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Grade 6
Language Arts:
Yearly Overview
Course Number: LAM.61
Overview
Sixth grade
units focus on learning critical reading skills and include lessons that
teach how to read different kinds of information including narrative short
stories, novels, poetry, research information, and technical manuals. Good
readers know how to use the best reading strategies with different kinds of
written information. You will have opportunities to look beyond the words an
author writes on the page. Authors think very carefully about the words they
choose and the meanings and emotions the words create. The authors think
carefully about how to physically put the words on paper. Do they need a
long sentence? A short sentence? A question? Over the course of the year,
you will become an author yourself and write stories, essays, and poetry.
Also, you will work on basic grammar skills such as complete sentences,
parts of speech, and apostrophes. These are very important because no matter
how great your story is, if it is not put together well, no one will
understand it! You will end the year with a project that will
allow you to apply the skills you’ve learned throughout the year.
Prerequisite: None
Course Length: 1 Period Length: 1 Grade Level: 6-8
Credit per Semester: 0
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Enduring
Understandings - important ideas that students should carry with them years
beyond the instruction received this year.
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Effective
readers use different strategies and skills to understand a variety of
texts.
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Effective
readers are independent learners who use critical thinking skills.
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Effective
readers are able to select and use relevant information that requires
evaluating a variety of sources.
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Effective
readers know that literature provides an understanding of human
experience.
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Effective
writers utilize the writing process to organize and strengthen all modes
of writing.
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Effective
writers practice and use editing skills for self and peer writing
evaluation.
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Effective
writers use conventions correctly.
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Effective
writers write in complete sentences varying sentence structure and
length using appropriately punctuated, dependent clauses.
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Effective
writers identify and use the parts of speech correctly.
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Effective
writers know their audience and purpose.
Essential Questions
- most important “big picture” questions students should be able to answer
after completing learning activities.
- What is text? How do we apply different strategies
and skills to understand a variety of texts
- How do we communicate? What is effective
communication? Why does effective communication require a process?
- What is standard English? Why do we need to know and
use standard English rules?
- How do we apply stylistic elements and appropriate
formats?
- What is critical thinking? How do we think critically
in our lives?
- What is responsible research? What makes information
relevant?
- How do I use information?
- What is literature?
- How can we make personal connections through
literature?
- What makes us human?
 Highest
Frequency Standards
Reading:
1c. Locate and paraphrase the key/main ideas and supporting
details in fiction and poetry
1g. Identify the meaning of unfamiliar words in context using word
recognition skills and context clues
4a. Determine author's purpose
4d. Make predictions and draw conclusions from text in various genre
5a. Use organizational features of text
5c. Summarize and organize info about a topic in a variety of ways (graphic
organizers, etc.) from various sources
6a. Read and respond to a variety of literature
6b. Identify characters, setting, problem/conflict, plot, resolution, theme,
sequence
Writing:
2a. Write in a variety of modes - narrative and descriptive
2b. Organize writing using a logical arrangement of ideas
2g. Develop ideas and content with relevant details,
examples, and/or reasons
3a. Identify subject, verb, pronouns, and adjectives.
3c. Write in complete sentences.
3d. Use conventions correctly (end-marks and apostrophes in
contractions and singular possessives).
3e. Identify and use conventional spelling
 High
Frequency Standards
Reading:
1d. Infer using a variety of texts and genre
4b. Use reading to solve a variety of problems and answer questions
4c. Differentiate fact from opinion in a variety of texts
5e. Locate other's ideas, image, or information in a bibliography
5f. Locate meanings and pronunciations of unfamiliar words
6c. Use knowledge of literary techniques and terminology (dialogue, scene,
flashback, figurative language)
Writing:
2c. Use language which supports and enriches the idea.
2d. Plan, draft, revise, and edit for a final copy.
2e. Use transitions to link ideas.
2f. Use a variety of sentence structures.
3b. Use subject/verb agreement, nouns, verbs, pronouns, adjectives, adverbs,
homonyms, and homophones.
 Other
Standards & E-skills
1a. Compare/contrast different texts with similar themes and
ideas
1b. Summarize and synthesize fiction and poetry
1e. Identify sequential order in fiction and poetry
1f. Locate and recall information in text with different structures
4e. Explain the text's main point and use relevant details
5b. Use organizational features of electronic information
5d. Select info to support ideas and justify |
Sample Units
District 11 Diamond
Units/Lessons Overview - includes information about the purpose,
goals and structure of these sample instructional units.
 Integrated
Technology Lessons
Each student will save this sample of first quarter writing to his
or her Electronic Portfolio. See a
Sample Student Portfolio of technology skills.
Label Design Book Report - Use Microsoft Publisher to create a
label for a book you have read. Wrap the label around a canned food
and bring it in for display in the library. At the end of the
display period, the canned food items will be given to needy
families.
Parts of Speech Rap:
This rap will teach your child the names, definitions, and examples of all
eight parts of
speech.
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Visual Thesaurus - use
the approved District 11 login and password to the right:
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User Name:
ms68@d11.org
Password:
d112009 |
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Parents
Your sixth grader will be writing several major compositions during the
quarter. He or she will be revising original drafts while learning to apply
conventions of effective writing. Each student will be writing a variety of
compositions from explanatory to descriptive and narrative texts. Share with
your child the type of writing you use in for your business, career, or
recreational life. Help him or her understand the value of clear, written
communications. |
