GLCE's
8th Grade
Language Arts

 
 
R E A D I N G Word Study
Students will…
R.WS.08.01 Use word structure, sentence structure, and prediction to aid in decoding and understanding the meanings of words encountered in context.
R.WS.08.02 Use structural, syntactic, and semantic analysis to recognize unfamiliar words in context (e.g., idioms, analogies, metaphors, and similes to infer, history of the English language, common word origins, syllabication).
R.WS.08.03 Recognize frequently encountered words automatically (“automatically” should be defined in the glossary).
R.WS.08.04 Know the meaning of frequently encountered words in written and oral contexts (research to support specific words).
R.WS.08.05 Apply strategies to construct meaning and identify unknown words.
R.WS.08.06 Read fluently eighth grade level texts (increasingly demanding texts read with fluency as the year proceeds).
R.WS.08.07 Use strategies (e.g., prior knowledge, text features, structures) and authentic content-related resources to determine the meaning of words and phrases in context (e.g., historical terms, content area vocabulary, literary terms).
 
 
 
Narrative Text
Students will…
R.NT.08.01 Investigate through classic and contemporary literature recognized for quality and literary merit various examples of distortion and stereotypes such as those associated with gender, race, culture, age, class, religion, and other individual differences.
R.NT.08.02 Analyze elements and style of narrative genres (e.g., historical fiction, science fiction, realistic fiction).
R.NT.08.03 Analyze the role of rising and falling actions, minor characters in relation to conflict, and credibility of the narrator.
R.NT.08.04 Analyze how authors use symbolism, imagery, and consistency to develop credible narrators, rising and falling actions and minor characters.
 
 
 
Informational Text
Students will…
R.IT.08.01 Analyze elements and style of informational genre (e.g., comparative essays, newspaper writing, technical writing, persuasive essays).
R.IT.08.02 Analyze organizational patterns (e.g., theory, evidence, sequence).
R.IT.08.03 Explain how authors use text features to enhance the understanding of central, key, and supporting ideas (e.g., illustrations, author’s pages, prefaces, marginal notes).
 
 
 
Comprehension
Students will…
R.CM.08.01 Connect personal knowledge, experience, and understanding of the world to themes and perspectives in the text.
R.CM.08.02 Read, retell, and summarize grade level appropriate narrative and informational texts.
R.CM.08.03 State global themes, universal truths, and principles within and across texts to create a deeper understanding.
R.CM.08.04 Apply significant knowledge from what has been read in grade level appropriate science and social studies texts.
 
 
 
Metacognition
Students will…
R.MT.08.01 Independently self-monitor comprehension when reading or listening to text by automatically using and discussing the strategies used by mature readers to increase comprehension and engage in interpretative discussions (e.g., predicting, constructing mental images representing ideas in text questioning, rereading or listening again if uncertain about meaning, inferring, summarizing).
R.MT.08.02 Plan, monitor, regulate, and evaluate skills, strategies, and processes for their own reading comprehension by applying appropriate meta cognitive skills.
 
 
 
Critical Standards
Students will…
R.CS.08.01 Evaluate the appropriateness of shared, individual, and expert standards based on purpose, context, and audience in order to assess their own work and work of others.
 
 
 
Reading Attitude
Students will…
R.AT.08.01 Students will be enthusiastic about reading and do substantial reading on their own.
 
 
 
W R I T I N G  Writing Genres
Students will…
W.GN.08.01 Write a cohesive, narrative piece that includes appropriate conventions to the genre (e.g., historical fiction, science fiction, realistic fiction) and employ literary and plot devices (e.g., narrator credibility, rising and falling actions, and/or conflict, transitional language, and imagery).
W.GN.08.02 Write an historical expository piece (e.g., journal, biography, simulated memoir) that includes appropriate organization, illustrations, marginal notes, and/or annotations.
W.GN.08.03 Formulate research questions that demonstrate critical evaluation of multiple resources and perspectives and arguments/counterarguments that culminate in a presented, final project.
 
 
 
Writing Process
Students will…
W.PR.08.01 Set a purpose, consider audience, and replicate authors’ styles and patterns when writing narrative or informational text.
W.PR.08.02 Apply a variety of pre-writing strategies for narrative text (e.g., story maps designed to depict rising and falling actions, roles of minor characters, credibility of narrator) and informational text (e.g., compare/contrast, cause and effect, sequential text patterns).
W.PR.08.03 Experiment with various ways of sequencing information (e.g., ordering arguments, sequencing ideas chronologically or by importance).
W.PR.08.04 Review and revise their compositions for coherence and consistency regarding word choice, cause and effect, and style, and they will read their own work from another reader’s perspective in the interest of clarity.
W.PR.08.05 Edit their writing using proofreaders’ checklists both individually and in peer editing group.
 
 
 
Personal Style
Students will…
W.PS.08.01 Exhibit individual style to enhance the written message (e.g., in narrative text: personification, humor, element of surprise; in informational text: emotional appeal, strong opinion, credible support).
 
 
 
Grammar and Usage
In the context of their writing, students will…
W.GR.08.01 Use style conventions (e.g., MLA) and a variety of grammatical structures in their writing including infinitives, gerunds, participial phrases, and dashes or ellipses.
 
 
 
Spelling
Students will…
W.SP.08.01 Students will use correct spelling conventions in the context of their own writing.
 
 
 
Handwriting
Students’ handwriting will…
W.HW.08.01 Be legible in their compositions.
 
 
 
Writing Attitude
Students will…
W.AT.08.01 Be enthusiastic about writing.
 
 
 
S P E A K I N G Conventions
Students will…
S.CN.08.01 Use enunciation and stress to emphasize key ideas and concepts when presenting.
S.CN.08.02 Use body language (e.g., gestures, posture, facial expressions), tone of voice, and pace of speaking to enhance meaning and influence interpretation when presenting.
S.CN.08.03 Present their work in standard American English if it is their first language (students whose second language is English will present their work in their developing version of standard American English).
 
 
 
Discourse
Students will…
S.DS.08.01 Engage in interactive, extended discourse to socially construct meaning (e.g., book clubs, literature circles, partnerships or other conversation protocols).
S.DS.08.02 Discuss multiple text types in order to explore problems and pose solutions, take a stand on an issue and support it, and identify personally with a universal theme.
S.DS.08.03 Discuss their written narratives (e.g., biographies and autobiographies) with a variety of literary and plot devices (e.g., description of relevant situations, well-chosen details, relevant dialogue, specific action, physical description of characters).
S.DS.08.04 Plan (e.g., outline including introduction, points to be made, a summary, effective conclusion) and deliver an informational presentation that incorporates precise, interesting, vivid language in the active voice, is organized logically to convey the message, includes persuasive non-verbal techniques (e.g., voice modulation, expression, tone, appropriate pace), makes use of rhetorical strategies (e.g., supportive narratives, key information, vivid descriptions) to support the purpose of the presentation and to
positively impact the intended audience.
 
 
 
L I S T E N I N G Conventions & V I E W I N G
Students will…
L.CN.08.01 Listen to and view a variety of peer speeches and presentations to analyze for key factors (e.g., main idea, significant details), fact and opinion, bias, propaganda, argumentation, or support.
L.CN.08.02 Demonstrate the appropriate social skills of audience behavior and critically examine the verbal and non-verbal strategies in the communication process.
 
 
 
Response
Students will…
L.RP.08.01 React to a speaker’s intent and apply a speaker’s reasoning to other situations and topics.
L.RP.08.02 Respond thoughtfully to both classic and contemporary texts recognized for quality and literary merit.
L.RP.08.03 Paraphrase a speaker’s main ideas, purpose, and point of view, and they will ask relevant questions about the content, delivery, and purpose of the presentation.
L.RP.08.04 Analyze oral interpretations of literature (e.g., language choice, delivery) and the effect of the interpretations on the listener.
L.RP.08.05 Respond to multiple texts when listened to or viewed by speaking, illustrating, and/or writing in order to anticipate and answer questions, to determine personal and universal themes, and to offer opinions or solutions.
L.RP.08.06 Evaluate the credibility of a speaker by determining whether the speaker may have hidden agendas or be otherwise biased.
L.RP.08.07 Interpret and analyze the various ways in which visual image makers (e.g., graphic artists, illustrators) communicate information and affect impressions and opinions.