Teach Maverick

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Grade 8 ELA Units

Unit Plan 8 (Grade 8 ELA): Informative Writing Foundations

8th graders learn to craft clear, focused theses, organize ideas logically, and develop explanations with facts, definitions, and examples while mastering transitions, domain vocabulary, and formal writing style in this informative writing unit.

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Grade 8 ELA Units

Unit Plan 7 (Grade 8 ELA): Central Idea and Objective Summary

Grade 8 ELA unit: students learn to determine central ideas in informational texts, write concise and objective summaries, and paraphrase key ideas from audio or video sources. Emphasis on citing precise evidence, avoiding opinion, and clearly tracking how ideas develop across sections.

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Grade 8 ELA Units

Unit Plan 6 (Grade 8 ELA): Nonfiction Text Features & Structures

Grade 8 ELA unit: students analyze how headings, graphics, and hyperlinks shape understanding and structure in informational texts. They compare print and multimedia sources, citing precise evidence to evaluate how each format impacts clarity, emphasis, and overall comprehension.

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Grade 8 ELA Units

Unit Plan 5 (Grade 8 ELA): Point of View & Perspective

Grade 8 ELA unit: students analyze how narrator perspective shapes content, style, and meaning. They compare first-person and third-person points of view, examine irony and reliability, and practice rewriting scenes for precision, concision, and tone that match each narrative perspective.

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Grade 8 ELA Units

Unit Plan 4 (Grade 8 ELA): Personal Narrative – Turning Points

Grade 8 ELA unit: students write personal narratives that orient readers, build purposeful pacing, and reflect on meaning. They craft vivid scenes with dialogue and description, use punctuation for effect, and conclude with insight that gives closure and emotional resonance.

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Grade 8 ELA Units

Unit Plan 3 (Grade 8 ELA): Character, Setting, and Plot Structure

Grade 8 ELA unit: students analyze how plot events and dialogue propel action, reveal character, and build tension. They examine how word choice shapes tone and how structure—pacing, flashback, and order—affects meaning, crafting clear, text-based literary analysis.

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Grade 8 ELA Units

Unit Plan 2 (Grade 8 ELA): Reading with Evidence & Theme

Grade 8 ELA unit: students strengthen evidence-based reading and discussion skills by asking text-dependent questions, citing precise evidence, and inferring themes. They analyze how authors develop central ideas and craft clear, text-supported written and spoken responses.

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Grade 8 ELA Units

Unit Plan 1 (Grade 8 ELA): Launching Our Reading–Writing Community

Grade 8 ELA unit: students build classroom routines for reading, writing, and discussion. They practice close reading, grammar, and workshop expectations while setting goals for stamina, clarity, and collaboration—laying the foundation for a year of strong literacy growth.

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Grade 7 ELA Units

Unit Plan 36 (Grade 7 ELA): Publishing Celebration & Reflection

Grade 7 ELA unit: students polish writing portfolios, refine language for effect, and deliver formal author talks. They revise diction and sentence rhythm for impact, use technology to publish, and present their growth and craft to an authentic audience.

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Grade 7 ELA Units

Unit Plan 35 (Grade 7 ELA): Author Study – Style and Craft

Grade 7 ELA unit: students compare an author’s craft across works and contrast fiction with historical accounts. They identify stylistic fingerprints, write short imitations using those moves, and deliver formal presentations explaining the author’s creative choices.

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Grade 7 ELA Units

Unit Plan 34 (Grade 7 ELA): Revising & Editing for Clarity

Grade 7 ELA unit: students strengthen grammar, punctuation, and style through revision. They refine phrases and clauses for clarity, fix commas and capitalization, and improve cohesion using precise language and transitions for polished, professional writing.

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Grade 7 ELA Units

Unit Plan 33 (Grade 7 ELA): Summarizing & Synthesizing Information

Grade 7 ELA unit: students determine central ideas, condense key details, and synthesize across texts. They compare how authors shape information, integrate evidence lines, and write concise, objective summaries and synthesis paragraphs showing overlap and divergence.

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Grade 7 ELA Units

Unit Plan 32 (Grade 7 ELA): Writing Informational Reports with Visuals

Grade 7 ELA unit: students write formal multi-section reports with clear headings, visuals, and captions. They integrate graphics that teach, use precise academic language, maintain an objective tone, and conclude with insights that show significance or next steps.

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Grade 7 ELA Units

Unit Plan 31 (Grade 7 ELA): Extended Research Project

Grade 7 ELA unit: students design focused research projects, gather credible print and digital sources, and take organized notes. They draft and publish concise reports using technology tools for collaboration, accurate citations, and digital literacy skills.

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Grade 7 ELA Units

Unit Plan 30 (Grade 7 ELA): Reading Science/History Texts with Visuals

Grade 7 ELA unit: students interpret charts, diagrams, and maps to extract trends, identify domain-specific vocabulary, and evaluate media credibility. They integrate text and visual evidence to write clear, accurate explanations that show how visuals deepen understanding.

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Grade 7 ELA Units

Unit Plan 29 (Grade 7 ELA): Procedural / How-To Explanatory Writing

Grade 7 ELA unit: students write clear, step-by-step how-to essays using logical sequencing, precise language, and effective formatting. They apply transitions, visuals, and measurable details to create organized, user-friendly procedural writing.

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Grade 7 ELA Units

Unit Plan 28 (Grade 7 ELA): Cause & Effect and Evaluating Claims

Grade 7 ELA unit: students analyze how events and ideas connect in informational texts and speeches, trace claims, and evaluate reasoning and evidence. They write concise evaluations judging whether arguments are logical, relevant, and sufficiently supported.

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Grade 7 ELA Units

Unit Plan 27 (Grade 7 ELA): Synthesizing Across Sources

Grade 7 ELA unit: students compare multiple texts and media on the same topic to identify agreements, differences, and credibility. They reconcile conflicting evidence and write concise, evidence-based responses that integrate ideas and evaluate reliability across sources.

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Grade 7 ELA Units

Unit Plan 26 (Grade 7 ELA): Author’s Purpose and Point of View (Informational)

Grade 7 ELA unit: students analyze how an author’s purpose and point of view shape content and style in informational texts. They compare tone, diction, and structure across sources and write evidence-based analyses using precise, objective language.

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Grade 7 ELA Units

Unit Plan 25 (Grade 7 ELA): Reading Biographies & Timelines

Grade 7 ELA unit: students analyze biographies to trace key life events, causes, and effects. They build timelines, summarize central ideas objectively, and integrate visuals or multimedia to explain how each medium deepens understanding of the subject’s impact.

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Grade 7 ELA Units

Unit Plan 24 (Grade 7 ELA): Narrative Pacing, Transitions, and Reflection

Grade 7 ELA unit: students plan, draft, and revise narratives using clear sequencing, purposeful transitions, and controlled pacing for tension. They craft reflective endings that show growth or insight, mastering structure, flow, and meaning in storytelling.

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Grade 7 ELA Units

Unit Plan 23 (Grade 7 ELA): Writing Dialogue & Building Scenes

Grade 7 ELA unit: students master dialogue punctuation, integrate action beats and thoughts, and refine narrative voice through precise language and pacing. They craft scenes that reveal character, build tension, and demonstrate strong writing conventions.

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Grade 7 ELA Units

Unit Plan 22 (Grade 7 ELA): Poetry, Drama, and Prose Structures

Grade 7 ELA unit: students analyze how structure in poems, plays, and prose shapes meaning, then compare written texts to performances. They explore staging, pacing, and media techniques to understand how form and medium influence interpretation.

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Grade 7 ELA Units

Unit Plan 21 (Grade 7 ELA): Tone, Connotation, and Precise Language

Grade 7 ELA unit: students analyze how word choice shapes tone and meaning. They study connotation, rank synonyms by intensity, and revise writing for precision and concision—building clear, purposeful, and stylistically aware communication.

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Grade 7 ELA Units

Unit Plan 20 (Grade 7 ELA): Comparing Texts by the Same Author

Grade 7 ELA unit: students compare two works by the same author to uncover recurring themes, settings, and plot patterns. They analyze how fiction alters history for effect, then write clear, evidence-based comparisons using precise, formal language.