District 11 Educational Support Services
Literacy & Language Arts

Grade 8 Language Arts Advanced: Yearly Overview
Nonfiction, Literature Studies, and Persuasive Writing
Course Number: LAM.ADV81

Overview                                                                              
This course is designed to challenge students who have demonstrated advanced skills in reading, speaking, listening and composing written work. In addition to refining their basic communication skills as outlined in state and district standards, advanced students will be required to read and respond to a great number of literature sources which require higher level reading and thinking skills. Writing emphasis will include creative and competitive writing as well as research which utilizes technology. Students will be expected to be self-directed and possess excellent time management skills.
Prerequisite: None
Course Length: 1   Period Length: 1   Grade Level:  6-8   Credit per Semester: 0
Additional Credit Information: n/a

For Teachers
Quarter 1  2
Quarter 3  4
Prior Grade
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Standards

Semester 1
Quarter 1: August - September Unit: Fiction and Theme  (@ 21 days)
Quarter 1:
September Unit: Literary Elements  (@ 21 days)
Quarter 1:
October Unit: Comparing and Contrasting Literature  (@ 21 days)
Quarter 2:
October Unit: (@ 13 days)

Quarter 2:
November Unit: Fiction, Poetry and Literature Studies (@ 13 days)Quarter 2: December Unit: (@ 13 days)

Semester 2

Quarter 3: January Unit:
Quarter 3: February Unit:

Quarter 3: March Unit:

Quarter 4: April Unit:

Quarter 4: May Unit:

 

Enduring Understandings - important ideas that students should carry with them years beyond the instruction received this year.

·         Effective readers analyze text to make predictions and draw conclusions; infer purpose of text.

·         Effective readers apply different strategies and skills to understand a variety of texts.

·         Effective readers can locate meanings, pronunciations, spellings, and derivations of unfamiliar words, and can use and apply new words in other contexts to improve vocabulary.

·         Effective readers identify and incorporate relevant, personal knowledge in order to connect with the text.

·         Effective writers utilize the writing process to organize and strengthen all modes of writing. 

·         Effective writers practice and use editing skills for self and peer writing evaluation.

·         Effective writers use conventions correctly.

·         Effective writers write in complete sentences varying the types such as compound and complex, and use appropriately punctuated dependent clauses. 

·         Effective writers identify parts of speech correctly, such as nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, pronouns, conjunctions, prepositions, and interjections.

 

Essential Questions - most important “big picture” questions students should be able to answer after completing learning activities.

·         What is text? How do we apply different strategies and skills to understand a variety of texts?

·         How do we communicate? What is effective communication? Why does effective communication require a process?

·         What is standard English? Why do we need to know and use standard English rules?

·         How do we apply stylistic elements and appropriate formats?

·         What is critical thinking? How do we think critically in our lives?

·         What is literature? How can we make personal connections through literature?

·         What makes us human?

  Highest Frequency Standards High Frequency Standards Other Standards & E-skills 

Sample Units

District 11 Diamond Units/Lessons Overview - includes information about the purpose, goals and structure of these sample instructional units.

Parents


 

Teacher Resources

 


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