8th Grade ELA Benchmark Review

Genres - N/F/D/P/P
1. Non-fiction (Literary Nonfiction/Informational)
a. Literary Non-fiction
i. Memoir - One memory moment in a person’s life.
ii. Autobiography - The personal account of a person’s life written by the
person.
iii. Biography - The account of a person’s life written by another person.
b. Informational
i. Main Idea (Key Ideas)
ii. Summary
iii. Fact
iv. Opinions
v. Text Structure
vi. Author’s Purpose
2. Fiction
a. Plot - The sequence (order) of events in a story.
i. Exposition (How are the characters/setting impacting rising action?)
ii. Rising Action (What events are leading to the conflict? How do the
characters deal with the conflict?)
iii. Conflict (What problems does the setting, characters, or character’s
interactions create for the plot?)
iv. Climax (How do the character’s traits of the main characters change to
help resolve the conflict? How does the setting or characters change the
plot?)
v. Falling Action (What details settle the climax and lead towards a
resolving of the conflict?)
vi. Resolution (How are lose ends tied up with characters? What theme is
developed by the character’s dealing with the conflict or story’s events?)
b. Characterization - Character traits: Feelings, Actions, Saying, Thoughts,
Relationships
c. Theme - The (central) message (lesson) the author wants the reader to take
away from the story.
d. Figurative Language - Simile, Metaphor, Personification, Onamonapia,
Hyperbole
e. Sensory Language - 5 senses (touch, smell, hear, seeing, taste)
3. Drama
a. Playwright - The author of a play
b. Cast of characters - Actors in play
c. Dialogue (Lines) - What the characters are saying
d. Stage Directions - Instructions given in the text of a play
e. Plot - The sequence (order) of events in a story
f. Characterization - Character traits: Feelings, Actions, Saying, Thoughts,
Relationships
g. Theme - The (central) message (lesson) the author wants the reader to take
away from the story.
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h. Figurative Language - Simile, Metaphor, Personification, Onamonapia,
Hyperbole
i. Sensory Language - 5 senses (touch, smell, hear, seeing, taste)
4. Poetry
a. Lines/ Line Breaks (divides up stanzas)
b. Stanzas - A group of lines separated by a line break
c. Figurative Language - Repetition, Rhyme Scheme (AABB, ABAB), Onamonapia,
Simile, Metaphor, Personification,Hyperbole
d. Sensory Language - Descriptive details of the 5 senses (touch, smell, hear,
seeing, taste)
e. Theme - The (central) message (lesson) the author wants the reader to take
away from the story.
5. Persuasive
a. Fact
b. Opinion
c. Claim
d. Assertion (absolute langage, generalization, stereotype)
e. Supporting details
f. Main Idea
g. Summary
h. Text Structure: cause/effect, descriptive, sequence (order/process),
problem/solution, chronological (time)
i. Author’s Purpose: PIEE (persuade, inform, entertain, explain)
Synonyms for Persuade might include:
Synonyms for Inform might include:
Synonyms for Entertain might include:
Synonyms for Explain might include:

Expository/Informational Text​ - Text Features and Text Structure

Captions
Text Structure
Compare/Contrast
in comparison, by contrast, similarly, but, on the other hand, on the contrary, yet,
however, despite, as opposed to
Problem/Solution
problem, solution, because, research, develop, cause, since, as a result, in order to,
so that, goal, investigate
Descriptive
No signal words - instead look for lots of descriptive details
Sequence
first, second, next, last, finally
Chronological
first, next, then, before, after, last, finally, time
Cause/Effect
for this reason, thus, since, in order to, as a result, therefore, consequently, because,
 8th Grade ELA Benchmark Review
due to, on account of

Author’s Purpose - ​P.I.E.E. - Persuade, Inform, Entertain, Explain

Perspective
Point of View
First Person - I, me, my, we
Third Person - They, them, he, she
Limited - Narrator knows the thoughts and feelings of 2 or less characters
Omniscient - Narrator knows the thoughts and feelings of 3 or more
Theme - ​THE Me​ (the message)
Central message - central idea

Summary - G.I.S.T >>> BME

What, Who, Where, When, Why, How (G.I.S.T)
Main Idea
M​ - Main ideas only: from the Beginning, Middle and End
N​ - too Narrow (too little information)
B​ - too Broad (too much information)
Whole Summary - entire(all) text
Paragraph Summary - parts of the text
Line Summary - line of the text (specific detail)

Author’s Craft/Literary Techniques

Word Choice
Sensory Language
Figurative Language
Imagery
Premise
Claim
Assertion
Fact
Opinion
Loaded Terms

Poetry - S. S. I. F. T. T. ​and/or​ P. A. P.
Stanza
Lines
Line Breaks - Shift in the central message/theme
Rhyme (internal and external)
Rhyme Scheme
Rhythm
Meter
Figurative Language
Simile
Metaphor
Extended Metaphor
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Personification
Hyperbole
Imagery
Repetition
Alliteration
Symbolism
Sensory Language - 5 Senses (See, Touch, Taste, Smell, Hear)

Fiction - Adapted Plot Map

Plot Development
Exposition
Conflict
Rising Action
Climax
Falling Action
Resolution
Sign Posts
Contrast and Contradiction - CC
Aha Moment - Aha
Tough Question - ???
Words of the Wiser - WW
Again and Again - AA
Memory Moment - MM

Characterization - FASTR
Character Traits (qualities)
FASTR​ - Feelings, Actions, Sayings, Thoughts, Relationships
Character Motives
Character Conflict (internal, external)
Protagonist
Antagonist

So What Reading and Testing Strategies Do We Use to enhance our

understanding of the texts on the test?

First Read- also known as a “cold” read whereas the reader “sponges” the gist of the text

Second Read- also known as a “hot” read whereas the reader analyzes key ideas by rereading
and annotating the text for a deeper understanding

Structured Annotation ​for​ Non-Fiction, Fiction, Drama, and Persuasive​ Genres:

CCVSRQ (Chapa Cougars VS Rattler Quarterback)
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Clarify, Connect, Visualize, Summarize, Respond Question

S.N.O.T.S. (small notes on the side- identify the 5W’s and H/ main ideas)

Clicks & Clunks (I understand.../ I wonder…I was confused about...)

GIST (summary within 20 or less words to avoid unimportant details)

Structured Annotation​ for Poetry

PAP
Paraphrase (restate the poem’s message in your own words)
Annotate (identify and analyze the poem for figurative and sensory lang.)
Purpose (infer how the author’s use of language impacts the poem)
SSIFTT
Subject (identify the topic of the poem)
Structure (analyze the organization of the poem- lines/stanzas/shifts)
Imagery (consider descriptive word choice and how it evokes imagery)
Figurative Language (simile, metaphor, personifcation, hyperbole,
alliteration, rhyme, rhyme scheme, idioms, mood, tone, etc)
Tone- the writer’s attitude toward the subject or topic
Theme- the author’s intended message, lesson, “take-away” for the
reader

Signpost Annotation
Non-Fiction: Word Gaps, Numbers and Statistics, Quote Words, Absolute
and Extreme language, Contrasts and Contradictions

Fiction: Aha Moment, Words of the Wiser, Tough Questions, Again and
Again, Memory Moment, Contrasts and Contradictions

Tally System - Self Monitoring Strategy (add up all :) :( along your way to track confidence)

Inference Chart (What the text says + Background knowledge/Logic = Inference)

Stated​ (direct text evidence) inference (words directly from the text)
Implied (indirect text evidence) ​inference (a conclusion drawn by making a strong
prediction about what the text states)

Vocabulary in Context - IOOI - Inside, Outside, Outside, Inference

Root Words
Prefix
Suffix
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Base word
Latin root

Dictionary- Read through ALL definitions and make best inference using context
Thesaurus- Read through ALL synonyms to compare with definitions

Text Structure - Analyze how the text is organized and infer the author’s purpose
Author’s Organization
Cause - Effect
Description
Problem - Solution
Sequence
Chronological

Summary - Whole text, Part of text, a line or sentence

BME evaluation (key details arranged form beginning, middle, end)
Most SPECIFIC word choice!
-Does this answer choice include key/mainIdeas only?
-Is this answer choice too narrow (missing important details)
-Is this answer choice too broad (includes too much information)
GIST (most concise summary)

Double Bubble Thinking Map (make connections between two texts; compare/contrast)

IMPORTANT MNEMONICS to help you recall reading/test-taking strategies:

NFDPP​ - How to remember the genres we will be tested on

Non-Fiction
Fiction
Drama
Poetry
Persuasive

POE​ - Strategy for answering multiple choice questions

Process
of
Elimination

2 Wrong answers - No Way Jose answers

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1 possible answer that is a distractor from the “better answer” - Maybe Baby
1 Correct Answer (the “best answer” of all) - Maybe Baby

WITM​ - Writing in the Margins = ​CCVSRQ​ - Connection, Clarify, Visualize, Summarize,

Respond, Questions

TGPRSITE​ - Tim’s, Grandmother, Picks, Red, Strawberries, In, The, Evening

Text Evidence​- If you can’t prove it, you can’t use it (the answer choice)
Justify your answer with text to support your thinking

FASTR​ - Use when analyzing a character/characterization

Feelings
Actions
Sayings
Thoughts
Relationships

IOOI-​ Inside, Outside, Outside - Use this strategy for vocabulary questions
Inside - Look inside the sentence
Outside - Look outside to surrounding sentences
Outside - Look outside in the dictionary

PIEE​ - Remembering the reasons authors write

P​ersuade
I​nform
E​ntertain
E​xplain

POV​ - Point of View

1st person- narrator is involved and provides a more reliable perspective of the story
2nd person- usually used for procedural texts (key word “you,” “yours”)
3rd person
Limited (reader knows feelings, actions, thoughts of 2 or fewer characters)
Ominicient (readers knows feelings, actions, thoughts of ALL characters)

The​ME ​- THE MEssage + So What?

SWBST​ - Somebody, Wanted, But, So, Then

TGPRSITE​ (mnemonic) - Tim’s Grandmother Picked Red Strawberries in the Evening

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Title
Genre
Paragraph
Read or Reread
Summarize
Important Words
Text
Evidence

RIP​ - 120 Success for the test

Read
Infer
Prove

QQSD​ - How do authors begin their writing

Question
Quote
Sensory Language
Dialogue

CUPS​ - Editing Strategy for Writing

Capitalization
Usage
Punctuation
Spelling

RADaR​- Revision Strategy for Writing

Replace
Add
Delete
and
Rearrange

SWAG​- Writing Beliefs

Start each sentence with a capital letter
Wow your reader with word choice
Add supporting details to main ideas
Glow the paper with sentence variety and punctuation

AAAWWUBBIS​ - Words used in complex sentences

After When Because Since

Although While Before
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As Until If