Grade 08 ELA - EC: E08.C.1.2.5
Continuum of Activities
The list below represents a continuum of activities: resources categorized by Standard/Eligible Content that teachers may use to move students toward proficiency. Using LEA curriculum and available materials and resources, teachers can customize the activity statements/questions for classroom use.
This continuum of activities offers:
- Instructional activities designed to be integrated into planned lessons
- Questions/activities that grow in complexity
- Opportunities for differentiation for each student’s level of performance
Grade Levels
8th Grade
Course, Subject
English Language Arts
Related Academic Standards / Eligible Content
Activities
- List examples of academic language that establish and maintain a formal style of informative/explanatory writing.
- List examples of discipline-specific language that establish and maintain a formal style of informative/explanatory writing.
- Identify specific examples of academic language used by a writer to establish and maintain a formal style of informative/explanatory writing.
- Identify specific examples of discipline-specific language used by a writer to establish and maintain a formal style of informative/explanatory writing.
- Construct an original explanation of information using language to establish and maintain a formal style of writing.
- Evaluate the effectiveness of language used to establish and maintain a formal style of writing in an original explanation of information.
Answer Key/Rubric
- Student lists examples of academic language that establish and maintain a formal style of informative/explanatory writing. Examples of academic language include, but are not limited to, words that create a clear and objective tone that is appropriate for the intended audience. The words are typically literal, unambiguous, and not colloquial.
- Student lists examples of discipline-specific language that establish and maintain a formal style of informative/explanatory writing. Examples of discipline-specific language include words that directly relate to understanding the topic or subject of a discipline-specific writing task. Examples of discipline-specific writing tasks include, but are not limited to, literary analysis, scientific lab reports, and procedural writing explaining a mathematical process. Examples of discipline-specific language can be found in glossaries of topic or subject specific texts.
- Student identifies specific examples of academic language used by a writer to establish and maintain a formal style of informative/explanatory writing. The student directly cites specific examples of academic language that creates this style. The student also explains how the language used creates a formal and academic style.
- Student identifies specific examples of discipline-specific language used by a writer to establish and maintain a formal style of informative/explanatory writing. The student directly cites specific examples of discipline-specific language that creates this style. The student also explains how the language used creates a formal and academic style.
- Student constructs an original explanation of information using language to establish and maintain a formal style of writing. The constructed explanation includes evidence of deliberately selected language used to establish and maintain a formal style.
- Student evaluates the effectiveness of language used to establish and maintain a formal style of writing in an original explanation of information. The student evaluates a writer’s use of these words and the overall affect they have on the formal and academic tone of the written explanation.
