Who am I as a reader, as a writer, as a speaker, and as a thinker?

Why are reading, writing, and storytelling essential components of the human experience?

How does English Language Arts expand our perspective?

All ELA standards can be found listed in the updated 2017 Massachusetts State ELA Grade 8 Frameworks:

Students will learn...

Writing

Text Types and Purposes

How to write arguments (e.g., essays, letters to the editor, advocacy speeches) to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence.

a. How to introduce claim(s), acknowledge and distinguish the claim(s) from alternate or opposing claims, and organize the reasons and evidence logically in paragraphs and sections.

b. How to support claim(s) with logical reasoning and relevant evidence, using accurate, credible sources and demonstrating an understanding of the topic or text.

c. How to use words, phrases, and clauses to create cohesion and clarify the relationships among claim(s), counterclaims, reasons, and evidence.

d. How to establish and maintain a style appropriate to audience and purpose (e.g., formal for academic writing).

e. How to provide a concluding statement or section that follows from and supports the argument presented.

Production and Distribution of Writing

How to produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.

How to strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach, focusing on how well purpose and audience have been addressed

Range of Writing

How to write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes, and audiences.