1980s
8th Grade
Moderate Rigor
Eighth Grade English/Writing (1980)
Process writing approach emerged alongside continued skills instruction. Personal and academic writing balanced with attention to audience and purpose.
4
Hours/Week
8
Skills Expected
Nation at Risk Era
Era
Historical Context
Writing process movement transformed instruction. Word processors began appearing in schools. National Writing Project influenced teaching.
Nation at Risk Era (1980-1989)
Back to basics movement. Standards-based reform emerging. "A Nation at Risk" sparked accountability movement.
Skills Expected
What students were expected to master by the end of 8th grade
- Writing process: prewriting, drafting, revising, editing
- Personal narrative and memoir
- Expository and persuasive writing
- Grammar and mechanics
- Paragraph and essay structure
- Word processing basics (emerging)
- Response to literature
- Portfolio development
Sample Topics & Assignments
Typical problems, readings, or assignments from this era
Typical Resources of the Era
Common textbooks and materials used in 1980s classrooms
- Write Source 2000
- Writers INC
- Warriner's English Grammar and Composition
Get Started: Curriculum Resources
Actual textbooks and curricula you can use to implement 1980s writing standards