Ontario Grade 8 Language (Grade 8)

1. A. Literacy Connections and Applications

A1 Transferable Skills · A2 Digital Media Literacy · A3 Applications, Connections, and Contributions

• Transferable Skills: Skills You Can Carry Anywhere – Transferable skills are skills you learn in one place and can use in many others: in every school subject, at home, in clubs and sport, and later at work. Seven big ones are: critical thinking and problem solving; innovation, creativity and entrepreneurship; self-directed learning (planning, reflecting, staying motivated); collaboration (working well in a team); communication (speaking, listening, reading, writing and using media clearly for a purpose and audience); global citizenship and sustainability (caring about people and the planet, respecting other views); and digital literacy (using technology safely, wisely and ethically). In language and English classes they help you read, write, speak, listen and create media better, and the same skills help in science reports, maths problems, part-time jobs and friendships. Skills grow with practice and reflection: try, look back, improve.
• Media Arts: How to Understand and Make Art with Technology – Media arts are art forms made with technology: photography, film, video, animation, sound art, digital images, games and interactive installations. They use elements such as image, sound, time, space, light and interactivity, and principles such as contrast, emphasis, balance, repetition, rhythm, movement and unity. Media art grew from photography (1839) and film (1895) to video art (1960s) and today's digital, internet and AI art. To make a media artwork you follow the creative process: explore, plan, produce, present and reflect – and you respect copyright and people's privacy.
• Indigenous Peoples in Canada: From Ancient Nations to Reconciliation – Canada's Constitution names three groups of Indigenous peoples: First Nations, Inuit and Métis (about 1.8 million people, 5% of the population, in 2021). They lived on the land for more than 10,000 years, with their own nations, languages, laws and trade. After contact in the 1500s came the fur trade, alliances and treaties (Two Row Wampum, Royal Proclamation 1763, Numbered Treaties 1871–1921). The Indian Act (1876) and residential schools (1883–1996) tried to assimilate Indigenous peoples and caused deep, lasting harm. From the 1960s, Indigenous people won back rights: the vote (1960), the Calder case (1973), Section 35 of the Constitution (1982), Nunavut (1999), land claims and self-government. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission (2008–2015) gave 94 Calls to Action. Today Indigenous voices lead in politics, law, art, literature and media.

2. B. Foundations of Language

B1 Oral and Non-Verbal Communication · B2 Language Foundations for Reading and Writing · B3 Language Conventions for Reading and Writing

Coming soon

3. C. Comprehension: Understanding and Responding to Texts

C1 Knowledge about Texts · C2 Comprehension Strategies · C3 Critical Thinking in Literacy

Coming soon

4. D. Composition: Expressing Ideas and Creating Texts

D1 Developing Ideas and Organizing Content · D2 Creating Texts · D3 Publishing, Presenting, and Reflecting

• Media Literacy – Media literacy is the skill of reading, questioning and creating media: news, ads, videos, posts, films and games. Every media text is made by someone, for a purpose, for an audience, using forms, conventions and techniques that shape how we feel. A media-literate person checks the source, evidence, other coverage and the original before believing or sharing, notices bias and filter bubbles, and makes their own media responsibly.