8th Grade – NON-FICTION
Name: ___________________________________
“Current Events” Analysis
Period: _____
Date: __________________
Directions:
 Obtain a current event article from a major newspaper, magazine, or journal. Article must be a
minimum of 2 pages (approximately 500 words) and in English.
 Attach a copy of the article to the report.
 Annotate the text using either CUBS (history) or Annotation Symbols (English).
 Complete the following text dependent questions.
Article Title: _____________________________________________________________________________
Newspaper/Magazine: ____________________________________________________________________
Author/Editor: _______________________________________ Topic: ____________________________
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.8.2
Determine a central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the
text, including its relationship to supporting ideas; provide an objective summary of
the text.
What is the central idea of this article? (15-20 words)
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List four new facts or ideas you learned from reading this article.
1. ____________________________________________________________________________________
2. ____________________________________________________________________________________
3. ____________________________________________________________________________________
4. ____________________________________________________________________________________
Key Ideas and Details
How has this new information changed your thinking about the
subject? Use evidence from the text to support your response.
Claim/Opinion/Answer:____________________________________________________
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** This assignment is REQUIRED of all students. **
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Evidence:_________________________________________________________________________________
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Reasoning:_______________________________________________________________________________
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What is the most important point in this text? How do you know? Use specific text
details to support your response.
Claim/Opinion/Answer:____________________________________________________________________
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Evidence:_________________________________________________________________________________
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Reasoning:_______________________________________________________________________________
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CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.8.6
Determine an author's… purpose in a text…
What is the author’s purpose for writing this text? Did the author
write to persuade, inform, entertain, etc.? Use specific details to
support your response.
Claim/Opinion/Answer:____________________________________________________________________
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Evidence:_________________________________________________________________________________
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Reasoning:_______________________________________________________________________________
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REFLECTION
Answer 1 of the following questions. Check one.
o How does this connect to and/or affect you/your family?
o How does this connect to and/or affect your community?
o How does this connect to and/or affect the world?
Claim/Opinion/Answer:____________________________________________________________________
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Evidence:_________________________________________________________________________________
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Reasoning:_______________________________________________________________________________
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8th Grade – FICTION
Name: __________________________________
Period: _____
Date: _________________
Directions:
 Read a Reading Counts Point fiction novel at your Lexile Reading Level.
 Complete the following text dependent questions.
 Pass the Reading Counts Point test on the novel when you return to school in
August.
Book Title: _______________________________________________________________________________
Author: __________________________________________________________________________________
Suggested Novels:
Lexile Levels (500-699):
Al Capone Does My Shirts
by Gennifer Choldenko (13 points)
Lexile Levels (700-899):
Where the Red Fern Grows by
Wilson Rawls (18 points)
Lexile Levels (900+):
Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
(39 points)
Milkweed by Jerry Spinelli (13
points)
The Witch of Blackbird Pond by
Elizabeth George Speare (14 points)
A Single Shard by Linda Sue Park (9
points)
Wringer by Jerry Spinelli (10 points)
After Tupac & D Foster by
Jacqueline Woodson (9 points)
Flowers For Algernon by Daniel
Keyes (19 points)
The Wish Giver: Three Tales of
Coven Tree by Bill Brittain (6 points)
Hoot by Carl Hiaasen (15 points)
Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul
Curtis (12 points)
Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech
(13 points)
Dragonwings by Laurence Yep (14
points)
The One and Only Ivan by Katherine
Applegate (7 points)
Moon over Manifest by Clare
Vanderpool (20 points)
The Crossover by Kwame Alexander
(7 points)
Kira-Kira by Cynthia Kadohata (12
points)
Three Times Lucky by Sheila
Turnage (16 points)
One Crazy Summer by Rita
Williams-Garcia (11 points)
The Higher Power of Lucky by Susan
Patron (9 points)
The Mostly True Adventures of
Homer P. Figg by Rodman Philbrick
(11 points)
Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline
Woodson (9 points)
Rules by Cynthia Lord (9 points)
The Wednesday Wars by Gary D.
Schmidt (19 points)
The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
(17 points)
Dead End in Norvelt by Jack Gantos
(18 points)
When You Reach Me by Rebecca
Stead (11 points)
The Phantom Tollboothby Norton
Juster (10 points)
The Watsons Go to Birmingham by
Christopher Paul Curtis (12 points)
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NOTICE & NOTE
Directions: Find an example of each notice & note signpost in the novel, complete
the following questions.
Contrasts & Contradictions
What character action or feeling was
unexpected?
Aha Moment
What words told you that this was going to be
an Aha Moment?
Tough Questions
What was the tough question that character
asked him/herself?
Page #
Why do you think the character acted/felt that way?
Page #
How is this realization likely to be important in the
story? How might this change things?
Page #
How do you think the character will answer it? Or,
how will his or her answer affect the events in the
story that follow?
5
NOTICE & NOTE
Directions: Find an example of each notice & note signpost in the novel, complete
the following questions.
Words of the Wiser
What advice or insight did the character
share?
Again & Again
What did you find the keeps coming up over
and over again?
Memory Moment
What memory came to the character’s mind?
Page #
How do you think this will affect the main character (or
the one who received the advice)?
Page #
What does this Again and Again signpost lead you to
think is going to happen later in the story?
Page #
Why do you think this memory is important to the
character or to the story?
6
Characterization
Main character: ________________________________________
Directions: For each category, provide textual evidence and explain
what it reveals about the personality of the main character.
Characterization
Textual Evidence
Explanation – What does this reveal
about the character?
Speech
Thoughts
Actions
Looks
Effect on Others
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CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.8.2
Determine a theme or central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text, including its
relationship to the characters, setting, and plot; provide an objective summary of the text.
What is the THEME of this novel?
Claim/Opinion/Answer:____________________________________________________________________
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Evidence:_________________________________________________________________________________
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Reasoning:_______________________________________________________________________________
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Answer 1 of the following questions. Check one.
o How does the main character contribute to the development of the theme?
o How does the setting contribute to the development of the theme?
o How does the conflict/problem contribute to the development of the theme?
Claim/Opinion/Answer:____________________________________________________________________
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Evidence:_________________________________________________________________________________
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Reasoning:_______________________________________________________________________________
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