English Language Arts — Grade 8

Changes in a Democratic Society, Lesson 3 of 3

This lesson is a follow-up lesson to the Changes in a Democratic Society, Lessons 1 and 2 of 3. Students will reflect upon and respond to a sculpture by Auguste Rodin, "Monument for the Defense of Paris." Permission has been granted by Ackland Art Museum to use the following sculptures: "Monument for the Defense of Paris" (Auguste Rodin) and "Wisdom Supporting Liberty" (Aime-Jules Dalou).

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

By Karen Wagoner.

Connecting Folktales and Culture in North Carolina and Beyond

Students will explore connections to North Carolina culture as they engage in reading and analyzing three folktales of North Carolina Literary Festival author, William Hooks. After comparing these stories to other versions of the traditional tales, students will become authors and storytellers themselves as they rewrite a tale from a new cultural point of view. Opportunities are also included to extend this study to world cultures and folktales.

Format: lesson plan (grade 4 and 8 English Language Arts, Social Studies, and Computer Technology Skills)

By Jeanne Munoz.

Differences Across the Curriculum: Part 2

This set of lessons can be used with "Differences Across the Curriculum: Parts 1, 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 2, is meant to augment the pre-reading activities completed in Part 1 in a Social Studies class.

Format: lesson plan (grade 8 English Language Arts)

By Lynn Carter.

How do I look to you?

In this lesson, students will evaluate public service posters and a grooming pamphlet to determine if and how propaganda was used to improve the health of children, and define acceptable appearances for young women in the 1930s.

Format: lesson plan (grade 5–8 and 11 English Language Arts)

By Loretta Wilson.

Interpreting a Short Story

Students will study the literary genre of the short story and examine how, through writing, an author can comment directly/indirectly on our society as a whole. Hopefully, the students will develop an awareness of the problems/concerns facing our society and an appreciation of how a skilled writer can mirror society's ills and sometimes offer solutions for the problems that plague us.

Format: lesson plan (grade 8 English Language Arts)

By Regina Johnson.

Jim Crow and segregation

This is an integrated lesson plan that incorporates both eighth grade language arts and history. Using Internet research, literary analysis, and persuasive technique, students will practice reading and writing skills while analyzing the impact of Jim Crow Segregation on African Americans living in North Carolina and elsewhere.

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

By Burnetta Barton.

The Life and Works of Edgar Allan Poe

Students will evaluate a sampling of literary selections by Edgar Allan Poe and assess the influence of Poe's life on his works.

Format: lesson plan (grade 8 English Language Arts)

By Peggy Stanley.

Martin Luther King, Jr.'s “I Have A Dream” speech

Students will display their understanding of the symbolism and references that Dr. King used to enrich his famous speech on August 28, 1963 from the steps of the Lincoln Memorial by constructing a “jackdaw,” a collection of documents and objects.

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

By Charlotte Lammers.

Maya Angelou: Study and Response to "Still I Rise"

Students read biographical information on Maya Angelou and her poem, "Still I Rise." Students identify support and elaboration in poem, then respond by either writing a letter to the author or his/her own poem in response.

Format: lesson plan (grade 8 English Language Arts)

By Barbara Groome and Jo Peterson Gibbs.

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.

The Mythology Connection

Mythology is fascinating and students enjoy the research and learning more about different characters. By allowing them to choose some of the activities for the booklet, they take more ownership in learning. They also enjoy dressing up and pretending to become a mythological character. This unit incorporates many goals in a fun and stimulating way.

Format: lesson plan (grade 8 English Language Arts)

By Cindy Bowman.

Paving the Road to the Constitution

Students will be able to assess the strengths and weaknessess of the Articles of Confederation as related to the United States and North Carolina. Students will be able to demonstrate an argument for or against ratification of the United States Constitution.

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

By Kim Bennett.

Plan for a panel discussion regarding the validity of the Lincoln Administration

Many of the events surrounding the American Civil War era have become national myths rather than accurate historical facts. This paradigm can be rationalized as a need for national healing. This lesson encourages students to investigate all sides of the issues within the context of the Civil War era. This will contribute to an understanding of the actual events that were catalysts for Lincoln's executive decisions. Students will become “experts” on the Lincoln administration and accept the responsibility of sharing their expertise with their classmates through oral communication in a panel discussion. They will also be responsible for turning in the written work produced as a result of their research, as well as developing a handout and perhaps a visual aid, as they see fit.

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

By Jamie Hulse.

Respecting differences

This guidance and drama unit offers students the opportunity to identify prejudices and understand how certain character traits such as tolerance, respect, and kindness affect their choice of behavior. Since this lesson addresses sensitive issues, teachers should avoid situations that could be hurtful to individuals or groups. This unit can be adapted to almost any age group or ability level.

Format: lesson plan (grade 6–8 English Language Arts, Guidance, Theatre Arts Education, and English Language Development)

By Daryl Walker and Judy Peele.

Uncovering Assumptions through Critical Writing

Students will learn to identify assumptions and propaganda techniques in advertisements. They will then use these techniques to create their own advertisement for a product and write a business letter persuading a company to produce their product.

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

By Rennie Lee.

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

Ad dissection 101

Students learn how to interpret the messages in mainstrean advertising to become more informed consumers. (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 8–12 Information Skills, English Language Arts, and Social Studies)

Provider: IDEAS and Ryan Anderson

Battling for liberty: Tecumseh's and Patrick Henry's language of resistance

This lesson extends the study of Patrick Henry's “Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death” speech to demonstrate the ways Native Americans also resisted oppression through rhetoric and action. (Learn more)

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

Provider: IRA/NCTE

Book report alternative: Creating a childhood for a character

In this lesson, students examine the character traits of an adult character in a book they have read, create a childhood for the character, and describe that childhood in the form of a short story, journal entry, or time capsule letter. (Learn more)

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

Provider: IRA/NCTE