Grade 8 ELA Units

Access Grade 8 ELA unit plans with engaging, standards-based lessons that refine critical reading, academic writing, and persuasive communication skills.

Grade 8 ELA Units

Unit Plan 36 (Grade 8 ELA): Publishing Celebration & Reflection

8th graders curate and publish polished writing portfolios, revising for language precision, rhythm, and tone. The unit culminates in formal author talks where students present excerpts, explain craft choices, and reflect on their growth as writers and speakers.

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Grade 8 ELA Units

Unit Plan 35 (Grade 8 ELA): Author Study – Intertextuality & Craft

8th graders analyze how modern stories transform classic myths and archetypes, then craft their own reimagined scenes using deliberate stylistic choices. The unit ends with formal author talks where students present and explain their creative adaptations.

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Grade 8 ELA Units

Unit Plan 34 (Grade 8 ELA): Revising & Editing for Precision & Effect

8th graders refine writing precision by mastering verbals, voice, and mood, while using commas, ellipses, and dashes for clarity and effect. Through structured revision, students strengthen grammar, punctuation, style, and overall cohesion.

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Grade 8 ELA Units

Unit Plan 33 (Grade 8 ELA): Summarizing & Synthesizing Information

Grade 8 ELA unit: master objective summaries, cross-text synthesis, and concise evidence lines using informational texts—build stronger analysis, reasoning, and citations.

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Grade 8 ELA Units

Unit Plan 32 (Grade 8 ELA): Writing Informational Reports with Visuals

Grade 8 ELA unit: write a multi-section informative report with clear headings, formal style, and precise vocabulary—integrating graphics and captions that clarify ideas.

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Grade 8 ELA Units

Unit Plan 31 (Grade 8 ELA): Extended Research Project

8th graders plan and launch a focused research project by crafting inquiry questions, gathering and evaluating multiple credible sources, and practicing ethical note-taking. Students use technology to draft, cite, and collaborate, producing a research dossier and first polished body section.

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Grade 8 ELA Units

Unit Plan 30 (Grade 8 ELA): Reading Science/History Texts with Visuals

8th graders learn to interpret charts, diagrams, and maps within science and history texts, integrating visuals with prose to extract accurate claims. Students analyze domain-specific vocabulary in context and evaluate how different media formats clarify, distort, or emphasize information.

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Grade 8 ELA Units

Unit Plan 29 (Grade 8 ELA): Process/How-To Explanatory Writing

8th graders write clear, step-by-step how-to pieces with precise language, logical transitions, and user-friendly formatting. Students apply grammar for clarity—using imperatives, active voice, and verbals—and revise through usability testing to ensure flawless, easy-to-follow directions.

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Grade 8 ELA Units

Unit Plan 28 (Grade 8 ELA): Cause & Effect and Evaluating Claims

8th graders analyze how events and ideas connect through cause and effect, then trace and evaluate claims in texts and speeches. Students learn to test reasoning, judge evidence quality, distinguish correlation from causation, and write concise, evidence-based evaluations.

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Grade 8 ELA Units

Unit Plan 27 (Grade 8 ELA): Synthesizing & Reconciling Conflicting Sources

8th graders synthesize multiple informational sources to identify, explain, and reconcile conflicting evidence. Students evaluate differences in scope, method, or bias, integrate cross-source evidence in concise written responses, and analyze how visuals or media influence understanding.

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Grade 8 ELA Units

Unit Plan 26 (Grade 8 ELA): Author’s Purpose, POV & Rhetoric (Informational)

8th graders analyze authors’ purposes and points of view in paired informational texts, identifying how writers acknowledge and respond to conflicting evidence. Students evaluate concession, qualification, and rebuttal strategies and craft analytical writing supported by precise textual evidence.

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Grade 8 ELA Units

Unit Plan 25 (Grade 8 ELA): Reading Biographies, Memoir & Timelines

8th graders analyze biographies and memoirs to find central ideas and trace connections among people, events, and ideas. Students compare texts to visuals like timelines and photos, evaluating how each format clarifies or limits understanding.

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Grade 8 ELA Units

Unit Plan 24 (Grade 8 ELA): Narrative Pacing, Flashback & Parallel Plots

8th graders learn to craft well-paced narratives with clear sequencing, purposeful flashbacks, and converging parallel plots. Students refine pacing for tension, write reflective endings that reveal meaning, and build fluency through daily routine writing exercises.

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Grade 8 ELA Units

Unit Plan 23 (Grade 8 ELA): Writing Dialogue, Subtext & Scene Craft

8th graders craft realistic narrative scenes by mastering dialogue punctuation, action beats, and subtext. Students use verbals, active or passive voice, and verb mood purposefully to shape tone, deepen characterization, and create a polished, emotionally resonant scene.

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Grade 8 ELA Units

Unit Plan 22 (Grade 8 ELA): Poetry, Drama, and Prose Structures (with Film)

8th graders analyze how structure shapes meaning across poetry, drama, and prose, then compare texts to their film or stage adaptations. Students evaluate faithful vs. altered choices, media motives, and how sound, visuals, and pacing transform tone and interpretation.

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Grade 8 ELA Units

Unit Plan 21 (Grade 8 ELA): Tone, Connotation, and Precise Language

8th graders explore how word choice shapes tone and meaning by analyzing diction, connotation, analogies, and allusions. Students compare shades of meaning, refine vocabulary for precision, and revise writing to maintain clear, consistent tone and style.

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Grade 8 ELA Units

Unit Plan 20 (Grade 8 ELA): Comparing Texts by the Same Author

8th graders compare two works by the same author to analyze recurring themes, tone, and style. Students trace archetypes reimagined in modern contexts, write comparative essays with clear evidence, and discuss how authors “render old ideas new.”

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Grade 8 ELA Units

Unit Plan 19 (Grade 8 ELA): Tracking Theme & Motif Across a Text

8th graders analyze how themes develop across complex literary texts by tracking motifs, citing strong textual evidence, and writing objective summaries. Students learn to interpret deeper meanings and connect motifs to evolving themes with precision.

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Grade 8 ELA Units

Unit Plan 18 (Grade 8 ELA): Presenting Findings Clearly

8th graders turn research into polished oral presentations with clear visuals, precise language, and audience-aware delivery. Students design effective slides, refine word choice for clarity, and adapt tone to context for confident, professional speaking.

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Grade 8 ELA Units

Unit Plan 17 (Grade 8 ELA): Explanatory Writing with Graphics & Citations

8th graders create multi-paragraph explanatory articles with clear sections, integrated visuals like charts or diagrams, and accurate citations. Students learn to design purposeful figures, use domain vocabulary, and present information ethically and professionally.

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Grade 8 ELA Units

Unit Plan 16 (Grade 8 ELA): Mini-Research – Reading Across Sources

8th graders develop research skills by crafting focused questions, evaluating credible sources, and taking organized notes. They paraphrase and cite accurately, analyze conflicting information, and use tech tools to create concise, visual research briefs.

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Grade 8 ELA Units

Unit Plan 15 (Grade 8 ELA): Performance Reading & Speaking

8th graders transform reading into performance by mastering prosody, pacing, and emphasis. Students rehearse and present poems or scenes, analyze filmed interpretations, and design multimedia supports that enhance meaning and audience engagement.

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Grade 8 ELA Units

Unit Plan 14 (Grade 8 ELA): Poetry Craft – Figurative Language & Imagery

8th graders explore how figurative language, connotation, and sound devices shape tone and meaning in poetry. Students analyze structure, rhythm, and word choice, then craft text-evidence–based explications connecting form to feeling.

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Grade 8 ELA Units

Unit Plan 13 (Grade 8 ELA): Informational Text Structures Across Articles

8th graders analyze how authors use sequence, cause/effect, and comparison structures to connect ideas and events across multiple informational texts, building comprehension and synthesizing structure-driven insights across a text set.

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Grade 8 ELA Units

Unit Plan 12 (Grade 8 ELA): Cohesion, Counterclaims & Conclusions

8th graders refine their argumentative writing by mastering transitions, integrating counterarguments, and crafting strong conclusions. Students engage in revision and editing cycles to polish cohesion, tone, and conventions for clarity and impact.