Grade 8 - Self and Society (Personal Awareness)

This sub-organizer contains the following sections:
Prescribed Learning Outcomes
Suggested Instructional Strategies
Suggested Assessment Strategies
Recommended Learning Resources

PRESCRIBED LEARNING OUTCOMES

It is expected that students will use language to explore thoughts, ideas, feelings, and experiences to prepare for their roles in the world.

It is expected that students will:

demonstrate confidence in using language in a variety of formal and informal contexts, both inside and outside the classroom
identify personal strengths and goals related to using language and use this information to set new goals
explain how new information, language experiences, and technology have shaped their ideas, knowledge, and beliefs

To view the prescribed learning outcomes for Self and Society (Personal Awareness) in other grades click on an icon below.

SUGGESTED INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES

To increase their awareness of themselves, students need opportunities to raise questions about and assess their own beliefs and values.

Ask students to choose images and expressions from TV that they find appealing or offensive and note them in viewing logs. Provide students with sentence starters (e.g. I liked this ad because ________, This image offends me because ________) and ask them to use their logs to create visual essays that include images, direct quotations, and personal responses. Ask questions to prompt reflection. (e.g. How do these images and the language used influence you and others?)
Have students keep portfolios of both their formal and informal writing samples. Then ask them to choose samples they are satisfied with and ones they feel need improvement and use these to set goals for their next pieces of writing.
Challenge students to create poems, write poetic statements, take photographs, or develop audio-visual materials on themes they feel strongly about (e.g., racism, persecution, tolerance, prejudice, religious difference, ethnicity, culture, age). When they have done this, ask them to write journal entries describing what their works suggest about their beliefs and values.

SUGGESTED ASSESSMENT STRATEGIES

Self-assessment plays a key role in the development of language awareness. Students need frequent opportunities to review and reflect on their progress and demonstrate their growing awareness, confidence, and accountability.

Frequently prompt students to set daily goals by posing questions (e.g., What do you want to accomplish today? What could you do during this class to improve your use of language or ability to communicate?) Give students opportunities to discuss sample goals, time at the beginning of each class to jot down one or two targets, and time at the end of each class to note their level of success. Review and discuss their records from time to time. Look for evidence that they are becoming increasingly committed, realistic, and responsible.
Have students work in pairs to develop short surveys or interview forms (five to seven questions) about communication interests, preferences, strengths, and goals. For example:
- If you could use only one way of communicating your ideas at school, what would it be? Why?
- Would you rather write a poem or read one?
- Do you prefer to communicate face to face or in other ways?
- What kinds of communication situations are best for you?
- If you had one wish about improving your use of language or your ability to communicate, what would it be?
Ask the student pairs to administer the survey to (or interview) three or four students and provide a brief written summary of each interview. Then challenge the pairs to create personal communication profiles using the summaries that others have prepared for them. Review the questions, summaries, and personal profiles for evidence of communications awareness and students' abilities to identify personal strengths and goals.