ENGLISH GRADE 9 NOTES 2.

3 DECEMBER 13, 2022

LESSON 1: SOCIAL ISSUES

Social issues are issues that have been recognized by society as problems that are preventing society from
functioning at an optimal level. These problems include many forms of deviant behavior such as:

A. Racism – Racism takes many forms and can happen in many places. It includes prejudice,
discrimination or hatred directed at someone because of their color, ethnicity or national
origin.

B. Bullying – Bullying is when people repeatedly and intentionally use words or actions against someone
or a group of people to cause distress and risk to their wellbeing. These actions are usually
done by people who have more influence or power over someone else, or who want to make
someone else feel less powerful or helpless.

Types of Bullying

1. Face-to-face bullying (sometimes referred to as direct bullying) involves physical actions such
as punching or kicking or direct verbal actions such as name-calling and insulting.

2. Covert bullying (sometimes referred to as indirect bullying) is less direct and is conducted out
of sight like excluding people from groups or spreading lies or rumors.

3. Cyberbullying occurs through the use of information or communication technologies such as

Instant Messaging or chat, email and social networking sights.

C. Global Warming – Global Warming is a phenomenon of climate change characterized by a general

increase in average temperatures of the Earth, which modifies the weather balances and
ecosystems for a long time.

D. Overpopulation – refers to a population which exceed its sustainable size within a particular
environment or habitant. It results from an increased birth rate, decreased death rate, the
immigration to a new ecological niche with fewer predators, or the sudden decline in
available resources

LESSON 2: CONTEXT CLUES

Context clues are hints found within a sentence, paragraph, or passage that a reader can use to understand
the meanings of new or unfamiliar words.
Types of Context Clues
1. Definition or Description – the new term may be defined, or sufficient explanation may be given within the
sentence or in the following sentence.
(Example: He knew his future was precarious and likely to fall apart.)
2. Synonyms or Restatement – the meaning of an unknown word repeats an idea expressed in familiar words
nearby.
(Example: Mark felt remorse, or shame, for his harsh words.)
3. Contrast or Antonyms – an opposite meaning context clues contrasts the meaning of an unfamiliar word with
the meaning of a familiar term.
(Example: I despise liver, but I adore steak.)

4. Inference or General Clues – force the reader to use rationale or reasoning skills in order to figure out the
meaning of an unknown word.
(Example: Why would anyone want to be an underachiever, he will never make good grades, never get a
good job, and never be successful.)