Grade 8 English | ARAS Academy

Course Content

I. Main idea

Main Idea
1. Determine the main idea of a passage
1. Match the quotations with their themes

II. Theme

III. Author’s purpose and tone

IV. Point of view

V. Text structure

VI. Literary devices

VII. Analyzing literature

VIII. Analyzing informational texts

IX. Analyzing arguments

X. Novel study

XI. Nonfiction book study

XII. Comparing texts

XIII. Visual elements

XIV. Expository writing

XV. Persuasive and opinion writing

XVI. Descriptive and creative writing

XVII. Writing clearly and concisely

XVIII. Active and passive voice

XIX. Editing and revising

XX. Research skills

XXI. Prefixes and suffixes

XXII. Greek and Latin roots

XXIII. Synonyms and antonyms

XXIV. Word choice and usage

XXV. Homophones

XXVI. Analogies

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Course Content

I. Main idea

Main Idea

1. Determine the main idea of a passage

1. Match the quotations with their themes

II. Theme

Theme determination

2. Determine the themes of short stories

III. Author’s purpose and tone

1. Identify the author’s purpose

2. Which sentence is more formal?

3. Compare passages for tone

IV. Point of view

1. Identify the narrative point of view

2. Determine the author’s point of view

V. Text structure

1. Compare and contrast in informational texts

2. Match causes and effects in informational texts

3. Match problems with their solutions

4. Identify text structures

VI. Literary devices

1. Identify sensory details

2. Interpret the meaning of an allusion from its source

3. Recall the source of an allusion

4. Interpret figures of speech

5. Classify figures of speech

6. Analyze the effects of figures of speech on meaning and tone

VII. Analyzing literature

1. Analyze short stories

2. Label the rhyme scheme

VIII. Analyzing informational texts

1. Read and understand informational passages

IX. Analyzing arguments

1. Trace an argument

X. Novel study

1. Analyze passages from The Giver: Part 1

2. Analyze passages from The Giver: Part 2

XI. Nonfiction book study

1. Analyze passages from Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass: Part 1

2. Analyze passages from Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass: Part 2

3. Analyze passages from Travels with Charley: Part 1

4. Analyze passages from Travels with Charley: Part 2

XII. Comparing texts

1. Compare information from two texts

Compare two texts with different genres

XIII. Visual elements

1. Compare illustrations of literary and historical subjects

XIV. Expository writing

1. Order topics from broadest to narrowest

2. Organize information by main idea

XV. Persuasive and opinion writing

1. Distinguish facts from opinions

2. Identify thesis statements

3. Choose evidence to support a claim

4. Identify supporting details in informational texts

5. Identify supporting details in literary texts

6. Identify counterclaims

7. Identify appeals to ethos, pathos, and logos in advertisements

8. Classify logical fallacies

XVI. Descriptive and creative writing

1. Use personification

2. Create varied sentences based on models

XVII. Writing clearly and concisely

1. Transitions with conjunctive adverbs

2. Use parallel structure

3. Remove redundant words or phrases

XVIII. Active and passive voice

1. Identify active and passive voice

2. Rewrite the sentence in active voice

XIX. Editing and revising

1. Use the correct frequently confused word

2. Correct errors with frequently confused words

3. Correct errors with signs

4. Correct errors in everyday use

5. Suggest appropriate revisions

XX. Research skills

1. Identify relevant sources

2. Evaluate newspaper headlines for bias

3. Recognize the parts of a Works Cited entry (MLA 8th–9th editions)

4. Use in-text citations (MLA 8th–9th editions)