Course: 6th Grade Reading and Writing

Curriculum

1. 2 lessons First Days
    
   • Lessons
   • Class Expectations

     SWBAT explain the classroom rules and expectations; specifically, identify the acronym SLANT, identify the two steps for going to the bathroom, explain why active listening is important.
     
     SWBAT label binder dividers.
     

      
   • My Name

     SWBAT write a paragraph “story” of their names.

      
2. 9 lessons Maniac Magee

   There are 9 lessons that relate to teaching the novel Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli. The lessons cover objectives on both reading skills and literary terms.

    
   • Lessons
   • Maniac Magee: Main Idea/Author's Choices

     SWBAT explain how author’s life has affected his writing choices.
     SWBAT identify the main idea of a paragraph; extract important details from a non-fiction article.
     

      
   • Maniac Magee: Myths Legends Rumors

     SWBAT define myth, legend, and rumor and discuss the difference between rumors and myths/legends
     SWBAT identify examples of legend in a text
     

      
   • Maniac Magee: Homelessness

     SWBAT list characteristics of youth homelessness.
     
     SWBAT practice non-fiction reading strategy of extracting main idea from a piece of text; using context clues to determine meanings of words; identifying details in an article.
     

      
   • Maniac Magee: Using Context Clues/Chapters 5-6

     Objective:
     SWBAT identify context clues that unlock the meanings of unknown words
     

      
   • Maniac Magee: Reading with Expression/Chapter 10

     SWBAT use punctuation marks and italics as guides for reading with expression
     SWBAT explain how expressive reading aids comprehension
     

      
   • Maniac Magee: Drawing Conclusions/Chapters 17-21

     SWBAT draw conclusions by analyzing details in a text and using their own thoughts.

      
   • Maniac Magee: Setting/Chapter 3 - end of novel

     Objective:
     SWBAT identify details of a novel’s setting; draw conclusions about the novel’s various settings.
     

      
   • Maniac Magee: Thoughtful Predictions/Chapter 17

     SWBAT make predictions rooted in text evidence.
     SWBAT evaluate accuracy of predictions.
     

      
   • Maniac Magee: Figurative Language

     SWBAT distinguish between similes, metaphors, and personifications.
     SWBAT explain what figurative language is describing about the particular scene or character.
     

      
3. 9 lessons Narrative Writing

   The unit starts with the basic understanding of a paragraph and grows into an understanding of a narrative paragraph. A narrative paragraph, as defined for the purposes of this unit, has a conflict, resolution, and must be centered around a topic that is meaningful to the writer. This unit's lessons take each piece of a narrative paragraph and teach them explicitly, especially focusing on topic sentences and showing, not telling.

    
   • Lessons
   • Narrative Writing: A Good Paragraph

     SWBAT define a paragraph; list the main parts of a paragraph.

      
   • Narrative Writing: Defining Narrative

     SWBAT define a narrative; list and define the main parts of a narrative; identify the conflict and resolution in sample narratives
     

      
   • Narrative Writing: Choosing the Best Narrative Topic

     SWBAT evaluate the quality of narrative topics, according to the narrative topic tester.
     

      
   • Narrative Writing: Writing Topic Sentences

     Objective: SWBAT define topic sentence and generate suitable topic sentences that state the main idea of their paragraphs.
     

      
   • Narrative Writing.Troubleshooting Topic Sentences

     Objective: SWBAT identify unsuitable topic sentences; turn fragments into topic sentences; distinguish between a supporting detail and topic sentence.
     

      
   • Narrative Writing: Show Don't Tell

     [The purpose of this lesson is to teach students the overall concept of show, don’t tell. Later on, I teach them more prescriptive ways to show, not tell: Ba Da Bing, using active verbs, incorporating dialogue, etc.]
     
     Objective: SWBAT show, not tell in their writing OR transform vague sentences into descriptive sentences.
     

      
   • Narrative Writing: Ba Da Bing

     Objective: SWBAT add one Ba Da Bing sentence to their narrative pararaphs.
     
     

      
   • Narrative Writing: So What?

     Objective: SWBAT add a concluding sentence that addresses the “so what” of a narrative.
     

      
   • Narrative Writing: Using a Rubric

     Objective: SWBAT define rubric, list the categories of a writing rubric, use the rubric to evaluate quality of a party and quality of a paragraph
     

      
4. 9 lessons Island of the Blue Dolphins

   While reading the novel, students acquire various skills through the reading: using a dictionary, identifying text evidence, identifying descriptive language, and summarizing 5 pages of text. This is also a good novel to teach alongside descriptive writing.

    
   • Lessons
   • Scott O'Dell as a Person

     SWBAT explain how author’s life has affected his writing choices
     SWBAT identify the main idea of a paragraph; extract important details from a non-fiction article
     

      
   • Using a Dictionary

     SWBAT determine which strategy to use for looking up unfamiliar words.
     SWBAT use a dictionary to look up the definitions of unfamiliar words.
     

      
   • Summarizing 3-5 Pages

     SWBAT identify the main idea of 1 page of text.
     SWBAT summarize 3-5 pages of text in a 15-word sentence.
     

      
   • Text Evidence

     
     Objective:
     SWBAT define a “right there” question.
     SWBAT identify the text evidence that answers a “right there” question and put answer in their own language and/or illustrate.
     

      
   • Chronological Order

     SWBAT put a list of details in chronological order.
     

      
   • Drawing Conclusions

     SWBAT draw conclusions using the text and their own thoughts as resources
     

      
   • Capitalization Rules

     SWBAT apply Epiphany capitalization rules 1-11 in context.
     

      
   • Setting

     SWBAT define setting, identify the setting of a novel, explain the importance of a novel’s setting to the novel.
     SWBAT identify main idea of a paragraph, identify details in a text.

      
   • Testing Strategy - POE

     SWBAT use process of elimination (POE) to strategically answer multiple choice questions

      
5. 11 lessons Descriptive Writing

   In this unit, students learn how to write descriptive paragraphs that create an overall effect by describing a person, place/event, or thing. They learn to use active verbs, showing, not telling, and figurative language.

    
   • Lessons
   • Defining Descriptive Writing

     SWBAT define descriptive writing; explain the differences between descriptive and narrative writing
     

      
   • Active Verbs

     SWBAT turn passive sentence constructions into active sentence constructions. (Before this lesson, students must be able to use prepositional phrases AND distinguish between active verbs and linking/helping verbs.)

      
   • Overall Effect

     SWBAT select sentences that contribute to an overall effect in a descriptive piece of writing.

      
   • Showing, not Telling

     SWBAT elaborate on a topic by using vivid adjectives, precise nouns, and active verbs.

      
   • Commas in a Series

     SWBAT correctly use commas in a series.

      
   • Commas between Two Adjectives Before a Noun

     SWBAT correctly use commas between two adjectives that come before a noun.

      
   • Prepositions

     SWBAT recognize prepositions in a sentence.

      
   • Prepositional Phrases

     Students will be able to identify prepositional phrases in sentences, specifically the preposition and object.

      
   • Plucking Out Subjects and Verbs

     SWBAT identify the subjects and verbs of sentences.

      
   • Subject/Verb Agreement

     Students will be able to recall definition of subject, verb, and prepositional phrases and be able to recognize them in sentences.
     SWBAT identify the verb that agrees with the subject of a sentence.

      
   • To Be (a preposition) Or Not To Be

     SWBAT determine if “to” is being used as a preposition or as part of a verb phrase.

      
6. 9 lessons Watsons Go To Birmingham

   While we read Watsons, we are working on our ability to think critically about a novel: combining what happens in the text with our own opinions about those events. We examine several types of questions: right there, clarify, think and search, on your own. The goal is to write page-long journal responses to the text combining our knowledge of all the types of questions. The unit goes along with the expository writing unit. We are reading a lot of non fiction articles about the Civil Rights Movement and then writing reports.

    
   • Lessons
   • Types of Questions

     SWBAT define and identify right there, clarify, think and search, and on your own questions.

      
   • "Clarifying" Questions

     Students will be able to aptly answer “clarify” questions for words, phrases, or quotes. In their responses, they will be able to situate the given phrase in context, clarify the meaning, and explain the importance of the concept.

      
   • "Think and Search" Questions

     SWBAT define think and search questions, as well as answer them appropriately

      
   • Character Chart

     SWBAT identify character traits and identify text evidence that supports those traits

      
   • "On Your Own" Questions

     SWBAT define and answer on your own questions.

      
   • Thoughts + Text Journal Entries

     SWBAT explain criteria for writing an effective Watsons journal entry, identify the criteria in a sample entry, and finally, compose one of their own.

      
   • All Question Types Practice

     SWBAT answer right there, clarify, think and search, and on your own questions with 80% or higher accuracy.

      
   • Text's Purpose

     SWBAT list 3 purposes of texts, features of each, and determine the purpose for given reading selections.

      
   • Just Right Summaries

     SWBAT write a 3-5 sentence summary of a chapter.

      
7. 13 lessons Expository Writing

   In this unit, students learn how to complete a report from researching and note-taking to drafting and editing. There is also a heavy grammar component to this unit (part of speech review, fragment/run-on fix-it strategies, and punctuation of titles).

    
   • Lessons
   • Introduction to Expository Writing

     SWBAT define expository writing and list the steps to compose an expository report; write an expository paragraph together.

      
   • Writing a Report with Partner

     SWBAT go through the steps to complete an expository report with a partner.

      
   • Writing a Report Independently

     SWBAT independently go through the steps to complete an expository report.

      
   • Run On Sentences

     SWBAT define run-on sentence; distinguish between complete sentences and run-on sentences; correct a run on sentence in two ways.

      
   • Fragments

     SWBAT define sentence fragment; distinguish between a sentence and a sentence fragment

      
   • Run ons, fragments, sentences

     SWBAT distinguish between a sentence, sentence fragment, and run on sentence.

      
   • POS Review

     SWBAT review definitions of parts of speech and identify words’ parts of speech in sentences

      
   • Troubleshoot Adverbs

     SWBAT review definition of adverb, explaining both what parts of speech they modify and what they show in a sentence. SWBAT identify adverbs in sentences.

      
   • POS Double Identities

     SWBAT identify parts of speech of words that may be used as multiple parts of speech.

      
   • Punctuation of Titles

     SWBAT punctuate titles of books, newspapers, magazines, chapters, poems, articles, and songs appropriately.

      
   • Apostrophes

     SWBAT place apostrophes in correct place to show possession with singular nouns.

      
   • Verb Tense Consistency

     SWBAT change verb tense within a paragraph to maintain verb tense consistency.

      
   • Grammar Assessment

     SWBAT identify the correct application of Epiphany capitalization and comma rules, AS WELL AS choose the correct answer from questions that require them to correctly punctuate titles; use there, its, your; identify subjects of a sentence and verbs that agree with compound subjects; use apostrophes to show singular ownership; and maintain verb tense consistency.

      
8. 6 lessons Skin I'm In
    
   • Lessons
   • Accountable Talk Discussions

     SWBAT define accountable talk; list its features; determine good/bad accountable talk comments; participate in an accountable talk discussion.

      
   • Paraphrasing - Sharon Flake

     SWBAT paraphrase complicated lines of non fiction text.
     Skills: SWBAT identify key facts of paragraphs in a non-fiction article.
     

      
   • Standard English and Ebonics

     SWBAT define Ebonics and Standard English; identify examples of each; determine which they might choose to use in certain venues.

      
   • Chapter Questions

     SWBAT use text evidence to aptly answer a variety of types of questions.

      
   • Mask Project

     SWBAT design and decorate masks that reflect how they see themselves vs. how the world sees them.

      
   • Final Seminar

     SWBAT use accountable talk to persuade others of their opinions, using text evidence and real life examples.

      
9. 3 lessons Test Taking Strategies
    
   • Lessons
   • ID Purpose/Audience/Genre

     SWBAT identify a text’s purpose, audience, and genre, as a test-taking strategy to better orient themselves on the reading comp. section of a standardized test when they are confronted with a variety of texts.

      
   • ID Types of MC Questions

     SWBAT identify types of questions on reading comp. section of standardized test as “big picture” or “go to text.”

      
   • Combining Sentences

     SWBAT explain and apply all 7 laws of combining sentences.

      
10. 6 lessons Persuasive Writing

    Students learn the basics of persuasive writing: crafting a topic sentence, drawing evidence for arguments from a variety of sources, and hammering in their points with sub-details.

     
    • Lessons
    • Intro. to Persuasive Writing

      SWBAT explain the purpose of persuasive writing; list the sources from which they can derive support for their argument; explain the purpose of a topic sentence in a persuasive paragraph.

       
    • Brainstorming Persuasive Writing

      SWBAT use a t-chart to brainstorm pros/cons of an issue; gather information from a variety of sources to support position

       
    • Sub Details in Persuasive Writing

      SWBAT add sub details to supporting details in a persuasive paragraph outline.

       
    • Persuasive Strategies

      SWBAT define several persuasive strategies and identify examples of them.

       
    • Polishing Persuasive Paragraphs

      SWBAT add transition words and polish persuasive paragraphs.

       
    • Independent Persuasive Assignments

      SWBAT write a persuasive paragraph from start to finish.

       
11. 11 lessons Folk Tales/Fairy Tales

    This unit explores the elements that make up a folk/fairy tale, identifies those elements in a series of international folk tales, and then asks students to compose one of their own. The students will complete two ongoing documents: the map and fairy tale characteristics review chart.

     
    • Lessons
    • Diagnostic and Introduction to Folk Tales

      SWBAT identify what they already know about fairy tales; define folk tale.

       
    • Identifying Elements of Folk Tales

      SWBAT define setting; map and chart folk elements in “The Three Kids.”

       
    • Protagonists and Antagonists

      SWBAT define protagonist and antagonist and identify examples of them in folk tales we’ve read. Map folk tales so far.

       
    • Archetypes

      SWBAT define archetypes; identify examples of archetypes.

       
    • Gender Stereotypes

      SWBAT review plots of classic fairy tales and draw conclusions about how women and men are presented.

       
    • Comparing Standards of Beauty

      SWBAT compare and contrast the endings of Beauty and the Beast and Shrek; evaluate the standards of beauty presented in popular fairy tales

       
    • Archetype/Fairy Tale Characteristics Review

      SWBAT discuss archetypes and common fairy tale characteristics, identifying them in a story.

       
    • Plot Diagram

      SWBAT define plot diagram and the 5 parts of plot. Start mapping stories.

       
    • Student Generated Fairy Tale

      SWBAT explain expectations for writing their own fairy tales and write their own.

       
    • Review and Post Test

      recall elements of folk tale, define plot and parts of plot, define protagonist/antagonist; archetype; gender stereotype.

       
    • View Hoodwinked

      SWBAT identify examples of archetypes, stereotypes, standards of beauty, sarcasm in film.