Course Goals
The overarching goal for 8th grade writing is that all members of our learning community will become lifelong writers.
Lifelong writers use writing as part of their everyday life to think, to learn, and to communicate. There are three traits that lifelong writers have. Lifelong writers initiate writing. Lifelong writers write well. And finally, lifelong writers develop their own writing process.
Each of these three traits has several lines of growth that we'll be working on throughout the year.
Lifelong writers initiate writing
Lifelong writers write well
Lifelong writers develop their own writing process
Lifelong writers use writing as part of their everyday life to think, to learn, and to communicate. There are three traits that lifelong writers have. Lifelong writers initiate writing. Lifelong writers write well. And finally, lifelong writers develop their own writing process.
Each of these three traits has several lines of growth that we'll be working on throughout the year.
Lifelong writers initiate writing
- write for various purposes
- write for real audiences
Lifelong writers write well
- communicate meaning
- use genre knowledge
- structure their writing
- write with detail
- give their writing voice
- use conventions
Lifelong writers develop their own writing process
- find and develop topics
- compose a draft and revise it
- edit their writing
Course Overview
Unit One: Introduction to Writers workshop
Notebook entries and informal daily writing are the primary assignments. We'll focus on generating ideas, discussing purpose, and determining audiences.
Unit Two: Narrative Writing
There are four projects in this unit:
Unit Three: Nonfiction Writing
There are three projects in this unit:
Unit Four: Reflecting on the Writing Process
There is one project in this unit:
Notebook entries and informal daily writing are the primary assignments. We'll focus on generating ideas, discussing purpose, and determining audiences.
Unit Two: Narrative Writing
There are four projects in this unit:
- Memoir - due October 28th
- Short Story (text, picture book, or graphic novel) - due November 22nd
- Poetry - due December 15th
- Self-Selected Project (any genre that we've covered to this point) - due January 13th
Unit Three: Nonfiction Writing
There are three projects in this unit:
- Research Essay - due February 10th (optional extensions - Feature Article)
- Persuasive Article - due March 9th
- Advertising Project- due March 15th
Unit Four: Reflecting on the Writing Process
There is one project in this unit:
- Portfolio and Reflection Piece - due May 10th