📚 ELA · Grade 8
One printable 40-minute plan for each of the 15 lessons. A substitute can run any lesson with the lesson's 3D video and Movie. No account needed.
Lesson 1: Theme and objective summary
Lesson link: books/g8-ela · lesson 1
Big idea: Theme = a message about life, proven by details.
Read this aloud (it is the lesson's hook). Students think, then tell a partner what they notice.
“A theme is the lesson about life that a story shows, not just tells. Read Maya's story and ask: what does she learn?”
- Open the lesson link on the board.
- Press Next to the 🎬 Watch step and press ▶ Play.
- Press Next to the Movie step and press ▶ Play.
The video says:
- A topic is one word or phrase, like courage.
- A theme is a full sentence about life: courage grows when you see others try.
- Prove the theme with details: Theo plays badly, again and again, and improves.
Students open the same lesson on their own device (or work with the board). Press Next to Try it.
Try it together first:
Which is the best theme of Maya's story?
- A. Practice and failure lead to skill, and seeing that builds courage.
- B. Band is fun.
- C. Theo is a better musician than Maya.
Answer (for the teacher): Practice and failure lead to skill, and seeing that builds courage.
Also in this lesson: 📘 Learn: Read
If time is left, students play the lesson's game steps (they show up between the videos and Check).
Students press Next to Check and answer the 4 questions on their own device. Goal: 100%. 95% or more is Mastered. “Not yet” means try again; students may retry.
Read this question aloud. Students write the answer on a slip of paper with no name or with a class number, and hand it in.
“Courage” alone is a…
- A. Topic
- B. Theme
Answer (for the teacher): Topic
Leave on the board
- Theme and objective summary
- Big idea: Theme = a message about life, proven by details.
- Memory trick: “Topic is a word; theme is a sentence.”
- Goal: 100%
Watch for this mistake
- Writing a summary as the theme.
- Putting opinions in a summary.
Students do not need accounts; progress stays on each device.
Notes for the teacher
Lesson 2: How dialogue and incidents reveal character
Lesson link: books/g8-ela · lesson 2
Big idea: Actions and words reveal character and move the plot.
Read this aloud (it is the lesson's hook). Students think, then tell a partner what they notice.
“Authors show who a character is through what they say, do and decide, especially at turning points.”
- Open the lesson link on the board.
- Press Next to the 🎬 Watch step and press ▶ Play.
- Press Next to the Movie step and press ▶ Play.
The video says:
- An action that shows Maya feels nervous.
- Her thought shows a realization: skill takes practice.
- A decision shows change: she becomes brave.
Students open the same lesson on their own device (or work with the board). Press Next to Try it.
Try it together first:
What does Maya knocking on the director's door reveal?
- A. She has changed and found courage
- B. She is lost
- C. She is angry at Theo
Answer (for the teacher): She has changed and found courage
If time is left, students play the lesson's game steps (they show up between the videos and Check).
Students press Next to Check and answer the 4 questions on their own device. Goal: 100%. 95% or more is Mastered. “Not yet” means try again; students may retry.
Read this question aloud. Students write the answer on a slip of paper with no name or with a class number, and hand it in.
Maya is a dynamic character.
- A. True
- B. False
Answer (for the teacher): True
Leave on the board
- How dialogue and incidents reveal character
- Big idea: Actions and words reveal character and move the plot.
- Memory trick: “Say, do, think, decide: that's who they are.”
- Goal: 100%
Watch for this mistake
- Describing a character with no text evidence.
Students do not need accounts; progress stays on each device.
Notes for the teacher
Lesson 3: Point of view and dramatic irony
Lesson link: books/g8-ela · lesson 3
Big idea: Different knowledge creates suspense or humor.
Read this aloud (it is the lesson's hook). Students think, then tell a partner what they notice.
“When readers know something a character does not, the story gets tense or funny. That gap is dramatic irony.”
- Open the lesson link on the board.
- Press Next to the 🎬 Watch step and press ▶ Play.
- Press Next to the Movie step and press ▶ Play.
The video says:
- First person uses I. Third person uses she, he and they.
- We know the floor is wet; the hero running in does not. That is dramatic irony.
- It creates suspense or humor.
Students open the same lesson on their own device (or work with the board). Press Next to Try it.
Try it together first:
In a mystery, readers see the thief hide the key in a vase; the detective searches the closet. This creates…
- A. Dramatic irony and suspense
- B. A flashback
Answer (for the teacher): Dramatic irony and suspense
If time is left, students play the lesson's game steps (they show up between the videos and Check).
Students press Next to Check and answer the 4 questions on their own device. Goal: 100%. 95% or more is Mastered. “Not yet” means try again; students may retry.
Read this question aloud. Students write the answer on a slip of paper with no name or with a class number, and hand it in.
A third-person omniscient narrator knows…
- A. Many characters' thoughts
- B. Only one character's thoughts
Answer (for the teacher): Many characters' thoughts
Leave on the board
- Point of view and dramatic irony
- Big idea: Different knowledge creates suspense or humor.
- Memory trick: “We know, they don't: dramatic irony.”
- Goal: 100%
Watch for this mistake
- Calling any surprise “irony”.
Students do not need accounts; progress stays on each device.
Notes for the teacher
Lesson 4: Figurative language, connotation and allusion
Lesson link: books/g8-ela · lesson 4
Big idea: Ask: what does it mean here, and how does it feel?
Read this aloud (it is the lesson's hook). Students think, then tell a partner what they notice.
““The hallway was a river of backpacks.” Words can paint pictures and carry feelings beyond their dictionary meaning.”
- Open the lesson link on the board.
- Press Next to the 🎬 Watch step and press ▶ Play.
- Press Next to the Movie step and press ▶ Play.
The video says:
- A metaphor: the crowd moves like a river.
- Same meaning, different feelings: thrifty is positive, cheap is negative. That is connotation.
- An allusion points to a famous story or person.
Students open the same lesson on their own device (or work with the board). Press Next to Try it.
Try it together first:
Which word has the most positive connotation?
- A. confident
- B. arrogant
- C. bossy
Answer (for the teacher): confident
Also in this lesson: 🎮 Play: Sort figurative language: simile, metaphor or personification.
If time is left, students play the lesson's game steps (they show up between the videos and Check).
Students press Next to Check and answer the 4 questions on their own device. Goal: 100%. 95% or more is Mastered. “Not yet” means try again; students may retry.
Read this question aloud. Students write the answer on a slip of paper with no name or with a class number, and hand it in.
Calling a strong friend “a Hercules” is…
- A. An allusion
- B. A pun
Answer (for the teacher): An allusion
Leave on the board
- Figurative language, connotation and allusion
- Big idea: Ask: what does it mean here, and how does it feel?
- Memory trick: “Denotation = dictionary; connotation = feeling.”
- Goal: 100%
Watch for this mistake
- Naming the device but not explaining its effect.
Students do not need accounts; progress stays on each device.
Notes for the teacher
Lesson 5: Central idea and summary
Lesson link: books/g8-ela · lesson 5
Big idea: Central idea = what the whole text keeps proving.
Read this aloud (it is the lesson's hook). Students think, then tell a partner what they notice.
“Every article has a main point it keeps returning to. Find it, then trace how each paragraph builds it.”
- Open the lesson link on the board.
- Press Next to the 🎬 Watch step and press ▶ Play.
- Press Next to the Movie step and press ▶ Play.
The video says:
- Ask who or what the text is about and why it matters.
- Ideas that repeat are clues to the central idea.
- A summary is short and has no opinions.
Students open the same lesson on their own device (or work with the board). Press Next to Try it.
Try it together first:
Which detail does NOT support the idea that later starts help?
- A. Later starts can push sports into the evening.
- B. Body clocks shift later in puberty.
- C. One district reported fewer tardies.
Answer (for the teacher): Later starts can push sports into the evening.
Also in this lesson: 📘 Learn: Read
If time is left, students play the lesson's game steps (they show up between the videos and Check).
Students press Next to Check and answer the 4 questions on their own device. Goal: 100%. 95% or more is Mastered. “Not yet” means try again; students may retry.
Read this question aloud. Students write the answer on a slip of paper with no name or with a class number, and hand it in.
Supporting details…
- A. Develop the central idea
- B. Are unrelated
Answer (for the teacher): Develop the central idea
Leave on the board
- Central idea and summary
- Big idea: Central idea = what the whole text keeps proving.
- Memory trick: “What does every paragraph have in common?”
- Goal: 100%
Watch for this mistake
- Choosing a detail instead of the central idea.
Students do not need accounts; progress stays on each device.
Notes for the teacher
Lesson 6: Evaluate an argument: claim, evidence, reasoning
Lesson link: books/g8-ela · lesson 6
Big idea: Claim + relevant evidence + reasoning.
Read this aloud (it is the lesson's hook). Students think, then tell a partner what they notice.
“Not all evidence is equal. Strong arguments use relevant, sufficient evidence and admit the other side.”
- Open the lesson link on the board.
- Press Next to the 🎬 Watch step and press ▶ Play.
- Press Next to the Movie step and press ▶ Play.
The video says:
- The claim is what the writer wants you to believe.
- Evidence: facts, data, examples, expert findings.
- Reasoning explains how the evidence proves the claim.
- One person's feeling is weak, irrelevant evidence.
Students open the same lesson on their own device (or work with the board). Press Next to Try it.
Do the lesson's Try it step together on the board.
Also in this lesson: 🎮 Play: Pick the round “Claim, evidence or reasoning”.
If time is left, students play the lesson's game steps (they show up between the videos and Check).
Students press Next to Check and answer the 4 questions on their own device. Goal: 100%. 95% or more is Mastered. “Not yet” means try again; students may retry.
Read this question aloud. Students write the answer on a slip of paper with no name or with a class number, and hand it in.
Reasoning…
- A. Connects evidence to the claim
- B. Repeats the claim
Answer (for the teacher): Connects evidence to the claim
Leave on the board
- Evaluate an argument: claim, evidence, reasoning
- Big idea: Claim + relevant evidence + reasoning.
- Memory trick: “Claim says, evidence shows, reasoning explains.”
- Goal: 100%
Watch for this mistake
- Treating a strong opinion as evidence.
Students do not need accounts; progress stays on each device.
Notes for the teacher
Lesson 7: Author's purpose and conflicting information
Lesson link: books/g8-ela · lesson 7
Big idea: Compare facts, focus, and purpose.
Read this aloud (it is the lesson's hook). Students think, then tell a partner what they notice.
“Two articles on the same topic can disagree. Strong readers ask: why does each author say this, and where exactly do they disagree?”
- Open the lesson link on the board.
- Press Next to the 🎬 Watch step and press ▶ Play.
- Press Next to the Movie step and press ▶ Play.
The video says:
- Authors write to inform, persuade, entertain or explain.
- Two texts may focus on different facts about the same topic.
- Ask: do they disagree about facts, or how to read the same facts?
Students open the same lesson on their own device (or work with the board). Press Next to Try it.
Try it together first:
A school board flyer lists only the costs of changing start times. Its likely purpose:
- A. To persuade readers to keep the current schedule
- B. To entertain
Answer (for the teacher): To persuade readers to keep the current schedule
If time is left, students play the lesson's game steps (they show up between the videos and Check).
Students press Next to Check and answer the 4 questions on their own device. Goal: 100%. 95% or more is Mastered. “Not yet” means try again; students may retry.
Read this question aloud. Students write the answer on a slip of paper with no name or with a class number, and hand it in.
A neutral news report mainly aims to…
- A. Inform
- B. Persuade
Answer (for the teacher): Inform
Leave on the board
- Author's purpose and conflicting information
- Big idea: Compare facts, focus, and purpose.
- Memory trick: “Who wrote it, why, and what did they leave out?”
- Goal: 100%
Watch for this mistake
- Assuming both texts must be equally right.
Students do not need accounts; progress stays on each device.
Notes for the teacher
Lesson 8: Argument essay with a counterclaim
Lesson link: books/g8-ela · lesson 8
Big idea: Claim, reasons, evidence, counterclaim, rebuttal.
Read this aloud (it is the lesson's hook). Students think, then tell a partner what they notice.
“A strong argument says what it believes, proves it, and answers the other side respectfully.”
- Open the lesson link on the board.
- Press Next to the 🎬 Watch step and press ▶ Play.
- Press Next to the Movie step and press ▶ Play.
Students open the same lesson on their own device (or work with the board). Press Next to Try it.
Try it together first:
Which sentence is a rebuttal?
- A. However, the benefits to student health outweigh the bus costs.
- B. Some people say buses cost money.
- C. Sleep is important.
Answer (for the teacher): However, the benefits to student health outweigh the bus costs.
Also in this lesson: 📘 Learn: The frame
If time is left, students play the lesson's game steps (they show up between the videos and Check).
Students press Next to Check and answer the 4 questions on their own device. Goal: 100%. 95% or more is Mastered. “Not yet” means try again; students may retry.
Read this question aloud. Students write the answer on a slip of paper with no name or with a class number, and hand it in.
Every body paragraph needs…
- A. Evidence and explanation
- B. A question
Answer (for the teacher): Evidence and explanation
Leave on the board
- Argument essay with a counterclaim
- Big idea: Claim, reasons, evidence, counterclaim, rebuttal.
- Memory trick: “Say it, prove it, face the other side, win it.”
- Goal: 100%
Watch for this mistake
- Ignoring the other side.
- Evidence with no explanation.
Students do not need accounts; progress stays on each device.
Notes for the teacher
Lesson 9: Short response (2 credits)
Lesson link: books/g8-ela · lesson 9
Big idea: RACE: Restate, Answer, Cite, Explain.
Read this aloud (it is the lesson's hook). Students think, then tell a partner what they notice.
“Short responses earn 2 credits when they answer the question, use relevant text evidence, and explain it.”
- Open the lesson link on the board.
- Press Next to the 🎬 Watch step and press ▶ Play.
- Press Next to the Movie step and press ▶ Play.
The video says:
- Restate: turn the question into your first words.
- Answer it clearly.
- Cite the text with quotation marks.
- Explain how the evidence proves your answer.
Students open the same lesson on their own device (or work with the board). Press Next to Try it.
Try it together first:
Which part is MISSING here? “Maya becomes brave because she knocks on the door.”
- A. A direct quote and explanation of how it shows change
- B. The answer
Answer (for the teacher): A direct quote and explanation of how it shows change
Also in this lesson: 📘 Learn: Model (from Maya's story)
If time is left, students play the lesson's game steps (they show up between the videos and Check).
Students press Next to Check and answer the 4 questions on their own device. Goal: 100%. 95% or more is Mastered. “Not yet” means try again; students may retry.
Read this question aloud. Students write the answer on a slip of paper with no name or with a class number, and hand it in.
How many credits is a short response worth on the NYS test?
Answer (for the teacher): 2
Leave on the board
- Short response (2 credits)
- Big idea: RACE: Restate, Answer, Cite, Explain.
- Memory trick: “No quote, no credit: RACE every time.”
- Goal: 100%
Watch for this mistake
- Retelling the story instead of answering.
Students do not need accounts; progress stays on each device.
Notes for the teacher
Lesson 10: Extended response (4 credits)
Lesson link: books/g8-ela · lesson 10
Big idea: Thesis, two texts, evidence, explain, conclude.
Read this aloud (it is the lesson's hook). Students think, then tell a partner what they notice.
“The extended response is a mini essay using two texts. It is scored on content, evidence, organization and conventions.”
- Open the lesson link on the board.
- Press Next to the 🎬 Watch step and press ▶ Play.
- Press Next to the Movie step and press ▶ Play.
Students open the same lesson on their own device (or work with the board). Press Next to Try it.
Try it together first:
The prompt says “Use details from BOTH texts.” You use only one. Result:
- A. A reduced Command of Evidence score
- B. No change
Answer (for the teacher): A reduced Command of Evidence score
Also in this lesson: 📘 Learn: Plan in 5 minutes
If time is left, students play the lesson's game steps (they show up between the videos and Check).
Students press Next to Check and answer the 4 questions on their own device. Goal: 100%. 95% or more is Mastered. “Not yet” means try again; students may retry.
Read this question aloud. Students write the answer on a slip of paper with no name or with a class number, and hand it in.
Conventions means…
- A. Grammar, spelling, punctuation
- B. The number of paragraphs
Answer (for the teacher): Grammar, spelling, punctuation
Leave on the board
- Extended response (4 credits)
- Big idea: Thesis, two texts, evidence, explain, conclude.
- Memory trick: “Plan 5, write 25, proof 5.”
- Goal: 100%
Watch for this mistake
- Forgetting the second text.
- No conclusion.
Students do not need accounts; progress stays on each device.
Notes for the teacher
Lesson 11: Verbals: gerunds, participles, infinitives
Lesson link: books/g8-ela · lesson 11
Big idea: Gerund = noun (-ing). Participle = adjective. Infinitive = to + verb.
Read this aloud (it is the lesson's hook). Students think, then tell a partner what they notice.
“Some verb forms do a different job: “Running is fun” uses a verb as a noun.”
- Open the lesson link on the board.
- Press Next to the 🎬 Watch step and press ▶ Play.
- Press Next to the Movie step and press ▶ Play.
The video says:
- Gerund: an -ing verb acting as a noun.
- Participle: a verb form acting as an adjective.
- Infinitive: to plus a verb.
Students open the same lesson on their own device (or work with the board). Press Next to Try it.
Do the lesson's Try it step together on the board.
Also in this lesson: 🎮 Play: Pick the round “Verbals” and sort each underlined word.
If time is left, students play the lesson's game steps (they show up between the videos and Check).
Students press Next to Check and answer the 4 questions on their own device. Goal: 100%. 95% or more is Mastered. “Not yet” means try again; students may retry.
Read this question aloud. Students write the answer on a slip of paper with no name or with a class number, and hand it in.
A participle acts like an…
- A. Adjective
- B. Adverb only
Answer (for the teacher): Adjective
Leave on the board
- Verbals: gerunds, participles, infinitives
- Big idea: Gerund = noun (-ing). Participle = adjective. Infinitive = to + verb.
- Memory trick: “Noun-ing = gerund; describing = participle; to-do = infinitive.”
- Goal: 100%
Watch for this mistake
- Calling every -ing word a gerund.
Students do not need accounts; progress stays on each device.
Notes for the teacher
Lesson 12: Active and passive voice; verb moods
Lesson link: books/g8-ela · lesson 12
Big idea: Active: subject acts. Passive: subject receives.
Read this aloud (it is the lesson's hook). Students think, then tell a partner what they notice.
““The team won the game” sounds stronger than “The game was won by the team.” Choose voice on purpose.”
- Open the lesson link on the board.
- Press Next to the 🎬 Watch step and press ▶ Play.
- Press Next to the Movie step and press ▶ Play.
The video says:
- Active voice: the subject, Maya, does the action.
- Passive voice: the subject receives the action.
- Moods: indicative states, imperative commands, interrogative asks, conditional and subjunctive imagine.
Students open the same lesson on their own device (or work with the board). Press Next to Try it.
Try it together first:
Which sentence is in active voice?
- A. The scientist tested the water.
- B. The water was tested by the scientist.
Answer (for the teacher): The scientist tested the water.
If time is left, students play the lesson's game steps (they show up between the videos and Check).
Students press Next to Check and answer the 4 questions on their own device. Goal: 100%. 95% or more is Mastered. “Not yet” means try again; students may retry.
Read this question aloud. Students write the answer on a slip of paper with no name or with a class number, and hand it in.
Passive voice is useful when…
- A. The doer is unknown or unimportant
- B. Never
Answer (for the teacher): The doer is unknown or unimportant
Leave on the board
- Active and passive voice; verb moods
- Big idea: Active: subject acts. Passive: subject receives.
- Memory trick: “By zombies” test: if you can add “by zombies” after the verb, it's passive.”
- Goal: 100%
Watch for this mistake
- Shifting voice or mood in the middle of a sentence.
Students do not need accounts; progress stays on each device.
Notes for the teacher
Lesson 13: Commas, ellipses and dashes
Lesson link: books/g8-ela · lesson 13
Big idea: Comma separates, ellipsis omits, dash emphasizes.
Read this aloud (it is the lesson's hook). Students think, then tell a partner what they notice.
“Punctuation changes meaning and rhythm: a dash adds drama, an ellipsis shows a pause or missing words.”
- Open the lesson link on the board.
- Press Next to the 🎬 Watch step and press ▶ Play.
- Press Next to the Movie step and press ▶ Play.
The video says:
- An ellipsis shows a pause, or words left out of a quote.
- A dash adds emphasis or a sudden break.
- A comma after an introductory phrase.
Students open the same lesson on their own device (or work with the board). Press Next to Try it.
Try it together first:
Which uses an ellipsis to show omitted words in a quote?
- A. “Most teenagers' body clocks shift … during puberty.”
- B. Most teenagers... sleep.
Answer (for the teacher): “Most teenagers' body clocks shift … during puberty.”
If time is left, students play the lesson's game steps (they show up between the videos and Check).
Students press Next to Check and answer the 4 questions on their own device. Goal: 100%. 95% or more is Mastered. “Not yet” means try again; students may retry.
Read this question aloud. Students write the answer on a slip of paper with no name or with a class number, and hand it in.
Commas separate items in a…
- A. Series
- B. Single word
Answer (for the teacher): Series
Leave on the board
- Commas, ellipses and dashes
- Big idea: Comma separates, ellipsis omits, dash emphasizes.
- Memory trick: “Pause… break — or list, list, list.”
- Goal: 100%
Watch for this mistake
- Using an ellipsis to change a quote's meaning.
Students do not need accounts; progress stays on each device.
Notes for the teacher
Lesson 14: Greek and Latin roots, context clues
Lesson link: books/g8-ela · lesson 14
Big idea: Root + context = meaning.
Read this aloud (it is the lesson's hook). Students think, then tell a partner what they notice.
“Know “bio” (life) and “graph” (write), and you can figure out biography, autograph and biology.”
- Open the lesson link on the board.
- Press Next to the 🎬 Watch step and press ▶ Play.
- Press Next to the Movie step and press ▶ Play.
The video says:
- Bio means life; graph means write. A biography is writing about a life.
- Bene means good, like benefit. Mal means bad, like malfunction.
- Context clue: unlike shy, so gregarious means outgoing.
Students open the same lesson on their own device (or work with the board). Press Next to Try it.
Do the lesson's Try it step together on the board.
Also in this lesson: 🎮 Play: Use the flip cards, then play the match game.
If time is left, students play the lesson's game steps (they show up between the videos and Check).
Students press Next to Check and answer the 4 questions on their own device. Goal: 100%. 95% or more is Mastered. “Not yet” means try again; students may retry.
Read this question aloud. Students write the answer on a slip of paper with no name or with a class number, and hand it in.
“Tele” means…
- A. Far
- B. Near
Answer (for the teacher): Far
Leave on the board
- Greek and Latin roots, context clues
- Big idea: Root + context = meaning.
- Memory trick: “Break it, bridge it: root plus clue.”
- Goal: 100%
Watch for this mistake
- Guessing from how a word sounds.
Students do not need accounts; progress stays on each device.
Notes for the teacher
Lesson 15: NYS Grade 8 ELA Test strategies
Lesson link: books/g8-ela · lesson 15
Big idea: Read the questions, read the text, prove every answer.
Read this aloud (it is the lesson's hook). Students think, then tell a partner what they notice.
“Read with a pencil in your mind: notice, question, prove. Then answer what is asked, not what you remember.”
- Open the lesson link on the board.
- Press Next to the 🎬 Watch step and press ▶ Play.
- Press Next to the Movie step and press ▶ Play.
Students open the same lesson on their own device (or work with the board). Press Next to Try it.
Do the lesson's Try it step together on the board.
Also in this lesson: 📘 Learn: Plan (NYSED format); 🎮 Play: Take a 15-question practice test. Flag hard questions, then review.
If time is left, students play the lesson's game steps (they show up between the videos and Check).
Students press Next to Check and answer the 4 questions on their own device. Goal: 100%. 95% or more is Mastered. “Not yet” means try again; students may retry.
Read this question aloud. Students write the answer on a slip of paper with no name or with a class number, and hand it in.
The extended response uses…
- A. Evidence from the texts named in the prompt
- B. Only your opinion
Answer (for the teacher): Evidence from the texts named in the prompt
Leave on the board
- NYS Grade 8 ELA Test strategies
- Big idea: Read the questions, read the text, prove every answer.
- Memory trick: “If you can't point to it, don't pick it.”
- Goal: 100%
Watch for this mistake
- Answering from memory instead of the text.
Students do not need accounts; progress stays on each device.