Actively participate in discussions about a variety of Grade 8 topics, ideas, and texts in a variety of settings, including partners, small and large groups, and teacher-led groups.

I.A.2

Depth 2

Prepare for discussions in advance, including researching the topic and organizing information for the discussion. Draw on preparations during the discussion to analyze ideas and explore the topic further.

I.A.3

Depth 2

Manage goals and deadlines, and define specific roles appropriate to a discussion.

I.A.4

Depth 2

Follow rules for productive social engagement among peers; follow decision-making protocols (e.g., rubrics or principles) that help build effective social skills related to public discussions.

I.A.5

Depth 2

Ask relevant questions to clarify conversations and ideas and to build upon remarks made by others.

I.A.6

Depth 2

Use details to elaborate and comment on a topic, text, or issue being discussed; add insight to discussions or move discussions forward.

I.A.7

Depth 2

Integrate the ideas, evidence, and viewpoints of multiple speakers before responding or posing questions during a discussion.

I.A.8

Depth 2

Craft responses to questions, as well as comments, so that ideas, insights, observations, and evidence are relevant to the topic or issue being discussed.

I.A.9

Depth 2

Demonstrate the ability to defend one’s own point of view when presented with new information; adjust one’s own point of view, if necessary, when presented with new evidence during a discussion.

I.A.10

Depth 2

Interpret information from an array of media formats, such as visual (paintings, pictures, and animations), quantitative (graphs, charts, and diagrams), videos, and recordings.

I.A.11

Depth 2

Explain how information from media formats reflects, enhances, or is otherwise suitable for the discussion, issue, or topic at hand.

I.A.12

Depth 2

Identify and interpret the purposes, motives, or intentions of an array of information from media formats, such as political, commercial, and social agendas.

I.A.13

Depth 2

Explain a speaker’s argument, distinguishing the claims, evidence, and reasons speakers give and whether the claims are adequately supported.

I.A.14

Depth 2

Evaluate the overall quality of the reasoning used in an argument and the relevancy of the evidence provided; identify and explain when and why particular evidence may be unnecessary, unrelated, or inappropriate.

I.B.1

Depth 2

Give a presentation about a topic or text, tell a story, or orally relate a personal experience in a logical and organized manner, including relevant descriptions, details, and facts that support main ideas or themes.

I.B.2

Depth 2

Orally present a claim-based argument supported by evidence, curated details, and solid reasoning that demonstrates a focused emphasis on the essential points.

I.B.3

Depth 2

Speak clearly at an understandable volume and pace; maintain eye contact.

I.B.4

Depth 2

Support claims in presentations by adding evidence from relevant multimedia such as displays, images, videos, graphics, music, and recordings

I.B.5

Depth 2

Use relevant multimedia to enhance presentations and capture viewers’/listeners’ attention.

I.B.6

Depth 2

Use information from several multimedia sources, synthesizing it to explain, crystalize, elaborate, or elucidate information for viewers/listeners.

I.B.7

Depth 2

Switch between formal and informal English as appropriate to the situation or task; adapt speech to a variety of contexts.

II.A.1

Depth 2

Independently and proficiently read and comprehend longer works of fiction (stories, plays, and poems) and literary nonfiction written at the high end of grades 6 through

II.A.2

Depth 2

Identify and utilize the most appropriate supporting evidence from texts when explaining them or making inferences.

II.A.3

Depth 2

Quote or cite accurately from texts when using evidence to explain them or make inferences.

II.A.4

Depth 2

Identify the central ideas or themes in a text and explain how they develop.

II.A.5

Depth 2

Understand how the component parts in literary works or supporting ideas in informational texts build themes or big ideas.

II.A.6

Depth 2

Summarize texts objectively.

II.A.7

Depth 2

Determine the meaning of words and phrases in a literary or nonfiction text, including Tier 2 academic vocabulary and Tier 3 subject-area vocabulary.

II.A.8

Depth 2

Consider the impact of word choices on meaning and tone.

II.A.9

Depth 2

Analyze the structures of several texts to determine how structures create meaning and influence style; then, compare and contrast the texts, considering the impact on meaning and style each structure has.

II.A.10

Depth 2

Evaluate in detail how sentences cooperate in paragraphs to build and organize key ideas, key concepts, and key details (versus extraneous information) and, in turn, how paragraphs cooperate to build ideas and organize information in texts.

II.A.11

Depth 2

Explore the advantages and disadvantages of various media, such as books or other printed materials, videos, digital photography, or recordings, to convey ideas or explore a topic.

II.A.12

Depth 2

Compare and contrast different texts with the same topic, themes, or genre.

II.B.1

Depth 2

Analyze analogies, allusions to other texts, and figurative language, such as metaphors and similes, to determine meaning.

II.B.2

Depth 2

Determine connotative meanings of words in literary texts.

II.B.3

Depth 2

Consider the function of dialogue in stories and plays, focusing on how it moves a story forward, reveals aspects of a character’s personality, causes characters to take action, influences how characters interact with each other, or otherwise affects the events of the plot.

II.B.4

Depth 2

Compare and contrast a script or written version of a story to a filmed version or live performance, analyzing the extent of the departures from the original or faithfulness to it and the effectiveness of the artistic choices made by the director or actors.

II.B.5

Depth 2

Explore how authors use dramatic irony to

II.B.6

Depth 2

Analyze archetypal plot patterns, themes, and character types and other literary devices and allusions from foundational literary works used in modern fiction.

II.B.7

Depth 2

Compare modern fiction with the sources it draws from for inspiration, such as traditional stories, epic poetry, mythology, and religious works (e.g., the Bible), with a focused discussion on how stories from the past are modernized.

II.C.1

Depth 2

Effectively summarize all types of informational texts.

II.C.2

Depth 2

Analyze technical meanings, analogies, and allusions to other texts to determine meaning.

II.C.3

Depth 2

Understand and explain the relationships and interactions between two or more individuals, events, or ideas in a text and how the author integrates them.

II.C.4

Depth 2

Identify the structure of a text at the sentence and paragraph level and how it helps develop and hone big ideas and key concepts.

II.C.5

Depth 2

Identify an author’s point of view and purpose in a text.

II.C.6

Depth 2

Explain how an author distinguishes their own point of view from that of others in a text, focusing on how an author responds to evidence and/or viewpoints that conflict.

II.C.7

Depth 2

Analyze the advantages and disadvantages of various mediums’ (print, digital, video, and multimedia) ability to relate information to the reader or viewer about a particular topic or idea.

II.C.8

Depth 2

Explain how an author supports arguments in a text by giving reasons (opinions) and evidence, such as facts, examples, and expert opinions from reliable sources.

II.C.9

Depth 2

Distinguish between claims that are supported and those that are not.

II.C.10

Depth 2

Examine the overall soundness of the reasoning in an argument and the quality of the evidence supporting it; identify unnecessary, unrelated, or inappropriate evidence.

II.C.11

Depth 2

Compare and contrast texts containing conflicting information or arguments, identifying the conflict precisely and distinguishing whether the conflicting information is a matter of disparate facts, interpretations, or opinion/viewpoint.

III.A.1

Depth 2

• Write routinely, clearly, and coherently, completing both short-term and long-term assignments focused on a range of different tasks, purposes, and audiences.

III.A.2

Depth 2

• Strengthen existing writing skills (sentences, paragraphs, transitions, introductions, and conclusions) by applying them to longer and genre-specific writing assignments.

III.A.3

Depth 2

• Use the steps of the writing process to develop and strengthen writing: plan, draft, share, evaluate, revise, edit, and publish.

III.A.4

Depth 2

• Use conventional language standards when editing.

III.A.5

Depth 2

• Maintain a consistent style and tone appropriate to the genre of writing and audience.

III.A.6

Depth 2

• Use keyboards, tablets, the Internet, and other technologies to produce and publish writing and collaborate and communicate with others.

III.A.7

Depth 2

• Use the Internet to research and cite sources.

III.B.1

Depth 2

Writing to Analyze and Understand Text

III.B.2

Depth 2

Analyze literature in writing: trace archetypal plot patterns, character types, and themes in modern fiction and compare and contrast them with the sources they draw on, such as epic poetry, the Bible and other religious works, traditional stories, and myths.

III.B.3

Depth 2

Discuss and analyze, in writing, how authors modernize the archetypal source material they use for inspiration.

III.B.4

Depth 2

Use literary elements as evidence for analyzing literature to strengthen reflection and analysis skills.

III.B.5

Depth 2

Describe an analysis of informational texts in writing:

III.B.6

Depth 2

Explain how authors make and support their points or claims with reasons and factual evidence.

III.B.7

Depth 2

Explain how specific pieces of evidence support specific claims.

III.B.8

Depth 2

Use details and facts as evidence for analyzing informational texts to strengthen research and analysis skills.

III.C.1

Depth 2

Conduct short research projects focused on answering a specific research question, especially one posed by the student.

III.C.2

Depth 2

Gather relevant information from several different print and digital sources and use it to support research.

III.C.3

Depth 2

Adjust the research question as appropriate throughout the information-gathering process.

III.C.4

Depth 2

Use the information-gathering process to pose related questions and explore additional topics and avenues of inquiry requiring further research.

III.C.5

Depth 2

Determine the credibility of information gathered from print and digital sources.

III.C.6

Depth 2

Accurately quote or paraphrase from sources without plagiarizing.

III.C.7

Depth 2

Practice honing keywords and key phrases to produce more effective online searches.

III.C.8

Depth 2

Cite sources and provide a basic bibliography.

III.D.1

Depth 2

Produce narrative pieces that reflect real-life or imagined experiences.

III.D.2

Depth 2

Introduce a narrator, a situation, and characters, and develop them through dialogue, pacing, and exposition, including actions, thoughts, feelings, and reactions to events in the plot.

III.D.3

Depth 2

Organize a well-structured logical or natural sequence of plot events following from the situation, using time-order and transitional words, phrases, and clauses to indicate and manage the event order.

III.D.4

Depth 2

Incorporate shifts in time and multiple settings, interconnecting them with events and experiences that move character development forward.

III.D.5

Depth 2

Include concrete and sensory details to make writing vivid and precise; convey a sense of experiences and/or the sensations that accompany experiences.

III.D.6

Depth 2

Provide a sense of closure that follows logically or artfully from the situation, character responses, and sequence of events.

III.E.1

Depth 2

Write reports and other types of informational texts that clearly focus ideas and information.

III.E.2

Depth 2

Introduce a topic with information organized in related sections or paragraphs and developed with well-curated facts, definitions, quotations, examples, and details.

III.E.3

Depth 2

Organize ideas, concepts, and information using broad categories.

III.E.4

Depth 2

Group related information logically and incorporate formatting features, such as headings, graphics, charts, and other multimedia.

III.E.5

Depth 2

Include visual elements such as photos, drawings, or diagrams to help explain or present ideas or information when appropriate.

III.E.6

Depth 2

Use a variety of transitions to connect ideas and concepts from distinct categories and to clarify relationships; use transitions to create an overall sense of cohesion.

III.E.7

Depth 2

Establish and maintain a formal style.

III.E.8

Depth 2

Use Tier 2 and/or Tier 3 domain-specific vocabulary to explain or elaborate topics.

III.E.9

Depth 2

Write a conclusion that wraps up ideas in the text.

III.F.1

Depth 2

Write persuasive essays with well-defined theses and arguments that use clear reasons, examples, and relevant evidence to support claims.

III.F.2

Depth 2

Follow through with an organizational structure that supports the purpose of the text, grouping ideas, reasons, counterclaims, and evidence in a logical way.

III.F.3

Depth 2

Demonstrate the use of logical reasoning to support claims throughout the essay.

III.F.4

Depth 2

Demonstrate a clear understanding of the topic and argument.

III.F.5

Depth 2

Anticipate and answer counterarguments.

III.F.6

Depth 2

Distinguish evidence from opinion and claims from counterclaims.

III.F.7

Depth 2

Use linking words, phrases, and clauses to connect opinions with reasons and evidence, distinguish a counterclaim, and create an overall sense of cohesion.

III.F.8

Depth 2

Establish and maintain a formal style and reasonable tone.

III.F.9

Depth 2

Identify and use accurate, credible sources.

III.F.10

Depth 2

Write a conclusion that effectively and logically wraps up the argument.

IV.A.1

Depth 2

Use knowledge of language conventions when reading, writing, speaking, and listening.

IV.A.2

Depth 2

Use active and passive verbs and voice to portray the conditional and subjunctive mood—that is, states and actions tied to hypothetical scenarios (e.g., if . . . then, wish, would) of varying degrees of possibility.

IV.A.3

Depth 2

Use the conditional and subjunctive mood to create desired effects, express uncertainty, or communicate the fantastical.

IV.A.4

Depth 2

Use the conditional and subjunctive mood to emphasize both the person hypothesizing and the ideas being hypothesized.

IV.B.1

Depth 2

Apply known spelling strategies when writing.

IV.B.2

Depth 2

Apply known morphology skills (roots, prefixes, suffixes, and spelling changes) to correctly spell words.

IV.C.1

Depth 2

Understand and apply the basic rules of English grammar and conventions when writing or speaking.

IV.C.2

Depth 2

Know the function of verbals generally and how they are used in sentences, including:

IV.C.3

Depth 2

Form cohesive sentences using both passive and active verbs and voice.

IV.C.4

Depth 2

Form and use verbs in the indicative, imperative, interrogative, conditional, and subjunctive mood.

IV.C.5

Depth 2

Correct erroneous shifts in verb voice and mood.

IV.D.1

Depth 2

Understand and apply the basic rules of capitalization and punctuation when writing or speaking.

IV.D.2

Depth 2

Use punctuation (comma, dash, and ellipsis) to indicate a pause or break.

IV.D.3

Depth 2

Use an ellipsis to indicate an omission.

IV.E.1

Depth 2

Figure out the meaning of Grade 8 words and phrases, using a variety of strategies such as the following:

IV.E.2

Depth 2

Use the overall meaning of a sentence as a clue to the meaning of words within the sentence.

IV.E.3

Depth 2

Figure out the meaning of words based on the word’s position and function within a sentence, such as part of speech, subject, predicate, object, etc.

IV.E.4

Depth 2

Use a dictionary, thesaurus, or glossary—print or digital—to answer questions about the meanings and usage of unfamiliar words.

IV.E.5

Depth 2

Know how to use a dictionary—print or digital—to pronounce words correctly and determine a word’s part of speech.

IV.E.6

Depth 2

Use a dictionary to find the precise meaning of words and phrases.

IV.E.7

Depth 2

Infer the meaning of words by using context, and then confirm the meaning in a dictionary.

IV.E.8

Depth 2

Make accurate interpretations of similes and metaphors and other types of figurative language, such as personification, based on context.

IV.E.9

Depth 2

Interpret figures of speech based on context, especially verbal irony and puns.

IV.E.10

Depth 2

Discern nuances in word meanings.

IV.E.11

Depth 2

Recognize and use word relationships to better understand words, such as

IV.E.12

Depth 2

Distinguish connotations, or shades of meaning, among words with similar denotations (e.g., picky, fickle, discerning, sophisticated, fastidious, persnickety).

IV.E.13

Depth 2

Acquire grade-level Tier 2 general academic and Tier 3 domain-specific words and phrases and use them with accuracy.

IV.E.14

Depth 2

Use knowledge of Greek and Latin roots and affixes to figure out the meaning of a new word, such as

V.A.1

Depth 2

“Chicago” (Carl Sandburg)

V.A.2

Depth 2

“Do Not Go Gentle into That Good Night” (Dylan Thomas)

V.A.3

Depth 2

“The Lake Isle of Innisfree” (William Butler Yeats)

V.A.4

Depth 2

“Lucy Gray (or Solitude);” “My Heart Leaps Up” (William Wordsworth)

V.A.5

Depth 2

“Mending Wall;” “The Gift Outright” (Robert Frost)

V.A.6

Depth 2

Polonius’s speech from Hamlet, “Neither a borrower nor a lender be . . .” (William

V.A.7

Depth 2

Shakespeare)

V.A.8

Depth 2

“Ozymandias” (Percy Bysshe Shelley)

V.A.9

Depth 2

Sonnet 18, “Shall I compare thee. . .” (William Shakespeare)

V.A.10

Depth 2

“Spring and Fall” (Gerald Manley Hopkins)

V.A.11

Depth 2

“A Supermarket in California” (Allen Ginsberg)

V.A.12

Depth 2

“Theme for English B” (Langston Hughes)

V.A.13

Depth 2

“The Hill We Climb” (Amanda Gorman)

V.A.14

Depth 2

“To Julia de Burgos;” “Rio Grande de Lioza;” “I Was My Own Route” (Julia de Burgos)

V.A.15

Depth 2

“Flight;” “No Place on the Map;” “More & More Meanings” (Margarita Engle)

V.A.16

Depth 2

“English Con Salsa” (Gina Valdes)

V.A.17

Depth 2

“A Wreath for Emmett Till” (Marilyn Nelson)

V.A.18

Depth 2

“I Am Accused of Tending to the Past” (Lucille Clifton)

V.A.19

Depth 2

“Frederick Douglass” (Robert Hayden)

V.A.20

Depth 2

“Ballad of Birmingham” (Dudley Randall)

V.B.1

Depth 2

Review: meter, iamb, rhyme scheme, free verse, couplet, onomatopoeia, alliteration, assonance

V.B.2

Depth 2

Review:

VI.A.1

Depth 2

“The Bet” (Anton Chekov)

VI.A.2

Depth 2

“Dr. Heidegger’s Experiment” (Nathaniel Hawthorne)

VI.A.3

Depth 2

“God Sees the Truth But Waits” (Leo Tolstoy)

VI.A.4

Depth 2

“An Honest Thief” (Fyodor Dostoyevsky)

VI.A.5

Depth 2

“The Open Boat” (Stephen Crane)

VI.A.6

Depth 2

Us, in Progress: Short Stories About Young Latinos (Lulu Delacre)

VI.B.1

Depth 2

Frankenstein (Mary Shelley)

VI.B.2

Depth 2

The Squatter and the Don ( Maria Ruiz de Burton)

VI.C.1

Depth 2

Review:

VI.C.2

Depth 2

Characterization

VI.C.3

Depth 2

Tone and diction

VI.D.1

Depth 2

“It Was a Great Day in Jersey” by Wendell Smith (1946)

VI.D.2

Depth 2

From Coming of Age in Mississippi by Anne Moody (1968)

VI.D.3

Depth 2

From Rosa Parks: My Story (1992) From The Genius of the Harlem Renaissance, Volume 2

VI.D.4

Depth 2

“Don’t Ride the Bus”—Leaflet by Jo Ann Robinson, Women’s Political Council (1955)

VI.D.5

Depth 2

“Sit Down Chillun, Sit Down!” by Wilma Dykeman and James Stokely (1960)

VI.D.6

Depth 2

“I’m Not Free Unless My Brothers Are Free”—Freedom Rider Robert (1961)

VI.D.7

Depth 2

“Which Side Are You On?” by James Farmer (1985)

VI.D.8

Depth 2

“Letter from Birmingham Jail” by Martin Luther King, Jr. (1963)

VI.D.9

Depth 2

President John F. Kennedy’s Speech on Civil Rights (1963)

VI.D.10

Depth 2

“I Have a Dream”—Speech by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (1963)

VI.D.11

Depth 2

From Selma, Lord, Selma: Girlhood Memories of the Civil Rights Days by Sheyann Webb (1980)

VI.D.12

Depth 2

“The Ballot or the Bullet”—Speech by Malcolm X (1964)

VI.D.13

Depth 2

Equal Rights for Women: A Speech to the U. S. House of Representatives by Shirley Chisholm (1969)

VI.D.14

Depth 2

“Together, You Can Redeem the Soul of Our Nation,” by John Lewis (2020)

VI.D.15

Depth 2

“Ask not what your country can do for you” (John F. Kennedy’s Inaugural Address)

VI.D.16

Depth 2

“I have a dream”; “Letter from Birmingham Jail” (Martin Luther King, Jr.)

VI.D.17

Depth 2

“The Marginal World” (Rachel Carson)

VI.D.18

Depth 2

“The World is Waking Up” (Greta Thunberg)

VI.E.1

Depth 2

Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass (Frederick Douglass)

VI.F.1

Depth 2

The Importance of Being Earnest (Oscar Wilde)

VI.F.2

Depth 2

Elements of Drama

VI.G.1

Depth 2

Irony: verbal, situational, dramatic

VI.G.2

Depth 2

Flashbacks and foreshadowing

VI.G.3

Depth 2

Hyperbole, oxymoron, parody

VII.1

Depth 2

au revoir - goodbye, until we see each other again

VII.2

Depth 2

avant-garde - a group developing new or experimental concepts, a vanguard

VII.3

Depth 2

bête noire - a person or thing especially dreaded and avoided [literally, “black beast”]

VII.4

Depth 2

c’est la vie - that’s life, that’s how things happen

VII.5

Depth 2

carte blanche - full discretionary power [literally, “blank page”]

VII.6

Depth 2

cause célèbre - a very controversial issue that generates fervent public debate [literally, a “celebrated case”]

VII.7

Depth 2

coup de grâce - a decisive finishing blow

VII.8

Depth 2

coup d’état - overthrow of a government by a group

VII.9

Depth 2

déjà vu - something overly familiar [literally, “already seen”]

VII.10

Depth 2

enfant terrible - one whose remarks or actions cause embarrassment, or someone strikingly unconventional [literally, “terrible child”]

VII.11

Depth 2

fait accompli - an accomplished fact, presumably irreversible

VII.12

Depth 2

faux pas - a social blunder [literally, “false step”] Madame, Mademoiselle, Monsieur - Mrs., Miss, Mr. merci - thank you

VII.13

Depth 2

pièce de résistance - the principal part of the meal, a showpiece item

VII.14

Depth 2

raison d’être - reason for being

VII.15

Depth 2

savoir-faire - the ability to say or do the right thing in any situation, polished sureness in society [literally, “to know (how) to do”]

VII.16

Depth 2

tête-à-tête - private conversation between two people [literally, “head to head”]

II.B.5.1

Depth 3

create a different point of view for the audience or reader than the point of view of the characters in a story or drama.

II.B.5.2

Depth 3

create differing points of view and levels of awareness among characters in the same story or drama.

II.B.5.3

Depth 3

nvolve or affect the reader or audience by creating differing points of view and levels of awareness for characters in the same story or drama.

II.B.5.4

Depth 3

build suspense or humor by contrasting points of view and levels of awareness among characters or between the reader/audience and the characters in a story or drama.

III.B.7.1

Depth 3

Discuss, in writing, whether the reasoning and evidence in an argument are valid and adequate.

III.B.7.2

Depth 3

Discuss, in writing, why evidence is invalid (e.g., unnecessary, unrelated, or inappropriate).

IV.C.2.1

Depth 3

Participles

IV.C.2.2

Depth 3

Gerunds and gerund phrases