8th Grade ELA LISD Curriculum: Year at a Glance 2010-2011

							         8th Grade ELA LISD Curriculum: Year at a Glance 2010-2011
Bundle                          Title                            Guiding Questions
                                Big Ideas/Enduring
                                Understandings
1                               Fiction or Nonfiction: Is the    What strategies are helpful for
                                Truth the Same for Everyone?     making predictions about a text?
                                Students will analyze, make      How can we analyze, make
                                inferences about, and draw       inferences, draw conclusions
                                conclusions from fiction and     about the author’s purpose in
                                nonfiction.                      cultural, historical, and
                                                                 contemporary contexts?

2                                  Short Stories: Can All Conflicts   How can we analyze linear plots
                                   Be Resolved?                       as they develop, conflicts, rising
                                    Students will analyze, make       action, falling action, and
                                   inferences about, and draw         resolution to determine if conflicts
                                   conclusions from short stories.    are resolved?
                                                                      What does it mean to compare and
                                                                      contrast?
                                                                      What parts of the story (literary
                                                                      elements) can we compare and
                                                                      contrast?
                                                                      How can we compare and contrast
                                                                      changing character traits?
                                                                      How can we make subtle
                                                                      inferences about the ideas in text
                                                                      and their organizational patterns?
                                                                      How can we prove the inferences
                                                                      we make?
3                                  Nonfiction: How Much               How can we determine the main
                                   Information is Enough?             idea and supporting details in a
                                   Students will analyze, make        story?
                                   inferences about, and draw         How can we distinguish factual
                                   conclusions from nonfiction.       claims from commonplace
                                                                      assertions and opinions?

4                                  Poetry: What is the Secret to      How can we determine the
                                   Reaching Someone With Words?       meaning of grade-level academic
                                   Students will analyze, make        English words derived from Latin,
                                   inferences about, and draw         Greek, or other origin?
                                   conclusions from poetry.           Why and how can we determine
                                                                      or clarify the meaning of
                                                                      unfamiliar or ambiguous words or
                                                                      words with novel meanings when
                                                                      these words are embedded in text?
                                                                      Why, when, and how should we
                                       use a dictionary, a glossary, or a
                                       thesaurus in order to determine
                                       meanings?
                                       What is required to paraphrase
                                       information?


5   Drama: Is it Our Differences or    How can we draw complex
    Similarities That Matter Most?     conclusions about the ideas in text
    Students will analyze, make        and their organizational patterns?
    inferences about, and draw         How can we determine cause and
    conclusions from works of drama.   effect in a work of drama?

6   Themes in American Stories: Are    How can we summarize the main
    Yesterday’s Heroes Important       ideas, supporting details, and
    Today?                             relationships among ideas in text
    Students will analyze, make        succinctly in ways that maintain
    inferences about, and draw         meaning and logical order?
    conclusions from short stories.    What are the purposes for
                                       reading?
                                       How can we evaluate the role of
                                       media in focusing attention on
                                       events and informing opinions on
                                       issues?