' 110.24 English Language Arts and Reading, Grade 8
Introduction
(1) READING AND LITERATURE. In Grade 8 students will read increasingly demanding texts for a variety of purposes. They will identify characteristics of various literary forms including short stories, novels, plays, essays, speeches, lyric poetry and narrative poetry. They will read and study notable literary selections, define and apply various literary terms, and utilize the library/media center frequently.
(2) GRAMMAR. In Grade 8 students will demonstrate proper use of quotation marks, colons, commas, and underlining. They will identify the uses of nouns. They will generate sentences using confusing verb pairs correctly. They will identify the three types of verbals. They will recognize, write, and punctuate simple, compound, complex, and compound-complex sentences. They will recognize and write complex sentences containing adjective and adverb clauses.
(3) COMPOSITION. In Grade 8 students will write multi-paragraph compositions containing a thesis statement, introductory and concluding paragraphs, elaborated supporting paragraphs, transitional devices, and a variety of sentence types.
(4) VOCABULARY/SPELLING. In Grade 8 students will study Old English and Greek prefixes and Latin root words. They will identify the spelling/meanings of at least 50 pairs of homophones. They will analyze unfamiliar words based on individual word elements; they will spell and use words from professional lists prepared for grade level. In addition, they will add to their vocabulary new words that are found in literature selections.
Knowledge and Skills.
| (1) Reading Comprehension and Fluency. The student analyzes various types of texts. |
The student is expected to:
(A) Read silently for longer periods of time and demonstrate comprehension through written or oral responses.
(B) Explain the use of symbols and other figurative language including metaphors and similes.
(C) Identify the implied main ideas and/or themes.
(D) Describe cause/effect relationships and their impact on the plot.
(E) Recognize irony and its impact on the plot.
(F) Explain the author's use of character, point of view, and tone to develop his/her theme and/or main idea.
(G) Identify the poetic elements of word choice, rhyme, rhythm, and voice.
(H) Describe the impact of historical and/or cultural influences on the literary selections.
(I) Explain how a literary selection can enrich or expand personal views or experiences.
(J) Use prior knowledge and knowledge of text structure to understand selections.
(K) Analyze details for relevance and accuracy.
(L) Read and follow written instructions.
(M) Evaluate and synthesize information to apply in written and oral presentations.
(N) Extend general and specialized vocabulary. |
| Independent Reading / Assigned Reading / Guided Reading. The student reads and studies notable literary selections which are rich in vocabulary. |
The student is expected to:
(A) Present brief, comprehensive, narrative summary of notable literary selections (e.g., "Sonnet 18," "My Heart Leaps Up," "Ozymandias," "Mending Wall," "Chicago," "How They Brought the Good News from Ghent to Aix," "Dr. Heidgegger's Experiment," "I Have a Dream," Animal Farm, The Good Earth, As You Like It, Robinson Crusoe, Captains Courageous, The Hobbit, 20,000 Leagues under the Sea, Living Free, Kon-Tiki).
(B) Read independently at least 15 books of various genres from accepted fiction and non-fiction lists.
(C) Read materials daily at a comfortable, independent level (e.g., texts in which no more than 1 in 20 words is difficult for the reader).
(D) Read daily in instructional-level materials that are challenging but manageable (e.g., texts in which no more than 1 in 10 words is difficult for the reader).
(E) Adjust reading rate based on the purposes for reading.
(F) Demonstrate understanding of literature which is read aloud by others. |
| (3) Literary Terms. The student defines and identifies examples of various literary terms. |
The student is expected to:
(A) Define the following terms: extended and mixed metaphor, assonance, allusion in poetry; characterization (flat and round, static and dynamic; motivation, protagonist and antagonist; tone and diction); farce and satire; verbal, situational, and dramatic irony; point of view in nonfiction (e.g., psychological inferences [subjective/objective], physical [near/far]).
(B) Identify examples of the literary terms (mentioned above) in literary selections. |
| (4) Inquiry, Research, Study Strategies. The student utilizes various informational sources. |
The student is expected to:
(A) Demonstrate how other reference books differ from encyclopedias.
(B) Locate sources in order to do research (e.g., mythology, physical science, controversial topics, biographical information).
(C) Demonstrate use of equipment (e.g., opaque projector, overhead projector, laminator, copy machine, slide projector, computer, laser disc monitor, TV/VCR, LCD display panel, video projector). |
| (5) Grammar. The student uses correct grammar. |
The student is expected to:
(A) Use quotation marks correctly (e.g., around titles of works published as parts of other works).
(B) Use underlining/caps/italics to write titles (e.g., of works published independently).
(C) Use colons correctly (e.g., in expressions of time, in business letters, after a statement followed by a list).
(D) Use commas correctly.
(E) Formulate examples of nouns used as direct objects, indirect objects, objects of prepositions, predicate nouns, appositives, and nouns of direct address.
(F) Punctuate correctly appositives and nouns of direct address.
(G) Locate and punctuate direct and indirect quotations correctly.
(H) Generate sentences using the four types of verbs (Transitive Active, Transitive Passive, Intransitive Linking, and Intransitive Complete).
(I) Generate sentences using forms of "to lie/to lay," "to rise/to raise," and "to sit/to set."
(J) Identify the three types of verbals in sentences.
(K) Recognize and write increasingly more complicated independent and dependent clauses.
(L) Generate simple, compound, complex, and compound-complex sentences.
(M) Recognize, use, and correctly punctuate sentences which contain co-ordinate (simple and correlative) conjunctions, subordinate conjunctions, and conjunctive adverbs.
(N) Write correctly and punctuate compound sentences which require semicolons and/or commas.
(O) Use semicolons correctly in compound sentences which have no co-ordinate conjunctions, which have internal punctuation in either independent clause, or which have conjunctive adverbs.
(P) Write compound sentences in which both parts of the sentence are related in content and are equal in importance.
(Q) Recognize and generate complex sentences containing adjective clauses.
(R) Recognize and generate complex sentences containing adverb clauses.
(S) Recognize and generate complex sentences containing noun clauses used as subjects, as direct objects, as indirect objects, and as objects of prepositions.
(T) Use correctly the relative pronouns "who/whom." |
| (6) Composition. Using a variety of forms, the student writes for a variety of audiences and for a variety of purposes. |
The student is expected to:
(A) Develop a thesis sentence (a precise summary of the core meaning) for an essay with the main points following in ascending order (general to specific).
(B) Use transitional sentences within paragraphs in order to connect ideas to the thesis sentence and to serve as topic sentences of supporting paragraphs.
(C) Use transitional devices (e.g., repetition of key words, synonyms, or pronouns; conjunctions, conjunctive adverbs) between paragraphs to connect ideas.
(D) Develop a concluding paragraph in descending order (specific to general).
(E) Use a variety of sentence types (simple, compound, complex, and compound-complex).
(F) Demonstrate competency in pre-writing, drafting, revising, and proofreading skills in writing an essay.
(G) Write a persuasive essay on a current local, national, or international issue.
(H) Write a character sketch
(I) Write a descriptive essay. |
| (7) Spelling/Vocabulary. The student acquires extensive spelling/vocabulary knowledge through reading and systematic word study. |
The student is expected to:
(A) Use dictionaries in order to trace the spelling, pronunciation, semantic changes, and origins of words.
(B) Tell the spelling/meanings of Old English and Greek prefixes A, ANTI, APO, BE, CATA, DIA, EPI, EU, FOR, HETERO, HOMO, HYPER, HYPO, META, MICRO, MIS, ORTH, OVER, PARA, PER, PRO, SYN/SYM/SYL, TELE, UN.
(C) Define the meanings of Latin root words FLU, GREG, LUC, NOV, PAC, RUPT, SANG, SCI, SCRIB/SCRIPT, SENS/SENT, SECT, SECUT/SEQU, SON, SPIR, STRICT/STRING, SPEC, STRUCT, TECT, TEMP, TORT, TRACT, VER/VERB, VER/VERT, VEN, VENT, VID/VIS, VIT/VIV, VIC/VINC, VOLV, VOC.
(D) Identify the spelling/meanings of at least 50 more pairs of homophones.
(E) Analyze the spelling/meanings of unfamiliar words based on the spelling/meanings of the individual word elements.
(F) Spell and use words regularly and correctly from professional lists prepared for grade level.
(G) Add to cumulative, individualized record of new spelling/vocabulary words found in literature selections. |
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