MARK SEYMOUR

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Yearlong Assessment Plan

8TH Grade English Language Arts

Description

Yearlong goal for English Language Arts College and Career Readiness Anchor
Standards for Writing. Strategies for achieving this goal will span across the five
main units present in our curriculum map.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.CCRA.W.1
Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts
using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence.

Rational

It is important for students to meet this goal and learn this skill because it

will be perpetually useful in their future academic careers. But more importantly, it

is a crucial life skill that can be implemented in many occupations as well as a

myriad of civic interactions on both a local and global scale. Students need to

understand that using reasoning to develop a position or to defend one, is a crucial

means to create a legitimate foundation for their beliefs. I often give students the

example of attending or speaking at a town meeting, school board meeting, or

business meeting and being able to present a rational and reason-based argument to

defend their interests whatever they may be. This example could include the

environmental impact of a given civil engineering project, changes in a company’s

structure that may impact them or other stakeholders, or an issue which may affect

their community, region, or the world as a whole. These examples would fall under
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the substantive topic category. In terms of textual evidence, this skill may better

assist students in navigating information that may or may not be based on fact or

provable research.

Unit Outlines

Unit Goal Assessment Explanations

Evidence
1 I CAN cite Students will write Claim Introduce Quote &
textual evidence a reflective Explain format will be
Poetry and that strongly paragraph using a used throughout the year.
short Stories support my CIQE format to This model will be the
inferences and make a claim about basis for all future
analysis of the a text and support it evidence based,
text. with textual argumentative and
evidence. research driven writing.
Students will need all
four elements to be
proficient.
I CAN use Students will use a Rubric will contain both
technology to presentation elements of content and
produce and platform (prezi) to effective use of the
publish my work, present a literary technology.
and present review to their
relationships class.
among ideas.
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2 I CAN apply a Students will write Rubric will consider the
variety of two summary objective nature of the
Hero Essay strategies when paragraphs of the expository and the
writing one or same short subjective nature of the
more paragraphs biography using an persuasive paragraphs
of explanatory expository and a respectively.
text which persuasive strategy.
supports the
information
presented.

I CAN determine Match Game: Teams will log their final

a theme or central Students will work choices on an exit slip
idea from collaboratively to with all member names.
evidence in a match textual Formative assessment
text. evidence “pieces” to will be ongoing
a central theme throughout classroom
derived from activity.
several readings in
a timed multi-round
format.
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3 I CAN analyze, Students will Initial interpretations will
interpret, and use interpret primary be logged in literary
Historical information source documents journals. After the
Fiction delivered orally. presented orally. chapter is read, a second
(Documents are interpretation will be
from the novel logged using the context
Chains which of the chapter to further
precede each analyze.
chapter).
I CAN apply a Students will peer Rubric will consider peer
variety of review character suggestions as well as
strategies when analysis essays to implemented revisions.
revising one or make suggestions Two-part assessment: the
more paragraphs on revision. input provided, and the
of text that feedback implemented.
express
arguments about
topics or texts.
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4 I CAN conduct Students will use Students will be
short research digital resources to responsible for providing
Information- projects to research three potential topics.
al Texts and explore a topic, controversial and Writing will include a
Research issue, or problem, debatable topics that paragraph for each topic
Essay analyzing may be viable for on their stance and a
interrelationships the focus of a larger counter argument.
among concepts project. Writing will include a
or perspectives. CIQE format of two
paragraphs per topic. All
CIQE elements must be
present.
I CAN use Students will gather Assessment of resources
reasoning, a minimum of three will include the use of
evaluation, and sources for predetermined guidelines
evidence to Research Essay. for choosing a reliable
assess the source. i.e. peer
credibility and reviewed, research based,
accuracy of each .org . edu. etc.
source in order to
gather and select
information to
support analysis,
reflection, and
research.
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5 I CAN apply or Students will write Rubric for essay will
edit grade a literary analysis of require pre-writing
YA Realistic appropriate S.E. Hinton’s Novel outline, a rough draft, and
Fiction grammar usage, The Outsiders with a final draft which will be
capitalization, the purpose of free of error in
punctuation, and encouraging their conventions, spelling, and
spelling to clarify peers to read this or grammar.
a message and similar novels.
edit narrative,
explanatory, and
argumentative
texts.
I CAN Students will write Rubric will assess all
strategically use a literary analysis of previously covered
precise language, S.E. Hinton’s Novel writing skills explored
vocabulary, and The Outsiders with throughout the year:
style appropriate the purpose of Proper citations, a
to the purpose encouraging their developed and consistent
and audience peers to read this or style, grammar and
when revising or similar novels. punctuation, a
composing texts. consistently and properly
supported thesis (claim),
organization, and
consideration of
audience.