Understanding Perspectives
Grade Level: 8th
Subject: ELA
Time Frame: Quarter 3- 8 weeks
Essential Questions
Speaking and Listening:
- What does good listening look like?
- How do individuals contribute to the success of a team?
- Do all teams need leaders?
- How is asking questions a useful strategy in learning?
- How do delivery techniques change in relation to audience purpose or content?
- How does language help or hurt the message being communicated?
- How do presenters determine what information is relevant when preparing a report or presentation?
- How do speakers know if an audience is actively engaged in a presentation?
- What are the structural elements of a speech and what strategies can be used to enhance each part?
Reading
- How do authors develop theme?
- How do authors convey mood?
- How do different authors approach story elements?
- How do we evaluate an author's credibility?
- How do visuals convey information?
- How can bias influence a reader?
- What elements make a text more attractive to some readers than others?
- How does the history of language affect our understanding of a text?
- How does slang, dialect, or colloquial language affect a listener?
- How do we learn new words?
Writing
- What techniques do authors use to persuade readers?
- How can authors use diction to convince or persuade others?
- How do writers select evidence to best support their claim(s)?
- What techniques do writers use to "hook" their readers?
- What tools do writers use to summarize ideas?
- What kind of organization is most effective in informational writing?
- How do writers know when they have given enough information?
- Are all styles of informational writing equally appropriate?
- What are the elements of a well-developed character?
- How do authors use imagery to create tone?
- What makes text elements engaging to a reader?
- How does foreshadowing create connections for a reader?
- How do we know what resources meet our needs?
- What do we do when our immediate resources are not adequate?
- How do we know our information is reliable?
- What organizational strategy best suits this research?
- How do we determine the most appropriate format for presenting our research?
- How do we cite our research?
Language Usage
- How does the use of correct grammar, usage, and mechanics add clarity to writing?
- How can various tools help a writer edit work?
- What are some common punctuation errors? How can writers avoid these challenges in the future?
- When is it beneficial to use the thesaurus?
By the end of the unit, students will know/be able to:
Speaking and Listening
• I can effectively engage in discussions with diverse partners about eighth-grade topics, texts, and issues.
• I can express my own ideas clearly during discussions.
• I can build on others’ ideas during discussions
• I can present claims and findings, emphasizing salient points in a focused, coherent manner with relevant evidence, sound valid reasoning, and well chosen details; use appropriate contact, adequate volume, and clear pronunciation.
​
Reading
• I can analyze how specific dialogue or incidents in a plot propel the action, reveal aspects of a character, or provoke a decision.
• I can cite text-based evidence that provides the strongest support for an analysis of literary text.
• I can determine a theme or the central ideas of an informational text.
• I can analyze the development of a theme or central idea throughout the text (including its relationship to supporting ideas).
• I can objectively summarize informational text.
• I can analyze the connections and distinctions between individuals, ideas, or events in a text.
• I can determine the meaning of words and phrases in text (figurative, connotative, and technical meanings).
• I can analyze the impact of word choice on meaning and tone (analogies or allusions).
• I can determine an author’s point of view or purpose in informational texts.
• I can analyze how the author acknowledges and responds to conflicting evidence or viewpoints.
• I can evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of using different mediums to present an idea.
• I can analyze texts for disagreement on facts or interpretation.
​
Writing
• I can write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence
• I can write informative/explanatory texts that convey ideas and concepts using relevant information that is carefully selected and organized.
• I can use evidence from informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research
​
Language Usage
• I can use correct grammar and usage when writing or speaking.
• I can use correct capitalization, punctuation, and spelling to send a clear message to my reader.
• I can intentionally use verbs in active and passive voice and in the conditional and subjunctive mood.
• I can analyze figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings.
​
​
Assessments
• Socratic Seminar on a chosen topic
• Evaluating and Classifying Primary Sources
• Informational Essay on chosen topic
• Analysis of Language Techniques
• Photograph and Song Choices for a Film related to topic of text
• Presentation of Photograph and Song Selections
​
​
Topics
• building background knowledge on historical significance of chosen topic
• Connecting novel to primary sources
• Understanding different interpretation of facts
• Analyzing author’s craft
• Socratic Seminar discussion: Making Connections between Song Lyrics and Texts
• Pairing texts
• Advantages and disadvantages of using different mediums
• Analyzing the power of different mediums
• Informational essay planning: studying the essay prompt, gathering evidence, analyzing and selecting evidence
• Writing and revising the informational essay
• Analyzing a thematic concept
• Selecting photographs and song for film
• Analysis of Language Techniques
• Describing photographs and song, and arguing for the choices in writing
• Turning writing into a presentation
​
​
Standards
RL.8.3
RI.8.1, RI.8.2, RI.8.3, RI.8.4, RI.8.6, RI.8.7, RI.8.9
W.8.1, W.8.2, W.8.9
SL.8.1, SL.8.4
L.8.1, L.8.2, L.8.3, L.8.5