Grade 8, English Language Arts

In 8th-grade ELA, students complete their middle school journey of exploring identity, shifting their examination of identity outwards towards the community. Through careful study of both classic and contemporary literature, students will explore the impact that power dynamics have on relationships within a community. Throughout the year, students will be challenged to read, write and think critically and empathetically about the social issues that impact communities and how people respond to injustice. Each unit is anchored by a highly-engaging core text and supplemented by non-fiction articles, poetry, and short stories. All texts and accompanying activities further develop students’ analytical reading, writing, and discussion skills and broaden their understanding of how the complexities of personal identity and interpersonal relationships shape a community.

Unit

Timeframe

Big Ideas (Statements or Essential Questions)

Major Learning Experiences from Unit 

Unit 1:

Racial Identity in the Context of Society

September - November

  • How do memories and relationships from childhood shape personal identity?

  • What role does society play in determining racial identities?

  • What role does language play in shaping identity and culture?

Students will:

  • Read Born a Crime by Trevor Noah, focusing on how his personal relationships in the context of apartheid in South Africa shaped his identity.

  • Learn about apartheid in South Africa through multiple nonfiction sources.

  • Write explanatory essays, synthesizing information from multiple sources and comparing different writers’ style and purpose.

  • Research a societal issue that is of importance to them and write a narrative piece about it.

Unit 2:

Racial Stereotypes at Play

November -

January

  • What is implicit bias? What is explicit bias?

  • How do certain laws and policies serve to both help and harm various communities?

  • How can individuals and communities use their power to seek justice?

Students will:

  • Read All American Boys by Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely, focusing on how events in the novel directly connect to current issues of racial justice in America.

  • Learn about and consider multiple perspectives of current policing & community issues in the United States through reading, research, and discussion.

  • Understand how authors use rhetorical appeals, reasoning & evidence, and counter-arguments to develop a strong argument.

  • Write a persuasive letter to an authentic audience, taking a stance on current events. 

Unit 3:

Seeking Justice - Racism in Our Past & Present

January - April

  • How do we stand up for our beliefs, even when facing opposition?

  • How does a person develop a sense of right and wrong? What is the role of a person’s family and community in their moral development?

  • How do expectations around race, gender, and class shape the way that people understand themselves and their community?

Students will:

  • Read To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, thinking critically about Lee’s portrayal of racism in America’s past.

  • Conduct historical research on segregation, the Great Depression, and the Scottsboro Boys through multiple nonfiction sources. 

  • Analyze point-of-view, focusing on the different perspectives of various characters in the novel.

  • Construct a narrative from the perspective of an alternate character using dialogue and sensory details.

Unit 4:

Between Two Worlds - Relationships & Our Sense of Self

April - June

  • What are the different worlds that we each inhabit (home, school, family, friends, etc.)?

  • How are the norms, rules, and expectations of each of these worlds different?

  • How does navigating each of these worlds shape our personal identity and sense of belonging?

  • Which of these worlds holds the most power and why?

Students will:

  • Independently read a contemporary novel by a Latin American author. 

  • Think critically about plot, setting, characterization, style, and theme as they read their chosen novel.

  • Further develop their speaking and listening skills by preparing for and actively contributing to regular, peer-led discussions.

  • Complete creative projects to showcase their understanding of the various aspects of fiction & narrative structure.