Lightning Lit & Comp Eighth Grade Teacher Guide

In each course, there are 36 weekly lessons grouped into chapters. There are twelve chapters in Grade 8; one for each of the major pieces of literature that are studied throughout the year plus some on short stories and one on poetry, but the chapters do not necessarily correspond to a specific time period. There is a consistent pattern in the chapter contents, however: Introduction (to the literary work), While You Read (what to look for), Vocabulary List, Comprehension Questions, Literary Lesson, Mini-Lesson (writing lesson), and Writing Exercises.

There are 8-12 exercises per chapter, in seven different coded types - L for literary lessons, M relating to mini-lessons, C practicing composition skills, T for thinking skill pages, G exercises that review grammar and mechanics, P for puzzles, and E for extra-challenge (the last two being the optional ones). There's a nice variety in these exercises and a well-thought-out relationship between the literary and composition activities. Frankly, I like the step-by-step skill building that is integral to the course.

The Student Book includes instructional text, shorter works (i.e. poetry, excerpts), author background, discussion questions (comprehension, thought, literary), and writing exercises. The Student Worktext provides workpages practice the skills and concepts learned in the lessons, along with composition skills (writing from note cards, rewriting in your own words, etc.), thinking skills (e.g., differentiating fact from opinion, identifying bias), and grammar review (e.g., capitalization, pronouns and antecedents). There are also optional puzzles and extra "Challenge" workbook pages. The Teacher Guide provides answers, schedules, teaching/grading tips, rubrics, project suggestions/checklists, and grade-tracking records.

There are required literature resources to use with each course. While you may be able to locate some or all of the books at a library, we also offer the Grade 8 Pack that include the necessary books plus the student and teacher books. This pack is available either with or without the Stories and Poems book that is also used in the 7th grade course.

Grade 8 literature selections include: Hobbit, To Kill a Mockingbird, Day of Pleasure: Stories of a Boy Growing Up in Warsaw, My Family and Other Animals, Christmas Carol, Treasure Island,and Stories and Poems for Extremely Intelligent Children of All Ages.