8TH GRADE L.A. CURRICULUM MAP
Yearlong Units of Study:
 Vocabulary
o Bi-weekly lessons
 CP text: Sadlier-Oxford Vocab. Workshop- Level C
 Honors text: Sadlier-Oxford Vocab. WorkshopLevel D
 Website w/games & activities: www.sadlieroxford.com/vocabulary/
o Bi-weekly quizzes
o Bi-weekly cumulative oral quizzes
 Grammar
o Bi-weekly lessons
o Bi-weekly quizzes
o Bi-weekly extension activities / assignments
 Focus on application of grammar via creative
writing, artistic representations
 Exs: Types of Nouns Collage, Preposition Treasure
Map, Adverb Robot
 Independent Reading
o Monthly independent reading assignment / project due
 Students choose an activity from a list of 50
options OR
 Assigned activity (Ex: Autobio Press Conferences
where students dress and speak as the person they
read about)
o Students choose a novel of their choice according to…
 Sept. – Free Choice
 Oct. – Mystery / Suspense / Horror
 Nov. – Free Choice
 Dec. – Holiday Children’s Book
 Jan. – Free Choice
 Feb. – African-American Lit.
 Mar. – Classics
 Apr. – Autobio / Bio / Memoir
 May – Free Choice
 Journaling
o Daily starter journal prompts
o Focus on brainstorms, outlines, quote / passage / song
/ film clip responses, questionnaires
o Daily journal share / class discussion time
Literature Units of Study:
 August – Writing Workshop & The Writing Process
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o “Who I Was / Am / Will Be” Narrative Essay + Original
Student-Created Artifact + Show & Share Presentation
o Disney Literary Devices & Elements Project
September- The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton
o Activities: Character Profiles, late 50’s/early 60’s
song lyric analysis, Greasers & Socs Spirit Day
o Assessments: Study Guides, reading check quizzes,
Final Test w/extended response essay question
October- Tales of the Strange & Mysterious
o Activities: Dead & Dying Verbs Epitaphs, Haunted Menus
using alliteration, Mutants & Monsters internet
research cards & Pecha Kucha presentation
o Poe author study / short story unit
 CP: “The Tell-Tale Heart”
 Honors: “The Murders in the Rue Morgue” OR “The
Speckled Band”
November / December- Revolutionary War (cross-curricular
unit w/S.S.)
o “Paul Revere’s Ride” by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
o Lit circles based on student choice of one of the
following:
 My Brother Sam is Dead by James Lincoln &
Christopher Collier (geared towards low- gradelevel readers)
 Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson (geared towards
grade-level readers)
 Octavian Nothing: Traitor to the Nation, Vol. I
by M.T. Anderson (geared towards high-level
readers)
o Assessments: reading check quizzes
January- Choices & Consequences
o Lit circles:
 CP- Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson
 Honors- Romeo & Juliet
February- Holocaust / WWII
o Lit circles based on student choice of…
 The Cage by Ruth Minsky Sender (low-level
readers)
 All But My Life by Gerda Weissman Klein (gradelevel - high-level readers)
 Night by Elie Wiesel (grade-level - high-level
readers)
o Assessments: Study Guides, reading check quizzes
March- Non-Fiction
o Types of Non-Fiction Texts Article Scramble
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April- OAT
o Measuring Up Ohio Workbooks- Level D
May- Portfolio Exit Project
o Multi-Genre Portfolio based on an abstract noun as a
concept
o Student Portfolio Showcase