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CORE Syllabus: Eighth Grade Reading
READING CONTENT/GENRES:
Biography/The Holocaust:
· Explore the social and historical implications of Holocaust through biographical texts (to include, Milkweed, Night and The Diary of Anne Frank)
· Determine the timeline of events leading up to and revolving around the WWII and the Holocaust
· Gain understanding and insight into the concepts of discrimination, persecution and intolerance as they relate to the Holocaust, and compare them to other past and present situations
· Compare and contrast different perspectives (Holocaust deniers) of the Holocaust
Historical Fiction/Roll of Thunder. Hear My Cry:
· Determine the facts versus fiction, when reading a piece of historical fiction
· Recognize how an author’s real life experiences are projected in writing
· Compare and contrast the social issues and experiences of the 1930’s to modern day
Fantasy/Science Fiction:
· Utilize The Hobbit or The Giver, to understand how themes, problems and issues in fantasy/science fiction texts can parallel issues of today
· Explore the concepts of conformity, coming of age, memory and community and the problems that can arise (The Giver)
· Identify cause and effect relationships based upon the sequence of events and actions within the fantasy/science fiction genre
Drama/Reader’s Theater:
· Demonstrate the use of appropriate oral fluency conventions (eye contact, inflection, expression…etc) through the use of Reader’s Theater
· Explore the genre of drama and identify it as both a written and oral use of language
· Participate in a Reader’s Theater performance before an audience of peers
READING SKILLS:
Text Structure:
· Determine the text structure of a piece of expository writing as being: chronological/sequence, compare/contrast, descriptive, point of view, cause and effect or problem /solution
· Identify the signal words used by the author to help determine a text’s organizational structure
· Represent the organizational structure of a text through the use of graphic organizers
Reading Strategies:
· Determine the important information in any content area selection of expository text
· Synthesize information on a particular topic from a variety of text selections and formats
· Use information from texts and personal experiences and knowledge to make inferences
Vocabulary Development:
· Utilize the Frayer Model, a vocabulary square or another vocabulary format to extend the understanding and meaning of unknown words
· Use visualization and picture images to enhance vocabulary meaning
· Understand the concepts of roots, suffixes and prefixes and their impact on word meaning
· Establish vocabulary lists that are content specific
Literary Devices:
· Identify the following literary devices within a variety of texts: personification, onomatopoeia, point of view, theme, alliteration, metaphor/simile, palindromes, sarcasm, pun/wordplay and imagery
· Utilize a variety of literary devices in writing assignments
· Understand the differences between literary devices, techniques, elements and terminology
Word Recognition:
· Identify common word patterns, suffixes and prefixes
· Establish content related sight word vocabularies
· Identify and categorize words according to content areas
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