8th Grade Language Arts !20 15 20164secondaryliteracy.dmschools.org/.../ela8_2015-2016_guide_s.pdf · Students demonstrate they have command of the conventions of standard English

http://secondaryliteracy.dmschools.org Version: Summer

8th Grade

Language Arts

2015-2016

8th Grade Language Arts 2015-2016

2

Unit Content Standards Grading Topics Year-Long Standards

Unit One: Elements of Literature 10 Weeks

• Reading Literature 1 • Reading Informational Text 1 • Reading Informational Text 3

• Analyzing Textual Evidence Collected & Reported: • Constructing Writing

Collected & Reported Unscored : • Comprehending Text

Collected But Not Reported: • Applying Grammar and Mechanics • Mastering Vocabulary

• Reading Literature 3 • Reading Literature 6

• Analyzing Characters

Unit Two: Making Meaning from Text 8 Weeks

• Reading Literature 2 • Reading Informational Text 2

• Determining Central Idea/Theme

Unit Three: Argumentation 12 Weeks

• Reading Informational Text 6 • Reading Informational Text 8 • Reading Informational Text 9

• Evaluating Arguments and Purpose Collected & Reported: • Mastering Vocabulary • Constructing Writing • Applying Grammar and Mechanics • Comprehending Text

• Writing 1 • Writing Arguments Unit Four: The Author’s Craft 6 Weeks

• Reading Literature 5 • Reading Informational Text 5

• Analyzing Text Structure

Grade Fall SRI Winter SRI Spring SRI 8 September 18 January 15 May 13


3

Year-Long Language Arts Grading Topics

Grading Topic: Mastering Vocabulary [Post ONLY in Semester 2] RL8.4, RI8.4 Knowledge: Assessments:

4 Students demonstra te they have the ab i l i t y to :

• Analyze the impact of a specific word choice on meaning and tone in a text, including analogies or allusions to other texts No District Tiered Assessments.

3 Proficient

Students demonstra te they have the ab i l i t y to : • Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including technical meanings

2 Students demonstra te they have deve loped the ab i l i t y to :

• Acquire and use accurately general academic and domain-specific words and phrases, sufficient for reading, writing, speaking and listening • Identify specific words that have an impact on meaning and tone in a text

1 Student’s performance reflects insufficient progress towards foundational skills and knowledge.

Topic Guidance Questions for Students... Advice for Teachers...


4

Year-Long Language Arts Grading Topics, Continued

Grading Topic: Comprehending Text [Post in Semester 1 AND Semester 2] RL8.10, RL8.10 Knowledge: Assessments:


• Read text at the 1270+ Lexile Level (Advanced) SRI to be administered a minimum of three times (Fall, Winter, and Spring).

3.5 Students demonstra te they have the ab i l i t y to :

• Read text at the 1170-1269 Lexile Level (Proficient)

3 Proficient

Students demonstra te they have the ab i l i t y to : • Read text at the 1070-1169 Lexile Level (Proficient)


• Read text at the 1000-1069 Lexile Level (Basic)


• Read text at the 930-999 Lexile Level (Basic)


• Read text at the 465-929 Lexile Level (Below Basic)


• Read text at the BR-464 Lexile Level (Below Basic)



5


Grading Topic: Constructing Writing [Post in Semester 1 AND Semester 2] W8.4, W8.5 Knowledge: Assessments:

4 In addition to score 3.0 performance, the student demonstrates in-depth inferences and applications that go beyond the target. No District Tiered Assessments

3 Proficient

Students demonstra te they have the ab i l i t y to : • Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate the task, purpose, and audience (for

example, opinion, informative/explanatory, narrative, and research writing) • Strengthen writing by planning, revising, and editing


• Describe the task, purpose, and audience for a given writing task • Describe how to modify samples of writing for a specific task, purpose, and audience • Plan writing using a template or graphic organizer




6


Grading Topic: Applying Grammar and Mechanics [Post ONLY in Semester 2] L8.1, L8.2 Knowledge: Assessments:

4

Students demonstra te they have command o f the convent ions o f s tandard Engl i sh cap i ta l izat ion , punc tuat ion , grammar and usage in context when wr i t ing or speaking to :

• Use parallel structure • Use various types of phrases (noun, verb, adjectival, adverbial, participial, prepositional, absolute) and clauses (independent,

dependent, noun, relative, adverbial) to convey specific meanings • Use a semicolon (and perhaps a conjunctive adverb) to link two or more closely related independent clauses • Use a colon to introduce a list or quotation

No District Tiered Assessments

3 Proficient

Students demonstra te they have command o f the convent ions o f s tandard Engl i sh cap i ta l izat ion , punc tuat ion , grammar and usage in context when wr i t ing or speaking to :

• Choose among simple, compound, complex, and compound-complex sentences to signal differing relationships among ideas [Modified L7.1]

• Place phrases and clauses within a sentence, recognizing and correcting misplaced and dangling modifiers [Modified L7.1] • Recognize and correct inappropriate verb usage [Modified L8.1] • Use punctuation (comma, ellipsis, dash) to indicate a pause or break • Use an ellipsis to indicate an omission


• Use grammar and usage in isolation • Use conventions in isolation • Use capitalization conventions, including in letters, abbreviations, acronyms, and initials




7

UNIT ONE: Elements of Literature 12 weeks

Organizing Principles: A place for a blend of short fiction and non-fiction pieces, with sufficient time and standards to properly teach a full-length novel if desired.

Overview of Unit Materials Textbook Resources Commonly Used Full-Length

Texts Uncommonly Used Full-Length

Texts Supplemental Material

Material is drawn from McDougal Littel Grade 8 Literature Book ©2008 and ©2012. Material that appears ONLY in the 2012 book is denoted with an asterisk (*).

No specific text from this list is required, but teachers should be teaching a balance between this column and the “Uncommonly Used Full-Length Texts” column.

A course should not teach more texts from this column (or from teacher free choice) than it does from the “Commonly Used Full-Length Texts” column.

Resources from outside the textbook are acceptable, but should be shared with the grade-level PLC. Some strong external resources recommended by teachers include:

Planning Guide to Year-Long Standards Mastering Vocabulary Constructing Writing Applying Grammar and

Mechanics Comprehending Text

• Story-specific vocabulary from short stories and full-length texts read throughout the unit

• Writing tasks that support Analyzing Textual Evidence

• Writing tasks that support Analyzing Characters

• Revision of significant tasks

• The following chapters of Writing Coach are appropriate to the requirements of this topic: 19.1, 19.2, 19.3, 20.4, 21.3, 25.2, 25.8

• Fall SRI administered during this unit.

NOTE: Teachers may wish to introduce Argumentative Writing (formally part of Unit 3) in this unit in order to provide initial, foundational instruction on the style and form of argumentative writing. Since other content areas also focus on argumentative writing at the 8th grade level, this allows ELA teachers the opportunity to set the tone and direction of that instruction.


8

Unit 1 Topic Scales

Grading Topic: Analyzing Textual Evidence RL8.1, RI8.1 Knowledge: Assessments:

4 In addition to score 3.0 performance, the student demonstrates in-depth inferences and applications that go beyond the target. Tiered Assessment: ELA8-QI

3 Proficient

Students demonstra te they have the ab i l i t y to : • Support analysis with inferences and textual evidence

2 Students wi l l r e cogn ize or r e ca l l : Specific vocabulary such as:

• Analyze, explicit details, inference, textual evidence Students demonstra te they have deve loped the ab i l i t y to :

• When provided with an inference, evaluate and select quality textual evidence




9

Unit 1 Topic Scales, Continued

Grading Topic: Analyzing Characters RL8.3, RL8.6 Knowledge: Assessments:

4 In addition to score 3.0 performance, the student demonstrates in-depth inferences and applications that go beyond the target. Tiered Assessment: ELA8-SE

3 Proficient

Students demonstra te they have the ab i l i t y to : • Analyze how dialogue or events move the story forward • Analyze how dialogue or events provoke characters to make decisions • Analyze how differences in points of view between characters create such effects as suspense and humor

2

Students wi l l r e cogn ize or r e ca l l : Specific vocabulary such as:

• Direct and indirect characterization, conflict, dialogue, foreshadowing, irony, mood, protagonist, antagonist, suspense, tone Students demonstra te they have deve loped the ab i l i t y to :

• Identify significant dialogue or events in a work of literature • Identify how dialogue or events reveal information about a character • Determine different points of view within a story and the motivations that drive these characters




10

UNIT TWO: Making Meaning from Text 6 weeks

Organizing Principles: A shorter unit focused on determining the message of a text, including both fiction and non-fiction pieces.










• Story-specific vocabulary from short stories and full-length texts read throughout the unit

• Writing tasks that support Determining Central Idea/Theme


• The following chapters of Writing Coach are appropriate to the year-long requirements for this topic: 19.1, 19.2, 19.3, 20.4, 21.3, 25.2, 25.8

• Winter SRI administered by the end of this unit.


11

Unit 2 Topic Scales

Grading Topic: Determining Central Idea/Theme RL8.2, RI8.2 Knowledge: Assessments:

4 In addition to score 3.0 performance, the student demonstrates in-depth inferences and applications that go beyond the target. Tiered Assessment: ELA8-TC

3 Proficient

Students demonstra te they have the ab i l i t y to : • Analyze development of a central idea over the course of a non-fiction text • Analyze the relationship between theme and the characters, setting, and plot in a fiction text

2


• Theme, central idea Students demonstra te they have deve loped the ab i l i t y to :

• Determine theme of a fiction text • Determine central idea of a non-fiction text




12

UNIT THREE: Argumentation 12 weeks

Organizing Principles: A robust unit focused on how argument works and is successfully made, this unit has many opportunities for larger project-driven work, from research to presentations, but all things work in service of argument, claims, and evidence.










• Article-specific vocabulary from short passages and full-length texts read throughout the unit

• Writing tasks that support Evaluating Arguments and Purpose

• Writing tasks that support Writing Arguments



• Any student without 2 SRI scores by this point should take the test between February 15th and March 15th


13

Unit 3 Topic Scales

Grading Topic: Evaluating Arguments and Purpose RI8.6, RI8.8,

RI8.9 Knowledge: Assessments:

4 In addition to score 3.0 performance, the student demonstrates in-depth inferences and applications that go beyond the target. Tiered Assessment: ELA8-AR

3 Proficient

Students demonstra te they have the ab i l i t y to : • Evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, assessing whether the reasoning is logical • Evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, assessing whether the evidence is relevant and sufficient • Identify irrelevant evidence in a text • Analyze how an author acknowledges and responds to conflicting evidence or viewpoints in a text • Analyze how and why two or more texts provide opposing information on matters of facts or interpretation of the same topic

2


• Argument, claim, evaluate, interpretation, irrelevant, reasoning, evidence, viewpoint, bias, source Students demonstra te they have deve loped the ab i l i t y to :

• Delineate the argument and specific claims in a text • Recognize examples of irrelevant evidence in isolation • Determine an author’s point of view or purpose in a text • Identify where two texts oppose on a matter of facts or interpretation




14

Unit 3 Topic Scales, Continued

Grading Topic: Writing Arguments W8.1 Knowledge: Assessments:

4 In addition to score 3.0 performance, the student demonstrates in-depth inferences and applications that go beyond the target. Tiered Assessment: ELA8-AW

3 Proficient

Students demonstra te they have the ab i l i t y to wr i t e mul t i -paragraph arguments to suppor t c la ims wi th c l ear r easons and re l evant ev idence that : • Introduce claims • Acknowledge and distinguish the claims from counterclaims • Organize reasons and evidence logically • Support claims with logical reasoning and relevant evidence • Support claims using accurate credible sources • Use transitions to create cohesion and clarify relationships among claims, counterclaims, reasons, and evidence • Establish and maintain a formal style • Provide a conclusion that supports the argument presented

2


• Clarify, counterclaim, credible, refute Students wi l l per form bas i c proce s s e s , such as :

• Generate a claim on a topic and relevant reasons/examples to support that claim • Generate relevant counterclaims • Generate a concluding statement • Write a paragraph with a clear claim and supporting evidence • Write a paragraph that presents and refutes a counterclaim




15

UNIT FOUR: The Author’s Craft 6 weeks

Organizing Principles: An open unit designed to flexibly give up time to the meatier Argumentation unit before it, Unit 4 can be the home of a novel study with text rich in complex language or a place for further work on non-fiction. The focus is on an analysis of text structure and how the parts contribute to the meaning of the whole. This unit also provides opportunity for re-teaching and re-testing of previous topics.










• Text-specific vocabulary from articles, short stories, and full-length texts read throughout the unit

• Writing tasks that support Analyzing Text Structure



• Spring SRI administered during this unit.


16

Unit 4 Topic Scales

Grading Topic: Analyzing Text Structure RL8.5, RI8.5 Knowledge: Assessments:

4 In addition to score 3.0 performance, the student demonstrates in-depth inferences and applications that go beyond the target. Tiered Assessment: ELA8-TX

3 Proficient

Students demonstra te they have the ab i l i t y to : • Compare and contrast the structure of two or more texts • Analyze how the differing structure of two or more texts contributes to the meaning of each text • Analyze in detail the structure of a specific paragraph in a text (including the role of particular sentences developing and refining a key

concept)

2


• Develop, refine, structure Students demonstra te they have deve loped the ab i l i t y to :

• Describe the structure of a text • Recognize signal words or phrases associated with text structure (examples: following, compared with, therefor, as a result of) in a text • Describe the structure of a specific paragraph in a text



Documents

8th Grade Language Arts !20 15 20164secondaryliteracy.dmschools.org/.../ela8_2015-2016_guide_s.pdf · Students demonstrate they have command of the conventions of standard English