This list contains the Reading and Writing activities for our Grade 8 English Language Arts course.
| Type | Lesson | Reading Title | Author | Category | Subcategory |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Texts | Introduction to Heroism and American Heroes | (from) George Washington, Spymaster: How the Americans Outspied the British and Won the Revolutionary War | Thomas B. Allen | Nonfiction | Informational |
| Texts | Action and Rhyme in a Poem about a Female Civil War Hero | “Barbara Frietchie” Text PLUS Audio | John Greenleaf Whittier | Fiction | Poem |
| Texts | Elizabeth Cady Stanton's Early Influences | (from) Eighty Years and More; Reminiscences 1815-1897 an autobiography | Elizabeth Cady Stanton | Nonfiction | Autobiography |
| Texts | Cause and Effect in The Great Fire | (from) The Great Fire | Jim Murphy | Nonfiction | Informational |
| Texts | Themes in The Great Fire | (from) The Great Fire | Jim Murphy | Nonfiction | Informational |
| Texts | Lives of Commitment: Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass | (from) Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave | Frederick Douglass | Nonfiction | Personal Narrative |
| Texts | Making Inferences in Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass | (from) Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave | Frederick Douglass | Nonfiction | Personal Narrative |
| Texts | Cause and Effect in Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass | (from) Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave | Frederick Douglass | Nonfiction | Personal Narrative |
| Texts | Harriet Tubman, Conductor on the Underground Railroad: Rhetoric | (from) Harriet Tubman, Conductor of the Underground Railroad | Ann Petry | Nonfiction | Informational |
| Texts | Themes in Poetry: "Harriet Tubman" | “Harriet Tubman” | Eloise Greenfield* | Fiction | Poem |
| Texts | Themes in Poetry: "Harriet Tubman" | “Harriet Tubman AKA Moses” | Samuel Allen | Fiction | Poem |
| Texts | Everyday Heroes: Poems by Nikki Giovanni | “My First memory (of Librarians)” “A Poem for My Librarian, Mrs. Long” | Nikki Giovanni* | Fiction | Poem |
| Texts | Voice and Characters in "Raymond's Run" | “Raymond’s Run” | Toni Cade Bambara | Fiction | Short Story |
| Texts | Conflict and Symbolism in "The Medicine Bag" | “The Medicine Bag” | Virginia Driving Hawk Sneve | Fiction | Short Story |
| Texts | We Shall Not Be Moved: Monitoring Comprehension | (from) We Shall Not Be Moved: The Women’s Factory Strike of 1909 | Joan Dash* | Informational | |
| Texts | Making Inferences in a Text about the Iditarod | (from) Susan Butcher and the Iditarod Trail | Ellen M. Dolan | Informational | |
| Texts | Perseverance and Rising to the Challenge: The Call of the Wild | The Call of the Wild | Jack London | Fiction | Novel |
| Texts | Plot and Characters in The Call of the Wild | The Call of the Wild | Jack London | Fiction | Novel |
| Texts | Conflict and Theme in The Call of the Wild | The Call of the Wild | Jack London | Fiction | Novel |
| Texts | Direct and Indirect Characterization in The Call of the Wild | The Call of the Wild | Jack London | Fiction | Novel |
| Texts | Imagery and Events in The Call of the Wild | The Call of the Wild | Jack London | Fiction | Novel |
| Texts | Symbols in The Call of the Wild | The Call of the Wild | Jack London | Fiction | Novel |
| Texts | Theme Development in The Call of the Wild | The Call of the Wild | Jack London | Fiction | Novel |
| Texts | Setting Goals: Evaluating a Speech by Randy Pausch | (from) “The Last Lecture” | Randy Pausch | Speech | |
| Texts | Dramatic Structure in Monster | Monster | Walter Dean Meyers | Fiction | Novel |
| Texts | Characters in Monster | Monster | Walter Dean Meyers | Fiction | Novel |
| Texts | Characters in Monster | Monster | Walter Dean Meyers | Fiction | Novel |
| Texts | Central Ideas in The Building of Manhattan | (from) The Building of Manhattan | Donald Mackay | Nonfiction | Informational |
| Texts | Cause and Effect in The Evolution of Useful Things | (from) The Evolution of Useful Things | Henry Petroski* | Nonfiction | Informational |
| Texts | Cause and Effect in The Evolution of Useful Things | (from) The Evolution of Useful Things | Henry Petroski* | Nonfiction | Informational |
| Texts | Bravery and Resistance: The Diary of Anne Frank | (from) The Diary of Anne Frank | Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett | Nonfiction | Play |
| Texts | Bravery and Resistance: The Diary of Anne Frank | (from) The Diary of Anne Frank | Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett | Nonfiction | Play |
| Texts | Theme and Conflict in The Diary of Anne Frank | (from) The Diary of Anne Frank | Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett | Nonfiction | Play |
| Texts | Theme and Conflict in The Diary of Anne Frank | (from) The Diary of Anne Frank | Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett | Nonfiction | Play |
| Texts | Anne Frank's The Diary of a Young Girl | (from) Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl | Anne Frank | Nonfiction | Diary |
| Texts | Anne Frank's The Diary of a Young Girl | (from) Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl | Anne Frank | Nonfiction | Diary |
| Texts | Viewpoint and Inferences in Anne Frank Remembered | (from) Anne Frank Remembered | Miep Gies | Nonfiction | Memoir |
| Texts | Audio Report Remembering Miep Gies | “Woman Who Helped Hide Anne Frank Dies at 100” | Teri Schultz | Nonfiction | Media (Audio) |
| Texts | Identity and Belonging in "Broken Chain" | “Broken Chain” | Gary Soto* | Fiction | Short Story |
| Texts | Descriptive Word Choice in "Fish Cheeks" | “Fish Cheeks” | Amy Tan* | Nonfiction | Essay |
| Texts | Theme and Purpose in Poems Written by Teenage Girls | Things I Have to Tell You: Poems Written by Teenage Girls | Edited by Betsey Franco | Fiction | Poems |
| Texts | Character Development and Perspective in "Flowers for Algernon" | “Flowers for Algernon” | Daniel Keyes | Fiction | Short Story |
| Texts | Characterization and Foreshadowing in "Flowers for Algernon" | “Flowers for Algernon” | Daniel Keyes | Fiction | Short Story |
| Texts | Conflict and Character in Mildred Taylor's The Land | (from) The Land | Mildred Taylor* | Fiction | Novel |
| Texts | Viewpoint and Motivation in The Land | (from) The Land | Mildred Taylor* | Fiction | Novel |
| Texts | Historical Setting and Theme in The Land | (from) The Land | Mildred Taylor* | Fiction | Novel |
| Texts | Historical Setting and Theme in The Land | (from) The Land | Mildred Taylor* | Fiction | Novel |
| Texts | Direct and Indirect Characterization in The Land | (from) The Land | Mildred Taylor* | Fiction | Novel |
| Texts | Direct and Indirect Characterization in The Land | (from) The Land | Mildred Taylor* | Fiction | Novel |
| Texts | Writing to Analyze Conflict | (from) The Land | Mildred Taylor* | Fiction | Novel |
| Texts | Dialogue and Action in The Land | (from) The Land | Mildred Taylor* | Fiction | Novel |
| Texts | Dialogue and Action in The Land | (from) The Land | Mildred Taylor* | Fiction | Novel |
| Texts | Chance and Choice: Robert Frost's "The Road Not Taken" | “The Road Not Taken” | Robert Frost | Fiction | Poem |
| Texts | Suspense in "The Lady, or the Tiger?" | “The Lady, or the Tiger? | Frank R. Stockton | Fiction | Short Story |
| Texts | Suspense in "The Lady, or the Tiger?" | “The Lady, or the Tiger? | Frank R. Stockton | Fiction | Short Story |
| Texts | Suspense in "The Lady, or the Tiger?" | “The Lady, or the Tiger? | Frank R. Stockton | Fiction | Short Story |
| Texts | Setting and Conflict in "The Lottery" | “The Lottery” | Shirley Jackson | Fiction | Short Story |
| Texts | Foreshadowing in "The Monkey's Paw" | “The Monkey’s Paw” | W.W. Jacobs | Fiction | Short Story |
| Texts | Character and Perspective in Two Short Stories | “An Hour with Abuelo” | Judith Ortiz Cofer* | Fiction | Short Story |
| Texts | Character and Perspective in Two Short Stories | “A Smart Cookie” | Sandra Cisneros* | Fiction | Short Story |
| Texts | Making Communities Safer: Text Features and Organization in an Informational Text | When Birds Get Flu and Cows Go Mad! How Safe Are We? | John DiConsiglio | Nonfiction | Informational |
| Texts | Making Communities Safer: Text Features and Organization in an Informational Text | When Birds Get Flu and Cows Go Mad! How Safe Are We? | John DiConsiglio | Nonfiction | Informational |
| Texts | Text Structure in an Informational Text | When Birds Get Flu and Cows Go Mad! How Safe Are We? | John DiConsiglio | Nonfiction | Informational |
| Texts | Problem-Solution Structure and Tone in an Informational Text | When Birds Get Flu and Cows Go Mad! How Safe Are We? | John DiConsiglio | Nonfiction | Informational |
| Texts | Synthesizing Ideas in an Informational Text | When Birds Get Flu and Cows Go Mad! How Safe Are We? | John DiConsiglio | Nonfiction | Informational |
| Texts | Connecting Multimedia to an Informational Text | When Birds Get Flu and Cows Go Mad! How Safe Are We? | John DiConsiglio | Nonfiction | Informational |
| Texts | Connecting Multimedia to an Informational Text | Global Disease Detectives | CDC | Nonfiction | Media (Video) |
| Texts | Evaluating Different Media about Food Safety | “Understanding Bacteria” | Dr. X and the Quest for Food Safety | Nonfiction | Media (Video) |
| Texts | Evaluating Different Media about Food Safety | Food Safety Myths Exposed | Nonfiction | Website | |
| Texts | Analyzing a Claim in a Text about Edward Jenner | “Edward Jenner and the History of the Smallpox Vaccination” | Stefan Riedel | Nonfiction | Informational |
| Texts | Analyzing a Claim in a Text about Edward Jenner | “Edward Jenner and the History of the Smallpox Vaccination” | Stefan Riedel | Nonfiction | Informational |
| Texts | The Promise of America: Different Genres' Approaches to the Same Topic | “Ellis Island” | Joseph Bruchac | Fiction | Poem |
| Texts | The Promise of America: Different Genres' Approaches to the Same Topic | “Thanksgiving: a Native American View” | Jacqueline Keeler | Nonfiction | Essay |
| Texts | Description and Author's Purpose in Travels with Charley | (from) Travels with Charley | John Steinbeck | Nonfiction | Memoir |
| Texts | Connections and Predictions in Woody Guthrie's Biography | (from) This Land Was Made for You and Me: The Life and Songs of Woody Guthrie | Elizabeth Partridge | Informational | |
| Texts | Connections and Predictions in Woody Guthrie's Biography | (from) This Land Was Made for You and Me: The Life and Songs of Woody Guthrie | Elizabeth Partridge | Informational | |
| Texts | Descriptive Detail, Setting, and Theme in My Antonia | (from) My Antonia | Willa Cather | Fiction | Novel |
| Texts | Comparing and Contrasting in My Antonia | (from) My Antonia | Willa Cather | Fiction | Novel |
| Texts | Out of Many, One: Rhetoric in The Gettysburg Address and "O Captain! My Captain!" | “The Gettysburg Address” | Abraham Lincoln | Nonfiction | Speech |
| Texts | Out of Many, One: Rhetoric in The Gettysburg Address and "O Captain! My Captain!" | “O Captain, My Captain” | Walt Whitman | Fiction | Poem |
| Texts | Emotional Appeal in Years of Dust | (from) Years of Dust | Albert Marin | Nonfiction | Informational |
| Texts | Rhetoric in Dr. King's "The American Dream" | “The American Dream” | Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. | Nonfiction | Informational |
| Texts | Comparing Argument Techniques in Two Speeches | 1963 Inaugural Address | George Wallace | Nonfiction | Speech |
| Texts | Comparing Argument Techniques in Two Speeches | 1963 Inaugural Address | George Wallace | Nonfiction | Speech |
| Texts | Allusion and Metaphor in "I, Too, Sing America" | “I, too, Sing America” | Langston Hughes | Fiction | Poem |
| Texts | Allusion and Metaphor in "I, Too, Sing America" | “I, too, Sing America” | Langston Hughes | Fiction | Poem |
| Essay Prompts | Writing an Informative Essay about an Event in History | Write an informative essay on the Great Chicago Fire. Your essay will use research to explain what caused the fire to burn out of control and to describe the fire's effects and aftermath. | |||
| Essay Prompts | Writing a Personal Narrative about an Important Person | Write a personal narrative about a hero in your life. The story should tell about an experience that shows why this person is a hero to you and what effect this person has had on your life. | |||
| Essay Prompts | Writing an Analysis of Literary Theme | Write an essay that analyzes a theme in The Call of the Wild | |||
| Essay Prompts | Writing an Analysis of Literary Themes | Write a compare and contrast analysis of how "Broken Chain" and "Fish Cheeks" both address a common theme about belonging. | |||
| Essay Prompts | Writing an Informative Essay Comparing Two Periods of Time | Write an informative essay that explains how life in the late 1800s was different from the way it is today. | |||
| Essay Prompts | Writing an Argumentative Essay about Health Care | Write a research-based argumentative essay for or against health care for everyone. | |||
| Essay Prompts | Writing an Argumentative Essay about Volunteering | Write an argument about whether it's better to volunteer with an environmental group in your community or a national group. | |||
| Essay Prompts | Writing a Convincing Argument | Write an argumentative essay for or against setting long-term goals to land a dream job. | |||
| Projects | Creating a Yearbook Page | In this assignment, you will create a yearbook page about a person from a text. The purpose of the project is to provide the audience with a greater understanding of the character or real person, as well as to entertain through multimedia components. | |||
| Projects | Group Discussion | For this assignment, you will engage in a range of discussions and then write about your experience. ■A discussion evaluation will help you judge how well your discussion went. ■It is a good idea to look over the items on the guide before you begin. ■Ask your teacher for assistance as you complete and submit the assignment. | |||
| Projects | Creating a Text Trailer | In this assignment, you will create a trailer about a text that you have read in its entirety or over multiple lessons. The purpose of the project is to provide the viewer with information about the text as well as to use multimedia components to entertain and convince the viewer to read the text. | |||
| Projects | Creating a Blog | In this assignment, you will create a multimedia blog. The purpose of the project is to persuade your audience to consider, and possibly to adopt, your point of view on a topic. Review these points before you begin. ■You will be provided with a guide for creating your multimedia blog. ■You will have the option to use a starter word-processing file. You can also set up your own file. ■You will be provided with a rubric for your blog. ■Before you begin, ask your teacher where you should save your blog. | |||
| Projects | Creating a Multimedia Presentation | Prepare a presentation to your town representatives to convince them to hold a diversity day celebration in your town or city. Write a plan for your presentation that explains the steps you’ll take to convince your town representatives to hold a diversity day celebration. | |||
| Projects | Creating a Public Service Advertisement | Create a public service advertisement video about a topic of social relevance. Make a compelling visual presentation with facts and details to support the issue. Be sure to state your issue in the form of a claim, explain why it is important and what people need to know about it, and provide reasons and evidence. Finally, create a print form of your ad to accompany the video. | |||
| Short-Response Writing | Action and Rhyme in a Poem about a Female Civil War Hero | Explain what events and actions caused the conflict between Barbara Frietchie and the Confederate soldiers. Write three to four sentences. | |||
| Short-Response Writing | Elizabeth Cady Stanton's Early Influences | Write three to five sentences that retell the central ideas of the excerpt from Elizabeth Cady Stanton’s autobiography. | |||
| Short-Response Writing | Researching and Retelling to Inform | Read this passage. Paraphrase the central idea in your own words. | |||
| Short-Response Writing | Researching and Retelling to Inform | Use the central ideas and details to write a paragraph that summarizes Elizabeth Cady Stanton's life and work. | |||
| Short-Response Writing | Themes in The Great Fire | Choose one of these two themes: “Strangers can act heroically” or “Reporters may risk their lives to do their jobs.” Write a paragraph explaining how the theme is developed in The Great Fire. | |||
| Short-Response Writing | Lives of Commitment: Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass | Based on this passage, make a prediction about what will happen next in the narrative. Explain your prediction using evidence from the text. | |||
| Short-Response Writing | Making Inferences in Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass | Based on this passage, and what you know of Douglass' viewpoint, what message does Douglas want to convey? | |||
| Short-Response Writing | Cause and Effect in Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass | “Their backs had been made familiar with the bloody lash, so that they had become callous.” Explain how this imagery supports Douglass’s purpose for writing this book. | |||
| Short-Response Writing | Analyzing Language in a Personal Narrative | Write a paragraph explaining how word choice strengthens Douglass’s personal narrative. Include specific examples from the text in your response. | |||
| Short-Response Writing | Harriet Tubman, Conductor on the Underground Railroad: Rhetoric | Which rhetorical appeal did Tubman use most effectively when she had to convince her group to keep moving? Explain using details from the text. | |||
| Short-Response Writing | Themes in Poetry: "Harriet Tubman" | Write three sentences explaining how Tubman’s character is revealed in these two poems. Use details from the poem to support your answer. | |||
| Short-Response Writing | Themes in Poetry: "Harriet Tubman" | Write three sentences explaining why the author of “Harriet Tubman” uses nonstandard English in the poem. | |||
| Short-Response Writing | Context Clues, Roots, and Affixes | Create an analogy of your own. Then, write a few sentences to explain the type of comparison you used and how the words relate to one another. | |||
| Short-Response Writing | Everyday Heroes: Poems by Nikki Giovanni | Based on this passage, what conclusions can be made about how the speaker feels about Mrs. Long, the librarian? | |||
| Short-Response Writing | Voice and Characters in "Raymond's Run" | Read the passage. Then explain how Raphael is characterized based on the way Squeaky describes him. | |||
| Short-Response Writing | Writing about Theme in Fiction and Citing Evidence | Choose a theme and write a paragraph that states your own interpretation of that theme in “Raymond’s Run.” Be sure to provide evidence and an explanation of your evidence. | |||
| Short-Response Writing | Making Inferences in a Text about the Iditarod | Based on the passage, why did Kaasen decide to continue the relay instead of waking Rohn? | |||
| Short-Response Writing | Connotation and Denotation | What effect do the words with strong connotations have on this passage? | |||
| Short-Response Writing | Perseverance and Rising to the Challenge: The Call of the Wild | Write three sentences explaining the historical context and setting of The Call of the Wild. Think about the descriptions of Buck’s journey. | |||
| Short-Response Writing | Plot and Characters in The Call of the Wild | Based on what you have read so far, how has Buck changed as a result of his new environment and experiences? Explain your answer with details from the text. | |||
| Short-Response Writing | Conflict and Theme in The Call of the Wild | Read this passage. Explain what the conflict shows about Buck and Spitz. | |||
| Short-Response Writing | Direct and Indirect Characterization in The Call of the Wild | In The Call of the Wild, what does the third-person omniscient point of view show you? | |||
| Short-Response Writing | Imagery and Events in The Call of the Wild | Read the passage to visualize the scene. Write a paragraph describing what you visualize and conclude about Buck. | |||
| Short-Response Writing | Symbols in The Call of the Wild | Based on this passage, what do you think the novel’s final resolution will be? Write several sentences explaining your answer. | |||
| Short-Response Writing | Theme Development in The Call of the Wild | Explain how Buck has changed from the beginning of the novel to the end. | |||
| Short-Response Writing | Setting Goals: Evaluating a Speech by Randy Pausch | Explain how the organizational structure of “The Last Lecture” supports Pausch’s purpose for delivering the lecture. | |||
| Short-Response Writing | Dramatic Structure in Monster | Read this passage. In a paragraph, explain what the reader can tell about Mrs. O’Brien’s feelings toward Steve based on how they speak to each other. | |||
| Short-Response Writing | Characters in Monster | Do you believe Mr. Sawicki’s characterization of Steve? Give evidence from the passage to support your answer. | |||
| Short-Response Writing | Characters in Monster | Based on this passage and the rest of what you’ve read in Monster, do you think Steve is telling the truth on the witness stand? Explain. | |||
| Short-Response Writing | Comparing and Contrasting Careers in Writing | Write either a subject-by-subject or point-by-point comparison of the two jobs you chose. Conclude by explaining which career you would prefer. | |||
| Short-Response Writing | Central Ideas in The Building of Manhattan | Write a paraphrase of the passage. | |||
| Short-Response Writing | Cause and Effect in The Evolution of Useful Things | Read the passage and use the information in the passage and the rest of the reading to explain why the company was able to produce so many new products. | |||
| Short-Response Writing | Cause and Effect in The Evolution of Useful Things | Based on what you have read, explain how the central idea of The Evolution of Useful Things connects to the unit theme of setting goals. | |||
| Short-Response Writing | Verb Tense and Voice | Consider your life goals. Write a few sentences that explain what your goals used to be, what you are working on now, and what you have planned for the future. Make sure to use proper verb tense, aspect, and voice. | |||
| Short-Response Writing | Bravery and Resistance: The Diary of Anne Frank | Describe the relationship between Anne and Peter. Think about the way the characters interact through dialogue as well as the information you get from stage directions. | |||
| Short-Response Writing | Bravery and Resistance: The Diary of Anne Frank | Read the two sets of stage directions in the passage. Then explain how you would set the stage to show that a time shift has occurred if you were the director. | |||
| Short-Response Writing | Theme and Conflict in The Diary of Anne Frank | Explain how this passage shows the theme, “It is important to have someone you can share your feelings with.” Use details from the passage in your answer. | |||
| Short-Response Writing | Theme and Conflict in The Diary of Anne Frank | How does conflict connect to the theme “Peace is appreciated most when it is lost” in The Diary of Anne Frank? Write a paragraph explaining your answer and using details from the text. | |||
| Short-Response Writing | Anne Frank's The Diary of a Young Girl | Describe how the use of voice helps develop the mood of The Diary of a Young Girl. | |||
| Short-Response Writing | Anne Frank's The Diary of a Young Girl | Now that you have had a chance to read excerpts from Anne Frank’s diary and the play version of it, which do you prefer? Why? | |||
| Short-Response Writing | Narrative Writing: Diary Entry | Anne Frank uses her diary to describe being in hiding. This was a new experience for her. Write a diary entry in your voice about a time when you experienced a new situation. | |||
| Short-Response Writing | Narrative Writing: Diary Entry | Develop the narrative diary entry you just wrote into a version you could present to your peers. Your presentation should: ■introduce the topic, the background, and your point of view. ■include descriptive details, dialogue, characters, and other elements of a novel. ■use effective transitions. ■provide a conclusion that reflects the experience. | |||
| Short-Response Writing | Narrative Writing: Diary Entry | What did you discuss in your introduction? Check all that apply. | |||
| Short-Response Writing | Narrative Writing: Diary Entry | Review your diary entry and revise one section to add more dialogue, description, or sensory language. Type your revision below. | |||
| Short-Response Writing | Narrative Writing: Diary Entry | Write an effective conclusion to your diary to reflect on your experience and interest your audience. | |||
| Short-Response Writing | Narrative Writing: Diary Entry | Explain how you will present your narrative to your peers. Include the steps you will take as you present and presentation techniques that you plan to keep in mind as you present. | |||
| Short-Response Writing | Viewpoint and Inferences in Anne Frank Remembered | Explain how Miep Gies’s perspective is different from Anne Frank’s. What makes Gies’s viewpoint unique? | |||
| Short-Response Writing | Audio Report Remembering Miep Gies | Review the steps of summarizing. Use your notes to write a brief summary of the interview of Miep Gies. | |||
| Short-Response Writing | Group Discussion | Based on what you have read from the memoir of Miep Gies, prepare a point you would make in a group discussion. Write two or three sentences to explain what you would say to the group about how Miep Gies persisted. | |||
| Short-Response Writing | Group Discussion | In preparation for a group discussion, read about when Miep Gies found Anne Frank’s diary. In a group discussion, a participant says, “I would never have picked up the diary. It’s not worth the risk.” How would you respond to share your viewpoint? Write three sentences. | |||
| Short-Response Writing | Group Discussion | For this assignment, you will engage in a range of discussions and then write about your experience. ■A discussion evaluation will help you judge how well your discussion went. ■It is a good idea to look over the items on the guide before you begin. ■Ask your teacher for assistance as you complete and submit the assignment. | |||
| Short-Response Writing | Identity and Belonging in "Broken Chain" | How does description in “Broken Chain” help develop the theme “The way you look does not always reflect who you want to be”? Use examples from the story in your paragraph. | |||
| Short-Response Writing | Descriptive Word Choice in "Fish Cheeks" | Explain how this passage uses descriptive details to help you picture why this situation is so embarrassing for Amy Tan. | |||
| Short-Response Writing | Writing to Analyze Literary Devices | Write a paragraph about how Amy Tan uses imagery or conflict to show her feelings about not fitting in. Use the P.I.E. strategy to help you. | |||
| Short-Response Writing | Theme and Purpose in Poems Written by Teenage Girls | Explain how both poems address the theme that personal identity can have many layers. Use details from both poems in your response. | |||
| Short-Response Writing | Character Development and Perspective in "Flowers for Algernon" | Describe how the author’s language choices show how Charlie changes. Use examples from the story to support your answer. | |||
| Short-Response Writing | Characterization and Foreshadowing in "Flowers for Algernon" | Explain how the way Charlie’s character changes makes the plot go in a circle. Think about where Charlie starts and where he ends up. | |||
| Short-Response Writing | Capitalization, Punctuation, and Spelling | Explain why the phrase in this sentence is nonrestrictive, or nonessential to the sentence: My youngest brother, Julian, is already taller than I am. | |||
| Short-Response Writing | Conflict and Character in Mildred Taylor's The Land | Explain one physical conflict and one social conflict that Paul has had in the novel so far. Then tell whether or not you think Paul has been able to solve his conflicts. | |||
| Short-Response Writing | Viewpoint and Motivation in The Land | How do Paul and Mitchell’s viewpoints toward each other change in the novel so far? Explain using details from the text. | |||
| Short-Response Writing | Historical Setting and Theme in The Land | Based on what you read in The Land, explain the historical setting of the novel. Use details to support your response. | |||
| Short-Response Writing | Historical Setting and Theme in The Land | How does The Land develop the theme “Inequality is a destructive force”? Use evidence from the text to explain your response. | |||
| Short-Response Writing | Direct and Indirect Characterization in The Land | How is Paul characterized in this passage? Explain how this characterization fits into the larger story told in The Land. | |||
| Short-Response Writing | Direct and Indirect Characterization in The Land | Paul says he does not heed his father’s words to not ride Mr. Sutcliffe’s horse. What do you think will happen to Paul? Make a prediction, and explain it using evidence from the novel. | |||
| Short-Response Writing | Writing to Analyze Conflict | Write a paragraph that answers the question “How does Mildred D. Taylor use conflict to show Paul’s struggles in The Land?” | |||
| Short-Response Writing | Dialogue and Action in The Land | Explain why Paul has this conversation with the grey horse. What does it show about Paul, and how will this conversation affect the race? | |||
| Short-Response Writing | Dialogue and Action in The Land | How does descriptive language improve your understanding of the scene in which Paul races the grey? | |||
| Short-Response Writing | Reference Resources | Explain how a dictionary and a thesaurus work together to help you choose the best words. | |||
| Short-Response Writing | Chance and Choice: Robert Frost's "The Road Not Taken" | Based on what you have read, state what you think the theme of this poem is. Then explain your answer. Think about the words in the poem and the topic of choice as you answer. | |||
| Short-Response Writing | Suspense in "The Lady, or the Tiger?" | How does the author of “The Lady, or the Tiger?” show the moral of the story? What lets you know that this is the moral? | |||
| Short-Response Writing | Suspense in "The Lady, or the Tiger?" | Based on what you have read, explain what you think came out of the opened door. Use details from the story in your response. | |||
| Short-Response Writing | Suspense in "The Lady, or the Tiger?" | Explain what you find most interesting about the film version of the story. | |||
| Short-Response Writing | Setting and Conflict in "The Lottery" | Explain the main conflict between a character and society in “The Lottery.” | |||
| Short-Response Writing | Writing Using Descriptive Details and Context | Plan your narrative by writing notes. Use the questions to help you plan. | |||
| Short-Response Writing | Writing Using Descriptive Details and Context | Write your narrative paragraph describing a time when someone made a difficult choice. Use descriptive details in your paragraph. | |||
| Short-Response Writing | Foreshadowing in "The Monkey's Paw" | Describe how the mood in “The Monkey’s Paw” foreshadows what happens in the story. | |||
| Short-Response Writing | Character and Perspective in Two Short Stories | Write a few sentences to explain how Arturo’s perspective toward his visit changes through the story. Think about why Arturo goes to begin with and then think about the ending. | |||
| Short-Response Writing | Figures of Speech | Rewrite this paragraph without the figures of speech and idioms. | |||
| Short-Response Writing | Making Communities Safer: Text Features and Organization in an Informational Text | Based on the table of contents, what are three things you predict you will learn from reading the text? | |||
| Short-Response Writing | Making Communities Safer: Text Features and Organization in an Informational Text | Explain the benefits of reading a vocabulary section at the beginning of a text. | |||
| Short-Response Writing | Text Structure in an Informational Text | Explain the challenges scientists face with mutating viruses and how they are trying to solve the problem. | |||
| Short-Response Writing | Problem-Solution Structure and Tone in an Informational Text | Based on what you have read, explain how the problem of mad cow disease was resolved. Think about some of the problems mentioned in the text. | |||
| Short-Response Writing | Synthesizing Ideas in an Informational Text | Based on what you have read, explain some of the major health challenges facing the world today. | |||
| Short-Response Writing | Connecting Multimedia to an Informational Text | Explain whether a career in epidemiology would be a good choice for you. Use details from the interview and the supporting text in your response. | |||
| Short-Response Writing | Evaluating Different Media about Food Safety | Summarize the video by combining the central ideas and key details from your notes. | |||
| Short-Response Writing | Evaluating Different Media about Food Safety | Explain the advantages and disadvantages of watching a video compared to reading about the same topic. Which format do you prefer and why? | |||
| Short-Response Writing | Analyzing a Claim in a Text about Edward Jenner | What are three pieces of evidence that support the claim that Jenner has been given credit for starting and spreading the practice of immunization? | |||
| Short-Response Writing | Analyzing a Claim in a Text about Edward Jenner | Based on what you have read, explain whether you think Jenner deserves credit for starting and spreading the practice of immunization. | |||
| Short-Response Writing | The Promise of America: Different Genres' Approaches to the Same Topic | Which do you think is more effective for making a point: poetry or an essay? Why? | |||
| Short-Response Writing | Description and Author's Purpose in Travels with Charley | Use your own words to describe Charley and explain why you think Steinbeck gives such a detailed description of his dog. | |||
| Short-Response Writing | Connections and Predictions in Woody Guthrie's Biography | Based on what you have read, describe how Elizabeth Partridge makes connections between Woody Guthrie’s life and his music. | |||
| Short-Response Writing | Connections and Predictions in Woody Guthrie's Biography | In 1940, after traveling around the United States, Woody Guthrie wrote “This Land Is Your Land.” Based on what you know from Guthrie’s biography, make a prediction describing what the subject of “This Land Is Your Land” might be. | |||
| Short-Response Writing | Writing a Procedure for a Presentation | Write the steps and details for your presentation. As you work through the assignment: ■Research to understand what the experience of immigrating was like. ■Remember the three basic steps you should cover – the journey to America, the experience on Ellis Island, and the challenges faced after arriving. ■Use your e-notes to make note of big ideas to include in each of these three steps. | |||
| Short-Response Writing | Descriptive Detail, Setting, and Theme in My Antonia | How does Willa Cather use descriptive language to show what life was like for the Shimerda family on the Nebraska prairie? | |||
| Short-Response Writing | Comparing and Contrasting in My Antonia | Explain why immigrant girls could not get jobs as teachers when American girls could. Then, explain what the immigrant girls did instead. | |||
| Short-Response Writing | Out of Many, One: Rhetoric in The Gettysburg Address and "O Captain! My Captain!" | Explain how Whitman develops an extended metaphor in his poem. | |||
| Short-Response Writing | Out of Many, One: Rhetoric in The Gettysburg Address and "O Captain! My Captain!" | Explain whether you think the poem or the speech is more effective at honoring those involved in the Civil War. | |||
| Short-Response Writing | Emotional Appeal in Years of Dust | Explain how photographs help you understand the text in Years of Dust. | |||
| Short-Response Writing | Rhetoric in Dr. King's "The American Dream" | Based on what you have read, explain how Dr. King used a rhetorical appeal to persuade readers of his argument in “The American Dream.” | |||
| Short-Response Writing | Structuring an Effective Argument | Write a paragraph argument in which you make a claim about whether Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s version of the American Dream has been achieved. Is there equality between groups? Use reasons and evidence to support your claim. | |||
| Short-Response Writing | Comparing Argument Techniques in Two Speeches | Explain how Wallace uses one of the three rhetorical appeals to support the claim that Alabama has the right to continue policies of racial segregation. | |||
| Short-Response Writing | Comparing Argument Techniques in Two Speeches | Based on what you have learned about racial segregation and the arguments of George Wallace and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., explain why you think Dr. King’s arguments proved to be more effective than George Wallace’s. | |||
| Short-Response Writing | Allusion and Metaphor in "I, Too, Sing America" | Explain the extended metaphor used in the poem “I, Too, Sing America.” Think about the message the speaker is trying to get across. | |||
| Short-Response Writing | Allusion and Metaphor in "I, Too, Sing America" | Explain how Langston Hughes alludes to Whitman’s poem to create a message in “I, Too, Sing America.” |