CLASS - VIII

ENGLISH
Listening and Speaking

Children listen to an advanced level of academic discourse and prepare notes and
summary for further deliberations using multimedia presentations.

Learning Outcomes:
Children will be able to:
listen with interest, answer accurately and respond with an appreciation to a variety of
questions in a text (seen and unseen) for aural/ written comprehension;
listen to a talk /presentation /lecture and prepares notes;
prepare and participate in class/ school-level discussions (having read/ researched material
that is being studied);
engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (group/ teacher-led) on class level
texts, topics and issues;
Build on others’ ideas and express their own views clearly;
make a planned oral presentation to a specific audience for an intended purpose;
integrate multimedia and visual displays into presentations.

Listening and Speaking

Suggested Transactional Suggested Learning
Suggested areas/Content
Processes Resources
 Listen to a variety of texts from  Reviewing and building on  Audio/video clips/ in series or
different genres and registers previous learning. as per the topic.
such as story, poems,  Encouraging children to read  cartoons /poems/
narratives, lecture etc. for extensively and beyond the text narratives/autobiographies
aural/written comprehension. as preparation for the class. /biographies/ famous
 Listen and comprehend  Creating opportunities for speeches/ songs, lyrics/debates
issues/topics raised in spoken group/ team work and etc.
texts e.g. discussions in the class room  Articles from print and digital
 speech (e.g. Panel discussion/ debate media etc.
 lecture on topical issues like ’It’s  Posters/ Models/
 discourse alright for Teachers and advertisements/ Charts etc.
 debate Students to interact on Social  Language games
 discussion Media’  Activities and tasks
 Group discussions  Creating opportunities for  School magazine/ class news
 Use of graphics, images, music, children to make a presentation paper
sound and visual displays in to a target audience (e.g.  School Assemblies and Clubs
presentations. conduct Morning Assembly at (Speech and Drama Club/ Quiz
 Analyse and evaluate use of school/ deliver a welcome Club etc.)
language in different contexts address/ vote of thanks at a
(newspapers, television, school function.
billboards and advertising
campaigns) and its  NOTE: The examples given
interpretation. above are intended merely as
 Adapts speech to a variety of guidelines. The teachers are

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Listening and Speaking
Suggested Transactional Suggested Learning
Suggested areas/Content
Processes Resources
contexts and tasks e.g. welcome to be as innovative as
 tone the class size and situation
 gestures allows.
 stress  The activities suggested above
 facial expressions are not necessarily restricted
 body language to listening and speaking. As
 voice modulation the language teacher is well
 choice of words aware, all four language skills
 Collect and collate ideas and are inter-related and often
seek clarification to keep overlap.
discussions relevant.
 Use multi-media to make
presentations on issues and
social messages i.e. drug abuse,
values, life skills etc.

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Reading

Children read and critically evaluate the text from socio – political and cultural context
along with other texts. They explore translated texts including myths, folktales, legends
etc.

Learning Outcomes:
Children will be able to:
identify the central theme of a given text and trace its development;
use text to support argument and point of view about character and plot;
interpret how particular lines of dialogue/ incidents in a story or drama propel the action or
reveal aspects of character;
analyse/ how differences in the points of view of the characters and the audience or reader
create such effects as suspense or humour;
evaluate the extent to which a filmed/ live production of a story or drama stays faithful to/
departs from the text;
examine the extent to which a modern work of fiction draws on themes, patterns of events or
character types from myths, traditional stories, or religious works;
read, and comprehend literature, including stories, prose pieces, dramas and poems at the high
end of grades VI to VIII text complexity band independently and proficiently.

Reading
Suggested Transactional Suggested Learning
Suggested areas/Content
Processes Resources
 Literary/ non-literary texts on a wide  Reviewing and building on  Magazines, newspapers
range of themes covering different previous learning  Activities for relating ideas
genres and registers. The themes may  Providing texts (different of the text with their lives.
include: genres and forms) to  Text types: Very short
 Self, Family, Home, Friends etc. comprehend, infer and stories, poems and songs,
 Neighbourhood and Community. evaluate from various texts with visuals, etc. Age
 The Nation – diversity (socio- aspects. appropriate magazines,
cultural, religious and ethnic, as  Encouraging children to newspapers, picture books,
well as linguistic), heritage identify and use ideas and story books etc. for reading
 Myths/legends/folktales) views drawn from the text and connect it to their own
 The World – India’s neighbours and to evaluate, support and to experiences.
other countries (their cultures, present one’s own point of  Posters/ Charts etc. to
literature and customs) view. stimulate language.
 Adventure and Imagination  Providing texts and  Group/ pair work
 Sports and Yoga creating opportunities for  Build a class library
 Issues relating to Adolescence reading and analysing
 Science and Technology details (e.g. dialogue and
 Peace and Harmony incidents) to comprehend
 Travel and Tourism the storyline and infer
 Mass Media character traits.
 Art and Culture  Introducing children to
 Health and Sanitation. elements of suspense and

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 Famous Personalities & achievers, humour by reading aloud
 Environmental concerns – water some examples of such
conservation, cleanliness and kinds of writing.
sanitation, Safety –personal safety  Facilitating the critical
& awareness about child abuse, appreciation of books/
conservation energy, sustainable films based on books by
development. encouraging children to
 Extensive and intensive reading of the read and critically
texts for comprehension, inference etc. appreciate the text as well
 Focus on choice of as watch the film based on
vocabulary/figurative language and the book.
tone/mood used in the text.  Encouraging children to
 Deconstruct the textual piece to establish links/ make
understand the comparisons between
 central theme themes, characters,
 point of view patterns of events in
 character modern writing and
 plot traditional characters,
 dialogue / incident myths and legends.
 structure
 suspense
 humour
 points of view
 Evaluate and analyse the text from the
point of view of its
 production
 drama
 Film content.

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Writing

Children write coherently and logically defend their writings through active research.
There is a continuum in their creative writing.

Learning Outcomes:
Children will be able to:
develop different styles of writing as per the genre/ form with a sense of audience;
relate and connect ideas/ concepts; selects appropriate introductory strategies, develop logical
arguments, gives examples and use appropriate quotations to support arguments;
connect relevant ideas and formulates appropriate conclusions;
focus on the use of grade appropriate vocabulary, using precise phrases, sensory language to
make the writing vivid and vibrant;
work on short projects individually and in groups for collaborative work and help foster greater
interaction among students;
develop age appropriate skills of writing across disciplines;
use technology as a resource to enhance research work;
draw from personal experience or real life situations;
take a stand / debate on argumentative topics and logically defend his/her point of view;
demonstrate the ability to use words and phrases to the grade appropriate level, including those
that convey emotions, actions, etc.

Creative writing

write narratives that recount a well-elaborated event or short sequence of events; includes
details to describe actions, thoughts, and feelings;
write creative pieces such as story, poems, travelogues, features, etc.;
prepare advertisements/posters/ notices etc. on various topics;
write formal/informal letters using the prescribed format;
write four or more paragraphs of about 250 - 300 words at a more advanced level on any given
topic;
produce original compositions (prose/ poetry) that are imaginative/ descriptive/ narrative/
argumentative, anecdotal;
Adopt the process approach to writing by planning, writing, revising, editing, and rewriting.

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Reading and Writing
Suggested Learning
Suggested areas/Content Suggested Transactional Processes
Resources
Write a:  Reviewing and building on previous  Age appropriate
 Paragraph (250 -300 learning Tasks/activities /
words)  Providing contexts/ situations from Flashcards/ Posters/
 Letter (formal, informal) within the range of the learner’s Charts etc. to stimulate
 Advertisement experience (example- letters to language.
 Diary Principal, Teacher, Editor, Librarian  Newspaper/ magazines/
 Journal etc.) articles/ pictures/
 Notice  Creating situations for children to advertisement etc.
 Poster follow the five step process to writing.  Group/ pair work
 Articles  Facilitating the writing process through
 Report class level discussions/or by providing
 Personal narrative a wide range of writing prompts
 Anecdote (including a picture, object/s or a set of
 Story words E.g. giving the opening or closing
 poem lines of a story and instructing the
 feature learner to write an original short story
 dialogues that incorporates the given lines).
 Write across disciplines.  Creating an environment for children
 Use of technology as a to expand their vocabulary to be
resource to enhance utilized in their written compositions.
research work. (e.g. through ‘word mapping’ /
 process approach to writing brainstorming)
by planning, writing,  Providing opportunities for children to
revising, editing, and correctly identify the elements of a
rewriting short story (plot, character, setting etc.)
and incorporate them into their own
writing styles.
 Creating opportunities for children to
express their own personal opinion/
respond to a debatable topic at class
level discussions/ debates (E.g.
Imagination, not information is
responsible for human progress.)
Encouraging children to base their
arguments on reason and logic rather
than sentiment.
 Providing rubrics / checklists to revise
and edit written material

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Grammar and Vocabulary in Context

Children develop a rational outlook to the different functions of grammar and use it
accordingly in diverse context that may include e- content.

Learning Outcomes:
Children will be able to:
identify and understand the difference between phrases and clauses and their function in
specific sentences;
analyse a given sentence and identify the main clause and classify the subordinate clause (s);
transform sentences from simple to complex /compound sentences;
use vocabulary for different registers as per the context;
adopt technology including the internet, to produce and present relationships between
information and ideas efficiently as well as to interact and collaborate with others;
assess and acknowledge information from print and digital sources.

Grammar and Vocabulary in Context

Suggested Transactional Suggested Learning
Suggested areas/Content
Processes Resources
 Phrases and clauses and their  Reviewing and building on  Self / teacher created materials
function in specific sentences. previous learning e.g. contextual tasks, activities
 Sentenced Analysis:  Providing examples of on grammar in context.
 main clause and subordinate grammar in context to make  Audio, video, print / text /
clause (s). children understand the tactile form
 Sentence transformation from various aspects of grammar.  Authentic tasks and activities of
simple to complex  Creating tasks and activities for short duration which would
/compound sentences. children to use grammar in the bring Vocabulary in context in
 Use phrases, idioms figure of related context. an engagement with
speech in context.  Using audio visual aids and  words,
verbal clues to reinforce the use  word chunks,
of grammar and develop  formulaic use
language skills.  collocations
 Providing a variety of contexts  expressions in dialogue.
for children to be able to use  Word / Languages
vocabulary in context. games.
 Posters / Charts to stimulate
language.
 Newspapers articles

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ENGLISH LITERATURE
Literature encompasses both literary and non-literary writings. Literary writing is an expression of
life through the medium of language that is aesthetically pleasing. Literature makes us think about
ourselves and our society, allows us to enjoy language and beauty. It helps us appreciate life in its
myriad colours along with language learning. Children get exposure to rich use of language through
carefully structured sentences and words. Different forms of literature such as prose, poetry, and
drama use rhyme, rhythm, alliteration, irony, dialogue and a number of other devices that help
develop appreciation and language. These forms of literature introduce children to a range of
writings such as story, bio/autobiography, letter, poetic drama, different genres of poetry etc. In
literary writing, imagination plays the most important role that would help develop creative
expression, sensitization to local and global issues. Non- literary texts such as reports, articles etc.
provide academic information thereby enriching the repertoire of children.

Suggested Reading List

Classes VI & VII
 Novels by Gerard Durrell
 Malgudi Days - R.K. Narayan
 I am Malala – Malala Yousafzai
 Detective stories – Agatha Christie
 The Lost World – Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
 The Happy Prince and Other Tales – Oscar Wilde
 Animal Farm – George Orwell
 Tuck Everlasting – Natalie Babbit
 Short Stories (O’ Henry/ Saki/ Leo Tolstoy/Rudyard Kipling/ Guy De Maupassant/Mark
Twain/ Oscar Wilde/Jorge Luis Borges/William Faulkner/Anton Chekhov/ Edgar Allen
Poe/Franz Kafka/Earnest Hemingway /Flannery O’Connor/James Joyce/Ray
Bradbury/Roald Dhal/ Nicolai Gogol and Translations from Indian writers like Tagore,
Premchand etc.)
 Something Out of nothing
 Marie Curie and Radium – Carl Killough
 Ignited minds – APJ Kalam
 Graphic Novels: Tin Tin Series/ Asterix series
Class VIII
 Lord of the Flies – William Golding
 A Wizard of Earth Sea – Ursula Le Guin
 The Hobbit – J.R.R. Tolkien
 Watership Down – Richard Adams
 To Kill a Mockingbird – Harper Lee
 The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas – John Boyne
 A tale of Two Cities – Charles Dickens
 Les Miserables – Victor Hugo (Abridged)
 Sherlock Holmes – Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
 The Old Man and the Sea – Ernest Hemingway
 The Pearl– John Steinbeck
 P.G. Wodehouse (Jeeves/ Blandings Castle etc.)
 The Ramayana/ Mahabharata – C. Rajagopalachari
 Graphic Novels (e.g. Maus – Art Spiegelman)
 David Copperfield - Charles Dickens
The above list is only recommended reading - Teachers are welcome to exercise flexibility in an age
appropriate selection of books that may include traditional and contemporary authors.

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