Curriculum by grade › 8th Grade › English Language Arts

8th Grade homeschool English curriculum

All 36 weeks of 8th grade English, planned and ready, with the exact topic for every week below. Start with Week 1 free, no card needed.

Open the free Week 1 lesson See plans

How 8th grade English works

Lessons build reading, writing, grammar, and vocabulary step by step, with read-aloud audio, typed responses, and quizzes that grade themselves.

Time: about 40–50 minutes a day
Scores go straight to the gradebook and report card
Print any lesson as a worksheet with an answer key
Parent tools: hours log, weekly report, portfolio
Family plan: up to 4 students, each with their own records

The full 36-week scope & sequence

Topics and standards come straight from the live course. Standards codes are listed for reference; Life Academy is built to help meet homeschool requirements in all 50 states.

Quarter 1 (weeks 1–9)

Week	Topic	Standards
1	Rhetorical analysis warm-up; Constitution Preamble close read (PD)	CCSS RI.8.4
2	Literature-circle roles; London, Twain, or Chopin short story	RI.8.6
3	Rhetorical appeals in Federalist No. 10 excerpt (Madison, PD)	RH.6-8.4
4	Debate warm-up: Constitution-related teen-appropriate prompt	CCSS RL.8.1
5	Close read: Article I excerpt (enumerated powers sample)	RL.8.2
6	Literature-circle meeting 1; family-picked novel or play	SL.8.1
7	Annotate Amendments 1–5 (PD); paraphrase each in teen plain English	CCSS RI.8.6
8	Rhetorical analysis: a modern op-ed vs a founding-era excerpt	RI.8.8
9	Literature circle mid; character/power analysis paragraph	RH.6-8.6

Quarter 2 (weeks 10–18)

Week	Topic	Standards
10	Primary: Federalist No. 51 excerpt (ambition counteracting ambition)	CCSS SL.8.1
11	Research with sources: mini on a Constitution clause OR chem topic	SL.8.3
12	Unit writing: rhetorical paragraph on a founding excerpt	SL.8.4
13	Literature circle continue; theme tracking	RH.6-8.2
14	Debate: science ethics prompt (genetic testing lite — careful)	RL.8.3
15	Washington Farewell Address or Adams/Jefferson letters	RI.8.9
16	Research mini: expansion OR invention primary+secondary	CCSS RL.8.3
17	Paired sources: settler letter plus indigenous account	RL.8.1
18	Lit circle / novel mid assessment essay	W.8.9a

Quarter 3 (weeks 19–27)

Week	Topic	Standards
19	Poetry and rhetoric: Lincoln Lyceum speech, then Gettysburg	CCSS RI.8.8
20	Rhetorical analysis: Gettysburg Address (PD) — full close read	CCSS W.8.7
21	Literature circle final; theme essay draft	W.8.8
22	Emancipation Proclamation excerpt plus a soldier's letter	RI.8.1
23	Research brief: local climate impact OR energy proposal	CCSS W.8.9b
24	Publish theme / rhetoric piece	W.8.2
25	Debate tournament lite (2 rounds) on coach-approved prompts	CCSS RL.8.2
26	13th–15th Amendments and Freedmen's voices	CCSS RH.6-8.6
27	Research paper (3–4 pages) on history OR science design topic	RH.6-8.9

Quarter 4 (weeks 28–36)

Week	Topic	Standards
28	Revise research paper; oral defense of sources	CCSS W.8.2
29	Literature/rhetoric choice piece polish	RI.8.4
30	Timed reading + annotation set	RI.8.5
31	Write personal academic statement (1 page) for portfolio	W.8.5
32	Teach a Grade 6/7 student OR parent a Grade 8 idea (30 min lesson plan)	WHST.6-8.1
33	Curate portfolio: essays, annotations, labs, math defenses	RST.6-8.1
34	Final writing standards check	CCSS W.8.5
35	Full capstone rehearsal with panel questions	W.8.6
36	Portfolio + Socratic/capstone defense (family/community panel)	L.8.1

Need a little extra help?

Live 1:1 tutoring with David Clifford on Zoom or Google Meet: $35/hour, your first hour $25. See tutoring.

Same grade: 8th Grade math · 8th Grade science · 8th Grade history

← 7th Grade English · 9th Grade English →

FAQ

Is this 8th grade English curriculum free?

Week 1 is free with no card needed: open the Week 1 English lesson. Weeks 2–36 unlock with a Student plan ($35/month) or a Family plan for up to 4 students ($69/month).

How long is a 8th grade English lesson?

Plan on about 40–50 minutes a day for English. There is one lesson per week of the school year, broken into short daily steps.

Is Life Academy accredited?

No. Life Academy is not accredited. It's built to help meet homeschool requirements in all 50 states, and parents are the school of record. Why that's usually fine.

Can I print it?

Yes. Every lesson prints as a worksheet with a separate parent answer key.

Life Academy is a parent-directed online K–12 curriculum, built to help meet homeschool requirements in all 50 states. It is not accredited, and parents issue the homeschool transcript. Nothing here is legal advice. Check your state's law at HSLDA. Questions? Email david.dukes77102@gmail.com.