8th grade syllabus for English
Mrs. Boles

1st 6 weeks:
Using structural analysis to identify root words and apply the meanings of prefixes and suffixes
Interpreting idioms, multi-meaning words and analogies
Distinguishing denotative and connotative meanings
Determining a text’s main ideas and supporting that idea with details from the text
Paraphrasing and summarizing text to recall, inform, or organize ideas

2nd 6 weeks
Literary elements
Analyzing characters-traits, motivations, conflicts, points of view
Analyzing types of genres
Recognizing and interpreting literary devices: flashback, foreshadowing, symbolism
Discovering how time and place contributes to a story
Discovering what events significantly affect a story line

3rd 6 weeks
Use text’s structure or progression of ideas such as cause and effect or chronology to locate and recall information
Finding similarities and differences in texts-treatment, scope, and organization
Representing text in different ways-outline, timeline, or graphic organizers
Identify purpose-to inform, influence, express, or entertain
Compare communication in different forms-contrasting a dramatic performance with a print version of the same story, or comparing story variants
Describing how the author’s perspective or point of view affects the text

4th 6 weeks
Draw inferences-conclusions, generalizations, support them with text evidence and experience
Distinguish fact and opinion
Support responses by referring to relevant aspects of text and experience
Connect, compare, and contrast ides, themes and issues across text
Analyze ways author’s organize and present ideas through: cause/effect, compare/contrast, inductively, deductively, or chronologically
Recognize how style, tone, and mood contribute to the effect of the text

5th 6 weeks
Taks testing
Author’s presentations
Writer’s habits
Propaganda speakers
Evaluating, judging, assessing, proving

6th 6 weeks
Multi-sensory grammar
Research paper-topics, process, information sources, integrating information, rough draft, final draft
Poetry and composition

**Please remember that all of these skills are embedded throughout the year, but are highlighted during specific times.

We will be completing many projects that we will be discussing throughout the year. In most instances, the students will have a variety of choices so that they may present the highlighted concept in a way that best suits their individual style.

Testing:
9 week Benchmarks
6 week mini-benchmarks
Projects
Literature assessments
Research paper

• The benchmarks are used to identify skill gaps or weaknesses. If your child has a skill gap, he/she will be asked to attend tutorials so that help can be provided to master that skill and improve your child’s confidence in that area.
• Our TAKS test for English is April 7th.