Consensus Curriculum Language Arts
Diocese of Richmond 8th Grade
GRADE 8
A. ORAL COMMUNICATION: SPEAKING/LISTENING
1. Prepares and conducts interviewing techniques to gain information
2. Prepares and asks relevant questions for the interview
3. Develops and delivers oral presentations, choosing topic and purpose appropriate to audience
4. Prepares scenes from plays and novels, in addition to poetry recitations
5. Chooses appropriate vocabulary and tone in presentations with regard to audience, topic and purpose
6. Assumes shared responsibility for collaborative work
7. Uses a variety of strategies to listen actively
B. WRITING/LANGUAGE
Purposeful Writing
1. Creates narrative, descriptive, expository, persuasive and creative essays for a variety of audiences and purposes
2. Organizes details, applies literary techniques to elaborate the central idea, and provides unity throughout the written composition through effective use of transition words
3. Revises writing for clarity of content, word choice, elaboration and sentence variety
4. Understands and uses appropriate tone and voice with regard to audience and author’s purpose
5. Uses all phases of the writing process to create a fully developed written work
6. Creates an organized paper based on research
7. Develops outlining skills
8. Distinguishes between a topic sentence and a thesis statement
9. Applies effective paraphrasing in order to develop thesis statement and utilizes researched information to defend an argument
10. Credits sources of paraphrased, directly quoted, and summarized material through accurate parenthetical citation
11. Varies sentence openers using phrases, clauses and verbals
12. Understands the intellectual property of others to avoid plagiarism
Word Patterns/Language
13. Applies knowledge of word origins, analogies, figurative language to extend vocabulary development with authentic texts
14. Utilizes knowledge of prefixes, suffixes and root words to make meaning of unfamiliar words
15. Recognizes syllables and stress in words
16. Analyzes context and structure to determine meaning
17. Demonstrates use of synonyms, antonyms, homonyms, homophones, homographs and contractions to make meaning within text
20. Identifies and uses correct subject-verb and verb agreement
21. Uses a variety of graphic organizers, including sentence diagrams, to
analyze and improve sentence formation and paragraph structure
22. Identifies and creates clauses (nouns, adjective and adverb) and verbals (participles, gerunds, infinitives) in order to elaborate on a written topic
23. Classifies sentences as simple, compound, complex and compound- complex
24. Uses prepositional phrases as adjective and adverb phrases in order to elaborate writing
25. Uses comparative and superlative adjectives and adverbs
26. Uses quotation marks when creating dialogue and direct quotations
27. Uses correct spelling for frequently used words
28. Identifies subjective compliments as either predicate adjectives or predicate nominatives
29. Distinguishes verbs that are active or passive
31. Identifies and uses all parts of speech correctly, specifically nouns (concrete and abstract), pronouns, verbs (action, linking, transitive and intransitive), adjectives, adverbs and verbals (participles, gerunds, infinitives)
C. READING
Comprehension/Strategic Thinking
1. Reads and analyzes a variety of fictional texts, narrative nonfiction and poetry
2. Demonstrates a thorough knowledge of literary devices and critiques
the effectiveness of literary devices used in written work
3. Identifies and analyzes an author’s use of figurative language, including idiomatic language and analogies and creates original examples
4. Draws on background knowledge as pre-reading strategy
5. Determines author’s use of tone, voice and mood
6. Develops succinct summaries
7. Identifies author’s purpose
Differentiates between fact and opinion
9. Evaluates, organizes, and synthesizes information for use in written
and oral formats
10. Uses reading strategies, such as inferences and making predictions, to
monitor comprehension throughout the reading process
11. Draws connections between a literary works and student’s life
12. Applies knowledge of literary elements in order to analyze character
development, themes, conflict and plot structure
13. Recognizes the structure and style of various genres of literature
14. Uses critical reading strategies to include questioning, making
predictions, connections, inferences, etc.
15. Identifies, analyzes and critiques the effectiveness of literary
techniques, specifically bias, parody and satire
D. RESEARCH/MEDIA LITERACY
1. Demonstrates proficiency in word processing, publishing and creating
data bases
2. Uses library and electronic media resources
3. Evaluates information in various sources, including validity and
authenticity of texts
4. Makes sense of information gathered from a variety of sources by
indentifying misconceptions, main and supporting ideas, conflicting
information, point of view or bias
5. Cites primary and secondary sources using accurate Modern
Language Association (MLA) format
6. Develops organized, efficient note taking methods
7. Defines the meaning and consequences of plagiarism and follows
ethical and legal guidelines for gathering and using information
8. Uses reference materials other than the Internet
9. Uses technology as a tool to research, organize, evaluate and
communicate information
10. Uses computer technology to plan, draft, revise, edit and publish
writing
11. Selects, evaluates, uses various media for presentations based on their
effectiveness in accomplishing the given task
E. CRITICAL THINKING/STUDY SKILLS
1. Demonstrates ability to use critical thinking techniques and study
skills independently
2. Organizes ideas in a logical and cohesive manner
3. Develops vocabulary knowledge
4. Develops knowledge of various testing techniques and terminology
5. Evaluates, organizes, and synthesizes information for use in written
and oral formats
Diocese of Richmond 8th Grade
GRADE 8
A. ORAL COMMUNICATION: SPEAKING/LISTENING
1. Prepares and conducts interviewing techniques to gain information
2. Prepares and asks relevant questions for the interview
3. Develops and delivers oral presentations, choosing topic and purpose appropriate to audience
4. Prepares scenes from plays and novels, in addition to poetry recitations
5. Chooses appropriate vocabulary and tone in presentations with regard to audience, topic and purpose
6. Assumes shared responsibility for collaborative work
7. Uses a variety of strategies to listen actively
B. WRITING/LANGUAGE
Purposeful Writing
1. Creates narrative, descriptive, expository, persuasive and creative essays for a variety of audiences and purposes
2. Organizes details, applies literary techniques to elaborate the central idea, and provides unity throughout the written composition through effective use of transition words
3. Revises writing for clarity of content, word choice, elaboration and sentence variety
4. Understands and uses appropriate tone and voice with regard to audience and author’s purpose
5. Uses all phases of the writing process to create a fully developed written work
6. Creates an organized paper based on research
7. Develops outlining skills
8. Distinguishes between a topic sentence and a thesis statement
9. Applies effective paraphrasing in order to develop thesis statement and utilizes researched information to defend an argument
10. Credits sources of paraphrased, directly quoted, and summarized material through accurate parenthetical citation
11. Varies sentence openers using phrases, clauses and verbals
12. Understands the intellectual property of others to avoid plagiarism
Word Patterns/Language
13. Applies knowledge of word origins, analogies, figurative language to extend vocabulary development with authentic texts
14. Utilizes knowledge of prefixes, suffixes and root words to make meaning of unfamiliar words
15. Recognizes syllables and stress in words
16. Analyzes context and structure to determine meaning
17. Demonstrates use of synonyms, antonyms, homonyms, homophones, homographs and contractions to make meaning within text
20. Identifies and uses correct subject-verb and verb agreement
21. Uses a variety of graphic organizers, including sentence diagrams, to
analyze and improve sentence formation and paragraph structure
22. Identifies and creates clauses (nouns, adjective and adverb) and verbals (participles, gerunds, infinitives) in order to elaborate on a written topic
23. Classifies sentences as simple, compound, complex and compound- complex
24. Uses prepositional phrases as adjective and adverb phrases in order to elaborate writing
25. Uses comparative and superlative adjectives and adverbs
26. Uses quotation marks when creating dialogue and direct quotations
27. Uses correct spelling for frequently used words
28. Identifies subjective compliments as either predicate adjectives or predicate nominatives
29. Distinguishes verbs that are active or passive
31. Identifies and uses all parts of speech correctly, specifically nouns (concrete and abstract), pronouns, verbs (action, linking, transitive and intransitive), adjectives, adverbs and verbals (participles, gerunds, infinitives)
C. READING
Comprehension/Strategic Thinking
1. Reads and analyzes a variety of fictional texts, narrative nonfiction and poetry
2. Demonstrates a thorough knowledge of literary devices and critiques
the effectiveness of literary devices used in written work
3. Identifies and analyzes an author’s use of figurative language, including idiomatic language and analogies and creates original examples
4. Draws on background knowledge as pre-reading strategy
5. Determines author’s use of tone, voice and mood
6. Develops succinct summaries
7. Identifies author’s purpose
Differentiates between fact and opinion
9. Evaluates, organizes, and synthesizes information for use in written
and oral formats
10. Uses reading strategies, such as inferences and making predictions, to
monitor comprehension throughout the reading process
11. Draws connections between a literary works and student’s life
12. Applies knowledge of literary elements in order to analyze character
development, themes, conflict and plot structure
13. Recognizes the structure and style of various genres of literature
14. Uses critical reading strategies to include questioning, making
predictions, connections, inferences, etc.
15. Identifies, analyzes and critiques the effectiveness of literary
techniques, specifically bias, parody and satire
D. RESEARCH/MEDIA LITERACY
1. Demonstrates proficiency in word processing, publishing and creating
data bases
2. Uses library and electronic media resources
3. Evaluates information in various sources, including validity and
authenticity of texts
4. Makes sense of information gathered from a variety of sources by
indentifying misconceptions, main and supporting ideas, conflicting
information, point of view or bias
5. Cites primary and secondary sources using accurate Modern
Language Association (MLA) format
6. Develops organized, efficient note taking methods
7. Defines the meaning and consequences of plagiarism and follows
ethical and legal guidelines for gathering and using information
8. Uses reference materials other than the Internet
9. Uses technology as a tool to research, organize, evaluate and
communicate information
10. Uses computer technology to plan, draft, revise, edit and publish
writing
11. Selects, evaluates, uses various media for presentations based on their
effectiveness in accomplishing the given task
E. CRITICAL THINKING/STUDY SKILLS
1. Demonstrates ability to use critical thinking techniques and study
skills independently
2. Organizes ideas in a logical and cohesive manner
3. Develops vocabulary knowledge
4. Develops knowledge of various testing techniques and terminology
5. Evaluates, organizes, and synthesizes information for use in written
and oral formats