Mercer County Schools
PRIORITIZED
CURRICULUM
Reading/Language Arts
Content Maps
Grade 8
Mercer County Schools
PRIORITIZED
CURRICULUM
The Mercer County Schools Prioritized Curriculum is composed of West Virginia Content Standards and
Objectives that have been identified as "Essential, Important, and Nice to Know." The Essential and
Important objectives, which are aligned to the WESTEST, must be learned by the student in order to ensure
his/her success. Therefore, the majority of instructional time (90% - 95%) must be devoted to the mastery of
these objectives. To assist you with your instructional planning, the Prioritized Curriculum is divided into
learning units (Content Maps) creating an instructional sequence and estimated time for delivering the
intended/learned curriculum.
CONCEPT MAP
English 8
Suggested Sequence:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Comprehension Strategies/Skills
Language Mechanics
Literary Analysis
Literary Techniques
Sentence Structure and Development
Writing Skills
The Writing Process
Vocabulary Enrichment
READING/LANGUAGE ARTS CONCEPT MAP
EIGHTH GRADE
Key Concepts:
Estimated days to complete - 25
Key Vocabulary:
Point of View
Fact / Opinion
Compare / Contrast
Topic:
Comprehension Strategies/Skills
Theme
CSO's: 8.1.1; 8.1.2; 8.3.3; 8.1.3; 8.1.6; 8.1.7; 8.1.8;
8.1.10; 8.1.11; 8.1.12
Similarities/Differences
Enduring Understanding:
Effective readers use specific strategies to help them better understand
what they read.
Personal Insight
Inform
Persuade
Main Idea
Essential Question(s):
Entertain
What strategies/skills can I use to make sense of what I read?
Chronological Order
Supporting Details
Inverted Pyramid
Examples:
Paraphrase
Captions and
Re-Reading
Double Entry Journals
Graphic Organizers
Exit Slip /
Ticket Out the Door
Conclusion
Author’s Purpose
Mercer County Schools
9/5/2005
READING/LANGUAGE ARTS CONCEPT MAP
EIGHTH GRADE
Key Concepts:
25 Days
Key Vocabulary:
Connections
Sequencing
Topic:
Comprehension Strategies/Skills
Page Two
Foreshadowing
Predicting
Summarizing
Enduring Understanding:
Decoding
Encoding
Skimming
Cause / Effect
Essential Question(s):
Scanning
SQ3R
Inferences
Examples:
Hypothesize
Critique
Context Clues
Analyze
Make Judgments
Mercer County School District
9/5/2005
READING/LANGUAGE ARTS CONCEPT MAP
EIGHTH GRADE
Estimated days to complete - 20
Key Concepts:
Key Vocabulary:
Proper Nouns
Capitalization
Topic:
Language Mechanics & Punctuation,
Proper Adjectives
CSO's: 8.2.3; 8.2.5; 8.2.6; 8.2.7; 8.2.9
Quotes
Punctuation
Geographical References
Enduring Understanding:
Punctuation marks and grammar rules are like highway signs and
traffic signals – they help the writer avoid confusion.
Colon / Semicolon
Comma
Spelling
Essential Question(s):
End Marks
How can using punctuation and grammar rules make me a better
writer/communicator?
Parts of Speech
Question Mark
Exclamation Point
Examples:
Period
Word Wall
Editing and Revising
Dash / Hyphen
Games (Bingo, etc.)
Mercer County Schools
Journals
Apostrophe
9/5/2005
READING/LANGUAGE ARTS CONCEPT MAP
EIGHTH GRADE
Key Concepts:
Key Vocabulary:
Quotation Marks
Topic:
Language Mechanics & Punctuation
Parentheses
Page Two
Italics
Enduring Understanding:
Prefix
Suffix
Root Word
Essential Question(s):
Noun/Pronoun
Verb/Adverb
Examples:
Adjective
Conjunction
Preposition
Interjection
Mercer County Schools
9/5/2005
READING/LANGUAGE ARTS CONCEPT MAP
EIGHTH GRADE
Estimated days to complete - 20
Key Concepts:
Key Vocabulary:
Point of View
Topic:
Literary Analysis
Characterization
Setting
CSO's: 8.1.1; 8.1.2; 8.1.3; 8.1.4; 8.3.3; 8.1.5; 8.1.6;
8.1.8; 8.1.10; 8.1.11; 8.1.12
Literary Elements
Plot/Rising & Falling
Actions
Conflict / Internal/External
Enduring Understanding:
Understanding a text’s structure helps one understand its meaning.
Climax / Resolution
Exposition
Theme
Essential Question(s):
Mood
What tools do I need to understand different types of texts?
Author’s Voice
Genre
Foreshadowing
Examples:
Shock of Recognition
Character Maps
Graphics/Illustrations
Moral / Mores (Global)
Figurative Language
Cubing
Mercer County Schools
Journals
Fiction
9/5/2005
READING/LANGUAGE ARTS CONCEPT MAP
EIGHTH GRADE
Estimated days to complete - 20
Key Concepts:
Key Vocabulary:
Non-Fiction
Topic:
Literary Analysis
Page Two
Author’s Purpose
Poetry / Prose
Myths / Fables
Enduring Understanding:
Onomatopoeia
Alliteration
Simile / Metaphor
Essential Question(s):
Personification
Pun
Examples:
Analyze
Rhyme
Rhythm
Mercer County Schools
9/5/2005
READING/LANGUAGE ARTS CONCEPT MAP
EIGHTH GRADE
Estimated days to complete-15
Key Concepts:
Key Vocabulary:
Fact / Opinion
Topic:
Literary Techniques
Cause / Effect
CSO's: 8.1.1; 8.1.2; 8.1.3; 8.1.4; 8.3.3; 8.3.5; 8.1.6;
8.1.7; 8.1.8; 8.1.10; 8.1.11; 8.1.12
Compare / Contrast
Persuasive Language
Irony
Interpretation
Enduring Understanding:
Satire
Writers sometimes convey ideas indirectly.
Author’s Voice
Analogies
Essential Question(s):
Understatement
How can I “read between the lines”?
Repetition
Verbal Irony
Examples:
Situational Irony
Graphic Organizers
Role-Playing
Dramatization
Mercer County Schools
Cooperative Learning
Groups
Dramatic Irony
Write Composition
Related to Personal
Experience
9/5/2005
READING/LANGUAGE ARTS CONCEPT MAP
EIGHTH GRADE
Key Concepts:
Estimated days to complete - 5
Key Vocabulary:
Tone / Volume
Speaking Skills
Topic:
Oral Communication Skills
(Listening, Speaking, And Viewing)
CSO's: 8.3.1; 8.3.2; 8.3.4; 8.3.5; 8.1.10;
8.1.11; 8.1.12
Listening Skills
Rate
Speaking Etiquette
Audience Etiquette
Enduring Understanding:
Preparation and presentation affect the understanding and appreciation
of an oral address to a class audience.
Table / Graph
Diagram
Graphic Aids
Essential Question(s):
Chart
Why/How is preparation important for holding the audience’s attention
during a presentation?
Body Language
Posture
Eye Contact
Examples:
Animation
Impromptu Speech
Prepared Speech
Mercer County Schools
Compare/Contrast in
Small Groups
Voice Projection
Video Selections
9/5/2005
READING/LANGUAGE ARTS CONCEPT MAP
EIGHTH GRADE
Estimated days to complete - 20
Key Concepts:
Key Vocabulary:
Simple / Compound
Types of Sentences
Complete/Incomplete
Sentences
Topic:
Sentence Structure & Development
Complex
CSO's: 8.1.10; 8.1.11; 8.3.5; 8.2.3; 8.2.6; 8.2.7; 8.2.9;
8.2.11
Fragment
Run-On
Enduring Understanding:
Phrase
Understanding sentence structure enables a writer to convey meaning
more clearly.
Clause
Parallel Structure
Essential Question(s):
Faulty
How can I write sentences that make a clear picture for the reader?
Balanced
Effective Sentences
Redundant
Examples:
Misplaced Modifiers
Mercer County Schools
Student Writing
Examples
Bell Ringer Activities
Cooperative Learning
Activities
Revising/Re-Writing
Dangling Modifiers
Appositive
READING/LANGUAGE ARTS CONCEPT MAP
EIGHTH GRADE
Estimated days to complete - 20
Key Concepts:
Key Vocabulary:
Topic Sentence
Topic:
Writing Skills
Indent
CSO's: 8.1.10; 8.1.11; 8.2.1; 8.2.2; 8.2.3; 8.2.7; 8.2.8;
8.2.9; 8.2.13; 8.2.15; 8.3.5
Supporting Details
Paragraph Organization
Effective Expression
(Content)
Conclusion
Enduring Understanding:
Effective writers use specific techniques and skills.
Transitional Devices
Relevant Details
Usage
Essential Question(s):
Precise Word Choice
What devices do I use for different forms of writing?
How do I apply the characteristics of good writing?
Types of Writing
Vivid Diction
Subject-Verb Agreement
Examples:
Pronoun Usage
Modeling Devices
Reference
Sources
Mercer County Schools
Peer Tutoring
Creative
Practice –
Write! Write!
Write!
Outlining/Webbing
Informative/Expository
9/5/2005
READING/LANGUAGE ARTS CONCEPT MAP
EIGHTH GRADE
Key Concepts:
Key Vocabulary:
Persuasive
Topic:
Writing Skills
Page Two
Chronological
Compare / Contrast
Enduring Understanding:
Cause / Effect
Article / Essay
Journal / Letter
Essential Question(s):
Report
Poetry
Examples:
Parallelism
Sentence Variety
Voice
Mercer County Schools
9/5/2005
READING/LANGUAGE ARTS CONCEPT MAP
EIGHTH GRADE
Estimated days to complete - 10
Key Concepts:
Key Vocabulary:
Brainstorm
Topic:
The Writing Process
Clustering / Outlining
CSO's: 8.1.10; 8.1.11; 8.3.5; 8.2.1; 8.2.2; 8.2.3; 8.2.4;
8.2.5; 8.2.6; 8.2.7; 8.2.8; 8.2.9; 8.2.15
Mapping / Webbing
Pre-Writing
Draft
Introduction/Body/
Conclusion
Enduring Understanding:
A good writer uses the writing process to develop a focused
composition.
Organize/ Sequential Order
Transitional Words
Revision
Essential Question(s):
Supporting Details
What steps do I take to express my thoughts and ideas effectively?
Vivid/Precise Language
Final Draft
Examples:
Guided Practice with
Visual Aids
Coherence
Graphic Organizers
Outlines
Publication
Thesis Statement
Modeling
Mercer County Schools
Illustrations
Peer Review and Editing
9/5/2005
READING/LANGUAGE ARTS CONCEPT MAP
EIGHTH GRADE
Estimated days to complete - 5
Key Concepts:
Key Vocabulary:
Root Word
Topic:
Vocabulary Enrichment
Word Meaning
Affix
CSO's: 8.1.10; 8.1.11
Prefix
Generating New Words
Suffix
Enduring Understanding:
Glossary
English is a melting pot of languages – a complex, borrowed
composite.
Thesaurus
Multiple Meanings
Essential Question(s):
Dictionary
How are new words added to a language?
Reference
Word Origins
Etymology
Examples:
Compound Words
Greek & Latin
Prefixes/Internet
Activity
Word Wall
Mercer County Schools
Derivative
Word Games
Multicultural Food and
Dress Fair
9/5/2005