Berlin Community School
8 Language Arts(Master)
Teacher: Grade 8
Month
September
2008
Content
Skills
Assessment
Materials
Essential question:
How do we become critical thinkers and
effective communicators?
A Writing
essay format
interview
A.conduct an interview of subject of essay
A. teacher conferencing
A.create essay plan
A. peer assessment
revision/editing
A. writing assignment
A.compose an interview essay
A. character analysis essay-rubric
A.revise essay
A. edit essay
B.
Literary elements
point of view
methods of characterization
B. discriminate between the speaker and
the poet of a poem/ narrator and author
B. Prentice Hall; Prentice Hall Literature,
Penguin Edition, grade 8;2007.
B. reading test
B. determine point of view in a poem and a
short story.
Stylistic devices
literal-figuative language
symbolism
B. collage -rubric
B. distinguish between dynamic and static
characters.
B. identify and interpret literal and
figurative language as expressed in a poem
B. create a personal collage that
symbolizes aspects of personality.
Vocabulary
B. define and use essential vocabulary
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8 Language Arts(Master)
COMFORT
Month
Content
C.Grammar/mechanics
quotation marks/italics
Skills
C. use quotation marks to enclose a
speaker's exact words.
Berlin Community School
Assessment
Materials
C. quiz- quotations and italics
C. Holt, Rinehart and Winston: Holt
Handbook-red, 2003
A.create an essay plan
A. teacher conferenceing
A. writing assignment
A.compose a character essay
A. peer assessment
revision/editing
C. utilize proper capitalization and
punctuation for sentences containing
quoatation marks
D. use italics or quotations as required for
certain titles.
October
2008
A. Writing
essay format
A.revise essay
A. character analysis essay- rubric
A. edit essay
Standards:
B. Reading
B. apply methods of characterization to
analyze character's personality
B.roundtable- oral presentation-character
analysis with critical comment
Methods of characterization
B. Prentice Hall; Prentice Hall Literature,
Penguin Edition, grade 8;2007.
B. compare and contrast characters
B. distinguish between dynamic and static
characters.
Elements of plot
conflict
plot line
B evaluate story for methods of
characterization and plot
B. self-selected novels
B written novel assessment
open ended response
B. reading test
matching, multiple choice, short
answer, open-ended response
B. identfy types of conflict
B. interpret visual presentation of a short
story in terms of plot structure
B. interpret story plot line
B. predict outcomes based on text.
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8 Language Arts(Master)
COMFORT
Month
Content
Berlin Community School
Skills
Assessment
Materials
B. define and use essential vocabulary
Vocabulary
Standards
C. Grammar/mechanics
comma
prepositions/phrases
C. apply proper comma usage to selected
sentences
C. comma quiz
C. identify prepositional phrases
C. preposition quiz (in Nov.)
C. Holt, Rinehart, and Winston; Holt
Handbook-red;2003
C. discriminate between adjective and
adverb prepositional phrases
Standards:
November
2008
A. sample news articles
A. Writing
news article format
(continues in Dec.)
open-ended response
A. compose a news article by following the
steps of the writing process.
A. teacher conferencing
A. revise article
A. peer assessment
revision/editing
A. edit article
A.news article- rubric
A. identify elements of open-ended
response
A. analyse response for open-ended
elements
A. writing assignment
A. test
A. novel assessment
A. compose open-ended response
.
B Reading
B. analyze independent reading in terms of
character and plot
B. roundtable- oral presentation (rubric)
B. individual student self-selected novels
Elements of plot
flashback
foreshadowing
B. sequence plot structure including
flashback
B.predict and verify outcomes by using
B. reading test
B. Prentice Hall; Prentice Hall Liteature,
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8 Language Arts(Master)
COMFORT
Month
Content
suspense
Berlin Community School
Skills
Assessment
identifed foreshadowing
B. analyze story for stylistic elements used
to create suspense
Materials
Penguin edition, grade 8; 2007
B. Poe, E. A.
"The Tell Tale Heart"
"The Black Cat"
Author study -Poe
B. compare/contrast multiple works by a
single author
B. venn diagram
B. interpret effect of author's life on his
work
B. reading test
Paraphrasing
B. vocabulary quiz
B. use vocabulary to paraphrase story
opening for meaning
Vocabulary
B. define and use essential vocabulary
C. Grammar
verbs
prepositional phrases
C. helping verb quiz
C.identify action/linking/helping verbs in
selected sentences
C. Holt, Rinehart, and Winston; Holt
Handbook- red;2003
C. discriminate between action and linking
verbs.
C. preposition quiz
C. identify prepositional phrases
C. discriminate between adjective and
adverb prepositional phrases
December
2008
a
A. writing
A continued from Nov.
A continued from Nov.
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8 Language Arts(Master)
COMFORT
Month
Content
Berlin Community School
Skills
Assessment
Materials
news article
(continued from Nov)
open ended response
B Reading
Author study continues from Nov
Literary elements
setting
mood
irony
B.identify time, place, and important
conditions of setting in a short story.
B. reading test
B.interpret irony as presented in a story
B. Prentice Hall; Prentice Hall Literature,
grade 8; 2007
B.analyze a story for mood
Stylistic devices
simile
metaphor
personification
sensory imagery
B. Poe, E. A.
"The Cask of Amontillado"
B. interpret the effect of conditions of
setting on character and action in a story.
B. identify elements of figurative language
that contribute to mood
Vocabulary
B. define and use essential vocabulary
B. vocabulary quiz
B. classify vocabulary in terms of literary
elements
C. Grammar/mechanics
subject-predicate
phrases/clauses
January
2009
A.Writing
Descriptive passage
C. identify the simple subject and predicate
in a sentence
C. subject /predicate/ clause test
C. Holt. Rinehart, and Winston; Holt
Handbook, red; 2003
A. mood piece- rubric
A. writing assignment
C. discriminate between phrases,
dependent clauses, and independent clauses
A. compose a descriptive passage of a
particular point in time that creates a
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8 Language Arts(Master)
COMFORT
Month
Content
Berlin Community School
Skills
Assessment
Materials
certain mood
Stylistic devices
simile
meatphor
personification
sensory language
A. sample descriptive passages
A.incorporate simile, metaphor,
personification, and sensory language into
descriptive passage
A. revise for content
A. edit for grammar
B. Reading
Literary elements
setting
mood
theme
Vocabulary
C. Grammar/mechanics
subordinate clauses
B. analyze independent reading in terms of
setting and mood.
B. roundtable- oral assessment- rubric
B. individual student self-selected
biographies/autobiographies
B. Written novel assessment
B. interpret the effect of conditions of
setting on character and action in a story.
B. Prentice Hall; Prentice Hall Literature,
Penguin edition, grade 8; 2007
B. analyze a poem and short story for
theme.
B. define and use essential vocabulary
B. Reading test
C. identify and discriminate between
clauses used as nouns, adjectives, and
adverbs
C. clause quiz
C. Holt, Rinehart, and Winston; Holt
Handbook- red; 2003
A. teacher conferencing
A. peer revision
A. peer editing
A. essay- holistic scoring rubric
A. writing assignment
C. compose original sentences using
subordinate clauses
February
2009
A. Writing
Problem-solution essay
(theme/personal connection)
A. compose an essay that includes a
personal connection by following the steps
of the writing process.
A. revise for content
A. peer edit
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8 Language Arts(Master)
COMFORT
Month
Content
Berlin Community School
Skills
Assessment
B. reading test
B.. Reading
Dramacompare/contast characters
symbolism
internal/external conflict
Materials
B Gibson, William. The Miracle Worker
B. interpret character motivation in a play
B. identify stage devices that shift time and
scene
B. vocabulary quiz
B. character chart
B. diagram the stage set of a play
Vocabulary
B. analyze characteristics of drama as a
literary genre
Manual alphabet
B. define and use essential vocabulary
B. visualize Act 1
B. compare and contrast characters
C. Grammar/mechanics
C. distinquish between phrases, dependent
clauses, and independent clauses
C. structure test
C. Holt, Rinehart, and Winston; Holt
Handbook- red; 2003
sentence structure
C. Discriminate between simple,
compound, complex, and compoundcomplex sentences
participles/participial phrases
C. locate paticipals and participial phrases
in sentences.
C. pariciple phrase quiz
C. compose sentences using participial
phrases
March
2009
A. writing
forms of communication
A. create words and communicate using
the manual alphabet
A. oral presentation
A. assorted signing books
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8 Language Arts(Master)
COMFORT
Month
Content
manual alphabet
Skills
Berlin Community School
Assessment
Materials
A. Create and teach an original sentence
using ASL
American sign language
B. Reading
B. interpret symbolism as presented in a
play
B. reading test. Act 1 and Act 11
B. Gibson, William The Miracle Worker
B. graphically present conflict
B. vocabulary quizzes for each act
B. individually selected reading
Drama
symbolism
B. visualize drama
internal/external conflict
cause/effect
B. compare/contrast written and film
versions of a play
theme
B. identify cause and effect
vocabulary
B. read independently for cause/effect and
critical momentsa in a person's life
B
b. roundtable- oral presentation- rubric
B. biography assessment- graded response
Biography/autobiography
April 2009
A. Writing
open-ended responses
Write to the picture
Open-ended response
A. construct responses containing specific
details and explanations
A. compose a story or speculate about a
picture
A. analyze a picture respnse for form and
content
A. compose an open-ended response to
non-fiction reading
persuasive essay
A. graded responses using rubric
A.sample GEPA selections with scoring
explanations
A. story- graded response using holistic
scoring guide
A. Group scoring of selected picture
responses
A. compose a persuasive essay
A Open-ended response scored using
GEPA rubric.
a. analyze a persuasive essay for form and
content
A. Essay- graded using holistic scoring
ribric
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8 Language Arts(Master)
COMFORT
Month
Content
B. Reading
Biography
Autobiography
Persuasive essay
Berlin Community School
Skills
B. Identify elements of autobiography and
biography
B. analysize a persuasive essay for point of
view and tecnique
Assessment
B. reading test
Materials
B. Prentice Hall; Prentice Hall Literature,
Penguine edition, grade 8; 2007
B. scored narative passage
Author's purpose
B. scored narrative GEPA sample
B. define and use essential vocabulary
B. identify author's purpose
Narrative passage
B.identify element of fiction and structure
of a story
Vocabulary
B. define and use essential vocabulary
C.Grammar/mechanics
Subject/verb agreement
C. Identify specific problems with subject
verb agreement
C. agreement quiz
C. Holt, Rinehart, and Winston; Holt
Handbook- red; 2003
A. peer revisions
r
C. correct sentences for proper agreement
May 2009
A. Writing
Literary review
essentail components
Original short story or memoir
A. peer editings
A. compare and contrast story and memoir
Sentence structure and punctuation review
A. writing assignment
A. original writing- grading rubric
A. Compose a piece of original writing
A. work cooperatively in a group to create
a stick figure story containing a variety of
sentences.
A. group written and oral presentationrubric.
A. teacher created structure review
worksheet
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8 Language Arts(Master)
COMFORT
Month
Content
Berlin Community School
Skills
Assessment
Materials
B. group project assignment
B. Reading
elements of fiction
B. work cooperatively in a group to
analyze a short story in terms of setting,
character, plot, point of view, theme, and
literary device
vocabulary
B. Houghton Mifflin; Heath Middle Level
Literature, purple level, 2001
B. oral presentation by group to classrubric
B. define and use essential vocabulary
B. final exam
C. Grammar/mechanics
Pronoun usage
C. identify proper cases for pronouns
C.. pronoun quiz
C. Holt, Rinehart, and Winston; Holt
Handbook-red; 2003
a. teacher revision
A. samples of student work
B. final exam
B. Literary Bingo
C. classify pronouns according to usage in
a sentence
C. correct sentences for proper pronoun
usage
June 2009
A. Writing
A. compose a poem
Poetry
A. compose a thank you letter
Thankyou letter
B. Reading
B. identify and define literary terms
literary terms vocabulary
B. glossary of literary termsand examples
B. apply literary terms to specific instances
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