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

Focus: Polished portfolios; author talks; language for effect

Grade Level: 8

Subject Area: English Language Arts (Writing—Publishing & Reflection; Speaking—Presentation)

Total Unit Duration: 5 sessions (one week), 50–60 minutes per session

I. Introduction

We close the year by publishing our best work and sharing it with an audience. Students curate a polished portfolio (argument, informative, narrative, and synthesis selections), revise line-by-line for language and effect (precision, rhythm, tone), and deliver a brief author talk introducing an excerpt and articulating craft choices. The week culminates in a celebratory showcase and a reflective letter that names growth with evidence.

II. Objectives and Standards

Learning Objectives — Students will be able to…

1. Use technology to compile, format, and publish a polished portfolio; collaborate through comments and version history (W.8.6).
2. Prepare and deliver an author talk that clearly presents claims and evidence, uses purposeful visuals/notes, and adapts to audience with formal English (SL.8.4–SL.8.6).
3. Revise for effect at the sentence level—varying syntax, adjusting tone/register, and choosing words for precision and impact (L.8.3).

Standards Alignment — CCSS Grade 8

• W.8.6: Use technology to produce and publish writing and to interact and collaborate.
• SL.8.4–SL.8.6: Present claims/findings, use multimedia strategically, and adapt speech using formal English.
• L.8.3: Use knowledge of language to function in different contexts; choose language that expresses ideas precisely and concisely; maintain consistency in style and tone.

Success Criteria — student language

• My portfolio is organized, error-free, and easy to navigate (TOC/links/consistent headings).
• My revisions show language for effect (varied sentences, purposeful repetition/parallelism, precise diction) with before/after evidence.
• In my author talk, I introduce, read, and explain my choices in formal English with clear pacing and audience awareness.

III. Materials and Resources

Texts — student-provided

• Final drafts/near-final drafts from the year (argument essay, informational report with visuals, narrative scene, synthesis brief or research section).

Tools & Displays

• Anchor charts: “Portfolio Quality Bar (clarity • consistency • navigation),” “Language for Effect (syntax variety • parallelism • repetition • tone),” “Author Talk Protocol (intro • excerpt • craft explanation • close),” “Formal English Moves (register • precise verbs • audience).”
• Templates/organizers: Portfolio Table of Contents, Before/After Language Log (sentence-level), Author Talk Outline (hook • context • excerpt • reflection), Showcase Program sheet.
• Devices with shared-doc platform, comment/track-changes, and export features (PDF/web).

Preparation — before Session 1

1. Set up a shared Portfolio template with sample TOC, section headers, and style guide.
2. Prepare an author talk model video/transcript (2 minutes) annotated for structure and register.
3. Draft a Celebration Program shell to fill with student names/titles.

IV. Lesson Procedure

Each session: Mini-Lesson → Guided Practice → Independent/Group Work → Share → Exit Ticket

Session 1: Portfolio Curation & Tech Setup (W.8.6)

• Mini-Lesson (10–12 min): What belongs in a balanced portfolio; naming evidence of growth. Demo the template, TOC links, consistent heading styles, and export options.
• Guided (10–12 min): Build a sample TOC and insert two pieces; format headings and page breaks; set up version history and comment permissions for a peer.
• Independent (15–20 min): Students choose 3–4 pieces (argument, informative-with-visuals, narrative, synthesis/research) and create a TOC; paste drafts and normalize formatting.
• Share (3–4 min): Pair check—does the TOC navigate correctly?
• Exit Ticket: List two revision priorities for language/style across your pieces.

Session 2: Language for Effect—Line Editing (L.8.3)

• Mini-Lesson (10–12 min): Sentence-level craft: vary openings, combine for rhythm, parallel structures, purposeful repetition, and tightening vague verbs/nouns. Model a Before/After Language Log with rationales.
• Guided (10–12 min): As a class, perform a “Trim 10%” pass on a paragraph, then add one parallelism move and one precise verb swap; note the effect on tone.
• Independent (15–20 min): Students complete two line-edit passes on selected pieces; record 3–5 edits in the Language Log with before/after and reason (“added parallelism to emphasize criteria”).
• Share (3–4 min): Read one before/after; peers name the effect (clarity, cadence, emphasis).
• Exit Ticket: Identify one place your tone shifted and why that serves the piece.

Session 3: Design, Visuals, and Finishing Touches (W.8.6; L.8.3)

• Mini-Lesson (8–10 min): Portfolio polish—consistent fonts/headings, figure captions and alt text for any visuals, clean citations/links, and a short portfolio preface stating your throughline.
• Guided (10–12 min): Revise a weak caption to state what to notice and why it matters; add alt text; fix a broken link.
• Independent (18–20 min): Students finalize design choices, captions/alt text, and portfolio preface (100–150 words); run a style consistency check (tone/register).
• Share (3–4 min): Partner click-through—one navigation fix and one style compliment.
• Exit Ticket: Export a test PDF or publish a view-only link; note one formatting issue to fix.

Session 4: Author Talk—Writing the Script & Rehearsal (SL.8.4–SL.8.6; L.8.3)

• Mini-Lesson (8–10 min): Structure: hook → context of the piece → 45–60 sec excerpt → craft reflection (language-for-effect choices) → closing. Voice: formal English, measured pace, purposeful emphasis.
• Guided (10–12 min): Create a class Author Talk Outline; practice a 20–30 second segment using formal register and clear transitions.
• Independent (18–20 min): Students draft a 90–120 second talk; rehearse with a partner; receive one note on clarity of claims and one on register/pace.
• Share (3–4 min): Volunteers run a quick mic-check; audience names one effective language choice.
• Exit Ticket: Highlight the excerpt you’ll read and underline one phrase to emphasize.

Session 5: Showcase & Reflection (Assessment) (W.8.6; SL.8.4–SL.8.6; L.8.3)

• Mini-Lesson (5–7 min): Presentation etiquette and audience adaptation; how to field one quick question.
• Independent (20–22 min): Publishing Celebration: Students deliver author talks; portfolios are displayed (links/QRs or print).
• Share (6–8 min): Audience leaves a Glow/Grow card for each speaker (glow: effectful language; grow: clarity suggestion).
• Exit Ticket: Reflective Letter (200–300 words)—Identify two language-for-effect moves you now own, one speaking skill you improved, and one goal for next year.

V. Differentiation and Accommodations

Advanced Learners

• Add a designer’s note explaining typographic/visual decisions and their rhetorical impact.
• Extend talk with a brief Q&A addressing a counterpoint or alternative craft choice.

Targeted Support

• Provide line-edit sentence frames (parallelism and repetition templates) and a preface scaffold.
• Offer a curated mini-checklist (headings, captions, alt text, links) and confer to prioritize two edits per piece.

Multilingual Learners

• Bilingual mini-glossary: register, cadence, parallelism, preface, excerpt, formal English.
• Allow drafting the reflection in the home language, then translate with frames; provide pronunciation supports for key terms in talks.

IEP/504 & Accessibility

• Permit audio-recorded author talks or seated delivery; allow a 60–90 sec talk.
• Ensure screen-reader–friendly exports (styles, alt text, logical heading order).
• Accept a smaller portfolio (two major pieces + reflection) if all key standards are met.

VI. Assessment and Evaluation

Formative Assessment — Daily

• S1: Portfolio TOC and organization check.
• S2: Before/After Language Log entries (3–5 edits).
• S3: Preface + captions/alt text + design audit.
• S4: Author Talk Outline and rehearsal notes.

Summative Assessment — End of Week; 0–2 per criterion, total 10

1. Technology-Enabled Publication (W.8.6)
   • 2: Portfolio is polished, consistently formatted, navigable; collaboration tools evident.
   • 1: Mostly polished; minor navigation/formatting issues.
   • 0: Disorganized or inaccessible.
2. Language for Effect (L.8.3)
   • 2: Varied syntax, precise diction, consistent tone; clear before/after improvements.
   • 1: Some variety/precision; uneven tone.
   • 0: Little evidence of targeted language revision.
3. Author Talk—Content & Organization (SL.8.4)
   • 2: Clear structure; claims/excerpt/craft reflection aligned; time respected.
   • 1: Generally clear; minor drift or timing issues.
   • 0: Unclear or incomplete.
4. Delivery & Formal English (SL.8.6)
   • 2: Formal register, controlled pace/volume, purposeful emphasis; audience-aware.
   • 1: Mostly formal; occasional lapses.
   • 0: Informal or difficult to follow.
5. Reflective Letter Quality
   • 2: Specific growth claims with evidence from portfolio and talk; forward-looking goal.
   • 1: General reflections; limited evidence.
   • 0: Vague or missing.

Feedback Protocol

• Two Glows (e.g., “Parallelism in your conclusion heightened emphasis”) and one Grow (“Soften repetition in paragraph 2—tighten to a single echo”).
• Micro-goals: add one syntax-variety move; refine a register shift; standardize figure caption style.

VII. Reflection and Extension

Reflection Prompts

• “Which language move most improved your voice—and where can a reader hear it?”
• “How did you adapt your talk for this audience?”
• “What’s one craft habit you’ll carry into Grade 9?”

Extensions

• Family Portfolio Link: Share your published portfolio; collect one question from home and add a 2–3 sentence response.
• Student Anthology: Contribute one piece + 100-word headnote about its craft moves.
• Mentor Emulation: Choose a favorite author from the year and write a mini-pastiche paragraph using their syntactic frame.

Standards Trace — When Each Standard Is Taught/Assessed

• W.8.6 taught Sessions 1 & 3; reinforced 5; assessed Summative Criterion 1.
• SL.8.4–SL.8.6 taught Sessions 4–5; assessed Summative Criteria 3–4.
• L.8.3 taught Session 2; reinforced 3–5; assessed Summative Criterion 2.