Common Core State Standards for Grade 8: Language Arts Instructional Strategies and Activities is designed to help teachers address Common Core standards using effective, research-based instructional strategies in combination with ready-to-use activities. These strategies include identifying similarities and differences, writing summaries and taking notes, creating non-linguistic representations, and suggestions for homework and practice. There are a variety of suggested texts as well as identified text exemplars that can easily be used with the strategies and activities.