8th Grade Historical Literacy consists of two 43 minute class periods. Writing is one 43 minute block and reading is another. The teacher has picked themes based on social studies standards, and a read-aloud novel based on social studies serves as the mentor text for writing and reading skills. More social studies content is addressed in reading through teaching nonfiction reading skills and discussion. Standards reflect CCSS ELA, Reading, and Social Studies Standards for History.

Description:  As part of our new ELA curriculum, the students spend about 7 weeks reading and studying human intelligence and how all people are smart in different ways. At the end of the unit, students are to create an informative presentation.  I decided this would be the perfect place to incorporate CTE into my ELA curriculum by having students read, research, write and then present Google slideshows which would connect their possible future careers with their current learning styles and how they each feel they are “smart”.  

This WebQuest has students examine how to search the internet wisely when researching and how to evaluate a source. Students choose one of five topics which has a variety of articles they read and evaluate. A final quiz evaluates their understanding.

In this lesson, students will learn about a topic in three different text formats. They will then evaluate each format to determine the pros and cons. Students will also assess the credibility of each text.

This video defines the phrase, in-text citations, and explains how to create in-text citations.

Purdue Owl is a comprehensive style and grammar guide for all aspects of writing. The site offers over 200 free resources including:
Writing and Teaching WritingGrammar and MechanicsStyle GuidesESL (English as a Second Language)Job Search and Professional Writing
It is the best and most current resource for guidelines in citation, grammar, puncuation and other stylistic aspects of writing. It is best used to look up answers to speciific questions in regard to usage.

In this lesson, students read informational pieces about whether or not schools should teach cursive writing. They will evaluate the arguments presented and then choose a side of the issue. Finally, they will write their own arguments expressing their points of view.

Students explore the legal and ethical dimensions of respecting creative work. First, they learn a basic foundation of legal principles and vocabulary related to copyright. They understand how such factors as the rules of copyright law, the values and intent of the original creator, and the audience and purpose should affect their decisions about using the creative work of others. Using the Mad Men Student Handout, students then apply these principles to a simulation activity in which they act as advertising executives who have to choose a photo for an ad campaign.