Grade 8 Language
Arts
Scope and Sequence
First Quarter
Oral Language
8.1 (A) determine the purposes for listening such as to gain information, to solve problems, or to enjoy and appreciate (4-8)
8.1 (B) eliminate barriers to effective listening (4-8)
8.1 (C) understand the major ideas and supporting evidence in spoken messages (4-8)
8.1 (D) listen to learn by taking notes, organizing, and summarizing spoken ideas (6-8)
8.10 ( F) determine a text’s main ideas and how those ideas are supported with details (4-8)
8.10 (G) paraphrase and summarize text to recall, inform, or organize ideas (4-8)
8.10 (H) draw inferences such as conclusions or generalizations and support them with text evidence and experience (4-8)
8.10 (I) find similarities and differences across texts such as in treatment, scope, or organization (4-8)
8.10 (K) answer differ types and levels of questions such as open-ended, literal, and interpretative as well as test-like questions such as multiple choice true-false, and short answer (4-8)
8.10 (M) use study strategies to learn and recall important ideas from texts such as preview, question, reread, and record (6-8)
8.11 (D) connect, compare, and contrast ideas, themes, and issues across text (4-8)
8.12 (A) identify the purpose of different types of texts such as to inform, influence, express, or entertain (4-8)
8.12 (F) analyze characters, including their traits, motivations, conflicts, points of view, relationships and changes they undergo (4-8)
8.12 (G) recognize and analyze story plot, setting, and problem resolution (4-8)
8.12 (I) analyze ways authors organize and present ideas such as through cause/effect, compare/contrast, deductively, or chronologically (6-8)
8.15 (C) write to inform such as to explain, describe, report, and narrate (4-8)
8.15 (E) select and use voice and style appropriate to audience and purpose (6-8)
8.15 (F) choose the appropriate form for his/her own purpose for writing, such as journals, letters, editorials, reviews, poems, memoirs, and instructions (7-8)
8.16 (B) capitalize and punctuate correctly to clarify and enhance meaning such as capitalizing titles, using hyphens, semicolons, colons possessives, and sentence punctuation (6-8)
8.16 (D) spell frequently misspelled words correctly such as their, they’re and there (7-8)
8.17 (A) write in complete sentences, varying the types such as compound and complex sentences, and use appropriately punctuated independent and dependent clauses (7-8)
8.17 (B) use conjunctions to connect ideas meaningfully (4-8)
8.17 (E) use prepositional phrases to elaborate written ideas (4-8)
8.17 (F) use verb tenses appropriately and consistently such as present, past, future, perfect, and progressive (6-8)
8.18 (B) develop drafts by categorizing ideas, organizing them into paragraphs, and blending paragraphs within larger units of text (4-8)
8.18 (D) revise drafts for coherence, progression, and logical support of ideas (4-8)
8.18 (E) edit drafts for specific purposes such as to ensure standard usage, varied sentence structure, and appropriate word choice (4-8)
Second Quarter
8.5 (A) adapt spoken language such as word choice, diction, and usage to the audience, purpose and occasion (4-8
8.5 (B) demonstrate effective communication skills that reflect such demands as interviewing, reporting requesting, and providing information (4-8)
8.5 (C) present dramatic interpretations of experiences, stories, poems, or plays to communicate (4-8
8.5 (D) generate criteria to evaluate his/her own oral presentations and the presentations of others (6-8)
8.5 (E) use effective rate, volume, pitch, and tone for the audience and setting (4-8)
8.5 (F) clarify and support spoken ideas with evidence, elaborations, and examples (4-8)
8.8 (D) read to take action such as to complete forms, make informed recommendations, and write a response (6-8)
8.9 (F) distinguish denotative and connotative meanings (6-8)
8.10 (E) use the text’s structure or progression of ideas such as cause and effect or chronology to locate and recall information (4-8)
8.10 (J) distinguish fact and opinion in various texts (4-8)
8.10 (L) represent text information in different ways such as in outline, timeline, or graphic organizer (4-8)
8.12 (B) recognize the distinguishing features of genres, including biography, historical fiction, informational texts, and poetry (4-8)
8.12 (H) describe how the author’s perspective or point of view affects the text (4-8)
8.12 (J) recognize and interpret literary devices such as flashback, foreshadowing, and symbolism (6-8)
8.12 (K) recognize how style, tone and mood contribute to the effect of the text (6-8)
8.15 (B) write to influence such as to persuade, argue, and request (4-8
8.15 (H) produce cohesive and coherent written texts by organizing ideas, using effective transitions, and choosing precise wording (6-8)
8.17 (C) employ standard English usage in writing for audiences, including subject-verb agreement, pronoun referents, and parts of speech (4-8)
8.17 (D) use adjectives (comparative and superlative forms) and adverbs appropriately to make writing vivid or precise (4-8)
8.24 (A) select, organize, or produce visuals to complement and extend meanings (4-8)
8.24 (B) compare and contrast print, visual, and electronic media such as film and written story (4-8)
Third Quarter
Oral Language
8.2 (A) interpret speakers’ message (both verbal and nonverbal), purposes, and perspectives (4-8)
8.2 (B) analyze a speaker’s persuasive technique and credibility (7-8)
8.2 (C) distinguish between the speaker’s opinion and verifiable fact (4-8)
8.2 (D) monitor his/her own understanding of the spoken message and seek clarification as needed (4-8)
8.2 (E) compare his/her own perception of a spoken message with the perception of others (6-8)
8.2 (F) evaluate a spoken message in terms of its content, credibility, and delivery (6-8)
8.9 (C) use multiple reference aids, including a thesaurus, a synonym finder, a dictionary, and software, to clarify meanings and usage (4-8)
8.9 (D) determine meanings of derivatives by applying knowledge of the meanings of root words such as like, pay or happy and affixes such as dis-, pre-, or un- (4-8)
8.9 (G) use word origins as an aid to understanding historical influences on English word meanings (6-8)
8.12 (C) compare communication in different forms such as contrasting a dramatic performance with a print version of the same storyor comparing story variants (2-8)
D) understand and identify literary terms such as playwright, theater, stage, act, dialogue, dialect, analogy, and scene across a variety of literary forms (texts) (8)
8.12(D) interpret, and use, graphic sources of information such as maps, graphs, timelines, or tables to address research questions (4-8)
8.16 (C) spell derivatives applying the spelling of bases and affixes (7-8)
8.16 (F) spell accurately in final drafts (4-8)
8.17 (G) write with increasing accuracy when using apostrophes in contractions such as doesn’t and possessives such as Texas’s (4-8)
8.17 (H) write with increasing accuracy when using pronoun case such as “She stepped between them and us.” (6-8)
8.18 (C) revise selected drafts by adding, elaborating, deleting, combining, and rearranging text (4-8)
8.18 (H) proofread his/her own writing and that of others (4-8)
8.22 (B) interpret important events and ideas gathered from maps, charts, graphics, video segments, or technology presentations (4-8)
8.22 (C) use media to compare ideas and points of view (4-8)
8.23 (A) interpret and evaluate the various ways visual image makers such as illustrators, documentary filmmakers, and political cartoonists represent meanings (6-8)
8.23 (D) evaluate how different media forms influence and inform (6-8)
8.24 (C) assess how language, medium, and presentation contribute to the message (6-8
Fourth Quarter
Oral Language
8.4 (A) connect his/her own experiences, information, insights, and ideas with experiences of others through speaking and listening (4-8)
8.4 (B) compare oral traditions across regions and cultures (4-8)
8.4 (C) identify how language use such as labels and sayings reflects regions and cultures (4-8)
8.10 (A) use his/her own knowledge and experience to comprehend (4-8)
(E) understand literary forms by recognizing and distinguishing among such types of text as myths, fables, tall tales, limericks, plays, biographies, autobiographies, tragedy, and comedy (8)
8.13 (A) form and revise questions for investigations, including questions arising from readings, assignments, and units of study (6-8)
8.13 (B) use text organizers, including headings, graphic features, and tables of contents, to locate and organize information (4-8)
8.13 (C) use multiple sources, including electronic texts, experts, and print resources, to locate information relevant to research questions (4-8)
8.13(E) summarize and organize information from multiple sources by taking notes, outlining ideas, and making charts (4-8)
8.13(F) produce research projects and reports in effective formats for various audiences (6-8)
8.13 (G) draw conclusion from information gathered from multiple sources (4-8)
8.13 (H) use compiled information and knowledge to raise additional, unanswered questions (3-8)
8.13 (I) present organized statements, reports, and speeches using visuals or media to support meaning, as appropriate (6-8)
8.14(A) compare text events with his/her own and other readers’ experiences (4-8)
8.14(B) determine distinctive and common characteristics of cultures through wide reading (4-8)
8.14(C) articulate and discuss themes and connections that cross cultures (4-8)
8.15 (D) write to entertain such as to compose humorous poems or short stories (4-8)
8.15 (G) use literary devices effectively such as suspense, dialogue, and figurative language (5-8)
8.18 (I) select and use reference materials and resources as needed for writing, revising, and editing final drafts (4-8)
8.20 (A) frame questions to direct research (4-8)
8.20 (B) organize prior knowledge about a topic in a variety of ways such as by producing a graphic organizer (4-8)
8.20 (C) take notes from relevant and authoritative sources such as guest speakers, periodicals, and on-line searches (4-8)
8.20 (D) summarize and organize ideas gained from multiple sources in useful ways such as outlines, conceptual maps, learning logs, and timelines (4-8)
8.20 (E) present information in various forms using available technology (4-8)
8.20 (F) evaluate his/her own research and raise new questions for further investigation (4-8)
8.20 (G) follow accepted formats for writing research, including documenting sources (6-8)
8.21 (A) collaborate with other writers to compose, organize, and revise various types of texts, including letters, news, records, and forms (4-8)
8.21 (C) identify challenges faced by published authors and strategies they use to compose various types of text (7-8)
8.22 (A) describe how illustrators’ choice of style, elements, and media help to represent or extend the text’s meanings (4-8)
8.23 (B) compare and contrast print, visual, and electronic media such as film with written story (4-8)
8.23 (C) evaluate the purpose and effects of varying media such as film, print, and technology presentation (6-8)
On-Going
Oral Language
8.3 (A) listen to proficient, fluent models of oral reading, including selections from classic and contemporary works (4-8)
8.3 (B) analyze oral interpretations of literature for effects on the listener (6-8)
8.3 (C) analyze the use of aesthetic language for its effects (6-8)
8.7 (A) read regularly in independent level materials (texts in which no more than approximately 1 in 20 words is difficult for the reader (7)
8.7 (B) read regularly in instructional-level materials that are challenging but manageable (texts in which no more than approx. 1 in 10 words is difficult for the reader) (8)
8.7 (C) adjust reading rate based on purposes for reading (4-8)
8.7 (D) read aloud in selected texts in ways that both reflect understanding of the text and engage the listeners (4-8)
8.7 (E) read silently with increasing ease for longer periods (4-8)
8.8 (A) read classic and contemporary works (2-8)
8.8 (B) select varied sources such as plays, anthologies, novels, textbooks, poetry, newspapers, manuals, and electronic texts when reading for information or pleasure (6-8)
8.8 (C) read for varied purposes such as to be informed, entertained, appreciate the writer’s craft, and to discover models for his/her own writing (4-8)
8.9 (A) develop vocabulary by listening to selections read aloud (4-8)
8.9 (E) study word meanings systematically such as across curricular content areas and through current events (4-8)
8.10 (B) establish and adjust purpose for reading such as reading to find out, to understand, to interpret, to enjoy, and to solve problems (4-8)
8.10 (C) monitor his/hr own comprehension and make modifications when understanding breaks down such as by rereading a portion aloud, using reference aids, searching for clues, and asking questions (4-8)
8.10 (D) describe mental images that text descriptions evoke (4-8)
8.11 (B) interpret text ideas through such varied means as journal writing, discussion, enactment, and media (4-8)
8.11 (C) support responses by referring to relevant aspects of text and his/her own experiences (4-8)
8.15 (A) write to express, discover, record, develop reflect on ideas, and to problem solve (4-8)
8.16 (A) write legibly by selecting cursive or manuscript as appropriate (4-8)
8.16(E) use resources to find correct spellings (4-8)
8.16(G) understand the influence of other languages and cultures on the spelling of English words (6-8)
8.18(A) generate ideas and plans for writing by using prewriting strategies such as brainstorming, graphic organizers, notes, and logs (4-8)
8.18(F) use available technology to support aspects of creating, revising, editing, and publishing texts (4-8)
8.18(G) refine selected pieces frequently to “publish” for general and specific audiences (4-8)
8.19(A) apply criteria to evaluate writing (4-8)
8.19(B) respond in constructive ways to others’ writings (4-8)
8.19(C) evaluate how well his/her own writing achieves its purpose (4-8)
8.19(D) analyze published examples as models for writing (4-8)
8.19(E) analyze published examples as models for writing (4-8)
8.21 (A) collaborate with other writers to compose, organize, and revise various types of texts, including letters, news, records, and forms (4-8)
8.21 (B) correspond with peers or others via e-mail or conventional mail (4-8)