SYRACUSE CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT
Grade 08 Unit 02 Analyzing Information
Special Education and Consultant Teacher Resource Guide
* Denotes that scaffold is contained in the original unit.
Revised October 2014. Revisions/additions are in Red
Teaching Points
Scaffolds and Supports
2.1 Readers generate ideas about the central
idea of a text by asking, “What is this mostly
about? What is the author saying about this
topic?”
(e.g., This is mostly about the violation of human
Explicit vocabulary instruction when reviewing the
objective.
rights...The author seems to be saying that the cost of progress
affects how we value human beings.)
Unit 2 Vocabulary Words – powerpoint
Family Calendar November 2014
Family Calendar December 2014
* Quick write: What do you think this is mostly
about? What idea is the author trying to make
the reader think about?
* Student prompt: One idea I have is ____; for
example...
* Students use nonfiction roadmap anchor chart
* These resources are in addition to the scaffolding provided on curriculum central grade 8. It is important that you still
refer to the curriculum for guidance. Modify the given text in form or delivery to best meet the needs of your students.
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and roadmap for the gist.
-S3QR graphic organizer
- Brain pop- Main idea
2.2 Readers look for patterns and connections by
asking themselves, “Why does this keep coming
up? What might the author be showing us with
these patterns? What connections are being
made throughout the text?”
Explicit vocabulary instruction when reviewing the
objective.
* Quick Write: Re-read your roadmap and gist
statements. What information keeps coming up?
What patterns are you noticing?
* Look for patterns and connections. Track
connections with post-it notes and asking, “how is
this related?”
- Nonfiction pyramid: Graphic organizer
- Free nonfiction organizer
2.3 Readers connect specific, relevant details in a
text to the central idea. Readers do this by looking
for supporting ideas that support the central idea.
Readers then summarize key events and ideas by
asking themselves, “Which events are important to
the central idea?”
Explicit vocabulary instruction when reviewing the
objective.
* Quick Write: Write a summary of the text,
describing the central idea, using supporting
ideas as evidence.
* These resources are in addition to the scaffolding provided on curriculum central grade 8. It is important that you still
refer to the curriculum for guidance. Modify the given text in form or delivery to best meet the needs of your students.
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* Web Map with central idea stated in the center,
and supporting ideas around the outside. Can
also be a flowchart or fishbone. Fishbone Chart
Enchanted Learning: Graphic Organizers
* Think-Ink-Pair-Share: Which lines from the text
show how the supporting ideas support the
central idea?
Think pair share organizer
Flocabulary- Listen to the song follow the main
idea lyrics. Complete main idea activity.
http://www.flocabulary.com/subjects/
2.4 Readers recognize and track connections
among individuals, ideas, and events as they
read. They can do this by roadmapping and
asking themselves: “How are the individuals, ideas
or events related? How do they connect? What
idea do I have about what this text is saying?”
Explicit vocabulary instruction when reviewing the
objective.
Teacher questions: Are there ideas that are running across
the whole text? What more information do you have? What
does it make you think? How does it relate to earlier parts of
* Code and roadmap text within the book using
post-it notes, flags or within their writing journals,
making sure to label each details as an
* Quick Write: How are the individuals, ideas or
events related? How do they connect? What
idea do I have about what this text is saying?
* These resources are in addition to the scaffolding provided on curriculum central grade 8. It is important that you still
refer to the curriculum for guidance. Modify the given text in form or delivery to best meet the needs of your students.
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the text?
individual, idea, or event.
Non fiction road map anchor chart:
Graphic organizers: Classification notes:
Category: Ideas and Infornation
Student prompts:
The idea about ___ comes up again; for example...
I
just read ___; that fits with the earlier part because...
2.5 Readers know that authors use specific words
or phrases to create a tone. They think to
themselves, “What central idea is the author
developing? How do these words or phrases
impact the central idea?”
Explicit vocabulary instruction when reviewing the
objective.
* Quick Write: What is the tone of the text? Which
words or phrases does the author use to create
that tone? What claim is s/he making on the
subject?
* Provide examples of tone in informational text:
sarcastic, argumentative, formal/informal,
opinionated, objective/biased, humorous, etc.
Sentence Stems for Quick Write:
This word or phrase means...
* These resources are in addition to the scaffolding provided on curriculum central grade 8. It is important that you still
refer to the curriculum for guidance. Modify the given text in form or delivery to best meet the needs of your students.
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I know this because...
The author uses it to...
The word or phrase affects the central idea by...
This word or phrase helped the reader to understand
the central idea because...
- Tone and mood words
2.6 Readers can identify and differentiate
between words with connotative, figurative, and
technical meanings that connect to the purpose.
Explicit vocabulary instruction when reviewing the
objective.
* Think-Ink-Pair-Share: Some words are more
important than others. Which words feel
important? What do they suggest?
* Word Wall for words with connotative,
figurative, and technical meanings.
- Poster
- Connotative vs. Denotative organizer
2.7 Readers identify when an author uses
Explicit vocabulary instruction when reviewing the
* These resources are in addition to the scaffolding provided on curriculum central grade 8. It is important that you still
refer to the curriculum for guidance. Modify the given text in form or delivery to best meet the needs of your students.
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figurative language by locating examples of
analogies and allusions to other texts.
objective.
* Analyzing Text Activity: Teacher provides text to
students. Have students find a pre-determined
number of examples of figurative language in a
text. Ask these questions:


What type of figurative language
did you find?




What affect would this figurative
language have on the audience?
Who is the intended audience?
-Figurative language flow chart
-Figurative language organizer
-Flocabulary: Figurative language (Word play) Find
examples of figurative language in the lyrics.
Complete the figurative language exercise.
2.8 Readers pay attention to how an author has
structured a text and think to themselves, “Why
would the author use this structure? What is he or
she trying to show me?”
Explicit vocabulary instruction when reviewing the
objective.
* Quick Write: In the article, ___, the author uses
the structure of ____ to show the readers _____. I
* These resources are in addition to the scaffolding provided on curriculum central grade 8. It is important that you still
refer to the curriculum for guidance. Modify the given text in form or delivery to best meet the needs of your students.
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know this because ____.
* Student prompt: The author structures the text
like this so we understand...
Text Structure Book Observation
* Note Sheet for students to guide thinking and
comprehension around identifying text structure
* Text Structure Sort Activity
* Text Structure Sort Activity with sample texts
2.9 Readers reflect on a feature of text and
identify how it relates to the central idea by
asking, "Why did the author choose to include this
feature in the text? How does this feature
contribute to the central idea?”
Explicit vocabulary instruction when reviewing the
objective.
2.10 Readers look for particular sentences within a
paragraph that develop or refine a key concept
(central idea). They ask themselves, “What role do
these sentences play in developing the concept
or idea? How does this specific sentence add to
Explicit vocabulary instruction when reviewing the
objective.
* Graphic Organizer: Thieves Practice
* Note Sheet for students to guide thinking and
comprehension around identifying text features
-Writing a paragraph target (Choose a paragraph
from a chunked or leveled text in the recommended
* These resources are in addition to the scaffolding provided on curriculum central grade 8. It is important that you still
refer to the curriculum for guidance. Modify the given text in form or delivery to best meet the needs of your students.
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the meaning of the central idea?”
reading and modified reading section)
1. Write the main idea in the center
2. Write the sentence that shows the key idea next.
3. Write what the role the sentence plays in
developing the key idea.
4. Write how this sentence adds to the meaning of
the central idea.
2.11 Readers identify specific claims within a text
by reviewing the supporting ideas around the
central idea. Readers then assess whether the
claim is sound by asking themselves, “Does this
make sense? Is there enough evidence that
supports the claim?”
Explicit vocabulary instruction when reviewing the
objective.
 T-Chart: Review your notes. Does the
evidence offered support the ideas in the
text (the claim)? Does the evidence make
sense? Is there enough evidence that
supports the claim? Record the information
on t-chart.
Fishing for Research
Box and bullet organizer.
Turn & Talk: Identify one supporting detail from
the text using your notes. Record this on a post-it
note. Compile post-it notes in order for other
students to view and share supporting details
further (Give One Get One)
* These resources are in addition to the scaffolding provided on curriculum central grade 8. It is important that you still
refer to the curriculum for guidance. Modify the given text in form or delivery to best meet the needs of your students.
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2.12 Readers recognize when an author
introduces information that is irrelevant to the
claim (or central idea). They think to themselves,
“What does this have to do with the claim (or
central idea)?”
District Recommended Readings
Excerpts from: Flesh and Blood So Cheap:
The Triangle Fire and Its Legacy by
Albert Marrin (Lexile 1000)
Template for Analyzing Photographs and
Posters: P.O.S.E.R.S.
Explicit vocabulary instruction when reviewing the
objective.
* Quick Write: Is this part of the text essential to
the central idea? How do you know? (Teacher
would choose a chunk of text that includes
irrelevant information for the focus of the quick
write)
Modifications to text
Readers theater: Worked to the BoneThe Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire by Jane Runyon - edHelper
Title:U.S. History Readers' Theater (Smith, Robert W.)
-Triangle Terror
-Child’s Work
Child workers are getting sick while harvesting tobacco on U.S. farms.
News ELA has multiple levels for the same article.
● Photographs & Captions of Child Labor
Around the World Visual Web Link
* These resources are in addition to the scaffolding provided on curriculum central grade 8. It is important that you still
refer to the curriculum for guidance. Modify the given text in form or delivery to best meet the needs of your students.
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● Photographs of Child Labor in the
United States Visual Web Link
● Visuals of Child Labor Around the World
Visual Web Link Video Clips from:
● A Brief History of Child Labor in the
United States Video Clip
Child labor Webquest
Websites for further exploration:
www.freethechildren.com (read
about current child labor issues
internationally)
http://www.childinfo.org/labour.html
(current statistics of children forced
to work around the globe)
UNICEF Search (multiple articles on
child labor around the world)
Articles:
● Child Labor in Factories Web Article
(Lexile 990)
-(Same article) Pair share read- Highlight key information.
* These resources are in addition to the scaffolding provided on curriculum central grade 8. It is important that you still
refer to the curriculum for guidance. Modify the given text in form or delivery to best meet the needs of your students.
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● Child Labor Slater Web Article (Lexile
1000)
● History of Labor Day Time for Kids
(Lexile 980)
● Illegal Child Labor Puts Food on
Tables of Americans Web Article
(Lexile 1150)
● The Newsies Strike of 1899
Newspaper Articles
● Fact Sheet: A summary of the rights
under the Convention on the Rights of the Child(UNICEF)
- Child labor modified Text chunked with probing questions. Pair share or
class read.
-History of labor day modified Text chunked with probing questions. Pair
share read.
-Child Labor: Young Hands Picking Our Food.
-Child labour on the US-Mexican Border
-Extra , Extra- Readers theater about Newsies.
-Cut up fact sheet and have students work with a partner to highlight and
summarize important facts.
Document Current Examples and Issues:
● Underage workers in Iowa meat
packing plant New York Times
Article (Lexile 1490)
-Meatpacking/meat processing jobs – Teens aren’t allowed to do it but
some due despite the dangers.
* These resources are in addition to the scaffolding provided on curriculum central grade 8. It is important that you still
refer to the curriculum for guidance. Modify the given text in form or delivery to best meet the needs of your students.
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● China Exposes Child Labor Ring New
York Times Article (Lexile 1610)
● United Nations Drive Toward
Primary Education New York Times
Article (Lexile 1520)
● Children Toil in India’s Mines New
York Times Article
From Glencoe:
-Child Labor Around the World- Scholastic
-Stolen Childhoods (Trailer)
Child Labor – Scholastic News Online
History of Child Labor
-Reading comprehension (Tanzania)
● Coming to America by McGowan,
Wong, Bane, and Morice (Lexile
840)
● Passing the Torch by Lisa Takeuchi
-Use the audio for Glencoe or read aloud.
Cullen (In Time Magazine, Course 3,
Issue B Lexile 1030)
● The Great Fire by Jim Murphy (Lexile
1130)
● The March of the Mill Children by
Judith Pinkerton Josephson (Lexile
940)
The Chicago Fire (modified 3rd grade)
The Chicago Fire (modified 5th grade)
The Great Chicago Fire (Use as a webquest)
* These resources are in addition to the scaffolding provided on curriculum central grade 8. It is important that you still
refer to the curriculum for guidance. Modify the given text in form or delivery to best meet the needs of your students.
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* These resources are in addition to the scaffolding provided on curriculum central grade 8. It is important that you still
refer to the curriculum for guidance. Modify the given text in form or delivery to best meet the needs of your students.
13