LiiteracyC
Curricullum8thGrade
RE
EADINGT
TON PUB
BLIC SCH
HOOL DIISTRICT
Eightth Grade Literacy C
Curriculu
um
Au
uthored by: K
Kari McGann, Elise Zuegnerr,
Janet Howarrd, and Nicolee Maraventano
o
Reviewed by: Superintendent Dr. B
Barbara Sargen
nt
Ap
pproval Date: August 2014
4
Members of the Board of Education
n:
Davvid Livingstoon, Presiden
nt
Cherryl Filler, Viice-Presiden
nt
Barbaraa Dobozynsk
ki
W
Wayne Doran
n
Ray Egberrt
Williaam Goodwin
n
Vincent Panico
o
L
Laura Simon
n
E
Eric Zwerling
g
Readin
ngton Tow
wnship Pu
ublic Scho
ools
52 Readington
R
n Road, Whitehous
W
se Station
n, NJ 0888
89
www.read
w
dington.kll2.nj.us
1 LiiteracyC
Curricullum8thGrade
I. P
PURPOSE AND
A
OVER
RVIEW
The Read
dington Schoo
ol District mid
ddle school liiteracy prograam provides a balanced in
nstructional ap
pproach which
h
includes study of authentic and rich literatu
ure, and expeerience and ppractice in eff
ffective writingg traits within a workshop
p
appro
oach. By the time our stud
dents are in eighth
e
grade th
hey are able tto handle ind
dependently diifficult texts. Students willl
focuss on reading teexts in the 6-8
8 grade band leevel (70 perceent) independeently as well aas sustained prractice with teexts in the 9-10
0
gradee band level ass “stretch” tex
xts (30 percentt), which will require scaffo
olding by teach
hers. Studentts will read a w
wide variety of
o
genrees; narratives, dramas, poetrry, and inform
mational text. At this gradee level studentss will read sub
bgenres of advventure storiess,
biogrraphies, memo
oirs, historicall fiction, mystteries, folktalees, legends, fab
ables, tall taless, myths, fantaasy, science fiiction, realistic
fictio
on, and graphic novels. Students will be exposed
e
to draamas at this leevel that inclu
ude one-act an
nd multi-act pllays bot as tex
xt
and aas film. Poetry
y in for form of
o narrative po
oems, lyrical poems,
p
free veerse, odes, balllads, and epiccs will be read. At this levell,
studeents will read expositive as well as argum
ment in the form of essays, opinion piecees as well as o
other documeents and digita
al
mediia sources on a range of topiics.
In writerss workshop stu
udents focus on
o specific tex
xt types: narraative, informaative and explanatory text, aand argumentt.
In thee study of voccabulary studeents focus both
h on understan
nding words aand their nuan
nces and on accquiring new w
words through
h
conveersation and reading
r
and by
y being taught them directly. Students w
will grow to u
understand thee proper mean
nings of wordss,
with the means (context, word analysis, and
d so on) so th
hat they can seelect words bbased on the ssituation. Ourr curriculum is
i
desiggned to be resp
ponsive to thee developmen
ntal stages. Our
O differentiatted workshop
p approach alllows students to be engaged
d
with reading and writing experriences approp
priate to theirr point in devvelopment, an
nd our teacherrs assess studeents at regula
ar
m their instrucctional decisio
ons. Instructio
on focuses on
n assisting stu
udents to builld independen
nce as readerss,
intervvals to inform
writeers, speakers, listeners,
l
and language userrs. Students will
w build a baase of knowled
dge across a w
wide range of subject matte
er
by en
ngaging with words
w
of quallity and substaance. They will
w respond to
o the varying demands of aaudience, task
k, purpose, and
d
discip
pline.
II. C
COMPONE
ENTS OF BALANCED
B
D LITERA
ACY
The ccomponents of a successful balanced literracy program in
i the middle school settingg include the fo
ollowing:
 Reading Workshop
W
 Writing Workshop
W
 Word Stud
dy/Vocabularry Instruction
Read
ding Worksho
op: (Approxim
mately 40 minu
utes daily)
The rreading worksshop is one co
omponent of a balanced literracy program.. The readingg workshop is comprised off four parts; the
mini--lesson, indep
pendent readiing time with
h conferring, a mid-workkshop teachin
ng point, and
d finally a teeaching share
e,
partn
nership, or boo
ok club discusssions.
Mini-Lesson- The mini lesson ta
akes place at th
he beginning of
o the readingg workshop an
nd should last aabout 10 minu
utes (no longe
er
than 15). Students should be gatthered at a ceentral location
n for the mini--lesson. Durin
ng this time, tthe teacher cleearly states the
teach
hing point for that lesson. The teacher then models the skill or sttrategy they aare teaching aand involves tthe students in
n
think
king with them
m as the teacher demonstrattes exactly wh
hat they want students to leearn to do as rreaders. Stud
dents then have
an op
pportunity to practice
p
the sk
kill or strategy
y during the mini-lesson,
m
wh
hile receiving support. Lateer, readers will draw on thiis
strateegy independeently, as needeed. Finally, th
he students are given a chan
ance to practicce the skill or strategy whilee still gathered
d
togeth
her.
Studeent Independeent Reading Time
T
with Co
onferring and Small Group Work- In most forty-five minute readin
ng workshopss,
teach
hers divide thee work time beetween privatee time, when students
s
read qquietly to them
mselves, (20 m
min.) and partn
ner time, when
n
studeents meet to ta
alk with their reading
r
partneers (5-10 min.) or book clubbs (5-10 min.). After the mini-lesson stud
dents read selffselectted just-right books that match
m
the speccified unit of study
s
being sttudied. Studeents read privvately and quiietly while the
teach
her moves aro
ound the classroom, conferrring with indiividuals, or m
meeting with p
partnerships o
or clubs. The teacher migh
ht
also b
be leading a sttrategy small group
g
reading lessons duringg this time.
Mid-W
Workshop Teeaching Point-- Many times as
a teachers are conferring w
with students, they notice th
hat there is either a common
n
difficculty students are having or
o that most students
s
seem to grasp the concept and are ready to move on. T
Thus, the mid
dwork
kshop teaching
g point can bee used either to
o clarify confu
usion, or to exxpand upon a strategy to pu
ush students to go further in
n
2 2
LiiteracyC
Curricullum8thGrade
their reading. It can
c also allow
w us to correcct misconceptiions, to remin
nd students off a previous d
day’s lesson th
hat has specia
al
relevaance, to instru
uct students about
a
their up
pcoming partn
ner work, or tto rally readeers to work haarder or longeer. The mid
dwork
kshop teaching
g point is most often decideed during the workshop
w
and
d comes as a rresult of teacher observation
n. This should
d
take n
no more than few minutes, during which students geneerally stay in ttheir reading sspots rather thaan reconvene in the meeting
g
area.
hing Share/Pa
artnerships/Book Clubs- At the end of a workshop, affter reading tim
me, the teacheer takes a cou
uple minutes to
o
Teach
wrap up the day’s work with a teaching
t
sharee. Many times the point a tteacher makess in the share comes from sspecific studen
nt
k from that da
ays’ workshop. It’s used to share ways in
n which studeents have inco
orporated that day’s mini-leesson into theiir
work
work
k and to share their new insiights or discov
veries. The teeacher sometim
me retells a co
onference or aasks a student to share his or
o
her reeading work. The share should last no more
m
than a feew minutes. This is also th
he time wheree students can
n meet in theiir
partn
nerships or boo
ok clubs to disscuss the readiing work they have been do
oing (anywheree from 5-15 m
minutes).
n fits into thee reading worrkshop curricu
ulum framewo
ork. Often as
a
Smalll Group Instrruction- Smalll group readiing instruction
studeents read, teacchers confer with
w
a couple of readers an
nd them meett with a smalll group. In some classroo
oms, howeverr,
teach
hers have a sep
parate time blo
ocked for addiitional work with
w small grou
ups of readerss.
It’s im
mportant that small group work
w
not substitute for read
ding workshopp, but instead, offer addition
nal opportunitties for reading
g
and iinstruction. One
O format for small group instruction in the
t middle sch
hool grades is in the form off book clubs.
Book Club
bs- Book clubss in the middle school settin
ng involve fou
ur or five readeers who talk aacross a wholee line of bookss.
nd write abou
ut shared textss.
This structure allows a teacher to teach readiing skills whille small groupps of studentss read, talk, an
k clubs genera
ally meet about two times a week, som
metimes more,, to discuss a text they aree reading in sync with one
Book
anoth
her, usually ab
bout 15-20 min
nutes at a tim
me. Since the conversation
c
rrelies heavily o
on students haaving read to tthe same poin
nt
in theeir texts, studeents assign theemselves severral chapters a night.
n
Book cclubs provide tteachers with another opporrtunity to push
h
readeers to read mo
ore. Usually there
t
is an exp
pectation that club memberrs will preparee for conversattions by doingg some writing
g
about the issue tha
at is at the foreefront of the conversation.
c
Members of aany one club n
need to be faiirly well-match
hed by reading
g
p
if the grroup members reflect diversiity of gender aand ethnicity.
level.. The group profits
d- Read aloud
d in 8th grade consists of m
mentor texts th
hat are selected by the teach
her in order to
o
Interactivee Read Aloud
nteractive read aloud to intrroduce a serie
onstrate a read
ding strategy. Teachers scheedule an “anchor experiencce” that is an in
es
demo
of lesssons or work.. Short texts often
o
work weell for these reaad alouds, or eexcerpts that aare self-contaiined enough to
o illustrate and
d
prom
mpt for good reeading and intterpretation. During
D
this tim
me, students d
discuss their th
houghts and id
deas about thee text, either as
a
a gro
oup or in a parrtnership. Th
hese partnerships may be in
nformal (“turn
n to your neigh
hbor”) or longger-lasting. W
When choosing
g
read aloud texts, teacher aim to
o include a ran
nge of levels, genres, tones , and authors. Often the rread aloud tex
xt is integral to
o
y mini-lessonss within a un
nit of study. The interacttive read-alou
ud lessons pro
ovide instructiion for students in reading
g
many
strateegies; thinking
g about the tex
xt, questioningg, content, textt type, purposse, and genre ccharacteristics are just a few
w.
Close Rea
ading- Anotheer method of read
r
aloud is to
o do a close reeading session
n. Students do
o not do close reading all the
hen the teacheer wants them
m to closely ex
xamine the sppecific strategiees of a writer or to mull ovver and rethink
k
time, but rather wh
ng to them ass a reader. In 8th grade closse readings aree often done aas a class on a poem, primary documentt,
what a text is sayin
book
k, article, etc. that is centrall to the themee of a unit. Teachers pro
ompt studentss to look closeely at one speecific text, and
d
connect the work with
w the largerr work of study
ying the autho
or’s craft.
ule for an 80 block
b
of literaccy; 40 minutess in Readers W
Workshop is ass follows:
A sugggested schedu
Monday
Reaad-Aloud and
Accountable Talk (about
20 minutes)
Ind
dependent Read
ding
(ab
bout 25 minutes)
Tuesday
Mini-lesson (abou
ut
10 min)
Ind
dependent
Rea
ading (about 30
0
min
nutes)
Sha
are and/or
Parrtner Talk (abou
ut
5 min)
m
Wednesday
ud and
Read-Alou
Accountab
ble Talk
(about 20 min)
m
Independent
Reading (aabout 25
min)
Thursday
ni-lesson (abou
ut 10
Min
min
n)
Ind
dependent Read
ding
(abbout 30 min)
Friday
Indepen
ndent Reading (about 45
min; 10
0 minute mini leesson and 35
minutees reading)
Small-G
Group Work
(about 10 minutes)
Shaare and/or Parttner
Tallk (about 5 min))
3 3
LiiteracyC
Curricullum8thGrade
p: (Approxim
mately 40 min
nutes daily)
Writing Workshop
n different form
ms for different audiences iis something eeighth graderss need to be p
prepared to do
o.
Writiing for different purposes in
To un
nderstand wha
at it means to write well stu
udents need tim
me to study th
he art of writin
ng and the tim
me to write. Haaving a writing
g
work
kshop will affo
ord students bo
oth of these th
hings. Just likee reading workkshop, the wrriting worksho
op is comprised of 4 parts. It
I
begin
ns with a minii-lesson and iss followed by independent writing
w
within
n a specific genre of writingg. During thiss time studentts
writee about self-sellected topics as
a the teacher conferences or
o pulls togeth
her small grou
ups of writers who need thee same type of
o
suppo
ort. At times the teacher meets
m
with indiividual studen
nts. At the end
d of the writin
ng workshop, there is a teacching share led
d
by th
he teacher, wh
hich often setts up partnership sharing. The
T teacher o
often stops co
onferencing tim
me, mid-work
kshop teaching
g
pointt, and a teachiing share.
akes place at th
he beginning of
o the writing workshop and should last aabout 10 minu
utes (no longe
er
Mini-Lesson- The mini lesson ta
than 15). During this time, thee teachers clearly state the teaching poin
nt for that daay. The teach
her then models the skill or
o
strateegy they are teeaching throu
ugh his/her ow
wn writing. Offten times a m
mini-lesson wiill include a cllose reading u
using a mento
or
text iin order to foccus on a single skill or strattegy. Teacherss will model tthe skill or strrategy and guiide students aas they practice
the sk
kill or strategy
y together. Modeled
M
writin
ng should be written
w
70% off the time usin
ng a topic/sceenario that is relevant to the
age o
of the student and 30% of the
t time usingg a topic/scen
nario that is reelevant to the age of the teacher. For eexample, in 8tht
gradee teachers are modeling theeir own writin
ng with topicss that are relevvant, and in tthe moment ffor 8th graderss. In addition
n,
ancho
or charts are often created as a tool to further modeel the teachin
ng point. Fin
nally, the stud
dents are giveen a chance to
o
practtice the skill orr strategy in th
heir own indep
pendent writin
ng.
pendent Writiing Time/Con
nferring- At this time, stud
dents are worrking independ
dently, most often practicing the skill or
o
Indep
strateegy that has been
b
taught in
n that days’ mini-lesson.
m
During
D
this tim
me, the teacherr is conferenccing with stud
dents about the
work
k they are doin
ng as writers. This
T is also tim
me for small group
g
strategy lessons.
Mid-W
Workshop Teeaching Point-- Many times as
a teachers are conferring w
with students, they notice th
hat there is either a common
n
difficculty students are having, or
o that most students
s
seem
m to grasp thee concept and
d are ready to
o move on. T
Thus, the mid
dwork
kshop teaching
g point can bee used either to
o clarify confu
usion, or to exxpand upon a strategy to pu
ush students to go further in
n
their writing. Thee mid-worksho
op teaching po
oint is most often
o
decided during the wo
orkshop and ccomes as a reesult of teache
er
obserrvation. This should take no
o more than 5 minutes.
Sharee/Partnerships - At the end
d of a worksho
op, the teacheer takes a coupple minutes to
o wrap up the day’s work w
with a teaching
g
sharee. Many timees the point a teacher makees in the sharee comes from
m specific student work from
m that days’ w
workshop. The
sharee should last no
n more than 5 minutes. This
T
is also th
he time wheree students can
n meet in theirr partnerships to discuss the
work
k they are doin
ng as writers.
Alouds – Unitts of study som
metimes begin
n with immerrsion using piccture books o
or text excerptts as a strategy
y
Interaactive Read-A
tool. Interactive reead-aloud lesssons provide writers
w
with models
m
of fluen
nt reading, thiinking about a text, questio
oning, contentt,
text ttype, purpose, and genre cha
aracteristics.
A sugggested schedu
ule for an 80 block
b
of literaccy; 40 minutess in Writers W
Workshop is ass follows:
Monday
Read--Aloud and
Accou
untable Talk
(abou
ut 20 minutes)
Writin
ng About Reading
(abou
ut 25 minutes)
Tuesday
Mini-leesson
(about 10 min)
Indepen
ndent
Writing
g (about 30
minutess total; 10 minu
ute
mini lessson and 20
minutess of writing)
Share and/or
a
Partner
Talk (ab
bout 5 min)
Wednesday
W
oud and
Read-Alo
Accountaable Talk (aboutt
20 min)
Writing About
A
Reading
(about 25
5 min)
Thu
ursday
Mini-lesson
n (about 10
min)
Independen
nt Writing
(about 30 m
minutes total;
10 minute m
mini lesson
and 20 min
nutes of
writing)
Frid
day
Independent Writing
(about 30 min; about 30
minutes totall; 10 minute
mini lesson aand 20
minutes of w
writing)
Small-Group
p Work
(about 10 minutes)
Share and/
/or Partner
Talk (aboutt 5 min)
4 4
LiiteracyC
Curricullum8thGrade
Vocaabulary/Word
d Study:
Vocaabulary instrucction is part of
o a balanced literacy proggram where vvocabulary is ffocused on an
nd specifically
y taught. The
langu
uage arts curriiculum in 8th grade
g
encouraages the appreciation and cu
uriosity for wo
ords and theirr meanings, ass well as direc
ct
instru
uction to help
p students lea
arn essential academic vocabulary term
ms used throu
ughout the u
units of study
y. Vocabulary
y
instru
uction is a com
mponent for ea
ach grade and
d every level of
o reader and w
writer. In grad
de 8, this instrruction can bee limited to 15
520 m
minutes. In 8th grade studeents continue to make usee of a range o
of strategies tto determine and clarify th
he meaning of
o
unkn
nown and mulltiple-meaning
g words. The repertoire inccludes consideering the word
d’s use in a brroader contex
xt that include
es
the content of the paragraph in which the wo
ord appears an
nd the overarcching structurre of the text. Students will develop theiir
abilitties to interpreet a variety off figurative lan
nguage found in what they read, verify ttheir inferencees with word m
meanings, and
d
makee distinction among
a
words based on co
onnotation. Students
S
will aacquire new words througgh interactive language use
e,
including informall talk, discussiion, and respo
onding to textt as well as beeing taught wo
ords directly. This includees a continuing
g
focuss on “Tier 2” word
w
and phra
ases (those thaat most comm
monly appear iin spoken langguage), “Tier 3
3” words and phrases (those
that aare specific an
nd important to particular disciplines). It is important ffor word studyy and vocabullary developm
ment to transfe
er
into sstudents’ indeependent read
ding and writin
ng. To do th
his, teacher co
oach students to draw on w
what they’ve llearned during
g
word
d study as they
y read or writee on their own.
Durin
ng grade 8 tea
aching and instruction focusses on word meaning,
m
word structure, and
d word-solvingg actions.
Word
d Meaning
 Figurativee Language
Recognizee and use word
ds as metapho
ors and similess to make com
mparisons
 Idioms
Recognizee and use metaphors that have
h
become traditional saayings and in
n which the co
omparisons aare not eviden
nt
(raining catts and dogs)
 Word Oriigins
Understan
nd many Engliish words are derived from new invention
ns, technologyy, or current evvents
 Words With
W Latin Roo
ots
Understan
nd many Engllish words hav
ve Latin rootss- ab, and, benne, cap, ce, cide,, cor, cred, dic, duce, equa, facc, fer, form, gracc,
grad, hab, ject,
j
lit, loc, maan,mem, miss, mob, mimr, peed, pens, port, ppos, prim,uet, sc
scub, sep, sist, sppec, train, tractt, val, ven, venss,
vid, voc
 Words wiith Greek Roo
ots
Understan
nd many English words hav
ve Greek rootss- aer, arch, astter, bio, centr, cchron, eye, dem
m, derm, geo, grram, graph, dyd
d,
ology, meteer, micro, phon, photo, phs, poll, scope, sphere, tel
Word
d Structure
 Syllables
Recognizee and use sylla
ables: open sy
yllable (ho-tel), closed syllablle (lem-on), sylllables with a vowel and sillent e (hope-ful)),
syllables with
w vowel com
mbinations (pooi-son, cray-on)), syllables witth a vowel and
d r (corn-er, cirr-cus), syllabless in words with
h
V-V patterrn (ri-ot), syllab
bles with doub
ble consonantss (lad-der), sylllables with con
nsonant and lee (ta-ble).
 Plurals
Understan
nd the conceptt of plurals an
nd plural forms: adding –s ((dogs, cats, applles, cans, desks,, faces, trees, moonkeys); adding
g
–es ( when
n words end in
n d, ch, sh, s, ss,, tch, zz); chan
nging –y to –I and adding –ees; changing sspelling (foot/ffeet, goose/geesee,
man/men, mouse/mice, woman/women
n); adding an
n unusual sufffix (ox/oxen, cchild/students),, keep the sam
me spelling in
n
singular an
nd plural form
m (deer, lamb, sh
heep, mouse) ad
dd either –s orr -es in wordss that end in a vowel and o o
or a consonan
nt
and o (radiios, rodeos, kanggaroos, zeroes, heroes,
h
potatoess, volcanoes)
 Verb Endiings
Recognizee and form varrious tenses by
y adding endin
ngs (-es, -e, -ingg, -d, -ful) to veerbs
 Endings for
fo Adjectives
Recognizee and use endiings for adjectiives that add meaning
m
or ch
hange the adjeective to an ad
dverb (-ly, -ally))
Recognizee and use end
dings for adjecctives that add
d meaning orr change the aadjective to a noun (-tion, --ible for partia
al
words; -abbel for whole words)
w
and som
me exceptions
 Nouns
Recognizee and use nou
uns that are fo
ormed by addiing –tion, -ion,, -sion, -ment, --ant, -ity, -encee, -ance, -ure, -tture, including
g
words thatt end in silent e or y
 Adverbs
Recognizee and use adveerbs that end in
n e (keep or drrop the e: trulyy, merely, ), thaat end in –ic (ttragically, frantiically)
 Suffixes
5 5
LiiteracyC
Curricullum8thGrade





Recognizee and use suffiixes that changge verbs and nouns
n
for diffeerent function
ns, such as adjeectives and ad
dverbs (-er, -es, r, -ing, -ily,-able, -ible, -ar, -less, -ness, -ou
ut, -coius, -tious))
Contractions
Recognizee and understa
and multiple contractions
c
with
w not and haave (shouldn’t’vee)
Possessivees
Recognizee and use posssessives that add an aposstrophe and aan s to a sin
ngular noun (dog/dog’s, wooman/woman’ss,
girl/girl’s, boy/boy’s), tha
at its does not use an apostro
ophe, and that
at a plural posssessive like woomen uses an aapostrophe and
d
an s (studen
nts/children’s; men/men’s)
m
Prefixes
Recognizee and use com
mmon prefixes (re-, un-, im-, in-,
i il-, dis-0, noon-, mis-, trans--, pre-, en-, em-,, inter-, intra-, ccon-, com-, sub--,
super-, mall-, ex-, per-, circcum-, in-, ad-, ob-,
o sujb-, com-, dis-, ex-) as w
well as prefixess that refer to numbers (uni--, bi-, tri-, cent--,
dec-, mon-, multi-, con-, peent-, poly-, quadd-, semi-)
Recognizee and use assiimilated prefix
xes that changge form to maatch the root w
word: in- (im
mmigrate, illegall, irregular), ad
d(address, appproach, aggresssive), ob- (obsttruct, opportunity), sub-(subtra
ract, suppose, suurround), com--(commit, collidde, corrode), diss(distinguish
h, difference), exx-(expand, exposse, eccentric, effi
ficient)
Abbreviattions
Recognizee and use abbrreviation (statee names; weigghts; Sr., Jr., Phh.D.)
Word Solv
ving Actions
Use the co
ontext of the seentence, paraggraph, or who
ole text to helpp determine th
he precise meaning of a word
d
Connect words
w
that are related to eacch other becau
use they have tthe same base or root word (direct, directioon, directional)
Use the diictionary; an electronic
e
or a hard copy to discover word
d history
Distinguissh between mu
ultiple meanin
ngs of words when
w
reading ttexts
Recognizee and use the different typees of dictionarries: general, specialized (ssynonyms, abbreviations, th
heme or topic
c,
foreign lan
nguage, thesau
urus, electroniic)
Understan
nd the conceptt of analogy an
nd its use in disscovering relaationships betw
ween words an
nd among worrds
Use know
wledge of Greek
k and Latin ro
oots in derivin
ng the meaningg of words wh
hile reading tex
xts
Use know
wledge of prefix
xes, root word
ds, and suffixes to derive thee meaning of w
words while reeading texts
aders/writers workshop scchedule for an
a 80-85 min
nutes block o
of literacy wh
hile incorporaating time fo
or
An aalternative rea
vocab
bulary/word study
s
instructiion is as follow
ws:
Monday
Tuesday
30 miinutes
Exten
nded Read Alou
ud
with W
Whole Class
Discu
ussion
ute mini-lesson
10 minu
30 miinutes Independ
dent
Readiing
35 minu
utes Writing
(10 minute
m
mini
lesson and
a 25 minutes of
writing))
15 miinutes Writing
aboutt Reading
5-10 m
minutes
Vocab
bulary/Word
Explo
oration
30 Minu
utes Independent
Reading
g
5-10 miinutes
Vocabu
ulary/Word
Explora
ation
Wednesday
30 minutees
Extended Read Aloud
with Who
ole Class
Discussion
25 minutees Independent
Reading
20 minutees Writing abou
ut
Reading
5-10 minu
utes
Vocabularry/Word
Exploratio
on
Th
hursday
Friiday
10 minutees mini-lesson
10 minutes mini-lesson
25 Minutees Independent
Reading
25 Minutes
Independen
nt Reading
40 minutees Writing
(10 min
nute mini lesson
n
and 25 miinutes of
writing)
40 minutes W
Writing
(10 minutte mini
lesson and 2
25 minutes
of writing)
10 minutees
Vocabularry/Word
Exploratio
on
10 minutes
Vocabulary/Word
Exploration
n
III. GOALS (L
Linked to Core
C
Curricu
ulum Conteent Standarrds)
Read
ding Standards for Reading
g Literature:
Key IIdeas and Detaiils:
CCSS
S.ELA-LITER
RACY.RL.8.1
1
Cite tthe textual eviidence that mo
ost strongly su
upports an anaalysis of what the text says eexplicitly as w
well as inferencces drawn
from the text.
6 6
LiiteracyC
Curricullum8thGrade
CCSS
S.ELA-LITER
RACY.RL.8.2
2
Deterrmine a themee or central ideea of a text an
nd analyze its development
d
o
over the coursse of the text, including its rrelationship to
o
the ch
haracters, setting, and plot; provide an ob
bjective summ
mary of the textt.
CCSS
S.ELA-LITER
RACY.RL.8.3
3
Analy
yze how partiicular lines of dialogue or in
ncidents in a sttory or drama propel the acttion, reveal asspects of a chaaracter, or
provo
oke a decision
n.
Craft and Structure:
CCSS
S.ELA-LITER
RACY.RL.8.4
4
Deterrmine the mea
aning of words and phrases as they are ussed in a text, in
ncluding figurrative and con
nnotative mean
nings; analyze
e
the im
mpact of speciific word choicces on meanin
ng and tone, in
ncluding analo
ogies or allusio
ons to other teexts.
CCSS
S.ELA-LITER
RACY.RL.8.5
5
Comp
pare and conttrast the structure of two or more texts and analyze how
w the differingg structure of eeach text contrributes to its
mean
ning and style..
CCSS
S.ELA-LITER
RACY.RL.8.6
6
Analy
yze how differrences in the points
p
of view of the charactters and the au
udience or reaader (e.g., creaated through the use of
dram
matic irony) creeate such effeccts as suspensee or humor.
Integrration of Knowlledge and Ideas::
CCSS
S.ELA-LITER
RACY.RL.8.7
7
Analy
yze the extentt to which a fillmed or live production of a story or dram
ma stays faithfful to or deparrts from the tex
xt or script,
evalu
uating the choiices made by the
t director orr actors.
CCSS
S.ELA-LITER
RACY.RL.8.8
8
(RL.8
8.8 not applica
able to literatu
ure)
CCSS
S.ELA-LITER
RACY.RL.8.9
9
Analy
yze how a mo
odern work of fiction draws on themes, paatterns of even
nts, or charactter types from myths, traditiional stories,
or relligious works such as the Biible, includingg describing ho
ow the materiaal is rendered new.
Rangge of Reading an
nd Level of Textt Complexity:
CCSS
S.ELA-LITER
RACY.RL.8.1
10
By th
he end of the year,
y
read and comprehend literature, inclluding stories,, dramas, and poems, at thee high end of ggrades 6-8 textt
comp
plexity band in
ndependently and proficienttly.
Read
ding Standards for Reading
g Informationa
al Text:
Key IIdeas and Detaiils:
CCSS
S.ELA-LITER
RACY.RI.8.1
Cite tthe textual eviidence that mo
ost strongly su
upports an anaalysis of what the text says eexplicitly as w
well as inferencces drawn
from the text.
CCSS
S.ELA-LITER
RACY.RI.8.2
Deterrmine a centra
al idea of a tex
xt and analyzee its developm
ment over the ccourse of the teext, including its relationshiip to
suppo
orting ideas; provide
p
an objective summaary of the text.
CCSS
S.ELA-LITER
RACY.RI.8.3
Analy
yze how a tex
xt makes conneections amongg and distinctiions between iindividuals, id
deas, or eventss (e.g., through
h
comp
parisons, analo
ogies, or categ
gories).
7 7
LiiteracyC
Curricullum8thGrade
Craft and Structure:
CCSS
S.ELA-LITER
RACY.RI.8.4
Deterrmine the mea
aning of words and phrases as they are ussed in a text, in
ncluding figurrative, connotaative, and tech
hnical
mean
nings; analyze the impact off specific word
d choices on meaning
m
and to
one, includingg analogies or allusions to other texts.
CCSS
S.ELA-LITER
RACY.RI.8.5
Analy
yze in detail th
he structure of a specific parragraph in a teext, including the role of paarticular senten
nces in develo
oping and
refiniing a key conccept.
CCSS
S.ELA-LITER
RACY.RI.8.6
Deterrmine an auth
hor's point of view
v
or purposse in a text and
d analyze how
w the author aacknowledges and responds to conflicting
evideence or viewpo
oints.
Integrration of Knowlledge and Ideas::
CCSS
S.ELA-LITER
RACY.RI.8.7
Evalu
uate the advan
ntages and disadvantages off using differen
nt mediums (ee.g., print or d
digital text, vid
deo, multimed
dia) to present
a parrticular topic or
o idea.
CCSS
S.ELA-LITER
RACY.RI.8.8
Delin
neate and evalluate the argum
ment and speccific claims in a text, assessiing whether th
he reasoning iss sound and th
he evidence is
relevaant and sufficiient; recognizee when irrelev
vant evidence is introduced.
CCSS
S.ELA-LITER
RACY.RI.8.9
Analy
yze a case in which
w
two or more
m
texts pro
ovide conflictiing informatio
on on the samee topic and ideentify where tthe texts
disaggree on matters of fact or intterpretation.
Rangge of Reading an
nd Level of Textt Complexity:
CCSS
S.ELA-LITER
RACY.RI.8.10
0
By th
he end of the year,
y
read and comprehend literary nonficction at the higgh end of the ggrades 6-8 tex
xt complexity b
band
indep
pendently and
d proficiently.
Writing Standardss:
Text Types and Purpposes:
CCSS
S.ELA-LITER
RACY.W.8.1
Writee arguments to
o support claim
ms with clear reasons and reelevant eviden
nce
CCSS
S.ELA-LITER
RACY.W.8.1..A
Introduce claim(s),, acknowledgee and distinguish the claim(ss) from alternaate or opposin
ng claims, and
d organize the reasons and
evideence logically.
CCSS
S.ELA-LITER
RACY.W.8.1..B
Supp
port claim(s) with
w logical rea
asoning and reelevant eviden
nce, using accu
urate, crediblee sources and d
demonstratingg an
understanding of th
he topic or tex
xt.
CCSS
S.ELA-LITER
RACY.W.8.1..C
Use w
words, phrases, and clauses to create coheesion and clarrify the relation
unterclaims, reeasons, and
nships amongg claim(s), cou
evideence.
CCSS
S.ELA-LITER
RACY.W.8.1..D
Estab
blish and main
ntain a formal style.
CCSS
S.ELA-LITER
RACY.W.8.1..E
Proviide a concludiing statement or section that follows from
m and supportss the argumen
nt presented.
8 8
LiiteracyC
Curricullum8thGrade
CCSS
S.ELA-LITER
RACY.W.8.2
Writee informative/
/explanatory texts
t
to examiine a topic and
d convey ideass, concepts, an
nd information
n through the selection,
organ
nization, and analysis
a
of relevant content.
CCSS
S.ELA-LITER
RACY.W.8.2..A
Introduce a topic clearly,
c
preview
wing what is to
t follow; orgaanize ideas, co
oncepts, and in
nformation intto broader cattegories;
include formatting (e.g., heading
gs), graphics (ee.g., charts, taables), and mu
ultimedia when
n useful to aid
ding compreheension.
CCSS
S.ELA-LITER
RACY.W.8.2..B
Deveelop the topic with
w relevant, well-chosen facts,
f
definitio
ons, concrete d
details, quotatiions, or other information aand examples.
CCSS
S.ELA-LITER
RACY.W.8.2..C
Use aappropriate an
nd varied transsitions to creatte cohesion an
nd clarify the rrelationships aamong ideas aand concepts.
CCSS
S.ELA-LITER
RACY.W.8.2..D
Use p
precise langua
age and domaiin-specific voccabulary to infform about or explain the to
opic.
CCSS
S.ELA-LITER
RACY.W.8.2..E
Estab
blish and main
ntain a formal style.
CCSS
S.ELA-LITER
RACY.W.8.2..F
Proviide a concludiing statement or section that follows from
m and supportss the informatiion or explanaation presenteed.
CCSS
S.ELA-LITER
RACY.W.8.3
Writee narratives to
o develop real or imagined experiences
e
or events using eeffective techn
nique, relevan
nt descriptive d
details, and
well-sstructured eveent sequences.
CCSS
S.ELA-LITER
RACY.W.8.3..A
Engaage and orient the reader by establishing a context and point
p
of view and introduciing a narrator and/or characcters; organize
e
an evvent sequence that unfolds naturally
n
and logically.
l
CCSS
S.ELA-LITER
RACY.W.8.3..B
Use n
narrative techn
niques, such as
a dialogue, paacing, descripttion, and reflecction, to devellop experiencees, events, and
d/or
charaacters.
CCSS
S.ELA-LITER
RACY.W.8.3..C
Use a variety of tra
ansition wordss, phrases, and
d clauses to co
onvey sequencce, signal shiftss from one tim
me frame or seetting to
anoth
her, and show
w the relationsh
hips among ex
xperiences and
d events.
CCSS
S.ELA-LITER
RACY.W.8.3..D
Use p
precise words and phrases, relevant
r
descriptive details, and sensory laanguage to caapture the actio
on and convey
y experiences
and eevents.
CCSS
S.ELA-LITER
RACY.W.8.3..E
Proviide a conclusio
on that follow
ws from and reflects on the narrated
n
experriences or even
nts.
Produ
uction and Distrribution of Writting:
CCSS
S.ELA-LITER
RACY.W.8.4
Produ
uce clear and coherent writiing in which the
t developmeent, organizatiion, and style are appropriaate to task, purrpose, and
audieence. (Grade-sspecific expecttations for wriiting types are defined in staandards 1-3 abbove.)
CCSS
S.ELA-LITER
RACY.W.8.5
With
h some guidance and supporrt from peers and
a adults, dev
velop and streengthen writin
ng as needed b
by planning, reevising,
editin
ng, rewriting, or trying a new
w approach, focusing
f
on ho
ow well purpo se and audien
nce have been addressed. (E
Editing for
conveentions should
d demonstratee command off Language staandards 1-3 upp to and includ
ding grade 8heere.)
9 9
LiiteracyC
Curricullum8thGrade
CCSS
S.ELA-LITER
RACY.W.8.6
Use ttechnology, in
ncluding the In
nternet, to produce and publlish writing an
nd present thee relationships between inforrmation and
ideass efficiently as well as to inteeract and collaaborate with others.
o
Reseaarch to Build an
nd Present Know
wledge:
CCSS
S.ELA-LITER
RACY.W.8.7
Cond
duct short reseearch projects to answer a qu
uestion (includ
ding a self-gen
nerated question), drawing on several sou
urces and
generrating addition
nal related, foccused question
ns that allow for
f multiple avvenues of explloration.
CCSS
S.ELA-LITER
RACY.W.8.8
Gath
her relevant infformation from
m multiple priint and digital sources, usingg search termss effectively; aassess the cred
dibility and
accurracy of each so
ource; and quo
ote or paraphrrase the data and
a conclusion
ns of others w
while avoiding plagiarism an
nd following a
stand
dard format for citation.
CCSS
S.ELA-LITER
RACY.W.8.9
Draw
w evidence from literary or informational
i
texts to suppo
ort analysis, reeflection, and research.
CCSS
S.ELA-LITER
RACY.W.8.9..A
Apply grade 8 Readding standards to literature (e..g., "Analyze how
h
a modern
n work of fictiion draws on tthemes, patterrns of events,
or ch
haracter types from
f
myths, trraditional storries, or religiou
us works such
h as the Bible, including describing how th
he material is
rendeered new").
CCSS
S.ELA-LITER
RACY.W.8.9..B
Apply grade 8 Readding standards to literary nonffiction (e.g., "D
Delineate and
d evaluate the argument and
d specific claim
ms in a text,
assessing whether the
t reasoning is sound and the evidence is
i relevant and
d sufficient; recognize when
n irrelevant eviidence is
introd
duced").
Rangge of Writing:
CCSS
S.ELA-LITER
RACY.W.8.10
0
Writee routinely over extended time frames (tim
me for researcch, reflection, aand revision) and shorter tim
me frames (a ssingle sitting
or a d
day or two) for a range of diiscipline-speciific tasks, purp
poses, and aud
diences.
Speak
king and Listening Standarrds:
Compprehension and Collaboration:
CCSS
S.ELA-LITER
RACY.SL.8.1
Engaage effectively in a range of collaborative
c
discussions
d
(one-on-one, in groups, and tteacher-led) with diverse parrtners on
gradee 8 topics, textts, and issues, building on others' ideas an
nd expressing their own cleaarly.
CCSS
S.ELA-LITER
RACY.SL.8.1.A
Come to discussion
ns prepared, having
h
read or researched material
m
under study; explicittly draw on th
hat preparation
n by referring
to eviidence on the topic, text, orr issue to probee and reflect on
o ideas underr discussion.
CCSS
S.ELA-LITER
RACY.SL.8.1.B
Follo
ow rules for co
ollegial discusssions and deciision-making, track progresss toward speciific goals and deadlines, and
d define
indivvidual roles as needed.
CCSS
S.ELA-LITER
RACY.SL.8.1.C
Pose questions that connect the ideas
i
of severaal speakers an
nd respond to o
others' questio
ons and comm
ments with releevant
evideence, observatiions, and idea
as.
CCSS
S.ELA-LITER
RACY.SL.8.1.D
Ackn
nowledge new information expressed
e
by others,
o
and, when warranted
d, qualify or ju
ustify their ow
wn views in ligght of the
evideence presented
d.
10
0 LiiteracyC
Curricullum8thGrade
CCSS
S.ELA-LITER
RACY.SL.8.2
Analy
yze the purpose of informattion presented
d in diverse meedia and form
mats (e.g., visuaally, quantitatively, orally) aand evaluate
the m
motives (e.g., social,
s
commeercial, politicall) behind its prresentation.
CCSS
S.ELA-LITER
RACY.SL.8.3
Delin
neate a speakeer's argument and
a specific cllaims, evaluatiing the soundn
ness of the reaasoning and reelevance and ssufficiency of
the evvidence and id
dentifying wheen irrelevant evidence
e
is introduced.
Preseentation of Kn
nowledge and
d Ideas:
CCSS
S.ELA-LITER
RACY.SL.8.4
4
Preseent claims and
d findings, emp
phasizing salieent points in a focused, coheerent manner with relevant evidence, sou
und valid
reaso
oning, and welll-chosen detaiils; use approp
priate eye conttact, adequatee volume, and
d clear pronuncciation.
CCSS
S.ELA-LITER
RACY.SL.8.5
Integgrate multimed
dia and visual displays into presentations to clarify info
ormation, stren
ngthen claims and evidencee, and add
intereest.
CCSS
S.ELA-LITER
RACY.SL.8.6
Adap
pt speech to a variety of con
ntexts and task
ks, demonstratting command
d of formal En
nglish when in
ndicated or app
propriate. (See
e
gradee 8 Language standards 1 an
nd 3 here for specific
s
expecttations.)
Lang
guage Standarrds:
Conveentions of Standdard English:
CCSS
S.ELA-LITER
RACY.L.8.1
Dem
monstrate comm
mand of the co
onventions of standard Engglish grammar and usage wh
hen writing orr speaking.
CCSS
S.ELA-LITER
RACY.L.8.1.A
A
Explaain the functio
on of verbals (gerunds, partiiciples, infinitiives) in generaal and their fun
nction in partiicular sentencces.
CCSS
S.ELA-LITER
RACY.L.8.1.B
B
Form
m and use verb
bs in the activee and passive voice.
v
CCSS
S.ELA-LITER
RACY.L.8.1.C
C
Form
m and use verb
bs in the indica
ative, imperatiive, interrogattive, condition
nal, and subjun
nctive mood.
CCSS
S.ELA-LITER
RACY.L.8.1.D
D
Reco
ognize and corrrect inapproprriate shifts in verb
v
voice and
d mood.*
CCSS
S.ELA-LITER
RACY.L.8.2
Dem
monstrate comm
mand of the co
onventions of standard Engglish capitalizaation, punctuaation, and spellling when wriiting.
S.ELA-LITER
RACY.L.8.2.A
A
CCSS
Use p
punctuation (ccomma, ellipsiis, dash) to ind
dicate a pausee or break.
CCSS
S.ELA-LITER
RACY.L.8.2.B
B
Use aan ellipsis to in
ndicate an om
mission.
CCSS
S.ELA-LITER
RACY.L.8.2.C
C
Spell correctly.
Know
wledge of Langu
uage:
CCSS
S.ELA-LITER
RACY.L.8.3
Use k
knowledge of language and its convention
ns when writin
ng, speaking, rreading, or lisstening.
11 LiiteracyC
Curricullum8thGrade
CCSS
S.ELA-LITER
RACY.L.8.3.A
A
Use vverbs in the acctive and passiive voice and in
i the conditio
onal and subju
unctive mood to achieve parrticular effectss (e.g.,
emph
hasizing the acctor or the actiion; expressin
ng uncertainty or describing a state contraary to fact).
Vocabbulary Acquisitiion and Use:
CCSS
S.ELA-LITER
RACY.L.8.4
Deterrmine or clariffy the meanin
ng of unknown
n and multiplee-meaning worrds or phrases based on gradde 8 reading andd content,
choosing flexibly frrom a range of
o strategies.
CCSS
S.ELA-LITER
RACY.L.8.4.A
A
Use ccontext (e.g., the
t overall meeaning of a sen
ntence or paragraph; a word
d's position or function in a sentence) as a clue to the
mean
ning of a word
d or phrase.
CCSS
S.ELA-LITER
RACY.L.8.4.B
B
Use ccommon, grad
de-appropriatee Greek or Lattin affixes and
d roots as cluess to the meaniing of a word (e.g., precede, rrecede, secede).
CCSS
S.ELA-LITER
RACY.L.8.4.C
C
Conssult general an
nd specialized reference matterials (e.g., diictionaries, glo
ossaries, thesaauruses), both print and digiital, to find the
e
pronu
unciation of a word or deterrmine or clariffy its precise meaning
m
or its part of speech
h.
CCSS
S.ELA-LITER
RACY.L.8.4.D
D
Verify
fy the prelimin
nary determina
ation of the meaning
m
of a word or phrase (e.g., by checcking the inferrred meaning iin context or
in a d
dictionary).
CCSS
S.ELA-LITER
RACY.L.8.5
Dem
monstrate understanding of figurative
fi
langu
uage, word relationships, an
nd nuances in
n word meanin
ngs.
S.ELA-LITER
RACY.L.8.5.A
A
CCSS
Interp
pret figures off speech (e.g. verbal
v
irony, puns)
p
in contex
xt.
CCSS
S.ELA-LITER
RACY.L.8.5.B
B
Use tthe relationshiip between parrticular wordss to better understand each o
of the words.
CCSS
S.ELA-LITER
RACY.L.8.5.C
C
Distin
nguish among
g the connotattions (associations) of wordss with similar denotations (d
definitions) (ee.g., bullheadedd, willful, firm,
persisstent, resolute).
CCSS
S.ELA-LITER
RACY.L.8.6
Acqu
uire and use acccurately grad
de-appropriate general acadeemic and dom
main-specific w
words and phraases; gather vo
ocabulary
know
wledge when considering
c
a word
w
or phrasee important to
o comprehensiion or expresssion.
IV. ASSESSM
MENT
Studeent learning will
w be assessed
d through:

Student/ teacher
t
conferrences
o One-to-one
O
wriiting and readiing conferencees are especial
ally important to assess wheere writers and
d readers are in
n
th
heir learning. Teachers
T
will meet with stu
udents to provvide teaching opportunities. Watch with a record shee
et
in
n hand, and iff children do something
s
you
u regard as siignificant to th
he unit, makee a note of it. If you teach a
ch
hild a particular skill or strategy then reco
ord that teachiing point.
o Conferring
C
with
h a writer alw
ways begins with
w a teacher pulling alonggside a writer and asking, ““What are you
u
working
w
on as a writer?” and
d “What are yo
ou trying to do
o?” and “Whaat are you plan
nning to do neext?” (Calkins)
o When
W
conferrin
ng with a read
der a teacher siits alongside a reader and reeads over the shoulder of th
he student for a
feew seconds th
hen asks, “Tell me about what
w
you’re reeading” or “H
How’s it goingg today?” or ““What are you
u
working
w
on? Show
S
me a place
p
in the teext where you
u tried this” o
or “What can
n I help you w
with? Is there
12
2 LiiteracyC
Curricullum8thGrade














V.
an
nything you want
w
help with
h?” or “Can you
y tell me so me of the thin
nking you reccorded on postt-its or in you
ur
no
otebook? Will you walk me
m through some of the thin
nking you havve been doingg?” or “Can y
you read aloud
d
frrom where you
u were a bit?”
” Any of these starting queestions are a grreat beginningg in order to rresearch a little
ab
bout the readeer. Teachers then decide what
w
to teach,, compliment the reader, aand teach a tip
p to the reade
er
th
hat will help them
t
as a reaader, not just with the bookk, then link tthe teaching p
point to what the student is
i
reeading.
o Teachers
T
generrally use som
me type of sy
ystem to reco
ord notes abo
out readers, eeither in theirr own readerrs
no
otebook, a jou
urnal, or an electronic
e
dev
vice. These an
necdotal notess provide evid
dence needed for upcoming
g
co
onferences.
Reading reesponse journals/Readers Notebooks
N
Reading Logs
L
o Reading
R
pace and
a stamina- Students will reflect on theeir statistics ass a reader, keeping track of their reading
g
pa
ace and stamiina. “How is the reading go
oing for me? What conditio
ons seem to h
help me get thee most reading
g
do
one? What fix
x-up strategiess might I use to
t improve myy reading?”
o Sttudents should
d be able to reead approximaately three-qu
uarters of a pagge to a page p
per minute, a llittle less when
n
th
he pages becom
me denser. In
n grade 8 studeents should re ad between 2335-270 words per minute to
o be considered
d
in
n the average range
r
of adequ
uate reading raate. (Harris an
nd Sipay, 19900)
Contributiions to book clubs
c
Teacher’s College Rea
ading Level Assessment
A
co
onducted at lleast three tim
mes a year fo
for students th
hat are below
w
benchmark
k at the begin
nning of 8th grade.
g
A stu
udent that is o
on reading beenchmark for comprehensiion, pace, and
d
accuracy at
a the beginniing of 8th grad
de does not neeed to have a running reco
ord in order to
o assess readin
ng skills, othe
er
methods may
m be utilized
d.
Teacher’s College Scoreed Common Assessment
A
Stu
udent Writinggs in Narrativee, Argument aand Informatio
on
Writing sa
amples and stu
udent writing portfolios
p
Student prresentations
Writer's Notebooks
N
Student Peerformance Ch
hecklists
Student seelf-reflection
Standards Based Writin
ng Rubrics
Writing Pa
athways Perfo
ormance Assesssments
Learning Progressions
P
o Sttudents will collect
c
momen
nts and experiment with w
writing craft. They’ll reheaarse stories, gaather research
h,
reeflect, and ma
ake plans. Som
me entries aree evaluated ussing a rubric. In class stud
dents will colllect towards a
geenre of study, such as in thiss unit of mem
moir.
Rubrics
o Used
U
to evaluatte the publisheed piece in a unit
u of study
SCOPE AND SEQ
QUENCE (S
See details of
o units of sstudy on sub
bsequent paages.)
13
3 LiiteracyC
Curricullum8thGrade
Uniit 1
Uniit 2
Uniit 3
Uniit 4
Uniit 5
Uniit 6
Uniit 7
Uniit 8
Writer’s
W
Work
kshop
Reader’s W
Workshop
C
Pow
werful Life StoriesS
Perssonal Essay Crafting
Writing
W
to Reeflect Experience and Sug
ggest
Theematic Connections
Septtember (3-4 weeks)
Writing In
nvestigative Journalism ~
(6 week
ks October/N
November)
Mem
moir
(September 3-4 weeks)
on: Weaving
g Together Fact
F
and
Historical Fictio
Fiction and/or Liteerary Essay
(4 weekss November/
/December)
gument Reseearch Writin
ng (Position Paper)
P
Arg
Ja
anuary (3-4 weeks)
w
C Exam
Writting Prompteed Essays forr the PARCC
(PA
ARCC Test Prep)
Feb
bruary (2-3 weeks)
w
Science
S
Fiction, Dystopian, and Fantasy
Narratives
3-4 weeks
w
March
h/April
Literary Analysis
A
thrrough Essayss
April
A
(4-6 weeeks)
Writing
W
Poweerful Speechees, This I Beelieve
May/Ju
une (4 weeks May/June)
Non-Fiction Readin
ng (Exposito
ory and
n & Journal Articles)
Narrative Non-Fiction
(6 w
weeks Octob
ber/Novemb
ber)
Historicaal Fiction
(4 weeks Novem
mber/Decemb
ber)
Shared R
Reading
January (3
3-4 weeks)
Reading T
Test Preparaation for the PARCC
Ex
xam (PARC
CC Test Prep
p)
February (2
2-3 weeks)
Science Ficction, Dystop
pian, Fantassy & Short
Storries
March (3--4 weeks)
Children
n of War
(April/May 4-6 weeks)
Changing tthe World w
with Words: Powerful
Speechees and Their Effects on H
History
(4 weeks M
May/June)
14
4 LiiteracyC
Curricullum8thGrade
8th GR
RADE REA
ADING
Rea
aders Worksshop: Unit 1 Memoir ((3-4 weeks September))
First Marking
M
Perriod
Underrstandings
Goalls:
Studeents will immeerse themselvees in the
readiing of fiction memoir
m
readin
ng. The
unit w
will be approx
ximately 3-4 weeks
w
long and includes an
a introductio
on to the
M
coursse as well as leessons on the Memoir
genree. Students move
m
right into memoir
book
k clubs in readiing, keeping trrack of
their reading using
g sustainable adult
system
ms and creatin
ng a reading liife they
can k
keep going witth their whole lives.
Read
ders will choosse books they can
c read
and sstill pay attentiion to charactters and
to sto
ory elements in
n the stories th
hey
read. They will lea
arn to continuee to
moniitor for comprrehension, even in
difficcult texts; envision, predict, develop
theorries, and think
k across books they
read. Readers willl rely on a repeertoire
w upon
of strrategies for meethods to draw
when
n the book getss hard. Studeents will
study
y their own pra
actices as read
ders so
that tthey can contiinue to develop
p more
sustaainable reading
g practices.
Paralllel to this unitt of study in reeaders
work
kshop, in writeers workshop students
s
will ccreate a series of vignettes arround
topics or themes off their lives. Key
K
w include wa
ays
topics of this unit will
d organize ideeas, use
writeers develop and
concrrete and appro
opriate details, and
employ proper con
nventions. The first
of the unit willl be on helpin
ng
part o
studeents to write with
w volume—b
both in
their writing notebooks and in esssays.
They
y will collect en
ntries and idea
a-based
writin
ng. Students will
w research the
t
structture of memoiir and notice that
t
there are different forms
f
of mem
moir;
essay
y-like structuree, list-like struccture,
and n
narrative with reflection. Th
his unit
will aask students to
o transfer what they
alread
dy know abou
ut opinion and
d
narraative writing to
o form a bridg
ge
betweeen the two.
Outccomes:
 E
Elaboration
 T
Transitioning
Teacching Points
(Possiblee Mini-Lesson
ns)
oping Lifelongg Reading
Beend 1: Develo
Prractices from Essential Stru
uctures
 Using artifacts
a
to refleect on and
improvee our reading llives.
 Systemss for record keeeping
 Buildingg relationshipss within
book clu
ubs.
Beend 2: Writin
ng About Read
ding
 Writingg about books and
decidingg upon wheth
her to write
long or write short
 Using annotation
a
too
ols to keep
track off thinking whille reading
 Noticin
ng the text’s meessage
between
n the lines; wh
hat details
suggest or imply abou
ut
characteers.
 Sketchin
ng, mapping, using
entries to
t engage clossely with
novels we
w are readingg
 Jotting as
a we read, wr
writing
partway
y through abou
ut our
thoughtts as readers
 Retellin
ng and analyziing texts
Beend 3: Social Clubs around
d Reading
nt about
 Stirring up excitemen
books we’ve
w
read and
d creating
partnersships with oth
her readers
 Using notebooks
n
to o
organize
our thin
nking for bookk clubs
 Comparring audio, wrritten text,
and film
m versions of bbooks.
 Using sttatistics to refl
flect on our
reading.
 Selecting boo
oks to read thaat are
appropriate for
f the studen
nt as a
reader.
n to characterrs and to
 Pay attention
story elemen
nts in stories reead.
 Envision
 Predict
 Develop theo
ories
Mento
or Texts/Reso
ources
M
Mentor Textss (Instruction
nal Read
A
Aloud):
 House on
n Mango Streeet
 Growing Up by Russelll Baker
 Big Russ and Me by Tiim Russet
 Excerpt fr
from Black Boy by Richard
Wright
 Chicken S
Soup for the W
Writer’s Soul
by Canfieeld, Hansen, aand Gardner
 Walking on the Bound
daries of
Change b
by Sara Holbro
ook
 Crow Calll by Lois Low
wry
 Writing D
Down the Bon
nes Freeing
the Writeer Within by N
Natalie
Goldbergg
 How Reaading Changed
d My Life by
Anna Qu
uindlen
 The Samee Sky by Naom
mi Shihab
Nye
 145th Streeet: Short Storries by
Walter D
Dean Myers
U
Unit Texts (T
Texts for studeents to read
in book clubss):









Chinese Ci
Cinderella (GR L
Level Z+)
(Lexile Level: 960) Ho
onors Only
Text
Marley & Me (GR Level: Z)
(Lexile 10
050)
Tuesdays With Morrie (G
GR Level:
U Lexile Level: 1050)
Knots in M
My Yo-Yo String
ng (GR
Level: U Lexile Level 980)
Memoir E
Excerpts: Mars
rshfield
Dreams: W
When I was a kiid, etc.
Great Essaayists’ writings b
by Joan
Didion, M
Malcolm Glad
dwell,
Barbara K
Kingsolver
Starting w
with I publish
hed by
Youth Co
ommunication
ns (essay by
an adolesscent)
The Strugggle to Be Strongg by Youth
Commun
nications (essaay by an
adolescen
nt)
The Circuit: Stories From
m the Life of a
Migrant C
Child by Franciisco
Jimenez ((Level Z)
15
5 LiiteracyC
Curricullum8thGrade










IIncorporating narrative elem
ments
W
Writing with Reflection
R
and
d
P
Purpose
S
Synthesis of ev
vents and mom
ments
N
Notice the qua
alities of Mem
moir
W
Ways to collecct and develop
p ideas
H
How to choosee a writing stru
ucture
H
How to craft leeads and concclusions
H
How to find a writing territo
ory or
u
universal them
me
W
Ways to revisee for organizattion of
ideas
W
Ways to edit fo
or convention
ns
 Think acrosss texts
on
 Monitor for comprehensio
 Strategies forr easy-to-solvee methods
when the book gets hard.
 Social book clubs
 Reading parttnerships
 Literary conversations
using
 Keeping tracck of reading u
sustainable adult
a
systems
 Creating a reeading life
 Analyzing a story
 Keeping tracck of complex story lines
and various characters
 Synthesizingg narrative linees in order
to retell a sto
ory to a partneer
 Investigate th
hemes that ariise in
books
The followin
ng Memoir styyle fiction
bbooks are avaailable in the L
Leveled
Literacy Interrvention Gold
d Kit:




Double D
Double Troublle Trouble
(Level O))
The Greaat Debate (Levvel Q)
The Robo
opoet 2000 (Level S)
The Greaat Tug of War (Level M)
Teacher Reso
ources:
Writing a Lifee by Katherinee Bomer
50 Tools for W
Writers by Roy
y Peter Clark
Crafting Auth
hentic Voice by Tom
Romano
Boy Writers b
by Ralph Fletccher
Write Like Th
his by Kelly G
Gallagher
Shaping Textss From Essay and
N
Narrative to M
Memoir by Lu
ucy Calkins
Electronic Veersion of Grad
de 8 Reading
Units of Study
y; Making Ou
ur Reading
Visible and D
Developing Susstainable
A
Adult Readin
ng Habits
Common Asssessment:
Teachers Colllege Running Record
A
Assessment fo
or any studentt not on
bbenchmark fro
om the end off the year in
7th grade.
Teachers Colllege Running
g Records
(Readingg Benchmark: Level Z)
16
6 LiiteracyC
Curricullum8thGrade
Readers Workshop
W
U
Unit 2
Non
n-Fiction Reeading (Exp
pository and Narrativee Non-Fictiion & Journ
nal Articles)
(6 weeks October/No
O
vember)
First/Secon
F
nd Markingg Period
Underrstandings
Goalls:
The u
unit consists of
o three bends:
 S
Students will learn that journalists
d
discern small dramas aroun
nd them
aand shape neewscasts to bring
b
the
n
new concisely
y. Students wiill be on
the lookout forr story lines th
hat occur
u
underneath th
he obvious sttream of
eevents.
 S
Students will continue
c
to reead nonffiction texts in
i the form of news
aarticles, period
dicals, exposittory and
n
narrative non
n-fiction textss, blogs,
rreports, and on
n-line reports that will
sstir readers to action. Students will
sstudy how jo
ournalists use tension
aand multiple perspectives
p
to
t reveal
ccomplicated sttories.
 S
Students will learn how journalists
cconduct in-dep
pth research necessary
n
to support a complex piece
p
of
in
nvestigative journalism. Students
w
will research th
he context an
nd causes
o
of underlying
g issues by reading
m
multiple textss on a singlle issue.
T
They
will
trace
possible
im
mplications, collect
c
facts, statistics,
s
aand expert qu
uotes to support their
sstories and rea
ad interviews, surveys,
aand print and digital texts to
t gather
in
nformation fo
or their writing
g.
Outccomes:
 C
Cite textual evidence tha
at most
sstrongly supp
ports an ana
alysis of
w
what the text says
s
explicitly
y, as well
aas inferences drawn
d
from the text.
 D
Determine a central
c
idea or
o a text
aand analyze its
i developmeent over
the course of a text.
 A
Analyze how
w a text makes
cconnections am
mong and disttinctions
b
between ind
dividuals, ideeas, or
eevents.
Sttudents willl make
ccomparisons, analogies and/or
ccategories.
 IIntroduce a claim(s),
c
ackn
nowledge
Teacching Points
(Possible Mini-Lesso
ons)
See individual unit
u plans for n
non-fiction
reaading.
Reeaders Worksh
hop



Part 1: Reaading like a jou
urnalist
Part 2: Reaading deeply to
o study
how mentorr authors deveelop action,
dialogue, seetting and detaails to tell a
compelling true
t
story
Part 3: Reseearching a toppic to
discover und
derlying issuess,
implicationss, discover faccts, find
statistics, an
nd quotes
Mento
or Texts/Reso
ources
Mentor Textss (Instruction
nal Read
Aloud):
 Gulp! By
y Mary Roach
h
 When Plaague Strikes: The Black
Death, Sm
mall Pox, AID
DS by James
Cross Gib
blin (Caution;; sexual
content)
 Gone A W
Whaling: Thee Lure of the
Sea and tthe Hunt for th
he Great
Whale by
y Jim Murphy
y (Electronic
Text in L
Library)
 Independ
dent Dames by
y Laurie H.
Anderson
n
 Lincoln’ss Last Days by
y Bill O’Reilly
y
& J. Zimm
merman
 Geeks: H
How Two Losst Boys Rode
the Intern
net Out of Idaaho
 Guts: Th
he True Story Behind
Hatchet aand the Brian Books
 LeBron’ss Dream Team
m: How Five
Friends M
Make History
Unit Texts (T
Texts for stud
dents to read
in book clubss):
(Reading Benchmark: Level Z+)
 The Omn
nivore’s Dilem
mma (Lexile
930) (Levvel Z)
 Animal, V
Vegetable, Miiracle
(Unleveleed)
 We are th
he Weathermaakers (Level
Z)
 Going Bllue: A Teen G
Guide to
Saving O
Our Oceans (L
Level Y)
 Fast Food
d Nation (Levvel Z)
 Chew on
n This (Level Y
Y/Z)
The followin
ng non-fiction
n books are
available in tthe Leveled Literacy
Intervention Gold Kit:
 Super Silk
k (Level P)
 The Egg: Nature’s Perrfect Package
(Level P))
 Glow-in-the-Dark Anim
mals (Level
M)
 Kangaroo
os in Trees (Level M)
17
7 LiiteracyC
Curricullum8thGrade

aand distinguissh the claim((s) from
aalternate or opposing
o
claim
ms, and
o
organize rea
asons and evidence
e
lo
ogically.
U
Use words or phrases, and
d clauses
to create coheesion and cla
arify the
rrelationships
among
claim(s),
c
ccounterclaims,,
reasons,
and
eevidence.




The Thorrny Dragon (leevel M)
The Amaazing Gecko (L
Level N)
The Rock
k Garden (Leevel P)
A Youngg Hero with a B
Big Heart:
The Story
y of Ana Dobsson (level P
 Mission: Dog Rescue (Level P)
 Stranded! A Marine M
Mammal
Mystery ((Level P)
 Animal W
Warnings (Levvel P)
 The Mysttery of Antingg (Level P)
 Alone in the Jungle (Level Q)
 The Pecu
uliar Platypus (Level Q)
 Octopus: Escape Artistt of the Sea
(Level Q))
 Sapporo: A Snow Scu
ulpture City
(Level Q))
 Snowmob
biles: A Life S
Saving
Invention
n (Level Q)
 Ice Climb
bing: The Fro
ozen
Challenge (Level Q)
 Basketballl: Changing tthe Game
(Level Q))
 The Story
y of Naismith’s Game
(Level Q))
 Rescuingg Orangutans ((Level R)
 The Hero
oes of Pea Islaand (Level R)
System
 The Secreet World of C
Caves (Level
R)
 Geysers ((Level R)
 Shadow M
Magic: The A
Ancient Art of
Shadow P
Puppetry (Levvel R)
 Amazingg Brick Artists (Level R)
 Accidental Inventions (Level R)
 Joining H
Hands with a V
Village (Level
R)
 Strange R
Rain (Level R))
 The Mim
mic Octopus: A Master of
Disguise (Level S)
 Crabs on the Run (Levvel S)
 Hero Ratts (Level S)
 Messagess to the World
d: Art from
Cape Dorset (Level T)
 Jon Broo
oks: Art from N
Nature (Level
T)
Teacher Reso
ources:
http://readin
ngandwritingproject.com
Core Curricullum Content S
Standards
http://www.ccorestandardss.org/thestandards/engglish-languagee-artsstandards
Visit the webssite above for common
core anchor p
papers in writin
ng.
18
8 LiiteracyC
Curricullum8thGrade
Assessment: Teachers Colllege Running
g
Record Assesssment for any
y student not
on benchmark
k in Septembeer.
(Readingg Benchmark: Level Z)
Readers Workshop Unit 3 ~ H
Historical Fiiction
(6
6 weeks No
ovember/Deecember)
Second Marking
M
Peeriod
Undersstandings
Goalls: The study
y of Historical Fiction
allow
ws students to read textts built
aroun
nd a time and
d place in histo
ory that
the reader has never inh
habited.
ders
becom
me
entangleed
in
Read
charaacters whose lives are affeected by
historrical events. The unit includes
i
oppo
ortunities for students to tackle
plicated textss with their peers.
comp
Studeents will be leearning how to
t build
collecctive interprettations, listen closely
to eaach other, carrry ideas acro
oss time
durin
ng book club discussions
d
and
d across
multiiple texts (more than two). During
the fi
first part of th
his unit studeents will
focuss on “deep comprehensio
on and
synth
hesis of compllex story elem
ments, as
well as launching book
b
clubs wiith high
levelss
and
of
engagement
indep
pendence. Du
uring the seco
ond part
of th
his unit stud
dents will fo
ocus on
interp
pretation, esp
pecially focussing on
payin
ng attention to perspectiv
ve and
pointt of view and on carryin
ng ideas
Teach
hing Points
(Possible Mini-Lesson
ns)
nit plans for H
Historical
Seee individual un
fiction reading.







Deep comprehension and synthesis
of complex story
s
elementss
Interpretation of text throu
ugh
reader perspeective and poiint of
view
Moving acro
oss texts to devvelop
readers’ them
matic understaanding
and potentiaal as social actiivists
building on cross-textual
c
aanalysis
Honors levell students will continue
with the bends of the unit to focus
on reading as a writer and
d thinking
about writer’’s craft.
Authors of historical
h
fictio
on use the
past to reveaal lessons of th
he
present.
Universal tru
uths about hum
man
nature are fo
ound in literatu
ure.
The historicaal fiction writeers use
literary elem
ments to illumin
nate
Mentorr Texts/Resou
urces
M
Mentor Texts (Instructionall Read
A
Aloud):









oodson
The Other Side by J. Wo
Pink and S
Say by Patricia Polacco
Fire in the Streets by Keekla
MaGoon
From Slavve Ship to Freeedom Road
Eleanor Ro
oosevelt, Quieet No More
Promises to Keep
A Wreath for Emmett T
Till
The Drum
mmer Boy of Sh
hiloh
The Midniight Ride of Paul Revere,
John, Paull, George and Ben
U
Unit Texts (Teexts for studen
nts to read
in
n book clubs)::
 The Bomb
b (GR Level Z)) Honors
Only
 Johnny Tremain (GR Leevel Z)
(Honors O
Only)
 Warriors D
Don’t Cry (GR
R Level Z)
19
9 LiiteracyC
Curricullum8thGrade
acrosss a text—supp
porting the Common
Core State Standa
ards expectatio
ons that
studeents will be able
a
to 1) deetermine
them
mes or centrall ideas of tex
xts and
how they are co
onveyed throu
ugh the
a 2) explain how an
particcular details and
autho
or develops th
he point of view
w of the
narraator or speeaker in a text.”
(Com
mmon Core State Sta
andards)
Durin
ng this unit stu
udents will be writing
about their readin
ng developin
ng ideas
and w
ways to colleect and develo
op their
thougghts as a reeader and a writer.
Studeents will choose a writing
structture, craft lea
ads and concclusions,
find a writing teerritory or universal
them
me, revise for organization
o
of
o ideas,
and eedit for conven
ntions.
Outccomes:
 E
Emerge from the
t unit as mo
ore
k
knowledgeablee readers.
 E
Extended conffidence in tack
kling
ccomplicated litterature
 B
Build collectiv
ve interpretatio
ons
 C
Closely listen to
t peers in boo
ok
cclubs and enga
age in collegia
al
d
discussions, po
ose and respon
nd to
q
questions with
h elaboration
 D
Demonstrate multiple
m
perspectives
through reflecttion and
p
paraphrasing
 C
Carry ideas across time—bo
oth
aacross days of their book clu
ub and
d
discussions about more than
n one
text.
 C
Cite textual ev
vidence that most
m
sstrongly suppo
orts an analysis of
w
what the text says
s
explicitly as well
aas inferences drawn
d
from the text.
 D
Determine a th
heme or centra
al idea
o
of a text and analyze its
d
development over
o
the coursee of the
text, including
g its relationship to
p
the characters,, setting, and plot;
p
provide an objective summa
ary of
the text.
 D
Develop comp
prehension by
k
keeping track of
o plotlines,
u
unfamiliar cha
aracters, and sh
hifts in
time and placee
 D
Discussion of main
m
characteer’s
p
problems












history.
Analyze histtorical fiction ttexts for
literary elem
ments
Cite textual evidence
e
Explain the historical
h
conttent of a
story
h
time, placce and
Determine how
character dev
velop a perspeective
Compare and contrast the
historical faccts versus the ffictional
elements in a historical ficction
piece
Summarize informational
i
text
Interpreting an essential qu
uestion
and forming a position
Compose an
n articulate theesis
statement
Group relateed information
n in a
logical orderr using topic an
nd
closing senteence structure
Provide open
ning and closiing
sections
Reference direct quotes an
nd
integrate app
propriately
Use transitio
onal phrases an
nd words



















Honors On
nly
To Kill a M
Mockingbird (GR Level
Z) Honorss Only
Fever 1793
3 (GR Level Z
Z)
The Witch
h Child (GR L
Level Z)
Invasion by
y Walter Dean
n Meyers
(GR Levell Z)
Roll of Thu
under Hear M
My Cry
(GR Levell W)
The Witch
h of Blackbird Pond (GR
Level W)
The Legen
nd of Buddy Bu
ush
(GR Unlevveled)
The Watso
ons go to Birm
mingham
(GR Levell U)
Chains (GR
R Level Z)
Forge (GR
R Level Z)
Mississippi Trial, 1955
(GR Levell Z+)
The Lions of Little Rock
k by Kristin
Levine (GR
R Level X) Leexile: 630
I Survived… (GR Level N)
Bound for Oregon (Leveel P)
Pedro’s Jou
urnal (GR Levvel Q)
The Cabin
n Faced West ((GR Level
R)
Sarah: Plaiin and tall (GR
R Level R)
Watson’s G
Go to Birminggham (GR
Level T)
 Sound
der (GR Level T)
 Ballad
d (GR Level T)
 Lilly’ss Crossing (GR
R Level S)
 Letterss from Rifka (GR Level
S)
 Bud, N
Not Buddy (G
GR Level T)
 Sadako
o and the Tho
ousand
Paper (GR Level R))
 Jar of Dreams (GR Level R)
T
Teacher Resou
urces:
 Variou
us historical im
mages,
movie clips, social sstudies text
 Writin
ng a Life by Kaatherine
Bomerr
 50 Too
ols for Writerss by Roy
Peter C
Clark
 Craftin
ng Authentic V
Voice by
Tom R
Romano
 Boy W
Writers by Ralp
ph Fletcher
 Write Like This by K
Kelly
Gallaggher
A
Assessment:
 Teachers C
College Runn
ning Record
20
0 LiiteracyC
Curricullum8thGrade
Assessmen
nt for any stud
dent not on
benchmarrk in October.
(Reading B
Benchmark: L
Level Z)

Reader’s N
Notebook Ressponses
Readers Workshop
W
Unit
U 4 Shaared Readin
ng
3-4 weeks
w
Januaary
Third Marking
M
Perriod
Undersstandings
Goalls:
The ggoal of this un
nit of study is to push
studeents to th
hink about their
understanding as they
t
read. Many
M
8th
gradeers balk at th
he idea of stopping
alongg the way while
w
reading,, partly
becau
use it feels likee an interruption and
partly
y because stud
dents are plot junkiesj
- read
ding to find out
o what hap
ppens in
the sstory and never slowing
g down
whilee in the midd
dle of a greatt scene.
Throughout this unit
u of study students
s
will aannotate their thinking during their
readiing. Studentss might use th
he note
sectio
on in their eleectronic readeers or a
simplle post-it notee to stop and
d jot or
writee in their read
ders notebook
k about
their thinking whiile reading. The goal
of wrriting about th
heir reading iss not to
createe busy work, but rather to lift the








Teach
hing Points
(Possible Mini-Lesson
ns)
Keeping tracck of stories an
nd
thinking in order
o
to develo
op new
thinking.
nic
Keeping nottes on electron
readers or by
y using post-itt notes to
record think
king about a teext.
Annotating one’s thinkingg while
reading.
Investigatingg what is interresting in
their readingg.
Determiningg the parts of a text
that really merit
m
time and
d energy
to write about.
worthy
Themes in a text that are w
of writing ab
bout.
How one’s own
o
life interssects with
that of charaacters’ lives.
Ways in wh
hich characterss act
foolishly and
d why.
Mentor Texts/Resou
urces
M
Mentor Texts ((Instructionall Read
A
Aloud):


Honeybeee by Naomi Sh
hihab Nye
There is no
o Long Distan
nce Now
by Naomi Shihab Nye
U
Unit Texts (Teexts for studen
nts to read
in
n book clubs)::
A Separate Peacee by Jonathan
n Knowles
(H
Honors Only)
Fa
Fahrenheit by
(H
Honors Only)
A
Assessment: T
Teachers Colleege
R
Running Recorrd Assessmen
nt for any
sttudent not on benchmark in
n
D
December.

Reader’s N
Notebook Ressponses
21 LiiteracyC
Curricullum8thGrade
level of thinking while
w
reading so that
the q
quality and purpose of their writing
about reading is in
ncreased. Durring this
unit of study students will seelf-select
pendent bookss to use in thiss unit of
indep
study
y and read short stories from
menttor texts.

Carry ideas across time—
—both
across days of their book cclub and
discussions about more th
han one
text.
(Reading Beenchmark: Leevel Z+)
Outccomes:
 E
Emerge from the
t unit as mo
ore
k
knowledgeablee readers.
 E
Extended conffidence in tack
kling
ccomplicated litterature
 B
Build collectiv
ve interpretatio
ons
 C
Closely listen to
t peers in boo
ok
cclubs and enga
age in collegia
al
d
discussions, po
ose and respon
nd to
q
questions with
h elaboration.
 D
Demonstrate multiple
m
perspectives
through reflecttion.
Reeaders Work
kshop Unitt 5
Reading Test Preparration for th
he PARCC
C Exam (PA
ARCC Test Prep)
Februa
ary (2-3 weeeks)
Third Marking
M
Perriod
Understan
ndings
Goalls:
The b
best preparatio
on for any
readiing test is to bee a strong
readeer with stamin
na to read long
g
and sstrong and hav
ving the
comp
prehension to understand
what is being read.. The major
aim o
of this unit is to
t support
studeents in bringing forward
strateegies for each genre that
they h
have been tau
ught during
the year. This unitt is also about
orting studentts in thinking
suppo
logicaally and flexib
bly and in
transfferring all they
y know to
their test-taking. The
T PARCC
exam
m will ask students to read
multiiple texts on a wider variety
y
than in previous sta
andardized
tests. Students will need to
main
ntain focus and
d use a
reperrtoire of strateg
gies across
many
y texts over six
xty to seventy
minu
utes. Students in grade 8
will b
be asked to rea
ad longer textss









Teaching Points
P
(P
Possible Minii-Lessons)
ding strategiess
Reinforccement of read
Predictaable Questionss
Strategiees for answerin
ng multiple-ch
hoice
question
ns
Strategiees for reading too-hard textss;
skimmin
ng, summariziing, underlinin
ng,
jotting, and
a using picttures and head
dings
Readingg question stem
ms and predictting
answers before lookin
ng at the answeer
choices.
uestions beforee
Writing answers to qu
seeing th
he answers
Determiining the mean
ning of vocabu
ulary
words by
y reading them
m in context
Determiining the main
n idea or them
me by
referringg to a big lesso
on the characteer
learns orr that we learn
n as readers
Togetheer, the class wo
orks on readin
ng one
text and
d answering the questions. T
The
teacher leads
l
the classs by providingg the
studentss with promptss and strategiees that
Mentor Texts/Resou
urces
Menttor Texts (Insstructional Reead Aloud):
Shortt texts that aree stories, poem
ms, articles
from multiple sourrces:
Highllights
Crickeet
Cobbllestone
Read and Rise
Story Works
Sports
ts Illustrated forr Kids
Inforrmational textss drawn from the following
sourcces are consideered appropriaate for test
prep:
Adveertisements
Agen
ndas
Auto
obiographies
Biogrraphies
Comp
mpany profiles
Conttracts
Correespondence
Essayys
Featu
ure articles
22
2 LiiteracyC
Curricullum8thGrade
with the average off two to three
pagess, accumulate and
synth
hesize informa
ation, and
bridgge ideas from across
a
these
longeer texts. Eightth grade
studeents will have a
readiing/test-prep workshop,
w
in
which
h they practicee how to
read, talk about an
nd answer
questtions about short test-like
texts,, as well as mu
ultiple-choice
strateegies.
Outccomes:
 Praactice with PA
ARCC-like testt
q
questions.
 Ho
olding onto meeaning of
p
passages whilee reading
lo
onger texts
 Revview of strateg
gies already
k
known for each genre
 Ideentification strrategies to
identify each genre
g
and
p
predictable queestions for
eeach type
 Reaading flexibly across
m
multiple genrees
 Maarking up of teexts, writing
aanswers, and matching
m
aanswers to cho
oices.
 Preeviewing texts to ascertain
thee subject and structure,
maaking a quick reading
r
plan
and
d breaking thee text into
maanageable chun
nks.
will help
p them navigaate and hold on
n to
the text, as well as dem
monstrating th
hinkalouds.
ne important places
p
where
 Underlin
information is learnin
ng and annotatte
hey learn someething about a
when th
characteer, jot in margiins any probleems
the charracter may face, note instancces
when ch
haracters chan
nge, identify biig
ideas of article section
ns.
Other posssible mini-lessons:
Stamina an
nd Resilience
Reading Passages Activeely
ng Students to Questions
Introducin
Wrong-An
nswer Types
Teaching Students
S
to Deeal with Difficculty
Things to Work
W
On with
h Struggling T
Test
Takers
ments
Goveernment docum
Histo
ories
Intervviews
Journ
nal articles
Legall documents
Magaazine articles
Mem
moirs
Newss articles
Opin
nion/editorial pieces
Politiical cartoons
Primary and secon
ndary sources
Produ
uct specifications
Produ
uct/Service deescriptions
Recip
pes
Repo
orts
Revieews
Scien
nce investigatio
ons
Speecches
Textbbooks
Tourrism guides
ning manuals
Train
User guides/manu
uals
Unit Texts (Texts for students tto read in
book
k clubs):
Teach
her Resourcess:
 w
www.achieveethecore.org
 w
www.achieveethecore.org
 h
http://practicce.parcc.testn
nav.com/#
 h
http://www.greatschools..org/gk/com
m
mon-core-testt-guide/parcc--8thggrade/new-jerrsey/
 h
http://undersstandthescoree.org/helpyyour-child/ressources-for-paarents/
 w
www.understtandthescore.o
org
 h
http://www.parcconline.o
org/resourcess
/
/educator-reso
ources
 h
http://bealeaarninghero.org
g/skillbbuilder (Resou
urces for pareents to support
ttheir child.)
 h
https://prc.paarcconline.orrg (Practice
ttests)
 M
Mini-assessmeent for 1984 by
y George
O
Orwell
 M
Mini-assessmeent for Chapteer III from
““The Open Bo
oat” by Stepheen Crane
 A Curricular P
Plan for Readeers Workshop,
T
Teachers Colleege Units of Study Unit 7
M
March/April, 2011-2012
23
3 LiiteracyC
Curricullum8thGrade
Read
ders Worksshop Unit 6 Science Fiiction, Dysstopian, Fan
ntasy and S
Short Storiees
3-4 week
ks March/A
April
Third Marking
M
Perriod
Undersstandings
Goalls:
Studeents will increease their facillity with
comp
plex texts and
a
continuee their
collab
borative inteerpretation sk
kills in
book
k clubs. Studeents will read closely,
payin
ng close atten
ntion as they read to
detaills. Students will notice patterns,
p
archeetypes, and th
hemes. Thiss unit is
desiggned to be a book club unitt. Since
scien
nce fiction no
ovels are inh
herently
comp
plex, readers will
w benefit frrom the
intelllectual suppo
ort of book
k club
conveersations. Th
his unit of stud
dy aims
to su
upport studentts in developiing into
moree powerful rea
aders of comp
plicated
texts..
Students will contin
nue to
increase their faccility with complex
c
texts and continu
ue their collab
borative
interp
pretation skills in book clubs.
From
m The Hobbitt series to the Harry
Potterr books to th
he Narnia Chronicles
Ch
seriess to Lord of the
t Rings, read
ders are
immeersed in the readings of dragons
d
and eelves to a lifeelong love affa
air with
allego
orical literatu
ure. The sttudy of
fantaasy is really the study of the human
condition. The sto
ories are neveer really
about elves and ho
obbits. They’rre about
the sstruggle betw
ween good an
nd evil,
they’re about ho
ow power corrupts,
they’re about the quest
q
to be bettter than
a
how ev
ven the
we aare, they’re about
smalllest of us can affect what happens
h
in thee world.
Outccomes:
 E
Examining cha
aracter changee or a
rresolution.
 A
Articulate inteerpretations wiith
liiteracy converrsations.
 R
Read across no
ovels noticing
p
patterns, archeetypes, and theemes
 IInvestigating narrative
n
craft in
ffantasy novels to clarify diallogue,
time, change, shifts
s
in setting or
m
mood, and forr dramatic imp
pact.
 R
Read fluently a narrative structure
that may offer shifts in time or
p
parallel narratiives.
 C
Comprehend action,
a
dialogu
ue,
Teach
hing Points
(Possible Mini-Lesson
ns)
o bends,
Units of study are divided into
or parts,
p
with eacch offering a n
new
porrtion of the jou
urney.
Ben
nd 1: Constru
ucting, Navigaating,
and
d Managing Other
O
Worlds
Analyzing the Seetting for Its P hysical
d Psychologicaal Implication
ns
and
Understanding Cuing
C
Systemss in
Com
mplex Novels: Learning Allongside
the Main Characcter
Keeeping Track of Complicated
d
Narrratives
Usiing Our Pencils as We Read
d
Ben
nd 2: Develop
ping Thematiic
Un
nderstanding
Herre Be Dragonss: Thinking
Meetaphorically about
a
the Probblems
Chaaracters Struggle With
Wh
hat’s This Storry Really Abou
ut?
Thiinking about Themes
T
and L
LifeLesssons
Theere’s No Such
h Thing as Tru
ue Good
or Evil:
E
Characteers Are Not U
Usually
All One Way
Ben
nd 3: Literary
y Traditions,
Inccluding Archetypes, Quest
Stru
uctures, and Thematic
T
Patt
tterns
Arcchetypes, Queest Structures, and
Theematic Pattern
ns (Understan ding of
storry structure, ch
haracter roles, and
them
mes deepens readers’
r
analyysis and
exteends readers’ literary
l
conveersations)
Exaamination of the
t quest struccture
Chaaracters play expected
e
roless in
fantasy novels; trraditional hero
oes,
uctant or every
yday heroes, aand the
relu
antihero
T
with Crittical
Reaading across Texts
Len
nses (Reexamiining themes iin texts,
thin
nking across teexts).
Beccoming Passio
onate for Genrres,
Autthors, and Literary Traditio
ons
Reaading with a critical
c
lens to notice
sterreotypes and gender
g
norms
Mentorr Texts/Resou
urces
M
Mentor Texts (Instructionall Read
A
Aloud):
Short Read-Alo
ouds:
D
Deltora Quest b
books
P
Possible Chaptter Book Read
d-Aloud:
T
The Lightning T
Thief by Percy
y Jackson
P
Picture Books:
T
The Paper Bag P
Princess by Rob
bert
M
Munsch
T
The Rainbabies by Laura Kraauss
M
Melmed
N
Nobody Rides thhe Unicorn by A
Adrian
M
Mitchell
U
Unit Texts (Teexts for studen
nts to read
in
n book clubs)::
E
Eighth Grade Biites by Heatherr Brewer
(L
Level Z)
T
The Wizard of E
Earthsea by Urssula K. Le
G
Guin (Level Z))
C
City of the Beasts
ts by Isabel Alllende
(L
Level Z)
T
The Hobbit by JJ. R.Tolkien (L
Level Z)
T
The Hunger Gaames by Suzan
nne Collins
(L
Level Z)
T
The Giver by Lo
ois Lowry (Leevel Y)
T
The Lightning T
Thief by Rick R
Riordan
(L
Level W)
T
The Hero by Miike Lupica (Leevel W)
D
Daniel X: The A
Alien Hunter by
y James
P
Patterson (Level W)
T
The Moorchild b
by Eloise McG
Graw
(L
Level W)
G
Gregor the Overllander by Suzaanne
C
Collins (Level V
V)
T
The Earthsea A Wizard of Earrthsea book
1 by Ursula K. Le Guin (Levvel Z)
(L
Lexile 1150)
T
The Creature of M
Moonlight by R
Rebecca
H
Hahn (Lexile 9
930)
D
Daniel X Alien H
Hunter by Jam
mes
P
Patterson (Level W)
In
ndependent T
Text Suggestio
ons or
O
Other Book Cllub books:
Sp
Spiderwick Chroonicles
24
4 LiiteracyC
Curricullum8thGrade









d
details and inn
ner thinking off
ccharacters in order
o
to deciph
her an
issue, idea, mo
oral, or lesson or
theme.
A
Analyze a centtral character and the
ccharacter’s rela
ationship to minor
m
ccharacters.
F
Find textual ev
vidence of cha
aracters’
p
pressures, as well
w as their ho
opes
aand dreams. Relate
R
actions to
w
what they wan
nt and how theey tend
to behave.
S
Summarize ho
ow characters are
ccomplicated an
nd the changees they
ggo through.
A
Analyze the seetting by invesstigating
the atmosphere of the setting
g in a
sscience fiction novel.
U
Understanding
g cuing system
ms in
ccomplex novells: Learning
aalongside the main
m
characteer.
K
Keep track of complicated
c
n
narratives.
U
Use pencils wh
hen we read to
o
ssupport readin
ng work and
cconversations.
T
Think metapho
orically aboutt the
p
problems characters have.
K
Keep track of the
t multiple
p
problems faced
d by characterrs.
D
Dragon Slayers’ Academy book
ks
T
The Lost Hero b
by Rick Riordaan
T
The Lord of Thee Rings
N
Narnia
T
The Lion the Wi
Witch and the Wa
Wardrobe
T
Teacher Resou
urces:
 Constructing
ng Curriculum of Units of
Study for T
Teaching Readin
ng by Lucy
Calkins
 A Quick Gu
uide to Teachingg Reading
Through Faantasy Novels by Mary
Ehrenwortth
 “Learning ffrom the Elves” in
Constructing
ng Curriculum, Units of
Study for T
Teaching Readin
ng
(Heineman
nn, 2010) pgs. 183-241
nt: Teachers C
College
 Assessmen
Running R
Record Assessm
ment for
any studen
nt not on benchmark in
January.
(Reading Benchmark: Leevel Z+)
A
Assessment:
R
Reader’s Noteb
book Responsse Entries
C
Conferring with
h readers
R
Reading journaals
25
5 LiiteracyC
Curricullum8thGrade
Readerss Workshop
p Unit 7 C hildren of W
War
(4-6 weeks
w
Apriil)
Fourth Marking
M
Peeriod
Teach
hing Points
(Possible Mini-Lesson
ns)
Undersstandings
Goalls:
This unit of study continues to prepare
studeents for the reading they wiill do in
high school. Stud
dents will prep
pare for
k in high sch
hool reading by the
work
experrience, read
ding ability, and
strateegies they need
n
to succceed as
readeers and by reading
r
shareed texts
throu
ugh read-alou
uds, shared reading,
r
and small book club
c
groups. At the
begin
nning of the un
nit students will
w learn
strateegies to utilize
u
when
n they
encou
unter a tough
h text. Studeents will
be paartnered up with
w
other rea
aders, at
least one peer who
o can help him
m or her
to claarify and discu
uss the text as they go
throu
ugh the book. Students wiill retell
what has happeneed in the boo
ok with
partn
ners to ensure that everyone in the
group
p has the storry straight. Partners
P
and b
book clubs will help each other dig
deep,, unpack the lines
l
of the teext, and
interp
pret the book as
a they go.
Outccomes:
 C
Connect to tex
xts that involvee
ccharacters thatt are very diffeerent
ffrom one’s ow
wn self.
 C
Connect to tex
xts that have a setting
that are foreign
n or from the past.
p
 R
Read with emp
pathetic imagiination.
 R
Read with volu
ume and inten
nsity.
 U
Use notebookss to keep track
k of
thinking.
 R
Read deeply.
 IInfer constantlly.
 T
Think big and interpret the books
b
that are being read.
r
 R
Retell the read
ding from the night
n
b
before, clarifyiing
m
misunderstand
dings, and posing
q
questions to bo
ook club partn
ners.
 M
Make an action plan when
aassigned a boo
ok to assist a reeader in
ggetting through
h tough texts.








Character interpretation
Responding in readers nottebooks
about their th
hinking.
Literature caan have parts w
where
terrible thinggs happen, butt they can
still be beauttiful.
nd to
Writers forcee a readers min
linger on hau
unting images --- and
how that is a powerful too
ol.
Envision wh
hile reading, no
oticing
places that beg for predictiion, and
nfer about chaaracter’s
stopping to in
personalities, relationshipss, and
choices.
Analyze auth
hor’s choices aaround
literary devicces, orders of eevents,
manipulation
n of time, and
d the
effects these have on texts..
Reasons to reread a text.
How to use the
t summary aand the
blurb of the book
b
to get thee gist of
the theme an
nd how to use the
Internet searrch engines, cllassmates,
and/or librarrians to help bbuild
action plans for compreheension.
Parrt 1: Investigaating Narrativee
Stru
ucture, Themee, and Craft
Parrt 2: Dealing with
w Difficultyy While
Foccusing on Inteerpretation
Parrt 3: Reading Across Texts for
Allu
usions, Conteext, and Criticiism
Parrt 4: Readers Become
B
Expeerts at
Liteerature, Autho
ors, and Read
ding
Praactices
Mentorr Texts/Resou
urces
M
Mentor Texts (Instructionall Read
A
Aloud):








The Milk off Birds
Brothers in H
Hope by M. W
Williams &
G. Christiee
Four Feet, Two Sandals b
by K. L.
Williams & K. Mohamm
med
Blood Diam
monds by G. Caampbell
(Mentor Text) (Caution
n; language
and violen
nce)
A Long Waay Gone by Ishm
mael Beth
The Yellow Star The Legen
nd of King
Christian X of Denmark by
y Carmen
Agra Deed
dy
Crow Call b
by Lois Lowry
y
Pink and Saay by Patricia Polacco
U
Unit Texts (Teexts for studen
nts to read
in
n book clubs)::












The Persim
mmon Tree (Y
Y) (Honors
Only)
w Tired of Us ((Level Z+)
God Grew
(Honors on
nly)
The Day th
he World Cam
me to Visit
Long Walk
k to Water (Leevel W)
Broken Meemory (Level Y)
Hare in thee Elephant’s T
Trunk
(Level Z)
o Jo’Burg (GR
R Level
Journey to
Unleveled))
Night by E
Elie Weisel
The Boy in
n the Striped P
Pajamas by
J. Boyne ( Level Z)
Summer of My German
n Soldier by
Bette Greeene (Level Z)
Book Thief by
I am a Starr: Child of thee
Holocaust by I. Auerbaccher (Level
26
6 LiiteracyC
Curricullum8thGrade

Y)
The Devil’’s Arithmetic b
by J. Yolen
(Level Y)
T
Teacher Resou
urces:
A Curricular Plaan for the Readiing
W
Workshop, Gradde 8, 2011-20122 Unit
R
Reading For Higgh School Unit 6 pages 8392 (Electronic Version)
A
Assessment:

Teachers C
College Runn
ning
Records fo
or any studentt not on
benchmark
k in Septembeer
(Reading Benchmark: Leevel Z+)

Response Nottebook
Reader’s R
entries
27
7 LiiteracyC
Curricullum8thGrade
Readers Workshop
W
U
Unit 8
Chan
nging the World
W
with Words:
W
Po
owerful Speeeches and T
Their Effectts on Historry
(4 weeks May/Ju
une)
M
Peeriod
Fourth Marking
Understandings
Goalls:
By n
now the 8th graders
g
have deeply
d
analy
yzed literatu
ure and liiterary
nonfiiction. This unit
u
aims to further
f
challeenge their abilities
a
to an
nalyze
texts - pushing theem to new lev
vels by
deeplly engaging th
hem in close reeading
of m
multiple speecches from difffering
persp
pectives aroun
nd a variety off topics
and iissues. This unit
u
is intend
ded for
8th grade studeents enrolled in
Langguage Arts. The unit will
w be
appro
oximately 6 weeks long
g and
includes opportunities for studeents to
n to famou
us speeches and
listen
indep
pendently rea
ad famous speeeches
in orrder to look fo
or author’s pu
urpose
and point of vieew as well as
a the
reaso
ons and evideence. Durin
ng this
unit students willl also contin
nue to
read in unit texts. This uniit also
studentss
to
ma
aintain
fosterrs
indep
pendent readiing – as we know
that children beco
ome better readers
with a high volum
me of words. While
speecches will masssage the musccles of
analy
ysis and close reading – speeeches
will n
not expose stu
udents to susstained
perio
ods of reading.
Outccomes:
 Read for author’s
a
purpo
ose
 Uncover author’s
a
point of
view
 Compare author’s pointts of
view
 Synthesizee texts
 Close read
d for complex ideas
 Supplemen
nt nonfiction
reading to understand context
of speech
 Extract rea
asons and evid
dence
author usees to support claim
c
 Summarizze speeches
 Determiniing important ideas
from less important
i
idea
as







Teacching Points
(Possiblle Mini-Lesso
ons)
Readers
R
think about the autthor’s
opinion
o
and th
hen look for reeasons the
author
a
uses to support his o
or her claim.
Readers
R
decid
de what the toppic of a
speech
s
is and then
t
ask them
mselves: What
is
i the author saying about th
his topic?
What
W
does he want me to kknow or
believe?
b
Readers
R
analy
yze speeches to
o learn about
complex
c
ideass.
Readers
R
often want to build
d a richer
perspective
p
on
n a speech by d
digging
further
f
for mo
ore information
n.
Readers
R
analy
yze how autho
ors use
rhetorical
r
deviices to make ttheir
arguments
a
mo
ore convincingg.
Readers
R
comp
pare and contrrast how
different
d
autho
ors use rhetoriic to drive
their
t
points ho
ome.
Readers
R
noticee that sometim
mes
speechwriters
s
incorporate qquotes from
famous
f
peoplee in order to m
make their
point
p
resonatee.
Mento
or Texts/Reso
ources
Mentor Texts (Instructio
onal Read
Aloud):
Lessons from N
Navy
 “Life L
SEAL Training” Ad
dm. William
Raven (All Stu
udents)
H. McR
https://news.utexas.edu/2014/
05/16/
/admiral-mcraavencommeencement-speeech

“Farew
well to Basebaall
Addresss” by Lou Geehrig (All
Studen
nts)
http://
/www.americaanrhetoric.
com/sp
peeches/lougeehrigfarewe
lltobaseeball.htm
 “The T
Third Phillippiic” by
Demossthenes (Hono
ors Only)
 “Funerral Oration” b
by Pericles
(Honorrs Only)

“Inauggural Address, 1801” by
Presideent Thomas Jeefferson
 “Is It a Crime for a C
Citizen of
the Un
nited States to Vote?” by
Susan B
B. Anthony

“Blood
d, Sweat, and Tears” by
Winsto
on Churchill
 “Whatt to the Slave iis the
Fourth
h of July” by F
Frederick
Douglaass
 “The D
Decision to Go
o to the
Moon”” by Presidentt F.
Kenned
dy
 “40th A
Anniversary off D-Day”
by Pressident Ronald
d Reagan
 “Nobell Peace Prize A
Acceptance
Speech
h” by William Faulkner
 “Resign
nation Speech
h” by
Georgee Washington
 “Addreess to the Natiion on the
Challen
nger” by Presiident
Ronald
d Reagan
28
8 LiiteracyC
Curricullum8thGrade










“We S
Shall Fight on the
Beachees” by Winston Churchill
“Surreender Speech”” by Chief
Joseph
h
“Inaugguration Speecch” by John
F. Ken
nnedy
“Duty,, Honor, Coun
ntry” by
Generaal Douglas MaacArthur
“Quit IIndia” by Mah
hatma
Gandh
hi
“Their Finest Hour”” by
Winsto
on Churchill
“Give Me Liberty o
or Give Me
Death”” by Patrick H
Henry
“I Havve a Dream” by Martin
Lutherr King, Jr.
“The G
Gettysburg Ad
ddress” by
Presideent Abraham L
Lincoln
Speech
h to the Second
d Virginia
Conven
ntion by Patrick Henry
Unit Texts (Texts for stu
udents to
ok clubs):
read in boo
7 Habits off Highly Effecttive Teens
by S. Covey
y (Unleveled) (All
students)
My Rights? By
y Judge
What Are M
Tom Jacob
bs (parent perm
mission
letter requirred prior to stu
udent
reading tex
xt)
Teacher Reesources:
Assessmen
nt:
 Teacheers College Ru
unning
Record
d Assessment for any
studen
nt not on bench
hmark in
March
h.
(Reading Benchmark: Level Z+)

Readerr’s Response N
Notebook
Entriess

http://
/blog.ted.com/a-tedspeakerr-coach-sharess-11-tipsfor-righ
ht-before-you-go-onstage/
29
9 Literacy
L
yCurricu
ulum8th
hGrade
8th GRAD
DE WRIT
TING
W
Writers Work
kshop ~ Peersonal Essa
ay Crafting Powerful L
Life Storiess- Writing tto Reflect E
Experience
and
d Suggest Thematic
T
Co
onnections
~Unit
~
1 Sep
ptember (3-44 weeks)
First Marking
M
Perriod
Undeerstandings
Goals:
Thee unit includ
des an introdu
uction to
the course as well
w
as lesson
ns on the
Meemoir genre. Students willl create a
seriies of vignetttes around topics
t
or
them
mes of their lives. Key topics of
thiss unit will include wayss writers
devvelop and organize ideeas, use
con
ncrete and ap
ppropriate dettails, and
The first
emp
ploy proper conventions.
c
part of the uniit will be on
n helping
stud
dents to write with volume—
—both in
theiir writing nottebooks and in
i essays.
Theey will collectt both entries and ideabased writing. Students will research
m
and notice that
the structure of memoir
therre are differeent forms of memoir;
essaay-like structu
ure, list-like structure,
and
d narrative witth reflection. This unit
willl ask studentss to transfer what
w
they
alreeady know about opinion and
narrrative writing to form a bridge
betw
ween the two..
Outtcomes
 Understand that
t
writers ca
an learn
how to craft memoir by stu
udying
mentor texts
 Understand that
t
a memoirr can be
writing in first, second, or third
person, altho
ough it is usua
ally first
person
 Understand that
t
personal narrative
n
is an importa
ant story from
m the
writer’s life
 Understand that
t
memoir can
c be
comprised off a series of vig
gnettes
 Understand that
t
memoirs have
significance in
i the writer’s life and
usually show
w something siignificant
to others
 Understand memoir
m
as a brief,
b
often intensee, memory of an
a event
or a person with
w reflection
n
 Understand that
t
memoir can
c be
fictionalized or be fiction
Tea
aching Points
(Possiblle Mini-Lesso
ons)
Beend 1: Generaating ideas abouut our lives
an
nd finding deptth in the momeents we
ch
hoose
• Use
U notebook
ks to research o
our lives.
Collect entries and
a ideas-baseed writing.
• Try
T out differeent small mom
ment
stories
• Discover
D
meaaningful topicss
• Write
W
big and
d small: large id
deas and
th
heories and zooming in on o
one time
when
w
that idea was true
• Amass
A
lots off material.
• Write
W
to find depth
d
in alreaady
un
ncovered ideaas.
• Re-read
R
collecction to investtigate
ng
paatterns or them
mes: reoccurrin
em
motions, or ob
bjects and relaationships
th
hat pre-occupy
y them.
• Ask
A ourselves, “What otherr times in
my
m life fit this same
s
theme?”
• Explore
E
the un
nknown in a ttopic.
“W
Where is the mystery
m
in thiss?”
Beend 2: Structurring, Drafting, and
Revising a Mem
moir
• Turn
T
ideas intto drafts: revissing,
• Highlight
H
the importance off structure
• Focus
F
the storry on you - “W
What am I
try
ying to say ab
bout myself?”
• Use
U mentor teext to adjust sttructure
• Set
S goals for revision
r
• Re-read
R
with a focus on ediiting
Beend 3: A Secon
nd Memoir withh the focus
off bringing out meaning
m
 Tinker with structure.
s
 Elaborate with figurative laanguage,
nships, nuancees in word
word relation
meaning, meetaphorical im
magery
 Choose writiing techniquess and
strategies thaat apply.
n lens to in
nterpret
 Read with a new
one’s own sto
ory.
 Grow theoriees about one's own self.
 Uncover imaages
nd flash draft
 Plan drafts an
Menttor Texts/Ressources
Mentor Textss (Instruction
nal Read
Aloud):
n Mango Streeet
 House on
 Growing Up by Russelll Baker
 Big Russ and Me by Tiim Russer
 Excerpt ffrom Black Bo
oy by Richard
Wright
 Chicken Soup for the W
Writer’s Soul
by Canfieeld, Hansen, aand Gardner
 Walking on the Bound
daries of
Change b
by Sara Holbro
ook
 Crow Caall by Lois Low
wry
 Writing D
Down the Bon
nes Freeing the
e
Writer W
Within by Nataalie Goldberg
 Memoir E
Excerpts: Marrshfield
Dreams: When I was a kid, etc.
 Great Esssayists’ Writin
ngs by Joan
Didion, M
Malcolm Glad
dwell,
Barbara K
Kingsolver
 Starting w
with I publish
hed by Youth
Commun
nications (essaay by an
adolescen
nt)
 The Strugggle to Be Stro
ong by
Youth Co
ommunication
ns (essay by
an adolesscent)
 Chicken Soup for the S
Soul:
Inspiratio
on for Writers
 Crow Caall
 Writing D
Down the Bon
nes
Teacher Reso
ources:
 If…Then
n… Curriculum
m by Lucy
Calkins p
pgs. 44-58
 Writing a Life by Kath
herine Bomer
 50 Tools for Writers by
y Roy Peter
Clark
 Crafting A
Authentic Voiice by Tom
Romano
 Boy Writters by Ralph F
Fletcher
 Write Lik
ke This by Kellly Gallagher
 Shaping T
Texts From E
Essay and
Narrativee to Memoir b
by Lucy
Calkins
 Memoir: The Art of W
Writing Well,
30
Literacy
L
yCurricu
ulum8th
hGrade





Understand that personal
narratives an
nd memoirs ha
ave many
characteristiccs of fiction, in
ncluding
setting, probllem or tension
n,
characters, dialogue,
d
and problem
p
resolution
Understand that
t
a memoirr can take
different form
ms (story, poem
m, series
of vignettes, slice of life, viivid
description)
Use the term
m memoir to desscribe the
type of writin
ng
Understand that
t
autobiogrraphy is a
biography wrritten about th
he subject
Use the term
m autobiograph
hy to
describe this type of writin
ng
 Revise expossitory portionss of a
memoir
Writing
W
in the Genre
G
(To tell a story;
peersonal narratiive, autobiograpphy,
memoir)
m
Seelect small mo
oments or experiences
an
nd share think
king about them
m in a way
th
hat communicates a larger m
meaning.
Describe
D
and deevelop a settin
ng and
ex
xplain how it is
i related to th
he writer’s
ex
xperiences
Ex
xperiment witth different tim
me
structures (for example,
e
singlle-day
flaashback)
Use
U only the im
mportant detaiils and
paarts of the narrrative, eliminaating
un
nnecessary infformation
Describe
D
self an
nd others by h
how they
lo
ook, what they
y do, say, and think and
what
w
others thin
nk and say abbout them.
Develop
D
characcters (self and others)
an
nd show how and why theyy change
Use
U literary lan
nguage (powerrful nouns
an
nd verbs, figurrative languagge)
Reveal
R
somethiing important about self
orr about life
Create an intern
nal structure th
that begins
with
w a purposefful lead
Write
W
an endingg that commu
unicates the
laarger meaning of the memoiir
Write
W
with imaagery so that th
he reader
un
nderstand the feelings of thee writer or
otthers
Create a series of
o vignettes th
hat together
co
ommunicate a message.



Lucy Callkins and Marry Chiarella
How Wriiters Work, G
Grade 8
Published
d by Writing F
Fundamentals
Units of S
Study for Argu
ument,
Narrativee, and Informaational Writin
ng
published
d by Heinnem
man and
Teachers College
Writing P
Pathways: Perforrmance
Assessmen
nts and Learning
ng Progressions,
Grades 6-88
Assessment:
Narrative/M
Memoir Essay scored with
Teachers Colllege Rubric (Scores
recorded into Genesis)
31
Literacy
L
yCurricu
ulum8th
hGrade
Writeers Worksh
hop Unit 2 Writing In
nvestigativee Journalism
m
(6
( weeks October/Novvember)
First Marking
M
Perriod
Und
derstandings
Teaching
T
Poin
nts
(Posssible Mini-Lesssons)
Bend
B
1: Reporrting Real Storries: writing
effficiently and
d accurately.
Meentor Texts/R
Resources
Goaals:
xts (Instructio
onal Read Alo
oud):
Mentor Tex
Writters will look closely
c
at the world
w
The Blind Siide by Michaell Lewis
arou
und them and illuminate
i
soccial issues
Long Way G
Gone by Ishmaael Beah
on newscasts and investigative reports.
r
• Finding storiees and real draamas
What the Doog Saw by Maalcolm Gladwe
ell
dents will report real stories, write about ev
Stud
verywhere.
Chicken
Soup
up
for
the
Teenag
ge
Soul
sociaal issues, and do
d investigativ
ve reporting • Recognize sm
mall life eventss spark ideas fo
or
and rresearch on issues. Studentts will call newscasts
n
on prrevious learning of narrative writing to • Reporting thee 5 w’s: who, w
what, where, Teacher Reesources:
craft deliberate atttention to issu
ues and
when,
w
why, and how
 Investigaative Journalism
m by Lucy
mom
ments of sociall significance. Students
Calkinss, Mary Ehren
nworth, and
will h
hone their non
nfiction writin
ng craft to Bend
B
2: Writin
ng to Inform/
/Illuminate
Corneliius Minor
convvey meaning in
n the social isssues of
isssues
 Writingg Pathways: Perf
rformance
school. This unit is a bridge for all the
Assessm
ments and Learn
ning Progression
ns,
writiing that The Common
C
Coree calls
• Investigating in depth on sh
hared social
Grades 66-8
literaary nonfiction. Students will write
isssues: local, scchool, teen speecific
 Writingg Narrative Ch
hecklist
narraative non-fiction with a jourrnalistic
• Shifting from first person to
o third person--  Writingg a Life by Kath
herine Bomer
flair.
jo
ournalist as naarrator
 50 Tools
ls for Writers by
y Roy Peter Cllark
Outccomes
• Using mentorr text to exempplify stringingg  Craftingg Authentic Voiice by Tom
• Observing for context, listenin
ng for quotes sccenes togetherr for impact.
Roman
no
ws stories havee tight, terse, • Being dramattic but truthfull-writing to
• Reccognizing new
 Boy Wrriters by Ralph Fletcher
fact b
based style.
pack a punch.
Like This by Keelly Gallagher
• Usiing different to
one and length
h for news • Making shortt writing poweerful: specific,  Write L

How
W
Writers
Work, Grade 8 Published
style stories. Learn
ning to get to the
t point
vivid physical details.
d
by
Writ
ting
Fundame
entals
• Con
nferencing to improve newsscast to be • Keep it focuseed

Units
o
of
Study
for
Ar
rgument,
lean,, efficient, and
d incisive.
• Tucking quottes into
Narrati
ive,
and
Inform
mational
Writting
• Wrriting differentt versions of th
he same
anation
narration/expl
n
publish
hed
by
Heinne
man
and
Teac
chers
newss cast
• Using checkliists to revise an
and edit Bend 33:
College
e
• Creeating a journa
alistic voice. You
Y are the In
nvestigative Reporting
R
and R
Research
eyes and ears for others.
o
Describ
bing with • Using small groups
g
to evalu
uate and give
Assessmentt:
tone
feeedback on wrriting that buillds tension.
• Cap
pturing quotess to enliven an
nd provide • Elaborating and
a giving persspective whilee
 Writingg Narrative Ch
hecklist
persp
pective
reemaining truth
hful.
• An
ngling for socia
al significance. Delve
• Working to meet
m deadliness
deep
ply to reveal un
nderlying issues
Using
U
writing partners effecttively to
• Ask
king the right questions
observe, recap, summarize, aand note
• Acccessing and an
nalyzing inform
mation
teechniques.
• Fin
nding and docu
umenting storries to
anch
hor investigatio
ons- telling an
necdotes.
• Ad
dditional researrch beyond th
he story:
interrviews, surveys, statistics, ex
xpert quotes
• Turrning research
h into writing – using
profeessional mento
or texts to help
p with
strucctural transitio
ons and organiization
• Usiing narrative craft
c
to stir em
mpathy in
the ccentral idea off the piece: usin
ng
dialo
ogue, action, setting
s
to evok
ke
comp
passion.
• Wrrite compelling
g leads.
32
Literacy
L
yCurricu
ulum8th
hGrade
kshop Unit 3 Historiccal Fiction: Weaving T
Together Faact and Ficttion
Wrriters Work
(4
4 weeks No
ovember/Deecember)
Second Marking
M
Peeriod
Undeerstandings
Goals:
Onee goal of thiss unit is to ex
xpand on
stud
dents skills in narrative writing.
Stu
udents will relly on prior learning in
narrrative writing
g to now betteer engage
the reader, prov
vide an organ
nizational
stru
ucture that sequences events,
devvelop characcters, and provide
clossure. In this unit
u students will
w focus
on pivotal momeents in charactters’ lives
and
d to apply th
he same closee reading
straategies to theirr own writing that they
do to reading liteerature. In th
he parallel
read
ders worksho
op unit stud
dents are
read
ding with an awareness off the craft
moves that autho
ors make whille writing
histtorical fiction.
Ano
other goal witthin this unit of study,
dep
pending on thee students’ neeeds, is for
stud
dents to writee a literary esssay about
theiir reading. Th
his learning will lay the
fou
undation for the
t
upcoming
g unit of
stud
dy on literary essay.
Outtcomes:
 Generate posssible story ideeas while
drawing upon previous exp
periences
generating id
deas for fiction
n stories.
 Develop cha
aracters by placcing
them inside everyday
e
scen
nes.
 Attend to thee time period of
o the
setting when
n writing.
 Reveal chara
acters’ strugglees and
motivations
 Draft multiple possible pla
ans for
stories, check
king and revising for
historical acccuracy before drafting
a piece.
 Revise with an
a eye for crafft and
historical acccuracy.
 Attend to con
nclusions and
d
historical settings
 Attempt sym
mbolism, prefaces,
and/or endn
notes.
 Write variou
us kinds of fiction
f
by
studying men
ntor texts.
 Understand fiction as a sh
hort story










Tea
aching Points
(Possiblle Mini-Lesso
ons)
Weaving Together
T
Factt and
Fiction
Notice how
w writers writee to evoke
strong conn
nections to chaaracters
Study whatt the author haas done in
his/her wriiting to make m
moments
matter.
Write to in
nclude prefacess or
endnotes th
hat supply histtorical
context to stories.
s
How to usee a writers nottebook in a
variety of ways
w
in order tto make
ut a time
webs of infformation abou
period, list possible storyy ideas,
sketch detaails about settin
ng.
Literary Esssay
Write an esssay based on the theme
of the text.
Write an esssay analyzingg an
author’s wrriting craft.
Write an esssay comparin
ng two
texts.
How to dev
velop strong cclaims
about a tex
xt they are read
ding.
Reflect and
d analyze in co
omplex,
sophisticateed ways the teexts they
are already
y reading.
Collect ideaas and think fo
for future
essays.
Mento
or Texts/Reso
ources
Mentor Textss (Instruction
nal Read
Aloud):
Patricia C.
Goin’ Someplaace Special by P
McKissack
ne Woodson
The Other Sidee by Jacquelin
Freedom on thee Menu: The G
Greensboro SitIns by Carole Boston Weatherford
The Bat Boy an
nd His Violin b
by Gavin
Curtis
Eyes by Ruby B
Bridges
Through My E
Dream of Freeddom by Diane McWhorter
“Letter From B
Birmingham Ciity Jail” by
Martin Lutheer King, Jr.
ources:
Teacher Reso
If… Then… C
Curriculum Guidde Grade 68 pages 59-74
4
The Literary E
Essay Analyzingg Craft and
Theme by Luccy Calkins, Kaate
Roberts, and Katy Wischow
w
Assessment:
Literary Essay
y
Writers Noteb
book Entries
Flash Drafts
33
Literacy
yCurricu
ulum8th
hGrade










about an ev
vent in the life of the
main charactter
Understand that fiction may be
realism or fan
ntasy
Understand that the pu
urpose of
o explore a theme
t
or
fiction is to
teach a lesson
Understand that the seetting of
fiction may be current, historical,
h
or imagined.
Understand the
t elements of
o fiction,
including
setting,
problem
characters, and problem reesolution.
Understand the struccture of
narrative, including lead
l
or
introductio
on
of
beginning,
s
probleem, series
characters, setting,
of events, an
nd ending.
Understand that a work of fiction
may use timee flexibly to begin after
the end, at the
t end, in thee middle,
or at the begiinning
Understand that a fictio
on writer
gery or person
nification
mayuse imag
Understand that a fictio
on writer
may use satirre or irony
Understand that
t
writers ca
an embed
genres with
hin genres to
t create
hybrid texts
Use the term
ms fantasy, sh
hort story,
short realistic fiction, historiccal fiction,
myth, legend,, or modern fantasy
f
to
describe the genre.
g
34
Literacy
L
yCurricu
ulum8th
hGrade
Writers Workshop Un
nit 4 Argument Reseaarch Writin
ng (Position
n Paper)
January
y (3-4 week
ks) Second M
Marking Peeriod
Underrstandings
Teaching Po
oints
(Po
ossible Mini-L
Lessons)
Mentor Tex
xts/Resources
Goaals: Studentss will write faair and Bend 1: Writing
g a Position P
Paper
Men
ntor Texts (IInstructionall
principled argum
ments. This unit
u of • Deebating and discussing
d
po
ositions to revveal and Reaad Aloud):
x arguments
dy mirrors thee readers worrkshop deveelop complex
stud
“Higgh Jinks: Shooot Out” from
m The
• Figguring out eth
hical stancess, claims, and
d
unit of study in shared
s
readin
ng
New
w Yorker
becaause studentss will be read
ding
deveeloping reaso
oning
Olivvia’s Letter to M
Mayor Bloombberg
• Fin
nding eviden
nce from textss to defend a
criticcally to makee decisions, decide
d
“Spe
eech
to
a
Scho
ol Board”
how
w they accept or reject possitions, position
“A C
Child Soldier oon Trial at
and how to motiivate others to
t
• Reecognize and use effectiveely topic speccific
term
ms
belieeve as they believe. Studeents
Guaantanamo”
will learn about logical
l
appeaals,
• Arrguing the op
pposing positiion for persp
pective.
invo
olve claims, evidence,
e
warrrants, • Being fair to other points off view, addreessing
Teaacher Resourrces:
back
king, and reb
buttals. Studeents will coun
nter claims
Upfr
front, the New
w York Times
tack
kle real-world
d issues, begin
nning • Acccessing moree texts anglin
ng for additio
onal
Maggazine for Teen
ns
evid
dence.
with
h real-life queestions such as
a
wheether role-play
ying and video
• Learning to queestion texts aas they relatee to your
pers Research
h
 Position Pap
gam
mes containing fictional viiolence argu
ument
and Argumeent by Lucy
dopting propeer techniquess for framingg
are d
diverting or harmful.
h
In this
t unit • Ad
Calkins, Maary Ehrenworrth,
of sttudy writers will
w read critiically quotted, research
hed, and paraaphrased evid
dence.
Cornelius M
Minor. And Ju
ulie
and write argum
mentatively.
Shepherd
Outcomes:
ns papers on
n Complicateed and
Bend 2: Position
 Grade 8 Arggument Checcklist
 U
Using specificc language to enhance
e
Inteense Issues
ttone. Writing to help the rea
ader be • De
evelop initial understandiing of a globaal
jjudgmental.
com
mplex issue
Assessment:
 G
Gather, sort, and
a rank evideence for • Co
onferring in small group t o share ideass,
a position.
undeerstand issuees, and develo
op positions
dents, “Our unit
u
Say to your stud
 M
Mining eviden
nce from vario
ous
• Co
onsidering mu
ultiple sides o
of an issue.
ssources
wass all about arggument writiing.
Reseearch other points
p
of view
w
 A
Annotating arrticles/evidencce to
I wo
ould love to k
know what you
y
• Usse logic to qu
ualify your arrguments ssupport a posiition
kno
w
about
writ
ting
an
argum
ment
ackn
nowledge streengths and w
weaknesses of the
 E
Evaluate and cite referencess.
ay.
Please
sel
ect
a
topic
th
hat
essa
argu
ument.
 W
Write powerfu
ul conclusionss that
y about and
ns to help claarify for the rreader you feel strongly
o
offer insights, connections, or future • Ussing transition
pers
suade
me
to
b
believe as you
the relationships
r
between argguments, reassons,
aactions and so
olutions.
belieeve.”
dence and thee claim.
 M
Making a clea
ar plan includiing the evid
• Usse writing craaft to add dettail and figurrative
llead, context, position or cla
aim,
mmon Assessment in
Com
aarguments, rea
asoning and evidence,
e
langguage
Arg
gument
Writting Scored
ccounter claims.
• Ideentify and en
nvision differeent
h Teachers C
College
 P
Providing histtorical, geogra
aphical, strucctural/organ
nizational cho
oices for the paper with
Arg
gument
Rubr
ric
o
or cultural bacckground and context • Ed
dit for powerfful and accurrate languagee
tto help readers understand the
t
• Ed
dit for accuratte source citaations
cclaim in a possition paper.
• Craft the argum
ment into a leetter addressiing an
 C
Channel emottional responsses to
d
expeert in the field
ccompose argu
uments that aree fair
• Giving dramatiic speeches fo
for impact (op
ptional)
aand principled
d as well as
iimpassioned.
35
Literacy
L
yCurricu
ulum8th
hGrade
Writers
W
Wo
orkshop Un
nit 5 ~
Writing Prompted
P
Essays
E
for th
he PARCC
C Exam (PA
ARCC Test Prep)
Februa
ary (2-3 weeeks)
Third Marking
M
Perriod
Undeerstandings
Goals: Students will be taug
ght quick,
purrposeful writiing, especially
y writing
abo
out reading and
a
writing for
fo a test.
Thiis unit is also
a
about supporting
stud
dents in th
hinking logiccally and
flex
xibly and in transferring all they
kno
ow to their tesst-taking. Students will
anaalyze literaturre during the readers
worrkshop paralllel unit of study and
practice writing a narrative wrriting task.
dents will
Durring this unit of study stud
read
d short texts and
a write seveeral pieces
to demonstrate they can read
r
and
derstand suffiiciently comp
plex texts
und
independently; write
w
effectively when
usin
ng and analyzzing sources; and build
and
d communiccate knowleedge by
and
inteegrating,
comparing,
syn
nthesizing idea
as.
Outtcomes:
 Understand how
h
to write on
o tests
by studying examples
e
of sh
hort
answers and extended resp
ponses
 Understand that
t
test writin
ng is a
particular kin
nd of writing used
u
when taking tests (short an
nswer,
extended resp
ponse)
 Understand that
t
test writin
ng
involves resp
ponding to an assigned
topic.
 Understand that
t
some writting
serves the pu
urpose of demo
onstrating
what a perso
on knows or ca
an do as a
writer.
 Understand test
t writing ass a
response tailo
ored to meet precise
p
instructions.
 Understand that
t
test writin
ng
involves anallyzing expecta
ations.
 Understand that
t
test writin
ng often
requires inferrring motives.
 Understand that
t
test writin
ng often
requires takin
ng a position,
developing a clear argumeent, and
providing evidence for poiints.
 Understand that
t
test writin
ng
sometimes reequires taking the
perspective of
o a particular
Teaching Poiints
(Posssible Mini-L
Lessons)
Units
U
of study
y are divided
d into bends, or
parts,
p
with eaach offering a new portion
n of
th
he journey.
Bend
B
1: Literary Analysiis Task
Meentor Texts/R
Resources
or Texts:
Mento
Short ttexts that are sstories,
poemss, articles from
m multiple
sourcees:
Read comp
plex text closeely to carefullyy
consider litterature and ccompose an an
nalytic
Highligghts
essay.
Crickett
Bend
B
2: Narrrative Task
Cobbles
estone
 Convey ex
xperiences or eevents, real or
Read aand Rise
imaginary.. Students willl write a storyy,
Story W
Works
detail a sciientific processs, write a
Kids
historical account
a
of impportant figuress, or Sports Illustrated for K
describe an
n account of eevents, scenes, or
objects.
Bend
B
3: Reseearch Simulaation Task
her Resources::
Teach
 Students will
w evaluate evvidence acrosss a
 w
www.achieveth
hecore.org
series of teext types to an
nalyze an
 htttp://parccon
nline.org/sit
ess/parcc/files/
/Grade6-11informatio
onal topic pressented through
h
EL
LACondensed
dRubricFO
several artiicles or multim
media stimuli..
RA
ANALYTICA
ALANDNA
Students will
w read a textt that will servve as
RR
RATIVEWRIITING.pdf
an anchor text that intro
oduces the top
pic
 w
www.learnzilliion.com
then engagge with the texxt by answerin
ng a
 M
Mini-assessmen
nt for 1984
series of qu
uestions and ssynthesize
by
y George Orw
well
informatio
on from multipple sources to
 M
Mini-assessmen
nt for
write two analytic
a
essayys.
Ch
hapter III from
m “The
Op
pen Boat” by Stephen
 Reinforcemeent of writing strategies
Crrane
 Determiningg the meaningg of vocabularyy

A
Curricular Pllan for
words by reaading them in context
Reeaders Worksh
hop,
 Determiningg the main ideea or theme byy
Teeachers Collegge Units of
referring to a big lesson th
he character leaarns
Sttudy Unit 7 M
March/April,
or that we leearn as readerss
20
011-2012
mportant placees where
 Underline im
information is learning an
nd annotate wh
hen
they learn so
omething abou
ut a character,, jot
in margins any
a problems tthe character m
may
face, note instances when characters
change, iden
ntify big ideas of article sectiions.
 Narrative wrriting using a ttext stimulus
 Reading of one
o or more teexts, answer
several shortt, comprehenssion and
vocabulary questions,
q
and
d then write an
n
essay that requires studentts to draw
m the text(s).
evidence from

36
Literacy
L
yCurricu
ulum8th
hGrade








individual (h
historical figure,
fictional charracter)
Use the term
m test writing to
o describe
the genre.
Experience with
w sample iteems and
prototypes
Experience with
w PARCC tutorial
t
for students at
a
http://practiice.parcc.testn
nav.com/
#
Effective and
d comprehensiive
developmentt of a claim, to
opic
and/or narra
ative elements by using
clear and con
nvincing reaso
oning,
details, and text-based
t
evid
dence,
and/or descrription
Purposeful coherence, clarrity, and
cohesion witth a strong intrroduction
and a logicall, well-executeed
progression of
o ideas.
Effective stylle while attend
ding to
the norms off conventions of
o
grammar.
Preparation for
f the ELA/L
Literacy
PBAs at the 8th grade levell which
includes threee tasks: a reseearch
simulation ta
ask, a literary analysis
a
task, and a narrative
n
task.
Practice with
h both literary and
informationa
al (including so
ocial
science/histo
orical, scientiffic, and
technical tex
xts at grade 8).
Other
O
possiblee mini-lessonss:
Wrong-Answe
W
r Types
Teaching
T
Studeents to Deal w
with Difficultyy
Things
T
to Worrk On with Strruggling Test
Takers
T
Writing
W
in the Genre
G
(extendeed response, esssay
teest, short answeer)
Analyze
A
promp
pts to determin
ne purpose,
audience,
a
and genre
g
(story esssay, persuasiv
ive
leetter)
Read
R
and interrnalize the quaalities of respo
onses
th
hat will score high
h
on a test
Write
W
a clear and focused ressponse that w
will
be easy for the evaluator to u
understand.
Write
W
concisely
y and to the diirection of thee
question
q
or pro
ompt.
Elaborate
E
on im
mportant poin
nts.
Reflect
R
on biggger ideas and m
make or defen
nd a
cllaim that is su
ubstantiated.
Respond
R
to a teext in a way th
hat reflects
analytic
a
or aestthetic thinkingg.
Restate
R
a claim
m with further evidence.
State
S
a point off view and pro
ovide evidencee.
State
S
alternate points of view
w and analyze and
crritique the aud
dience for each
ch.
37
Literacy
L
yCurricu
ulum8th
hGrade
Wrriters Worksshop Unit 6
Goals::
This w
writers worksshop unit off study
paralleels a science fiction
f
unit off study
in read
ders workshop
p. Students wiill once
again return to th
he narrative unit
u
of
study in order to more
m
closely analyze
a
r
authorr’s craft and structure as readers
and em
mulate an auth
hor’s craft as writers.
w
Studen
nts will betterr understand how
h
to
shift p
perspectives, use
u symbolism
m and
metaph
hors,
and
develop
minor
characcters. For this round of na
arrative
writingg students willl consider the stories
they’vee read, with the lens of writers.
w
Writerrs will try som
me of the craffts they
move—
—the descrip
ption of fan
ntastical
worldss, the insertion
n of magical objects
or chaaracters, the use
u of symbollism to
guide tthe reader tow
ward interprettations,
and so
o forth. In many
m
ways, fantasy
f
fiction writing can be one of the most
challen
nging genres that studentss write
in.
Science Fiction, Dyystopian, an
nd Fantasy Narrativess
March/A
April (3-4 w
weeks)
Fourth Marking
M
Perriod
Posssible Mini-Leessons
Ben
nd 1: Collectiing Ideas for F
Fantasy Writting:
Fin
nding Story Id
deas that Havee Depth and
Sign
nificance
 Write to geneerate possible story ideas w
while
drawing upon students’ paast experience
generating id
deas for realisttic fiction storiies.
 Write with questions
q
in miind such as,
“What would
d make a greaat story?” and
“How can I keep
k
my fantaasy grounded iin
the real world?”
nd 2: Develop
ping Your Sto
ory: Shaping
Ben
Fan
ntastical Yet Believable
B
Ch
haracters and
Plo
ots
Mentor Texts (Instrucctional Read
Aloud):
Picture B
Books:
Merlin an
nd the Dragons by Jane Yolen
n
Stranger in the Mirror by Allen Say
Raising D
Dragons by Jerd
dine Nolen
Nobody R
Rides the Unicoorn by Adrian
Mitchell
Rainbabiies by Laura K
Krauss Melmed
d
ories:
Short Sto
Fire and Wings; Dragon
n Tales from
East and
d West by Janee Yolen
But Thatt’s Another Story
ry by Sandy
Asher
A Glory oof Unicorns by Bruce Coville
Ben
nd 3: Editing and Publishin
ng the Fantassy
Story for Readerrs
 Write to givee the readers a sense of closu
ure
by showing character
c
chan
nge or a resolu
ution Teacher Resources:
of one of the problems.
 Use narrativee paragraphs tto clarify dialo
ogue, Writing F
Fiction: Big Drreams, Tall
time, changee, shifts in settiing or mood, aand Ambition
ns
for dramatic impact. Writee with narrativve Writing M
Magic by Gail Carson Levin
ne
Outcom
mes:
structure thatt may offer sh
hifts in time orr
Writing
F
Fiction
by
Calk
kins
and
Cruz
 Crreate a narrativ
ve with compllex
parallel narraatives.
ch
haracters, tensiion, change, and
a an
 Write to elab
borate action, dialogue, detaails Assessm
ment:
ideea/lesson
and inner thiinking to deveelop an issue, iidea, Say to yo
our students, ““Our unit wass all
 Esstablish a situa
ation and place and hint
moral, or lessson or theme.
about
fan
ntasy writing. I would love
e to
at a bigger conteext for the storry (issues
 Develop a ceentral characteer, as well as th
he know wh
hat
you
know
about
thaat have been brewing,
b
a tim
me in
setting and th
he character’s relationship tto
writing ffantasy stories. Please write a
hisstory, one outt of many poin
nts of
the setting.
fantasy S
Small Momen
nt story, includ
ding
vieew).
 Convey the pressures
p
that are felt by
everythin
ng
you
know
a
about
writing
 Affter starting th
he story, hint at
a what
characters ass well as their h
hopes and
strong naarratives and eeverything you
u
wiill come later in
i the story, in
ncluding
dreams. Relate actions to what they waant know ab
bout
fantasy.”
no
ot just the plot but the ideas..
y tend to behaave.
and how they
 Usse transitionall phrases to aleert
 Develop charracters that arre complicated
d and Common
n Assessmentt in Narrative
reaaders to the pa
assage of timee, to
who change.
Writing
Scored with Teachers
co
onnect parts off the story, to imply
i
 Use specific details
d
to show
w a place and its College Narrative Ru
ubric
caause and effectt, to raise quesstions.
atmosphere and
a how it chaanges or feels to
 W
Write an ending
g that continuees to
the characterrs.
deevelop the mea
aning and thatt suggests
 Vary pacing to increase ten
nsion and man
nage
a sstance on the issue,
i
idea, mo
oral,
time.
lessson, or themee.
 Match langu
uage and sente nce structure tto
 Deevelop a sequeence of events that is
the tone of paarts of the storry and to diffeerent
caarefully manag
ged and clear.
characters.

W
With fantasy, deevelop a consiistent

Use punctuation to help to
o change the m
mood
im
maginary world
d.
of
the
story,
convey
c
meani
ing
and/or
bu
uild

Usse elements off fantasy and/or science
tension in thee story as welll as develop
to write a story.
dialogue and
d characterizattion.
 Punctuate co
omplex dialogu
ue
38
Literacy
L
yCurricu
ulum8th
hGrade
Writeers Worksh
hop Unit 7 Literary A
Analysis thrrough Essayys
Aprill (4-6 weekss)
Third/Four
T
rth Markingg Period
Underrstandings
Goaals:
This unit of study leads studentss to
beco
ome more indeependent with essaywritiing skills that have
h
been acq
quired
acrosss elementary and middle scchool
grades while learn
ning new, high
hleverraging strategiies that will meet and
exceed the expecta
ations of high school
comm
munities. Eig
ghth graders will
w
focuss on deep und
derstanding of at least
two u
unit texts and an outside tex
xt
(articcle, web sourcce, etc.). They will
writee long and stro
ong collecting
possiible themes th
hey see in a tex
xt.
Stud
dents will pay attention
a
to sm
mall
detaiils in critical scenes to help them
t
refin
ne their thinkin
ng about the th
hemes
they originally nam
med.
Teaching Pointss (Possible Miini-Lessons)
Meentor Texts/R
Resources
e
Bend 1: Thematic essay
Mentor Tex
xts (Instructio
onal Read Alo
oud):
 Wrriting Down th
he Bones Freeing
ntifying themee all around uss and in all thee
• Iden
thee Writer Withiin by Natalie
texts we
w read
Go
oldberg
• Find
ding messages in the centrall problems in
 Ho
oneybee by Naaomi Shabib Nye
N
text.” What is the author
a
intendin
ng to teach
 Alll Summer in a Day by Ray
us?”
Braadbury
dy authors craft through meentor texts:
• Stud
literarry devices, figu
urative languaage.
• Stud
dy author’s craaft of structuree choices and
textuaal developmen
nt of setting an
nd character. Teacher Reesources:
oice and
• Stud
dy author’s craaft in word cho
The Literaryy Essay Analyzin
ng Craft and
senten
nce variation
Theme by Lu
ucy Calkins, K
Kate Roberts,
• Obseerve how craft
ft makes a read
der think
and Katy W
Wischow
deeply
y about themee.
Assessmentt:
Bend 2: Authors Crraft Essay
• Searrching for crafft in the txt
Literary essay scored with
h the Argument
• Iden
ntifying authorr’s deliberate cchoices
progression
n and rubric.
• Read
d closely for excellent
e
craft moments in
Checklist fo
or argument w
writing
F
Finding centra
al problems in
n text text.
• Anaalyzing craft fo
or patterns
IInterpreting otther possible themes
t
See Roman
n numeral pagee ix for
werful craft su
uch as
W
Writing with personal
p
voicee about • Writting about pow
assessment
in The Literaryy Essay Analyziing
symbo
olism
ttheme
heme
by Lucy C
Calkins, Kate
Craft
and
Th
•
Find
ding
enduring
relevance
for
theme
R
Reading closeely to note critical
Roberts,
an
d
Katy
Wisch
how.
•
App
ply
an
essayists
s
tone
sscenes where theme
t
is evideent
R
Read closely for
f purposeful craft
ve Essay
aand what it reveals about th
heme Bend 3: Comparativ
A
Annotate from
m text
•Seleccting a text to serve as a com
mparative textt
A
Adopt a litera
ary scholar’s vo
oice
• Searrch for theme as well as crafft in the new
U
Use conferencces to guide reevisionstext.
ssearch for wha
at’s not workin
ng
mpare craft as well as themee
• Com
G
Generate a cla
aim about the text
• Gen
nerate comparaative claims
R
Returning to the
t text for dettails
• High
hlight steps for writing comp
mparative essayys
w
where theme is
i evident in a scene on demand.
R
Reading closeely to identify what
w
in
tthe text helps the reader inteerpret
ccentral problem
m, message, and
a
ttheme.
Outccomes











39
Literacy
L
yCurricu
ulum8th
hGrade
Writers Worksho
op Unit 8 Powerful
P
S peeches: T
This, I Belieeve
May/JJune (4 weeeks)
Fourth Marking
M
Peeriod
Tea
aching Points
(Possiblle Mini-Lesso
ons)
Undeerstandings
Goals:
Stu
udents will wriite in more
sop
phisticated way
ys by incorporrating
straategic writing craft
c
and techn
nique
into
o their own sp
peeches entitled
d “This I
Believe…” Speeches can be written
w
to
perssuade, inform
m or explain an
nd for a
variiety of purposes and audien
nces.
Speeeches cover a wide range of topics.
Thrrough this unit students willl
ack
knowledge the great changess that
havve been made in societies du
ue to the
writing of courag
geous leaders and
a
auth
hors. Writers will investiga
ate and
use several strategies to elabora
ate ideas
such as stretching
g ideas, adding
g details
and
d facts, and ad
dding anecdotees and
exaamples. Writeers of persuasiv
ve essays
usu
ually leave a reeader thinking
g with a
pow
werful conclussion. Eighth grade
g
writers will write as a speechw
writer;
atteempting to cha
ange someonee’s mind
or cconnect with the
t audience.
Outtcomes:
 Deliver a speech
 Write a speech
s
 Create a strong lead
 Create a strong conclu
usion –
offering the reader a seense of
closure
 Use auth
hor’s craft and
d take
literary risks
r
 Use literrary devices an
nd
figurativ
ve language
 Elaboratte ideas
 Reflect and
a find big th
hemes in
their own lives










Good writeers reflect on ttheir lives
to find out what is imporrtant
Good writeers use promptts to
collect ideaas
name their
Good writeers know and n
positive perrsonal beliefs
Good writeers organize th
heir ideas
Good writeers add audien
nce appeal
Good writeers choose wo rds
carefully to
o convey mean
ning clearly
Good writeers make a perrsonal
connection
n to emphasizee
authenticity
y
Good writeers support theeir
personal ph
hilosophies wiith
dialogue, rh
hetorical quesstions,
anecdotes, personal expeeriences,
examples and
a statistics
Good writeers can eloqueently
deliver the speech
Good writeers use quotes and
insights exp
pressed by oth
hers to
compose an
nd express wh
hat they
believe.
Mento
or Texts/Reso
ources
Mentor Textss (Instruction
nal Read
Aloud):
Writer’s Soul
 Chicken Soup for the W
by Canfieeld, Hansen an
nd Gardner
 Nothing B
But the Truth by Avi
 The Greaat Kapok Treee by Lynne
Cherry
Night by Eve B
Bunting
 Smoky N
 Remember: The Journ
ney to
School In
ntegration by T
Toni
Morrison
n
 The Yello
ow Star by Caarmen Agra
Deedy
Way Gone by Ishmael
 A Long W
Beth
Elephants by Y
Yukio
 Faithful E
Tsuchiyaa
 A River R
Ran Wild by L
Lynne
Cherry
of Water on
 One Well The Story o
Earth by R. Strauss
 Written T
Text to the son
ng: Wings by
Ryan Maacklemore
ources:
Teacher Reso
http://blog.tted.com/a-ted
d-speakercoach-shares--11-tips-for-riightbefore-you-go
o-on-stage/
“This, I Belieeve” Curricullum (google
drive)
ngandwritingproject.com/
http://readin
Core Curricullum Content S
Standards
http://www.ccorestandardss.org/thestandards/engglish-languagee-artsstandards
Assessment:
8th Grade Speeech
40