Last updated: 2/13/2023

6th grade- Writing

Beginning-Mid September

 

Launching the Year

(Launching Writer's Notebooks)
(3) 6-8LAS1 Demonstrate command of the conventions of academic English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.
  • While building proficiency in English, ELLs/MLLs, in English as a New Language and Bilingual Education programs may demonstrate skills bilingually or transfer linguistic knowledge across languages.
(2) 6-8LAS2 Demonstrate command of the conventions of academic English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.
  • While building proficiency in English, ELLs/MLLs, in English as a New Language and Bilingual Education programs may demonstrate skills bilingually or transfer linguistic knowledge across languages.
(2) 6L3 Use knowledge of language and its conventions when writing, speaking, reading, or listening.

How do I use my writerś notebook to write effectively?

 

 

 

How can I write about reading?

 

Writer's Notebook

 

 

 

 

 

 

Constructed Written Response 

Writer's Notebook

  • resources

 

 

 

 

Constructed written response (RACE):

  • restate
  • claim
  • evidence 
  • elaborate
  • extend (your thinking)

Reference appropriate tools in writer's notebook to write effectively

 

 

Create a response to answer a question by making a claim with evidence to support their claim

 

 

For digital copies of all Teacherś College Reading and Writing Project:

www.heinemann.com

Login: heather.burns@readingandwritingproject.com

Password: dahlia

 

Supplemental Resources:

Studentś writerś notebooks from previous years

Scholastic Scope Magazine/Storyworks Magazine

www.scope.scholastic.com

 

Mid-September - End of October 

Narrative Writing

(Personal Narrative/Memoir)
(1) 6L1 See Grade Band 6-8 (Ongoing Skills)
(2) 6L3 Use knowledge of language and its conventions when writing, speaking, reading, or listening.
(2) 6W3 Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective techniques, descriptive details and sequencing.
(4) 6W4 Create a poem, story, play, art work, or other response to a text, author, theme, or personal experience.

How can I write a narrative using effective techniques and honing in on a small moment in time?

 

 

 

How can I analyze mentor texts to enhance my narrative writing?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

How can I strengthen my writing by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, and trying a new approach?

Personal Narrative/Memoir

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Writers will use the writing process.

Personal Narrative:

  • narrative 
  • small moment
  • details
  • description
  • seed idea
  • dialogue
  • lead
  • mentor text
  • conclusion

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Writing Process:

  • writing conference
  • revising
  • editing
  • draft (flash draft)

Personal Narrative:

  • Craft a strong lead that draws readers to the heart of the story.

 

  • Write a personal narrative focusing on small moment using details, description and exact dialogue to develop their character/narrator.

 

  • Provide a conclusion that reflects on what is experienced or resolved over the course of the narrative.

 

Writing Process:

strengthen writing by

  • revising
  • editing
  • trying a new approach 

 

 

Uses pronouns (subjective, objective, and possessive) effectively when writing a narrative.

 

 

Uses a variety sentence structures and lengths when writing.

 

Uses commas, parenthesis, dashes, and hyphens effectively in their narrative writing.

 

Participate in conversations about writing

Units of Study: Personal Narrative

 

Mentor Texts:

"Everything will be Okay"

"The Cactus"

"Ai's Personal Narrative"

"Kei's Personal Narrative"

"Look Up and Watch the Show"

"Jose's Flash Draft"

Teacher-written Personal Narrative

Former Exemplar Student Personal Narrative

 

Narrative Writing Checklist 

 

Supplemental:

Writer's Notebooks

Writing Folders

Pre-assessment (On Demand)

Post-assessment (On Demand)

November - December

 

 

Literary Essay
(1) 6W1 Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence.
(2) 6W5 Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research. Apply grade 6 Reading standards to both literary and informational text, where applicable.

How can I analyze characters and respond to literature using both claim and evidence?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

How can I identify character's motivations to determine the theme?

 

How do two texts address theme in a similar and different way?

 

Character Literary Essay

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Theme Literacy Essay

Character Literary Essay:

  • internal motivation
  • traits
  • summarizing
  • quoting

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Theme Literary Essay:

  • theme
  • compare
  • contrast
  • paraphrase
  • claim/thesis
  • sentence fragments
  • run on sentences

Analyze a character to identify traits and find evidence to support those traits.

 

Create a graphic organizer (box and bullet, etc.) to organize their claim and evidence.

 

Write a literary essay focusing on character.

 

 

 

 

Anaylze a character's motivations, problems, and lessons learned to craft a claim based on a theme.

 

Create a graphic organizer (box and bullet, etc.) to organize the claim and evidence.

 

Compare and contrast theme across two texts.

 

Write a literary essay focusing on theme.

 

Uses verbs effectively when writing.

 

Uses a comma, ellipsis, dash to indicate a pause or break.

 

Use an ellipsis to indicate an omission.

Literary Essay Units of Study

 

Mentor Texts

  • "Raymond's Run"

  • "The Gift of the Magi"
  • "Popularity"

 

Book Club Books - Historical Fiction

 

 

Pre-assessment (On Demand)

Graphic Organizers 

Short Writes

Post-assessment (On Demand)

January-Mid March 

Information Writing

(Research-Based Information Writing)
(3) 6-8LAS1 Demonstrate command of the conventions of academic English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.
  • While building proficiency in English, ELLs/MLLs, in English as a New Language and Bilingual Education programs may demonstrate skills bilingually or transfer linguistic knowledge across languages.
(2) 6SL2 Interpret information presented in diverse formats (e.g., including visual, quantitative, and oral) and explain how it relates to a topic, text, or issue under study.
(1) 6SL3 Delineate a speaker’s argument and specific claims, distinguishing claims that are supported by reasons and evidence from claims that are not.
(1) 6SL4 Present claims and findings, sequencing ideas logically and using relevant descriptions, facts, and details to accentuate central ideas or themes; use appropriate eye contact, adequate volume, and clear enunciation.
(1) 6SL5 Include digital media and/or visual displays in presentations to clarify information and emphasize and enhance central ideas or themes.
(1) 6SL6 Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks, demonstrating command of formal English when indicated or appropriate.
(2) 6W2 Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas, concepts, and information through the selection, organization, and analysis of relevant content.
(1) 6W6 Conduct research to answer questions, including self-generated questions, drawing on multiple sources and refocusing the inquiry when appropriate.
(1) 6W7 Gather relevant information from multiple sources; assess the credibility of each source; quote or paraphrase the data and conclusions of others; avoid plagiarism and provide basic bibliographic information for sources.

Credible Research

 

 

 

 

Research & Note Taking

 

 

 

 

Informational Essay

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Presentation of Research

Credible Research

 

 

 

 

Research & Note Taking

 

 

 

 

 

Informational Essay

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Presentation of Research

Credible Research:

  • credible 
  • research

 

Research & Note-taking:

  • outlining
  • concept web

 

Informational Essay:

  • plagarism
  • in text citations
  • bibliography

 

 

 

 

Presentation of Research:

  • digital media

 

Assess the credibility of each source.

 

 

 

Use graphic organizers to organize information and ideas.

 

 

Convey ideas and information about a subject in a well-structured informational essay.

 

 

 

Use digital media to present informational essay in a variety of formats.

Research-Based Informational Writing

 

Starter Packet Text Set

 

Text Sets:

Animal Abuse

Bullying

Child Labor

Environment and Health of the Planet

Malala & Girls Education

Screen Time

 

Information Writing Checklist

Research Paper 

Presentation of Research 

Mid-March- End of March

Test Prep
(1) 6L4 Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies.
(1) 6L4a Use context (e.g., the overall meaning of a sentence or paragraph; a word’s position or function in a sentence) as a clue to the meaning of a word or phrase.
(1) 6L5a Interpret figurative language, including personification, in context.
(1) 6R1 Cite textual evidence to support an analysis of what the text says explicitly/implicitly and make logical inferences. (RI&RL)
(2) 6W2 Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas, concepts, and information through the selection, organization, and analysis of relevant content.
(4) 6W4 Create a poem, story, play, art work, or other response to a text, author, theme, or personal experience.
(2) 6W5 Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research. Apply grade 6 Reading standards to both literary and informational text, where applicable.

How can readers annotate to better understand texts?

 

 

 

How can I answer questions about a text in writing using evidence from a text?

Test Reading and Writing Prep

Test Reading and Writing

  • stamina
  • perseverance
  • annotating text
  • answer
  • text evidence
  • details
  • support

Annotate texts while reading

 

Read a question and determine what it's asking

 

Write an answer to a question (an inference-based answer)

 

Use details from a text to support your answer

 

Explain the difference between short answer questions and extended response questions (what is asked, the length/depth of the answer required)

Lucy Calkins: Test Prep (available online on The Reading and Writing Project website, select Member Dashboard, select Treasure Chest)

 

Engageny.org released test questions and scoring materials

Pre-Assessment (On Demand)

Post-Assessment (On Demand)

April

 

Poetry
(3) 6-8LAS1 Demonstrate command of the conventions of academic English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.
  • While building proficiency in English, ELLs/MLLs, in English as a New Language and Bilingual Education programs may demonstrate skills bilingually or transfer linguistic knowledge across languages.
(2) 6L5 Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings.
(4) 6W4 Create a poem, story, play, art work, or other response to a text, author, theme, or personal experience.

How do I create a poem in response to a text, theme, author, or personal experience?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

How can I use figurative language to enhance my poem?

Poem

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mentor Texts

 

 

Figurative Language

Poem:

  • syllable
  • stanza
  • line
  • rhyme scheme
  • rhythm 
  • line breaks
  • stanza breaks
  • voice
  • word choice 

 

 

 

 

Figurative language:

  • metaphor
  • simile
  • personification
  • imagery
  • idiom
  • alliteratin
  • irony
  • onomatopoeia
  • hyperbole

Write poems

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Anaylze mentor texts

 

 

Use figurative language in poems

If/Then Book

 

Mentor Texts:

Decoded by Jay-Z

The Rose that Grew from Concrete by Tupac

Tears for Water: Songbook of Poems & Lyric by Alicia Keys

"Roses Late Summer" or "Summer Day" in House of Light by Mary Oliver

"Harlem"  by Langston Hughes

Hail Stones and Halibut Bones by Mary O'Neill 

Published Poems

May

Fantasy/Dystopian Creative Writing
(2) 6-8LAS2 Demonstrate command of the conventions of academic English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.
  • While building proficiency in English, ELLs/MLLs, in English as a New Language and Bilingual Education programs may demonstrate skills bilingually or transfer linguistic knowledge across languages.
(2) 6L5 Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings.
(1) 6L6 Acquire and accurately use general academic and content-specific words and phrases; apply vocabulary knowledge when considering a word or phrase important to comprehension or expression.
(4) 6W4 Create a poem, story, play, art work, or other response to a text, author, theme, or personal experience.

How do I write a fictional fantasy story?

Fictional Fantasy Story

 

 

Fantasy Elements

symbolism

dystopian

Generate ideas for fantasy by considering setting

 

Shape fantastical yet believable characters, settings and plots

 

Revise to "show", not tell, and to highlight symbolism and meaning

 

If/Then book

  • page 121

 

Fictional Fantasy Story

June

 

Present Fantasy Story in Different Format
(2) 6SL2 Interpret information presented in diverse formats (e.g., including visual, quantitative, and oral) and explain how it relates to a topic, text, or issue under study.
(2) 6W3 Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective techniques, descriptive details and sequencing.

How do I present my fictional fantasy story in a different format?

Diverse media methods for fantasy story

Present fantasy story in a different media format

Previously published student fantasy story

Storyboard That

Google Drawing

Presentation of Fantasy Story in a different media format
Loading
Data is Loading...