Books and classroom materials for grades 9 and 10: the Grades 9–10 edition and four course editions.
Student pages have the same page numbers in both books on screen.
Honors English, civics and social studies courses in grades 9 and 10, as each school defines them. For honors courses in grades 11 and 12, use the Grades 11–12 edition.
Depth comes from ambiguity and competing interpretations, not longer papers.
20 of 20 cases
Classes using Pre-AP English 1 or English 2, or educators who want tasks built on the Pre-AP shared instructional principles.
Every route states how it uses each of the four shared principles.
20 of 20 cases
Schools with their own pre-IB or IB-preparatory pathway, usually grades 9–10, preparing students for later IB Diploma Programme courses.
Every task pairs written analysis with an oral or reflective component.
20 of 20 cases
IB World Schools teaching the Middle Years Programme (students aged about 11–16), mainly in Individuals and societies and Language and literature.
Each route states its subject group, criteria, key concept, related concepts, global context, statement of inquiry and ATL skills.
20 of 20 cases
For each case: the task for this band, what students make, how long the task takes and the professional codes of ethics or federal rules the case uses.
| Case | Task | Students make | Time | Professional standards | Open |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lesson 1 Is the screening canceled?A cropped clip in the group chat seems to cancel the crew’s screening, so you check the original documents and write an update. | Write a holding statement and a follow-up correction for the same chat, twenty minutes apart. | Two messages (30–50 words and 60–90 words) plus a two-sentence rationale | 50 minutes. Full chapter: 100 minutes | SPJ Code of Ethics, RTDNA Code of Ethics, PRSSA Ethical Principles for PR Students & Professionals | Educator guideCase pageEducator pagesStudent pagesEducator PDFStudent PDFStarter slides (PowerPoint, 7 slides)Family page |
| Lesson 2 Does the worksheet show what Dec knows?Dec can explain a circuit out loud but gets lost on a crowded worksheet, so the crew asks what the task measures. | Draft a message to the teacher in Dec’s voice, written with his permission, that describes the observations and asks about support options. | Email, 60–100 words, plus 2-sentence note on what you left out and why | 50 minutes. Full chapter: 94 minutes | CEC Ethical Principles and Practice Standards, Code of Ethics of the Education Profession | Educator guideCase pageEducator pagesStudent pagesEducator PDFStudent PDFStarter slides (PowerPoint, 7 slides)Family page |
| Lesson 3 What should a group do after a public mistake?The crew’s recap caption blamed younger neighbors for a late start, but the event log shows the projector failed. | Write a correction and a one-paragraph repair plan with a named owner and a date to check it. | Correction (70–100 words) plus repair paragraph (80–120 words) | 50 minutes. Full chapter: 92 minutes | PRSA Code of Ethics, RTDNA Code of Ethics, Credo for Ethical Communication | Educator guideCase pageEducator pagesStudent pagesEducator PDFStudent PDFStarter slides (PowerPoint, 7 slides)Family page |
| Lesson 4 Who gets a say when a shared room changes?The Common Room’s board is weighing paid rentals on two free evenings, so the crew prepares a comment before the meeting. | Prepare a 90-second public comment recommending an option, using at least one figure accurately. | 90-second spoken comment (about 200 words) with written script | 50 minutes. Full chapter: 91 minutes | ASPA Code of Ethics, ALA Code of Ethics | Educator guideCase pageEducator pagesStudent pagesEducator PDFStudent PDFStarter slides (PowerPoint, 7 slides)Family page |
| Lesson 5 Why is my deposit smaller than what I earned?Gia’s bank deposit is smaller than the pay she worked out, so she reads her pay statement line by line before asking payroll. | Write Gia’s payroll question and a short explainer for a friend starting their first job. | Payroll message (50–80 words) plus explainer (150–200 words) | 50 minutes. Full chapter: 93 minutes | PayrollOrg Code of Ethics, IABC Code of Ethics for Professional Communicators | Educator guideCase pageEducator pagesStudent pagesEducator PDFStudent PDFStarter slides (PowerPoint, 7 slides)Family page |
| Lesson 6 What can your family see in your college records?Rafa’s parents help pay his college bill, and a family-access form asks whether they should also get information about his grades. | Write Rafa a one-page guide separating paying the bill from seeing grades. | One-page guide, 200–250 words | 50 minutes. Full chapter: 91 minutes | AACRAO Ethics and Practice, Credo for Ethical Communication | Educator guideCase pageEducator pagesStudent pagesEducator PDFStudent PDFStarter slides (PowerPoint, 7 slides)Family page |
| Lesson 7 Did one complaint get the novel banned?A group chat says one parent’s complaint got a novel banned, so Mari and Gia check what the school library’s notice says. | Write input to the review committee using the published selection criteria. | Written input, 150–200 words | 50 minutes. Full chapter: 91 minutes | ALA Code of Ethics, Code of Ethics of the Education Profession, Credo for Ethical Communication | Educator guideCase pageEducator pagesStudent pagesEducator PDFStudent PDFStarter slides (PowerPoint, 7 slides)Family page |
| Lesson 8 Is it a recommendation or an ad?Gia loves a novel that a publisher sent her for free, and her video review does not mention the free copy yet. | Write a revised script and caption and a short note on why a tag alone isn’t enough. | Script (60–90 seconds) plus 100-word note | 50 minutes. Full chapter: 98 minutes | FTC Endorsement Guides (law or regulation), PRSA Code of Ethics | Educator guideCase pageEducator pagesStudent pagesEducator PDFStudent PDFStarter slides (PowerPoint, 7 slides)Family page |
| Lesson 9 What is on your ballot, and where do you check?Dec turns 18 before the election on November 3, 2026, and his feed covers only one race on his ballot. | Write a nonpartisan explainer on one local contest: what the office does, what’s on the ballot, and where to verify. | Explainer, 250–350 words | 50 minutes. Full chapter: 97 minutes | SPJ Code of Ethics, RTDNA Code of Ethics, Credo for Ethical Communication | Educator guideCase pageEducator pagesStudent pagesEducator PDFStudent PDFStarter slides (PowerPoint, 7 slides)Family page |
| Lesson 10 Whose job is it to fix the blocked route?A construction detour sends Sami toward stairs on her way to a city workshop, and her bus comes in 12 minutes. | Write an access report to the city’s ADA coordinator about the blocked route. | Report, 120–170 words | 50 minutes. Full chapter: 92 minutes | ASPA Code of Ethics, NPPA Code of Ethics for Visual Journalists, ABA Model Rules of Professional Conduct | Educator guideCase pageEducator pagesStudent pagesEducator PDFStudent PDFStarter slides (PowerPoint, 7 slides)Family page |
| Lesson 11 Why are Jordy and Gia paid different rates?Jordy and Gia worked the same Saturday event, but Gia’s pay rate is $1.50 an hour higher, and Jordy wants to know why. | Build a private comparison sheet and draft Jordy’s message to the supervisor. | Sheet plus a message of 80–120 words | 50 minutes. Full chapter: 78 minutes | SHRM Code of Ethics, IABC Code of Ethics for Professional Communicators | Educator guideCase pageEducator pagesStudent pagesEducator PDFStudent PDFStarter slides (PowerPoint, 7 slides)Family page |
| Lesson 12 When can a school limit what students say?Anika’s poster asks her school to keep the library open at lunch, and now someone in her group chat suggests a walkout. | Write a fact-pattern brief comparing Tinker with the wear-blue plan and the walkout. | Brief, 300–400 words | 50 minutes. Full chapter: 83 minutes | ABA Model Rules of Professional Conduct, PRSA Code of Ethics, AIGA Standards of Professional Practice | Educator guideCase pageEducator pagesStudent pagesEducator PDFStudent PDFStarter slides (PowerPoint, 7 slides)Family page |
| Lesson 13 Can the crew cut waste before it reaches the bin?The last Common Room screening used about 120 cups the city won’t recycle, and a box of parts arrived half full of packaging. | Write a proposal to the event organizers for one purchasing change, with a measurement plan. | Proposal, 250–350 words | 50 minutes. Full chapter: 83 minutes | FTC Green Guides (law or regulation), AIGA Standards of Professional Practice, IABC Code of Ethics for Professional Communicators | Educator guideCase pageEducator pagesStudent pagesEducator PDFStudent PDFStarter slides (PowerPoint, 7 slides)Family page |
| Lesson 14 Does giving credit let the crew use the song?Mateo wants to post the crew’s film tonight and credit the song’s artist, but Caio wants to check the license first. | Write a four-factor analysis of the crew’s planned use and recommend a path. | Analysis, 300–400 words | 50 minutes. Full chapter: 105 minutes | AIGA Standards of Professional Practice, RTDNA Code of Ethics, PRSA Code of Ethics | Educator guideCase pageEducator pagesStudent pagesEducator PDFStudent PDFStarter slides (PowerPoint, 7 slides)Family page |
| Lesson 15 Is Rafa’s unpaid internship really a job?A studio offers Rafa an unpaid summer internship running its customer inbox and says college credit makes it legal. | Turn the seven DOL factors into an internship questions sheet and fill it in with the studio’s answers. | Questions sheet plus 150-word summary | 50 minutes. Full chapter: 103 minutes | NACE Principles for Ethical Professional Practice, ABA Model Rules of Professional Conduct | Educator guideCase pageEducator pagesStudent pagesEducator PDFStudent PDFStarter slides (PowerPoint, 7 slides)Family page |
| Lesson 16 Who wrote the new building rule?An unsigned notice says the building’s only step-free door locks at 8 p.m., and Sami’s workshop runs later. | Write Sami’s message to the building manager asking about the rule and requesting access after 8 p.m. | Message, 90–130 words | 50 minutes. Full chapter: 98 minutes | ABA Model Rules of Professional Conduct, Credo for Ethical Communication | Educator guideCase pageEducator pagesStudent pagesEducator PDFStudent PDFStarter slides (PowerPoint, 7 slides)Family page |
| Lesson 17 How should the crew give out ten free seats?Thirty people want ten free workshop seats, and the crew must choose a fair way to decide who gets them. | Write a 150-word decision note defending one option, its strongest objection and one revision. | Decision note, 150 words | 50 minutes. Full chapter: 95 minutes | The Belmont Report, ASPA Code of Ethics | Educator guideCase pageEducator pagesStudent pagesEducator PDFStudent PDFStarter slides (PowerPoint, 7 slides)Family page |
| Lesson 18 Why is the theater curtain still falling apart?The district’s proposed budget is $48 million, the school theater curtain won’t close, and Dec wants to ask the school board about it. | Correct a misleading social post that compares mismatched budget figures, then write a better comparison. | Correction post (80–120 words) plus worked calculation | 50 minutes. Full chapter: 84 minutes | ASPA Code of Ethics, SPJ Code of Ethics, Credo for Ethical Communication | Educator guideCase pageEducator pagesStudent pagesEducator PDFStudent PDFStarter slides (PowerPoint, 7 slides)Family page |
| Lesson 19 What should Gia say in her two-minute comment?Gia has two minutes to speak to the parks committee about the court lights, but her draft is three pages long. | Cut Gia’s long draft into a 90-second comment, then write a note explaining what you cut and why. | 90-second comment plus a 100-word cutting note | 50 minutes. Full chapter: 80 minutes | ASPA Code of Ethics, Credo for Ethical Communication, SPJ Code of Ethics | Educator guideCase pageEducator pagesStudent pagesEducator PDFStudent PDFStarter slides (PowerPoint, 7 slides)Family page |
| Lesson 20 Can the crew post this image as true?A realistic image says the campus courtyard flooded today, and Jordy must decide what the six o’clock recap can say about it. | Write the verification note Jordy posts instead of the image, plus a one-paragraph explanation of your choices. | Note (50–80 words) plus 120-word rationale | 50 minutes. Full chapter: 79 minutes | RTDNA Code of Ethics, SPJ Code of Ethics, PRSA Code of Ethics | Educator guideCase pageEducator pagesStudent pagesEducator PDFStudent PDFStarter slides (PowerPoint, 7 slides)Family page |
Free outside videos, games, readings and lesson plans we checked for grades 9 and 10, up to two per case. Teach items are for you, and the rest work for students. Open a case for its full list in the educator guide.
Lesson 1: Is the screening canceled?
Lesson 3: What should a group do after a public mistake?
Lesson 4: Who gets a say when a shared room changes?
Lesson 5: Why is my deposit smaller than what I earned?
Lesson 6: What can your family see in your college records?
Lesson 7: Did one complaint get the novel banned?
Lesson 8: Is it a recommendation or an ad?
Lesson 9: What is on your ballot, and where do you check?
Lesson 10: Whose job is it to fix the blocked route?
Lesson 11: Why are Jordy and Gia paid different rates?
Lesson 12: When can a school limit what students say?
Lesson 13: Can the crew cut waste before it reaches the bin?
Lesson 14: Does giving credit let the crew use the song?
Lesson 15: Is Rafa’s unpaid internship really a job?
Lesson 16: Who wrote the new building rule?
Lesson 17: How should the crew give out ten free seats?
Lesson 18: Why is the theater curtain still falling apart?
Lesson 19: What should Gia say in her two-minute comment?
Lesson 20: Can the crew post this image as true?
For students: the checking toolkit has twelve free tools for checking a picture, an ad or a claim, each with a try-it from a case.
A one-page PDF for each case with a two-sentence summary and three questions to talk about at home.
AP, Pre-AP and IB activities are practice designed by No, Pero Why?. They are not official College Board or IB materials. Honors expectations are set by your school.
