Mrs. Bassett’s ELA Grade 8: Curriculum

 

Week 1:Quarter 1

Day 1:

Writing

What benefits do you receive when you help someone else? (5 minute)

Epic Books

Harold and the Purple Crayon - Class Code KBN-4701 (5 minute)

https://www.getepic.com/app/read/59711

Grammar - Parts of Speech

What Are Nouns? (10 minute)

https://study.com/academy/lesson/what-are-nouns-definition-types-examples.html

Reading - Structure, Analysis & Word Meanings in English

How to Use Context to Determine the Meaning of Words (10 minute)

https://study.com/academy/lesson/how-to-use-context-to-determine-the-meaning-of-words.html

Vocabulary

Use RAFT method. (10 minute)

Role of the Writer: Who are you as the writer? A movie star? The President? A plant?

Audience: To whom are you writing? A senator?  Yourself? A company?

Format: In what format are you writing? A diary entry? A newspaper?  A love letter?

Topic: What are you writing about?

Sample Role/Audience: https://zety.com/blog/job-titles

Write a RAFT using each vocabulary word.

1. Consider - deem to be

• At the moment, artemisinin-based therapies are considered the best treatment, but cost about $10 per dose - far too much for impoverished communities.

2. Minute - infinitely or immeasurably small

• The minute stain on the document was not visible to the naked eye.

3. Accord - concurrence of opinion

• The committee worked in accord on the bill, and it eventually passed.

4. Evident - clearly revealed to the mind or the senses or judgment

• That confidence was certainly evident in the way Smith handled the winning play with 14 seconds left on the clock.

5. Practice - a customary way of operation or behavior

• He directed and acted in plays every season and became known for exploring Elizabethan theatre practices.

Day 2: 

Writing

Write a poem about yourself. (5 minute)

Epic Books

National Geographic Readers: Great Migrations Butterflies 

Class Code KBN-4701(5 minutes)

https://www.getepic.com/app/read/15131

Grammar - Parts of Speech

Using Nouns as the Subject of a Sentence: Grammar Rules & Examples 

https://study.com/academy/lesson/using-nouns-as-the-subject-of-a-sentence-grammar-rule-examples.html

Reading - Structure, Analysis & Word Meanings in English (10 minute)

Constructing Meaning with Context Clues, Prior Knowledge & Word Structure

https://study.com/academy/lesson/constructing-meaning-with-context-clues-prior-knowledge-word-structure.html

Vocabulary

Use RAFT method.  

Role of the Writer: Who are you as the writer? A movie star? The President? A plant?

Audience: To whom are you writing? A senator?  Yourself? A company?

Format: In what format are you writing? A diary entry? A newspaper?  A love letter?

Topic: What are you writing about?

Sample Role/Audience: https://zety.com/blog/job-titles

Write a RAFT using each vocabulary word.

1. Concern - something that interests you because it is important

• The scandal broke out in October after former chief executive Michael Woodford claimed he was fired for raising concerns about the company's accounting practices.

2. Commit - perform an act, usually with a negative connotation

• In an unprecedented front page article in 2003 The Times reported that Mr. Blair, a young reporter on its staff, had committed journalistic fraud.

3. Issue - some situation or event that is thought about

• As a result, the privacy issues surrounding mobile computing are becoming ever-more complex.

4. Approach - move towards

• Spain’s jobless rate for people ages 16 to 24 is approaching 50 percent.

5. Establish - set up or found

• A small French colony, Port Louis, was established on East Falkland in 1764 and handed to the Spanish three years later.

Audiobook Summary Nonfiction 

Blinkist (5 minute)

Day 3: 

Writing

If you could set a world record, what would it be for?  Why? (5 minute)

Epic Books:

Animal Adaptations - Class Code KBN-4701 (5 minutes)

https://www.getepic.com/app/read/13733

Grammar - Parts of Speech

Singular & Plural Nouns (10 minute)

https://study.com/academy/lesson/singular-plural-nouns-definitions-rules-examples.html

Reading - Structure, Analysis & Word Meanings in English

What Are Connotation and Denotation? (10 minute)

https://study.com/academy/lesson/what-is-connotation-and-denotation-definitions-examples.html

Vocabulary

Use RAFT method.  (10 minute)

Role of the Writer: Who are you as the writer? A movie star? The President? A plant?

Audience: To whom are you writing? A senator?  Yourself? A company?

Format: In what format are you writing? A diary entry? A newspaper?  A love letter?

Topic: What are you writing about?

Sample Role/Audience: https://zety.com/blog/job-titles

Write a RAFT using each vocabulary word.

1. conduct - direct the course of; manage or control

• Scientists have been conducting studies of individual genes for years.

2. engage - consume all of one's attention or time

• We had nearly two hundred passengers, who were seated about on the sofas, reading, or playing games, or engaged in conversation.Field, Henry M. (Henry Martyn)

1. obtain - come into possession of

• He delayed making the unclassified report public while awaiting an Army review, but Rolling Stone magazine obtained the report and posted it Friday night.New York Times (Feb 11, 2012)

2. scarce - deficient in quantity or number compared with the demand

• Meanwhile, heating oil could grow more scarce in the Northeast this winter, the Energy Department warned last month.New York Times (Jan 21, 2012)

3. policy - a plan of action adopted by an individual or social group

• Inflation has lagged behind the central bank’s 2 percent target, giving policy makers extra scope to cut rates.

4. straight- successive, without a break

• After three straight losing seasons, Hoosiers fans were just hoping for a winning record.

5. stock - capital raised by a corporation through the issue of shares

• In other words, Apple’s stock is cheap, and you should buy it.Forbes (Feb 16, 2012)

Audiobook Summary Nonfiction:

Blinkist (5 minutes)

Day 4:

Writing

What is the best way to make new friends? (5 minute)

Epic Books:

Plant Life Cycles - Class Code KBN-4701 (5 minutes)

https://www.getepic.com/app/read/18552

Grammar - Parts of Speech

What Are Possessive Nouns? (10 minute)

https://study.com/academy/lesson/what-are-possessive-nouns-examples-definition-types.html

Reading - Structure, Analysis & Word Meanings in English

Morphemes (10 minute)

https://study.com/academy/lesson/morphemes-examples-definition-types.html

Vocabulary

Use RAFT method.  (10 minute)

Role of the Writer: Who are you as the writer? A movie star? The President? A plant?

Audience: To whom are you writing? A senator?  Yourself? A company?

Format: In what format are you writing? A diary entry? A newspaper?  A love letter?

Topic: What are you writing about?

Sample Role/Audience: https://zety.com/blog/job-titles

Write a RAFT using each vocabulary word.

1. property - a basic or essential attribute shared by members of a class

• Owing to these magic properties, it was often planted near dwellings to keep away evil spirits.Parsons, Mary Elizabeth

2. fancy - imagine; conceive of; see in one's mind

• For a time, indeed, he had fancied that things were changed.Weyman, Stanley J.

3. concept - an abstract or general idea inferred from specific instances

• As a psychologist, I have always found the concept of speed dating fascinating.Scientific American (Feb 13, 2012)

4. court - an assembly to conduct judicial business

• When Brown pleaded not guilty to assaulting Rihanna, their violent past came out in court.Slate (Feb 16, 2012)

5. appoint - assign a duty, responsibility, or obligation to

• In 1863 he was appointed by the general assembly professor of oriental languages at

Audiobook Summary Nonfiction:

Blinkist (5 minutes)

Day 5

Writing

Write a poem about what it’s like to be your age. (10 minute)

Epic Books

Fancy Nancy - Class Code KBN-4701 (5 minutes)

https://www.getepic.com/app/read/59690

Project

Make a word search puzzle using 20 vocabulary words from this week. (10 minute)

This project is due at the end of class or before class on Monday.

Class Spelling Bee (10 minute)

Class Headbandz (10 minute)

Audiobook Summary Nonfiction:

Blinkist (5 minutes)

Concept Summary

Structural Analysis - a word identification skill that involves the use of prefixes, suffixes, root words, the words in compound words, and the apostrophes in contractions

Compound Word - two words that are combined to form a new word

Prefix - a morpheme that comes before a root word

Suffix - a morpheme that comes after a root word

Contraction - a shortened form of two or more words

Context - When we determine the meaning of a word using ________, we look to the other words and sentences around the word in question.  Context is the circumstances that form the setting for an event, statement, or idea, and are the terms of which it can be fully understood.

Noun - Names a person, place, thing or an idea (Example: auditor, shelf, book, goodness)

Sentence - a word group that contains a subject and a verb and that expresses a complete thought

Sentence fragment - A group of words that looks like a sentence but does not contain both a subject and a verb or does not express a complete thought.

Subject - tells whom or what the sentence is about

Denotation - The dictionary definition of a word.

Connotation - An idea or feeling that a word invokes for a person in addition to its literal or primary meaning.

Week 2:Quarter 1

Day 1:

Writing

Write a poem about what it’s like to be your age. (5 minute)

Epic Books:

Memoirs of a Goldfish - Class Code KBN-4701 (5 minutes)

https://www.getepic.com/app/read/10897

Grammar - Parts of Speech

What Are Collective Nouns? (10 minute)

https://study.com/academy/lesson/what-are-collective-nouns.html

Reading - Structure, Analysis & Word Meanings in English

Using Affixes and Roots to Find the Meaning of Words (10 minute)

https://study.com/academy/lesson/using-affixes-and-roots-to-find-the-meaning-of-words.html

Vocabulary

Use RAFT method.  (10 minute)

Role of the Writer: Who are you as the writer? A movie star? The President? A plant?

Audience: To whom are you writing? A senator?  Yourself? A company?

Format: In what format are you writing? A diary entry? A newspaper?  A love letter?

Topic: What are you writing about?

Sample Role/Audience: https://zety.com/blog/job-titles

Write a RAFT using each vocabulary word.

1. Generate - bring into existence

• Qualities such as these are not generated under bad working practices of any sort.

2. Theory -  a well-substantiated explanation of some aspect of the world

• Testing that theory begins Saturday night, as the Capitals take on Tampa Bay in another important contest.

3. Range - a variety of different things or activities

• Like American community colleges, admission at an open university is not competitive, but the schools offer a range of programs, including doctoral degrees.

4. Campaign - a race between candidates for elective office

• At the same point in 2004 — as an incumbent facing re-election — Mr. Bush had taken in about $145.6 million for his campaign. 

5. League - an association of sports teams that organizes matches

• "When I broke into the big leagues until a month ago, Gary kept in touch," Mets third baseman David Wright said.

Audiobook Summary Nonfiction

Blinkist (5 minutes)

Day 2:

Writing

 What was your favorite toy when you were younger? (5 minute)

Epic Books:

Ish - Class Code KBN-4701 (5 minutes)

https://www.getepic.com/app/read/71337

Grammar - Parts of Speech

What Are Pronouns? (10 minute)

https://study.com/academy/lesson/what-are-pronouns-types-examples-definition.html

Reading - Structure, Analysis & Word Meanings in English

Using Reference Materials for Vocabulary (10 minute)

https://study.com/academy/lesson/using-reference-materials-for-vocabulary.html

Vocabulary

Use RAFT method.  (10 minute)

Role of the Writer: Who are you as the writer? A movie star? The President? A plant?

Audience: To whom are you writing? A senator?  Yourself? A company?

Format: In what format are you writing? A diary entry? A newspaper?  A love letter?

Topic: What are you writing about?

Sample Role/Audience: https://zety.com/blog/job-titles

Write a RAFT using each vocabulary word.

1. Labor - any piece of work that is undertaken or attempted

• More labor is entailed, more time is required, greater delay is occasioned in cleaning up, and the amount of water used is much greater.

2. Confer - have a meeting in order to talk something over

• Ms. Stewart said Mrs. Bachmann conferred with her family and a few aides after her disappointing showing on Tuesday evening.

3. Grant - allow to have

• He had been granted entry into the White House only for the daily briefing, later that afternoon.

4. Dwell - think moodily or anxiously about something

• But it is hardly necessary to dwell on so normal an event.

5. Entertain - provide amusement for

• The first Super Bowl in 1967 featured college marching bands entertaining the crowds at halftime.

Audiobook Summary Nonfiction:

Blinkist (5 minutes)

Day 3:

Writing

What would you do if you had a time machine? (5 minute)

Epic Books:

The True Story of the Three Little Pigs - Class Code KBN-4701 (5 minutes)

 https://www.getepic.com/app/read/14284

Grammar - Parts of Speech

Pronouns: Relative, Reflexive, Interrogative & Possessive (10 minute)

https://study.com/academy/lesson/pronouns-relative-reflexive-interrogative-possessive.html

Reading - Strategies for Acquiring New Vocabulary in English

Strategies for Acquiring New Vocabulary in English (10 minute)

https://study.com/academy/lesson/strategies-for-acquiring-and-using-new-vocabulary.html

Vocabulary

Use RAFT method.  (10 minute)

Role of the Writer: Who are you as the writer? A movie star? The President? A plant?

Audience: To whom are you writing? A senator?  Yourself? A company?

Format: In what format are you writing? A diary entry? A newspaper?  A love letter?

Topic: What are you writing about?

Sample Role/Audience: https://zety.com/blog/job-titles

Write a RAFT using each vocabulary word. 

1. Contract - a binding agreement that is enforceable by law

• Contracts with utilities will be signed starting next month, he said.

2. Earnest - characterized by a firm, humorless belief in one's opinions

• Too much praise cannot be given to the earnest and efficient missionaries who founded and have maintained this mission.Miller, George A.

3. Yield - give or supply

• It is a very important honey plant, as it yields an exceptionally pure nectar and remains in bloom a long time.Parsons, Mary Elizabeth

4. Wander - move or cause to move in a sinuous or circular course

• While each animal wandered through the maze, its brain was working furiously.New York Times (Feb 16, 2012)

5.  Skill - an ability that has been acquired by training

• He says many new drivers are terrified of motorway driving because they do not have the skills or confidence needed.

Audiobook Summary Nonfiction:  

Blinkist (5 minutes)  

Day 4:

Writing

What makes a day a good day? (5 minute)

Epic Books

Pierre the Penguin - Class Code KBN-4701 (5 minutes)

 https://www.getepic.com/app/read/10899

Grammar - Parts of Speech

What Are Personal Pronouns? (10 minute)

https://study.com/academy/lesson/what-are-pronouns.html

Reading -  Figures of Speech & Meaning

What Is a Figure of Speech? (10 minute)

https://study.com/academy/lesson/what-is-a-figure-of-speech.html

Vocabulary

Use RAFT method.  (10 minute)

Role of the Writer: Who are you as the writer? A movie star? The President? A plant?

Audience: To whom are you writing? A senator?  Yourself? A company?

Format: In what format are you writing? A diary entry? A newspaper?  A love letter?

Topic: What are you writing about?

Sample Role/Audience: https://zety.com/blog/job-titles

Write a RAFT using each vocabulary word.

1. Insist - be emphatic or resolute and refuse to budge

• Interior Department officials insisted that they had conducted an extensive scientific inquiry before moving ahead with the spill response plan. 

2. Knight - a person of noble birth trained to arms and chivalry

• The knight was gallant not only in war, but in love also. 

3. Convince - make realize the truth or validity of something

• But though he listened he was not convinced. 

4. Inspire - serve as the inciting cause of

• His surprising performance inspired an outpouring of fan adoration that has been dubbed "Linsanity." 

5. Convention - a large formal assembly

• Last year, the industry’s main trade convention, the Inside Self-Storage World Expo, organized workshops in Las Vegas focusing on lien laws and auction sales. 

Audiobook Summary Nonfiction

Blinkist (5 minutes)

Day 5:

Writing

How would your parents describe you? (5 minute)

Epic Books

Snow Globe Wishes - Class Code KBN-4701 (5 minutes)

https://www.getepic.com/app/read/67508

Project

Make a fill in the blank worksheet using 20 vocabulary words from this week. (10 minute)

This project is due at the end of class or before class on Monday.

Class Spelling Bee (10 minute)

Class Headbandz (10 minute)

Audiobook Summary Nonfiction:

Blinkist (5 minutes)