Understanding Perspectives
Grade Level: 6th
Subject: ELA
Time Frame: Quarter 3- 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?
By the end of the unit, students will know/be able to:
Speaking and Listening
• I can interpret information presented in different media and formats.
• I can explain how new information connects to a topic, text, or issue I am studying.
Reading
• 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 a particular sentence, stanza, scene, or chapter fits in and contributes to the development of a literary text.
• I can analyze how an author develops a narrator or speaker’s point of view.
- I can explain how an author’s geographic location or culture affects his or her perspective.
• I can interpret, analyze, and evaluate narratives, poetry, and drama artistically and ethically by making connections to other texts, ideas, cultural perspectives, eras, personal events, and situations.
- I can self-select text to develop personal preferences.
- I can establish and use criteria to classify, select, and evaluate texts to make informed judgments about the quality of the pieces.
• I can analyze how key individuals, events, or ideas are developed throughout a text.
• I can use a variety of strategies to determine word meaning in informational texts.
• I can determine an author’s point of view or purpose in an informational text.
• I can explain how an author’s point of view is conveyed in an informational text.
• I can use a variety of media to develop and deepen my understanding of a topic or idea.
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 organize my information using various strategies (e.g., definition/classification, comparison/contrast, cause/effect).
- I can include headings, graphics, and multimedia to help readers understand my ideas.
- 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 produce text (print or non-print) that explores a variety of cultures and perspectives.
• I can use technology to publish a piece of writing.
• I can use technology to collaborate with others to produce a piece of writing.
• I can type at least three pages of writing in a single sitting.
• I can conduct short research projects to answer a question.
• I can use several sources in my research.
• I can refocus or refine my question when appropriate.
• I can use evidence from a variety of grade-appropriate texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.
• I can create and present a text or artwork in response to a literary work.
- I can develop a perspective or theme supported by relevant details.
- I can recognize and illustrate social, historical, and cultural features in the presentation of literary texts.
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 knowledge of language and its conventions when writing, speaking, reading, or listening.
- 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 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.
Assessments
• Analyzing Author’s Point of View and How It Is Conveyed in a chosen reading
• Analyzing Point of View and Plot Development in a chosen reading
- Evidence of Author’s Perspective in a chosen reading
• Researching Information about a related informational topic
• Informative Guide related to informational topic
Topics
• Analyze excerpts of a chosen text for figurative language, connotative language, word and phrase choice and meaning, and plot development.
• Analyze excerpts of a chosen text and the main character’s point of view and how it is conveyed.
• Closely read excerpts of a chosen text to analyze the narrator’s point of view and how it is conveyed.
• Analyze how the author develops the plot in each chapter.
• Closely read excerpts of a chosen text looking for evidence of the author’s perspective.
• Researching information about a chosen text
• Evaluate research to choose that which is most relevant and compelling.
• Analyze authentic informative consumer guides to generate criteria for an effective informative consumer guide.
• Compile the most relevant and compelling research into an informative consumer guide.
Standards
RL.6.4, RL.6.5, RL.6.6, RL.6.11
RI.6.3, RI.6.4, RI.6.6, RI.6.7
W.6.2, W.6.4a, W.6.6, W.6.7, W.6.9, W.6.11
SL.6.2
L.6.2, L.6.3, L.6.4a