Unit Title: Unit 2: Reading Literary Nonfiction; Writing Personal Narratives
Content Area: Language Arts
Grade: 8
Instructional Weeks: 5 weeks
Common Core Standard(s):Unit 2: Reading Literary Nonfiction; Writing Personal Narratives
RI.8.1 Cite the textual evidence that most strongly supports an analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as
inferences drawn from the text.
RI.8.2 Determine a central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text, including its
relationship to supporting ideas; provide an objective summary of the text.
RI.8.3 Analyze how a text makes connections among and distinctions between individuals, ideas, or events (e.g.,
through comparisons, analogies, or categories).
RI.8.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative, connotative,
and technical meanings; analyze the impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone, including
analogies or allusions to other texts.
RI.8.5 Analyze in detail the structure of a specific paragraph in a text, including the role of particular sentences in
developing and refining a key concept.
RI.8.10 By the end of the year, read and comprehend literary nonfiction at the high end of the grades 6–8 text
complexity band independently and proficiently.
SL.8.1 Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 8 topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.
L8.5.c Distinguish among the connotations (associations) of words with similar denotations (definitions) (e.g.,
bullheaded, willful, firm, persistent, resolute).
W.8.3.a-e Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, relevant
descriptive details, and well-structured event sequences.
W.8.4 Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to
task, purpose, and audience. (Grade-specific expectations for writing types are defined in standards 1–3
above.)
W.8.5 With some guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by
planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach, focusing on how well purpose and audience
have been addressed.
Learning Targets:
I can…
· Define cite
· Find evidence for strong support
· Make inferences
· Determine the central idea
· Explain how a central idea develops throughout the text
· Write an unbiased summary
· Explain how people, ideas, and situations are connected in a text
· Determine the meaning of words and phrases
· Define figurative language
· Define connotative meaning
· Define technical meanings
· Explain how specific words impact meaning and tone
· Explain the impact of analogies and allusions
· Explain in detail how an author uses the structure to develop concepts
· Comprehend nonfiction writing at my grade level
· Participate in one-on-one discussions
· Participate in group discussions
· Participate in teacher-led discussions
· Prepare for a discussion
· Follow rules for discussions
· Ask questions that connect the ideas of my group members
· Respond to questions posed by my group members
· Summarize the group’s discussion
· Understand others’ perspectives
· Demonstrate proper usage of the eight parts of speech in writing and speaking
· Explain the function of verbals
· Use verbs in:
o Active voice
o Passive voice
o Indicative mood
o Imperative mood
o Interrogative mood
o Conditional mood
o Subjunctive mood
· Understand others’ perspectives
· Use context clues to determine the meaning of a word
· Use print reference materials
· Use electronic reference materials
· Interpret figurative language
o Similes
o Metaphors
o Personification
o Idioms
o Alliteration
o Onomatopoeia
o Allusions
o Others:
· Use grade appropriate vocabulary
Essential QuestionsWhat do good readers do?
Am I clear about what I just read?
How do I know?
Author’s Choice: Why does it matter?
What makes a story a “great” story?
What makes collaboration meaningful?
Making meaning from a variety of sources: What will help?
When a word doesn’t make sense, what can I do?
How do I use what I know to figure out what I don’t know? / Key Vocabulary
RI.8.1- Textual evidence, analyze, inference, explicit
RI.8.2- central idea, supporting idea, summary, objective
RI.8.3- individual, event, idea, connection, distinction
RI.8.4- figurative language, literal language, denotation, connotation, technical meaning, tone, mood, analogy, allusion
RI.8.5- refine
RI.8.10- reading strategy, comprehension
SL.8.1- collaborate, elaborate, integrate, warranted, justify
L.8.1- gerund, participle, infinitive, active voice, passive voice, indicative mood, imperative mood, interrogative mood, conditional mood, subjunctive mood
L.8.4- infer, context clues, affix, root, reference material
L.8.5- figure of speech, literal language, word relationships, denotation, connotation
L.8.6- general academic words, domain specific words
W.8.3- narratives, plot structure (exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, resolution), dialogue, transitions, conclusion
W.8.4- writing style, purpose, task, audience, publish (using technology) / Resources
Daily Lesson Log
Date / Target(s) / Target Type(K, R, S, P) / Activity / Assessment
(i.e. Bell Ringer, Flashback, Questioning, Class Discussion, Think/Pair/Share, Student Presentations, Unit Test, Common Assessment, etc…)
(Day1) or Date