• Grade 8 ELA promotes literary appreciation and understanding of various genres such
    as short stories, novels, essays, poetry, and drama. There is emphasis on interdisciplinary reading, especially historical fiction and non-fiction to promote literary response and expression. Students continue their development of written language skills with guided practice in writing to a prompt, comparing paired readings and listening passages, and writing to persuade, entertain, or inform. Students begin learning master research skills including note taking, outlining, using quotations, citing sources according to MLA standards as elements of a research-based project. There is continued focus on oral language skills through in-class response and discussion and formal poetry readings, and class presentations.

    Instructional practices guided by Common Core Standards for reading, writing and
    speaking and include interdisciplinary units and Problem Solving Tasks in both the
    language arts and social studies curriculum including literature, oral reports, and written
    assignments in which students share their writing in group discussions, working both
    with partners and in small cooperative groups.


    State Assessment: Grade 8 New York State ELA Assessment