Reading Closely and Writing to Learn
Grade Level: 6th
Subject: ELA
Time Frame: Quarter 1- 8 weeks
Essential Questions
Speaking and Listening
- What active listening strategies can we use while working in a group?
- Why is it important for people to wait their turn before providing an opinion or giving feedback?
- Why is it important to understand what others may be thinking?
- What do effective speakers sound like?
- How is spoken language different from written language?
- What makes a speaker easy to follow?
- How are nonverbal elements used to communicate?
Reading
- How does structure impact meaning?
- How do different genres affect audiences differently?
- What the characteristics of nonfiction?
- How do text structures affect our understanding?
- How do authors use text features to highlight information?
- How can an author's perspective inform readers or persuade them to changer their thinking?
- How does the author's language match his or her purpose in writing?
- What do proficient readers do when they encounter unfamiliar words?
- What strategies and resources can we use to learn new words?
- How does knowledge of roots an affixes help determine the meaning of unknown words?
Writing
- How do writers determine a point of view?
- How do writers know if they have convinced others that their opinions are valid?
- How do writers select evidence to best support their claims?
- How do we organize texts to help readers understand?
- How do writers monitor their work to include information that is relevant to the topic?
- How is word selection important to a piece of writing?
- How do we research effectively?
- How do biases interfere with critical thinking?
- How do we cite our research?
Language Usage
- How do we help our readers visualize the character, setting, and plot in a text?
- How is word selection important to a piece of writing?
- Why is proofreading important?
- How can writers create strong sentence fluency in their work?
- How can resources be used to edit and critique a work in progress?
- How do we collaborate to improve reading?
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By the end of the unit, students will know/be able to:
Speaking and Listening
• I can effectively engage in discussions with diverse partners about sixth-grade topics, texts, and issues.
• I can express my own ideas clearly during discussions.
• I can build on others’ ideas during discussions.
- I can prepare myself to participate in discussions.
- I can follow our class norms when I participate in a discussion.
- I can pose questions that help me clarify what is being discussed.
- I can pose questions that elaborate on the topic being discussed.
- I can respond to questions with elaboration and detail that connect with the topic being discussed.
- After a discussion, I can paraphrase what I understand about the topic being discussed.
Reading
• I can cite text-based evidence to support an analysis of literary text.
• I can determine a theme based on details in a literary text.
• I can summarize a literary text using only information from the text.
• I can describe how the plot evolves throughout a literary text.
• I can describe how the characters change throughout a literary text.
• I can determine the meaning of literal and figurative language (metaphors and similes) in literary text.
• I can analyze how an author’s word choice affects tone and meaning in a literary text.
• I can analyze how an author develops a narrator or speaker’s point of view.
• I can read grade-level literary texts proficiently and independently.
• I can read above-grade literary texts with scaffolding and support.
- I can cite text-based evidence to support an analysis of informational text
• I can determine the main idea of an informational text based on details in the text.
• I can summarize an informational text using only information from the text.
• I can read grade-level informational texts proficiently and independently.
• I can read above-grade informational texts with scaffolding and support
Writing
• I can write informative/explanatory texts that convey ideas and concepts using
relevant information that is carefully selected and organized.
- I can introduce the topic of my text.
- I can develop the topic with relevant facts, definitions, concrete details, and quotations.
- I can use transitions to clarify relationships among my ideas.
- I can use contextually specific language/vocabulary to inform or explain about a topic.
- I can establish and maintain a formal style in my writing.
- I can construct a concluding statement or section of an informative/explanatory text
• I can write narrative texts about real or imagined experiences using relevant details and event sequences that make sense.
- I can establish a context for my narrative.
- I can introduce the narrator/characters of my narrative.
- I can organize events in a logical sequence.
- I can use dialogue and descriptions to show the actions, thoughts, and feelings of my characters.
- I can use transitional words, phrases, and clauses to show passage of time in a narrative text.
- I can use precise words and phrases and sensory language to convey experiences and events to my reader.
- I can use relevant descriptive details to convey experiences and events.
- I can write a conclusion to my narrative that makes sense to a reader.
• I can produce clear and coherent writing that is appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
• With support from peers and adults, I can use a writing process to produce clear and coherent writing.
• I can use technology to publish a piece of writing.
• I can type at least three pages of writing in a single sitting.
• I can use evidence from a variety of grade-appropriate texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.
• I can adjust my writing practices for different time frames, tasks, purposes, and audiences.
• I can create poetry, stories, plays, and other literary forms (e.g. videos, art work)
Language Usage
• I can use correct capitalization, punctuation, and spelling to send a clear message to my reader.
- I can use punctuation (commas, parentheses, dashes) to set off nonrestrictive/parenthetical elements.
- I can spell correctly.
• I can use a variety of sentence structures to make my writing and speaking more interesting.
• I can maintain consistency in style and tone when writing and speaking.
• I can use a variety of strategies to determine the meaning of unknown words and phrases.
- I can use context (e.g., the overall meaning of a sentence or paragraph; a word’s position or function in a sentence) to determine the meaning of a word or phrase.
- I can use common Greek and Latin affixes (prefixes) and roots as clues to help me determine the meaning of a word (e.g., audience, auditory, audible).
- I can use resource materials (glossaries, dictionaries, thesauruses) to help me determine or clarify the pronunciation, meaning of key words and phrases, and parts of speech.
- I can check the accuracy of my guess about the meaning of a word or phrase by using resource materials.
• I can accurately use sixth-grade academic vocabulary to express my ideas.
• I can use resources to build my vocabulary.
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Assessments
• Inferring about the Main Character in a chosen novel
• Drawing Evidence from Text: Written Analysis
• Analytical Mini-Essay about Elements and Theme
• Literary Analysis— Connecting Themes between 2 different readings
• Narrative essay
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Topics
• Make inferences about character
• Read informational article
• Evaluate important characters and their characteristics
• Read myths to understand their purpose and elements.
• Read informational text
• Work in groups to read and
identify the elements and interpret the theme of a chosen reading
• Write a literary essay analyzing important characteristics of the chosen book/novel
• write a story that parallels chosen book/novel
• Critique and revise story
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Standards
RL.6.1, RL.6.2, RL.6.3, RL.6.4, RL.6.6, RL.6.10
RI.6.1, RI.6.2, RI.6.10
W.6.2, W.6.3, W.6.4, W.6.5, W.6.6, W.6.9, W.6.10, W.6.11c
SL.6.1
L.6.2, L.6.3, L.6.4, L.6.6