Kahua Standards and Benchmarks
PK-12 essential standards and benchmarks for Hawaiian-focused education.
Grade 8 - English / LA
In addition to HFCS ‘Āina-based Learning Competencies (click to view), the PK-12 English Language Arts (E/LA) kahua is grounded in the belief that the purpose of reading and writing is constructing meaning. Reading allows the reader to construct meaning based on the writing by an author and writing allows the writer to construct meaning to convey to a reader.
- ELA.8.1Gather manaʻo about moʻokūʻauhau and kūlana through nīnauele (interviews) and oral histories.
- ELA.8.2Use ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi inoa ‘āina (traditional place names, mauka/makai) to understand various traditions/histories of a place and to understand my place in different spaces.
- ELA.8.3Demonstrate appropriate lawena when engaging in different cultural protocol (i.e. welcoming, entering, gathering, planting, mahalo, kamaʻāina/malihini) in a variety of settings (i.e. in and out of school).
- ELA.8.4Contribute to community wellness by practicing ola pono (i.e. ʻai pono, laʻau lapaʻau, māla, hoʻoponopono) and building the capacity to connect with ʻāina.
- ELA.8.5Ground our thoughts and actions in kānaka historical and contemporary best practices (i.e. resource management, conservation) and educate others.
- ELA.8.6Independently secure access to appropriate literacy resources (conventional hardcover books, resources available through the internet, personal communication) to complete an assignment or task.
- ELA.8.7Independently select reading and writing strategies that are the most appropriate for the purpose of an activity or assignment.
- ELA.8.8Apply literacy competencies to planning, prioritizing, and organizing for assignments.
- ELA.8.9Employ appropriate time management skills for initiating, pacing, and completing assignments.
- ELA.8.10Apply appropriate strategies to organize and share content with a specific audience in speaking situations. For example, consider the audience’s background knowledge, interests, and points of view when choosing a topic and deciding on specific details to include in informal discussions and formal presentations.
- ELA.8.11When sharing information and/or own beliefs and opinions in formal or informal settings, listen to questions posed and respond appropriately and respectfully.
- ELA.8.12Use nonverbal language (through posture, gestures, eye contact) to engage an audience, hold their attention, and emphasize important content in a presentation.
- I.Reading Comprehension
- ELA.8.13Read a variety of texts (mele/poetry, narrative, informational), including primary and secondary sources. Use both print and online sources.
- ELA.8.14Critique texts (give an opinion, supported by evidence, about the style, content, setting, relevance, historical context, or other elements of the text).
- a.Examples of critiques of mele/poetry:
- i.Determine how well the mele or poem tells a story and what elements in the mele or poem contribute to this.
- ii.Consider how effective the imagery is at conveying a sense of place, revealing something about the characters, or depicting a theme.
- iii.Interpret themes and content, taking into consideration the time and context in which the poem or mele was composed.
- b.Examples of narrative text critiques:
- i.Examine the plausibility of the plot (e.g.,Could these events really happen? What details or other evidence give the story events credibility? What details or evidence make them unlikely?).
- ii.Examine how particular elements of a story or drama interact (e.g., how setting shapes the characters, or how a character’s choices drive the plot).
- iii.Consider how an author develops and contrasts the points of view of different characters or narrators in a text.
- c.Examples of informational text critiques:
- a.Examples of critiques of mele/poetry:
- ELA.8.15Examine why the content presented is (or isn’t) credible or persuasive.
- a.Critique the choice of structure an author uses to organize a text, including how the major sections contribute (or don’t) to the development of the ideas and viewpoints of the text.
- b.Critique how well visual elements (photos, graphs, diagrams, etc.) enhance the text, do not enhance it, or possibly cause the reader confusion.
- c.Evaluate informational media, specifically examining the credentials and credibility of source organization and author, in order to identify trustworthy sites and sources for specific types of information.
- II.Writing Process
- ELA.8.16Write in a variety of genres, using appropriate organizational structure and carrying a piece through the steps of the writing process as needed for intended audience and purpose.
- ELA.8.17Use skills gained from critiques of reading to inform own writing in testimonies (at the legislature, a hearing, or to a neighborhood board), presentations (to a funder or panel of community experts), or for other purposes.
- ELA.8.18Use relevant ideas and details to show insight into people, events, places, situations, self.
- III.Language & Vocabulary Development
- ELA.8.19Explain the use of literary devices (e.g., metaphor, symbolism, analogy, personification, satire, allusion, irony) by identifying specific examples in text and speech and analyzing their effects.