English Project: Year 8

Creating a learning journal

Objectives
i. Develop new strategies to enhance reading comprehension
ii. Locate unfamiliar words in a story and determine their meaning using a variety of strategies
(e.g., prior knowledge, context clues, group discussion, media sources)
iii. Acquire new vocabulary identified from the assigned text
iv. Enhance understanding of new vocabulary by making connections to related ideas and other
words
v. Aim to use new vocabulary in speaking and writing
vi. Aim to continually use the practiced strategies to enhance reading comprehension and
acquire new vocabulary

Directions

1. Choose any four “reading papers” from Cambridge website and attempt these comprehension
passages as per the timeline given.
2. Peer-check your answers and validate by comparing your responses with marking scheme.
3. Make a set of flash cards for all of the words on your interesting words list, including colored
illustrations of each. (Use Ms. PowerPoint)
4. Create a poem that includes all of the interesting words and reflects upon the theme of
literature. Highlight your interesting words. (Use Ms. Word)
5. Create a story. (Word limit 250-300) The words you used need to be highlighted. Your story
must be at least 5 paragraphs. (Use Ms. Word)
6. Create a comic strip that contains at least 6 panels. There must be meaningful dialogue
between characters. You may draw or use the computer, but color is required.
7. Create a Jeopardy Game that categorizes the words. Come up with your own categories and
be sure they make sense and are logical. Be able to justify your categories and the words they
contain. (Use Ms. PowerPoint)

Timeline
 Submission and approval of papers: Monday, 11th March
 Submission of first reading task: Wednesday, 13th March
 Submission of peer-check and validation with marking key: Friday, 15th March
 Submission of flash cards of first two comprehension passages: Monday, 18th March
 Submission of second reading task: Wednesday, 20th March
 Submission of peer-check and validation with marking key: Friday, 22nd March
 Submission of flash cards of remaining two comprehension passages: ___________
 Submission of poem and story: Tuesday, 2nd April
 Submission of Jeopardy game: Tuesday 9th April
 Final submission: Thursday, 14th April
 Presentations: Friday, 15th April