Does anyone have a year long plan for an 8th grade English class?

Question

I'm teaching 8th grade English this year. I have previously only had experience in high school level English classes. I was wondering if anyone had a written out year long plan for an 8th grade English class that I could see. I just want to get an idea of things I need to cover with them. I have a list of possible books to read but nothing set in stone. It would just be helpful to see what other teachers have accomplished in a year. I'm not even sure how much I should plan to accomplish with them because I am really not as familiar with middle school level as with high school. Any suggestions or year long outlines would be helpful. Thanks!

Answer 1

It depends on your state assessments, you should be given a guide or schedule of standards to be covered. My plans for the year are easily adaptable and flexible, you will need to be more studious about modality learning and teaching several levels in one classroom, as your classes will not be as segregated by learning ability.  

Answer 2

If your school doesn't have a (useful) curriculum guide, you should talk to the 7th and 9th grade teachers.  The 7th grade teachers can let you know what the kids did the previous year (since the kids are sure to play the "we never learned that" game).  The 9th grade teachers can let you know what's coming up for them next year so you can build towards those skills and avoid teaching books/stories on the 9th grade curriculum (when I taught 9th, I HATED when half of my class had already read one of my books or stories in 8th grade.  Check the curriculum and make sure you aren't stepping on any pedagogical toes).

We can offer tons of suggestions about what we teach for 8th grade or what we were assigned when we were in 8th grade, but if you want your year to be successful for your students, you need to talk to the 7th and 9th grade teachers in your school system.

Answer 3

Your school doesn't have a curriculum guide?  Mastery Teaching Guide?  

What about your state's Core Content or Program of Studies?  Go to your state board's web page and do a search for whatever your state calls the Program of Studies--the list of whatever every course in every grade is supposed to do.