Movers and Shakers Project:
People, Ideas, and Events that Shaped U.S. History
One of the major assignments for the eighth grade is a research project. To complete this, you will select a topic with teacher approval, research it, develop a thesis based on the theme Movers and Shakers in U.S. History, write a research paper, and then create a project selected from one of the six listed below.
Objectives: Students will learn to locate and use reliable sources (primary and secondary) when conducting research, and they will also properly document their sources in MLA format. Students will write a reflection piece that documents their learning process.
The project may be ONE of the following:
1. A research-based web site that illustrates your thesis
2. A research-based historical exhibit
3. A documentary film
4. A dramatic performance on a topic in history (you may solicit peer help)
5. A Power Point or Prezi.com presentation
If you have a different idea, please see me with details of your design.
Regardless which project you choose, you will conduct extensive, reliable research, develop a thesis that connects with the theme of Movers and Shakers, and have documentation to validate your sources. None of the projects is easier than another; they just appeal to different learning styles. Pick one that works well with your own personal strengths. Fair warning, to do #3 well, students must have to certain supplies (see below).
Requirements for Project:
There are five different types of projects, but they all share the following requirements:
I. A Thesis
a. All projects must be center around a thesis, or an argument that you will make about your topic. Start with an essential question and present it in the form of a statement that is one sentence in length.
II. Research-based Evidence
a. All projects will be based upon the research that you conduct, all of which must receive proper credit (citations that tell the audience where you obtained the information). A successful project will use at least ten sources (four of which must be primary) that support the thesis. The best projects will most likely have more.
III. Research Paper
a. The written part of the research paper must be 3-5 pages long (not including a title page, works cited page, or reflection essay) with 1” margins, Times New Roman 12 point font, and double-spaced lines.
b. The paper will include the following elements in order: title page, main paper (3-5 pages in length) with a works cited page, and a reflection essay.
IV. A Bibliography or List of Works Cited attached to your Research Paper
a. Using MLA format. Students must use at least four primary sources, and show you used a variety of source types. Thus, in addition to web sites, use at least two books and two newspaper/magazine articles (these can be found online), and one interview with an expert on your topic (another teacher, a professor, a historian, etc.).
V. A Reflection Paper
a. A reflection paper is a description of no more than 500 words (two pages double spaced) explaining why the topic was of interest, how you researched it, how you created and developed your project and ideas, how the topic connects to the theme of Shakers and Movers in History, and will conclude with a brief explanation of what you did well and what you could have done better. It should be five paragraphs (one paragraph for each of the subtopics mentioned above) and double-spaced typed.
VI. Once again, in addition to a research paper, you must complete ONE of the following projects:
1. A research-based web site that illustrates your thesis
2. A research-based, three-dimensional historical exhibit
3. A documentary film
4. A dramatic performance on a topic in history
5. A Power Point or Prezi presentation
The following websites contain examples of projects to guide you. You should explore these before deciding which project from the five choices above you wish to complete.
www.nationalhistoryday.org
www.mdhc.org/programs/maryland-history-day/students/sample-projects/
Here are the requirements for each of the project categories; remember, only choose to do ONE:
1. Web Site
The web site will consist of five but no more than ten web pages, interconnected by links. It must include the following pages: home page that includes an introduction (with thesis), three or more pages of support for your thesis (background information, one page for the climax or turning point, one page for the impact, and lastly an MLA format works cited page.
The pages that support your thesis may include text, photographs, maps, music, and videos. You must analyze and explain the material so your audience can make connections. You goals are to engage, inform, and then persuade the audience.
Make your website interactive, to engage your audience (play music, look at a video, or click on different links). Use color, images, fonts (three at the most), documents, objects, charts or graphs, animation, graphics and design, as well as words, to explain your thesis.
2. Exhibit
An exhibit presents your thesis by displaying documents, images, maps, charts/graphs, drawings, and artifacts. It is three dimensional and displayed on a physical structure, such as a tri-fold bold. You can include interactive materials, such as puzzles, video, music, or doors that must be opened to see more documents, etc. You may purchase a tri-fold bold (or tape two together for more height) or build construct your own. The exhibit must be able to stand independently and cannot exceed six feet in height and forty inches in width.
3. Documentary Film
Before you commit to a documentary, make sure you have access to the following supplies:
-a computer
-editing software
- batteries, blank DVDs props, a video camera
The documentary film must present documents, images, photographs, interviews, and video footage of your topic. Your film may include the work of others, but the overall film must be your synthesis of these with your original work.
The film must include a title page in the opening credits, an explanation of your thesis, evidence to support your thesis, and a listing of your sources in the closing credits. The film should be at least five minutes in length and no longer than ten minutes.
In addition to the other displays, the exhibit must include a title, an introduction with your thesis, the process paper, and a works cited.
4. Dramatic Performance
This is a live, dramatic depiction of your topic and its significance in history. It is a scripted presentation based on research. Your script must depend on a thesis statement, supporting statements and evidence, and with a conclusion that demonstrates the topic’s impact.
The performance should follow a historical narrative that develops in a dramatic and visually interesting way. Include dialogue, quotations, and/or brief excerpts from speeches. Costumes and props are required. Memorizing, rehearsing, and refining your script is essential, so you should schedule time for this in addition to research, writing, costuming and prop gathering. Your performance should be at least five minutes in length and no longer than ten minutes. A ten-minute performance normally requires at least a five-page script.
Make sure you include citations for the historical evidence found in your research. You may insert these after the concluding scene.
5. Power Point or Prezi.com Presentation
Students can sign up online for a free Prezi account (subscription accounts are available that offer additional features, but the free account is sufficient for this project; see http://prezi.com/recommend/mediaateam/). If you choose to do a Power Point, have the software at home.
A presentation using one of these two mediums must have at least ten slides (or links with the Prezi), but no more than twenty. The projects must include a title slide, an introduction with a thesis, background information (which leads to a climax or turning point), an explanation of the event, and the significance and impact of the event (explain through text, images, charts, etc. how it changed history).
Projects should utilize a combination of text and images (video, photographs, charts/graphs, and documents). Music would also enhance these presentations.
The keys to completing a successful research project are as follows:
1. Select a topic that interests you.
2. Use the prewriting and organization lessons from class to make sure that the topic is “small” enough that you can thoroughly research it and write about
within the time schedule.
3. Select a project type that connects with your learning style.
4. Set aside time every night to work on your project.
5. Follow the guidelines provided in class.
Important Steps and Due Dates:
1. Topic Choice for teacher approval DUE ____________
2. Note-taking check #1 (3 pages) DUE ____________ -
3. Thesis statement DUE ____________
4. Project type (one of the five) DUE ____________
5. Note-taking check #2 (3 new pages/6 total) DUE ____________
6. Note-taking final check (4 new/ 10 total – four must be primary)
DUE ____________
7. First draft of research paper DUE ____________
8. First draft of project Outline for website, story board for documentary, script for dramatic performance, outline for Power Point or Prezi.com
DUE ____________
10. Final version of research paper & project: DUE ____________
Choosing a Topic:
Almost any impacting event, person, or idea will qualify, but you must obtain the teacher’s approval first. Here are some sites that offer interesting topics if you need some guidance, but be sure to narrow your focus for this assignment.
http://www.loc.gov/topics/americanhistory.php
http://www.awesomestories.com/topics/american-history
Grading:
I will provide a writing rubric and a presentation rubric once you have selected your project type.
California Common Core Standards for Social Studies and Language Arts Addressed by Assignment
--Social Studies
Reading:
1. Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of primary and secondary sources.
2. Determine the central ideas or information of a primary or secondary source; provide an accurate summary of the source distinct from prior knowledge or opinions.
3. Identify key steps in a text’s description of a process related to history/social studies (e.g., how a bill becomes law, how interest rates are raised or lowered).
4. Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including vocabulary specific to domains related to history/social studies.
5. Describe how a text presents information (e.g., sequentially, comparatively, causally).
6. Identify aspects of a text that reveal an author’s point of view or purpose (e.g., loaded language, inclusion or avoidance of particular facts).
7. Integrate visual information (e.g., in charts, graphs, photographs, videos, or maps) with other information in print and digital texts.
8. Distinguish among fact, opinion, and reasoned judgment in a text.
9. Analyze the relationship between a primary and secondary source on the same topic.
10. By the end of grade 8, read and comprehend history/social studies texts in the grades 6–8 text complexity band independently and proficiently.
Writing
1. Write informative/explanatory texts, including the narration of historical events, scientific procedures/ experiments, or technical processes.
a. Introduce a topic clearly, previewing what is to follow; organize ideas, concepts, and information into broader categories as appropriate to achieving purpose; include formatting (e.g., headings), graphics (e.g., charts, tables), and multimedia when useful to aiding comprehension.
b. Develop the topic with relevant, well-chosen facts, definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other information and examples.
c. Use appropriate and varied transitions to create cohesion and clarify the relationships among ideas and concepts.
d. Use precise language and domain-specific vocabulary to inform about or explain the topic.
e. Establish and maintain a formal style and objective tone.
f. Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from and supports the information or explanation presented. discipline-specific content.
a. Introduce claim(s) about a topic or issue, acknowledge and distinguish the claim(s) from alternate or opposing claims, and organize the reasons and evidence logically.
b. Support claim(s) with logical reasoning and relevant, accurate data and evidence that demonstrate an understanding of the topic or text, using credible sources.
c. Use words, phrases, and clauses to create cohesion and clarify the relationships among claim(s), counterclaims, reasons, and evidence.
d. Establish and maintain a formal style.
e. Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from and supports the argument presented. 4. Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
5. With some guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach, focusing on how well purpose and audience have been addressed
6. Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing and present the relationships between information and ideas clearly and efficiently.
7. Conduct short research projects to answer a question (including a self-generated question), drawing on several sources and generating additional related, focused questions that allow for multiple avenues of exploration.
8. Gather relevant information from multiple print and digital sources (primary and secondary), using search terms effectively; assess the credibility and accuracy of each source; and quote or paraphrase the data and conclusions of others while avoiding plagiarism and following a standard format for citation. CA
9. Draw evidence from informational texts to support analysis reflection, and research.
10. Write routinely over extended time frames (time for reflection and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes, and audiences.
--Language Arts
Reading
1. Cite the textual evidence that most strongly supports an analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
2. Determine a central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text, including its relationship to supporting ideas; provide an objective summary of the text.
3. Analyze how a text makes connections among and distinctions between individuals, ideas, or events (e.g., through comparisons, analogies, or categories).
4. Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative, connotative, and technical meanings; analyze the impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone, including analogies or allusions to other texts. (See grade 8 Language standards 4–6 for additional expectations.) CA
5. Analyze in detail the structure of a specific paragraph in a text, including the role of particular sentences in developing and refining a key concept.
a. Analyze the use of text features (e.g., graphics, headers, captions) in consumer materials. CA
6. Determine an author’s point of view or purpose in a text and analyze how the author acknowledges and responds to conflicting evidence or viewpoints.
7. Evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of using different mediums (e.g., print or digital text, video, multimedia) to present a particular topic or idea.
8. Delineate and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, assessing whether the reasoning is sound and the evidence is relevant and sufficient; recognize when irrelevant evidence is introduced.
9. Analyze a case in which two or more texts provide conflicting information on the same topic and identify where the texts disagree on matters of fact or interpretation.
10. By the end of the year, read and comprehend literary nonfiction at the high end of the grades 6–8 text complexity band independently and proficiently.
Writing
1. Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence.
a. Introduce claim(s), acknowledge and distinguish the claim(s) from alternate or opposing claims, and organize the reasons and evidence logically.
b. Support claim(s) with logical reasoning and relevant evidence, using accurate, credible sources and demonstrating an understanding of the topic or text.
c. Use words, phrases, and clauses to create cohesion and clarify the relationships among claim(s), counterclaims, reasons, and evidence.
d. Establish and maintain a formal style.
e. Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from and supports the argument presented.
2. Write informative/explanatory texts, including career development documents (e.g., simple business letters and job applications), to examine a topic and convey ideas, concepts, and information through the selection, organization, and analysis of relevant content. CA
a. Introduce a topic or thesis statement clearly, previewing what is to follow; organize ideas, concepts, and information into broader categories; include formatting (e.g., headings), graphics (e.g., charts, tables), and multimedia when useful to aiding comprehension. CA
b. Develop the topic with relevant, well-chosen facts, definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other information and examples.
c. Use appropriate and varied transitions to create cohesion and clarify the relationships among ideas and concepts.
d. Use precise language and domain-specific vocabulary to inform about or explain the topic.
e. Establish and maintain a formal style.
f. Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from and supports the information or explanation presented.
4. Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. (Grade-specific expectations for writing types are defined in standards 1–3 above.)
5. With some guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach, focusing on how well purpose and audience have been addressed. (Editing for conventions should demonstrate command of Language standards 1–3 up to and including grade 8.)
6. Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing and present the relationships between information and ideas efficiently as well as to interact and collaborate with others.
7. Conduct short research projects to answer a question (including a self-generated question), drawing on several sources and generating additional related, focused questions that allow for multiple avenues of exploration.
8. Gather relevant information from multiple print and digital sources, using search terms effectively; assess the credibility and accuracy of each source; and quote or paraphrase the data and conclusions of others while avoiding plagiarism and following a standard format for citation.
9. Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.
a. Apply grade 8 Reading standards to literature (e.g., “Analyze how a modern work of fiction draws on themes, patterns of events, or character types from myths, traditional stories, or religious works such as the Bible, including describing how the material is rendered new”).
b. Apply grade 8 Reading standards to literary nonfiction (e.g., “Delineate and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, assessing whether the reasoning is sound and the evidence is relevant and sufficient; recognize when irrelevant evidence is introduced”).
10. Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes, and audiences.
Speaking and Listening
1. Prepare for and participate effectively in a range of conversations and collaborations with diverse partners, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.
2. Integrate and evaluate information presented in diverse media and formats, including visually, quantitatively, and orally.
3. Evaluate a speaker’s point of view, reasoning, and use of evidence and rhetoric.
Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas
4. Present information, findings, and supporting evidence such that listeners can follow the line of reasoning and the organization, development, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
5. Make strategic use of digital media and visual displays of data to express information and enhance understanding of presentations.
Language
Conventions of Standard English
1. Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.
2. Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.
Knowledge of Language
3. Apply knowledge of language to understand how language functions in different contexts, to make effective choices for meaning or style and to comprehend more fully when reading or listening.
Vocabulary Acquisition and Use
4. Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases by using context clues, analyzing meaningful word parts, and consulting general and specialized reference materials, as appropriate.
5. Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings.
6. Acquire and use accurately a range of general academic and domain-specific words and phrases sufficient for reading, writing, speaking, and listening at the college and career readiness level; demonstrate independence in gathering vocabulary knowledge when encountering an unknown term important to comprehension or expression.
Objectives: Students will learn to locate and use reliable sources (primary and secondary) when conducting research, and they will also properly document their sources in MLA format. Students will write a reflection piece that documents their learning process.
The project may be ONE of the following:
1. A research-based web site that illustrates your thesis
2. A research-based historical exhibit
3. A documentary film
4. A dramatic performance on a topic in history (you may solicit peer help)
5. A Power Point or Prezi.com presentation
If you have a different idea, please see me with details of your design.
Regardless which project you choose, you will conduct extensive, reliable research, develop a thesis that connects with the theme of Movers and Shakers, and have documentation to validate your sources. None of the projects is easier than another; they just appeal to different learning styles. Pick one that works well with your own personal strengths. Fair warning, to do #3 well, students must have to certain supplies (see below).
Requirements for Project:
There are five different types of projects, but they all share the following requirements:
I. A Thesis
a. All projects must be center around a thesis, or an argument that you will make about your topic. Start with an essential question and present it in the form of a statement that is one sentence in length.
II. Research-based Evidence
a. All projects will be based upon the research that you conduct, all of which must receive proper credit (citations that tell the audience where you obtained the information). A successful project will use at least ten sources (four of which must be primary) that support the thesis. The best projects will most likely have more.
III. Research Paper
a. The written part of the research paper must be 3-5 pages long (not including a title page, works cited page, or reflection essay) with 1” margins, Times New Roman 12 point font, and double-spaced lines.
b. The paper will include the following elements in order: title page, main paper (3-5 pages in length) with a works cited page, and a reflection essay.
IV. A Bibliography or List of Works Cited attached to your Research Paper
a. Using MLA format. Students must use at least four primary sources, and show you used a variety of source types. Thus, in addition to web sites, use at least two books and two newspaper/magazine articles (these can be found online), and one interview with an expert on your topic (another teacher, a professor, a historian, etc.).
V. A Reflection Paper
a. A reflection paper is a description of no more than 500 words (two pages double spaced) explaining why the topic was of interest, how you researched it, how you created and developed your project and ideas, how the topic connects to the theme of Shakers and Movers in History, and will conclude with a brief explanation of what you did well and what you could have done better. It should be five paragraphs (one paragraph for each of the subtopics mentioned above) and double-spaced typed.
VI. Once again, in addition to a research paper, you must complete ONE of the following projects:
1. A research-based web site that illustrates your thesis
2. A research-based, three-dimensional historical exhibit
3. A documentary film
4. A dramatic performance on a topic in history
5. A Power Point or Prezi presentation
The following websites contain examples of projects to guide you. You should explore these before deciding which project from the five choices above you wish to complete.
www.nationalhistoryday.org
www.mdhc.org/programs/maryland-history-day/students/sample-projects/
Here are the requirements for each of the project categories; remember, only choose to do ONE:
1. Web Site
The web site will consist of five but no more than ten web pages, interconnected by links. It must include the following pages: home page that includes an introduction (with thesis), three or more pages of support for your thesis (background information, one page for the climax or turning point, one page for the impact, and lastly an MLA format works cited page.
The pages that support your thesis may include text, photographs, maps, music, and videos. You must analyze and explain the material so your audience can make connections. You goals are to engage, inform, and then persuade the audience.
Make your website interactive, to engage your audience (play music, look at a video, or click on different links). Use color, images, fonts (three at the most), documents, objects, charts or graphs, animation, graphics and design, as well as words, to explain your thesis.
2. Exhibit
An exhibit presents your thesis by displaying documents, images, maps, charts/graphs, drawings, and artifacts. It is three dimensional and displayed on a physical structure, such as a tri-fold bold. You can include interactive materials, such as puzzles, video, music, or doors that must be opened to see more documents, etc. You may purchase a tri-fold bold (or tape two together for more height) or build construct your own. The exhibit must be able to stand independently and cannot exceed six feet in height and forty inches in width.
3. Documentary Film
Before you commit to a documentary, make sure you have access to the following supplies:
-a computer
-editing software
- batteries, blank DVDs props, a video camera
The documentary film must present documents, images, photographs, interviews, and video footage of your topic. Your film may include the work of others, but the overall film must be your synthesis of these with your original work.
The film must include a title page in the opening credits, an explanation of your thesis, evidence to support your thesis, and a listing of your sources in the closing credits. The film should be at least five minutes in length and no longer than ten minutes.
In addition to the other displays, the exhibit must include a title, an introduction with your thesis, the process paper, and a works cited.
4. Dramatic Performance
This is a live, dramatic depiction of your topic and its significance in history. It is a scripted presentation based on research. Your script must depend on a thesis statement, supporting statements and evidence, and with a conclusion that demonstrates the topic’s impact.
The performance should follow a historical narrative that develops in a dramatic and visually interesting way. Include dialogue, quotations, and/or brief excerpts from speeches. Costumes and props are required. Memorizing, rehearsing, and refining your script is essential, so you should schedule time for this in addition to research, writing, costuming and prop gathering. Your performance should be at least five minutes in length and no longer than ten minutes. A ten-minute performance normally requires at least a five-page script.
Make sure you include citations for the historical evidence found in your research. You may insert these after the concluding scene.
5. Power Point or Prezi.com Presentation
Students can sign up online for a free Prezi account (subscription accounts are available that offer additional features, but the free account is sufficient for this project; see http://prezi.com/recommend/mediaateam/). If you choose to do a Power Point, have the software at home.
A presentation using one of these two mediums must have at least ten slides (or links with the Prezi), but no more than twenty. The projects must include a title slide, an introduction with a thesis, background information (which leads to a climax or turning point), an explanation of the event, and the significance and impact of the event (explain through text, images, charts, etc. how it changed history).
Projects should utilize a combination of text and images (video, photographs, charts/graphs, and documents). Music would also enhance these presentations.
The keys to completing a successful research project are as follows:
1. Select a topic that interests you.
2. Use the prewriting and organization lessons from class to make sure that the topic is “small” enough that you can thoroughly research it and write about
within the time schedule.
3. Select a project type that connects with your learning style.
4. Set aside time every night to work on your project.
5. Follow the guidelines provided in class.
Important Steps and Due Dates:
1. Topic Choice for teacher approval DUE ____________
2. Note-taking check #1 (3 pages) DUE ____________ -
3. Thesis statement DUE ____________
4. Project type (one of the five) DUE ____________
5. Note-taking check #2 (3 new pages/6 total) DUE ____________
6. Note-taking final check (4 new/ 10 total – four must be primary)
DUE ____________
7. First draft of research paper DUE ____________
8. First draft of project Outline for website, story board for documentary, script for dramatic performance, outline for Power Point or Prezi.com
DUE ____________
10. Final version of research paper & project: DUE ____________
Choosing a Topic:
Almost any impacting event, person, or idea will qualify, but you must obtain the teacher’s approval first. Here are some sites that offer interesting topics if you need some guidance, but be sure to narrow your focus for this assignment.
http://www.loc.gov/topics/americanhistory.php
http://www.awesomestories.com/topics/american-history
Grading:
I will provide a writing rubric and a presentation rubric once you have selected your project type.
California Common Core Standards for Social Studies and Language Arts Addressed by Assignment
--Social Studies
Reading:
1. Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of primary and secondary sources.
2. Determine the central ideas or information of a primary or secondary source; provide an accurate summary of the source distinct from prior knowledge or opinions.
3. Identify key steps in a text’s description of a process related to history/social studies (e.g., how a bill becomes law, how interest rates are raised or lowered).
4. Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including vocabulary specific to domains related to history/social studies.
5. Describe how a text presents information (e.g., sequentially, comparatively, causally).
6. Identify aspects of a text that reveal an author’s point of view or purpose (e.g., loaded language, inclusion or avoidance of particular facts).
7. Integrate visual information (e.g., in charts, graphs, photographs, videos, or maps) with other information in print and digital texts.
8. Distinguish among fact, opinion, and reasoned judgment in a text.
9. Analyze the relationship between a primary and secondary source on the same topic.
10. By the end of grade 8, read and comprehend history/social studies texts in the grades 6–8 text complexity band independently and proficiently.
Writing
1. Write informative/explanatory texts, including the narration of historical events, scientific procedures/ experiments, or technical processes.
a. Introduce a topic clearly, previewing what is to follow; organize ideas, concepts, and information into broader categories as appropriate to achieving purpose; include formatting (e.g., headings), graphics (e.g., charts, tables), and multimedia when useful to aiding comprehension.
b. Develop the topic with relevant, well-chosen facts, definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other information and examples.
c. Use appropriate and varied transitions to create cohesion and clarify the relationships among ideas and concepts.
d. Use precise language and domain-specific vocabulary to inform about or explain the topic.
e. Establish and maintain a formal style and objective tone.
f. Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from and supports the information or explanation presented. discipline-specific content.
a. Introduce claim(s) about a topic or issue, acknowledge and distinguish the claim(s) from alternate or opposing claims, and organize the reasons and evidence logically.
b. Support claim(s) with logical reasoning and relevant, accurate data and evidence that demonstrate an understanding of the topic or text, using credible sources.
c. Use words, phrases, and clauses to create cohesion and clarify the relationships among claim(s), counterclaims, reasons, and evidence.
d. Establish and maintain a formal style.
e. Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from and supports the argument presented. 4. Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
5. With some guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach, focusing on how well purpose and audience have been addressed
6. Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing and present the relationships between information and ideas clearly and efficiently.
7. Conduct short research projects to answer a question (including a self-generated question), drawing on several sources and generating additional related, focused questions that allow for multiple avenues of exploration.
8. Gather relevant information from multiple print and digital sources (primary and secondary), using search terms effectively; assess the credibility and accuracy of each source; and quote or paraphrase the data and conclusions of others while avoiding plagiarism and following a standard format for citation. CA
9. Draw evidence from informational texts to support analysis reflection, and research.
10. Write routinely over extended time frames (time for reflection and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes, and audiences.
--Language Arts
Reading
1. Cite the textual evidence that most strongly supports an analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
2. Determine a central idea of a text and analyze its development over the course of the text, including its relationship to supporting ideas; provide an objective summary of the text.
3. Analyze how a text makes connections among and distinctions between individuals, ideas, or events (e.g., through comparisons, analogies, or categories).
4. Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative, connotative, and technical meanings; analyze the impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone, including analogies or allusions to other texts. (See grade 8 Language standards 4–6 for additional expectations.) CA
5. Analyze in detail the structure of a specific paragraph in a text, including the role of particular sentences in developing and refining a key concept.
a. Analyze the use of text features (e.g., graphics, headers, captions) in consumer materials. CA
6. Determine an author’s point of view or purpose in a text and analyze how the author acknowledges and responds to conflicting evidence or viewpoints.
7. Evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of using different mediums (e.g., print or digital text, video, multimedia) to present a particular topic or idea.
8. Delineate and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, assessing whether the reasoning is sound and the evidence is relevant and sufficient; recognize when irrelevant evidence is introduced.
9. Analyze a case in which two or more texts provide conflicting information on the same topic and identify where the texts disagree on matters of fact or interpretation.
10. By the end of the year, read and comprehend literary nonfiction at the high end of the grades 6–8 text complexity band independently and proficiently.
Writing
1. Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence.
a. Introduce claim(s), acknowledge and distinguish the claim(s) from alternate or opposing claims, and organize the reasons and evidence logically.
b. Support claim(s) with logical reasoning and relevant evidence, using accurate, credible sources and demonstrating an understanding of the topic or text.
c. Use words, phrases, and clauses to create cohesion and clarify the relationships among claim(s), counterclaims, reasons, and evidence.
d. Establish and maintain a formal style.
e. Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from and supports the argument presented.
2. Write informative/explanatory texts, including career development documents (e.g., simple business letters and job applications), to examine a topic and convey ideas, concepts, and information through the selection, organization, and analysis of relevant content. CA
a. Introduce a topic or thesis statement clearly, previewing what is to follow; organize ideas, concepts, and information into broader categories; include formatting (e.g., headings), graphics (e.g., charts, tables), and multimedia when useful to aiding comprehension. CA
b. Develop the topic with relevant, well-chosen facts, definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other information and examples.
c. Use appropriate and varied transitions to create cohesion and clarify the relationships among ideas and concepts.
d. Use precise language and domain-specific vocabulary to inform about or explain the topic.
e. Establish and maintain a formal style.
f. Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from and supports the information or explanation presented.
4. Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. (Grade-specific expectations for writing types are defined in standards 1–3 above.)
5. With some guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach, focusing on how well purpose and audience have been addressed. (Editing for conventions should demonstrate command of Language standards 1–3 up to and including grade 8.)
6. Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing and present the relationships between information and ideas efficiently as well as to interact and collaborate with others.
7. Conduct short research projects to answer a question (including a self-generated question), drawing on several sources and generating additional related, focused questions that allow for multiple avenues of exploration.
8. Gather relevant information from multiple print and digital sources, using search terms effectively; assess the credibility and accuracy of each source; and quote or paraphrase the data and conclusions of others while avoiding plagiarism and following a standard format for citation.
9. Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.
a. Apply grade 8 Reading standards to literature (e.g., “Analyze how a modern work of fiction draws on themes, patterns of events, or character types from myths, traditional stories, or religious works such as the Bible, including describing how the material is rendered new”).
b. Apply grade 8 Reading standards to literary nonfiction (e.g., “Delineate and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, assessing whether the reasoning is sound and the evidence is relevant and sufficient; recognize when irrelevant evidence is introduced”).
10. Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes, and audiences.
Speaking and Listening
1. Prepare for and participate effectively in a range of conversations and collaborations with diverse partners, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.
2. Integrate and evaluate information presented in diverse media and formats, including visually, quantitatively, and orally.
3. Evaluate a speaker’s point of view, reasoning, and use of evidence and rhetoric.
Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas
4. Present information, findings, and supporting evidence such that listeners can follow the line of reasoning and the organization, development, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
5. Make strategic use of digital media and visual displays of data to express information and enhance understanding of presentations.
Language
Conventions of Standard English
1. Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.
2. Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.
Knowledge of Language
3. Apply knowledge of language to understand how language functions in different contexts, to make effective choices for meaning or style and to comprehend more fully when reading or listening.
Vocabulary Acquisition and Use
4. Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases by using context clues, analyzing meaningful word parts, and consulting general and specialized reference materials, as appropriate.
5. Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings.
6. Acquire and use accurately a range of general academic and domain-specific words and phrases sufficient for reading, writing, speaking, and listening at the college and career readiness level; demonstrate independence in gathering vocabulary knowledge when encountering an unknown term important to comprehension or expression.