English Language Arts — Grade 8

Civil War Journals

Integrates creative writing with social studies and enhances knowledge of the effects of the Civil War on people.

Format: lesson plan (grade 8 English Language Arts and Social Studies)

By Gwen A. Jones.

Dialect Awareness in Literature and Life

Dovey Coe, a young adolescent novel by Frances O'Roark Dowell of Boone, North Carolina, takes place in the 1930s in the mountains of Western North Carolina. The use of mountain dialect continues to remind the reader of the importance of setting in this novel. The study of a selection from this novel will help students realize the impact of dialect in literature as well as their own speaking and writing.

Format: lesson plan (grade 8 English Language Arts)

By Barbara Groome.

Dialect Awareness in Literature and Life

Dovey Coe, a young adolescent novel by Frances O'Roark Dowell of Boone, North Carolina, takes place in the 1930s in the mountains of Western North Carolina. The use of mountain dialect continues to remind the reader of the importance of setting in this novel. The study of a selection from this novel will help students realize the impact of dialect in literature as well as their own speaking and writing.

Format: lesson plan (grade 8 English Language Arts)

By Barbara Groome and Jo Peterson Gibbs.

Differences Across the Curriculum: Part 1

This set of lessons can be used with "Differences Across the Curriculum: Parts 2, 3, and 4" as an integrated approach to exploring diversity with eighth graders. The unit will revolve around the use of the drama version of "The Diary of Anne Frank." Students will learn how diversity creates bias which leads to conflict, where students confront their bias and practice tolerance. These parts reflect the four core curricula in an interwoven approach to teaching students to confront their biases, learn tolerance, and infer the impact of these on today's society. This activity, Part 1, is meant to serve as a pre-reading activity to the reading of the play form of "The Diary of Anne Frank." See attachment created on Inspiration software to gain insight to the organization of the entire unit.

Format: lesson plan (grade 8 English Language Arts, Social Studies, and Computer Technology Skills)

By Lynn Carter.

E-pal Adventure

Students will be paired with an e-pal they will hopefully meet during their 8th grade trip to the coast.

Format: lesson plan (grade 8 Information Skills, English Language Arts, Social Studies, and Computer Technology Skills)

By Hilda Hamilton.

An "Eggs"traordinary Sculpture

This lesson uses a sculpture located at the North Carolina Zoological Park as the springboard for an inquiry involving eggs and egg-layers. Several measurements and calculations are incorporated. A visit to the NC Zoological Park is preferred.

Format: lesson plan (grade 8 English Language Arts, Visual Arts Education, Computer Technology Skills, and Mathematics)

By Eddie Hamblin.

Feel In The Blanks

The following lesson is designed to function as a review of beginning, middle, and end and an introduction to individualized imagination, creativity, and perspective as it relates to the development of dialogue (i.e. improvisation).

Format: lesson plan (grade 6–8 English Language Arts)

By Lei Knight.

Freedom with Harriet: Life on the Underground Railroad

This lesson for grades 6–8 will help students understand the experiences of slaves in the South who sought freedom via the Underground Railroad. Students will analyze a painting and create a living tableau that reflects the issues and emotions the painting evokes.

Format: (grade 8 Social Studies and English Language Arts)

By Dianne Harlow.

Impressed With Embargo

Students will learn about the causes of the War of 1812 and make connections to current world events.

Format: lesson plan (grade 8 English Language Arts and Social Studies)

By Andrea McGuire.

Interior design: Designing my dream room

Students will study interior design as a profession. They will integrate their study with math, writing, vocational education, and computer skills by designing their own dream bedroom.

Format: lesson plan (grade 6–8 English Language Arts, Visual Arts Education, Computer Technology Skills, and Mathematics)

By Paula Hightower.

Life History Slide Show

Students will use photos to create a slideshow of their life. They will plan a presentation based on significant episodes of their lide and describe their personal experiences in writing.

Format: lesson plan (grade 7–9 English Language Arts)

By Teachers Connect.

Living History - Civil War

After researching antebellum North Carolina and the role of North Carolina in the Civil War, students will write, edit, publish, and produce their own plays.

Format: lesson plan (grade 8 English Language Arts and Social Studies)

By Pam Johnson.

Math Name Tag: An Introduction Project for the First Day

In this project the students will introduce themselves to teh class by using a creative display of magazine cutouts, pictures, and drawings on a math symbol that represents who they are.

Format: lesson plan (grade 8 English Language Arts and Mathematics)

By Kim Byrd.

Mountain dialect: Reading between the spoken lines

This lesson plan uses Chapter 13 of Our Southern Highlanders (available online) as a jumping-off point to help students achieve social studies and English language arts objectives while developing an appreciation of the uniqueness of regional speech patterns, the complexities of ethnographic encounter, and the need to interrogate primary sources carefully to identify potential biases and misinformation in them. Historical content includes American slavery, the turn-of-the-century, and the Great Depression.

Format: lesson plan (grade 8 English Language Arts and Social Studies)

By Kathryn Walbert.

Stories From the Holocaust

This lesson is designed to supplement a study of World War II. Students will read first hand accounts of individuals who escaped Nazi persecution and eventually settled in Asheville, North Carolina. This lesson may be used as an 8th grade Social Studies or English project(It could also be used as an integrated project), 10th grade English, or 11th grade US History. This lesson use the NCEcho portal to access the material.

Format: lesson plan (grade 8 English Language Arts and Social Studies)

By Billie Clemens.

Walk Two Moons: An Integrated Unit

Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech is a bittersweet story of a teenager who desperately wants to be reunited with her mother. This unit is an integrated study combining setting, theme, point of view, character, and plot with geography and geometry.

Format: lesson plan (grade 8 Information Skills, English Language Arts, and Mathematics)

By Janet Fore.

Why Come to America?

The success of the U.S. as a world power, an advocate of individuals' rights, and a worldwide defender of freedom is due primarily to our uniquely rich and varied heritage. This culture is a composite of the aspects of each of the immigrant populations that make up our population. An understanding of the strength and commitment of these immigrants, as well as a look at the prejudices endured by many, helps us to better understand who we are today.

Format: lesson plan (grade 8 English Language Arts, Social Studies, and Computer Technology Skills)

By Teddi Benson.

Lesson plans on the web

Character clash: A mini-lesson on paragraphing and dialogue

Helps students differentiate dialogue from narrative in their stories. (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 6–8 English Language Arts)

Provider: IRA/NCTE

Childhood Remembrances: Life and Art Intersect in Nikki Giovanni's "Nikki-Rosa"

Students use an interactive chart to keep track of their thoughts as they work with their own autobiographical information.
(Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 8 English Language Arts and Computer Technology Skills)

Provider: IRA/NCTE

Choose your own adventure: A Hypertext writing experience

In this lesson that focuses on reading and writing, students discuss various stories and plan their own adventure story. (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 6–8 English Language Arts and Computer Technology Skills)

Provider: IRA/NCTE