Outcome Chart - Nova Scotia - English Language Arts Grade 8

Listening and Speaking

GCO 1: Use oral language to learn

  1. invite others to participate in discussions and think about what other people have said during a discussion
  2. ask questions for clarification, elaboration, to qualify, or to question relevance, accuracy, and validity
  3. thoughtfully answer questions asked by others in order to clarify or give more information
  4. state point of view in a convincing way and support it with personal examples as well as multiple pieces of evidence from outside sources
  5. listen to others closely and identify the key points of their messages; evaluate the relevance of the common details

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GCO 2: communicate using clear oral communication

2.1 contribute to small-group and whole-class discussions using a variety of strategies for effective talk

2.2 use appropriate vocabulary, sentence structure, speed of talking, and tone for different audiences and purposes

2.3 give instructions and follow instructions

2.4 respond appropriately to instructions, directions, and questions 2.5 evaluate the effectiveness of their own and others’ talk based on the context and message

2.6 understand how the content and message are affected by verbal and non-verbal language (repetition, eye contact, and volume)

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GCO 3: interact with sensitivity and respect

3.1 demonstrate active listening (eye contact, rephrasing, clarifying, extending, refining, and summarizing)

3.2 show respect and sensitivity toward others and their differences when giving personal opinions

3.3 recognize that our values, attitudes, biases, beliefs, and prejudices are reflected in our spoken language

3.4 understand how language is used to influence and manipulate

3.5 recognize that different situations require different conventions

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Reading and Viewing

GCO 4: read widely and with understanding

  1. select texts that meet needs and interests
  2. read a variety of texts including fiction and literature, non-fiction, and media texts from different provinces and countries
  3. explain how authors use text features to create meaning
  4. use text features to construct meaning and understand the text
  5. read complex text with fluency, confidence, and comprehension as a result of their understanding and use of cueing systems
  6. independently use a range of reading strategies (predicting, connecting, questioning, inferring) to make meaning from complex print and media texts
  7. regularly identify and discuss the kinds of strategies good readers and viewers use
  8. reflect on own reading and viewing strategies in order to develop ability

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GCO 5: conduct research

5.1 identify relevant or interesting topics or questions for further study

5.2 recognize the need for additional information to meet learning needs

5.3 locate information from a variety of print and non-print sources with speed, accuracy, and confidence

5.4 develop approaches and strategies for conducting research (questioning, narrowing topic, webbing, note-making, drafting, using organizers)

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GCO 6: respond personally

6.1 give and elaborate on initial response, orally or in writing, to what is read or viewed

6.2 support personal response to the issues, themes, and situations within texts by giving personal examples and citing evidence from the text

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GCO 7: read critically

7.1 recognize that print and media texts can be biased

7.2 question and think critically about the relevance and reliability of the content presented

7.3 recognize the tools authors use in their writing to achieve different purposes (organization of information, language choice, use of time, imagery)

7.4 analyze and discuss the impact that text form, content, and structure have on meaning

7.5 understand that values and personal experiences influence understanding and critical response

7.6 describe how culture and reality are portrayed in media text

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Writing and Representing

GCO 8: use many kinds of writing to think and learn

8.1 demonstrate a number of writing and representing strategies as language learners

8.2 write to extend, to explore, and to reflect

8.3 reflect on the writing strategies that help them learn and describe their personal growth as language learners

8.4 use various forms of note-making for different purposes and situations

8.5 integrate interesting effects in their writing (feelings and thoughts, detail, correct inconsistency, avoid extraneous detail, language choice, vocabulary, and phrasing)

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GCO 9: create a variety of texts

9.1 further develop previously introduced writing forms and expand on them (stories, cartoons, journals, business letters, speeches, reports, interviews, messages, poems, ads)

9.2 consider and craft writing (content, word choice, style, tone, form, structure, organization) to suit the audience and purpose

9.3 understand that ideas can be represented in more than one way and experiment with many forms

9.4 ask for feedback about writing and apply it to future drafts

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GCO 10: produce clear and effective writing and other representations

10.1 use spelling conventions for familiar words and attempt difficult words; check for correctness; use standard punctuation, grammar, variety of sentences, vocabulary, and paragraph structures

10.2 choose and apply the appropriate prewriting, drafting, revising, editing, proofreading, and presentation strategies when creating texts

10.3 use various technologies for the purpose of communicating (video, email, word processing, audiotape, Internet)

10.4 demonstrate a commitment to crafting writing and other representations

10.5 collect and combine information from several sources (interview, film, CD, text

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