Reading for Research and Writing an Argument
Grade Level: 6th
Subject: ELA
Time Frame: Quarter 4- 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.
• I can outline a speaker’s argument and specific claims.
• I can determine whether a speaker’s argument is supported by reasons and evidence or not.
• I can present claims and findings in a logical order.
• I can support my main points with descriptions, facts, and details.
• I can use effective speaking techniques (appropriate eye contact, adequate volume, and clear pronunciation).
• I can include multimedia components and visual displays in a presentation to clarify information.
• I can adapt my speech for a variety of contexts and tasks, using formal English when indicated or appropriate
Reading
• I can cite text-based evidence to support an analysis of literary text.
• I can cite text-based evidence to support an analysis of informational text.
• I can identify the argument and specific claims in a text.
• I can evaluate the argument and specific claims for sufficient evidence.
- I can compare how different authors portray the same idea or event.
• I can use my experience and knowledge of language and logic, as well as culture, to think analytically, address problems creatively, and advocate persuasively
Writing
• I can write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence.
- I can create an introduction that states my main argument and foreshadows the organization of my piece.
- I can support my claim(s) with clear reasons and relevant evidence.
- I can use credible sources to support my claim(s)
- I can identify the relationship between my claim(s) and reasons by using linking words, phrases, and clauses.
- I can maintain a formal style in my writing.
- I can construct a concluding statement or section that reinforces my main argument.
• 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 use technology to collaborate with others to produce a piece of writing
• 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 gather relevant information from a variety of sources.
• I can assess the credibility of each source I use.
• I can quote or paraphrase what others say about my topic while avoiding plagiarism.
• I can provide a list of sources I used to gather information in a bibliography
• 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
Language Usage
• I can identify when standard English is and isn’t being used.
• I can convert language into standard English.
• 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 suffixes) 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, and part of speech of key words and phrases.
- 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.
Assessments
• Tracing and Evaluating an Argument:
• whole class discussion
• Comparing and Contrasting Two Texts: Simulated Research
• Making a Claim about a chosen topic
• Position Paper
• Reflection on the Writing Process: Moving from Draft to Published Position Paper
​
Topics
• Launch routines for reading the novel
• Build background knowledge about a chosen text related to the novel
• Trace an argument in text and video.
• Look closely at how text features support an argument.
• Interpret information from charts and graphs.
• Share information, understanding, and evidence-based opinions in a discussion.
• Analyze an author’s presentation of ideas and events.
• Compare and contrast two authors’ presentation of information, ideas, and events.
• Begin to collect relevant information to answer the research question, as well as bibliographic information about sources in a researcher’s notebook.
• Assess the credibility of sources used for research.
• Learn and practice multiple strategies for determining word meaning.
• Begin to research texts digitally in a guided Webquest.
• Collect and practice strategies for determining the meaning of unknown words
• Learn effective presentation techniques in preparation for sharing research-based claim.
• Create a visual that helps an audience understand the claim and evidence.
• Analyze a model position paper that makes a claim and uses evidence to support that claim.
• Analyze the rubric that will be used to assess the position paper.
• Review the steps for writing a position paper.
• Plan the claim and evidence that will be used in the position paper.
• Plan the body paragraphs of the position paper.
• Peer critique the reasons and evidence being used in the position paper.
• Draft the complete position paper
• Peer critique of drafts of position paper.
• Incorporate teacher’s feedback in revision of position paper.
• Learn the distinction between informal and formal English in writing, and incorporate this into the revision of the position paper.
• Revise for appropriate sixth-grade, domain specific, and academic vocabulary.
• Prepare a scientific poster showing the claim, evidence, and research that went into the position paper.
• Host a Gallery Walk of scientific posters
Standards
RL.6.1
RI.6.1, RI.6.8, RI.6.9, RI.6.9a
W.6.1, W.6.4, W.6.5, W.6.6, W.6.7, W.6.8, W.6.9, W.6.10
SL.6.2, SL.6.2a, SL.6.3, SL.6.4, SL.6.5, SL.6.6
L.6.1e, L.6.4, L.6.6