Grade 8 English Language Arts
10 units matched to the Saskatchewan Curriculum. Kids see this subject as “Language Arts”.
Strands and outcomes
- Comprehend and Respond (CR8.1–CR8.8): View, listen to, read, comprehend, and respond to a variety of texts that address identity (e.g., Becoming… Select and use appropriate strategies to construct meaning before, during, and after (e.g., paraphrasing and… Use pragmatic (e.g., intended audience and tone), textual, syntactic (e.g., variety of sentence structures)… (and 5 more outcomes)
- Compose and Create (CC8.1–CC8.9): Create various visual, oral, written, and multimedia (including digital) texts that explore identity… Create and present a group inquiry project related to a topic, theme, or issue studied in English language arts. Select and use the appropriate strategies to communicate meaning before, during, and after speaking, writing, and… (and 6 more outcomes)
- Assess and Reflect on Language Abilities (AR8.1–AR8.2): Use information gathered in self-assessment and teacher's assessment to develop and work on goals for improving… Appraise own and others' work for clarity, correctness, and variety. Units Adventure and Adventurers An Eye on Our…
Units
Unit 1
Close Reading
Reading original short passages and answering questions about theme, tone, word choice, inference and the author's purpose, using evidence from the text.
Outcome: CR8.6 · reading and interpreting grade-level texts
Unit 2
Literary Devices
Naming devices like simile, metaphor, personification, hyperbole, irony, foreshadowing and symbolism in short excerpts, and identifying a narrator's point of view.
Outcome: CR8.6 · literary devices
Unit 3
Irony, Satire & Allusion
Telling verbal, situational and dramatic irony apart, spotting how satire uses exaggeration to criticize, and explaining what an allusion to a well-known story adds to a text.
Outcome: CR8.6 · irony, satire and allusion
Unit 4
Whose Story Is It?
Recognizing third-person limited and omniscient narrators, spotting clues that a narrator is unreliable, and thinking about how a story would change from another character's point of view.
Outcome: CR8.6 · narrators and point of view
Unit 5
Argument & Media
Telling fact from opinion, spotting persuasive appeals (ethos, pathos, logos) and weak reasoning, and judging how reliable a source or media message is.
Outcome: CR8.4 · argument and persuasive techniques in media
Unit 6
Digital Citizens
Staying safe and respectful online, protecting privacy, spotting misinformation and disinformation, understanding how feeds are curated, and thinking about audience and purpose in digital and media texts.
Outcome: CR8.4 · reading digital and multimedia texts
Unit 7
Forms, Patterns & Visuals
Comparing text forms such as editorials, news articles, poems and graphic novels, spotting text patterns like problem-solution and compare-contrast, and judging how features, images and design add to meaning.
Outcome: CR8.7 · forms and features of information texts
Unit 8
Word Study
Using prefixes, suffixes and Greek and Latin roots to work out unfamiliar words, reading context clues, and noticing how word choice changes feeling.
Outcome: CR8.3 · word parts and vocabulary
Unit 9
Grammar & Style
Active and passive voice, run-ons, parallel structure, commas, apostrophes, semicolons, colons and common usage choices.
Outcome: CC8.3 · grammar and style in writing
Unit 10
Write It Better
Choosing the right form and tone for an audience, using reliable sources and giving credit, building voice, acknowledging other perspectives, and revising, editing and proofreading drafts.
Outcome: CC8.7 · revising and improving writing
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