Hazleton Area School District
Literacy Curriculum
Aligned to PA Core Standards and
English Language Proficiency Standards
Eighth Grade
Eighth Grade
Page 1
The ELA (K-8) Curriculum Committee
Dr. Christopher J. Lake, Chairperson
Jennifer Angeli
Michael Balay
Danielle Bernstein
Debbie Boyle
Randi Chapin
Catherine Carrell
Ann Marie Corrado
Linda DeCosmo
Kelly Felgey
Ann Franzosa
Katherine Frumkin
Patricia Galloway
Janice Kelly
Christine LaMonica
Elizabeth Sannie
Eighth Grade
Page 2
What is a Curriculum Framework?
A Curriculum Framework is an organized plan or set of standards that defines the content to be learned in terms of clear, definable standards of what
the student should know and be able to do.
A Curriculum Framework is part of standards aligned system. The framework is the first step, defining clear, high standards which will be achieved
by all students. The curriculum is then aligned to the standards, and students are assessed against the standards. When the standards are reached,
there will be no achievement gap where some groups are allowed to score lower than others. All will meet world class standards and be career and
college ready.
A Curriculum Framework includes the Enduring Understandings, which will lead to life-long learning; Essential Questions that guide student
learning; Grade Level Skills that students are to master in order to meet the overarching standards; Resources and Materials for teachers and
students to utilize to develop, master, and practice the skills, and Assessments, or opportunities, for students to demonstrate their level of achieving
the standards.
A Curriculum Framework is not a textbook. A textbook is one tool or resource used to deliver a Curriculum Framework. Likewise, a series is one of
many resources used to develop students’ skills and understanding of the world around them. A Curriculum Framework is not a unit plan or
collection of daily lesson plans for a teacher to follow. From the Curriculum Framework, teachers create lessons and units to meet each individual
student’s needs. A Curriculum Framework should allow a teacher to include differentiation through multiple resources, learning opportunities, and
assessments. Choice and creativity for teachers and students are very important, and a Curriculum Framework should allow for both, yet focus on the
standards.
A Curriculum Framework is a living document that must grow and develop with time and experience. It would behoove the committee to think that
this document is complete. Administrators, teachers, parents, and students will continue to revise the Curriculum Framework to continue to meet the
needs of the students in the Hazleton Area School District.
Aligning with PA Core Standards, this English/Language Arts curriculum focuses on the four domains of literacy: Speaking, Listening, Reading and
Writing. It is the intent that that the four domains are taught through an integrated approach, including vocabulary, spelling, syntax, grammar, and
conventions. Students demonstrate their understanding of the content and mastery of the literacy skills through speaking and/or writing assessments
about what they have heard and/or read. Research supports this approach of integrating all four domains of literacy as opposed to teaching each in
isolation. Even in the case when language arts may be taught by a teacher different from the teacher who teaches reading, integration is vital for
students’ language development.
Eighth Grade
Page 3
PA Core Standards for Eighth Grade
Reading
1.2 Students read, understand, and respond to informational text—with emphasis on comprehension, vocabulary
acquisition, and making connections among ideas and between texts with focus on textual evidence.
1.3 Students read and respond to works of literature—with emphasis on comprehension, vocabulary acquisition, and
making connections among ideas and between texts with focus on textual evidence.
Reading Informational Text
Key Ideas and Details
 Determine a main idea and analyze its development
 Summarize the text objectively
 Cite textual evidence that most strongly supports
inferences, conclusions, and generalizations
 Analyze how a text makes connections among and
distinguishes between individuals, ideas, or events
Craft and Structure
 Analyze how the author acknowledges and responds to
conflicting evidence or viewpoints
 Analyze the structure through evaluation of author’s use
of specific sentences and paragraphs to develop and
refine a concept
 Interpret figurative language (simile, personification,
hyperbole, metaphor, analogy), connotative, and
technical meanings and tone
Eighth Grade
Reading Literature
Key Ideas and Details
 Determine a theme of a text and analyze its
development, including its relationship to characters,
setting, and plot
 Provide an objective summary
 Cite several pieces of textual evidence that most
strongly supports inferences, conclusions, and
generalizations
 Analyze how particular lines of dialogue and
incidents in a work propel the action, reveal aspects
of the character, or provoke a decision
Craft and Structure
 Analyze how differences in the points of view of the
character and the audience create effects such as
suspense or humor
 Compare and contrast structures of two or more
texts and analyze how the structures contribute to
Page 4
Integration of Knowledge and Ideas
 Evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of using
different mediums to present a topic or idea
 Evaluate an author’s argument, reasoning, and specific
claims for the soundness of the argument and relevance
of the evidence
 Analyze how two or more texts provide conflicting
information on same topic
 Identify where texts disagree—facts or interpretation
meaning and style
 Interpret figurative language (simile, personification,
hyperbole, metaphor) and connotative meaning and
tone
Integration of Knowledge and Ideas
 Analyze the extent to which a filmed or live
production of a work stays faithful to or departs from
the text, evaluating the director’s or actor’s choices
 Analyze how a modern work of fiction draws on
themes, patterns of events, or character types from
traditional woks and how it rendered new
Vocabulary Acquisition and Use
 Use words and phrases acquired through conversations,
general academics and content-specific vocabulary,
Vocabulary Acquisition and Use
including contrast, addition, and other logical
 Use words and phrases acquired through
relationships
conversations, general academics and content Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown or multiplespecific vocabulary, including contrast, addition, and
meaning words and phrases choosing flexibility from a
other logical relationships
range of strategies and tools
 Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown or
multiple-meaning words and phrases choosing
flexibility from a range of strategies and tools
Eighth Grade
Page 5
Writing
1.4 Students write for different purposes and audiences. Students write clear and focused text to convey a well-defined
perspective and appropriate content.
Informative
Identify and introduce the topic
clearly, including a preview of
what is to follow
Develop and analyze the topic
Content
with relevant, well-chosen facts,
definitions, concrete details,
quotations, including illustrations
and multimedia when
appropriate
Organization Organize ideas, concepts and
information into broader
categories, using strategies
such as definition, classification,
comparison/ contrast, and
cause/effect
Use transition to create cohesion
Provide a conclusion
Include formatting when useful
Use precise language and
Style
domain-specific vocabulary
Use sentences of varying length
and complexities
Create tone and voice through
precise language
Establish and maintain a formal
style
Focus
Eighth Grade
Argumentative
Narrative
Introduce the topic state an opinion
Establish a situation and point of view and
introduce a narrator and/or characters
Acknowledge and distinguish opposing
claims and support claim with logical
reasoning and relevant evidence using
accurate, credible sources
Use dialogue and descriptions of actions,
pacing, thoughts, and feelings to develop
experiences and events or show the response
of characters to situations; use concrete
words and phrases and sensory language to
capture the action
Organize an event sequence that unfolds
naturally, using a variety of transitional words
and phrases; provide a conclusion that
follows from and reflects on the narrated
experiences and events
Organize the claim with clear reasons
and evidence
Clarify relationships among claims,
counterclaims, reasons, and
evidence
Provide a concluding statement or
section that follows and supports the
argument
Use precise language and domainspecific vocabulary
Use sentences of varying length and
complexities
Create tone and voice through precise
language
Establish and maintain a formal style
Use verbs in the active and passive voice in
the conditional and subjunctive mood
Use sentences of varying lengths and
complexities
Create tone and voice through precise
language
Use figurative language and sound devices
Page 6
Conventions
Use simple, compound, complex,
and compound-complex
sentences
Use appropriate transitions
between and within paragraphs
Use varying sentence openers
with phrases and clauses
Use semi-colons with
subordinating conjunctions
Use commas with sentence
openers and non-restrictive
adjective clauses
Use correct grade-level spelling
Use simple, compound, complex, and
compound-complex sentences
Use appropriate transitions between
and within paragraphs
Use varying sentence openers with
phrases and clauses
Use semi-colons with subordinating
conjunctions
Use commas with sentence openers
and non-restrictive adjective clauses
Use correct grade-level spelling
Use simple, compound, and complex
sentences
Use appropriate transitions between and
within paragraphs
Use varying sentence openers with verbal
phrases and adverb clauses
Use semi-colons with subordinating
conjunctions
Use commas with sentence openers and
compound sentences
Use correct grade-level spelling
Grammar








Define, identify, and analyze and use independent and dependent (adverb and adjective) clauses by sentence patterns
Combine dependent and independent clauses into compound, complex, and compound-complex sentences using appropriate
conjunctions
Identify and correctly use dependent clauses, with correct punctuation particularly as sentence openers and non-restrictive clauses
Define, identify and correct misplaced modifiers
Define, identify and use subjunctive mood, active and passive voices
Use commas correctly in compound, complex, and compound-complex sentences
Use semicolons correctly with compound sentences and lists containing commas
Define, identify and correct sentence fragments, run-on sentences and comma splices in self and peer writing
Response to Literature


Draw evidence from literary or information texts to support analysis, reflection, and research
Apply grade level reading standards for literature and informational texts
Production and Distribution of Writing
Writing Process
With guidance and support,
Eighth Grade
Page 7

Strengthen writing through planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying new approach, focusing on how well purpose and
audience have been addressed
Technology and Publication

Use technology, including Internet, to produce and publish writing and present the relationship between information and ideas
efficiently as well as to interact an collaborate with others
Conducting Research

Conduct short research projects to answer a question (including a self-generated question), drawing on several sources and
generating additional related, focused questions that allow for multiple avenues of exploration
Credibility, Reliability, and Validity of Sources





Gather relevant information from multiple print and digital sources, using search terms effectively
Access credibility and accuracy of each source
Quote or paraphrase the data and conclusions of others, avoiding plagiarism
Follow a standard format for citation
Provide a basic bibliographic information of sources
Speaking and Listening
1.5 Students present appropriately in formal speaking situations, listen critically, and respond intelligently as individuals or
in group discussion.
Comprehension and Collaboration
Collaborative Discussion



Eighth Grade
Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions on grade level topics
Build upon others’ ideas
Express own ideas clearly
Page 8
Critical Listening
 Delineate the speaker’s argument and specific claims, evaluating the soundness of the reasoning and the relevance and
sufficiency of the evidence
Evaluating Information


Analyze the purpose of information presented in diverse media formats
Evaluate the motives behind the presentation
Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas
Purpose, Audience, and Task


Present claims and findings, emphasizing salient points in focused, coherent manner with pertinent descriptions, facts, and
details to accentuate main ideas and themes
Use appropriate eye contact, adequate volume, and clear pronunciation
Context

Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks, using formal English when appropriate to task and situation
Integration of Knowledge and Ideas
Multimedia

Integrate multimedia and visual displays into presentations to add interest, clarify information, and strengthen claims and
evidence
Conventions of Standard English

Eighth Grade
Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English when speaking based on Grade 8 level and content
Page 9
Socialization Skills
For the Hazleton Area School District, the ELA Curriculum Committee (2014) has combined literacy with socialization
skills for its curriculum development. Through a thematic approach, students will learn important social skills to be a good
citizen while learning the Pennsylvania standards for literacy. Each year, students will focus on one overarching social goal
which will build upon the previous year’s goal. Kindergarten will develop CARING KIDS; First Grade, COOPERATIVE
WORKERS; Second Grade, INDEPENDENT LEARNERS; Third Grade, PROBLEM SOLVERS; Fourth Grade,
RESPONSIBLE STUDENTS; Fifth Grade, DECISION MAKERS; Sixth Grade, TOLERANT THINKERS; Seventh Grade;
CONFIDENT INDIVIDUALS; and Eighth Grade, WORLDLY THINKERS. These skills and overarching goals will
develop accepting and understanding global thinkers for the 21st Century.
Eighth Grade: Goal: Worldly Thinkers
Young adults need to become worldly thinkers. They are exploring their own identity along with their place in society and
the world. They need to evaluate situations, identify conflicts, consider alternatives, and determine their level of
involvement. As they mature, they will connect events of the past to the realities of today, search for truth, and become
vigilant against intolerance and discrimination. The informational texts, literature and novels suggested in the curriculum
will provide students with knowledge about individuals and their communities from places near and far, and help them
develop personal accountability as members in a society and leaders of tomorrow.
Theme One: Culture and Traditions
Theme Two: Continuity and Change
Theme Three: Responsibilities
Theme Four: Global Connections
Eighth Grade
Page 10
Quarter1/Theme 1 Culture and Traditions
Enduring Understanding: Young adults are exploring who they are to their family and friends as well as their place in society and the world. They question what they
can expect in the future. As they navigate through adolescence, they need to consider if their inward appearance is different from their outward appearance. They
need to reflect on how others perceive them and contemplate how they view themselves. If there is a difference, can this lead to conflict? Young adults need to
determine if all problems can be resolved, and if not, what are the alternatives? They need to determine which conflicts are most pressing and those that can wait.
This discovery will lead them to define their own self-identity.
Essential Questions: Could all conflicts be resolved?
What similarities do the young and old share?
What are some differences between the young and old?
How do family members communicate or influence one another?
What is the secret to reaching someone with words?
In what situations do words divide or connect people of different generations?
Why is it important to reach across the generations?
What is the meaning of wisdom?
Cumulative Assessment: Select one of the following assessments. Answer 4-5 of the essential questions posed in the beginning of this quarter, being as specific as
possible and citing examples from the literature read. Assessments will be graded with the accompanying rubric.
 Design a visual display honoring an older person representing values, traditions, or what the person means to student.
 Write a biography about a loved one chronicling three different life events. Include dialogue and imagery.
 Create a multimedia presentation about the history of surveying and how early methods may have led to error.
 Conduct research to learn about how a particular ethnic group passages its heritage on from one generation to the next. Contrast the group’s traditions as
they existed in the past and exist presently.
Goals
Reading
Informational Text
Goals
Reading
Literature
Identify the main
point, whether
implied or directly
stated within each
paragraph of a
Use context clues
and reference
works to
determine
meanings of
Eighth Grade
Goals
Foundational Skills,
Writing, Speaking &
Listening
Distinguish between
general academic and
domain-specific
vocabulary. Select the
best way to
Assessment(s)
*=nonnegotiable
Suggested Materials
*=nonnegotiable
Suggested Resources for
teachers
Academic
Vocabulary
*Beginning of Year
Diagnostic Assessment
2-3 Literature Texts:
“The Adventure of
the Speckled Band,”
by Arthur Conan
Doyle (OLL)
Pearson Common Core
Literature, Grade 8
Context clues
Story elements
Characterization
Character motive
Plot structure
3-4 Writing
Assignments:
Online Literature Library
Page 11
passage. Analyze
how these points
contribute to and
develop the main
idea of the overall
passage. Cite
details to support
your answer.
Compare and
contrast two
different
memorials’ designs.
Consider who they
honor, the designs
and how they were
selected, and what
the memorials
represent. Discuss
findings within a
small group.
unfamiliar words.
Analyze dialogue
between
characters to help
identify conflict.
Consider if two
different
characters’
opposing views
could both be
correct.
Evaluate what the
author’s use of
language and
dialogue say about
the relationship
between the main
characters.
Analyze how
Determine if there
characters’ words
is a connection
and actions or
between
contrasting ideas
architecture and
propel story events
cultural or historical forward and
events. Explain,
suggest a theme.
citing examples
Consider what the
from text.
main characters
value in life.
Analyze the
author’s point of
Determine a
view, stated or
central idea of a
implied.
text and analyze its
development over
Determine the
the course of the
Eighth Grade
communicate ideas
more clearly and
effectively.
Compare the
denotation of a word
and the connotation
used by an author.
What impact does the
author’s choice of
words have on the
subject?
List conflicts based on
experience and
knowledge.
Collaborate with
others on possible
resolutions and
outcomes. Consider
others’ viewpoints.
Evaluate author’s use
of adjectives to create
a particular image of a
character.
Write an objective
summary,
remembering not to
include personal
opinions or
judgments.
Conventions:
Nouns:
Pronouns: subjective,
objective, possessive,
Write a scenario telling
of an imaginary
situation in which a
young person thinks an
older person in
authority is acting
unfairly. Report how
that young person
should act.
*Write a narrative
retelling of a story
about an interaction
between generations.
Identify the conflict,
create vivid
descriptions, and use
dialogue.
Write a biography
about a loved one
chronicling three
different life events
Include dialogue and
imagery.
Write a reflective essay
on a commemorative
work that has
significance to you.
Compare it to one you
read about. Include an
introduction, details to
support the main idea,
clear comparisons to
work read, and a
conclusion that
(OLL)
“An Hour with
Abuelo,” by Judith
Ortiz Cofer (p. 8)
“The Story-Teller,”
by Saki (p. 92)
*“Gentleman of Rio
en Medio,” by Juan
A. A. Sedillo (p. 300)
“The Governess,” by
Neil Simon (p. 642)
3-4 Informational
Text:
“Paralyzed Veterans
of America,”
National Public
Radio (OLL)
*from “Always to
Remember: The
Vision of Maya Ying
Lin,” by Brent
Ashabranner (p.
226)
OR
*from “I Know Why
the Caged Bird
Sings,” by Maya
Angelou (p. 322)
*“Cub Pilot on the
Mississippi,” by
Mark Twain (p. 464)
Pearson Common Core
Companion Workbook
Prentice Hall Literature,
Pennsylvania 2007
Edition, Grade 8
Prentice Hall Writing
Coach, Grade 8
Glencoe Writer’s Choice
Grammar and Writing,
2001 edition, Grade 8
triumphlearning Common
Core Coach English
Language Arts 8
PSSA Glossary of Terms
(in progress)
Resources:
http://www.studyisland.c
om
http://pdesas.org
http://www.scholastic.co
m
http://www.tumblebookc
loud.com
http://www.freeology.co
m
Figurative
language:
Simile, metaphor,
personification,
idiom, euphemism,
hyperbole,
paradox,
oxymoron, and
allegory
Flashback
Imagery
Irony
Symbol
Explicit/Implicit
inference
Dialogue
Dialect
Voice
Paraphrase
Summarize
Tone
Denotation
Connotation
Organizational
patterns:
Chronological
order, Compare/
Contrast, Cause
and effect,
Problem and
solution
Fact/Opinion
Page 12
author’s purpose:
to inform, to
persuade, or to
entertain.
Analyze the writer’s
language structure,
such as repetition,
parallel structure,
or rhetorical
questions.
Consider if the
writer clearly
expressed his or
her point of view,
engaged the
reader, and
achieved his or her
purpose for writing.
Point out how an
author combines
both research and
personal accounts
to make the
information more
believable.
Consider how
cultural and
historical contexts
might have
influenced the
writer.
Comprehend text
by using
background
Eighth Grade
text including its
relationship to
characters, setting,
and plot.
Analyze how the
use of dialect
impacts the plot.
Consider if the use
of dialect enhances
or takes away from
the plot.
antecedent
Verbs: past, present,
future, perfect tenses
Subject-Verb
Agreement
Punctuation:
Commas,
semicolons, colons
Identify the purpose
for writing and select
the genre to best
convey the intended
Connect different
meaning, i.e.
statements in a
nonfiction narratives,
selection to make
fiction narratives,
an inference. Cite poetry and
examples from text description, exposition
to support the
inference.
Distinguish between
subjective, objective,
Analyze the
and possessive
author’s use of
pronouns in a poem
figurative language and determine what
in expressing ideas. they suggest about
Consider the
the speaker.
effectiveness of
each type.
Choose an unfamiliar
detail from a
Identify flashback
poem/passage and
and determine its
conduct research
relevance in the
explaining how
text.
findings clarify the
text.
Differentiate
between different Compare/contrast
points of view.
how poets use
summarizes your ideas.
*Write an expository
essay which states the
cause and effect
relationships in the
text. Introduce topic,
identify and analyze
three events from the
text including
transitions to connect
causes and effects, and
conclude with a
summary of findings.
Design a visual display
honoring an older
person representing
values, traditions, or
what the person means
to you.
Write a formal errorfree compare and
contrast essay
analyzing either the
theme or mood in two
of the poems or
passages read. Include
a clear introduction, a
body with parallel
structure emphasizing
similarities and
differences and
concrete details, and a
conclusion that restates
the thesis. Use
*“Tutoring Benefits
Seniors’ Health,
Students’ Skills,” by
David Crary, The
Associated Press (p.
484)
“The Return of the
Multi-Generational
Family Household,”
by Pew Research
Center (p. 490)
Poetry:
“Harlem Night
Song,” by Langston
Hughes (p. 382)
“Grandma Ling,” by
Amy Ling (p.405)
“Old Man,” by
Ricardo Sanchez (p.
442)
“For My Sister Molly
Who in the Fifties,”
by Alice Walker (p.
444)
Suggested Reading
Leveled Complexity:
One Crazy Summer,
by Rita WilliamsGarcia/750L
Inside Out and Back
http://www.gradesaver.c
om
MLA Resource:
http://owl.english.perdue
.edu
Rubric Creator:
http://rubistar.4teachers.
org
Argument Writing Lab:
www.livebinders.com/pla
y/play?id=264883
Identifying Voice:
http://www.educationwo
rld.com/alesson/workshe
ets/TCM/pdfs/010202ildo
wnload.pdf
from “I Know Why the
Caged Bird Sings” lesson
plan:
http://www.webenglishte
acher.com/angelou.html
Grammar:
Phrases/clauses:
www.ereadingworksheet
s.com/languageartsworks
heets/sentencestructure/sentencestructureworksheets/clauses-
Generalizations
MLA citation
Primary sources
Secondary
sources
Conventions:
Nouns
Pronouns:
Subjective case,
objective case,
possessive case
Antecedent
agreement
Verbs:
Simple tenses:
present, past,
future
Perfect tenses:
Present perfect,
Past perfect,
future perfect
Verb functions:
Action, linking,
helping, transitive,
intransitive
Subject-Verb
Agreement
Adjectives
Adverbs
Prepositions
Conjunctions;
Coordinating,
subordinating
Interjections
Sentence
Page 13
information to link
historical causes
with effects
Analyze how an
author uses
figurative language
to create tone and
if the language
adds to an
understanding of
the author’s
feelings.
Consider how
authors use point
of view to control
information
readers receive
and if it enhances
understanding.
Point out the irony
by comparing what
is expected with
what actually
happens. Consider
how this irony
affects the theme,
or insight into life.
Analyze symbols
and what each
represents.
Consider if the
symbol has a
positive or
negative
connotation or
both. Explain, cite
examples from the
text.
Compare a
traditional
children’s story
with that of the
bachelor in “The
Storytelller.”
Select a story, note
similarities in
Eighth Grade
structural elements
such as repetition,
breaks, line lengths,
stanzas, form, and
imagery to pay tribute
to an elder.
Participate in a panel
discussion about how
three authors or poets
address a similar topic
and how each brings a
different perspective
to that topic. Identify
theme and examples
from the text that best
reflect the theme.
Consider and respond
to questions from
others.
Write strong
sentences by
combining, using
compound elements,
writing compound
sentences, and/or
using subordination.
consistent verb mood.
Conduct research to
learn about relations
between generations in
two different cultures.
Identify parallels or
contrasts between
research and text,
citing sources.
*Conduct research to
learn about how a
particular ethnic group,
i.e. Native American,
passages its heritage on
from one generation to
the next. Contrast the
group’s traditions as
they existed in the past
and present. Consult
primary sources and
history and online
sources. Identify your
sources.
Create a multimedia
presentation about the
history of surveying and
Revise and edit to
how early methods
correct errors in
could have led to error.
spelling, grammar, and Include graphics to
punctuation. Focus on illustrate key concepts
using commas
and conclude with
correctly and
revelations about sense
maintaining consistent of belonging and place.
verb tense.
Share findings in a
Again, by Thanhha
Lai/800L
Summer of the
Swans, by Betsy
Byars/830L
The Hours by
Michael
Cunningham/960L
The Brief Wondrous
Life of Oscar Wao by
Junot Diaz/1010L
worksheets/
Fragments/run-ons:
www.superteacherworks
heets.com/fragmentrunon.html
structure:
Simple,
compound,
complex,
compound/
complex
Punctuation:
Comma,
semicolon, colon,
quotation mark,
hyphen, dash,
ellipsis.
parantheses
Literary
nonfiction:
Narration,
exposition,
argument,
reflection,
explanatory
Nonfiction
narratives:
Personal,
biographical blogs,
journal entries,
eyewitness
accounts,
memoirs
Poetry:
Ballad,
descriptive essay,
free verse, haiku,
lyric poem, prose
Page 14
character types or
pattern of events;
state the theme of
each, identifying
similarities or
differences;
evaluate the
effectiveness of
Saki’s twist on
traditional tales.
Differentiate between
forms of persuasive
writing including:
persuasive or
argumentative essays,
speeches, editorials,
op-ed pieces, letters
to the editor, reviews,
advertisements,
propaganda
Consider writing traits:
well developed ideas,
organization, clear
“voice,” precise word
choices, varied
sentences and
transitions, and
proper conventions.
multimedia
presentation.
*Write a formal errorfree persuasive essay
using information from
“Tutoring Benefits…” to
convince seniors to
tutor. State a precise
claim; provide reasons
and evidence, citing the
article; and address
potential
counterarguments.
Write an argumentative
essay in which you
argue for or against
benefits of multigenerational family
Utilize the five-step
households.
writing process to
Remember to vary
write a diary entry or a sentence structure and
blog. Recount events
use rhetorical devices
in chronological order. to strengthen your
argument.
Evaluate written work
utilizing a rubric to
*Write an on-demand
assess your writing.
personal narrative
Revise and edit writing prompt utilizing the
to improve score.
ABCDs of on-demand
writing. Consider
When editing, fix
purpose and audience.
grammatical errors:
Include attentionSelect the best word
grabbing introduction,
choice; use clear
characters, dialogue,
pronoun-antecedent
story elements; add
Eighth Grade
poem, sonnet
Sound devices:
Rhyme, rhythm,
repetition, meter,
alliteration,
assonance,
consonance,
internal rhyme,
onomatopoeia
Form
Stanza
Author’s purpose
Writing process:
Prewriting,
drafting, revising,
editing, and
publishing
Revision RADaR:
Replace, add,
delete, and
Reorder
Argumentative
Writing:
Argumentative
or persuasive
essays, speeches,
editorials, op-ed
pieces, letters to
the editor,
reviews,
advertisements,
propaganda
Persuasive
Techniques:
Page 15
relationships,
consistent verb
tenses, and parallel
structure to make
writing more accurate
and powerful. Use
correct spelling,
capitalization, and
punctuation.
Provide complete
citations utilizing MLA
style, giving credit to
sources of direct
quotes and statistics.
vivid details and
suspense. Maintain
consistent verb tense.
Additional
assignments:
PDNs
Written responses
Class discussions
Quizzes
Tests
*Quarterly Exam:
Unit 1 Benchmark
Repetition,
rhetorical
questions,
appeals to reason,
emotions, or
authority, charged
or loaded words,
parallel structure
Organizational
Patterns:
Chronological
order, comparison
and contrast,
cause and effect,
problem and
solution
Theme 2 Continuity and Change
Enduring Understanding: Young adults need to develop a sense of belonging and feel a connection to a place. They need to make connections between what they
read and the conclusions that they draw. They need to determine which information is relevant for decision-making and which is not, and to differentiate between
the status quo and need for change. This will help them become independent thinkers who can respond appropriately and support their thinking with explanations or
examples.
Essential Questions: How much information is enough?
What makes someone feel as though he or she belongs in a certain place?
How do the people in a place help give it significance?
Why do people form sentimental attachments to certain places?
What information do people need in order to feel at home?
How can information be used to achieve a goal or meet challenges?
Cumulative Assessment: Select one of the following assessments. Answer 3-5 of the essential questions posed in the beginning of this quarter, being as specific as
possible and citing examples from the literature read. Assessments will be graded with the accompanying rubric.
 Write an autobiographical narrative retelling a conflict you had with or about a machine.
 Showcase the landscape of North Dakota in a travel essay for an audience interested in traveling there. Include details from “Travels with Charley.”
 Create and present a skit based on events in a nonfictional account.
Eighth Grade
Page 16

Conduct research about a person who took risks to achieve a worthy goal.
Language Arts
Goals
Reading
Informational
Text
Analyze context
clues to unlock an
unknown word’s
meaning. Use a
dictionary to
check
understanding.
Identify how an
author makes
structural choices
to organize and
advance his or her
ideas, and express
his or her point of
view. Analyze why
the writer made
these choices and
how they
contribute to his
or her purpose.
Point out
descriptive details
an author
provides in a
passage and infer
what a character
may be like based
on that
Eighth Grade
Language Arts Goals Language Arts Goals
Reading
Foundational Skills,
Literature
Writing, Speaking &
Listening
Assessment(s)
*=nonnegotiable
Suggested Materials
*=nonnegotiable
Suggested Resources for
teachers
Academic
Vocabulary
Consider prior
knowledge and
clues in the text to
predict outcomes.
3-4 Literature Texts:
*”The 11:59,” by
Patricia McKissack
(OLL)
Pearson Common Core
Literature, Grade 8
Context clues
Verbal irony
Situational irony
Mood
Tone
Compare the
denotation of a word
and the connotation
used by an author.
Consider the impact
the author’s choice of
charged or loaded
words has on creating
tone.
3-4 Writing
assessments:
Conduct research on a
type of machine that
exists today and
whether it has
become “smarter”
over time. Compare it
to how the machines
operate in “Who can
replace a Man?”
Consult nonfiction
books, articles, and
Web sites. Take clear
notes and cite
sources. Share
findings in an informal
speech.
Analyze word choice
in a nonfiction work
and discuss within a
small group. Note
words and phrases,
figurative language,
connotations, or
technical meanings
and how they
combine to create a
specific tone.
Conduct research on
the rise of machines in
the nineteenth
century and its effects
on the average
worker. Consult both
primary and
secondary sources.
Take clear notes and
identify your sources.
Record findings in an
Identify how the
author’s use of
figurative language
and imagery give
the reader a better
understanding of
the setting and
contribute to mood.
Analyze how the
author’s descriptive
words, vivid verbs,
and rhetorical
devices describe the
scene and events in
the passage.
Determine how the
author’s words
show the difference
between humans
and machines and
their approaches to
life, i.e. analytical or
emotional.
Distinguish between
general academic and
domain-specific
vocabulary. Select the
best way to
communicate ideas
more clearly and
effectively.
*”A Retrieved
Reformation, “ by O.
Henry (OLL)
Online Literature Library
(OLL)
Pearson Common Core
Companion Workbook
*“Who Can Replace
A Man?” by Brian
Aldiss (p. 140)
Prentice Hall Literature,
Pennsylvania 2007
Edition, Grade 8
“John Henry,” (p.
154)
Prentice Hall Writing
Coach, Grade 8
from “The
Adventures of Tom
Sawyer,” by Mark
Twain (p. 757)
Glencoe Writer’s Choice
Grammar and Writing,
2001 edition, Grade 8
“The Lottery,” short
story by Shirley
Jackson
3-4 Informational
Text:
*”The Baker Heater
League,” by Patricia
McKissack (OLL)
triumphlearning
Common Core Coach
English Language Arts 8
PSSA Glossary of Terms
(in progress)
Resources:
http://www.studyisland.c
Narrative essay
Autobiography
Biography
Poetry:
Second person
point of view
Narrative poem
Lyric poem
Sound devices:
Alliteration,
consonance,
assonance,
repetition,
onomatopoeia,
rhyme, meter
Paraphrase
Author’s purpose
Predicting
Historical
context
Fact/Opinion
Page 17
description.
Consider how
rhythm and word
choice in the
memoir reinforce
its meaning and
create a sense of
belonging.
Analyze author’s
style. Point out
how the author
introduces,
illustrates, and
elaborates upon a
character’s life
events. Consider
language,
sentence length,
tone, word choice,
and figurative
language.
Determine the
figurative and
connotative
meanings of
words and phrases
within text.
Analyze how these
specific word
choices and
diction impact the
meaning and tone
of the text and the
characterization of
the individuals and
Eighth Grade
Consider if one way
is better than the
other.
Determine the
historical context of
the time. Consider
why people
celebrated heroes
who triumphed over
lifeless machines.
Analyze how the
author’s stylistic
choices in the
passage relate to
the central idea of
the passage. Cite
details to support
response.
Point out dialect
used in a passage
and translate
meaning. Consider
if the author’s use of
dialect enhanced or
took away from
events.
Evaluate how an
author uses plot
incidents and
dialogue to propel
the action forward
and reveal
characters. Point
Distinguish between
certain confusing pairs
of verbs, i.e. dragged
and drug or gone and
went.
Use phrases and
clauses in a variety of
ways to express ideas,
show logical
relationships between
the ideas, and create
rhythms in your prose.
Differentiate between
active and passive
voice. Consider
whether or not the
subject of the verb is
doing the action.
Analyze which type of
writing is more
interesting and why.
Differentiate between
the indicative mood
and subjunctive
mood. Consider if the
statement is factual or
expresses a wish,
request, or statement
contrary to fact.
When revising written
work, consider how
purpose, audience,
and genre were
outline.
*Write an
autobiographical
narrative retelling a
conflict reader had
with or about a
machine. State events
in chronological order.
Conclude by reflecting
on the meaning of the
incident, including
what it shows about
humans and
machines.
Conduct research on
the 1831 uprising led
by Nat Turner.
Identify details about
the uprising and
consequences for
slaves; consider how
the uprising would
have affected the
characters in “Harriet
Tubman.”
Conduct research on a
person who took risks
to achieve a worthy
goal and compare
subject to Harriet
Tubman. Include a
clearly stated main
idea and supporting
details, similarities,
from “Harriet
Tubman: Conductor
on the Underground
Railroad,” by Ann
Petry (p. 210)
*from “Travels with
Charley,” by John
Steinback (p. 290)
from “Why the
Waves Have
Whitecaps,” by Zora
Neale Hurston (p.
322)
“The American
Dream, “ speech by
Martin Luther King,
Jr. (p. 852)
2-3 Poetry:
“John Henry,” (p.
154)
“Ring Out, Wild
Bells,” by Alfred Lord
Tenneyson (p. 368)
“The Sky Is Low, the
Clouds Are Mean,”
by Emily Dickenson
(p. 379)
*“Paul Revere’s
Ride,” by Henry
Wadsworth
om
http://pdesas.org
MLA citation
Primary sources
Secondary sources
http://www.scholastic.co
m
Audience
Purpose
http://www.tumblebook
cloud.com
Types of Support:
Facts, opinions,
reasons,
examples,
descriptions,
anecdotes
http://www.freeology.co
m
http://www.gradesaver.c
om
MLA Resource:
http://owl.english.perdu
e.edu
Conventions:
Subject: simple,
compound,
complex,
compound/
complex
Clauses:
Rubric Creator:
Independent,
http://rubistar.4teachers.
dependent, nonorg
restrictive
adjective clauses
Argument Writing Lab:
Phrases:
www.livebinders.com/pla
Prepositional,
y/play?id=264883
adjective, adverb,
appositve,
Identifying Voice:
participial,
http://www.educationwo gerund, infinitive
rld.com/alesson/workshe
ets/TCM/pdfs/010202ild Predicate:
Simple,
ownload.pdf
compound
Complement
Travels with Charley
Page 18
places described.
Identify how plot
can help convey
theme. Cite
examples from the
text to support
your
interpretation.
Identify and
summarize the
major events in a
story, citing
textual evidence
throughout.
Choose one
unfamiliar detail
from the
nonfiction account
and conduct
research on it.
Explain how your
research clarifies
the text.
Consider the
varied types of
evidence an
author uses and if
he or she were
effective in
making his or her
claim.
Analyze how
Eighth Grade
out how they also
help develop a
central theme.
Choose one
unfamiliar detail
from the story and
conduct research on
it. Explain how your
research clarifies
the text.
Analyze how events
in a story reveal
aspects of
character. Write a
brief description of
the character/s and
give examples to
support the
revelations about
personality.
Determine if the
language the author
uses is either formal
or informal.
Consider how this
language gives
insight into the
characters and plot
events.
addressed. Check for
sensory details and
create vivid images to
set a mood and tone,
confirm consistent
point of view, check
internal and external
coherence, and
correct any run-on
sentences or
fragments in your
work.
relevant quotations,
varied transitions, and
a strong conclusion.
Create a skit based on
events from a
nonfiction selection.
Include dialogue,
appropriate
vocabulary, facial
expressions, and body
language to convey
tone.
In a small group,
produce a comic book
based on a tall tale as
a multimedia
presentation. Include
a series of drawings,
or frames; speech
bubbles with dialogue;
and narrative text
with background
information under
each frame. Present
tale.
Create a dramatic
scene utilizing the
five-step writing
process. Consider
audience, purpose,
pacing, and
characterization.
Use the five-step
writing process to
write a travel essay for
an audience
interested in traveling
to North Dakota
Include details from
“Travels with
Charley.”
Analyze the author’s
use of humor to
make a point or help Analyze the use of
make a story
sound devices and
memorable.
figurative language
*Write an
argumentative essay
about the
responsibilities of land
ownership. State a
claim, supply reasons
and relevant details,
consider counterclaim, and conclude
logically.
OR
*Write an editorial by
planning, drafting,
revising, editing, and
Longfellow (p. 394)
*“O Captain! My
Captain!” by Walt
Whitman (p. 418)
Suggested Reading
Text Complexity:
Turtle in Paradise, by
Jennifer L. Holm
/610L
Breaking Stalin’s
Nose by Eugene
Yelchin/670L
lesson plans:
http://www.bookrags.co
m/lessonplan/travelswith-charley/
Direct object
Indirect object
Verb Moods:
Indicative,
“Paul Revere” Literature
subjunctive,
and History lesson plan:
imperative,
http://www.gilderlehrma interrogative, and
n.org/history-by-era/war- conditional
forindependence/resources Voice:
/midnight-ride-paulActive, passive
revere-literature-vPrepositional
history
Phrases:
Martin Luther King, Jr.
To Kill a Mockingbird Diamante poem writing
by Harper Lee/870L
assignment:
http://www.readwritethi
Albert Einstein, a
nk.org/classroomPhotographic Story of resources/lessona Life by Frieda
plans/exploring-powerWishinsky/1040L
martin-luther-258.html
Journey to the Center
of the Earth by Jules
Setting goals like MLK:
Verne/1040L
http://www.readwritethi
nk.org/classroomThe Time Machine by resources/calendarH. G. Welles/1070L
activities/martin-lutherking-deliveredVirtual Reality
20281.htm.
Beyond the Looking
Glass by Elaine
Grammar:
Pascoe/1090L
Functions of verbals:
www.k12reader.com/wo
The Voice that
rksheet/functions-andChallenged a Nation: uses-of-infinitives/
Marian Anderson and
Adjective,
adverb
Conjunctions:
Coordinating,
correlative,
subordinating
Coherence:
Internal,
external
Page 19
headings make it
easier for the
reader to find
information and
how transitions
help the reader to
understand
relationships
between ideas.
Conduct research
to locate another
speech or sermon
in which King
discusses issues in
an American city
and compare/
contrast it to his “I
have a Dream”
speech.
Evaluate an
argument.
Consider the
author’s central
theme, write a
brief summary,
discuss whether
the author’s
argument is
logical, clearly
stated, and
supported with
valid evidence.
Support
evaluation with
details from the
Eighth Grade
Consider if his or her
technique was
effective. Cite
examples from the
text to support your
analysis.
used in a poem.
Consider how they
reinforce conflict and
theme. Cite examples
from the text.
Paraphrase a stanza in
a poem by identifying
what is happening and
who is participating in
the action.
Analyze a poem’s
form and how it
contributes to its
effectiveness.
Consider author’s
purpose, i.e. teach a
lesson, inspire, tell a
story.
Identify allusion and
analogy in “O
Captain!” and analyze
the impact of specific
word choices and how
they contribute to the
overall meaning and
tone of the poem.
Write a poem.
Consider audience
and form, establish
central idea, use
poetic techniques and
figurative language.
publishing individual
work. Consider
audience and
purpose, write a clear
thesis, state two
persuasive arguments
with supporting
evidence and details
for each, respond to
possible opposing
views, use powerful
language and
transition words, and
end with a strong
conclusion.
the Struggle for Equal
Rights by Russell
Freedman/1180L
Active/Passive voice:
www.englishforeveryone
.org/Topics/ActivePassive-Voice.htm
Verb moods:
www.really-learnenglish.com/subjunctivemood.html
Shifts in Verb tense:
https://owl.english.purdu
e.edu/exercise/2/22/49
* Write an on-demand
cause and effect
expository essay
prompt utilizing the
ABCDs of on-demand
writing. Include an
effective introduction,
clearly stated thesis,
variety of sentence
structures and
rhetorical devices,
precise language,
transitions, logical
organization, variety
of details, and a clear
explanation of causes
and effects. Make
conclusion
memorable.
Page 20
text.
Identify functions of
words and make
correct word choices
to convey ideas in
clear and powerful
ways in your writing.
When conducting
research: narrow
research topic,
conduct key word
search online, make
sure site is reputable.
Additional
assignments:
PDNs
Written responses
Class discussions
Quizzes
Tests
*Quarterly Exam:
Unit 3 Benchmark
After researching,
write by accurately
synthesizing ideas
from several sources.
Check writing for
inconsistencies or
extraneous details.
Use a variety of
sentence structures.
Eighth Grade
Page 21
Theme 3 Responsibilities
Enduring Understanding: Young adults need to become aware of what their duties are as they continue to grow in the society that we live in today. They also need to
understand that with decision-making comes accountability for the actions taking place. Finally, it is important for them to learn how to examine situations and realize
when it is necessary to become more involved in order to grow from the experience and learn the many lessons life has to offer.
Essential Questions: What are the qualities of a hero?
Are yesterday’s heroes important today?
How does a person’s identity contribute to his or her self-worth and impact on society?
What makes and breaks relationships?
Is it our differences or our similarities that matter most?
Does the concept of heroism change over time?
Cumulative Assessment: Select one of the following research topics. Answer 3-5 of the essential questions posed in the beginning of this quarter, being as specific as
possible and citing examples from the literature read. Consult a variety of print and online sources, verifying each one for credibility and accuracy. Take clear and
detailed notes, and cite your sources using MLA style. A Research Rubric can be found in Pearson Literature Teacher Resources.
 Research John Clem’s role as a drummer boy at Shiloh during the Civil War and the impact the war had on him and others during that time period.
 Research Susan B. Anthony’s contribution to women’s suffrage and some strategies used by American women to win their voting rights.
 Research Anne Sullivan’s education and hardships during childhood and how these experiences shaped her into an ideal teacher for Helen Keller.
 Research a specific contribution to the Civil Rights Movement made by Thurgood Marshall.
Goals
Reading
Informational
Text
Eighth Grade
Goals
Reading
Literature
Goals
Foundational Skills,
Writing, Speaking &
Listening
Assessment(s)
*=nonnegotiable
Suggested Materials
*=nonnegotiable
Suggested Resources
for teachers
Academic
Vocabulary
Page 22
Analyze the
author’s view of
the world or of a
special topic.
Identify his or her
perspective and
cite details from
the text to support
your response.
Analyze
relationships
among key ideas.
Consider causes
and effects, as
well as
comparisons and
contrasts.
Compare and
contrast two
stories that have
identifiable
themes. Include a
summary of each
story. Explain the
relationships
between setting,
character actions
and attitudes, and
plot events, and
themes; and point
out similarities
and differences
between the two
stories.
Eighth Grade
Identify how
dialogue between
characters highlights
differences in their
personalities and
significant plot
events.
Determine how
words and actions
tell about
characters’ feelings.
Analyze how an
author uses imagery
to reach readers.
Consider if this
method is effective.
Determine how the
level of detail and
vivid language in
text add to the
piece as a whole.
Compare and
contrast one
character’s actions,
feelings, and ideas
with those of
another character.
Consider each
character’s
perspective and if
they are true,
flawed or distorted.
Relate findings to
Demonstrate an
understanding of text
by participation in
collaborative
discussion.
Interpretive response:
Blog comments,
comparison essays,
letters to authors,
response to literature
essays.
Write an interpretive
response to an
author’s work.
Include a thesis
statement, summary,
evidence from text,
analysis of story
elements, personal
insights, and reason
for review.
Demonstrate an
understanding of
parallel structures in
reading and writing.
Edit for grammar,
mechanics, and
spelling. Use a variety
of complete sentences
that include
consistent tenses.
Demonstrate an
understanding of
2-3 Writing
Assignments:
Present an oral
response to “the TellTale Heart,”
Identifying its level of
terror and mystery.
Include clear ideas,
examples and
evidence from the
story, and make
logical connections
between your points
and main ideas, use
transition words, and
consider techniques
Poe used in his story.
Compare to other
works to make your
point.
Design a visual display
honoring an elderly
you look up to.
Represent values,
traditions, and
attributes most
admired with a brief
description of why
you hold him or her in
high regard.
*Respond to OnDemand
argumentative writing
prompt. Consider
clear controlling idea,
2-3 Literature Text:
*“Tell-Tale Heart,” by
Edgar Allen Poe (p.
38)
“The Drummer Boy
of Shiloh,” by Ray
Bradbury (p. 112)
“The Miracle
Worker,” drama by
William Gibson (p.
510)
“The Episode of
War,” by Stephen
Crane (p. 808)
3-4 Informational
Text:
from “Sharing in the
American Dream,” by
Colin Powell (OLL)
from “Narrative of
the Life of Fredrick
Douglass,”
autobiography (OLL)
*“We the People
from Words We
Live,” by Linda R.
Monk (p. 193)
“Choice: A Tribute to
Martin Luther King,
Jr.,” by Alice Walker
Pearson Common Core
Literature, Grade 8
Online Literature Library
(OLL)
Pearson Common Core
Companion Workbook
Prentice Hall Literature,
Pennsylvania 2007
Edition, Grade 8
Prentice Hall Writing
Coach, Grade 8
Glencoe Writer’s Choice
Grammar and Writing,
2001 edition, Grade 8
triumphlearning
Common Core Coach
English Language Arts 8
PSSA Glossary of Terms
(in progress)
Resources:
http://www.studyisland.
com
http://pdesas.org
http://www.scholastic.c
om
http://www.tumbleboo
Character traits:
Round character,
flat character
Pronouns:
Intensive,
extensive
Conjunctions:
Coordinating,
correlative,
subordinating
Modifiers
Interpretive
response:
Blog comments,
comparison essays,
letters to authors,
response to
literature essays.
Research Writing:
Informational
research report,
biographical
profiles, consumer
information
reports,
documentaries,
historical reports, ISearch reports,
scientific reports
Reader’s and
Writer’s Response
Symbols
Research Sources:
Page 23
Generate
questions about
material read and
use those
questions as a
basis for research.
Select key words
to do an internet
search and use
sites that are
reputable.
Analyze the
author’s use of
literary techniques
such as repetition,
rhetorical devices,
and imagery.
Consider the
effect they have
on readers.
Evaluate the
author’s claim and
opinions in the
text. Distinguish
which claims are
supported by
facts, reasons, and
evidence, and
which are not.
Point out types of
figurative
language used,
such as paradox
and metaphor,
Eighth Grade
your own
perspective.
Analyze how
language and syntax
help to create the
historical context of
the time period in a
story.
Determine how a
character’s
historical situation
affects his mood
and that of the
story.
Write a
compare/contrast
essay analyzing how
the points of view in
two selections affect
the reader’s
knowledge of the
characters and
events in the
stories.
Analyze the
importance of plot
events and
characters’ actions
to the development
of a story’s theme.
Determine any
changes or growth
using different forms
of adjectives and
adverbs as modifiers
to add variety to your
sentences.
Differentiate between
independent and
dependent clauses by
correctly using
conjunctions to
connect words and
ideas, and to
eliminate short,
choppy sentences.
Research Writing:
Informational
research report,
biographical profiles,
consumer information
reports,
documentaries,
historical reports, ISearch reports,
scientific reports
Select a variety of
authoritative,
objective sources to
compile data. Analyze
if source contains
relevant information,
provides facts and
details at an
understandable level,
is unbiased and
logical organization,
variety of sentence
structures and
rhetorical devices,
clear transitions, facts
and details, and
synthesized ideas
from several sources.
*Write an
informational
research report by
planning, drafting,
revising, editing, and
publishing individual
work. Include clear
thesis statement,
summary/paraphrase
of research findings
from reliable primary
and secondary
sources, relevant facts
and details,
organization, graphics,
documentation of
sources, correct
sentence structure
and conventions.
(p. 306)
kcloud.com
from “The American
Dream,” by Martin
Luther King, Jr. (p.
852)
http://www.freeology.c
om
“Brown vs. Brown of
Education,” by
Walter Dean Meyers
(p. 876)
“A Woman’s Right to
Suffrage,” by Susan
B. Anthony (p. 886)
1-2 Poetry:
*“A Poem for My
Librarian, Mrs. Long,”
by Nikki Giovanni (p.
349)
“The Road Not
Taken,” by Robert
Frost (p. 460)
“Runagate
Runagate,” by Robert
Hayden (p. 860)
Suggested Reading
Leveled Complexity:
The Dreamer by Pam
Muñoz Ryan/650L
One Came Home by
Amy Timberlake
http://www.gradesaver.
com
Print sources,
electronic sources,
interviews with
experts,
multimedia
sources, photos,
diagrams, charts,
and graphs
MLA Resource:
http://owl.english.perdu
e.edu
Rubric Creator:
http://rubistar.4teacher
s.org
Argument Writing Lab:
www.livebinders.com/pl
ay/play?id=264883
Identifying Voice:
http://www.educationw
orld.com/alesson/works
heets/TCM/pdfs/01020
2ildownload.pdf
Frederick Douglass:
http://www.edsitement.
neh.gov/curriculumunit/courage-freedomfrederick-douglass1845autobigraphy#sectintroduction
Page 24
within text and
analyze their
purpose.
Consider how
humor is used to
convey a serious
theme and if it is
effective or not.
Identify the voice
a writer uses to
communicate
ideas and hold an
audience’s
attention.
Consider sentence
length, word
choice, and tone.
Select the
appropriate voice
and consistent
tone for your
argumentative
essay by
considering
audience and
purpose.
Eighth Grade
in a character
revealed through
dialogue or
character’s actions.
Analyze dramatic
elements including
stage directions,
props, character
development, and
dialogue to
determine author’s
purpose, the overall
tone of the drama,
and theme. Cite
examples from
drama to support
findings.
Describe the scene’s
mood and find
examples from the
text to support
ideas.
Analyze a poem’s
form, patterns of
rhythm and rhyme,
word choices and
imagery, and
figurative language.
Consider what they
tell you about the
speaker and how
the themes
introduced by the
speaker develop
accurate, and is up-todate.
Distinguish between
primary and
secondary sources.
Categorize multiple
sources by headings,
take detailed notes,
and record full
bibliographic
information using
MLA style.
Synthesize
information by
paraphrasing and
summarizing in own
words and quoting a
writer’s exact words.
/690L
Always Running La
Vida Loco by Luis
Rodriquez/830L
Fahrenheit 451 by
Ray Bradbury/890L
Elijah of Buxton by
Christopher Paul
Curtis/1070L
The Trumpeter of
Krakow by Eric P.
Kelly/1200L
Tell-Tale Heart:
www.readwritethink.org
/classroomresources/lessonplans/directed-listeningthinking-activity850.html
Online interactive
acrostic poem:
http://www.readwriteth
ink.org/files/resources/i
nteractives/acrostic/
Provide evidence with
facts, statistics,
examples, direct
quotes from
authorities, graphs,
and/or illustrations.
Write an effective
conclusion to bring
writing to a close, i.e.
launch a slogan, close
the circle, or make a
connection.
Create a Works
Page 25
over the course of
the text.
Cited/Bibliography
listing all sources used
in paper using correct
MLA format.
Evaluate report to
make revisions. Check
for attention-grabbing
introduction, clear
ideas and relevant
reasons and evidence
presented in a logical
manner,
graphics/visuals,
citations, memorable
conclusion and
bibliography. Use
precise word choice,
varied sentences, and
effective transitions.
Revise and edit
written work. Correct
fragments, and runons, daggling or
misplaced modifiers,
avoid double
negatives, correctly
use frequently
confused words,
ensure subject-verb
and pronounantecedent
agreement. Check
spelling, capitalization,
and punctuation.
Eighth Grade
Page 26
Theme 4 Global Connections
Enduring Understanding: Students need to understand the ongoing dangers of bigotry, hatred and extremism. In order to make rational choices and deal with
conflicts, they should consider the significance of how people deal with crisis. They also need to differentiate between fact and opinion, primary and secondary
sources, and author’s purpose to compile accurate information. Understanding the atrocities of the past and on-going global issues will help young people to become
better citizens and leaders and ensure acts of hatred are not repeated.
Essential Questions: Is conflict inevitable?
How can individuals and societies remember and commemorate difficult histories?
What is the purpose of remembering? What are the consequences of forgetting?
During the Holocaust, what strategies were used to create distinctions between “us” and “them”? What were the consequences of the
distinctions?
What are the costs of injustice, hatred and bigotry?
What choices do people make in the face of injustice? What obstacles keep individuals from getting involved in their communities and
larger world? What factors encourage participation?
Cumulative Assessment: Select one of the following assessments. Answer 3-5 of the essential questions posed in the beginning of this quarter, being as specific as
possible and citing examples from the literature read. Assessments will be graded with the accompanying rubric.
 Write a film review considering how changes or omissions, faithfulness to the text, selected actors, props, and lighting enhance or distract from the story or
capture the general tone/mood of the drama.
 Illustrate your understanding of a person and period of history by combining your best response journal entries with other students’ selections and illustrating
them on a bulletin board or in a display case.
 Create a multimedia slide show that features a how-to essay.
 Research either a global issue or an instance of intolerance or genocide in the world today.
Goals
Reading
Informational Text
Goals
Reading
Literature
Conduct research
to learn about
relations between
generations in two
different cultures.
Identify parallels
or contrasts
between research
Determine a central
idea of a text and
analyze its
development over
the course of the
text and its
relationship to
setting, characters,
Eighth Grade
Goals
Foundational Skills,
Writing, Speaking &
Listening
Write a how-to essay
by planning, drafting,
revising, editing, and
publishing individual
work.
Evaluate author’s use
of adjectives to create
Assessment(s)
*=nonnegotiable
Suggested Materials
*=nonnegotiable
Suggested Resources for
teachers
Academic
Vocabulary
3-4 Writing
assessments:
Write daily response
journal entries
describing your
personal reflections
and mood based on
reading. Review
Literature Text:
*“The Diary of Anne
Frank Act,” drama by
Frances Goodrich
and Albert Hackett
(p. 534)
Pearson Common Core
Literature, Grade 8
Character motive
Character trait
Cause/effect
Dramatic irony
Bias
Propaganda
Stereotypes
Assumptions
Online Literature Library
(OLL)
Pearson Common Core
Informational Text:
Page 27
and text citing
sources.
Determine what
the main
characters value in
life.
Write an objective
summary,
remembering not
to include
personal opinions
or judgments.
Compare and
contrast the first
half of the
twentieth
century’s national
unemployment
rate with that of
the last half.
Consider if the
situation was
better or worse,
what causes and
effects impacted
numbers, and
what solutions
were enlisted to
alleviate the
unemployment
rate.
Analyze how
history repeats in
spite of hindsight.
Eighth Grade
and plot.
Point out how the
author creates style
and how this style
supports the
historical context of
the text. Consider
historical diction
and old sayings
reflect time period
and characters.
Identify which
aspect was most
persuasive or least
credible.
Analyze similarities
and differences
between internal
and external
conflicts within
drama.
Evaluate how
characters’
perspectives change
as they gain new
knowledge, face
new challenging
situations, and
interact with others.
Determine how an
author’s stylistic
choices impact
readers’
expectations or
support the
a particular image of a
character.
Evaluate what the
author’s use of
language says about
the relationship
between the main
characters.
Distinguish between
subjective, objective,
or possessive
pronouns in a poem
and determine what
they suggest about
the speaker.
Workplace Writing:
How-to essays,
letter of complaint,
letter of request,
memos, friendly
letters
Use the five-step
writing process to
write a how-to essay.
Plan presentation,
consider audience and
purpose,
chronologically
list steps of
procedure, write
script for oral
presentation, include
graphics, images, and
sounds to slides.
entries and make
comments to see if
your opinions and
level of understanding
have changed
throughout the course
of the text.
Check the validity of
major events and
details in the play or
text by consulting
both primary and
secondary sources
and pointing out
details from the play
or text that research
confirms, clarifies, or
questions.
Perform a dramatic
soliloquy from the
Diary of Anne Frank
drama using
appropriate gestures
and tone to convey
atmosphere of the
secret annex rooms.
*Write a film review
considering how
changes or omissions,
faithfulness to the
text, selected actors,
props, and lighting,
enhance or distract
from the story or
“On the Situation in
Vietnam,” by Henry
B. Gonzalez (OLL)
from “Anne Frank
Remembered,”
memoir by Miep Gies
with Alison Leslie
Gold (p. 718)
“Remarks on a Visit
to Buchenwald,”
speech by Elie Wiesel
(p. 735)
“Local Holocaust
Survivors and
Liberators Attend
Opening Event for
Exhibition Florida
Holocaust Museum,”
press release (p. 742)
“The Great
Depression,” Social
Studies Connection
(p. 798)
Poetry:
“Night,” by Ellie
Wiesel (p. 726)
from “Out of the
Dust: Debts, Fields of
Flashing Light,
Migrants,” by Karen
Hesse (p. 796)
Companion Workbook
Prentice Hall Literature,
Pennsylvania 2007
Edition, Grade 8
Prentice Hall Writing
Coach, Grade 8
Glencoe Writer’s Choice
Grammar and Writing,
2001 edition, Grade 8
triumphlearning
Common Core Coach
English Language Arts 8
Prejudice
Discrimination
Workplace Writing:
How-to essays,
letter of complaint,
letter of request,
memos, friendly
letters
Business letter
format
Conventional
letter format
PSSA Glossary of Terms
(in progress)
Resources:
http://www.studyisland.
com
http://pdesas.org
http://www.scholastic.c
om
http://www.tumbleboo
kcloud.com
http://www.freeology.c
om
http://www.gradesaver.
com
Page 28
Consider how
leaders could
sometimes turn
out to be
destructive forces.
Research the role
propaganda plays
during battles or
war time.
historical context of
text.
Draw conclusions
based on details
within text and
personal
experiences.
Consider the image
created by the
author/poet and its
effectiveness.
Investigate author’s
purpose by
analyzing stage
directions and
dialogue. Cite
examples from
drama to support
findings.
Identify examples of
dramatic irony.
Consider purpose:
to add humor or
build suspense.
Analyze what a
scene or event
suggests about the
way people deal
with crisis.
Describe the scene’s
mood and find
examples from the
Eighth Grade
*Write an on-demand
procedural text
prompt utilizing the
ABCDs of on-demand
writing, i.e. PSSA
prompt.
Write a letter of
request, letter of
complaint, and a
friendly letter by
planning, drafting,
revising, editing, and
publishing individual
work.
Choose an unfamiliar
detail from a
poem/passage and
conduct research
explaining how
findings clarify the
text.
Compare/contrast
how poets use
structural elements
such as repletion,
breaks, line lengths,
stanzas, form, and
imagery to pay tribute
to an elder.
capture the general
tone/mood of the
play.
Create a bulletin
board display about
experiences of Jewish
individual or
communities living
under Nazi occupation
during WWII.
Compare one
character’s feelings
and ideas with
another character’s.
Consider how it shows
the characters’
perspectives, and how
this finding compares
with your perspective.
Employ performing
arts, music, poetry,
collage, or other
means that student
feels best represents
the message they
want to send others.
With a partner,
conduct an interview
with Anne or Mr.
about her/his
experience during
hiding in the Secret
annex. Videotape
your interview or
Suggested Reading
Leveled Complexity:
Number the Stars by
Lois Lowry/670L
MLA Resource:
http://owl.english.perdu
e.edu
The Book Thief by
Markus Zusak/730L
Rubric Creator:
http://rubistar.4teacher
s.org
Bomb: The Race to
Build—and Steal—
the World’s Most
Dangerous Weapon
by Steve Sheinkin/
920L
Claudette Colvin:
Twice Toward Justice
by Phillip
Hoose/1000L
The Yellow Birds by
Kevin Powers/1010L
Diary of Anne Frank
by Anne Frank/1080L
Holocaust by Angela
Gluck Wood and Dan
Stone/Reading range
10-17 years
The Surrender Tree:
Poems of Cuba’s
Struggle for Freedom,
by Margarita
Engle/Range 12-17
years
Argument Writing Lab:
www.livebinders.com/pl
ay/play?id=264883
Identifying Voice:
http://www.educationw
orld.com/alesson/works
heets/TCM/pdfs/01020
2ildownload.pdf
Holocaust:
Exploring Anne Frank’s
hiding place:
http://www.annefrank.
org/en/Subsites/Home/
Moyer, Susan. Teaching
the Diary of Anne Frank.
2nd ed. New York:
Scholastic, 1998. Print
www.teachingtolerance.
org
www.holocausechronicl
e.org
Survivors of Shoal Visual
Page 29
text to support
ideas.
perform it live for the
class.
Analyze how an
author uses
dialogue to reveal
character traits,
moods, changes in a
character, or reveal
emotions.
Research some of the
cultural contributions
and achievements in
Europe prior to the
Nazi era and showcase
finding in a Power
Point presentation.
Identify how the
cause and effect
relationship
demonstrates why
things are the way
they are. Consider
questions, such as
What happened?
Why? And What
will happen as a
result of this?
Research one global
issue, ie immigration,
cultural beliefs,
education,
employment, or
communication, and
identify the causeeffect relationship
between individuals
and governments.
Compare and
contrast text to
audio, video, or
multimedia version
of text, analyzing
each medium’s
portrayal of the
subject. Consider
original version,
setting, characters,
and musical
adaptations. Which
character is most
effective or which
Eighth Grade
The Bosnia List: A
History Foundation:
Memoir of War, Exile, www.vhf.org
and Return by Kenan
Trebinčević
The United States
Holocaust Memorial
I Am Malala, diary of Museum:
Malala Yousafzai
www.ushmm.org
Research past and
present instances of
intolerance and
genocide, i.e. slavery,
apartheid, tribal
conflicts, ethnic
cleansing, killing
fields. Consider the
effect on all involved
and how individual
efforts and
government policies
may have helped or
harmed those people
and situations.
Page 30
best portrays the
theme?
Additional
assignments:
PDNs
Written responses
Class discussions
Quizzes
Tests
*Quarterly Exam:
Benchmark Test 7
PA English Language Proficiency Standards: Classroom/Formative Framework
Standard 1: English language learners communicate in English for Social and Instructional purposes within the school setting.
Listening
Grade Level: Eighth Grade
Level 1
Entering
Level 2
Beginning
Level 3
Developing
Level 4
Expanding
Level 5
Bridging
Identify positive and negative
behaviors from oral
statements supported by
illustrations (such as: in
school, on the playground, in
gym class or on the bus).
Role-play examples of
etiquette and manners
associated with activities
based on illustrated oral
descriptions (such as: sports
rules or turn taking).
Role-play positive ways of
interacting socially and
culturally based on oral
descriptions working with
a partner.
Role-play to identify
positive resolutions to
peer pressure based on
oral descriptions working
with a partner.
Make connections to self
from oral scenarios
involving peer pressure.
L
e
v
e
l
6
-
R
e
a
c
h
i
n
g
Eighth Grade
Standard
or
Anchor
Page 31
Reading
Classify topics identified
through everyday print
supported by visuals.
Sort relevant information
from irrelevant information
on topics gathered from
everyday print that is
visually supported.
Interpret information on
topics gathered from
everyday print that is
visually supported.
Draw conclusions on
topics gathered from
everyday print that is
visually supported.
Speaking
Offer greetings,
compliments, introductions,
or farewells in authentic
context using one or two
words.
Ask WH-questions or
exchange information
supported visually.
Initiate or engage in
conversation with peers.
Use idiomatic expressions
or slang in conversation
with peers.
Use humor or sarcasm in
conversation with peers.
Write “To do” lists through
pictures and words using a
picture dictionary.
Write short phrases or
sentences about personally
relevant tasks working with a
partner.
Write simple paragraphs
about personally relevant
tasks working with a
partner.
Writing
Match pictures and symbols
to words and phrases in
everyday print.
Revise paragraphs about
personally relevant tasks
with a peer.
Write responses that
include language with
multiple meanings (such
as: idioms) about
personally relevant tasks
using notes and/or
graphic organizers.
Framework for FORMATIVE/CLASSROOM Instruction and Assessment
Eighth Grade
Page 32
Standard 2: English language learners communicate in English for Language Arts purposes within the school setting.
Level 2
Beginning
Level 3
Developing
Level 4
Expanding
Level 5
Bridging
Standard
or
Anchor
Listening
Match characters to their
character traits (such as:
helpful, kind, etc.) after
viewing a short skit or
drama.
Organize characters and
settings according to scenes
from a short skit or drama.
Reenact a scene from a
skit or drama attended
within a small group.
React to basic humor in a
skit or drama.
Draw conclusions from
grade level drama.
1.6.8.A
1.6.8.B
Reading
Identify words or phrases
supported by illustrations
associated with various
genres.
Classify visually supported
vocabulary in context
associated with various
genres read within a small
group.
Match visually supported
details that highlight the
main ideas found in
excerpts from various
genres.
Identify genres based on
language structures
integrated into text (such
as: “The moral of the
story”) within a small
group.
Infer types of genres
associated with written
descriptions or summaries
from grade-level text
working within a triad.
R8.A.1
R8.A.2
Speaking
Answer WH-questions
based on comic book
versions of age appropriate
stories, plays or novels.
Restate facts from visually
supported information in
newspapers, magazines or
brochures.
Predict future outcomes of
a drama, song or
magazine article to a small
group.
Present summaries of
student-selected trade
books or short stories
within a small group.
Give book summaries or
reviews, including
critiques, appropriate to
grade-level within a small
group.
1.6.8.C
1.6.8.D
1.6.8.E
Write words and phrases
using bilingual or picture
dictionaries.
Write phrases or short
sentences using a graphic
organizer.
Create simple paragraphs
using a graphic organizer.
Create paragraphs or
longer compositions using
thesauri, dictionaries or
checklists.
Self-assess and revise
process writing using
rubrics working with a
partner.
1.4.8.A-C
1.5.8
Level 6- Reaching
Level 1
Entering
Writing
Grade Level: Eighth Grade
Framework for FORMATIVE/CLASSROOM Instruction and Assessment
Eighth Grade
Page 33