New Brunswick - English Language Arts 8

Strand: Interactions

Big Idea: Expression

Skill Descriptor:

Describe and communicate thoughts, feelings, and experiences as well as personal strengths

Achievement Indicators:

Describe observations, understandings, viewpoints and perspectives

MediaSmarts Resources

Skill Descriptor:

Defend and support ideas and opinions with evidence.

Achievement Indicators:

Justify personal position citing evidence

Identify difference of opinion, citing facts, anecdotal evidence, and experiences

Communicate persuasively citing evidence free from generalizations and bias

MediaSmarts Resources

Skill Descriptor:

Evaluate and present content to communicate facts, ideas, and opinions

Achievement Indicators:

Select information, topics, and theme that support their purpose

Support ideas with evidence

Use credible information to support or refute ideas and opinions

Present with intention, using source content and language to influence the audience

MediaSmarts Resources

Skill Descriptor:

Use language of harmony and respect self-monitoring and adjusting as appropriate.

Achievement Indicators:

Describe helpful, respectful, and equitable language

Use language that demonstrates consideration for the feelings of others

Use language that is not hurtful or offensive

Identify examples of prejudice, stereotyping, or bias in oral language and the negative effect on individuals and cultures

Use bias-free language

Use inclusive language that respects gender identity

Use language that demonstrates cultural sensitivity and respect

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Big Idea: Exchanges

Skill Descriptor:

Seek and respond to questions to clarify or explain ideas, concepts, problems and solutions.

Achievement Indicators:

Seek outside resources to support ideas, concepts, or claims

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Skill Descriptor:

Understand communication conventions for a diverse set of audiences.

Achievement Indicators:

Communicate with sensitivity and respect

Select and adjust language to reflect an understanding of the audience perspective, context, and purpose

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Skill Descriptor:

Respond personally and critically to a variety of text.

Achievement Indicators:

Respond and react to oral presentations and stories and multi-modal text by challenging ideas and communicating thoughts or opinions

Respond to oral presentations and stories, and multi-modal text citing incomplete information, outstanding questions, and possibilities for further elaboration

MediaSmarts Resources

Skill Descriptor:

Adjust interactions to reflect the situation, audience, and purpose

Achievement Indicators:

Identify appropriate conventions for specific types of interactions

Use conversational conventions that are respectful of the needs, rights, and feelings of others

Engage in active listening

Communicate a next step or response to negotiate

MediaSmarts Resources

Big Idea: Reception

Skill Descriptor:

Critically reflect on the contributions of others to extend understanding.

Achievement Indicators:

Determine what information is important, relevant, and worthy of further consideration

Identify the perspective implicit within a speaker’s contribution

Recognize that spoken language reveals values and attitudes such as bias, beliefs, and prejudice

Understand how language is used to influence and manipulate

MediaSmarts Resources

Strand: Reading

Big Idea: Reading Comprehension

Skill Descriptor:

Examine information critically considering the source, intended audience, inferred meaning and explicit bias.

Achievement Indicators:

Construct literal and inferred meaning when reading text independently

Make general inferences from the information gathered from a variety of text features

Describe relationships among story or text elements and their effect on plot or overall theme

Demonstrate the ability to search for and locate specific information from a variety of sources

Respond critically to how a text employs language to manipulate, persuade, or control and propose alternative perspectives

MediaSmarts Resources

Skill Descriptor:

Use appropriate comprehension strategies to clarify understanding of a range of text with increasing confidence.

Achievement Indicators:

Use a variety of texts varying in form, length, and diverse worldview to present an alternative perspective to a topic or theme

MediaSmarts Resources

Skill Descriptor:

Analyze and respond personally and critically to a range of texts across genres, interests, and complexities, citing evidence.

Achievement Indicators:

Express and support personal reactions, and preferences for and opinions about a diverse range of texts, genres, and creators

Compare and contrast information with personal experiences and prior knowledge to make personal connections, textual connections, and world connections

Evaluate a writer’s style/technique and its effectiveness citing relevant examples

Evaluate the effectiveness of the facts/reason to support a claim and identify when irrelevant information is introduced

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Big Idea: Text Analysis and Criticality

Skill Descriptor:

Independently select, read, and construct meaning from a variety of texts representing all voices.

Achievement Indicators:

Interpret symbols, shades of meaning, and figurative and descriptive language used by the author to convey meaning in literary texts

Interpret genre-specific text features used by text creators to convey meaning in both literary and informational texts

Analyze how purpose, structure, and characteristics/text features of a variety of text forms and genres contribute to understanding

Articulate how an author’s/creator’s style/technique creates meaning and impact

MediaSmarts Resources

Skill Descriptor:

Critically analyze the characteristics, language, form, features, and genre of a range of texts.

Achievement Indicators:

Use context clues, prior knowledge/experience, and knowledge of text forms and features to verify and adjust predictions/assumptions

Identify key story elements of a narrative and explain how they relate to the theme

Describe the difference between main ideas and supporting details.

Compare and contrast language, content, and themes in current and historic text

Evaluate the effectiveness of the different elements of an author’s style/technique in creating meaning and impact, using evidence

Examine texts for bias

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Strand: Representations

Big Idea: Process

Skill Descriptor:

Develop strategies to enhance clarity in written works.

Achievement Indicators:

Write with purpose and understand the influence of the writer

Gather ideas from a variety of sources and use a framework (e.g., web, graphic organizer) to sort and classify the information/ideas, recognize different perspectives, and make new connections

Apply knowledge of copyright/plagiarism (including the use of A.I.)

Draft a piece of writing making critical choices about ideas/content based on the purpose and intended audience

Use a variety of publishing formats (e.g., books, pamphlets, posters, web sites) with appropriate text and text features

Use specific devices to achieve purpose (instruct, persuade, entertain)

Explain form choice as it pertains to purpose and intended audience

MediaSmarts Resources

Big Idea: Composition

Skill Descriptor:

Create a variety of texts with purpose and understand the influence of the writer/creator.

Achievement Indicators:

Select a specific topic with a main idea that supports the purpose and audience

Include thoughtful ideas/events relevant to the topic

Include relevant/well-researched details to enhance the ideas