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English · Grade 8

Capstone Seminar and Portfolio Defense

In this capstone, learners lead and analyze a seminar on whether schools should require community service, learning to ask questions that connect several speakers' ideas and to qualify or justify their views in light of evidence. They then prepare a portfolio defense: a formal presentation that makes evidence-based claims about their growth as readers and writers, and thoughtful answers to a panel's challenging questions.

  • 4 lessons
  • About 120 minutes
  • Seminar and defense check: 9 questions
  • Ways to answer: choose an answer, highlight a text, match pairs, put in order, sort into groups and write a short answer
See plans Included with Family, Teacher and School plans. Open in PlayOwl

What learners will discover

  • In a seminar, pose questions that connect the ideas of several speakers and respond with relevant evidence and observations.
  • Acknowledge new information and qualify or justify one's own views in light of the evidence presented.
  • Present a portfolio defense that makes claims about growth supported by evidence from one's own work, with sound reasoning, purposeful visuals and formal register.
  • Respond to challenging panel questions with evidence, honest acknowledgment of limits and appropriate formal English.

Lessons

  1. Questions that connect ideas 6 steps3 practiceabout 28 min
  2. Qualifying and justifying views 5 steps3 practiceabout 27 min
  3. The portfolio defense presentation 6 steps3 practiceabout 32 min
  4. Answering the panel 5 steps3 practiceabout 33 min
  5. Seminar and defense check 9 questions at the end

Keep exploring

Games to practice with

More 8th grade reading

Guide for grown-ups