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.

Students form literature circles, read "Esperanza Rising" or "Becoming Naomi Leon" by Pam MuĐoz Ryan, use a Critical Thinking Map to discuss social issues, and use a class wiki.

The short story "The Cask of Amontillado," by Edgar Allan Poe is an effective venue for teaching English I literary terms. The following lesson plan is designed to engage the reader in a deeper than superficial reading of the text. It is also designed to elicit discussion and written critical-thinking responses. This lesson assumes that the literary terms have already been introduced. However, if they have not, the teacher may use this lesson to introduce these terms in the context of the literature.

This a a cross curricular unit encompassing English, History, and Math Common Core Standards to teach the Child Labor practices of 1800s U.S. with the tragedy of Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire of 1911 which lead to child labor reform throughout the world and into the modern era.

In this video interview with Francine Christophe, a Holocaust survivor, you will learn about her experience as an eight-year-old Jewish girl at Bergen-Belsen camp. You'll be amazed to learn about her selfless act, and the great reward that she experiences years after being liberated.

In ths lesson seed, students will compare a poem and a text about Booker T. Washington.  Students will identify the central idea and supporting evidence in each text. 

In this second module, students will continue to develop their ability to closely read text while studying the theme of taking a stand. During the first half of Unit 1, students will read two speeches reflecting examples of real people taking a stand. By reading these speeches they will build background knowledge about the module’s overarching theme, engage in a study of the speaker’s perspective, and analyze the craft of forming an argument. In the second half of Unit 1, students will read Part 1 ofTo Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee and continue to study the theme of taking a stand as it is revealed in the novel. Students will engage in a character study of Atticus by analyzing his actions and words, and what others say about him, to better understand him as a character. This analysis will provide details and evidence for students to use in their end of Unit 2 argument essay. In addition to reading and studying the text, students will view excerpts of the To Kill a Mockingbird film that strongly convey the novel’s themes, and they will analyze how the film remains true to the original text as well as how it veers from the original.

Find the rest of the EngageNY ELA resources at https://archive.org/details/engageny-ela-archive .

This is a general template to pair with any piece of fiction you have your students read. The year I created this I saw that my 8th grade studetns at the time were struggling with engaging with any text, most were reading below grade level. They beleived reading to be boring and were missing a lot of background knowledge concerning literary elements. I created this template and paired it with their favorite novel (Diary of a Wimpy Kid) I found that they were engaged when filling out these "Guided notes". It helped bridge some gaps and gave them a renewed confidence in the classroom. 

This lesson can be used by adult learners to gain experience in identifying the strength of themes in writing passages. Upon conclusion of the lesson students will be able to not only identify the theme of an piece of writing but also key details used to support the author’s argument.

In this resource, students will be asked to use a graphic organizer in order to identify and track the development of theme and character in a literary text. Students will use evidence from the text to construct an evidence based response.

Students will learn and apply techniques to develop and present a personal narrative/memoir. They will take their writing through all stages of the writing process. Their writing will reflect clear understanding of plot, dialogue, transitions, and descriptive details.

Edgar Allan Poe, an American icon, is celebrated for his life and work. This lesson will delve deeper into his early life, his macabre short stories, his poem "The Raven," and his mysterious death in Baltimore in 1849.

This episode of STEM in 30 covers the end of World War II and the Victory over Japan

"The Interlopers" by Saki (H.H. Munroe) is a story that portrays the theme of hatred resulting in tragedy. This story also has several examples of situational irony which is the contrast between what is said or expected and what actually happens.  Three examples of irony will be discussed and how they are significant to the theme.  The examples are:1.  The men die over something unimportant.2.  The struggle for land ownership ends in a tragedy when nature takes their lives.3.  The long running feud ended, but no one in the village/town could learn of that as both men died.

“The Treasure of Lemon Brown” by Walter Dean MyersSee Overview attachment for lesson details.

This lesson focuses on a close reading of "The Monkey's Paw" by W.W. Jacobs. Advanced learners (who are skilled with theme) will also be reading "The Veldt" by Ray Bradbury.

 "Homeless," by Anna Quindlen, allows the student to understand homelessness as it affects many people on a broader scale. She emphasizes the individuality of homelessness, the fact that they not only lack possessions but have no place to keep them."The First" (also titled "Eviction") is a short poem by Lucille Clifton that provides the opportunity to compare and contrast the approach to the same issue through another genre.Final Assessment: How do Anna Quindlen and Lucille Clifton use language to convince the reader that their arguments have value? (focus on use of specific language, word choice, mood, tone, etc.)