Central Middle School

Grade 6 Language Arts Curriculum Outline

          In Language Arts (Reading and Writing) we will be covering four units of study in which your child will be reading whole class novels, circle book novels (small groups), and short stories.  All grade six students will be asked to bring a book to all classes for pleasure reading when they are finished with any given assignment.  To begin the year, all students choose a book of choice, either from home, class library, or school library. We look forward to hearing and reading about their thinking while reading.  Reading homework assignments, most often, will be to read 20-30 minutes daily, whether it is a book of choice or an assigned book.

 Units 

Nonfiction (Let’s Communicate)

1. 1.       Write Source 2000 – Activities to familiarize students with Grade 6 Language Arts reference book.
2. 2.     Fact vs. Opinion
3. 3.     Types of Nonfiction
4. 4.     Reading Strategies for Nonfiction
5. 5.     Read-aloud (Leonardo da Vinci), whole group book - Science Secrets, individual books, short stories, articles with two-sided issues
6. 6.     Expository Writing – memoir, research paper 

Realistic Fiction

1. 1.       Whole group books (will read at least one)
1. a.      Holes
2. b.     Journey to the River Sea
3. c.      Walk Two Moons
2. 2.     Circle books (many choices)
3. 3.     Short stories (several selections)
4. 4.     Descriptive Writing 

Historical Fiction

1. 1.    Whole group books (will read at least one)
1. a.    Number the Stars
2. b.    The Devil’s Arithmetic
2. 2.    Circle books (many choices)
3. 3.    Short stories 

Poetry Unit (ongoing throughout the year – Fridays)

1. 1.    Discussions – author’s meaning/connections
2. 2.    Teacher selections – read-aloud and discussion
3. 3.    Silent reading (many sections to choose from)
4. 4.    Student selections – read-aloud and discussion