English Language Arts — Grade 8

Change in a Democratic Society, Lesson 1 of 3

This lesson will demonstrate how art can imitate society. Students will learn about democracy in America through an examination of and a Paideia seminar on "The Sword of Damocles," an oil painting by British painter Richard Westall. This lesson should be used after a study of colonial times in America and through the American Revolution.

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

By Sharyn West.

Changes in a Democratic Society, Lesson 2 of 3

This lesson is the post seminar activity to the Changes in a Democratic Society, Lesson 1 of 3. Students will participate in tiered assignments reflecting on the Westall painting, "The Sword of Damocles," and the prior day's Paideia seminar on that painting.

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

By Sharyn West.

Is No Man An Island?

This unit is designed to encourage thinking about our connectedness to and responsibilities toward others. Materials in this unit are used to demonstrate humankind's need to refute an impersonal natural order.

Format: lesson plan (grade 8 English Language Arts)

By Jewell Kendrick.

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.

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.

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.

Reading Guides

Groups will develop a Reading Guide for each non-fiction resource book for units in science, social studies, and other curriculum areas. Students will identify useful features each book and where the important information will be found. Reviewing non-fiction features of print resources will familiarize the class with material on reserve for the unit. Overviewing and identifying text features will help students determine how to approach the various formats of text relevant to the topic.

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

By Elizabeth Hubbe.

What Do YOU See? (Post-Visit)

In this lesson, students will use observations and reflections made while visiting the Ackland Art Museum to draw conclusions about interpreting artwork (and other works/events), make quality scientific observations, and see how these concepts are related. Students will be reproducing artwork they viewed at the museum, sharing their personal interpretations of various works, and analyzing how the presentation of information (in any situation) can influence our interpretations of a work or event. This lesson is the final lesson in the series of lessons, "What Do YOU See?", which uses the Ackland Art Museum as a resource.

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

By Reagan West.

What Do YOU See? (Pre-Visit)

This lesson introduces students to the importance of making accurate, detailed scientific observations, and the value of learning about others' views and perspectives regarding a specific topic or event. It also serves as an activity to prepare students for a visit to the Ackland Art Museum in Chapel Hill, NC (or any museum, real or virtual). This lesson is the first of three lessons that build upon each other, using the Ackland Art Museum as the focus.

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

By Reagan West.

"What Do YOU See?" (Visit)

This lesson outlines activities for students to complete while visiting the Ackland Art Museum in Chapel Hill, NC. Students will observe and reflect upon a variety of artwork. In doing so, they will develop observation and communication skills, and learn to understand and appreciate others' interpretations and opinions of works of art. This lesson applies skills learned in the previous lesson, "What Do You See" (Pre-Visit).

This lesson may be adapted for use in a school/classroom by using museums and artwork found online (see Web sites listed below). A Powerpoint presentation which displays some artwork from the Ackland Art Museum is attached to this plan, as well.

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

By Reagan West.

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

Comic makeovers: Examining race, class, ethnicity, and gender in the media

In this ReadWriteThink lesson, students explore representations of race, class, ethnicity, and gender by analyzing comics over a two-week period and then re-envisioning them with a “comic character makeover.” (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 8–9 English Language Arts)

Provider: IRA/NCTE

Critical media literacy: Commercial advertising

Conducting an evaluation of television and magazine advertisements, students critique the effect mass media has on American culture. (Learn more)

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

Provider: IRA/NCTE

Dynamic duo text talks: Examining the content of Internet sites

Students read a variety of online texts about Anne Frank and the Holocaust prior to more extensive study of these topics. (Learn more)

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

Provider: IRA/NCTE

Entering history: Nikki Giovanni and Martin Luther King, Jr.

Students read Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech in conjunction with Nikki Giovanni’s poem “The Funeral of Martin Luther King, Jr.” in order to better understand the speech and the impact it had on observers like Giovanni during the Civil Rights movement and Americans today. (Learn more)

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

Provider: IRA/NCTE

Exploring author's voice using Jane Addams Award-winning books

This lesson uses Jane Addams Award-winning books to explore author's voice and style. (Learn more)

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

Provider: 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)

Provider: 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)

Provider: IRA/NCTE