Grade 8 English Language Arts

In grade eight, students will read major works of fiction and nonfiction from all over the world and from different time periods. They will continue to learn how to understand what they read and evaluate an author’s assumptions and claims. They will also conduct research that will require the analysis of resources and the accurate interpretation of literary and informational text. Activities in these areas will include:

• Identifying what a reading selection explicitly says and drawing inferences based on evidence from the text
• Analyzing the impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone, including analogies or allusions to other texts
• Evaluating the argument and specific claims in a text, assessing whether the reasoning is sound and the evidence is relevant and sufficient 
• Connecting information and ideas efficiently and effectively in writing
• Analyzing the purpose of information presented in diverse media formats, such as video clips or interactive maps 
• Participating in class discussions on various topics, texts, and issues by expressing ideas and building on the ideas of others
• Developing a large vocabulary of multi-use academic words and phrases
• Interpreting figures of speech, such as puns or verbal irony, in context