What Students will learn in Gr-8

Grade 8

General Outcome 1 (Gr. 8)

Students will listen, speak, read, write, view and represent to explore thoughts, ideas, feelings and experiences.

1.1 Discover and Explore

Express ideas and develop understanding

revise understanding and expression of ideas by connecting new and prior knowledge and experiences
review, reread, discuss and reflect on oral, print and other media texts to explore, confirm or revise understanding
seek out and consider diverse ideas, opinions and experiences to develop and extend own ideas, opinions and experiences

Experiment with language and forms

discuss and respond to ways that forms of oral, print and other media texts enhance or constrain the development and communication of ideas, information and experiences

Express preferences

pursue personal interest in specific genres by particular writers, artists, storytellers and filmmakers

Set goals

examine and reflect on own growth in effective use of language to revise and extend personal goals

1.2 Clarify and Extend

Consider the ideas of others

acknowledge the value of the ideas and opinions of others in exploring and extending personal interpretations and perspectives

Combine ideas

exchange ideas and opinions to clarify understanding and to broaden personal perspectives

Extend understanding

reconsider and revise initial understandings and responses in light of new ideas, information and feedback from others

General Outcome 2 (Gr. 8)

Students will listen, speak, read, write, view and represent to comprehend and respond personally and critically to oral, print and other media texts.

2.1 Use Strategies and Cues

Use prior knowledge

use strategies to supplement and extend prior knowledge and experiences when interpreting new ideas and information
use knowledge of authors, forms and genres, developed during previous reading, to direct and extend reading experiences

Use comprehension strategies

enhance understanding by paraphrasing main ideas and supporting details, and by rereading and discussing relevant passages
monitor understanding; skim, scan or read slowly and carefully, as appropriate, to enhance comprehension
take notes, make outlines and use such strategies as read, recite, review to comprehend and remember ideas and information

Use textual cues

identify and use visual and textual cues in reference materials, such as catalogues, databases, web sites, thesauri and writers’ handbooks, to access information effectively and efficiently
identify and use structural features of a variety of oral, print and other media texts, such as newspapers, magazines, instruction booklets, advertisements and schedules, encountered in everyday life to access ideas and information and to read with purpose

Use phonics and structural analysis

choose and use strategies for word identification, vocabulary development and spelling that either build on specific strengths or address areas for improvement

Use references

use a thesaurus to extend vocabulary and locate appropriate words that express particular aspects of meaning

2.2 Respond to Texts

Experience various texts

experience oral, print and other media texts from a variety of cultural traditions and genres, such as magazine articles, diaries, drama, poetry, Internet passages, fantasy, nonfiction, advertisements and photographs
write and represent narratives from other points of view
expect that there is more than one interpretation for oral, print and other media texts, and discuss other points of view
explain connections between own interpretation and information in texts, and infer how texts will influence others
make connections between biographical information about authors, illustrators, storytellers and filmmakers and their texts

Construct meaning from texts

interpret the choices and motives of characters portrayed in oral, print and other media texts, and examine how they relate to self and others
identify and describe characters’ attributes and motivations, using evidence from the text and personal experiences
discuss various ways characters are developed and the reasons for and plausibility of character change
compare two similar oral, print or other media texts by considering the characters, plot, conflicts and main ideas

Appreciate the artistry of texts

discuss how techniques, such as word choice, balance, camera angles, line and framing, communicate meaning and enhance effects in oral, print and other media texts
identify ways that characters can be developed, and discuss how character, plot and setting are interconnected and mutually supportive
identify and discuss how word choice and order, figurative language, plot, setting and character work together to create mood and tone

2.3 Understand Forms, Elements and Techniques

Understand forms and genres

discuss how the choice of form or genre of oral, print and other media texts is appropriate to purpose and audience
compare the usefulness of different types of media texts

Understand techniques and elements

distinguish theme from topic or main idea in oral, print and other media texts
identify and explain characters’ qualities and motivations, by considering their words and actions, their interactions with other characters and the author’s or narrator’s perspective
compare and contrast the different perspectives provided by first and third person narration
summarize the content of media texts, and discuss the choices made in planning and producing them

Experiment with language

identify creative uses of language and visuals in popular culture, such as commercials, rock videos and magazines; explain how imagery and figurative language, such as hyperbole, create tone and mood

2.4 Create Original Text

Generate ideas

create oral, print and other media texts related to issues encountered in texts and in own life

Elaborate on the expression of ideas

retell oral, print and other media texts from different points of view

Structure texts

create oral, print and other media texts with both main and minor characters
choose forms or genres of oral, print or other media texts for the particular affects they will have on audiences and purposes

General Outcome 3 (Gr. 8)

Students will listen, speak, read, write, view and represent to manage ideas and information.

3.1 Plan and Focus

Focus attention

experiment with several ways to focus a topic, and select a form appropriate to audience and purpose
identify and trace the development of arguments, opinions or points of view in oral, print and other media texts

Determine information needs

select the most appropriate information sources for topic, audience, purpose and form

Plan to gather information

choose a plan to access, gather and record information, according to self-selected parameters

3.2 Select and Process

Use a variety of sources

obtain information from a variety of sources, such as artifacts, debates, forums, biographies, autobiographies, surveys, documentaries, films, CDROMs, charts and tables, when conducting research

Access information

expand and use a variety of tools and text features, such as subtitles, margin notes, key words, electronic searches, previews, reviews, visual effects and sound effects, to access information
record key ideas and information from oral, print and other media texts, avoiding overuse of direct quotations
adjust rate of reading or viewing to suit purpose and density of information in print or other media texts

Evaluate sources

develop and use criteria for evaluating the usefulness, currency and reliability of information for a particular research project

3.3 Organize, Record and Evaluate

Organize information

organize ideas and information creatively, as well as logically, to develop a comparison or chronology, or to show a cause-effect relationship
organize ideas and information to establish an overall impression or point of view in oral, print and other media texts

Record information

make notes in point form, summarizing major ideas and supporting details; reference sources
discard information that is irrelevant for audience, purpose, form or point of view
use a consistent and approved format to give credit for quoted and paraphrased ideas and information

Evaluate information

evaluate the relevance and importance of gathered information; address information gaps
incorporate new information with prior knowledge and experiences to develop new understanding

3.4 Share and Review

Share ideas and information

communicate ideas and information in a variety of oral, print and other media texts, such as interviews, minilessons and documentaries
integrate appropriate visual, print and/or other media to inform and engage the audience

Review research process

assess the research process, and consider alternative ways of achieving research goals

General Outcome 4 (Gr. 8)

Students will listen, speak, read, write, view and represent to enhance the clarity and artistry of communication.

4.1 Enhance and Improve

Appraise own and others’ work

share draft oral, print and other media texts in a way that will elicit useful feedback
evaluate how particular content features contribute to, or detract from, the overall effectiveness of own and others’ oral, print and other media texts; make and suggest revisions

Revise and edit

revise by adding words and phrases that emphasize important ideas or create dominant impressions
revise to enhance sentence variety, word choice and appropriate tone
enhance the coherence and impact of documents, using electronic editing functions
use paragraph structures to demonstrate unity and coherence

Enhance legibility

vary handwriting style and pace, depending on the context, audience and purpose
choose an effective format for documents, depending on the content, audience and purpose

Expand knowledge of language

explore and explain ways that new words, phrases and manners of expression enter the language as a result of factors, such as popular culture, technology, other languages
infer the literal and figurative meaning of words in context, using idioms, analogies, metaphors and similes

Enhance artistry

experiment with figurative language, voice, sentence patterns, camera angle and music to create an impression or mood

4.2 Attend to Conventions

Attend to grammar and usage

use words and phrases to modify, clarify and enhance ideas and descriptions in own writing
use a variety of simple, compound and complex sentence structures to communicate effectively, and to make writing interesting
use correct pronoun-antecedent agreement in ownwriting
use verb tenses consistently throughout a piece of writing

Attend to spelling

develop a systematic and effective approach to studying and remembering the correct spelling of key words encountered in a variety of print and other media texts
use knowledge of spelling generalizations and how words are formed to spell technical terms and unfamiliar words in own writing
identify the use of spelling variants in print and other media texts, and discuss the effectiveness depending on audience and purpose

Attend to capitalization and punctuation

use hyphens to break words at the end of lines, and to make a new word from two related words in own writing
identify semicolons, dashes and hyphens when reading, and use them to assist comprehension
use parentheses appropriately in own writing
use appropriate capitalization and punctuation for referencing oral, print and other media texts

4.3 Present and Share

Present information

plan and facilitate small group and short, whole class presentations to share information

Enhance presentation

present information to achieve a particular purpose and to appeal to interest and background knowledge of reader or audience

Use effective oral and visual communication

plan and shape presentations to achieve particular purposes or effects, and use feedback from rehearsals to make modifications

Demonstrate attentive listening and viewing

anticipate the organizational pattern of presentations, and identify important ideas and supporting details
use appropriate verbal and nonverbal feedback to respond respectfully

General Outcome 5 (Gr. 8)

Students will listen, speak, read, write, view and represent to respect, support and collaborate with others.

5.1 Respect Others and Strengthen Community

Appreciate diversity

compare own with others’ understanding of people, cultural traditions and values portrayed in oral, print and other media texts
clarify and broaden perspectives and opinions, by examining the ideas of others

Relate texts to culture

compare ways in which oral, print and other media texts reflect specific elements of cultures or periods in history

Celebrate accomplishments and events

participate in organizing and celebrating special events, recognizing the appropriateness and significance of language arts

Use language to show respect

use inclusive language and actions that demonstrate respect for people of different races, cultures, genders, ages and abilities

5.2 Work within a Group

Cooperate with others

propose ideas or advocate points of view that recognize the ideas of others and advance the thinking of the group
use opportunities as a group member to contribute to group goals and extend own learning

Work in groups

contribute ideas, knowledge and strategies to identify group information needs and sources
organize and complete tasks cooperatively by defining roles and responsibilities, negotiating to find the basis for agreement, setting objectives and time frames, and reviewing progress

Evaluate group process

evaluate the quality of own contributions to group process, and offer constructive feedback to others; propose suggestions for improvement