Grade 8 English
Teacher: Kristie Fahey Grade Level: 8
Textbook: Houghton Mifflin English, 1990 Subject: English
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August |
Edit sentences and paragraphs for punctuation, capitalization, and grammar errors Write sentences, using appropriate capitalization, periods, question marks, and exclamation points Identify and write interjections, using correct punctuation Identify and capitalize proper nouns Form proper adjectives from proper nouns and capitalize them correctly Write sentences using proper nouns and proper adjectives correctly Use commas to separate items in a series Use commas to separate two or more adjectives preceding a noun Use commas to separate independent and clauses in a compound sentence Write sentences using the above three comma rules Use commas after introductory words, phrases, and clauses Use commas to separate interrupters, nouns of direct address, and appositives Write sentences using commas following the above comma rules
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Language Arts State Goal 3 Write to communicate for a variety of purposes A. Use correct grammar, spelling, punctuation, capitalization, and structure 3.A.2. Write paragraphs that include a variety of sentence types; appropriate use of the eight parts of speech; and accurate spelling, capitalization, and punctuation |
Guided instruction and practice in class Daily assignments Games Reviews Quizzes Tests Writing assignments Daily Oral Language Journals |
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September |
Use commas to separate items in dates and addresses and to separate parts of letters Write a letter, using commas where appropriate Punctuate direct quotations, divided quotations, tagless quotations, and indirect quotations Capitalize and use quotation marks around titles of short works Write a dialogue using direct quotations, divided quotations , tagless quotations, and indirect quotationsUnderline the titles of major works Capitalize important words in titles Write sentences that include titles of short and long works Use colons and semicolons correctlyWrite sentences using colons and semicolons correctly Write abbreviations correctly Write numbers correctly, either spelling them out or writing them as numerals, as appropriate in each instance Write sentences using abbreviations and numbers correctly Use apostrophes to form possessive nouns Use apostrophes to form contractions Write sentences using possessives and contractions with apostrophes Use hyphens correctly Use dashes and parentheses to set off an afterthought or to supply nonessential information Write sentences using dashes, hyphens, and parentheses Rewrite a paragraph, changing indirect quotations into dialogue Use quotation marks in a conversation between themselves and a hero Practice prewriting skills to plan conversation Practice revision and editing skills
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Language Arts State Goal 3 Write to communicate for a variety of purposes A. Use correct grammar, spelling, punctuation, capitalization, and structure 3.A.2. Write paragraphs that include a variety of sentence types; appropriate use of the eight parts of speech; and accurate spelling, capitalization, and punctuation 3.B. 3a. Produce documents that convey a clear understanding and interpretation of ideas and information and display focus, organization, elaboration, and coherence 3.B.3b Edit and revise for word choice, organization, consistent point of view and transitions among paragraphs using contemporary technology and formats suitable for submission and/or publication |
Guided instruction and practice in class Daily assignments Games Reviews Quizzes Tests Writing assignments Daily Oral Language Journals |
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Month |
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Assessment |
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October |
Use mapping skills to plan creative writing story Use writing skills such as sentence variety, strong verbs, and varied vocabulary Write a creative writing story based on a children’s book and recognize pattern writing Identify the parts of a newspaper Memorize newspaper terms Recognize the who, what, where, when, why, and how in a newspaper story Identify the lead of a newspaper story and distinguish what’s most important to include here Use mapping skills to plan newspaper story Write a newspaper story focusing on who, who when, why, where, and how Use dialogue skills Practice revision and editing skills Plan and complete the layout, headlines, and fillers for a newspaper page with a Halloween theme Produce the front page of a newspaper section using the computer lab as a "newsroom"
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Language Arts State Goal 3 Write to communicate for a variety of purposes A. Use correct grammar, spelling, punctuation, capitalization, and structure 3.A.2. Write paragraphs that include a variety of sentence types; appropriate use of the eight parts of speech; and accurate spelling, capitalization, and punctuation 3.B. 3a. Produce documents that convey a clear understanding and interpretation of ideas and information and display focus, organization, elaboration, and coherence 3.B.3b Edit and revise for word choice, organization, consistent point of view and transitions among paragraphs using contemporary technology and formats suitable for submission and/or publication 3.C.3a Compose narrative, informative, and persuasive writings for a specified audience 3.C.3b Using available technology, produce compositions and multimedia works for specified audiences |
Guided instruction and practice in class Daily assignments Games Reviews Quizzes Tests Writing assignments including a newspaper page and a children’s story Daily Oral Language Journals |
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Month |
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Assessment |
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November |
Note details of a poem Interpret a symbol Identify the main idea of a stanza Write a poem on choices Offer and substantiate an opinion Note details of a personal narrative Note characters’ traits Speculate on the purpose of writing an autobiography Recognize and explain various proverbs Create proverbs of their own Make analogies Distinguish between connotation and denotation Distinguish between positive and negative connotations of words Write sentences in which positive and negative connotations are used to make attitudes clear Recognize and use verbal and nonverbal signals Organize events in a logical sequence Write story beginnings that will catch readers’ attention Use details in writing that show rather than tell Replace descriptive statements with dialogue Write story endings that show rather than tell Improve sentence fluency in writing
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Language Arts State Goal 3 Write to communicate for a variety of purposes A. Use correct grammar, spelling, punctuation, capitalization, and structure 3.A.2. Write paragraphs that include a variety of sentence types; appropriate use of the eight parts of speech; and accurate spelling, capitalization, and punctuation 3.B. 3a. Produce documents that convey a clear understanding and interpretation of ideas and information and display focus, organization, elaboration, and coherence 3.B.3b Edit and revise for word choice, organization, consistent point of view and transitions among paragraphs using contemporary technology and formats suitable for submission and/or publication 3.C.3a Compose narrative, informative, and persuasive writings for a specified audience |
Guided instruction and practice in class Daily assignments Games Reviews Quizzes Tests Writing assignments including a personal narrative Daily Oral Language Journals |
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December
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Recognize voice and use it in their writing Build up characters so that your readers know them Improve word choice Use specific vocabulary in writing Replace dull words with sensory writing List topics and choose one to write about in a personal narrative Write the first draft of a personal narrative Revise their personal narratives Proofread and edit their personal narratives Make a final copy of their personal narratives Publish their stories
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Language Arts State Goal 3 Write to communicate for a variety of purposes A. Use correct grammar, spelling, punctuation, capitalization, and structure 3.A.2. Write paragraphs that include a variety of sentence types; appropriate use of the eight parts of speech; and accurate spelling, capitalization, and punctuation 3.B. 3a. Produce documents that convey a clear understanding and interpretation of ideas and information and display focus, organization, elaboration, and coherence 3.B.3b Edit and revise for word choice, organization, consistent point of view and transitions among paragraphs using contemporary technology and formats suitable for submission and/or publication 3.C.3a Compose narrative, informative, and persuasive writings for a specified audience
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Guided instruction and practice in class Daily assignments Games Reviews Quizzes Tests Writing assignments including a personal narrative Daily Oral Language Journals
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January
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Identify prepositions, their objects, and prepositional phrases Write the correct pronoun as the object of the preposition Write sentences using prepositional phrases Identify adjective phrases and the words they modify Identify adverb phrases and the words they modify Write sentences using adjective and adverb phrases and identifying them and the word(s) they modify Distinguish between the words between and among in sentences Distinguish between the words beside and besides in sentences Write sentences using between, among, beside, and besides correctly Identify participles and the words they modify Write sentences using participles and identifying the words they modify Identify participial phrases and the words they modifyUse commas correctly with participial phrases Write sentences using participial phrases and identifying the words they modify Identify gerunds and tell how they are used in sentences Write sentences using gerunds and identifying their uses Identify gerund phrases and tell how they are used in sentences Write possessive nouns and pronouns with gerunds and gerund phrases Write sentences using gerund phrases and tell how they are used in sentences Identify infinitives and tell how they are used Distinguish between an infinitive and a prepositional phrase that begins with to Write sentences using infinitives and tell how they are used Identify infinitive phrases and tell how they are used in sentences Distinguish between an infinitive phrase and a prepositional phrase Write sentences using infinitive phrases and tell how they are used Combine sentences, using prepositional, participial, gerund, and infinitive phrasesRewrite sentences, correcting dangling or misplaced modifiers |
Language Arts State Goal 3 Write to communicate for a variety of purposes A. Use correct grammar, spelling, punctuation, capitalization, and structure 3.A.2. Write paragraphs that include a variety of sentence types; appropriate use of the eight parts of speech; and accurate spelling, capitalization, and punctuation
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Guided instruction and practice in class Daily assignments Games Reviews Quizzes Tests Writing assignments Daily Oral Language Journals
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February
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Recognize myths and the Greek gods and goddesses Write a creative essay where the student becomes a god/goddess in their world Note details and paraphrase proverbs Offer and substantiate an opinion Draw conclusions Note details Categorize the elements of a plot Relate reading to an experience Identify the elements of a plot Distinguish the essential elements of a science-fiction story(tie to The Giver in reading) Distinguish first-person from third-person and limited from omniscient point of view Select from science-fiction pictures to focus on a story idea Write the first draft of the science-fiction story Revise the first draft of their story for plot, problem/conflict, characters, and resolution Revise to include stronger verbs, increase description, add dialogue, and vary sentence structure Proofread their stories Make a final copy of their storiesPublish their stories
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Language Arts State Goal 3 Write to communicate for a variety of purposes A. Use correct grammar, spelling, punctuation, capitalization, and structure 3.A.2. Write paragraphs that include a variety of sentence types; appropriate use of the eight parts of speech; and accurate spelling, capitalization, and punctuation 3.B. 3a. Produce documents that convey a clear understanding and interpretation of ideas and information and display focus, organization, elaboration, and coherence 3.B.3b Edit and revise for word choice, organization, consistent point of view and transitions among paragraphs using contemporary technology and formats suitable for submission and/or publication 3.C.3a Compose narrative, informative, and persuasive writings for a specified audience
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Guided instruction and practice in class Daily assignments Games Reviews Quizzes Tests Writing assignments including an essay and a sci-story Daily Oral Language Journals |
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Month |
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Assessment |
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March
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Identify and distinguish between independent and subordinate clauses Identify and distinguish between clauses and phrases Write sentences using independent and subordinate clauses (complex sentences) Identify adjective clauses and the words they modify Identify relative pronouns Write sentences using adjective clauses and identifying the words they modify Understand the proper use of who, whom, and whose in adjective clauses Write sentences using correctly the relative pronouns above in adjective clauses Distinguish between essential and nonessential clauses Use commas correctly with nonessential clauses Write sentences using and identifying essential and nonessential clausesIdentify adverb clauses Select appropriate subordinating conjunctions to express exact meaning Write sentences using commas correctly with adverb clauses Identify noun clauses and tell how they are used in sentences Use who/whom and whoever/whomever correctly in noun clauses Write sentences using noun clauses with who/whom and whoever/whomever correctly Use subordinate clauses to combine and improve sentences Write complex sentences using subordinate clauses Combine sentences by using subordinate clauses Vary sentence structure by repositioning phrases Place adjective clauses correctly in sentences
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Language Arts State Goal 3 Write to communicate for a variety of purposes A. Use correct grammar, spelling, punctuation, capitalization, and structure 3.A.2. Write paragraphs that include a variety of sentence types; appropriate use of the eight parts of speech; and accurate spelling, capitalization, and punctuation |
Guided instruction and practice in class Daily assignments Games Reviews Quizzes Tests Writing assignments Daily Oral Language Journals |
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Month |
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Assessment |
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April
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Study various forms of poetry Recognize poetry terms Recognize various poetry styles Recognize rhyming patterns Read a variety of poems from various poets Write a biographical poem Write a nursery rhyme Write a limerick Write poems following a formula Write creative poetry Write humorous poetry on various themes Revise poetry in writing groups Edit poems for spelling and punctuation
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Language Arts State Goal 3 Write to communicate for a variety of purposes A. Use correct grammar, spelling, punctuation, capitalization, and structure 3.A.2. Write paragraphs that include a variety of sentence types; appropriate use of the eight parts of speech; and accurate spelling, capitalization, and punctuation 3.B. 3a. Produce documents that convey a clear understanding and interpretation of ideas and information and display focus, organization, elaboration, and coherence 3.B.3b Edit and revise for word choice, organization, consistent point of view and transitions among paragraphs using contemporary technology and formats suitable for submission and/or publication 3.C.3a Compose narrative, informative, and persuasive writings for a specified audience |
Guided instruction and practice in class Daily assignments Writing assignments Students will compile a collection of their own poetry and put it into book form Daily Oral Language Journals |
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Month |
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Assessment |
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May
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Write poems following a formula Write creative poetry Write humorous poetry on various themes Revise poetry in writing groups Edit poems for spelling and punctuation Produce a book of their writing in grades 5-8 from their writing portfolio |
Language Arts State Goal 3 Write to communicate for a variety of purposes A. Use correct grammar, spelling, punctuation, capitalization, and structure 3.A.2. Write paragraphs that include a variety of sentence types; appropriate use of the eight parts of speech; and accurate spelling, capitalization, and punctuation 3.B. 3a. Produce documents that convey a clear understanding and interpretation of ideas and information and display focus, organization, elaboration, and coherence 3.B.3b Edit and revise for word choice, organization, consistent point of view and transitions among paragraphs using contemporary technology and formats suitable for submission and/or publication 3.C.3a Compose narrative, informative, and persuasive writings for a specified audience
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Guided instruction and practice in class Daily assignments Writing assignments Students will compile a collection of their own poetry and put it into book form Daily Oral Language Journals |