SVUSD LANGUAGE ARTS CURRICULAR MAP for GRADE 8: TRIMESTER ONE
California Content Standards
Reading: Word Analysis, Fluency, and Systematic Vocabulary Development
1.2 Understand the most important points in the history of English language and use
common word origins to determine the historical influences on English word meanings.
Key Concepts
CST
Etymology (Holt p. 17, 55, 99, 111,
120)
2/75
Context Clues
5/75
_________________________________________
_____
Writer’s Purpose (Holt p. 57, 58, 76, 77)
Types of Support: i.e., fact vs. opinion
3/75
2.3 Find similarities and differences between text in the treatment, scope, or organization
of ideas.
Text Structure: i.e., cause/effect (Holt
p. 100, 142, 143, 577E)
2/75
2.4 Compare the original text to a summary to determine whether the summary accurately
captures the main ideas, includes critical details, and conveys the underlying meaning.
Main idea, relevant details (Holt p. 455 2/75
- 457, 460, 461)
2.7 Evaluate the unity, coherence, logic, internal consistency, and structural patterns of
text.
Transitional Words (Holt p. 502 – 505,
3/75
520, 521)
1.3 Use word meanings within the appropriate context and show ability to verify those
meanings by definition, restatement, example, comparison, or contrast.
_________________________________________________________________________
Reading: Comprehension (Focus on Informational Materials)
2.2 Analyze text that uses proposition and support patterns.
________________________________________________________________________
Reading: Literary Response and Analysis
3.2 Evaluate the structural elements of plot (e.g., subplots, parallel episodes, climax),
the plot’s development, and the way in which conflicts are (or are not) addressed and
resolved.
3.3 Compare and contrast motivations and reactions of literary characters from
different historical eras confronting similar situations or conflicts.
_________________________________________
_____
Conflict, climax, resolution, subplots,
parallel episodes (Holt Ch. 1)
3/75
Characterization: direct, indirect,
motivation (Holt Ch. 2)
2/75
SVUSD LANGUAGE ARTS CURRICULAR MAP, GRADE 8, TRIMESTER ONE revised August 2010
Bold indicates essential standards and minimum course of study
1
California Content Standards
_______________________________________________________________________
Writing: Strategies
1.1 Create compositions that establish a controlling impression, have a coherent
thesis, and end with a clear and well-supported conclusion.
1.2 Establish coherence within and among paragraphs through effective transitions,
parallel structures, and similar writing techniques.
1.3 Support theses or conclusions with analogies, paraphrases, quotations, opinions
from authorities, comparisons, and similar devices.
1.6 Revise writing for word choice; appropriate organization; consistent point of
view; and transitions between paragraphs, passages, and ideas.
_________________________________________________________________________
Writing: Applications*
2.1 Write biographies, autobiographies, short stories, or narratives:
a. Relate a clear, coherent incident, event, or situation by using well-chosen details.
b. Reveal the significance of, or the writer’s attitude about, the subject.
c. Employ narrative and descriptive strategies (e.g., relevant dialogue, specific
action, physical description, background description, comparison or contrast of
characters).
_________________________________________________________________________
Written and Oral English Language Conventions
1.1 Use correct and varied sentence types and sentence openings to present a lively
and effective personal style.
1.4 Edit written manuscripts to ensure that correct grammar is used.
1.5 Use correct punctuation and capitalization.
1.6 Use correct spelling conventions.
_________________________________________________________________________
Listening and Speaking Strategies
1.6 Use appropriate grammar, word choice, enunciation, and pace during formal
presentations.
Key Concepts
_______________________________________
Thesis, conclusion
CST
___
4/75
Transitions, paragraphing
Supporting evidence
Revision
4/75
3/75
6/75
(Holt Writing Workshop 7)
_________________________________________
____
Narrative Writing (Holt Writing
Workshop 1)
0/75
*Persuasive or Response to Literature
writing can be substituted as
determined by school sites.
_________________________________________
___
Sentences, fragments, run-ons, sentence
combining (Holt Handbook Ch. 18 p.
438 – 454)
2/75
_________________________________________
_____
3/75
3/75
3/75
0/75
Public Speaking
ASSESSMENT
SVUSD Trimester 1 Final Exam
SVUSD LANGUAGE ARTS CURRICULAR MAP, GRADE 8, TRIMESTER ONE revised August 2010
Bold indicates essential standards and minimum course of study
2
READING
Chapter 1
Structures (Plot)
Chapter 2
Characters
Standards Covered:
Reading 1.2, 3.2, 3.6
Reading 1.3, 2.2, 2.4, 2.7
Standards Covered:
Reading 1.2, 3.3
Reading 2.3
Essential Texts:
Plot Essay, p. 4
↔ “Flowers for Algernon”
↔ “Memory a Matter of Brains
and Brawn”
Standards Review, p. 73-78
Essential Texts:
Characters Essay, p. 84
↔ “from Harriet Tubman”
↑ “Fugitive Slave Acts of 1793...”
Standards Review, p. 142-143
Vocabulary Development:
Latin Roots, p. 17
Old English, Middle English,
Modern English p. 55
Reading Assessment:
Selection Tests in Progress
Assessment: Reading,
Vocabulary, and Literature
Vocabulary Development:
Influences on English, p. 99
Finding Our Roots, p. 111
History of the English
Language Review, p. 120
Reading Assessment:
Selection Tests in Progress
Assessment: Reading,
Vocabulary, and Literature
Reteaching the Standards:
Plot, p. 577B
Elements of Plot, p. 577I
Characterization, p. 577D
Comparing Texts, p. 577E
Char. from Different Eras, p. 577J
READING OPTIONS
Chapter 1 Choices:
↔ “Broken Chain”
↔ “Road Warriors, Listen Up…”
↔ “The Landlady”
↓ “Duncan, Junior” (IR)
↓ “The No-Guitar Blues” (IR)
↔ “Music from the Start” (IR)
↓ “Orpheus in Underworld” (IR)
Chapter 2 Choices:
↔ “Go Down, Moses”
↔ “Barbara Frietchie”
↔ “Too Soon A Woman”
↔ “Union Pacific RR Poster”
↔ “Home, Sweet Soddie”
↔ “Mrs. Flowers”
↔ “Mrs. Flowers’s Recipes”
↓ “John Adams...” (IR)
↓ “Do the Right Thing” (IR)
↓ “New Directions” (IR)
↓ “Field Work” (IR)
↔ “You Took the Words...” (IR)
↔ “Prometheus Steals Fire...” (IR)
↔ “Paul’s Popcorn” (IR)
READING OPTIONS (cont.)
Historical Connections:
American Revolution:
Ch. 6: “Paul Revere’s Ride”
Ch. 6: “The Midnight Ride of
Billy Dawes”
Standards-Based Novels:
↓↔↑ The Glory Field, 1753, 1864
from “Harriet Tubman”
“Barbara Frietchie”
↓↔↑ The Glory Field, 1930
“Mrs. Flowers”
↓↔↑ Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry
“Mrs. Flowers”
↔↑ Out of the Dust
“Too Soon A Woman”
↓↔↑ The Giver
“Flowers for Algernon”
↓↔↑ My Brother Sam Is Dead
“John Adams: Forgotten Man”
Famous Stories for Performance:
“A Mad Tea Party”
Chapter 2: Character
“The Devil & Daniel Webster”
“Barbara Frietchie”
“The Man Without a Country”
from “Harriet Tubman”
“Barbara Frietchie”
SVUSD LANGUAGE ARTS CURRICULAR MAP, GRADE 8, TRIMESTER ONE revised August 2010
Bold indicates essential standards and minimum course of study
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