Minnesota 8th Grade ELA Standards in Writing

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W Writing

• W1 Foundations of Writing: Demonstrate knowledge of oral language, orthography, grammar and mechanics to express ideas in writing.
  • 8.2.1.1 Consistently write and edit work for correct punctuation, spelling, capitalization and grammar.
  • 8.2.1.2 Use nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, and pronouns, placing clauses and phrases within sentences correctly, authentically in writing, and building on skills from previous years.
• W2 Write routinely for various purposes and disciplines, representing one’s own personal perspective, identity, and voice.
  • 8.2.2.1 Write routinely for a range of tasks (e.g., personal interest, enjoyment, academic tasks), purposes, and audiences, choosing topics and format, including visual elements (e.g., illustrations, charts, tables, and audiovisual elements) when applicable.
  • 8.2.2.2 Write to reflect how personal perspective and identity have developed in relation to social or cultural groups.
• W3 Develop and strengthen writing by using a writing process including planning, drafting, revising, editing, and publishing.
  • 8.2.3.1 Plan and draft multiple pieces; self-select pieces to take through the writing process and methods for revision, editing, and publishing.
  • 8.2.3.2 Use words, phrases, and sentence structures to express ideas precisely and concisely, recognizing and eliminating wordiness and redundancy.
• W4 Write arguments to support claims and to persuade in an analysis of topics or texts, using valid reasoning and evidence while considering audience.
  • 8.2.4.1 Write to argue, clarifying the relationship among claims and evidence in both argument and counter-argument, building on skills from previous years.
  • 8.2.4.2 Write to persuade, clarifying the relationship between opinions and supporting facts, building on skills from previous years.
• W5 Write informative or explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas and information clearly and accurately through use of informational and literary text, considering audience.
  • 8.2.5.1 Write to inform or explain, integrating factual information to convey understanding about a topic, incorporating correctly cited summary, paraphrase, and quotation, and utilizing organization strategies common in a variety of text structures, building on skills from previous years.
    • 8.2.5.1a Use precise, domain-specific vocabulary.
  • 8.2.5.2 Write to respond to a literary text, demonstrating understanding of style, mood, and tone. (e.g., writing personal reactions, analysis, and interpretation of text).
• W6 Write narratives, poetry, and other creative texts with details and effective technique to express ideas.
  • 8.2.6.1 Write to create, applying advanced literary techniques including complicated plots, pacing, rhythm, and rhyme to develop mood and tone in various literary forms.
  • 8.2.6.2 Craft dialogue to match character or narrator perspective and context, and use structure appropriate to chosen style and tone, in written narratives, poetry, or other creative text.
• W7 Engage in inquiry-based learning and research processes to create texts and presentations for a variety of purposes and audiences.
  • 8.2.7.1 Formulate self-generated questions that guide inquiry, generating additional questions for further research and investigation.
  • 8.2.7.2 Plan and conduct independent research, synthesizing information from a wide variety of sources, and share findings in writing. (e.g., sources of different formats and/or perspectives).
• W8 Media Literacy in Writing: Support writing with evidence from sources, correctly citing those sources, and demonstrating an understanding of the rights and obligations of using intellectual property.
  • 8.2.8.1 Use and cite a wide variety of print and digital sources, quoting, paraphrasing, and summarizing, avoiding plagiarism.