Eighth Grade Humanities

Literature

Genres

Journals

Diaries

Letters

Myths

Play

Speeches

Biographical excerpts

Historical fiction

Nonfiction

Short stories

Letters

Poetry

Journalism (cover stories, obituaries, editorials)

Short stories

• Mystery
• Science fiction
• Narratives

Biographical excerpts

Play

Historical fiction

Nonfiction

Classic

Letters

Drama

Historical fiction

Biographical excerpts

Play

Historical fiction

Literary analysis

• Monthly novel assignment

Creative

Descriptive

Expository

Narrative

Persuasive

Comparison/constrast

Literary response

Technical writing

Literary analysis

• Monthly novel assignment

Descriptive

Expository

Narrative

Persuasive

Comparison/contrast

Literary response

Technical writing

Research writing

Literary analysis

• Monthly novel assignment

Descriptive

Expository

Narrative

Persuasive

Comparison/contrast

Literary response

Technical writing

Research writing

Poetry

Conventions

of

Grammar

Comma use:

• with clauses
• with phrases
• to separate or set off

Vocabulary

• in context
• use of thesaurus

Homophones/homonyms

Sentence structure

• complex
• compound-complex
• eliminate fragments
• eliminate run-ons

Parts of speech

• prepositional phrases
• object of the preposition

Semicolon use

• to join or set off clauses

Sentence structure

• modifiers
• eliminate run ons

Parts of speech

• direct and indirect objects
• possessive nouns
• Adverbs (positive, comparative, superlative)

Figurative language

Direct quotations

Semicolon use

• with conjunctive adverb
• to separate groups

Colon use

• for emphasis

Sentence structure

• combining sentences

Parts of speech

• predicate noun

Figurative language

Reading:

Library research 

Writing:

Developing paragraphs and compositions

• descriptive
• narrative
• news stories
• literary response

Voice

Style

Listening:

Interviewing/gathering oral history

Speaking:

Interviewing/questioning

Socratic seminar

Poetry recitation

 Reading:

Library research

Writing:

Developing paragraphs and compositions

• research report
• research paper
• expository essay
• persuasive writing
• literary response

Thesis construction

Speaking:

Socratic seminar

 Reading:

Library research

Writing:

Developing paragraphs and compositions

biography

literary response

speech:  formal and informal

creative writing

Speaking:

Socratic seminar

Poetry recitation

Summer reading project

Historical person essay

Jamestown job application

Civil War Webquest

National History Day Project

December Book Report:  Literary Elements Evaluation

January Book Report:  Character Interviews

Decades project

LA/SS:  Salem Witch Trials and The Crucible

LA/Art:  Portraiture project;  Admired American

LA/SS/Math/Sci/Art:  Living History Day

LA/SS/SL:  Oral history interview 

LA/SS:  National History Day

LA/SL:  A Year in My Life Poetry Project

LA/SS:  Civil War Webquest

LA/SS/Math/Sci/Art:  Decades project

High Point Shakespeare Festival - The Crucible

Charlotte Public Library for NHD research

Kristi Multhaup:  Davidson Professor:  Interviewing the Elderly

Lori Helms:  Huntersville Herald 

The Crucible by Arthur Miller

Selections from Slave Narratives

Short Stories by Great American Women Writers

Daily GRAMS workbook

Excerpt from Last of the Mohicans

Selections from:

• American Passages:  A History of the US
• Glencoe American Literature
• The Norton Anthology of American Literature

Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

Daily GRAMS workbook

Selections from:

• American Passages:  A History of the US
• Glencoe American Literature
• The Norton Anthology of American Literature

Inherit the Wind by J. Lawrence and R. Lee

Night by Elie Weisel

Brian's Song play

Daily GRAMS workbook

Excerpts from:

• The Jungle
• The Autobiography of Malcolm X

Selections from:

• American Passages:  A History of the US
• Glencoe American Literature
• The Norton Anthology of American Literature

 Video:  To Kill a Mockingbird