8th Grade Writing Pacing Guide 2012 - 2013 - Curriculum and ...

8th Grade Writing Pacing Guide 2012 - 2013 Writing Expectations 1. Criterion Writing Program – It is expected that fourth through ninth grade students will use Criterion Writing Essay Grader during the writing process. Teachers and students may access the program using their classroom computers, computers in the media center or computer lab, or mobile laptops. 2. Students are to keep the first Criterion Writing essay of the school year in their portfolios. This will serve as an initial benchmark assessment. 3. Additionally, students are to place their last Criterion Writing essay into their portfolios. This will serve as a final benchmark assessment. 4. Writing Portfolios – Each student in kindergarten through tenth grade should have a writing portfolio (Ex: manila folder) that follows them from grade to grade. Inside this portfolio students will place one completed writing assignment for each month of the school year. These assignments can be hand-written, typed, and/or generated using Criterion Writing. They can be graded or ungraded but should demonstrate writing that has gone through the entire writing process as is appropriate for the child’s grade level. At the end of the school year, each teacher should store the portfolios in an area designated by his/her building principal who will be responsible for passing the portfolios on to each student’s teacher the following school year. 5. Publish & Display – Using the five steps of the writing process, each student will publish and display one piece of formal writing created during the month. This piece should incorporate the grammar skills taught during the month as well as spelling and vocabulary words learned during that month. After being removed from display, the piece should be entered into the student’s writing portfolio. 6. Students will participate in writing fairs and contests as required by his/her building principal. Pieces from the portfolio may be used as entries into the fair or writing contest or the student may create new pieces to use as the entry for the fair/contest.

MONTHLY WRITING GUIDES Date Aug

Resources and/or Supporting Content McDougal Littell Literature book  The Elevator  Raymond’s Run  Clean Sweep Simple predicate Simple and compound sentences Capitalization Quotations Conjunctions

English/Language Arts COS

Writing Activities with Link to Literature  

The 5 Steps of the Writing Process Personal essay incorporating conventions taught this month

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Make inferences Determine sequence Identify components of plot Write in narrative

Vary sentence structure

8th Grade Writing

Resources and/or Supporting Content Date Sept

McDougal Littell Literature book  The Treasure of Lemon Brown  Rules of the Game Fragments Run-ons

Resources and/or Supporting Content Date Oct

McDougal Littell Literature book  The Tell-Tale Heart  The Hitchhiker

Resources and/or Supporting Content Date Nov.

Workplace and Technical writing of section of McDougal Littell Literature book  The Lady, or The Tiger?  Us-Them

Writing Activities with Link to Literature Descriptive essay using characterization

English/Language Arts COS 

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Writing Activities with Link to Literature  

Comparison and Contrast: Possible topicsTo explain, Compare the Monkey’s Paw and Tell-Tale Heart

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Business Letter with attention to the five parts including: heading, inside address, salutation, body, closing, and signature. Short Story: Possible topic- Growing Up

Evaluate the impact of setting, mood, and/or characterization Apply principles of grammar and usage in writing

English/Language Arts COS  

Analyze works of literature Evaluate the impact of setting, mood, and characterization

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Apply principles of grammar and usage in writing

Writing Activities with Link to Literature

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Make inferences


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Compose a business letter, including heading, inside address, salutation, body, closing, and signature. Apply principles of grammar and usage in writing Determine Sequence Tone

8th Grade Writing

Resources and/or Supporting Content Date Dec

Internet resources: son of citation machine http://citationmachine.net/ McDougal Littell Unit 10  Research Strategies


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Write a Short Story: Possible topics o o

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Two people adopt an unusual dog. An alien lands on the school’s football field.

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Research- How to document sources (works cited, reference page, bibliography).

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Resources and/or Supporting Content Date Jan

McDougal Littell Literature book  Dreams from My Father  Out of Many Graphic organizers


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Cause and Effect- Possible topics: Winning an Award, Learning a New Skill or Sport, The Effects of Political Protests, The Power of Dreams

English/Language Arts COS      

 Resources and/or Supporting Content Date Feb

McDougal Littell Literature book  Reader’s Workshop Argument and Persuasion pages 962-967 Internet Resources: http://www.boobis.com/students/poetry/iampo em.html http://www.readwritethink.org/files/resources/l esson_images/lesson391/I-am-poem.pdf Reader’s Workshop pages 576-581 Simile: Willow and Ginkgo; Introduction to Poetry pages 582-587


Persuasive Essay or Letter. Possible topic  School uniforms (for or against)  Better food Introduction to Poetry: Compose a Poem titled “I AM”

Apply principles of grammar and usage in writing. Analyze works of literature for tone Evaluate the impact of setting, mood, and/or characterization Vary sentence structure Taking notes to gather and summarize information. Using documentation to avoid plagiarism

Apply principles of grammar and usage in writing Make inferences Write in expository mode Explain distinguishing characteristics (the cause) Mood, tone, theme and literary devices Gather and summarize Vary sentence structure

English/Language Arts COS       

Apply principles of grammar and usage in writing Distinguish fact from opinion Explain distinguishing characteristics elements of argument Subcategories of poetry Rhythm and rhyme scheme Literary devices Vary sentence structure

8th Grade Writing

Resources and/or Supporting Content Date Mar

McDougal Littell Literature book  The Lesson of the Moth  Identity  Speech to the Young;Speech to the Progress-Toward  Mother to Son  One More Round  Not My Bones

Writing Activities with Link to Literature 

Write a couplet. Write a haiku.

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Internet resources: son of citation machine http://citationmachine.net/ McDougal Littell Unit 10 Research Strategies

Review fragments and run-ons. Review capitalization and punctuation. Review simple, compound and complex sentences. Review the writing process McDougal Littell Literature book  The Diary of Anne Frank and the video  Freedom Writer’s Video

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Resources and/or Supporting Content Date May

Write a free verse poem.

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Resources and/or Supporting Content Date Apr

Poetry: Write a Limerick.

English/Language Arts COS

Research Report to include reference page: Possible topicMythology

English/Language Arts COS    


Creative Writing: Unassigned Topic from any type of essay. Students will incorporate all steps of the writing process without any assistance from the teacher.

Apply principles of grammar and usage in writing Distinguish among subcategories of poetry Explain distinguishing characteristics of poetry Vary sentence structure

Apply principles of grammar and usage in writing Explain distinguishing characteristics Analyze theme Using documentation to avoid plagiarism

English/Language Arts COS   

Apply principles of grammar and usage in writing Writing process Vary sentence structure

NOTE: Teachers may duplicate this page as needed and use it as a planning tool for the writing process throughout the school year.

5 Steps of the Writing Process Dates for Working On Each Step of the Process Using the five steps of the writing process, each student will publish and display one piece of formal writing created during the month. This piece should incorporate the grammar skills taught during the month as well as spelling and/or vocabulary words learned during the month. After being removed from display, the piece is to be entered into the student’s writing portfolio.

Planning/Prewriting

Rough Draft

Revise/Conference

Edit/Conference

Publish & Display