Missouri Standards
Missouri 8th Grade ELA Standards
All 34 Missouri English language arts standards for 8th grade, each explained in plain English. The official wording is in Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education's document, linked at the end of this page.
34 standards
Reading Literary Text
12 standards8.RL.1.A
Draw conclusions and inferences about a story and back them with the quoted evidence that supports them most strongly, both stated and implied.
8.RL.1.B
Figure out what words and phrases mean in literature, including figurative and connotative meanings, using context, Greek and Latin affixes, or a dictionary.
8.RL.1.C
Interpret the visual elements of a literary text, like a cover image or illustrated scene, and draw conclusions from them when present.
8.RL.1.D
Identify a story's theme, analyze how it develops from start to finish, and write an objective summary of the text.
8.RL.2.A
Analyze how an author's choice of form or overall structure adds to meaning, like a story told out of order through flashbacks.
8.RL.2.B
Analyze how dramatic irony comes from the gap between what characters know and what the audience or reader knows.
8.RL.2.C
Analyze how specific word choices and sentence structures shape a text's meaning and tone, like short, clipped sentences that build tension.
8.RL.2.D
Analyze how an author uses literary devices, like foreshadowing or symbolism, to build setting, reveal character, move the plot, and add meaning.
8.RL.3.A
Judge how closely a film or stage version of a story follows the text, and weigh the choices the director or actors made.
8.RL.3.B
Explain how modern stories borrow archetypal characters or universal themes from older works, like a hero's journey drawn from myths.
8.RL.3.C
Explain how a story's themes reflect its history or culture, like a theme of resilience in a novel about the Dust Bowl.
8.RL.3.D
Read eighth grade stories, plays, and poems on your own and understand them fully and accurately.
Reading Informational Text
12 standards8.RI.1.A
Draw conclusions and inferences about nonfiction and back them with the quoted evidence that supports them most strongly, stated or implied.
8.RI.1.B
Figure out word meanings in nonfiction, including figurative, connotative, and subject-specific terms like amendment, using context, word parts, or references.
8.RI.1.C
Interpret visuals in nonfiction, including ones from other media like interactive maps or video, and draw conclusions from them when present.
8.RI.1.D
Explain a text's central idea, analyze how it develops from start to finish, and write an objective summary of the text.
8.RI.2.A
Analyze how an author's choice of organization or overall structure adds to a nonfiction text's meaning, like opening with a vivid anecdote.
8.RI.2.B
Analyze how an author recognizes and answers conflicting evidence or opposing viewpoints within a text.
8.RI.2.C
Analyze how word choice and sentence structure shape meaning and tone in nonfiction, like a speech built on repeated parallel sentences.
8.RI.2.D
Evaluate an author's argument by judging whether the reasoning holds up and the evidence is relevant and enough, and spot evidence that does not belong.
8.RI.3.A
Compare and contrast information given in different media, like a documentary and a magazine article, and analyze how each medium's techniques shape meaning.
8.RI.3.B
Analyze two or more texts that give conflicting information on one topic and identify where they disagree on facts or on interpretation.
8.RI.3.C
Explain how a text's central ideas reflect the history or culture they come from, like an essay written during the Cold War.
8.RI.3.D
Read eighth grade informational texts, like editorials and historical documents, on your own and understand them fully.
Writing
4 standards8.W.1.A.a
Research a question, including one you came up with yourself, using relevant and credible print and digital sources, and cite them in a standard format.
8.W.1.A.b
Pick good search terms to find print and online sources, check each for accuracy and reliability, and quote or paraphrase it with a citation in a format like MLA.
8.W.2.A
Plan and draft clear writing for its audience, including stories with a steady point of view, evidence-based explanations, and arguments that weigh counterclaims.
8.W.3.A
Revise drafts by adding, cutting, or reorganizing content, refine word choice and sentences, vary transitions, fix grammar, and publish with technology.
Speaking and Listening
6 standards8.SL.1.A
Follow agreed rules for discussions and group decisions, keep track of goals and deadlines, and set individual roles as the work requires.
8.SL.1.B
Trace a speaker's argument and judge its reasoning and evidence, ask questions that link several speakers' ideas, and answer others with relevant evidence.
8.SL.1.C
Acknowledge new information from others, including through media, and qualify or defend your own views based on the evidence presented.
8.SL.2.A
Present at a good volume and steady pace, saying words clearly and pronouncing them correctly, and stay on point with language suited to the audience.
8.SL.2.B
Keep steady eye contact with different parts of the audience and use effective gestures to make your viewpoint clear and keep listeners engaged.
8.SL.2.C
Plan and give presentations suited to the task and audience, blending in multimedia to clarify information, strengthen claims, and add interest.
The official Missouri documents
- Missouri Learning Standards: 6-12 English Language Arts Grade-Level Expectations · adopted April 2016 · since 2016-17
The plain-English lines on this page are EMStudio's own explanations of Missouri's standards, not the official wording, which Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education publishes in the documents above. Codes and strand names identify each standard.