End-of-year targets

What most 8th graders can do by June. Every child grows at their own pace; use this as a guide, not a test.

Tick boxes are just for you. Nothing is saved or sent anywhere.

Reading

Read grade-level fiction and nonfiction fluently (about 150 to 170 words per minute by spring) with expression
State a theme or central idea and support it with cited evidence from the text
Write an objective summary that leaves out opinions and minor details
Name the structure of an informational text and explain how each part develops the key idea
Analyze how point of view, dramatic irony and dialogue create suspense, humor and character
Trace an argument's claim and evidence and judge whether the reasoning is sound and the evidence relevant and sufficient
Compare two texts that give conflicting information on the same topic
Use Greek and Latin roots plus context to determine the meaning of unfamiliar words

Write an argument with a clear claim, evidence, reasoning, a fair counterclaim and a conclusion
Write an informative piece with a clear structure, relevant facts, precise vocabulary and a concluding statement
Write a narrative with a turning point, dialogue, pacing and a reflective ending
Conduct a short research project using credible sources, quoting and paraphrasing correctly
Use gerunds, participles and infinitives and vary sentences for effect
Revise for focus, evidence and clarity, and edit for conventions using a checklist

Tell rational from irrational numbers and estimate square roots on a number line
Use exponent rules and scientific notation to compute with very large and very small numbers
Solve linear equations including variables on both sides, and recognize one, none or infinitely many solutions
Understand functions, find slope and y-intercept from any form, and compare functions
Solve systems of linear equations by graphing, substitution and elimination, including word problems
Describe transformations and use them to show congruence and similarity; use the Pythagorean theorem
Find volumes of cylinders, cones and spheres and analyze scatter plots and two-way tables

Model atoms and molecules and explain states of matter with particle motion
Explain Earth's layers, the rock cycle, plate tectonics and how rock layers record Earth's history
Trace energy and matter through ecosystems and predict the effects of change
Use Newton's laws to predict motion and explain gravity, mass and weight
Explain chemical reactions and conservation of mass, and how human activity affects Earth's systems and climate
Describe waves and space systems and complete an engineering design cycle with data

Use maps to describe the regions, landforms and rivers of the United States
Describe Native nations of North America before 1492 and the effects of European exploration and contact
Compare the founding and economies of the thirteen colonies, including the role of slavery
Explain the causes, key events and ideas of the American Revolution and the Declaration of Independence
Describe the Constitution, the three branches and the Bill of Rights, and the rights and responsibilities of citizens
Explain westward expansion, the causes of the Civil War and the goals of Reconstruction using primary sources