English Language Arts Grade 8 Year Plan Sample Time Frame and Unit Type Context, Theme, and Big Ideas Comprehend and Respond Focus Compose and Create Focus Assess and Reflect Focus Resources Division ELA Assessments September – October (approx. 8 weeks) Multi-genre Thematic Context: Personal and Philosophical Theme: Becoming Myself Big Idea: What can we celebrate about ourselves? How can we discover our unique qualities and talents? How can we use and share our unique qualities and talents? How did we get to be who we are? CR8.1 View, listen to, read, comprehend, and respond to a variety of texts that address identity. CR8.2 Select and use appropriate strategies to construct meaning before, during, and after viewing, listening, and reading. CR8.3 Use pragmatic, textual, syntactic, semantic/lexical/morphological, graphophonic, and other cues to construct and to confirm meaning. CR8.4 View critically and demonstrate comprehension of a variety of visual and multimedia to locate and interpret key messages and details, to develop conclusions, opinions, and understanding, and to evaluate the effectiveness of the text. CR8.5 Listen critically to understand, gather information, follow directions, form an opinion, and analyze oral presentations for diverse opinions, presenter’s of view, values, and biases, stereotypes, or prejudices. CC8.1 Create various visual, oral, written, and multimedia texts that explore identity. CC8.2 Create and present a group inquiry project related to a topic, theme, or issue studied in English language arts. CC8.3 Select and use the appropriate strategies to communicate meaning before, during, and after speaking, writing, and other representing activities. CC8.4 Use pragmatic, textual, syntactical, semantic/lexical/morphological, graphophonic, and other cues to construct and to communicate meaning. CC8.5 Create and present a variety of visual and multimedia presentations including an illustrated report, a role play that ends with a tableau, a dramatization, presentation software, a newscast with adequate detail, clarity, and organization to explain, to persuade, and to entertain. AR8.1 Use information gathered in self-assessment and teacher’s assessment to develop and work on for improving viewing, listening, reading, representing, speaking, and writing. AR8.2 Appraise own and others’ work for clarity, correctness, and variety.
CR8.6 Read and demonstrate comprehension and interpretation of grade-appropriate texts to evaluate the purpose, message, point of view, craft, values, and biases, stereotypes, or prejudices. CR8.7 Read independently and demonstrate comprehension of a variety of information texts including understanding the main ideas and supporting evidence, explaining connections between new ideas and information and previous thoughts, and recognizing any biases or false reasoning. CR8.8 Read grade 8 appropriate texts to increase fluency and expression. CC8.6 Use oral language to interact purposefully, confidently, and respectfully in a variety of situations including one-to-one, small group, and large group discussions. CC8.7 Use oral language to effectively express information and ideas of complexity in formal and informal situations. CC8.8 to describe a landscape scene; to narrate a personal story or anecdote and an historical narrative; to explain and inform in a presentation of findings, a biography, a documented research report, and a résumé and covering letter; and to persuade in a and a review. CC8.9 Experiment with a variety of text forms and techniques. Possible Assessment Evidence: conferences exit slip comprehension check-in listening activity viewing activity performance task Possible Assessment Evidence: conversations conferences personal story or anecdote representation of self/learning Possible Assessment Evidence: conferences goal setting tracking progress November – December (approx. 8 weeks) Inquiry or Interdisciplinary Context: Communicative Burning Questions CR8.1 View, listen to, read, comprehend, and respond to a variety of that address efficacy. CR8.2 Select and use appropriate strategies to construct meaning CC8.1 Create various visual, oral, written, and multimedia texts that explore efficacy. CC8.2 Create and present a inquiry project related to a topic, AR8.1 Use information gathered in self-assessment and teacher’s assessment to develop and work on debate
before, during, and after viewing, listening, and reading. CR8.3 Use pragmatic, textual, syntactic, semantic/lexical/morphological, graphophonic, and cues to construct and to confirm meaning. CR8.4 View critically and demonstrate comprehension of a variety of visual and multimedia texts to locate and interpret key messages and details, to develop conclusions, opinions, and understanding, and to evaluate the effectiveness of the text. CR8.5 Listen critically to understand, gather information, follow directions, form an opinion, and analyze oral presentations for diverse opinions, presenter’s point of view, values, and biases, stereotypes, or prejudices. CR8.6 Read and demonstrate comprehension and interpretation of grade-appropriate texts to evaluate the purpose, message, point of view, craft, values, and biases, stereotypes, or prejudices. theme, or issue studied in English language arts. CC8.3 Select and use the appropriate strategies to communicate meaning before, during, and speaking, writing, and other representing activities. CC8.4 Use pragmatic, textual, syntactical, semantic/lexical/morphological, graphophonic, and other cues to construct and to communicate meaning. CC8.5 Create and present a variety of visual and multimedia presentations including an illustrated report, a role play that ends with a tableau, a dramatization, presentation software, a newscast with adequate detail, clarity, and organization to explain, to persuade, and to entertain. CC8.6 Use oral language to interact purposefully, confidently, and respectfully in a variety of situations including one-to-one, small group, and large group discussions. CC8.7 Use oral language to effectively express information and for improving viewing, listening, reading, representing, speaking, and writing. AR8.2 Appraise own and others’ work for clarity, correctness, and variety.
CR8.7 Read independently and demonstrate comprehension of a variety of information texts including understanding the main ideas and supporting evidence, explaining connections between new ideas and information and previous thoughts, and recognizing any biases or false reasoning. CR8.8 Read grade 8 appropriate texts to increase fluency and expression. ideas of complexity in formal and informal situations. CC8.8 to describe a landscape scene; to narrate a personal story or anecdote and an historical narrative; to explain and inform in a presentation of findings, a biography, a documented research report, and a résumé and covering letter; and to persuade in a and a review. CC8.9 Experiment with a variety of text forms and techniques.
Big Idea: Why do people ask questions? Why do you ask questions? What is a good question? What is the best question you have ever asked? What is the hardest question you have ever tried to answer? What are some purposes of questions? What are some “burning questions” that inventors and discoverers have followed? To what “burning question” do you want to find the answer? How will you do it? Possible Assessment Evidence: conferences exit slip comprehension check-in listening activity viewing activity performance task Possible Assessment Evidence: conversations conferences inquiry presentation of findings mulit-media representation Possible Assessment Evidence: conferences goal setting sheet tracking progress January – February (approx. 8 weeks) Thematic Context: Social, Cultural, and Historical Theme: Heroes and Idols Big Idea: How do we create heroes and How do heroes make a difference? What qualities do CR8.1 View, listen to, read, comprehend, and respond to a variety of texts that address social responsibility and efficacy. CR8.2 Select and use appropriate strategies to construct meaning before, during, and after viewing, listening, and reading. CR8.3 Use pragmatic, textual, syntactic, semantic/lexical/morphological, CC8.1 Create various visual, oral, written, and multimedia texts that explore social responsibility and efficacy. CC8.2 Create and present a group inquiry project related to a topic, theme, or issue studied in English language arts. CC8.3 Select and use the appropriate strategies to communicate meaning before, AR8.1 Use information gathered in self-assessment and teacher’s assessment to develop and work on goals for improving viewing, listening, reading, representing, speaking, and writing. AR8.2 Appraise own and others’ work for
heroes have? What is the difference between a hero and an idol? Can a hero go unnoticed? Who are heroes? graphophonic, and cues to construct and to confirm meaning. CR8.4 View critically and demonstrate comprehension of a variety of visual and multimedia texts to locate and interpret key messages and details, to develop conclusions, opinions, and understanding, and to evaluate the effectiveness of the text. CR8.5 Listen critically to understand, gather information, follow directions, form an opinion, and analyze oral presentations for diverse opinions, presenter’s point of view, values, and biases, stereotypes, or prejudices. CR8.6 Read and demonstrate comprehension and interpretation of texts to evaluate the purpose, message, point of view, craft, values, and biases, stereotypes, or prejudices. CR8.7 Read independently and demonstrate comprehension of a variety of information texts including understanding the main ideas and supporting evidence, explaining connections between new ideas and information and during, and speaking, writing, and other representing activities. CC8.4 Use pragmatic, textual, syntactical, semantic/lexical/morphological, graphophonic, and other cues to construct and to communicate meaning. CC8.5 Create and present a variety of visual and multimedia presentations including an illustrated report, a role play that ends with a tableau, a dramatization, presentation software, a newscast with adequate detail, clarity, and organization to explain, to persuade, and to entertain. CC8.6 Use oral language to interact purposefully, confidently, and respectfully in a variety of situations including one-to-one, group, and large group discussions. CC8.7 Use oral language to effectively express information and ideas of complexity in formal and informal situations. CC8.8 Write to describe a landscape scene; to narrate a personal story or anecdote and an historical narrative; to explain and inform in a clarity, correctness, and variety.
previous thoughts, and recognizing any biases or false reasoning. CR8.8 Read 8 appropriate texts to increase fluency and expression. presentation of findings, a biography, a documented research report, and a résumé and covering letter; and to persuade in a and a review. CC8.9 Experiment with a variety of text forms and techniques. Possible Assessment Evidence: conferences exit slip comprehension check-in listening activity viewing activity performance task Possible Assessment Evidence: conversations conferences biography mulit-media representation resume and cover letter Possible Assessment Evidence: conferences goal setting sheet tracking progress March – April (approx. 8 weeks) Thematic Context: Imaginative and Literary Theme: Timeless Narratives of the First Nations and Greek Peoples Big Idea: What makes a “great” story? How can stories from other places and times teach us about ourselves? Our environment? What lessons can we learn about ourselves and others through these stories? What lessons can we learn CR8.1 View, listen to, read, comprehend, and respond to a variety of texts that address identity. CR8.2 Select and use appropriate strategies to construct meaning before, during, and after viewing, listening, and reading. CR8.3 Use pragmatic, textual, syntactic, semantic/lexical/morphological, graphophonic, and other cues to construct and to confirm meaning. CR8.4 View critically and demonstrate comprehension of a variety of visual and multimedia texts CC8.1 Create various visual, oral, written, and multimedia texts that explore identity. CC8.2 Create and present a inquiry project related to a topic, theme, or issue studied in English language arts. CC8.3 Select and use the appropriate strategies to communicate meaning before, during, and after speaking, writing, and other representing activities. CC8.4 Use pragmatic, textual, syntactical, semantic/lexical/morphological, graphophonic, and other cues to construct and to communicate meaning. AR8.1 Use information gathered in self-assessment and teacher’s assessment to develop and work on goals for improving viewing, listening, reading, representing, speaking, and writing. AR8.2 Appraise own and others’ work for clarity, correctness, and variety.
Possible Assessment Evidence: conferences exit slip comprehension check-in listening activity viewing activity performance task Possible Assessment Evidence: conversations conferences landscape historical narrative mulit-media representation Possible Assessment Evidence: conferences goal setting sheet tracking progress May – June (approx. 8 weeks) Multi-genre Thematic Context: Environmental and Technological Cyber Sense Big Idea: How does the Internet influence us? How does technology influence storytelling? What technology do we take for granted? What are some of the most recent developments in technology? What are some unintended consequences of these developments? How can technology be used for good and bad? How does CR8.1 View, listen to, read, comprehend, and respond to a variety of texts that address social responsibility. CR8.2 Select and use appropriate strategies to construct meaning before, during, and after viewing, listening, and reading. CR8.3 Use pragmatic, textual, syntactic, semantic/lexical/morphological, graphophonic, and other cues to construct and to confirm meaning. CR8.4 View critically and demonstrate comprehension of a variety of visual and multimedia to locate and interpret key messages and details, to develop conclusions, opinions, and understanding, and to evaluate the effectiveness of the text. CR8.5 Listen critically to understand, gather information, CC8.1 Create various visual, oral, written, and multimedia texts that explore social responsibility. CC8.2 Create and present a group inquiry project related to a topic, theme, or issue studied in English language arts. CC8.3 Select and use the appropriate strategies to communicate meaning before, during, and speaking, writing, and other representing activities. CC8.4 Use pragmatic, textual, syntactical, semantic/lexical/morphological, graphophonic, and other cues to construct and to communicate meaning. CC8.5 Create and present a variety of visual and multimedia presentations including an illustrated report, a role play that ends with a tableau, a dramatization, presentation AR8.1 Use information gathered in self-assessment and teacher’s assessment to develop and work on goals for improving viewing, listening, reading, representing, speaking, and writing. AR8.2 Appraise own and others’ work for clarity, correctness, and variety.
technology impact our environment? follow directions, form an opinion, and analyze oral presentations for diverse opinions, presenter’s point of view, values, and biases, stereotypes, or prejudices. CR8.6 Read and demonstrate comprehension and interpretation of grade-appropriate texts to evaluate the purpose, message, of view, craft, values, and biases, stereotypes, or prejudices. CR8.7 Read independently and demonstrate comprehension of a variety of information texts including understanding the main ideas and supporting evidence, explaining connections between new ideas and information and previous thoughts, and recognizing any biases or false reasoning. CR8.8 Read 8 appropriate texts to increase fluency and expression. software, a newscast with adequate detail, clarity, and organization to explain, to persuade, and to entertain. CC8.6 Use oral language to interact purposefully, confidently, and respectfully in a variety of situations including one-to-one, group, and large group discussions. CC8.7 Use oral language to effectively express information and ideas of complexity in formal and informal situations. CC8.8 Write to describe a landscape scene; to narrate a personal story or anecdote and an historical narrative; to explain and inform in a presentation of findings, a biography, a documented research report, and a résumé and covering letter; and to persuade in a and a review. CC8.9 Experiment with a variety of text forms and techniques. Possible Assessment Evidence: conferences exit slip comprehension check-in listening activity viewing activity performance task Possible Assessment Evidence: conversations conferences mini and review mulit-media representation Possible Assessment Evidence: conferences goal setting tracking progress