EIGHTH GRADE

OVERVIEW

READING

In eighth grade, students integrate a variety of comprehension and vocabulary strategies. They are able to adapt their reading to different types of text. Oral and written responses analyze and/or synthesize information from multiple sources to deepen understanding of the content. Students refine their understanding of the author's craft, commenting and critically evaluating text. They continue to analyze and/or synthesize information from multiple sources to deepen understanding of the content. Students continue to read for pleasure.

WRITING

Writing as a Literary Form
Overview: At these grades, most students create their own literary texts with confidence. They can explore, interpret, and reflect on a wide range of experiences, texts, ideas, and opinions. Their work portrays complex thoughts in a strong personal voice, using a wide range of literary techniques. They write, revise, edit, and present texts to explore ideas imaginatively and in depth, using forms, language, and conventions accurately and intentionally. They are able to work toward new goals in authorship and evaluate their writing, its literary qualities, and their own writing processes with objectivity.
A Quick Check:

Does the student:
• Write confidently, fluently, and independently?
• Craft text, using a range of literary techniques effectively, considering the topic, purpose, and anticipated audience?
• Demonstrate well-considered thought, comprehensive reading and research, and careful planning in written work?
• Employ revision and editing processes until accuracy and desired emphases are achieved?
• Seek criticism in order to improve quality of writing?
• Maintain a portfolio or collection of own literary writing?

Writing in the Content Areas
Overview: At these grades students increase their competence in writing reports, explanations, and reviews on a range of complex topics, reflecting a secure understanding of the theme and/or issue. The students are able to relate their knowledge and opinions to personal, social, cultural, political, and historical contexts. They structure well-researched material effectively, in appropriate forms and style for an increasing range of audiences and purposes. They retrieve, select, organize, synthesize, and evaluate material from a variety of resources, including technology
A Quick Check:

Does the student:
• Research in sufficient depth to formulate ideas and present accurate information or effectively debate a proposition or a point of view?
• Present information and organize writing according to the dictates of specific disciplines?
• Revise and edit to reflect accurately an understanding of the topic, audience, purpose, form, and format?
• Manage time and resources for optimum benefit?
• Evaluate work from several perspectives, including process employed, content, and breadth and depth of treatment of topic?

MATH

In eighth grade, students are proficient in computation with all rational numbers and use proportions to solve a variety of problems. They understand the need for precision when measuring and use derived units of measure. Students understand the concept of distance and the relationship between distance and the Pythagorean Theorem. They recognize three-dimensional shapes represented in two dimensional drawings and apply transformations to geometric shapes in the coordinate plane. Eighth graders find probability of compound events and analyze bivariate data sets. They also understand recursive forms of linear and exponential relationships and solve two step equations and inequalities.

SOCIAL STUDIES

In eighth grade, the main focus is on United States History and Civics.

The themes are:

A. Founding a Government

B. Structure of Government

C. Differing Political Systems and Foreign Policy

D. Rights and Responsibilities Revolution, Constitution, and New Nation

E. Expansion and Reform

F. Civil War and Reconstruction

G. Industrialization, Immigration, and Urbanization

SCIENCE

In eighth grade students begin to use concrete evidence to develop a new, more abstract, level of understanding about matter, energy and systems. Students will begin to develop models to describe complex systems and learn how investigation can provide evidence to test models. Students will begin to differentiate between questions, that can be scientifically investigated, and those that cannot. The guiding question is "How do we use scientific models to explain systems?" Students work on the investigative skills of Analysis of models and Synthesizing using data or models.