Grade 8 ELA B.E.S.T. Standards

Applying Foundational Reading Skills for Secondary

Demonstrate an understanding of spoken words, syllables, and sounds.

Orally produce single-syllable and multisyllabic words by accurately blending sounds.

Accurately segment single-syllable and multisyllabic words.

Know and apply phonics and word analysis skills in decoding words.

Use an array of strategies to decode single-syllable and multisyllabic words.

Accurately read multisyllabic words using a combined knowledge of all letter-sound correspondences, and syllabication patterns.

Know and apply phonics and word analysis skills in encoding words.

Use an array of strategies to accurately encode single-syllable and multisyllabic words.

Read grade-level texts with accuracy, automaticity, and appropriate prosody or expression.

Communicating Through Writing

Communicating Through Writing

Write personal or fictional narratives using narrative techniques, varied transitions, and a clearly established point of view.

Narrative Writing: Write personal or fictional narratives using narrative techniques, varied transitions, and a clearly established point of view.

Write to argue a position, supporting at least one claim and rebutting at least one counterclaim with logical reasoning, credible evidence from sources, elaboration, and using a logical organizational structure.

Argumentative Writing: Write to argue a position, supporting at least one claim and rebutting at least one counterclaim with logical reasoning, credible evidence from sources, elaboration, and using a logical organizational structure.

Write expository texts to explain and analyze information from multiple sources, using relevant supporting details, logical organization, and varied purposeful transitions.

Expository Writing: Write expository texts to explain and analyze information from multiple sources, using relevant supporting details, logical organization, and varied purposeful transitions.

Improve writing by planning, editing, considering feedback from adults and peers, and revising for clarity and cohesiveness.

Improving Writing: Improve writing by planning, editing, considering feedback from adults and peers, and revising for clarity and cohesiveness.

Communicating Orally

Communicating Orally

Present information orally, in a logical sequence, supporting the central idea with credible evidence.

Oral Presentation: Present information orally, in a logical sequence, supporting the central idea with credible evidence.

Following Conventions

Following Conventions

Follow the rules of standard English grammar, punctuation, capitalization, and spelling appropriate to grade level.

Conventions: Follow the rules of standard English grammar, punctuation, capitalization, and spelling appropriate to grade level.

Researching

Researching

Conduct research to answer a question, drawing on multiple reliable and valid sources, and generating additional questions for further research.

Researching and Using Information: Conduct research to answer a question, drawing on multiple reliable and valid sources and generating additional questions for further research.

Creating and Collaborating

Creating and Collaborating

Integrate diverse digital media to emphasize the relevance of a topic or idea in oral or written tasks.

Multimedia: Integrate diverse digital media to emphasize the relevance of a topic or idea in oral or written tasks.

Use a variety of digital tools to collaborate with others to produce writing.

Technology in Communication: Use a variety of digital tools to collaborate with others to produce writing

Reading Prose and Poetry

Reading Prose and Poetry

Analyze the interaction between character development, setting, and plot in a literary text.

Literary Elements: Analyze the interaction between character development, setting, and plot in a literary text.

Analyze two or more themes and their development throughout a literary text.

Theme: Analyze two or more themes and their development throughout a literary text.

Analyze how an author develops and individualizes the perspectives of different characters.

Perspective and Point of View: Analyze how an author develops and individualizes the perspectives of different characters.

Analyze structure, sound, imagery, and figurative language in poetry.

Poetry: Analyze structure, sound, imagery, and figurative language in poetry.

Reading Informational Text

Reading Informational Text

Analyze how individual text sections and/or features convey a purpose and/or meaning in texts.

Structure: Analyze how individual text sections and/or features convey a purpose and/or meaning in texts.

Analyze two or more central ideas and their development throughout a text.

Central Idea: Analyze two or more central ideas and their development throughout a text.

Explain how an author establishes and achieves purpose(s) through rhetorical appeals and/or figurative language.

Purpose and Perspective: Explain how an author establishes and achieves purpose(s) through rhetorical appeals and/or figurative language.

Track the development of an argument, analyzing the types of reasoning used and their effectiveness, identifying ways in which the argument could be improved.

Argument: Track the development of an argument, analyzing the types of reasoning used and their effectiveness and identifying ways in which the argument could be improved.

Reading Across Genres

Reading Across Genres

Analyze how figurative language contributes to meaning and explain examples of symbolism in text(s).

Interpreting Figurative Language: Analyze how figurative language contributes to meaning and explain examples of symbolism in text(s).

Paraphrase content from grade-level texts.

Paraphrasing and Summarizing: Paraphrase content from grade-level texts.

Compare and contrast the use or discussion of archetypes in texts.

Comparative Reading: Compare and contrast the use or discussion of archetypes in texts.

Explain how an author uses rhetorical devices to support or advance an appeal.

Understanding Rhetoric: Explain how an author uses rhetorical devices to support or advance an appeal.

Finding Meaning

Finding Meaning

Integrate academic vocabulary appropriate to grade level in speaking and writing.

Academic Vocabulary: Integrate academic vocabulary appropriate to grade level in speaking and writing.

Apply knowledge of Greek and Latin roots and affixes to determine meanings of words and phrases in grade-level content.

Morphology: Apply knowledge of Greek and Latin roots and affixes to determine meanings of words and phrases in grade-level content.

Apply knowledge of context clues, figurative language, word relationships, reference materials, and/or background knowledge to determine the connotative and denotative meaning of words and phrases, appropriate to grade level.

Context and Connotation: Apply knowledge of context clues, figurative language, word relationships, reference materials, and/or background knowledge to determine the connotative and denotative meaning of words and phrases, appropriate to grade level.

Cite evidence to explain and justify reasoning.

Read and comprehend grade-level complex texts proficiently.

Make inferences to support comprehension.

Use appropriate collaborative techniques and active listening skills when engaging in discussions in a variety of situations.

Use the accepted rules governing a specific format to create quality work.

Use appropriate voice and tone when speaking or writing.

See Secondary Figurative Language.

Figurative language use that students will analyze are metaphor, simile, alliteration, onomatopoeia, personification, hyperbole, meiosis (understatement), allusion, and idiom. Other examples can be used in instruction.

Appropriately use passive and active voice.

While the benchmark does require that students consult multiple sources, there is no requirement that they use every source they consult. Part of the skill in researching is discernment—being able to tell which information is relevant and which sources are trustworthy enough to include.

Reading

Academic vocabulary appropriate to grade level refers to words that are likely to appear across subject areas for the current grade level and beyond, vital to comprehension, critical for academic discussions and writing, and usually require explicit instruction.

Most grade-level texts are appropriate for this benchmark.

Students will explain the connection between an author’s use of rhetorical devices and the appeal—logos, ethos, or pathos—that is being made. Instruction should focus on ensuring students can explain how specific rhetorical devices contribute to the development of the rhetorical appeal(s) the author uses.

Students will explain the appropriateness of appeals in achieving a purpose. In this grade level, students are using and responsible for the appeals of logos, ethos, and pathos.

Skills to be mastered at this grade level are as follows:

Use verbs with attention to voice and mood.

The term perspective means “a particular attitude toward or way of regarding something.” The term point of view is used when referring to the person of the narrator. This is to prevent confusion and conflation.

Vocabulary

Reading

Instruction in types of reasoning will include an introduction to fallacies in reasoning. Fallacies that are related to content, informal fallacies, will be the focus. See Fallacies in Reasoning (Informal).

See Context Clues and Word Relationships.

To integrate vocabulary, students will apply the vocabulary they have learned to authentic speaking and writing tasks independently. This use should be intentional, beyond responding to a prompt to use a word in a sentence.

Rhetorical devices for the purposes of this benchmark are the figurative language devices from 8.R.3.1 with the addition of irony, rhetorical question, antithesis, and zeugma.

For further guidance, see the Secondary Oral Communication Rubric.

See Writing Types and Narrative Techniques.

See Secondary Figurative Language.

For the purposes of this benchmark, theme is not a one- or two-word topic, but a complete thought that communicates the author’s message.

See 8.R.3.1 and Secondary Figurative Language.

See Archetypes.

See Conventions Progression by Grade Level for more information.

Foundational Reading Intervention Standards

Review of words learned in this way is critical to building background knowledge and related vocabulary.

Vocabulary

See Writing Types.

There is no requirement that students research the additional questions generated.

Figurative language types for this benchmark are metaphor, simile, alliteration, onomatopoeia, personification, hyperbole, allusion, and idiom. Other examples can be used in instruction.

Use semicolons to form sentences.

See Secondary Figurative Language.

K-12 ELA Expectations

Communication

See Common Greek and Latin Roots 6-8 and Affixes.

See Rhetorical Appeals and Rhetorical Devices.

Figurative language use that students will analyze are metaphor, simile, alliteration, onomatopoeia, personification, hyperbole, allusion, and idiom. Other examples can be used in instruction.

Students should continue to work with the concept of universal themes, although mastery isn’t expected until 9th grade. A universal theme is an idea that applies to anyone, anywhere, regardless of cultural differences. Examples include, but are not limited to, an individual’s or a community’s confrontation with nature; an individual’s struggle toward understanding, awareness, and/or spiritual enlightenment; the tension between the ideal and the real; the conflict between human beings and advancements in technology/science; the impact of the past on the present; the inevitability of fate; the struggle for equality; and the loss of innocence.

For more information on types of reasoning, see Types of Logical Reasoning.

Structural elements for this benchmark are form, line length, white space, indention, line breaks, and stanza breaks

See Rhetorical Appeals and Rhetorical Devices.

Communication

Skills to be implemented but not yet mastered are as follows:

Add variety to writing or presentations by using parallel structure and various types ofphrases and clauses.

At this grade level, the emphasis is on the content, but students are still expected to follow earlier expectations: volume, pronunciation, and pacing.

Sound can be created through the use of end rhyme, internal rhyme, slant rhyme, alliteration, assonance, consonance, onomatopoeia, repetition, and meter.

Imagery, as used here, refers to language and description that appeals to the five senses.

See Writing Types and Elaborative Techniques.

Write a personal narrative using a clearly established point of view, precise words and figurative language.

Make and support a claim using logical reasoning, relevant evidence from a source(s), elaboration and a logical organizational structure with transitions, acknowledging and rebutting one counterclaim.

Write an expository text to explain information from a source(s), using relevant supporting details, logical organization and purposeful transitions.

Improve writing by planning, editing, considering feedback from adults and peers, revising for clarity.

Present information in a logical sequence, supporting the central idea with evidence, using the student’s mode of communication with guidance and support .

Follow the rules of standard English grammar, punctuation, capitalization and spelling appropriate to grade-level with guidance and support.

Vary sentence structure.

Conduct research to answer a question, drawing on reliable and valid sources and generating additional questions, with guidance and support.

Arrange a variety of digital media to emphasize the relevance of a topic or idea in oral or written tasks with guidance and support.

Identify two or more digital tools to collaborate with others to produce writing.

Explain the relationship between the character development, setting and plot in a literary text.

Compare and contrast two themes and their development throughout a literary text.

Describe how the author uses words and actions to show the characters perspective.

Explain the structure, sound and imagery in poetry.

Explain how individual text sections contribute to the meaning of the text.

Compare two central ideas and their development throughout a text.

Explain how an authors use of figurative language establishes and/or achieves purpose.

Identify a way in which the argument could be improved.

Explain how figurative language contributes to tone and meaning of text(s).

Identify examples of symbolism in a text.

Retell content from grade-level texts, at the students ability level using the students mode of communication.

Compare and contrast how the author uses archetypes in a text with developmentally appropriate content at the student’s skill level.

Describe how an authors use of rhetorical devices (to include rhetorical questioning and irony) supports an appeal.

Use grade-level academic vocabulary in communication, using the students mode of communication.

Apply knowledge of context clues, figurative language, word relationships, reference materials and/or background knowledge to determine the connotative and denotative meaning of words and phrases, appropriate to grade-level

Apply knowledge of context clues, figurative language, word relationships, reference materials and/or background knowledge to determine the connotative and denotative meaning of words and phrases, appropriate to grade-level

Reading

Communicating Through Writing

Reading Across Genres

Reading Informational Text

Researching

Communicating Orally

Communication

Vocabulary

Creating and Collaborating

Finding Meaning

Reading Prose and Poetry

Following Conventions

Combine word parts (blend syllables, attach affixes to root words, fingerspell, etc.) to produce words in the student’s mode of communication.

Segment single-syllable and multisyllabic words using the students mode of communication.

Decode single-syllable and multisyllabic words as appropriate to the students mode of communication.

Read multisyllabic words using a combined knowledge of all letter-sound correspondences, and syllabication patterns using to the student’s mode of communication.

Encode single-syllable and multisyllabic words using the students mode of communication.

Read grade-level text at the student’s ability level with accuracy, automaticity, and prosody or expression as appropriate for the student’s mode of communication.

Applying Foundational Reading Skills for Secondary

Foundational Skills

English language learners communicate information, ideas and concepts necessary for academic success in the content area of Language Arts.

English language learners communicate information, ideas and concepts necessary for academic success in the content area of Mathematics.

English language learners communicate information, ideas and concepts necessary for academic success in the content area of Science.

English language learners communicate for social and instructional purposes within the school setting.

English language learners communicate information, ideas and concepts necessary for academic success in the content area of Social Studies.

Cite evidence to explain and justify reasoning.

Read and comprehend grade-level complex texts proficiently.

Make inferences to support comprehension.

Use appropriate collaborative techniques and active listening skills when engaging in discussions in a variety of situations.

Use the accepted rules governing a specific format to create quality work.

Use appropriate voice and tone when speaking or writing.