ARM 10.53.423. ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS AND LITERACY STANDARDS FOR EIGHTH GRADE

(1) Foundational reading standards for eighth grade are that each student will be able to: (a) decode multisyllabic words accurately using combined knowledge of letter-sound correspondences, syllabication patterns, and morpheme structures. (2) Vocabulary standards for eighth grade are that each student will be able to: (a) articulate the potential effect of specific word choice on meaning when given two comparative texts on the same subject or event, including words and phrases with cultural significance to Montana Indigenous Peoples. (3) Fluency standards for eighth grade are that each student will be able to: (a) read grade-appropriate texts with sufficient accuracy, rate, and prosody to support comprehension. (4) Reading comprehension standards for eighth grade are that each student will be able to: (a) cite the textual evidence that most strongly supports an analysis of what a text explicitly states, as well as inferences drawn from the text, including those by and about Montana Indigenous Peoples; (b) provide an objective summary of the text; (c) analyze the development of a theme or central idea over the course of the text and its relationship to specific elements of the text, including those by and about Montana Indigenous Peoples; (d) analyze the author's choices in developing a text with attention to specific elements or features of the text; (e) evaluate the impact of specific word choice, including figurative, connotative, and technical language, on meaning and tone; (f) compare and contrast the structure of two or more texts and analyze how the differing structure of each text affects its meaning; (g) analyze how point of view or purpose shapes the content and style of a text, including in culturally diverse texts and those by and about Montana Indigenous Peoples; and (h) analyze the relationship between two or more texts that provide conflicting information or depictions of the same topic, using culturally diverse texts from different genres, including those by and about Montana Indigenous Peoples. (5) Writing standards for eighth grade are that each student will be able to: (a) write arguments that support claims and counterclaims with clear reasons and relevant evidence that follow a logical progression; (b) write informative texts that examine a topic and convey ideas, concepts, and information through the selection, organization, and analysis of sufficient content; (c) write narratives about real or imagined experiences or events, using descriptive details, well-structured event sequences, and transitions to convey shifts in time or setting; (d) develop and strengthen the writing process by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, implementing feedback, or trying a new approach, focusing on how well purpose and audience have been addressed; (e) write a cohesive multi-paragraph text appropriate to task and purpose using a variety of sentence types; and (f) demonstrate grade-level appropriate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking. (6) Research and inquiry standards for eighth grade are that each student will be able to: (a) conduct research projects that answer self-generated questions and allow for multiple avenues of exploration, drawing on several reliable sources; (b) gather and determine the credibility of multiple sources; use effective research strategies; quote, paraphrase, and summarize information; and provide in-text citations and a bibliography according to a standard style; and (c) conduct short research projects to analyze the role of story, narrative, and oral tradition when reading sources from diverse cultural perspectives, values, beliefs, and points of view, including those of Montana Indigenous Peoples. (7) Speaking and listening standards for eighth grade are that each student will be able to: (a) engage in a range of collaborative discussions with a variety of partners on topics, texts, and issues, building on others' ideas and expressing their own clearly; (b) analyze the purpose of information presented in diverse media and formats and evaluate the motives behind its presentation; (c) delineate a speaker's argument and specific claims, evaluating the reasoning, evidence, and the speaker's perspective; and (d) present information with relevant evidence, emphasizing the main point in a focused, coherent manner appropriate to purpose, audience, and task.