8th grade gt ela fall ready resources: may 26 june 2

8th Grade GT ELA Fall Ready Resources: May 26th – June 2nd Faculty:

Day Learning Intention(s)

Student Success Criteria Task

Tuesday Reading Informational Text: -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. - 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. Writing Arguments: Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence.

Students should independently read these higher-level texts and be able to understand and identify the central claim and supporting evidence in each text.

-Read the two texts for the Argument Reading Common Summative Assessment (CSA): “Why It Matters That Teens Are Reading Less” and “Can Television Considered Literature and Taught in English Class?” -Answer the Level 2 questions in the assessment.

Wednesday Students should accurately complete the provided analysis and evaluation.

-Complete the Level 3 and Level 4 analysis chart and questions in the Argument Reading CSA.

Thursday Students should be able to independently use appropriate prewriting strategies from the writing process to prepare for tomorrow’s paragraph writing.

-Begin the Argument Writing

Common Summative

Assessment (CSA) by reading

the reflective essay “Childhood

and Poetry.” Prepare for writing

tomorrow by reading the prompt

and doing some prewriting

(consider using the analysis

questions provided in the test to

get you thinking about the literary

merits of this text).

Friday -Students should be able to

complete an argument paragraph in the time allowed that meets “Proficient” and/or “Advanced” criteria on the Argument Writing Rubric.

-Write your argument paragraph for the Argument Writing Common Summative Assessment (CSA). Set a timer and write for no more than 40 minutes.

Monday Students should be able to evaluate their own work using the provided tools. Students should be able to identify the mistakes that led to errors and strategies to avoid them in the future.

-Evaluate your Argument

Reading assessment using the

scoring guide.

-Evaluate your Argument Writing

paragraph using the rubric.

-Complete the Self-Reflection

activity Tuesday - Produce clear and

coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.

Students should be able to use self-reflection to identify specific, personal responses to the questions.

-Complete the year-end reflection questions. Consider sending them to your teacher!

WHY IT MATTERS THAT TEENS ARE READING LESS by Jean Twenge

Most of us spend much more time with digital media than we did a decade ago. But today’s teens have come of age with smartphones in their pockets. Compared to teens a couple of decades ago, the way they interact with traditional media like books and movies is fundamentally different. My co-authors and I analyzed nationally representative surveys of over one million U.S. teens collected since 1976 and discovered an almost seismic1 shift in how teens are spending their free time. Increasingly, books seem to be gathering dust.

IT’S ALL ABOUT THE SCREENS

By 2016, the average 12th grader said they spent a staggering six hours a day texting, on social media, and online during their free time. And that’s just three activities; if other digital media activities were included, that estimate would surely rise.

[5] Teens didn’t always spend that much time with digital media. Online time has doubled since 2006 and social media use moved from a periodic activity to a daily one. By 2016, nearly nine out of 10 12th-grade girls said they visited social media sites every day. Meanwhile, time spent playing video games rose from under an hour a day to an hour and a half on average. One out of 10 8th graders in 2016 spent 40 hours a week or more gaming – the time commitment of a full-time job.

With only so much time in the day, doesn’t something have to give? Maybe not. Many scholars have insisted that time online does not displace time spent engaging with traditional media. Some people are just more interested in media and entertainment, they point out, so more of one type of media doesn’t necessarily mean less of the other.

However, that doesn’t tell us much about what happens across a whole cohort2 of people when time spent on digital media grows and grows. This is what large surveys conducted over the course of many years can tell us.

MOVIES AND BOOKS GO BY THE WAYSIDE

[10] While 70% of 8th and 10th graders once went to the movies once a month or more, now only about half do. Going to the movies was equally popular from the late 1970s to the mid-2000s, suggesting that Blockbuster video and VCRs didn’t kill going to the movies.

But after 2007 – when Netflix introduced its video streaming service – moviegoing began to lose its appeal. More and more, watching a movie became a solitary3 experience. This fits a larger pattern: In another analysis, we found that today’s teens go out with their friends considerably less than previous generations did.

But the trends in moviegoing pale in comparison to the largest change we found: An enormous decline in reading. In 1980, 60% of 12th graders said they read a book, newspaper or magazine every day that wasn’t assigned for school.

By 2016, only 16% did – a huge drop, even though the book, newspaper or magazine could be one read on a digital device (the survey question doesn’t specify format).

The number of 12th graders who said they had not read any books for pleasure in the last year nearly tripled, landing at one out of three by 2016. For iGen – the generation born since 1995 who has spent their entire adolescence with smartphones – books, newspapers and magazines have less and less of a presence in their daily lives.

[15] Of course, teens are still reading. But they’re reading short texts and Instagram captions, not longform articles that explore deep themes and require critical thinking and reflection. Perhaps as a result, SAT reading scores in 2016 were the lowest they have ever been since record keeping began in 1972.

It doesn’t bode4 well for their transition to college, either. Imagine going from reading two-sentence captions to trying to read even five pages of an 800-page college textbook at one sitting. Reading and comprehending longer books and chapters takes practice, and teens aren’t getting that practice.

There was a study from the Pew Research Center a few years ago finding that young people actually read more books than older people. But that included books for school and didn’t control for age. When we look at pleasure reading across time, iGen is reading markedly less than previous generations.

THE WAY FORWARD

So should we wrest5 smartphones from iGen’s hands and replace them with paper books?

Probably not: smartphones are teens’ main form of social communication.

[20] However, that doesn’t mean they need to be on them constantly. Data connecting excessive digital media time to mental health issues suggests a limit of two hours a day of free time spent with screens, a restriction that will also allow time for other activities – like going to the movies with friends or reading.

Of the trends we found, the pronounced decline in reading is likely to have the biggest negative impact. Reading books and longer articles is one of the best ways to learn how to think critically, understand complex issues and separate fact from fiction. It’s crucial for being an informed voter, an involved citizen, a successful college student and a productive employee.

If print starts to die, a lot will go with it.

“Why it matters that teens are reading less” by Jean Twenge, San Diego State University, August 20, 2018. Copyright (c)

The Conversation 2018, CC-BY-ND.

Notes 1. of enormous proportion or effect 2. group of people 3. Solitary (adjective) : done or existing alone 4. Bode (verb) : to indicate a certain outcome 5. Wrest (verb) : to forcibly pull from someone’s grasp

CAN TELEVISION BE CONSIDERED LITERATURE AND TAUGHT IN ENGLISH CLASSES? by Shelby Ostergaard

We have always had stories. They were first told orally as fairy tales, folklore, and epic poems, and were eventually written down. And for as long as we have had stories, we’ve had literature. Stories are usually considered literature when they have long-lasting artistic or social value. Epic poems like The Odyssey or novels like To Kill a Mockingbird are considered literature because they have deeper meanings that go beyond the story. Both stories are meant to do more than just amuse the reader. A pop novel, like a James Patterson book you can buy at the airport, would not traditionally be considered literature because it is not meant to do much more than entertain the reader.

As we’ve transitioned from hearing stories to reading them, our ideas have changed about what kinds of stories have merit. We have always made a point to pass on the stories we value to next generation, regardless of their form. Therefore, it should not be so outrageous to declare that a new form of literature has been forged and needs to be passed on: television shows.

Television shows can be as complex as novels and can provide students with opportunities to learn that novels do not. Yet, there are legitimate concerns about using classroom time to dissect1 television. One issue is that complex television shows tend to have adult or graphic themes not suitable for the classroom. Another concern involves how much time students spend on television. Plenty of students already watch and discuss television in their own time, so is television needed in the classroom, too? Finally, the written word teaches cognitive2 skills that television cannot.

The idea of television as a form of literature that should be taught in classrooms remains controversial.3 How many times have you heard the phrase “television rots your brain”? If television is literature, should it be taught in English class the same way traditional literature is taught?

https://theconversation.com/why-it-matters-that-teens-are-reading-less-99281

THE GOLDEN ERA OF TELEVISION

[5] We are now living in the golden era of television. The term “golden era” is what television and media critics call the collection of TV shows from the late 1990s to present day. Commercial television shows have existed since the early 20th century, but as Jason Mitchell notes in his book Complex TV, technological development in the late 1990s led to three drastic changes in television. First, TV shows started to look better and showcase more interesting camera work. Second, the growth of more available channels led to an increase in the number of shows being produced. And third, technology allowed users to record, pause, and rewind the shows they were watching. Together, these three changes ushered in the golden era of television, allowing TV shows to tell more complex stories.

There isn’t a clear-cut division between a complex plot and a simple one, but in general, simple plots exist in shows where every episode begins as if the one before it hasn’t happened (known as stand-alone episodes). Complex plots, on the other hand, exist in shows where each episode depends on what happens before (known as serialized episodes). Stories with plots that are artistically and socially relevant are considered complex and literary by scholars, critics, and fans alike. A television show that uses social, political, or highly-personal issues in its plots is complex.

Until the golden era of television shows, TV plots and characters tended to be simple. They had to be; television shows were designed to appeal to as broad an audience as possible and to be easy to catch up on. Technology changed all of that. Now, television shows have as many complex characters and plotlines as novels do. As Thomas Doherty put it in the Chronicle of Higher Education, golden era television shows are ones “like Mad Men, Breaking Bad, Downton Abbey, Homeland, Dexter, Boardwalk Empire, and Game of Thrones... where the talent, the prestige,4 and the cultural buzz now swirl.”

Talent, prestige, and cultural buzz are all pretty good reasons to study a work of art, but the shows Doherty listed are adult entertainment that deal with sexual and violent themes. When novels deal with similar themes, they are not visual. TV shows place those themes directly before the viewer.

Movies and plays also have visual elements, and plays with adult themes like Hamlet and Romeo and Juliet are frequently taught in schools. But whereas plays and cinema are visual, they do not tend to be as graphic as golden era TV shows. Propriety5 and censorship6 laws prevented Shakespeare from showing overtly visual elements related to his mature themes. Trying to teach a “golden era” television show in an English class ushers in the possibility that students will be exposed to overtly mature themes and images no one would be comfortable discussing in a classroom.

CLOSING CULTURAL DIVIDES

[10] Nevertheless, cultural buzz is why studying television shows in English class might be unavoidable.

Books used to be one of the major ways to bind a culture together. Classic American novels, such as The Scarlet Letter, helped shed light on American culture and values. In the later half of the twentieth century, television and movies began to fill that role. TV shows like Seinfeld and Friends have come to define American culture far more than any novel has been able to do in recent years. Both sitcoms have been dubbed and translated around the world, making the characters and their lives synonymous with the American experience to people everywhere. Unless students begin to study television in school, some younger Americans may never see the TV shows that other cultures find quintessentially7 American.

Across the country, Americans watch different television shows. For example, the TV shows Girls and Duck Dynasty both premiered in 2009. Girls was a critical darling, producing reviews and discussions across the web. It averaged just over a million viewers per episode, most of whom lived in cities. Duck Dynasty, on the other hand, had record-breaking numbers of viewers for many episodes, largely from rural areas. Critics and reviewers ignored it. Both shows were hits in different ways, and both say something relevant about the U.S. today.

These trends in television exemplify a cultural, urban-rural divide in the U.S. According to research gathered in 2016 by The New York Times, shows like NCIS and Duck Dynasty have nearly all of their viewership in rural areas, while shows like Girls and The Daily Show have viewership in urban areas. Americans are no longer watching and discussing the same things. Teaching television shows in school can help to bridge that gap by providing a common cultural ground in the way novels once did.

THE IMPORTANCE OF READING

Bridging that gap is important. Luckily, the conversations needed to bridge that gap — about television and the way it functions for Americans — are already happening. Notably, they are happening everywhere outside of the classroom. Websites like the A.V. Club recap TV shows daily, and conversations about current TV fill popular websites like Reddit and Tumblr.

[15] As this discussion of TV surges, enthusiasm for traditional, written literature wanes. The National Endowment for the Arts found that in 1982, 56.9% of adults reported having read a work of literature in the past year. In 2015, only 43.1% of adults had. And further research by the National Endowment for the Arts found that literary reading has dropped across age, race, and educational levels among adults. As literary reading rates drop, one might argue that traditional literary reading needs to be preserved in the classroom, not to be replaced by conversations about television that are happening everywhere else in the U.S. It may be important to unite what rural and urban Americans watch; it may be more important for schools to keep young Americans reading.

Novels teach writing skills. Although a TV show comes from a script, it is watched, not read. A TV show doesn’t offer students the chance to diagram sentences or to dig deeply into how paragraphs function. A 2013 study done at Tohoku University in Japan found that the more TV children watched, the lower their verbal test scores became. In the same year, a study at Emory University found that college students had increased connectivity in the parts of the brain associated with language while reading a novel.

CONCLUSION

Should television shows be taught in schools? Maybe. There are merits to the idea — namely that TV has reached a golden era of wonderful, complex stories — but there are also challenges, such the graphic content of current TV shows and the communication skills that television fails to teach students. At the end of the day, teachers and principals will have to decide for themselves.

There is a middle ground. Television shows are becoming increasingly culturally relevant, and this is not just because more people are watching them. More people are also writing about them. The Internet is filled with recaps, reviews, and thousands of cultural critics discussing how relevant themes in television shows interact with our society today. Using these written materials, television can be taught in schools without sacrificing reading and writing skills or exposing students to graphic images. Reading about television can help preserve the best parts of English classes while ensuring they are not permanently stuck in yesterday. When it comes to television in class, it might be possible for teachers to have their cake and eat it too.

“Can Television Be Considered Literature and Taught in English Classes? ” by Shelby Ostergaard. Copyright © 2017 by

CommonLit, Inc. This text is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0.

Notes 1. Dissect (verb) : to analyze something 2. Cognitive (adjective) : relating to mental processes 3. Controversial (adjective) : giving rise or likely to give rise to public disagreement 4. Prestige (noun) : widespread respect gained through success or excellence 5. the state or quality of conforming to accepted standards of behavior or morals 6. the system or practice of examining writings or movies and taking out things considered offensive or immoral 7. Quintessential (adjective) : representing the most perfect example of a quality or class

Argument Reading CSA: RI.8.8 & RI.8.9 Texts: “Why It Matters That Teens Are Reading Less” By Jean Twenge & “Can Television Be Considered Literature and Taught in English Classes?”

by Shelby Ostergaard (Texts and some items from CommonLit.org) RI.8.8: 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. RI.8.9: 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.

LEVEL 2: 1. The following question has two parts. First, answer part A. Then, answer part B.

Part A: In “Can TV Be Considered Literature and Taught in English Classes?” which of the following best identifies the author’s main claim in the text?

a. Schools can use written materials about television to explore its place in today’s culture and to teaching reading, writing, and thinking skills.

b. Even though watching television provides students with the same advantages as reading literature, it should not be considered as a legitimate school subject.

c. English curriculums should incorporate watching television because it benefits students more than reading pop novels and literature.

d. Watching television does not meet the requirements that determine if something is literature, but it’s likely to develop more comprehensively in the future.

Part B: Which detail from the text best supports the answer to Part A?

a. “The idea of television as a form of literature that should be taught in classrooms remains controversial.” (Paragraph 4)

b. “Together, these three changes ushered in the golden era of television, allowing TV shows to tell more complex stories.” (Paragraph 5)

c. “When novels deal with similar themes, they are not visual. TV shows place those themes directly before the viewer.” (Paragraph 8)

d. “Using these written materials, television can be taught in schools without sacrificing reading and writing skills or exposing students to graphic images.” (Paragraph 18).

2. Based on the argument presented in “Can TV Be Considered Literature and Taught in English Classes?” which of the following pieces of additional information would be considered irrelevant to the argument?

a. Unlike novels, television shows are a first draft that adapts to each season. b. Today’s television shows model literature with multiple perspectives and a strong voice. c. Bandwidth limitations would impact classroom applications. d. Television shows present a more realistic look at life.

3. Complete the following chart, determining the role of statements from “Can TV Be Considered Literature and

Taught in English Classes?”:

Supports Using TV

Supports Not Using TV

Supports Neither

Now, television shows have as many complex characters and plotlines as novels do.

Although a TV show comes from a script, it is watched, not read.

A pop novel…would not traditionally be considered literature because it is not meant to do much more than entertain the reader.

Finally, the written word teaches cognitive skills that television cannot.

Level 2

Score

4. The following question has two parts. First, answer part A. Then, answer part B. Part A: In “Why It Matters That Teens Are Reading Less,” which statement identifies the central idea of the text?

a. The time that teenagers spend with digital media negatively impacts their ability to make sense of longer and more complex written material.

b. Teenagers are not developing the social skills they need to succeed in the world, as digital devices encourage them to spend time alone.

c. Fast-paced games and constantly updating social media makes it difficult for teenagers to be entertained by paper media, such as books and magazine.

d. The time that teenagers spend playing video games or on social media takes away from their commitment to their studies, negatively affecting their grades.

Part B: Which detail from the text best supports Part A?

a. “One out of 10 8th graders in 2016 spent 40 hours a week or more gaming—the time commitment of a full-time job.” (Paragraph 6)

b. “In another analysis, we found that today’s teens go out with their friends considerably less than previous generations did.” (Paragraph 11)

c. “Of course, teens are still reading. But they’re reading short texts and Instagram captions, not longform articles that explore deep themes and require critical thinking and reflection.” (Paragraph 15)

d. “Data connecting excessive digital media time to mental health issues suggests a limit of two hours a day of free time spent with screens…” (Paragraph 20)

5. Which of the following describes the author’s main purpose in “Why It Matters That Teens Are Reading Less”? a. To offer teenagers fun and engaging alternatives to spending time with digital media b. To emphasize the disadvantages of spending more time online and less time reading c. To show how reading from digital devices is not as beneficial as reading from paper sources d. To highlight the dangers of screen time to teenagers’ health

6. Complete the following chart, based on information presented in “Why It Matters That Teens Are Reading Less”. You must decide if each of the statements is a fact or an opinion.

Fact Opinion

Of the trends we found, the pronounced decline in reading is likely to have the biggest negative impact.

When Netflix introduced its video streaming service—moviegoing began to lose its appeal.

In another analysis, we found that today’s teens go out with their friends considerably less than previous generations did.

Reading and comprehending longer books and chapters takes practice, and teens aren’t getting that practice.

LEVEL 3 7. Complete the following charts, analyzing the argument presented by Jean Twenge in “Why It Matters

That Teens Are Reading Less.”

Title Jean Twenge Argument’s Overall Claim:

Author “Why It Matters That Teens Are Reading Less”

Sponsor/Publication CommonLit.org

Date (not available)

Main Idea 1

Delineate (Identify)

Evaluate and Explain (decide)

Interpret & Synthesize (How does your analysis in columns 1 & 2 impact your interpretation of this

part of the argument?) Main Idea/Reason: Evidence:

Valid/Defensible (circle one): Yes No Explain:

Relevant (circle one): Yes No Explain:

Sufficient (circle one): Yes No Explain:

Charts for Main Ideas 2 and 3 on next page.

Level 3

Score

Main Idea 2








Main Idea 3








8. Reread Paragraph 5 of “Can Television Be Considered Literature and Taught in English Classes?” by Shelby

Ostergaard. (This paragraph begins with “We are now living in the golden era of television…”) Is there any irrelevant information in this selected passage? If yes, note the information and explain why it is irrelevant. If no, explain why all included information is relevant.

9. Think about the two texts as perspectives on the same topic of humans and the value of storytelling. How do the

articles overlap in terms of information/ideas/perspectives? How do the two articles conflict in terms of information/ideas/perspectives? Is this conflict due to interpretation or fact? Try to keep your response focused and appropriate for a short answer prompt (not an essay).

LEVEL 4 10. Select one of the two prompts to show your ability to synthesize and articulate (or explain with detail) a new voice or perspective about the two articles. You may choose to integrate texts we have previously studied, though this is not required to reach a Level 4.

Option 1: Use the two texts to explore next steps in the future—how do we balance storytelling needs with modern digital life? Option 2: Why does this topic matter? In your response, focus on the application of the articles’ topics in our society.

Level 4

Score

Childhood and Poetry by: Pablo Neruda

One time, investigating in the backyard of our house in Temuco the tiny objects and minuscule beings of

my world, I came upon a hole in one of the boards of the fence. I looked through the hole and saw a

landscape like that behind our house, uncared for, and wild. I moved back a few steps, because I sensed

vaguely that something was about to happen. All of a sudden a hand appeared, a tiny hand of a boy about

my own age. By the time I came close again, the hand was gone, and in its place there was a marvelous

white sheep.

The sheep's wool was faded. Its wheels had escaped. All of this only made it more authentic. I had never

seen such a wonderful sheep. I looked back through the hole but the boy had disappeared. I went into the

house and brought out a treasure of my own: a pinecone, opened, full of odor and resin, which I adored. I

set it down in the same spot and went off with the sheep.

I never saw either the hand or the boy again. And I have never again seen a sheep like that either. The

toy I lost finally in a fire. But even now, in 1954, almost fifty years old, whenever I pass a toy shop, I look

furtively into the window, but it's no use. They don't make sheep like that anymore.

I have been a lucky man. To feel the intimacy of brothers is a marvelous thing in life. To feel the love of

people whom we love is a fire that feeds our life. But to feel the affection that comes from those whom we

do not know, from those unknown to us, who are watching over our sleep and solitude, over our dangers

and our weaknesses, that is something still greater and more beautiful because it widens out the

boundaries of our being, and unites all living things.

That exchange brought home to me for the first time a precious idea: that all of humanity is somehow

together. That experience came to me again much later; this time it stood out strikingly against a

background of trouble and persecution.

It won't surprise you then that I attempted to give something resiny, earthlike, and fragrant in exchange

for human brotherhood. Just as I once left the pinecone by the fence, I have since left my words on the

door of so many people who were unknown to me, people in prison, or hunted, or alone.

That is the great lesson I learned in my childhood, in the backyard of a lonely house. Maybe it was nothing

but a game two boys played who didn't know each other and wanted to pass to the other some good

things of life. Yet maybe this small and mysterious exchange of gifts remained inside me also, deep and

indestructible, giving my poetry light.

8th Grade Investigations: Rites of Passage

Argument Writing Common Summative Assessment Part 1: Short Response (Writing Preparation)

Based on the provided text, answer the following short response questions in order to prepare for your argument

paragraph.

State the theme in a sentence or two:

What do you notice about the language the author uses? (Consider figurative language, literary devices, etc.)

Example Purpose in the Story

8th Grade Investigations: Rites of Passage

Argument Summative Assessment Part 2: Expanded Paragraph Response (Writing Focus)

Based on your understanding of the text, “Childhood in Poetry” by Pablo Neruda, and the elements of argument

writing, answer the following prompt with an expanded argument paragraph:

Would this text be a good choice for our unit “Investigations: Rites of Passage,” which includes the

essential question “How do we become who we are?”? Why or why not?

CSA: Argument Reading (RI.8.8 and RI.8.9) Self-Reflection

Directions: Use the scoring guide included in your learning packet for this week and reflect on how you did on your

assessment. As you reflect, please keep two important things in mind:

1. At level 2, the guide provides correct answers. However, levels 3 and 4 provide rubrics to use in scoring your answer. For these

types of questions, there is not one correct answer. You will need to determine for yourself if you have identified relevant details and

made logical inferences, etc. You can do this! The learning target is for students to complete this work correctly and independently.

However, do not let yourself get frustrated. If you need help, please contact your teacher.

2. This scoring guide is intended to determine proficiency for the given learning targets. It will not determine a letter grade.

LEVEL 2:

Out of 6 questions, how many did you answer correctly?

Which numbers, if any, did you miss?

If you did not miss any, move to level 3. If you did, go back to the text and figure out why your answers were incorrect.

What mistakes did you make?

How will you correct these mistakes in the future?

LEVEL 3:

#7: Delineation Chart How did you score yourself in each of the following areas and why?

#8: Irrelevant Information How did you score yourself and why?

#9: Fact vs Opinion How did you score yourself and why?

Level 3 Reflection: What went well and what should you change for next time?

Delineate

Evaluate and Explain

Interpret and Synthesize

LEVEL 4:

How did you score yourself and why? Level 4 Reflection: What went well and what should you change for next time?

CSA: Argument Writing (W.8.1) Self-Reflection

Use the CSA Writing Rubric to self-evaluate your argument writing piece. For each category of the rubric, explain how you scored

yourself and why.

Ideas/Purpose Organization Elaboration of Evidence

Overall, have you demonstrated proficiency for 8th grade argument writing? If not, what do you need to do to improve?

ARGUMENT READING CSA SCORING GUIDE Priority Standards: RI.8.8: 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. RI.8.9: 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.

LEVEL 2: Students must answer __4_ of __6_ questions to achieve level 2. ANSWER KEY for questions 1-6:

1. A, D 2. C 3. See chart (must get 3 of 4 correct)

4. A, C 5. B 6. See chart (must get 3 of 4 correct)

#3 Supports Using TV

Supports Not Using TV

Supports Neither

Now, television shows have as many complex characters and plotlines as novels do. x

Although a TV show comes from a script, it is watched, not read. x

A pop novel…would not traditionally be considered literature because it is not meant to do much more than entertain the reader.

x

Finally, the written word teaches cognitive skills that television cannot. x

#6 Fact Opinion Of the trends we found, the pronounced decline in reading is likely to have the biggest negative impact.

X

When Netflix introduced its video streaming service—moviegoing began to lose its appeal. X

In another analysis, we found that today’s teens go out with their friends considerably less than previous generations did.

X

Reading and comprehending longer books and chapters takes practice, and teen aren’t getting that practice.

x

Level 3

7. Delineation chart (RI.8.8) Correct Partially Correct Incorrect

DELINEATE (Column 1) -Three main ideas are included and accurately reported from the text -Specific evidence from the text is provided for each main idea

-Two main ideas are included -Evidence from the text may be vague or generalized

-Only 1 main idea is provided or the main ideas listed are incorrect -Supporting evidence is missing or incorrect

EVALUATE and EXPLAIN (Column 2) -Includes accurate points for each of the three perspectives: valid, relevant, sufficient -Notes show evaluative thought and specific reflections -Connections to the article and primary claim are the clear

-Includes accurate points for two of the three perspectives: valid, relevant, sufficient -Notes are generalized, though still connected to the article -Notes are repeated in multiple sections

-Includes points for only one of the three perspectives: valid, relevant, sufficient -Notes provided are not related to the three perspectives: valid, relevant, sufficient -Notes are missing, incorrect, or unrelated to the article

INTERPRET and SYNTHESIZE (Column 3) -Clear statement that integrates the delineation and evaluation notes -Provides an explanation of the strength and/or weakness of the argument’s main ideas

-Statement that tries to link delineation and evaluation notes, though may be general or lack necessary explanation

-Statement is missing or incorrect -Statement is a direct repeat of information provided in the delineation and evaluation columns

8. Irrelevant information (RI.8.8)

Correct Partially Correct Incorrect

-Correctly identifies and justifies irrelevant information or why all information is significant to the argument -Reasoning is sound and shows understanding of the complexity of the argument

-Identifies irrelevant information or explains why all information is needed in the argument -Reasoning is generalized

-Incorrectly identifies information as irrelevant or relevant -Provides no justification for response

9. Fact vs. Opinion (RI.8.9)


-Clearly articulates common aspects of the two articles -Clearly articulates conflicting information in the two articles -Thoughtfully explains how these noted differences are based on interpretation or fact, with direct reference to the text

-Identifies some common and conflicting aspects of the texts, though the ideas are broad -Explanation is provided, though it is generalized and does not provide specific references to the texts

-Only identifies a common or conflicting idea (not both) -Limited explanation does not show understanding of the texts and their relationship

LEVEL 4: In a standards-based setting, students do not have to attempt this question if they do not want to (however, they could not receive a four without answering the item). Proficiency Scale Expectations: 8.8: Evaluate relevancy, accuracy, and completeness of information from multiple sources – found independently; Evaluate texts of higher complexity; Synthesize and articulate a new voice/perspective 8.9: Analyze conflicts within texts of greater complexity; Evaluate relevancy, accuracy, and completeness of information from multiple sources – found independently; Synthesize & articulate a new voice/perspective


-Information provided proves the student is looking beyond the article’s evidence and into the wider topic and its implications on society -Evidence for the response comes from both texts and shows sophisticated ability to defend a position with text evidence *May integrate information from prior texts (such as the CFA suggestion on the role of reading for humanity)

-Information shows an attempt to see the larger impact of the argument on young readers, though minor errors may be present -Response includes information from both sources, though it doesn’t show a full integration of ideas or evidence

-Item not attempted -Information provided is incorrect or shows a lack of attention to the articles’ details -Generalized statements are presented, which do not prove the student is looking at the issue beyond the provided articles

Common Summative Assessment—8th Grade—Argument Writing Rubric Standards: Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence (W.8.1).

Argument Advanced Proficient Basic Below Basic

Ideas/Purpose:

The argument is focused and clearly states the claim.

• Claim is clearly stated, purposefully focused and consistent

• Complex claims are well-developed

• Alternate or opposing claims are addressed

• Claim is clearly stated, focused and consistent

• Alternate or opposing claims are acknowledged

• Claim is sometimes clear, focused or consistent

• Alternate or opposing claims are sometimes acknowledged

• Claim is unclear, unfocused , inconsistent or missing

• Alternate or opposing claims are missing

10 9 8 7.5 7 6.5 6

Organization: The writing has a clear and effective

organizational structure creating unity and completeness.

Claim, reasons, and evidence are organized into clear categories:

• Skillful and varied use of transitions

• Logical progression of ideas from beginning to end

• Purposeful conclusion

• Strong connections among ideas

Claim, reasons, and evidence are organized into clear categories:

• Appropriate use of transitions with some variety

• Adequate progression of ideas from beginning to end

• Evident conclusion

• Adequate connections among ideas

Claim, reasons, and evidence are inconsistently organized into categories:

• Some use of transitions

• Inadequate progression of ideas from beginning to end

• Ineffective conclusion

• Weak connections among ideas

Claim, reasons, and evidence are inconsistently organized into categories:

• Little or no use of transitions

• Confusing progression of ideas

• Missing conclusion

• No connections among ideas

10 9 8 7.5 7 6.5 6

Elaboration of Evidence:

The claim is

developed and supported with logical reasoning and relevant evidence using accurate, credible sources.

• Provides comprehensive support/evidence for

the claim, demonstrating a thorough understanding of the topic or text

• Presents well-chosen evidence (sources, facts, and details)

• Skillfully integrates evidence with correct citations

• Analyzes and draws strong conclusions from evidence

• Provides adequate support/evidence for the claim,

demonstrating an understanding of the topic or text

• Uses relevant, logical evidence (sources, facts, and details)

• Integrates evidence from sources with generally correct citations

• Analyzes and draws logical conclusions from evidence

• Provides inadequate support/evidence for the claim,

demonstrating a partial understanding of the topic or text

• Uses some irrelevant, repetitive, or inadequate evidence (sources, facts, and details)

• Limited integration of evidence from sources with some attempt at citations

• Inconsistently analyzes evidence

• Conclusions drawn

are sometimes not logical

• Provides little or no support/evidence for the claim,

demonstrating a lack of understanding of the topic or text

• Frequently uses irrelevant, repetitive, or inadequate evidence (sources, facts, and details)

• Does not integrate evidence from sources or lacks citations

• Fails to analyze evidence

• Conclusions drawn are not logical or are missing

10 9 8 7.5 7 6.5 6

Total _______ / 30

GT ELA 8 End-of-Year Reflection

1. What did you learn about yourself as a learner during the remote learning process over the last six weeks?

2. How can you apply what you learned about how you learn next year or to other educational experiences?

3. Do you feel ready for English Language Arts classes in high school? Why or why not?

4. Think back to how you felt as your 6th grade school year was beginning. How is transitioning to high school

the same as transitioning to middle school? How is it different?

5. What are the three most important things you learned about reading and/or writing this year?

6. Of all the things you accomplished in this class this year, of what are you most proud? Explain.

8th grade gt ela fall ready resources: may 26 june 2

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