English Language Arts Pacing Guide
Time Frame: 4 weeks – September/October Eighth Grade
Unit 1: Launching Writer’s Notebook: In order to establish a community of learners who engage in personal inquiry and self-examinationof the world and their own lives, students will develop habits and routines for a reader's/writer's notebook such as: collecting entries, reading to survey and analyze a range of poetry, and writing to experiment with the elements ofpoetry. As a member of a community, they will share their writing participating in writer response groups and producing a narrative poem that expresses a powerful emotion, a meaningful experience or a strong belief.
Common Core / Essential Questions / Assessment / Vocabulary / Resources /Reading: Literature
RL.8.5. Compare and contrast the structure of two or more texts and analyze how the differing structure of each text contributes to its meaning and style.
RL.8.10. By the end of the year, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poems, at the high end of grades 6–8 text complexity band independently and proficiently.
Writing
W.8.3. Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, relevant descriptive details, and well-structured event sequences.
a. Engage and orient the reader by establishing a context and point of view and introducing a narrator and/or characters; organize an event sequence that unfolds naturally and logically.
b. Use narrative techniques, such as dialogue, pacing, description, and reflection, to develop experiences, events, and/or characters.
c. Use a variety of transition words, phrases, and clauses to convey sequence, signal shifts from one time frame or setting to another, and show the relationships among experiences and events.
d. Use precise words and phrases, relevant descriptive details, and sensory language to capture the action and convey experiences and events.
e. Provide a conclusion that follows from and reflects on the narrated experiences or events.
W.8.4. Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
W.8.5. With some guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach, focusing on how well purpose and audience have been addressed.
W.8.6. Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing and present the relationships between information and ideas efficiently as well as to interact and collaborate with others.
W.8.10. Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two)
Speaking & Listening
SL. 8.1. Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 8 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.
a. Come to discussions prepared, having read or researched material under study; explicitly draw on that preparation by referring to evidence on the topic, text, or issue to probe and reflect on ideas under discussion.
b. Follow rules for collegial discussions and decision-making, track progress toward specific goals and deadlines, and define individual roles as needed.
c. Pose questions that connect the ideas of several speakers and respond to others’ questions and comments with relevant evidence, observations, and ideas.
d. Acknowledge new information expressed by others, and, when warranted, qualify or justify their own views in light of the evidence presented.
Language
L.8.3. Use knowledge of language and its conventions when writing, speaking, reading, or listening.
a. Use verbs in the active and passive voice and in the conditional and subjunctive mood to achieve particular effects (e.g., emphasizing the actor or the action; expressing uncertainty or describing a state contrary to fact). / How do writers use poetry to express themselves and make connections to readers and the worldaround them?
Why is it important to develop questions for yourself about a poem while reading poetry?
What are useful forms of organization for narrativepoetry writers?
How do writers improve writing skills by studying works from other authors?
What is the importance of literary devices in poetry and how do they help convey meaning?
What makes a writer's notebook entry worth developing into a published piece of writing?
How does collaborating with others help a writerevaluate their poetry?
How can editing checklists be used during the revision process to make writing more meaningful?
How has your understanding of poetry helped your personaldevelopment as a writer? / Before:
Annotation of poems.
A Collection of entries in their Writer's Notebook wheretheyrespond to readings, explore poetic devices and develop seed ideas.
During:
Read and write interpretations of various literary pieces.
After:
Students will write poem which expresses a powerful emotion, a meaningful experience or a strong belief. / alliteration
analogies
complexity
evaluate
explore
generating
imitation
metaphor
poetry patterns
research
simile
themes / Aquado, Bill and Richard Newirth. Paint Me Like I Am: Teen Poems from Writerscorps. HarperTeen; 1 edition, February 18, 2003. Print. ISBN: 0064472647
Atwell, Nancie. Naming the World: A Year of Poems and Lessons. Firsthand, December 2005. Print.
ISBN: 0325007462
Dunning, Stephen. Reflections on a Gift of Watermelon Pickle...and other Modern Verse. Scholastic, 1966. Print.
ISBN: 0688412319
Franco, Betsy. Things I Have to Tell You. Candlewick, May 1, 2001. Print.
ISBN: 0763610356
Franco, Betsy. You HearMe? Candlewick, May 1, 2001. Print.
ISBN: 076361159X
Hughes, Langston. The Dream Keeper and Other Poems. Knopf, New York. 1994. Print.
ISBN: 067984421X
Myers, Walter Dean. Here in Harlem: Poems in Many Voices. Live Oak Media; Har/Com edition September 30, 2010.
ISBN: 0823422127
English Language Arts Pacing Guide
Time Frame: 4 weeks – October/November Eighth Grade
Unit 2: Independent Reading Students will participate in a reading workshop that hones independent reading skills through brief, specific lessons, teacher and student models, and thinking activities. Using important aspects of narrative, and reading strategies, the students will learn the academic and social importance of independent reading employing the selected tools and instruction. The unit emphasizes interaction between readers and text; readers learn to connect with characters, identify their point of view, notice how word choice affects tone, and determine theme. The unit encourages students to recognize when reading comprehension occurs. One of the goals of this unit is to include a combination of teacher and peer conversations, helping to develop reader independence and an identity as a reader. Finally, the strength of this unit is to use the reading strategy tools so that even those who are reluctant find themselves being successful readers.
Common Core / Essential Questions / Assessment / Vocabulary / Resources /Reading: Literature
RL.8.1. Cite the textual evidence that most strongly supports an analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
RL.8.2. Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text, including its relationship to the characters, setting, and plot; provide an objective summary of the text.
RL.8.3. Analyze how particular lines of dialogue or incidents in a story or drama propel the action, reveal aspects of a character, or provoke a decision.
RL.8.4. Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone, including analogies or allusions to other texts.
RL.8.10. By the end of the year, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poems, at the high end of grades 6–8 text complexity band independently and proficiently.
Writing
W.8.10. Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two)
Speaking & Listening
SL.8.1. Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 8 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.
Language
L.8.1. Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.
a. Explain the function of verbals (gerunds, participles, infinitives) in general and their function in particular sentences.
b. Form and use verbs in the active and passive voice.
c. Form and use verbs in the indicative, imperative, interrogative, conditional, and subjunctive mood.
d. Recognize and correct inappropriate shifts in verb voice and mood.*
L.8.2 Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.
a. Use punctuation (comma, ellipsis, dash) to indicate a pause or break.
b. Use an ellipsis to indicate an omission.
c. Spell correctly.
L.8.3 Use knowledge of language and its conventions when writing, speaking, reading, or listening.
a. Use verbs in the active and passive voice and in the conditional and subjunctive mood to achieve particular effects (e.g., emphasizing the actor or the action; expressing uncertainty or describing a state contrary to fact). / How do I see myself as a reader?
How do readers select captivating books to engage with?
What effect does an author's word choice have on the reader?
Why is it important to understand various character points of view while reading?
How does character conflict shape the whole of a story?
Why are scenes and narration such important driving factors for rising and falling tensions within a storyline?
Why are scenes and narration such important driving factors for rising and falling tensions within a storyline?
How do you determine what the theme of a novel is?
What are the key elements to a book critique?
How do readers use the information in a book critique or review to make decisions about choosing their next book to read? / Before:
Have students complete a quick write style review of a book that they have recently read. They are to include a short summary of the book as well as their opinion of the story. A question for the students to keep in mind as they are writing is, “Why did I choose this book?” Store in reading folder so that students can track their learning progression from unit start to unit completion.
During:
Spot check all reading folders and hold conversations with groups of students to ensure comprehension of assignment tasks. Students should have a wide variety of reading tools gathered and completed within their reading folders. As teacher you should notice shifts in student thinking. Encourage all readers to continue on a thoughtful path noticing explicit details about text and how stories are woven into pieces of literature.
Genre—Elements and Structures
Identify the theme of the story. Use all the information gathered during the reading process to analyze the work as a whole and provide a well thought out critique.
Interacting with the Text and Self-Monitoring
- Connect with the main characters by forming opinions about various character points of view.
- Analyze the impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone
- Analyze character conflicts by citing literal information and evaluating dialogue related to conflicts
Identity as a Reader
- Engage in conversations and continue to create a community of readers through sharing, critiquing, and analyzing while making recommendations to others
- Select just right book based on reading needs, interests, purposes, and goals
- Apply learning from unit to make decisions about their next book choice.
After:
Using the reading knowledge collected during the course of this unit, students will write a critique of their Independent Reading novels. Students will include a summary of the story, opinions on the story and the theme without giving the end away. In addition, students will be reading each other’s final critiques to make a decision about what book to read next. This summative task is threefold; students will be writing, sharing and making an educated choice. / conflict
critique
dialogue
"just right" books
narration
perspective
plotline
point of view
scenes
setting
tension
theme
tone
word choice / Lexile Ranges Aligned to CCR Expectations
955-1155
http://www.corestandards.org/assets/
Appendix_B.pdf
This link to Common Core State Standards Appendix B includes examples of appropriate texts for eighth grade readers.
English Language Arts Pacing Guide
Time Frame: 3 weeks – November/December Eighth Grade
Unit 3: Argument Paragraph: Complex Commentary In this unit, students will develop an argument paragraph. After learning about the foundational elements of argument-- debatable claim, evidence, and commentary—and analyzing model argument paragraphs, students will dissect the constructed prompt and examine evidence to develop a debatable claim. They will research and locate multiple evidence types to support their argument, including two pieces of evidence from a secondary source. They will draft a claim, evidence, and commentary, as well as experiment to find the most effective structure for their paragraph and craft transitions within and between sentences to improve logic and flow. After completing a draft, students will revise their paragraphs. The final editing step asks students to fix incorrect uses of commas and dashes. To wrap up this unit, students will reflect on their writing choices, publish their work, and celebrate the writing process.
Common Core / Essential Questions / Assessment / Vocabulary / Resources /Reading: Informational Text
RI.8.1. Cite the textual evidence that most strongly supports an analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
RI.8.2. Determine a central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text, including its relationship to supporting ideas; provide an objective summary of the text.
RI.8.5. Analyze in detail the structure of a specific paragraph in a text, including the role of particular sentences in developing and refining a key concept.
RI.8.8. Delineate and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, assessing whether the reasoning is sound and the evidence is relevant and sufficient; recognize when irrelevant evidence is introduced.
RI.8.10. By the end of the year, read and comprehend literary nonfiction at the high end of the grades 6–8 text complexity band independently and proficiently.
Writing
W.8.1. Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence.
W.8.4. Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. (Grade-specific expectations for writing types are defined in standards 1–3 above.)