Grade 8 ELA Maine standards Standards

Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.

Ensure that pronouns are in the proper case (subjective, objective, possessive).

Use intensive pronouns (e.g., myself, ourselves).

Recognize and correct inappropriate shifts in pronoun number and person.

Recognize and correct vague pronouns (i.e., ones with unclear or ambiguous antecedents.

Recognize variations from standard English in their own and others' writing and speaking and improve expression in conventional language.

Explain the function of phrases and clauses in general and their function in specific sentences.

Choose among simple, compound, complex, and compound-complex sentences to signal differing relationships among ideas.

Place phrases and clauses within a sentence, recognizing and correcting misplaced and dangling modifiers.

Explain the function of verbals (gerunds, participles, infinitives) in general and their function in particular sentences.

Form and use verbs in the active and passive voice.

Form and use verbs in the indicative, imperative, interrogative, conditional, and subjunctive mood.

Recognize and correct inappropriate shifts in verb voice and mood.

Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.

Spell correctly.

Use punctuation (commas, parentheses, dashes) to set off nonrestrictive/parenthetical elements.

Use a comma to separate coordinate adjectives.

Use punctuation (comma, ellipsis, dash) to indicate a pause or a break.

Use an ellipsis to indicate an omission.

Apply knowledge of language to understand how language functions in different contexts, to make effective choices for meaning or style, and to comprehend more fully when reading or listening.

Vary sentence patterns for meaning, reader/listener interest, and style.

Maintain consistency in style and tone.

Choose language that expresses ideas precisely and concisely, recognizing and eliminating wordiness and redundancy.

Use verbs in the active and passive voice and in the conditional and subjunctive mood to achieve particular effects.

Use context clues, analyze meaningful word parts, and consult general and specialized reference materials as appropriate to determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases from grade level content.

Use context as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase.

Use common, grade-appropriate Greek or Latin affixes and roots as clues to the meaning of a word.

Consult general and specialized reference materials to find the pronunciation of a word or determine or clarify its precise meaning or its part of speech.

Verify the preliminary determination of the meaning of a word or phrase.

Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings sufficient for reading, writing, speaking and listening.

Interpret figures of speech in context.

Use the relationship between particular words to better understand each of the words.

Distinguish among the connotations of words with similar denotations.

Acquire and use accurately a range of general academic and domain-specific words and phrases sufficient for reading, writing, speaking, and listening; demonstrate independence in gathering vocabulary knowledge when encountering an unknown term important to comprehension or expression.

Demonstrate understanding of the organization and basic features or print.

Some learners may enter your classroom without having mastered the skills identified in previous grade levels or grade spans. In cases when this occurs, teachers should assess where students are, determine what they need to learn to master the skills appropriate to their grade level or grade span, and access to district resources to help students move toward proficiency.

Evaluate the argument and specific claims in various texts.

Distinguish among fact, opinion, evidence, reasoning, and qualifying statements in a text.

Evaluate the effectiveness of how an author or character develops the argument.

Assess the validity and reasoning of the argument, considering if the argument is relevant and sufficient.

Analyze and evaluate content presented in various texts (e.g., literary, historical, visual, artistic, quantitative, technological).

Analyze how two or more authors of various texts present information by emphasizing different interpretations of a theme and/or topic.

Evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of an author's choice for using a specific form and/or text type.

Read with sufficient accuracy and fluency to support comprehension.

Read with sufficient accuracy and fluency to support comprehension.

Read various on-level texts with purpose and understanding.

Use context to confirm or self-correct word recognition.

Demonstrate understanding of words, syllables, and sounds.

Some learners may enter your classroom without having mastered the skills identified in previous grade levels or grade spans. In cases when this occurs, teachers should assess where students are, determine what they need to learn to master the skills appropriate to their grade level or grade span, and access to district resources to help students move toward proficiency.

Know and apply grade-level phonics and word analysis skills when decoding words.

Some learners may enter your classroom without having mastered the skills identified in previous grade levels or grade spans. In cases when this occurs, teachers should assess where students are, determine what they need to learn to master the skills appropriate to their grade level or grade span, and access to district resources to help students move toward proficiency.

Read various texts closely to determine what each text explicitly says and to make logical inferences; cite specific textual evidence to support conclusions drawn from the text.

Cite several pieces of textual evidence that most strongly support an analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.

Provide an accurate summary of various texts; determine the central idea(s) or theme(s) and analyze its development throughout each text.

Provide an accurate summary of various texts.

Determine theme(s) or central idea(s) and analyze how its development is conveyed over the course of the texts, including its relationship to specific supporting details.

Analyze how and why individuals, events, and ideas develop and interact over the course of a text.

Analyze in detail how an author develops individuals/characters, events, ideas, elements, and/or techniques to create interactions over the course of a text (or a series of texts).

Interpret words and phrases as they are used in various texts, including determining technical, connotative, and figurative meanings, and analyze how specific word choices shape meaning or tone.

Determine the meaning of figurative, connotative, and technical word meanings and phrases as they are used in various texts; analyze the impact of specific word choices and techniques on meaning and tone.

Analyze the structure of various texts, including how the features and components relate to each other and the whole.

Analyze how the organization and structure of specific features and components in various texts develop ideas and/or meaning, contributing to the author's purpose for the text as a whole.

Assess how perspective or purpose shapes the content and style of a text.

Analyze how and why authors from various contexts use perspectives for intended purposes and/or audiences.

Prepare for and participate in conversations across a range of topics, types, and forums, building on others' ideas and expressing their own.

Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions on grade 6 - 8 topics, texts, and issues, building on others' ideas and expressing their own clearly.

Come to discussions prepared, having read or researched material under study; explicitly draw on that preparation by referring to evidence on the topic, text, or issue to probe and reflect on ideas under discussion.

Follow rules for collegial discussions and decision-making, set and track progress toward specific goals and deadlines, and define individual roles as needed.

Pose questions that elicit elaboration, connect the ideas of several speakers, and respond to others' questions and comments with relevant evidence, observations, and ideas.

Review the key ideas expressed and demonstrate understanding of multiple perspectives through paraphrasing and reflection.

Acknowledge new information expressed by others, and, when warranted, modify, qualify, or justify their own views in light of the evidence presented.

Integrate and evaluate information presented in diverse media and formats, including point of view, reasoning, and use of evidence and rhetoric.

Interpret information, analyze the main ideas and supporting details, and analyze the purpose of information presented in diverse formats.

Explain how the presentation contributes to or clarifies a topic under study, and evaluate the motives behind its presentation.

Delineate a speaker's argument and specific claims, evaluate the soundness of the reasoning and sufficiency of the evidence, and identify when irrelevant evidence is introduced.

Present information and supporting evidence appropriate to task, purpose, and audience so that listeners can follow the line of reasoning and incorporate multimedia when appropriate.

Present claims and findings, emphasizing salient points in a sequenced, focused, coherent manner with relevant evidence, sound and valid reasoning, and well-chosen details.

Use appropriate eye contact, adequate volume, and clear pronunciation.

When appropriate, integrate multimedia and visual displays into presentations to clarify information, strengthen claims and evidence, and add interest.

Adapt speech to a variety of contexts, audiences, and communicative tasks.

Adapt speech to a variety of contexts, demonstrating command of language in the appropriate register.

Use an inquiry process to gather relevant, credible information/evidence from a variety of sources (e.g., print, digital, discussions, etc.) that build understanding of and lead to conclusions about a subject under investigation while avoiding plagiarism.

Investigate self-generated questions by participating in inquiry that builds increasingly complex knowledge, refocusing inquiry as needed.

Assess the credibility and accuracy of a variety of sources in order to gather relevant information that leads to conclusions.

Take organized notes that purposefully quote, summarize, and/or paraphrase a variety of sources while avoiding plagiarism.

Follow a standard format for citation (in-text and a list of sources) that applies to task, audience, and purpose.

Develop, strengthen, and produce polished writing by using a collaborative process that includes the age-appropriate use of technology.

With some guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, composing, revising, editing, rewriting, reflecting, and/or trying a new approach, focusing on how well purpose and audience have been addressed.

Use technology to produce writing, as well as to interact and collaborate with others.

Demonstrate and maintain command of keyboarding skills to produce sustained writing of increasing length.

Routinely produce a variety of clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, audience, and purpose

Compose clear and increasingly complex pieces with sections that are organized according to task, audience, and purpose.

Develop and support the topic with relevant techniques and logically ordered details.

Use appropriate and varied transitions to create cohesion and clarify the relationships among ideas.

Effectively use increasingly complex and precise language to establish an appropriate voice and tone.

Provide a sense of closure that follows from, supports, and reflects the purpose of the piece.