8th Grade Language Arts

Full Year

8

Prerequisites Needed:

7th Grade Language Arts

Prerequisites For: None

Students will learn to read critically with full comprehension across genres and be able to communicate through effective writing. As students develop critical reading and writing skills, they will make important life connections through the variety of material they study. Additionally, students will practice vocabulary, grammar, and listening skills with each weekly lesson. As students encounter a variety of text structures and multi-media, they will be able to see how these different things connect to one large idea and see how these large ideas connect across other content areas being studied.

Each student will be required to engage in activities and assessments that require critical thinking skills and that meet rigorous academic expectations. As students complete this course, hopefully they will see the relevance this course has in their daily lives and future academic and career goals.

Texts used include:

  • Holt McDougal American Literature online textbook
  • The Call of The Wild by Jack London
  • The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton
  • Diary of Anne Frank by Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett

Learning Targets

Learning Targets are statements of intended learning based on Wisconsin state standards. Students should review the learning targets and refer to them throughout the school year. By the end of the school year, students should achieve mastery of each target below.

  1. T1: Communication Target: Students can effectively communicate for a variety of purposes to a variety of audiences. (writing, speaking, digital media)
  2. T2: Reading Target: Students can comprehend and evaluate both fiction and nonfiction texts.
  3. T3: Language Target: Students can use a wide variety of words effectively, including general vocabulary and specific literary terms, and adhere to the standard rules of English grammar when communicating.
  4. T4: Research & Inquiry Target: Students can conduct research for a variety of purposes (evaluating sources for validity and appropriateness), and provide accurate citations.