Students in 8th grade should experience a balance of literature and informational texts in the context of instruction designed to create opportunities for learners to engage with a variety of topics and texts, and have discussions about texts that support language development and knowledge building. Creating this learning environment for readers can take a variety of formats, including shared readings, paired readings, independent readings and other learning activities that incorporate literacy materials, talking, and writing. We refer to these instructional events as ‘reading or literacy experiences’ because the focus is on using texts, printed and visual, to develop readers’ concepts of how meaning is conveyed through reading and writing, and in turn their ability to make meaning of increasingly complex text. Much of this work is done through talk-reading and reading-writing connections.

Reading Standards

Key Ideas and Details

8R1: Cite textual evidence to strongly support an analysis of what the text says explicitly/implicitly and make logical inferences. (RI&RL)

8R2: Determine one or more themes or central ideas of a text and analyze their development over the course of the text; summarize a text. (RI&RL)

8R3: In literary texts, analyze how particular lines of dialogue or events propel the action, reveal aspects of a character, or provoke a decision. (RL)

In informational texts, analyze how individuals, events, and ideas are introduced, relate to each other, and are developed. (RI)

Craft and Structure

8R4: Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative and connotative meanings. Analyze the impact of specific word choices on meaning, tone, and mood, including words with multiple meanings. (RI&RL)

8R5: In literary texts, and informational texts, compare and contrast the structures of two or more texts in order to analyze how the differing structure of each text contributes to overall meaning, style, theme or central idea. (RI&RL)

8R6: In literary texts, analyze how the differences between the point of view, perspectives of the characters, the audience, or reader create effects such as mood and tone. (RL) In informational texts, analyze how the author addresses conflicting evidence or viewpoints. (RI)

Integration of Knowledge and Ideas

8R7: Evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of using different media—text, audio, video, stage, or digital—to present a particular subject or idea and analyze the extent to which a production remains faithful to or departs from the written text. (RI&RL)

8R8: Trace and evaluate an argument and specific claims in a text, assessing whether the reasoning is valid and the evidence is relevant and sufficient and recognizing when irrelevant evidence is introduced. (RI&RL)

8R9: Choose and develop criteria in order to evaluate the quality of texts. Make connections to other texts, ideas, cultural perspectives, eras, and personal experiences. (RI&RL)

Writing Standards

As students in 8th grade develop their writing skills, they will use a variety of strategies to plan, revise, and strengthen their writing as they work independently and collaboratively with adults and peers to produce texts, and to learn about and develop oral language--written language and reading--writing connections. Students in 8th grade will write for multiple purposes (to entertain, to explain, to persuade) and learn about various tools (print and digital) to produce, share, and publish writing. In all writing tasks, students will learn to use and to adjust language to best communicate ideas, content, and message to readers; that is, 8th graders should be clear on the distinction between conversational and academic language and their purposes and use—they should be able to move between the registers and show mastery of many of the conventions of academic language. Students’ academic language skills, including written language, co-develop with content and world knowledge and through opportunities to read, write, and discuss with peers. As part of their writing development, students should continue to learn about how technology and digital tools for writing can increase learning and communication. Students should continue to improve keyboarding skills to increase speed and accuracy. Please see the Lifelong Practices for Writers for examples of important lifelong writing habits that should begin in the early years and continue through life.

Text Types and Purposes

8W1: Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence.

8W1a: Introduce a precise claim, acknowledge and distinguish the claim(s) from a counterclaim, and organize the reasons and evidence logically.

8W1b: Support claim(s) with logical reasoning and relevant evidence, using credible sources while demonstrating an understanding of the topic or text.

8W1c: Use precise language and content-specific vocabulary to argue a claim.

8W1d: Use appropriate and varied transitions to create cohesion and clarify the relationships among ideas and concepts.

8W1e: Provide a concluding statement or section that explains the significance of the argument presented.

8W1f: Maintain a style and tone appropriate to the writing task.

8W2: Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas, concepts, and information through the selection, organization, and analysis of relevant content.

8W2a: Introduce a topic clearly, previewing what is to follow; organize ideas, concepts, and information, using strategies such as definition, classification, comparison/contrast, and cause/effect.

8W2b: Develop a topic with relevant facts, definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other information and examples; include formatting, graphics, and multimedia when useful to aid comprehension.

8W2c: Use precise language and content-specific vocabulary to explain a topic.

8W2d: Use appropriate and varied transitions to create cohesion and clarify the relationships among ideas and concepts.

8W2e: Provide a concluding statement or section that explains the significance of the information presented.

8W2f: Establish and maintain a style appropriate to the writing task.

8W3: Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective techniques, relevant descriptive details and clear sequencing.

8W3a: Engage the reader by establishing a point of view and introducing a narrator and/or characters.

8W3b: Use narrative techniques, such as dialogue, pacing, description, and reflection to develop experiences, events, and/or characters.

8W3c: Use a variety of transitional words, phrases, and clauses to convey sequence, signal shifts from one time frame or setting to another, and show the relationships among experiences and events.

8W3d: Use precise words and phrases, relevant descriptive details, and sensory language to capture the action and convey experiences and events.

8W3e: Provide a conclusion that follows from and reflects on what is experienced, observed, or resolved over the course of the narrative.

8W4: Create a poem, story, play, artwork, or other response to a text, author, theme or personal experience; explain divergences from the original text when appropriate.

8W5: Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research. Apply the grade 8 Reading Standards to both literary and informational text, where applicable

Research to Build and Present Knowledge

8W6: Conduct research to answer questions, including self-generated questions, drawing on multiple sources, refocusing the inquiry when appropriate. Generate additional related questions that allow for multiple avenues of exploration.

8W7: Gather relevant information from multiple sources; assess the credibility and accuracy of each source; quote or paraphrase the data and conclusions of others; avoid plagiarism and follow a standard format for citation.

Speaking and Listening Standards

Comprehension and Collaboration

8SL1: Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions with diverse partners; express ideas clearly and persuasively, and build on those of others.

8SL1a: Come to discussions prepared, having read or researched material under study; draw on that preparation by referring to evidence on the topic, text, or issue to probe and reflect on ideas under discussion.

8SL1b: Follow norms for collegial discussions and decision-making, track progress toward specific goals and deadlines, and define individual roles as needed

8SL1c: Pose questions that connect the ideas of several speakers and respond to others’ questions and comments with relevant evidence, observations, and ideas.

8SL1d: Acknowledge new information expressed by others, and, when warranted, qualify or justify personal views in light of the evidence presented.

8SL2: Analyze the purpose of information presented in diverse formats (e.g., including visual, quantitative, and oral) and evaluate the motives (e.g., social, commercial, political) behind its presentation.

8SL3: Delineate a speaker’s argument and specific claims, evaluating for sound reasoning, and the relevance and sufficiency of the evidence; identify when irrelevant evidence is introduced.

Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas

8SL4: Present claims and findings, emphasizing salient points in a focused, coherent manner with relevant evidence, valid reasoning, and well-chosen details; use appropriate eye contact, adequate volume, and clear enunciation.

8SL5: Integrate digital media and/or visual displays in presentations to clarify information, strengthen claims and evidence, and add elements of interest to engage the audience.

8SL6: Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks, demonstrating command of formal English when indicated or appropriate.

Language Standards

Knowledge of Language

8L3: Use knowledge of language and its conventions when writing, speaking, reading, or listening.

8L3a: Use verbs in the active and passive voice and in the conditional and subjunctive mood to achieve particular effects (e.g., emphasizing the actor or the action; expressing uncertainty or describing a state contrary to fact).

Vocabulary Acquisition and Use

8L4: Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies.

8L4a: Use context (e.g., the overall meaning of a sentence or paragraph; a word’s position or function in a sentence) as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase.

8L4b: Use common, grade-appropriate Greek or Latin affixes and roots as clues to the meaning of a word (e.g., precede, recede, secede).

8L4c: Consult general and specialized reference materials (e.g., dictionaries, glossaries, thesauruses) to find the pronunciation of a word or determine or clarify its precise meaning or its part of speech.

8L4d: Verify the preliminary determination of the meaning of a word or phrase (e.g., by checking the inferred meaning in context or in a dictionary).

8L5: Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings.

8L5a: Interpret figures of speech including irony and puns in context.

8L5b: Use the relationship between particular words to better understand each of the words.

8L5c: Distinguish among the connotations of words with similar denotations (e.g., bullheaded, willful, firm, persistent, resolute).

8L6: Acquire and accurately use general academic and content-specific words and phrases; apply vocabulary knowledge when considering a word or phrase important to comprehension or expression.