English Language Arts — Grade 8

Resources on the web

Martin Luther King, Jr., and the Power of Nonviolence

This lesson introduces students to Martin Luther King, Jr.'s philosophy of nonviolence and the teachings of Mohandas K. Gandhi that influenced King's views. (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 7–8 English Language Arts and Social Studies)

Provided by: National Endowment for the Humanities

Living in a global forest

Students compare the ecological footprint of a home constructed in 1950 with one constructed in 2000. They will learn where our wood comes from now and will analyze global efforts to manage the world’s forests. (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 8 English Language Arts)

Provided by: Forest History Society

Live from ancient Olympia!

This page contains an EDSITEment lesson in which students have an opportunity to develop “live interviews” with ancient athletes that reflect an understanding of the beliefs that underlay the ancient Olympic Games. In addition, students will... (Learn more)

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

Provided by: ReadWriteThink

Literary characters on trial: Combining persuasion and literary analysis

Students read a work of literature as a class then brainstorm “crimes” committed by characters from that text. Groups of students work together to act as the prosecution or defense for the selected characters, while also acting as the jury for... (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 8 English Language Arts)

Provided by: IRA/NCTE

Investigating the Holocaust: A collaborative inquiry project

Students explore a variety of resources—texts, images, movies, artwork“to learn more about the Holocaust. Beginning with journal writings and a picture book to introduce the issues, the lesson plan focuses on student-centered inquiry. (Learn more)

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

Provided by: IRA/NCTE

Introducing each other: Interviews, memoirs, photos, and internet research

In this lesson from ReadWriteThink, students read, write, speak, listen, and research as they interview a partner and write an article, write a personal memoir, take partner photographs, and use the Internet to find pictures and information illustrating... (Learn more)

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

Provided by: ReadWriteThink

Inquiry on the internet: Evaluating Web pages for a class collection

In this lesson from ReadWriteThink, students conduct a class inquiry project, individually or in groups, collecting Web-based resources that can be used for further study during the course of the class or for more in-depth projects. Students use Internet... (Learn more)

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

Provided by: ReadWriteThink

I've got the literacy blues

Students read “The Gift of the Magi” by O. Henry and explore the story's themes using blues music, creative writing, and media study. (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 8 English Language Arts)

Provided by: IRA/NCTE

Honoring our veterans through poetry prewriting

This lesson from ReadWriteThink uses the informational power of the Internet for a prewriting activity. Through various Internet sites, students gather information about the history and celebration practices associated with Veterans Day. Following the prewriting... (Learn more)

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

Provided by: ReadWriteThink

The history behind song lyrics

Students research and categorize the people, places, and events referenced in the lyrics of Billy Joel's “We Didn't Start the Fire.” They then illustrate the historical relevance of each and use an online chart to display their research. (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 8 English Language Arts)

Provided by: IRA/NCTE

Heroes around us

Students will select, read about, and report on a hero then identify how their hero matches the criteria and characteristics they have already decided upon. (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 8 English Language Arts)

Provided by: IRA/NCTE

GIST: A summarizing strategy for use in any content area

This lesson supports comprehension and summarizing skills by engaging students in reading and identifying the “5Ws and the H” in newspaper articles. (Learn more)

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

Provided by: IRA/NCTE

Geography matters in history

Students consider the ways in which historical events and processes have been affected by geography. (Learn more)

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

Provided by: National Geographic

From forest to farm to urban forest

Students examine what happens when the post-war urban development boom crowds out the forest. Students will also reflect on how science and technology have changed people’s perception of the natural world. (Learn more)

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

Provided by: Forest History Society

Freedom of speech and automatic language: Examining the Pledge of Allegiance

Students explore rote learning and their own right to freedom of speech by examining the Pledge of Allegiance from a historical and personal perspective (Learn more)

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

Provided by: IRA/NCTE

Finding the science behind science fiction through paired readings

In this lesson, students explore the genre of science fiction, while learning more about the science integrated into the plot of the story using nonfiction texts and resources. (Learn more)

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

Provided by: IRA/NCTE

Expository escapade-Detective's handbook

In this lesson, students combine reading the detective fiction genre with expository writing. (Learn more)

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

Provided by: IRA/NCTE

Exploring literacy in cyberspace

This ReadWriteThink lesson invites students to transfer the analytical skills that they commonly use when reading traditional print texts, along with some other strategies, to navigate and read online texts. (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 8 English Language Arts)

Provided by: IRA/NCTE

Exploring and sharing family stories

In this lesson from ReadWriteThink, students access their own life experiences and then discuss family stories they have heard. After choosing a family member to interview, students create questions, interview their relative, and write a personal narrative... (Learn more)

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

Provided by: ReadWriteThink

Every punctuation mark matters: A mini-lesson on semicolons

Students first explore Dr. Martin Luther King's use of semicolons and their rhetorical significance, then apply the lesson to their own writing by searching for ways to follow Dr. King's model and use the punctuation mark in their own writing. (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 8 English Language Arts)

Provided by: IRA/NCTE