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Grade Nine Curriculum Picks

These Grade Nine Picks can be purchased from Homeschool Canada (order using the HCOS Curriculum Order Form), Anchor Academic (using your PO#), or from one of our comprehensive vendors listed on this page. Some options may also be available to borrow from the Learning Commons Search Portal , or purchase from our Used Bookstore, and/or via the Sora/OverDrive virtual eBook library.

Vendor websites are pick-and-choose and some optional or alternate suggestions may be listed, so select your items with care.

Overview Of Grade 9 Curriculum Picks

Here is an overview of the curriculum picks that we suggest for Grade 9. Please note that some subjects provide more than one option. For more information about the curriculum, please refer to the information under Detailed Information for Grade 9 Curriculum Picks.

English Language Arts

 
  • Writing Strands Advanced 1 by Master Books OR Essentials in Writing 9
  • The Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane (or alternate) with Progeny Press Study Guide
  • They Called Me Number One by Bev Sellars

    Mathematics

     
    • Dynamic Classroom BC Grade 9
    • Theory and Problems for Mathematics 9 - Third Edition by Crescent Beach Publishing Publishing 
    • Singapore Dimensions Math 8A and 8B Textbooks and Teaching Notes and Solutions

    Science
    • BC Science Connections 9 Textbook and Workbook (Nelson)

    Social Studies
    • Nelson Socials 9 OR
    • World Empires, World Missions, World Wars Essentials Pack by Diana Waring

    Bible/Christian Studies
    • Quest: Gospel of John Explorer’s Bible Study (Explorer's Bible Study)

    Optional Resources

    (not detailed below)

      
    • What Color Is Your Parachute? for Teens, Third Edition by Carol Christen (Career Education)
    • Getting Things Done for Teens: Take Control of Your Life in a Distracting World by David Allen (Career Education)
    • Invest in your Financial Future by Diane Dakers (Mathematics/Career Education)
    • Choices for a Winning Lifestyle by Susan Boe (ACSI) - Student Textbook and Workbook (Heath Education; can also be used for Grade 10)
    • Canada Map Book 6 by George Quinn, Apple Press (Social Studies; says Gr. 6-8 on the cover, but is still suitable )
    • Righting Canada's Wrongs - any of the 6 books in the series by Lorimer Publications (Social Studies)
    • Heritage Collection: The Immigrant Experience by Rose Fine-Myer (Social Studies)

      Detailed Information for Grade 9 Curriculum Picks Picks 

      English Language Arts

      Select one of the following writing programs (A or B), in addition to two novel studies listed below these options.

      Option A: Writing Strands Advanced 1

      Type of Resource:  Home education workbook

      Description:  Writing Strands Advanced 1 will help your junior high/high school student practice writing reports, short stories, essays, and other forms of writing and learn about literary devices, including imagery, symbolism, and rhetorical language. developed to give students advanced skills, such as recognizing and using persuasive language, writing reports, and developing character in creative pieces.  Students will learn the process of giving others their thoughts in written form through three areas: creative, research and reports, and explanatory. Every exercise will guide them in the development of the communication skills they need.  A suggested schedule is provided, as well as worksheets that are three-hole punched and perforated, and the addition of a reading and literature component helps students look more deeply into the Bible and other books they select.

      Note from Curriculum Consultant: This resource refers to a different book/novel assigned by the teacher/parent each week over 18 lessons and provides a page with six steps for discussion regarding this book in each lesson. This may be a bit much for many students, so this page could be skipped when desired, and the novel study suggested below can be completed as an alternative to this page many of the weeks.

      Website

      Placement Tests

      Review

      Table of Contents and PDF Sample Pages

      Scope and Sequence

      Option B: Essentials in Writing 9 Student Book and Video Component (Choose Stream Online or DVD)

      Type of Resource:  Homes education curriculum

      Description: EIW Level 9 provides students with the writing skills needed for high school and university writing, the SAT, college application, and beyond. This curriculum contains step-by-step guidance throughout the program and is relatively self-contained between the workbook and online (or DVD) video lessons.


      Placement Test (Level Wizard)

      Review

      Other Optional or Supplementary Resources:

      Sample Video Lesson

      Table of Contents and and PDF Sample

      Free Trial

      Novels

      Note from Curriculum Consultant:  Alternate novels can be chosen. The ones below are cross-curricular historical fiction selections set in the time period/area of study for Grade 9 Social Studies. Some students may wish to complete 3 or more novels.

      Novel #1:  The Red Badge of Courage with Progeny Press Study Guide

      Type of Resource:  Novel and workbook

      Description:  Stephen Crane’s classic novel looks at the trauma and horror of war through a young man’s eyes. Henry Fleming joins the Union army as a green recruit dreaming of glory and heroic acts on bravery on the battlefield. He wants to earn his “badge of courage.” He imagines himself "a blue determined figure standing before a crimson and steel assault, getting calmly killed on a high place before the eyes of all." Camp life, he soon discovers, is far less exciting than the army of his imagination. Henry must learn, through much mental and spiritual agony, to stand in the face of physical danger with no thought to his own heroics nor to the opinions of others. He learns to despise his earlier dreams of war and glory. Instead, he finds quiet manhood, non-assertive but of sturdy and strong blood. He has faced death and become a man.

       

      Website

      Review

      Table of Contents and PDF Sample Pages
      Novel #2: They Called Me Number One by Bev Sellars

      Type of Resource:  Novel Novel 

      Description:  Like thousands of Aboriginal children in Canada, and elsewhere in the colonized world, Xatsu'll chief Bev Sellars spent part of her childhood as a student in a church-run residential school.  These institutions endeavoured to "civilize" Native children through Christian teachings; forced separation from family, language, and culture; and strict discipline. Perhaps the most symbolically potent strategy used to alienate residential school children was addressing them by assigned numbers only—not by the names with which they knew and understood themselves.

      In this frank and poignant memoir of her years at St. Joseph's Mission, Sellars breaks her silence about the residential school's lasting effects on her and her family—from substance abuse to suicide attempts—and eloquently articulates her own path to healing. Number One comes at a time of recognition—by governments and society at large—that only through knowing the truth about these past injustices can we begin to redress them.

       

      Website

       

      Math

      Select one of the following math programs (A or B or C) below

      Option A: Dynamic Classroom BC Grade 9

      Type of Resource: Workbook

      Description: Aligned to BC's curriculum

      • Detailed explanations of every topic with step-by-step guided examples with solutions.  
      • A series of problems for the student to practice the concept they just learned. Questions start out easy and gradually increase in difficulty. Challenging questions are provided for those students that really want to push themselves.
      • Practice tests for each chapter/unit in the book.  
      • An answer key for all questions in the book.  
      • Students can get extra support through the website that provides additional worksheets and a limited selection of video lessons when you create an an online account.
      • A complete set of of video lessons  (a paid service) where you can watch a math teacher while they explain a concept and then walk you through some examples.  

      Website

      Other Optional or Supplementary Resources

      Table of Contents and PDF Sample Pages
      Option B: Crescent Beach Publishing Theory and Problems for Mathematics 9 - Third Edition

      Description: Aligned to BC's curriculum

      • Written to be used as a primary teaching resource

      • Contains a comprehensive explanation of the subject for each section

      • Over 300 detailed example questions

      • Hundreds of practise problems with answers and step by step solutions where necessary

      • Space is given for each practice question to complete the problem, and keep the work organized all in one place place 

      Website

      Table of Contents

      PDF Sample Pages

      Note: this resource may not be available from vendors other than Crescent Beach Publishing; see our Resource Vendor Directory for ordering details.
      Option C: Singapore Dimensions Math 8A and 8B (Optional) Textbooks and Teaching Notes/Solutions

      Type of Resource:  Home education/classroom curriculum

      Description:  The program emphasizes problem-solving and empowers students to think mathematically, both inside and outside the classroom. Pre-algebra, algebra, geometry, data analysis, probability, and some advanced math topics are included in this rigorous series. The series follows the principles outlined in the Singapore mathematics framework, including the Concrete, Pictorial, Abstract (CPA) Approach, bar modelling, and more. In the Dimensions Math program, concepts are introduced and explained in a new format with vibrant imagery, all with the progression and scope that has defined Singapore math.

      Components

      • Textbooks build on prior knowledge and develop familiar concepts in an accessible way.
      • Workbooks offer independent practice while maintaining the careful progression of exercise variation.
      • Teaching Notes and Solutions provide teaching suggestions and important information for educators to help students achieve math mastery.
      • Workbook Solutions contain fully worked solutions for problems in workbooks.

      Components Samples

      Note from Curriculum Consultant: This US-based resource is rather rigorous and is advanced for BC standards. Books 6 - 8A align reasonably well (although not entirely) with BC's curriculum for grades 7 - 9. If students are just beginning to use this series in grade 9, it is recommended that they begin with level 7B (sample pages here), and students who have been using the series for a year are two could be starting 7B or be partway through 7B at the beginning of grade 9. There are sufficient exercises in the textbook for many students, and so the workbook may not be necessary (and may even be frustrating) for students who learn quickly. For students who require repetition and extra practice, the workbook (and workbook solutions) are recommended. Even though this resource does not completely align with BC's curriculum, it was chosen for its proven approach which has been a favourite with home educators for years.

      Website

      Review

      Scope and Sequence

      Brochure

      Science

      Note: Science standards for Grade 7 - 9 are significantly addressed when both Apologia’s Exploring Creation with General Science and Exploring Creation with Physical Science are used in Grades 7 - 9. See this spreadsheet for correlations.

      BC Science Connections 9 Textbook and Workbook

      Type of Resource:  Secular classroom Student Edition textbook and workbook

      Description:  The BC Science Connections program is 100% Curriculum aligned and supported inquiry-based learning. It leverages students' natural sense of curiosity and wonder so they learn by actively engaging in activities while having access to clear, concise, and highly visual curriculum-specific content to support knowing, doing and understanding.

      Key Features:

      • Support for place-based learning and integrates First Peoples' ways of knowing.
      • Builds students confidence with solid science content that is easy to understand and provides the background necessary for personalized inquiry.
      • Engages students with relevant science content, dynamic visuals and intriguing labs.
      • Develops and supports scientific literacy, engages students with dynamic content, lab experiences and a rich array of resources to ensure students understand the big idea.

      Website

      Social Studies

      Option A: Nelson Socials 9 Student Resource and eBook

      Type of Resource: Student textbook and eBook

      Description: A comprehensive resource aligned to BC’s curriculum that helps students become active, engaged citizens with the ability to think and communicate critically, historically and geographically. Includes rich and engaging primary sources and inquiry-focused questions. The Student Resource includes a print textbook with built-in activity cards and lifetime access to an online student centre.

       

      Website

      Table of Contents and Sample pages

      Option B: World Empires, World Missions, World Wars Essentials Pack

      Bible/Christian Studies

      Explorer’s Bible Study: The Gospel of John

      Type of Resource:  Workbook

      Description:  John focuses on the spiritual significance of what Jesus did and said rather than just reporting the events of His life. He begins the gospel with a declaration of the deity of Jesus, His pre-existence, and His direct involvement in creation.  As you study, you will discover that John has a very penetrating gaze into eternal truth and into the very heart and mind of God. But John gives us more than just information; he reveals an invitation – to an abundant life in Jesus, the True Vine. May this study help you find “life in His name” and bear much fruit from (and for) Him.

      Website

      Other Optional or Supplementary Resources:

      PDF Sample Lesson

       

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