Odell Education
Making Evidence-Based Claims: Grade 8
American women have been working toward equal rights since the ink dried on the Declaration of Independence. Focused on the words and actions of Sojourner Truth, Shirley Chisholm, and Venus Williams, a language arts lesson takes eighth...
Santa Ana Unified School District
The Giver
Wouldn't it be great to live an a community without pain, without danger? Such a society is the goal of the community in The Giver. Using Lois Lowry's dystopian novel as the core text, class members read primary source materials about...
Henry Ford Museum
Human Impact on Ecosystems
An environmenta science unit includes three lessons plus a cumulative project covering the ecosystem. Scholars follow the history of the Ford Rouge Factory from its construction on wetlands and how it destroyed the environment to its...
Henry Ford Museum
Transportation Systems
Learners analyze the evolution of cultural attitudes through the lens of transportation, examining several artifacts, documents, and photographs. Topics covered include how American attitudes have influenced society's evolution into a...
Curated OER
Short But Sweet
After analyzing and evaluating news summaries found in the New York Times "Week in Review" section, middle schoolers study the steps for summarizing a news article briefly and accurately. They write two news summaries: one on a newspaper...
Curated OER
Pay to Play?
Lead your class in a discussion about how they believe money influences politics. After reading "Go Ahead, Try to Stop K Street" from the New York Times, they evaluate the claims in the article about the current lobbyist scandal in...
Teaching Tolerance
In Our Own Words: A Story Book with a Purpose
Academics turn into storytellers in an engaging activity on activism. The activity focuses on promoting social change in local communities with stories. Young historians plan a storybook to target a specific audience and social issue and...
EngageNY
End of Unit 2 Assessment, Part 1: Best First Draft of an Informational Essay
Writers work to create drafts of their end-of-unit assessments relating to A Mighty Long Way and Little Rock Girl 1957. Using computers to create the first versions of their essays, writers emphasize ideas and evidence before focusing...
Dream of a Nation
Big6 Research Project
Do research projects at your school look like a class of eighth graders staring at a blank screen? Use the Big 6 research method to guide middle schoolers through the process of finding a topic, searching for and evaluating sources,...
Curriculum Corner
8th Grade ELA "I Can" Statement Posters
Eighth grades can master the ELA Common Core standards! Show your learners the connection between classroom activities and assignments and the standards with this set of "I Can" statement posters. Each standard has been rewritten as an...
Curriculum Corner
8th Grade ELA Common Core Checklists
How close are your eighth graders to mastering the ELA Common Core standards? Keep an eye on progress with these charts, which include every eighth grade identifier and full standard text. As you move through the year and teach, reteach,...
Curated OER
A Way with Words
How do facts and opinions impact the news? After reading "How to Cover a War" from the New York Times, middle schoolers evaluate the claims in the article. They also consider the media's responsibilities in reporting during wartime....
Curated OER
Test-Driving Computers
A new form of standardized testing? Learners evaluate arguments for and against the use of computer-based standardized tests in schools. They express their views through discussion and explore the views of others through the creation and...
University of Glasgow
University of Glasgow: Critical Reviews
This site is designed to be used by psychology students at the university level, but it provides helpful instruction for anyone writing critical reviews of non-fiction. Instruction includes everything from how to be critical to...
Other
Pde: Sas: Identifying and Understanding Use of Testimonials in Advertising
In this lesson, 8th graders analyze and compare the propaganda techniques used in informational texts, with a particular focus on the use of testimonials. Includes links to recommended resources, scaffolding suggestions, and an...
Colorado State University
Colorado State Writing Center: Reviewing and Revising an Argument
An excellent guide to help the writer review a composition to see if their position has been fully supported by evidence and to analyze the perspective of the anticipated audience. Follow the links on the right to access all of the...
Texas Education Agency
Texas Gateway: Relevant Information and Valid Inferences (English I Writing)
[Accessible by TX Educators. Free Registration/Login Required] You will learn strategies for evaluating and revising an essay so that it contains relevant information and valid inferences.
Other
Warren County Schools: Citing Textual Evidence
Well-organized and in-depth instructional activity on citing textual evidence and understanding inferences. Many examples are included, as well as exercises for the students to practice what they have learned. [PDF]
iCivics
I Civics: Persuasive Writing
In this library of mini-lessons, students will learn how to "argue on paper" or write persuasive essays using a fictional case about a school dress code rule against band t-shirts.
Thinkport Education
Thinkport: Writing Explanation Part 3: Building an Argument
In this module, students will explore how claims, counterclaims, evidence and reasoning are used to write an effective argument. Students will read an article that addresses the question, "Should Congress consider comprehensive climate...
Thinkport Education
Thinkport: Writing Explanation Part 1: Claims, Evidence and Reasoning
In this module, students will explore how claims, evidence and reasoning are used to write an effective explanation. Students will read an article that addresses the question, "Should Congress consider comprehensive climate change laws?"
Thinkport Education
Thinkport: Writing Explanation Part 3: Building an Argument
In this module, students will explore how claims, counterclaims, evidence and reasoning are used to write an effective argument. Students will read texts that discuss the climate change debate.
Thinkport Education
Thinkport: Writing Explanation Part 2: Well Written Explanation
In this module, students will write an explanation based on the claims, evidence and reasoning about climate change that they identified in Writing Explanation Part 1: Claims, Evidence, Reasoning.
Thinkport Education
Thinkport: Writing Explanation Part 1: Claims, Evidence and Reasoning
In this module, students will explore how claims, evidence and reasoning are used to write an effective explanation. Students will read an article that addresses the question of whether climate change is now confirmed after record high...