create a more inclusive society. 

Ninth grade biology follows a high school level curriculum, using Miller and Levine’s Biology textbook as its guideline. The scope and sequence covers ecology and geologic evolution in the fall; diversity of organisms and cell biology in the winter; and genetics, organic evolution, and animal behavior in the spring. Assessments consist of test and quizzes, research papers, debates, and hands-on projects that allow students to reach beyond the factual material to apply their knowledge of biology and the scientific method. During all three terms outdoor fieldwork comprises the bulk of our laboratory curriculum. Each student will have a quadrant in the Pike woods that they will follow throughout the seasons, learning about ecosystems, seasonal patterns, and the impact of environmental factors on the natural world.

The goal of the curriculum is to develop versatile movers with the confidence to learn new skills and the desire to engage in physical pursuits on a lifelong basis. Areas of focus include lifetime fitness and activities, traditional sports and an outdoor challenge course unit. Activities include flag rugby, ultimate Frisbee, basketball, volleyball, floor hockey, badminton, yoga, and leadership class. As a culminating activity in the challenge course, students gain the technical skills and confidence to run the high ropes course and challenge themselves to take appropriate risks.