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8th grade · English Language Arts · Unit 15 of 16

Dialogue, Events and Judging Texts

How dialogue and events drive a story, and choosing criteria to judge texts.

What your child practices

Your child analyzes how lines of dialogue and key events move the action, reveal character or force decisions, how ideas are introduced and developed in informational texts, and chooses fair criteria to judge texts and connect them across eras and cultures.

New York State Learning Standards learning standard: 8R3; 8R9 · how dialogue and events propel action and reveal character, how ideas develop, and judging and connecting texts with criteria

How we explain it

Children can open this short lesson before they practice.

  1. Dialogue can move the action, reveal character or force a decision.
  2. Early events often set up later turning points.
  3. Look at how ideas are introduced and developed, and use fair criteria to judge texts.

Example: “Fine, take the trophy. I never needed it,” Mia said, her voice cracking. What does this reveal? Her words say she doesn’t care. Her cracking voice says otherwise. Answer: Mia cares more than she admits.

Dialogue, Events and Judging Texts in New York

In the New York State Learning Standards, this is unit 15 of 16 in 8th grade English Language Arts, after Plan, Form & Voice and before Arguments, Stories and Evidence.

Gradelings describes a child's practice on this unit as Beginning, Approaching, Meeting or Exceeding (Four practice steps). That reflects practice, not a report-card mark: the teacher decides the mark.

Source: New York State Education Department (NYSED)

Sample questions

A taste of this unit. In the app, questions change every time and get easier or harder to match your child.

  1. Question 1

    Which event is most likely the inciting incident?

    • The twins describe their room.
    • The twins brush their teeth.
    • A mysterious letter arrives, inviting the twins to a house they've never heard of.
    • The twins eat breakfast.

  2. Question 2

    “Fine, take the trophy. I never needed it,” Mia said, her voice cracking. What does the line reveal?

    • Mia is happy to lose.
    • Mia is talking about the weather.
    • Mia has never seen a trophy.
    • Mia cares more than she admits.

  3. Question 3

    An article introduces a problem, gives a scientist's discovery, then explains how cities used it. How are the ideas developed?

    • The ending comes first.
    • The ideas are unrelated.
    • The article repeats one fact.
    • Each idea leads to and builds on the next.

  4. Question 4

    In a biography, an early failure is described before a later success. Why might the author include the failure?

    • to show how the person learned and grew
    • to make the book shorter
    • to change the topic
    • to confuse readers

  5. Question 5

    “You always do this,” Ana snapped. Why might the author use the word “snapped” instead of “said”?

    • to show Ana is sleepy
    • to describe a camera
    • to show Ana's anger and raise tension
    • to end the chapter

  6. Question 6

    Which judgment uses a clear criterion?

    • I didn't like it.
    • The essay is weak because it gives only one example to support its claim.
    • The essay is bad.
    • The essay is boring.

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