​Grade 8 ELAR
​Unit 5
Title
Expository
Suggested Time Frame
4th Six Weeks
5 weeks
Big Ideas/Enduring Understandings
Guiding Questions
Reading
• Authors of informational texts organize their writing in certain ways to
best achieve their desired purpose.
• A summary must synthesize the main ideas, supporting details and
overall meaning of an informational text.
• Good readers annotate the texts that they read in order to help them
connect with and better understand what they read.
• Procedural texts are paired with informational texts in order to support
or illustrate the main ideas of the informational text
Reading
• How does the organization of an informational text help support the main ideas
or purpose of the text?
• How does a reader synthesize the main ideas, supporting details and overall
meaning to create a summary?
summary?
• How can procedural texts be used to support or illustrate main ideas of an
informational text?
Writing
• Writers use various strategies to generate topics and develop
expository writing.
• Expository writing has a clearly stated purpose or controlling idea
and is logically organized with appropriate details in order to effectively
communicate ideas and information.
• Writers of expository texts utilize a variety of sentence structures,
rhetorical devices and transitions to enhance their writing.
• A short answer response to a text provides an answer to a question that
demonstrates an analysis of a text and is supported by textual
evidence.
Writing
• What types of strategies do writers employ to generate topics and develop
expository writing?
• How do I craft expository essays that contain a clearly stated purpose or
controlling idea, logical organization, and appropriate details in
order to effectively communicate ideas and information?
• How can I utilize a variety of sentence structures, rhetorical devices and
transitions to enhance my expository writing?
writing?
• How does my short answer response provide an answer to a question
that demonstrates an analysis of a text that is supported by textual evidence?
• How can revising and editing help a writer communicate his/her
ideas more clearly?
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Vertical Alignment Expectations
*TEKS one level below*
*TEKS one level above*
ELAR TEKS Vertical Alignment Document
Sample Assessment Question
How is the author’s purpose alike in these two selections?
The author uses the (first) paragraph mostly to—
Why does the author include paragraphs __ and __?
Based on her letter, how has the author’s heritage influenced her message?
The author wrote this article most likely to—
In (selection), how are steps __ and __ similar?
What is this article mostly about?
What is the main idea of paragraphs __ to __?
What is the best summary of the article?
In paragraphs _ and _, the author presents the idea that Which statement best expresses an opinion found in the article?
Which sentence from the selection is a commonplace assertion?
What is a conclusion that the reader can make based on the information in this article?
Why does the author begin this selection by explaining --?
A subtle inference made in this information based on how the ideas are presented is –
What conclusion can the reader make based on how the author organized the ideas?
What is an idea found in both selections? Which sentence in __supports the idea that __?
With which statement would the author most likely mostly agree?
What can the reader conclude about the author’s opinion of --?
Reading
8.1A
8.2​AB​CD​E
8.9A
8.10​.A​B​CD
8.12A​B
8.13AC
Fig. 19​EF
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Writing
Writing TEKS
8.14A​BCD​E
8.17A​BC​D
8.25D
Conventions TEKS
8.19.A
​8.19.A.ii
8.20
8.21
Listening & Speaking TEKS
8.26.A
8.27.A
The resources included here provide teaching examples and/or meaningful learning experiences to address the District Curriculum. In order to address the
TEKS to the proper depth and complexity, teachers are encouraged to use resources to the degree that they are congruent with the TEKS and research-based
best practices. Teaching using only the suggested resources does not guarantee student mastery of all standards. Teachers must use professional judgment
to select among these and/or other resources to teach the district curriculum. Some resources are protected by copyright. A username and password is
required to view the copyrighted material.
Ongoing TEKS
Ongoing skills practiced through the year: Reading across genres, reading comprehension skills (Figure 19), vocabulary, research, listening and speaking,
media literacy, spelling, revising, editing, fluency, independent reading. Writing and research skills are linked. Include historical and cultural research for
background of literature selections.
Knowledge and Skills
with Student
Expectations
(8.1) Reading/Fluency.
Students read
grade-level text with
fluency and
comprehension.
Students are expected to
adjust fluency when
reading aloud grade-level
text based on the
reading purpose and the
nature of the text.
District Specificity/ Examples
Do students comprehend
information from text read aloud?
Vocabulary
Oral reading
What determines when students
adjust their reading rate?
Instructional
Strategies
Fluency practice
-small group
-individual reading
practice
-partner read
-Author’s purpose
Suggested Resources
Resources listed and categorized to
indicate suggested uses. Any additional
resources must be aligned with the TEKS.
Literature:
-​Holt​ Literature:
pg.411 pg.839 pg.925 pg.1015
Activities:
Websites:
http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/sites
/default/files/posts/u81/pdfs/abfluencyb
ookmarks.pdf
Lessons:
Background/Extra Information:
-Increased reading fluency increases
comprehension
(8.2) Reading/Vocabulary
Bloom’s-Understanding
Development. Students
understand new vocabulary Note:
and use it when reading
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Academic
Affix
Base word Prefix
Root
-Word walls
-Interactive
notebook -Station
activities
Literature:
Holt
Various readings
Activities:
and writing. Students are
expected to:
(A) determine the meaning
of grade-level academic
English words derived from
Latin, Greek, or other
linguistic roots and affixes;
(​Readiness​)
(B) use context (within a
sentence and in larger
sections of text) to
determine or clarify the
meaning of unfamiliar or
ambiguous words or words
with novel meanings;
(​Readiness​)
(C) complete analogies that
describe a function or its
description (e.g., pen:paper
as chalk: ______ or
soft:kitten as hard: ______);
(D) identify common words
or word parts from other
languages that are used in
written English (e.g.,
phenomenon, charisma,
chorus, passé, flora, fauna);
(E) use a dictionary, a
glossary, or a thesaurus
(printed or electronic) to
determine the meanings,
syllabication,
pronunciations, alternate
word choices, and parts of
speech of words.
(​Readiness​)
Understanding word structure origin
or the background of words helps
students establish meaning,
pronunciation, the parts of speech,
and spelling of new words.
How can students use word
identification strategies to enhance
their vocabulary skills and decoding
skills?
Suffix
Ambiguous
Clarify
Dictionary
Glossary
Thesaurus
Syllabication
Pronunciation
-Use vocabulary
words in writing
-Study vocabulary
in context
-Academic word
wall
-Dictionary
-Glossaries
-Thesaurus
-Vocabulary Unplugged Vocabulary Workshop
Websites:
http://www.educationworld.com/a_lesso
n/lesson/lesson328.shtml
https://www.flocabulary.com/
Read the dictionary entry for the
word __.
Lessons:
Which definition represents the
meaning of the word __ as used in
paragraph __?
Background/Extra Information:
-Independent reading increases
vocabulary acquisition
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(8.9) Comprehension of
Informational Text/Culture
and History. Students
analyze, make inferences
and draw conclusions about
the author's purpose in
cultural, historical, and
contemporary contexts and
provide evidence from the
text to support their
understanding.]
Students are expected to
analyze works written on
the same topic and
compare how the authors
achieved similar or different
purposes. (​Supporting​)
Bloom’s-Analyzing
Note:
In order to compare how authors
achieve purposes on the same topic,
it is necessary to recognize
commonalities and differences in
the texts.
Students first identify the authors’
stated or implied purpose in each
text.
Next, they connect information (e.g.,
visuals, text features, key points,
details) found in each text to analyze
if and how the purpose is achieved.
After each text is analyzed, a
comparison is made.
Compare
Topic
Purpose
Make connections
across genres
-Compare/contrast
similar works by
different authors
-Short Answer
Analysis
Literature:
-Holt​ Literature
Activities:
Websites:
http://www.proteacher.org/c/765_Author
s_Purpose.html
Lessons:
How can students use annotation
skills to help evaluate author’s
purpose in a piece of literature?
Writing connection: Short answer
literary response using text to
support
(8.10) Comprehension of
Informational
Text/Expository Text.
Students analyze, make
inferences and draw
conclusions about
expository text and
provide evidence from
text to support their
understanding. Students
are expected to:
Bloom’sA,B. Understanding
C,D. Analyzing, Creating
Note​:
A. Understanding the elements how
details connect and build upon each
other to support a main idea
enhances understanding of the
information presented. Summarizing
provides a meaningful strategy for
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Summarize Main
idea Logical order
Succinctly
Relationship
Factual claim
Commonplace
assertion
Subtle Conclusion
Organizational
-Expand reading
skills by predicting,
making
connections
between ideas,
drawing
inferences, and
conclusions from
text
-Analyze structures
of expository texts
Literature:
-​Holt​ Units 3 and 4
Various novels
Activities:
--Short answer responses to expository
text
Websites:
Lessons:
(A) summarize the main
ideas, supporting details,
and relationships among
ideas in text succinctly in
ways that maintain
meaning and logical
order;
(​Readiness​)
(B) distinguish factual
claims from
commonplace assertions
and opinions and
evaluate inferences from
their logic in text;
(​Supporting​)
(C) make subtle
inferences and draw
complex conclusions
about the ideas in text
and their organizational
patterns; and (​Readiness​)
(D) synthesize and make
logical connections
between ideas within a
text and across two or
three texts representing
similar or different
genres and support those
findings with textual
evidence. (​Readiness​)
the analysis of how details are used
to communicate an idea. Summary
is used to recall, inform, or organize
ideas.
B.
It is important that students not
automatically accept everything
they read or hear. They must
distinguish evidence as fact or
non-fact in order to make sound
decisions based on information
presented.
C.
The ability to make subtle inferences
and draw complex conclusions can
only be developed through exposure
to more complex expository texts.
Improving vocabulary and asking
questions that encourage reading
between the lines and making
unique interpretations enhances the
ability to infer. An effective strategy
to support subtle inferencing is to
compare what is said in a text with
what is not said in the text.
Conclusions can be drawn from the
comparison by asking and answering
the question, “Why is this
important?”
D.
In order to make connections and
synthesize information across texts,
it is necessary to engage in a
multitude of comprehension
strategies.
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pattern
Organizational
structure
Connections
Synthesize Genre
-Compare/contrast
expository text
with similar topics
in other genres
-Practice active
reading strategies
(Holt online Best
Practices Toolkit)
-graphic organizers
Background/Extra Information:
http://www.readingrockets.org/article/re
ading-and-scaffolding-expository-texts
Graphic organizers are useful to
show the relationship among texts
because they provide a concrete
representation of the connections.
How can I analyze expository text
using inference skills and draw
complex conclusions based upon my
findings?
Do I know how expository text is
organized?
-Text dependent reading Writing
connection:
Write accurate summaries of
expository text
(A) What is this article mostly
about?
What is the main idea of paragraphs
__ to __?
What is the best summary of the
article?
In paragraphs _ and _, the author
presents the idea that (B) Which statement best expresses
an opinion found in the article?
Which sentence from the selection
is a commonplace assertion?
(C) What is a conclusion that the
reader can make based on the
information in this article?
Why does the author begin this
selection by explaining --?
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A subtle inference made in this
information based on how the ideas
are presented is –
What conclusion can the reader
make based on how the author
organized the ideas?
(8.12) Comprehension of
Informational
Text/Procedural Texts.
Students understand
how to glean and use
information in
procedural texts and
documents. Students are
expected to:
(A)analyze text for
missing or extraneous
information in multi-step
directions or legends for
diagrams; and
(B) evaluate graphics for
their clarity in
communicating meaning
or achieving a specific
purpose. (​Supporting​)
(8.13) Reading/Media
Literacy. Students use
comprehension skills to
analyze how words, images,
graphics, and sounds work
(D) What is an idea found in both
selections? Which sentence in
__supports the idea that __?
With which statement would the
author most likely mostly agree?
What can the reader conclude about
the author’s opinion of --?
Bloom’s-Evaluating
Note:
This standard requires students
to evaluate the clarity of graphics for
purpose, correctness, and
appropriateness.
Graphic
Clarity
Extraneous
Legend
Diagram
-Students explain
to one another
how to complete
tasks
-Use pictures,
charts, and graphs
to explain
Literature:
-​Holt​ Literature
-Instruction manuals
-Legends for diagrams
-Online Encyclopedias and Databases
Activities:
Websites:
-How can students analyze,
evaluate, and assemble procedural
documentation?
-How can students use graphics to
clarify procedural documentation?
-Multi-tasked instructions
-Logic of sequence Structures of text
(format, headers)
-Reinforce importance of looking at
all parts of a diagram, graph, or
chart
Bloom’s-Evaluating
How do students write
research-based pieces while using
elements of research along with
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Lessons:
Evaluate Opinion
Issue
Media
-Modeling
-Group
collaboration
Literature:
-​Holt​ Media p.508, p.578 Point of View
p.170, p.231
Activities:
together in various forms to
impact meaning. Students
will continue to apply
earlier standards with
greater depth in
increasingly more complex
texts. Students are
expected to:
(A) evaluate the role of
media in focusing attention
on events and informing
opinion on issues;
(Supporting​)
(C) evaluate various
techniques used to create a
point of view in media and
the impact on audience;
and
WRITING
(8.14) Writing/Writing
Process. Students use
elements of the writing
process (planning, drafting,
revising, editing, and
publishing) to compose
text. Students are expected
to:
(A) plan a first draft by
selecting a genre
appropriate for conveying
the intended meaning to an
audience, determining
appropriate topics through
a range of strategies (e.g.,
discussion, background
tone, voice, and other writing
techniques?
- Embed persuasive techniques
-Focus on media literacy (after
STAAR) in connection with text
Writing connection:
Incorporate short answer writing
into evaluations/assessments
Technique Point of
View Audience
Impact
Websites:
-United Streaming
-Safari Montage
-WebQuest:
http://www.frankwbaker.com/ad_lesson_
plans.htm
Lessons:
(A) Was the focus the newspaper
gave to the event of __ reasonable?
Did the television news program
present both sides of (or opinions
on) this issue?
Background/Extra Information:
As students become more aware of
media, exposure to a variety of media
forms provides students experience
needed to interpret, draw conclusions,
and infer messages. In order to evaluate
the role of media, students determine the
effectiveness of how the purpose is
communicated and the impact of
techniques and their effectiveness, and
recognize any bias.
(C) What technique did the
television announcer use to impact
the audience with his/her point of
view?
Why does the advertisement begin
with a question?
Bloom’s Level: Apply, Evaluate,
Analyze, Create
How do students refine a fully
processed composition to final draft
status?
-Writing checkpoints
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Draft
Thesis
Controlling idea
Organizational
strategy
Sequence
Cause/Effect
Compare/Contrast
Coherent
Revise
Vivid
Point of View
Simple sentence
Compound sentence
Complex sentence
Internal coherence
“I do, we do, you
do” model
-Teacher/student
conferences
-Mini lessons for
each stage of
writing
-Exemplars used as
models
-Collaborative
writing
Activities:
USe various pieces of literature as mentor
text
Websites:
http://www.writefortexas.org/
Samples
http://empoweringwriters.com/toolbox/
Lessons:
Use STAAR writing rubrics for grading
The Writing Academy
reading, personal interests,
interviews), and developing
a thesis or controlling idea;
(B) develop drafts by
choosing an appropriate
organizational strategy
(e.g., sequence of events,
cause-effect,
compare/contrast) and
building on ideas to create
a focused, organized, and
coherent piece of writing;
(C) revise drafts to ensure
precise word choice and
vivid images; consistent
point of view; use of simple,
compound, and complex
sentences; internal and
external coherence; and the
use of effective transitions
after rethinking how well
questions of purpose,
audience, and genre have
been addressed;
(D) edit drafts for grammar,
mechanics, and spelling;
(E) revise final draft in
response to feedback from
peers and teacher and
publish written work for
appropriate audiences.
(8.17) Writing/Expository
and Procedural Texts.
Students write expository
and procedural or
work-related texts to
communicate ideas and
information to specific
External coherence
Transition
Purpose
Audience
Genre
Edit
Grammar Mechanics
Bloom’s Level: Create
How can students logically organize
procedural text so that the
documentation states and
communicates a purpose?
-Writing process
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Procedural text
Purpose
Controlling idea
Extraneous
Inconsistency
Synthesize Rhetorical
Teacher modeling
Collaborative
writing
Literature:
Various readings as mentor texts
Activities:
The Writing Academy Blocks 5, 6, and 7
(7 may take you into the 5th Six Weeks)
audiences for specific
purposes. Students are
expected to:
(A) write a multiparagraph
essay to convey information
about a topic that: (i)
presents effective
introductions and
concluding paragraphs; (ii)
contains a clearly stated
purpose or controlling idea;
(iii) is logically organized
with appropriate facts and
details and includes no
extraneous information or
inconsistencies; (iv)
accurately synthesizes ideas
from several sources; and
(v) uses a variety of
sentence structures,
rhetorical devices, and
transitions to link
paragraphs;
(B) write a letter that
reflects an opinion,
registers a complaint, or
requests information in a
business or friendly
context;
-Create sensory images -Connection
to text, self, and world
Ask questions about text: literal,
interpretive, evaluative, universal
questions
-Make inferences using textual
evidence
-Retell important events
-Summarize, paraphrase, and
synthesize texts
device Transition
Evidence
-Create sensory images -Connection
to text, self, and world
--“I do, we do, you do” model
Letter
Opinion
Complaint
Context
Websites:
-Connect to
community issue
-Read model
letters
Activities:
Various readings as mentor texts
Websites:
Rubric idea
http://www.readwritethink.org/files/reso
urces/lesson_images/lesson875/Persuasiv
eLetterRubric.pdf
See TEA for Rubric for EOC
(C) write responses to
literary or expository texts
that demonstrate use of
writing skills for a
multi-paragraph essay and
Am I able to formulate a
well-developed short answer
response to expository text?
What have I read that is similar to
what I am trying to write?
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Graphics
Images
Multi-Media
Presentation
Sound
Short answer
response with text
evidence
Activities:
Various readings as mentor texts
Websites:
http://www.angelfire.com/ms/MediaLiter
acy/Grade8.html
provide sustained evidence -Ask questions about text: literal,
from text using quotations interpretive, evaluative, universal
when appropriate
questions
-Make inferences using textual
evidence
-Retell important events
-Summarize, paraphrase, and
synthesize texts
(D) produce a multimedia
How can I produce multi-media
presentation involving text, presentations using text, graphics,
graphics, images, and sound images and sounds?
using available technology.
Text
Graphics
Images
Multi-Media
Presentation
Sound
Text
Collaborative
writing
Video clips
Activities:
Various readings as mentor texts
Websites:
http://www.angelfire.com/ms/MediaLiter
acy/Grade8.html
(8.19) Oral and Written
Conventions/Conventions.
Students understand the
function of and use the
conventions of academic
language when speaking
and writing. Students will
continue to apply earlier
standards with greater
complexity. Students are
expected to:
(A) use and understand the
function of the following
parts of speech in the
context of reading, writing,
and speaking:
(ii) appositive phrases;
(8.20) Writing/Conventions
of Language/Handwriting.
Students write legibly and
use appropriate
capitalization and
Appositive Phrases
-Show students
examples of
conventions and
sentences and
have them
replicate in writing
Activities:
-​Holt​ Units 1 and 2
Various readings as mentor texts
Websites:
How are the conventions of
academic language used to form
effective sentences?
-Introduce then practice through
writing
http://www.chompchomp.com/terms/ap
positive.htm
http://www.k12reader.com/term/appositi
ve-phrase/
Can students create legible
documents using appropriate
conventions of capitalization?
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Capitalization
Punctuation
Comma Introductory
structure Dependent
-Peer editing
-Interactive
notebook
-Show students
examples of
Activities:
Holt
Websites:
http://www.chompchomp.com/terms/ad
verbclause.htm
punctuation conventions in
their compositions.
Students will continue to
apply earlier standards with
greater complexity.
Students are expected to:
(A) use conventions of
capitalization;
(B) use correct punctuation
marks, including:
(i) commas after
introductory structures and
dependent adverbial
clauses, and correct
punctuation of complex
sentences;
(ii) semicolons, colons,
hyphens, parentheses,
brackets, ellipses.
(8.21) Oral and Written
Conventions/Spelling.
Students spell correctly.
Students are expected to
spell correctly, including
using various resources to
determine and check
correct spellings.
Can students create legible
documents using appropriate
convention of punctuation?
How can using resources assist in
correct spelling?
-Assess in writing, revising, and
editing
Resource
(8.26) Listening and
Speaking/Listening.
Students will use
comprehension skills to
listen attentively to others
in formal and informal
settings. Students will
continue to apply earlier
standards with greater
What is the speaker’s purpose?
-Group listening activities
Appreciation
Audiences
Critical listening
Culture
Purposes
-Assess with writing, revising, and
editing
adverbial clause
Complex sentence
Punctuation
Ellipses
Bracket Parentheses
Hyphen
Colon
Semicolon
proper use of
conventions and
have them
replicate
http://www.thepunctuationguide.com/co
mma.html
http://www.chompchomp.com/terms/se
micolon.htm
http://www.chompchomp.com/handouts.
htm
https://grammarcops.wordpress.com/tag/
semicolon/
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-Daily practice
-Dictionary and
Thesaurus use
Activities:
Daily practice
Websites:
http://dictionary.reference.com/
-teacher modeling
-Library Media sources
complexity. Students are
expected to:
(A) listen to and interpret a
speaker's purpose by
explaining the content,
evaluating the delivery of
the presentation, and
asking questions or making
comments about the
evidence that supports a
speaker's claims
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