8^th Grade Writing Unit

Houghton Mifflin English (Red book)

This unit is designed to build on the writing skills the students learned in 7^th grade. They will be graded on the content of the writing as well as grammar. All writing assignments will receive a content grade and a grammar grade. Those two grades will be averaged together for a final grade which will be recorded in the grade book.

Two points will be deducted for every grammar error. This includes capitalization, spelling, commas, subject-verb agreement, and all other skills reviewed during our grammar unit.

Day One:

Personal Narratives

Read “Growing Up” pages 56-61

Review page 66-68

HW: Complete Pre-Writing practice page 68

Day Two:

Review page 69

Complete Pre-writing Practice B, page 69, in class

Review Varying Sentence Length pages 70

Reviewing Writing A Good Ending pages 72-73

HW: #3 or 4 Practice A page 73

HW: Make a list of 3 interesting/memorable things that have happened to you in the past year

Day Three:

For each of the 3 things that have happened to you, write 1 reason why it would be a good topic and write 2 details that would be important to include.

Eliminate the topics you can’t provide good detail for.

Choose the topic for your personal narrative.

HW: Write the introduction to your personal narrative

Day Four:

Begin writing personal narrative

Day Five:

Turn in personal narrative at the beginning of class

Begin revision process

Day Six:

Description

Read “First Time Aloft” pages 270-274

HW: Descriptive Writing Assignment – Write a descriptive paragraph for 2 of the following 10 topics: an animal, a sport, an automobile, your house, your parent, your bed, the sky, your lawnmower, your sibling, or a book.

Day Seven:

Turn in descriptive paragraphs

Review Similes and Metaphors page 286

Adding Description to Pre-Existing Sentences

HW: Pre-writing Practice A and B page 287 – Rewrite only 1 time, but add description that includes a simile or a metaphor

HW: Review one of the 2 descriptive paragraphs turned in today

Day Eight:

Return personal narratives

Add description to personal narratives and continue with revisions

Day Nine:

Turn in revised personal narratives

Begin friendly letter writing, review page 606

Addressing Envelopes, review page 360

Day Ten:

Persuasive Letters

Review page 598

Complete writing prompt on page 599

Day Eleven:

Letter to principal due

Begin “Thank You Letter” assignment

Day Twelve:

Complete letters due at the end of the hour