Grade 8 ELA South Carolina standards Standards

Written and Oral Communications

Research

Applications of Reading

Eighth Grade

English Language Arts Overarching Expectations

Evaluate and critique key literary elements that enhance and deepen meaning within and across texts.

Analyze how key elements contribute to the meaning of the text as a whole.

Analyze how figurative language impacts mood, tone, and meaning in a text(s); explain an author's use of symbolism.

Evaluate and critique multimedia presentations of a text or subject, including their impact on an audience.

Evaluate a text or subject presented through multimedia formats (e.g., reading a print version of a scene in a play and watching a performance of a scene in a play), and analyze how each media's portrayal of the text or subject impacts the audience.

Evaluate and critique the development of themes and central ideas within and across texts.

Analyze how key details contribute to the development of two or more themes within and across literary texts.

Analyze how supporting details contribute to the development of two or more central ideas within and across informational texts.

Evaluate how an author's choice of point of view or perspective shapes style and meaning within and across literary texts.

Analyze how points of view and/or perspectives create effects to include suspense and dramatic irony.

Evaluate and critique how an author's perspective and purpose shape style and meaning within and across informational texts.

Analyze an author's perspective or purpose in a text and analyze how an author uses rhetoric to advance that perspective or purpose.

Evaluate and critique how an author uses words, phrases, and text structures to craft text.

Determine and explain how an author's choices in structuring a text, including the manipulation of time (e.g., flashback and foreshadowing), create effects such as mystery or suspense.

Analyze how the structure of individual text sections (e.g., a particular sentence, paragraph, chapter, or section) and/or text features convey an author's purpose in an informational text.

Trace the development of an author's argument while analyzing the types of reasoning and/or rhetorical appeals used in an informational text.

Summarize and paraphrase text to support comprehension and understanding.

Summarize and/or paraphrase content from grade-level text to enhance comprehension.

Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases.

Determine or clarify the meaning of known, unknown, and multiple-meaning words and phrases, choosing from an array of strategies:

use context (e.g., the overall meaning of a sentence, paragraph, or text; a word's position or function in a sentence) to determine the meaning of words and phrases;

use background or prior knowledge to determine or clarify the meanings of words; and

consult reference materials to determine or clarify the precise meanings, pronunciations, parts of speech, etymology, or standard usage of words.

Analyze word relationships and nuances in word meanings within literary and informational texts.

Interpret an author's use of figurative, connotative, and technical language in literary, informational, and multimedia texts:

interpret figures of speech (e.g., oxymoron) in context and analyze how they function within a text;

determine the relationship between particular words to better understand each of the words; and

distinguish between the connotations of words with similar denotations (e.g., willful, resolute).

Build and apply a range of academic vocabulary, as well as grade-level appropriate morphology to apply to reading, writing, and speaking.

Apply knowledge of affixes and Greek and Latin roots to determine new and/or clarify precise meanings of words and phrases in grade-level content.

Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence.

Write arguments to support a claim(s) with clear reasons and relevant evidence. When writing:

introduce a claim(s) and support a claim(s) with logical reasoning and relevant evidence (e.g., facts, data, statistics) using accurate and credible sources;

acknowledge and refute a counterclaim with relevant evidence; create an organizational structure that establishes relationships between reasons and evidence;

use transitions to create cohesion and clarify the relationships between claim(s), a counterclaim, reasons, and evidence;

establish and maintain a tone appropriate to the task and audience; and

provide a concluding statement or section that supports the argument presented.

Write informative/expository texts to analyze and explain complex ideas and information.

Write informative texts to examine a topic and analyze information from multiple sources. When writing:

introduce a topic clearly and organize ideas, concepts, and information, using a structure such as definition, compare and contrast, and/or cause and effect;

develop the topic with relevant facts, definitions, details, and/or quotes;

use varied transitions to clarify the relationships between ideas and concepts;

use precise language and thoughtful elaboration to inform or to explain the topic;

establish a tone appropriate to the task and audience; and

provide a concluding statement or section that supports the information presented.

Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences using effective techniques.

Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences, memories, or ideas, using effective techniques, relevant descriptive details, and logically structured event sequences. When writing:

produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to the task, purpose, and audience;

engage the reader by establishing a situation, a clear point of view, and by introducing a narrator and/or characters;

organize a logical plot structure and use a variety of transitional words and phrases to convey sequence and signal time shifts;

use narrative techniques such as dialogue, pacing, and description to develop experiences, events, setting, and/or characters;

use precise words and phrases, details, and figurative language to develop the experiences, events, setting, and/or characters; and

provide an ending that connects to the intended purpose of the writing.

Demonstrate command of standard English grammar and conventions when writing.

Use the rules of and make intentional decisions about standard English grammar and conventions to write compositions with varied sentence structures. When writing:

apply knowledge of rules for capitalization;

use a comma or dash to indicate a pause or break and an ellipsis to indicate an omission;

use different types of verbals in sentences (gerunds, participles, infinitives);

distinguish between and use active and passive voice and types of grammatical mood (indicative, subjunctive, conditional, imperative);

use appropriate parallel structure in words, phrases, and clauses;

identify and revise sentence fragments, run-on sentences, and inappropriate shifts in verb tense, number, voice, and mood; and

use print and multimedia resources to edit for grammar, usage, mechanics, and format in order to finalize drafts for a variety of publication media.

Revise writing to improve clarity and enhance style appropriate to audience, purpose, and task.

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

Write independently and legibly for a variety of tasks and purposes.

This standard is not directly addressed after fifth grade.

Organize and communicate ideas through a range of formats to engage a variety of audiences.

Present claims and findings, emphasizing key ideas in a focused manner with relevant descriptions, facts, details, and examples for a variety of tasks, purposes, and audiences. When presenting:

demonstrate and adjust speaking techniques (e.g., appropriate eye contact, nonverbal cues, adequate volume, clear pronunciation, pacing);

convey a clear perspective with clear reasoning and valid evidence;

include graphics and multimedia elements to aid comprehension, enhance communication, and add interest; and

select and use appropriate digital tools.

Through collaboration, react and respond to information while building upon the ideas of others and respecting diverse perspectives.

Initiate and participate in structured discussions and collaborations about grade-appropriate topics and texts:

ask relevant questions to build on ideas; acknowledge new information expressed by others, and when necessary, modify personal ideas.

consider new ideas and diverse perspectives of others when forming opinions about a topic, text, or issue; qualify or justify views based on evidence.

Evaluate and critique ideas and concepts interactively through listening and speaking.

Using digital media, an audio, video, or live presentation, and/or a printed transcript of a presentation:

determine the effectiveness of a speaker's argument and specific claims, evaluating the speaker's reasoning and relevance of the evidence;

analyze a presentation to determine how a speaker articulates a clear message, addresses possible misconceptions or objections, chooses appropriate media, and uses a style appropriate for the audience; and

analyze the purpose of the information being presented.

Use critical thinking skills to investigate, evaluate, and synthesize a variety of sources to obtain and refine knowledge.

Conduct short and more sustained research by:

generating and answering a research question(s) about a topic; and

using a variety of print and multimedia sources to refine the scope of inquiry as relevant to the topic and purpose.

Analyze the credibility and relevance of sources using only those that are credible and relevant to the topic and the purpose of inquiry.

Analyze findings to determine relevance to the topic.

Logically organize findings as relevant to the purpose.

Cite sources to avoid plagiarism.

Read and write for a variety of purposes, including academic and personal, for extended periods of time.

Acquire, refine, and share knowledge through a variety of multimedia literacies to include written, oral, visual, digital, and interactive texts.

Make inferences to support comprehension.

Collaborate with others and use active listening skills.

Cite evidence to explain and justify reasoning.

Create quality work by adhering to an accepted format.