Virginia State Standards for Language Arts: Grade 8
8.1. The student will use interviewing techniques to gain information.
8.1.a) Prepare and ask relevant questions for the interview.
8.1.b) Make notes of responses.
8.1.c) Compile and report responses.
8.1.d) Evaluate the effectiveness of the interview.
8.2. The student will develop and deliver oral presentations in groups and individually.
8.2.a) Choose topic and purpose appropriate to the audience.
8.2.b) Choose vocabulary and tone appropriate to the audience, topic, and purpose.
8.2.c) Use appropriate verbal and nonverbal presentation skills.
8.2.d) Respond to audience questions and comments.
8.2.e) Use grammatically correct language.
8.2.f) Critique oral presentations.
8.3. The student will analyze mass media messages.
8.3.a) Evaluate the persuasive technique being used.
8.3.b) Describe the possible cause-effect relationships between mass media coverage and public opinion trends.
8.3.c) Evaluate sources, including advertisements, editorials, and feature stories, for relationships between intent and factual content.
8.4. The student will apply knowledge of word origins, derivations, inflections, analogies, and figurative language to extend vocabulary development.
8.4.a) Identify simile, metaphor, personification, hyperbole, and analogy.
8.4.b) Use context, structure, and connotations to determine meaning of words and phrases.
8.5. The student will read and analyze a variety of narrative and poetic forms.
8.5.a) Explain the use of symbols and figurative language.
8.5.b) Describe inferred main ideas or themes, using evidence from the text as support.
8.5.c) Describe how authors use characters, conflict, point of view, and tone to create meaning.
8.5.d) Compare and contrast the use of the poetic elements of word choice, dialogue, form, rhyme, rhythm, and voice.
8.5.e) Compare and contrast authors' styles.
8.6. The student will read, comprehend, and analyze a variety of informational sources.
8.6.a) Draw on background knowledge and knowledge of text structure to understand selections.
8.6.b) Analyze the author's credentials, viewpoint, and impact.
8.6.c) Analyze the author's use of text structure and word choice.
8.6.d) Analyze details for relevance and accuracy.
8.6.e) Read and follow instructions to complete an assigned task.
8.6.f) Summarize and critique text.
8.6.g) Evaluate and synthesize information to apply in written and oral presentations.
8.6.h) Draw conclusions based on explicit and implied information.
8.6.i) Make inferences based on explicit and implied information.
8.7. The student will write in a variety of forms, including narrative, expository, persuasive, and informational.
8.7.a) Use prewriting strategies to generate and organize ideas.
8.7.b) Organize details to elaborate the central idea.
8.7.c) Select specific vocabulary and information.
8.7.d) Revise writing for word choice, sentence variety, and transitions among paragraphs.
8.7.e) Use available technology.
8.8. The student will edit writing for correct grammar, capitalization, punctuation, spelling, sentence structure, and paragraphing.
8.8.a) Use a variety of graphic organizers, including sentence diagrams, to analyze and improve sentence formation and paragraph structure.
8.8.b) Use and punctuate correctly varied sentence structures to include conjunctions and transition words.
8.8.c) Choose the correct case and number for pronouns in prepositional phrases with compound objects.
8.8.d) Maintain consistent verb tense across paragraphs.
8.8.e) Use comparative and superlative degrees in adverbs and adjectives.