These units provide eighth grade students with a critical foundation in reading and writing narrative, informational, and argument texts. Through analysis and production of texts in these three modes, students become more adept readers, thinkers, and writers. Across the year, they come to understand the distinctions between narrative, informational and argument texts by studying fiction and nonfiction in a variety of formats and developing a more thorough understanding of audience and purpose when both reading and writing. The use of a reader’s and writer’s notebook for each unit encourages students to be independent, engaged, and empowered learners who value close reading, idea generation, drafting, and revision. The first unit (Launching) facilitates the use of the notebook for close reading and generative writing in addition to developing classroom routines for independent choice reading, writing, discussions, and word study.

Essential Questions explored throughout the year include the following:

• What makes a book a great read?

• How can we contribute to the sustainability of our planet?

• What makes a story worth telling/retelling?

• What should we do about the spread of misinformation?

The year-long course is designed to build rhetorical and 21st century skills, as well as habits of mind and experiences critical for success in later grades. Students continue to develop a learner identity and content knowledge that builds their level of persistence to engage in complex tasks that call upon strong analytical thinking and reasoning. As a result, certain scaffolds have been created based on this unit order. Schools should take care in moving units from their intended placement in the curriculum. For example, the Launching unit is designed to establish certain learner habits, strategies, and practices that help ramp students into later units of analyzing complex texts and writing well-reasoned arguments.

The English Language Arts 8 course is designed to align to the larger learning goals described in the Michigan K-12 Standards: English Language Arts, the Essential Practices for Disciplinary Literacy Instruction in the Secondary Classroom: Grades 6 to 12, and principles of Universal Design for Learning.

For additional information about the English Language Arts 8 units, please click here.