English Language Arts, Grade 8

Unit 1: Explore and Discover Language and Literacy

Strand A: oral language communication, and language as the foundation for reading and writing - receiving, exchanging and developing ideas, plus the word study, vocabulary and fluency that underpin literacy.

• Listening critically to the ideas of others
• Using non-verbal cues and conventions when listening

• Interacting to exchange and consider ideas
• Asking questions to explore and critique ideas

• Using the rules and structures of oral language
• Adapting spoken language to audience and purpose

• Applying morphology to understand and spell words

• Building and using precise vocabulary

• Applying fluency to comprehend text

Unit 2: Comprehend and Respond to Multimodal Texts

Strand B: acquiring new information through inquiry, constructing meaning with comprehension strategies, and thinking critically about multimodal texts and responding to inequities, bias and viewpoints.

• Activating prior knowledge to understand new text
• Generating questions to drive inquiry

• Engaging with a variety of multimodal texts

• Reviewing information and filling gaps

• Understanding how text form and structure carry meaning
• Using text features and cues to comprehend

• Making and confirming predictions

• Making connections to deepen meaning

• Using strategies to monitor understanding
• Summarizing key ideas and drawing conclusions

• Consolidating and communicating new knowledge

• Analyzing how texts present diversity and equity

• Identifying stereotyping, bias and reliable sources
• Identifying point of view and judging viewpoints

• Responding personally to bias and prejudice

Unit 3: Compose and Create Multimodal Texts

Strand C: generating ideas, planning and drafting; enhancing the clarity and artistry of multimodal texts; and editing and publishing.

• Generating ideas and focusing a topic

• Gathering and assessing information from sources

• Planning text creation with strategies and tools
• Choosing text forms for purpose and audience

• Creating multimodal texts

• Organizing ideas with structure and paragraphs

• Crafting varied, correct sentences

• Choosing precise, impactful words

• Developing personal voice and tone

• Revising for clarity, logic and coherence

• Producing legible, well-formatted text

• Applying spelling strategies and word structure

• Applying capitalization conventions
• Applying punctuation for clarity

• Publishing a final multimodal text

Unit 4: Communicate Ideas and Build New Understandings

Strand D: sharing ideas and information across multimodal forms, and using metacognition to assess language skills, set goals and monitor progress.

• Adjusting tone, volume and expression for delivery
• Using visuals and media to enhance communication
• Organizing and presenting ideas for an audience

• Reflecting on effective learning strategies
• Using criteria and tools to self-assess
• Using feedback to refine strategies

• Setting learning goals and planning steps
• Monitoring progress toward goals