Co Taught Classes:
1st period Math with Mrs. McKinney....Please see that syllabus here:
2nd period ELA with Mrs. Viers...Please see that syllabus here:
ENGLISH STUDIES 6
Syllabus
2026-2027
Allison Viers | aviers@greenville.k12.sc.us
English Studies 6 is a course in which students will study various genres of literature, while also working to improve skills in vocabulary, grammar, and writing.
POLICIES & GRADING
Assignments:
50% major - There will be 2- 4 major grades each quarter. These will be unit assessments and/or projects.
50% minor - There will be 8-10 minor grades throughout each quarter. These grades will include quizzes, warm-ups/bellwork, practice assignments, etc.
Homework:
Students should also be reading an independent reading book for 20 to 30 minutes each night.
Procedures and expectations will be discussed within the first week and posted on Google classroom.
COURSE MATERIALS
Texts
Choldenko, Gennifer. Al Capone Does My Shirts. Puffin Books, 2004
Al Capone Does My Shirts
Moose Flannagan moves with his family to Alcatraz so his dad can work as a prison guard and his sister, Natalie, can attend a special school. But Natalie has autism, and when she’s denied admittance to the school, the stark setting of Alcatraz begins to unravel the tenuous coping mechanisms Moose’s family has used for dealing with her disorder.
When Moose meets Piper, the cute daughter of the Warden, he knows right off she’s trouble. But she’s also strangely irresistible. All Moose wants to do is protect Natalie, live up to his parents’ expectations, and stay out of trouble. But on Alcatraz, trouble is never very far away.
Set in 1935, when guards actually lived on Alcatraz Island with their families, Choldenko’s second novel brings humor to the complexities of family dynamics and illuminates the real struggle of a kid trying to free himself from the “good boy” stance he’s taken his whole life.
Annotation:
Al Capone Does My Shirts by Gennifer Choldenko explores the topics of
Family.
Love.
Duty.
Guilt and Blame.
Friendship.
Rules and Order.
Exploration.
Honesty.
It is an engaging story that promotes mindful discussion and real life synthesis and analysis. We will use this as a model text to recognize correct grammar and figurative language, and use it as a springboard for creative narrative writing.
Curtis, Christopher Paul. The Watsons Go to Birmingham — 1963. Delacorte Press, 1995
THE WATSONS GO TO BIRMINGHAM
The Newbery Honor-winning American classic, The Watsons Go to Birmingham--1963 , celebrates 20 years with this anniversary edition featuring a special letter from Christopher Paul Curtis and an introduction by noted educator Dr. Pauletta Bracy.
Enter the hilarious world of ten-year-old Kenny and his family, the Weird Watsons of Flint, chigan. There's Momma, Dad, little sister Joetta, and brother Byron, who's thirteen and an "official juvenile delinquent." When Momma and Dad decide it's time for a visit to Grandma, Dad comes home with the amazing Ultra-Glide, and the Watsons set out on a trip like no other. They're heading South to Birmingham, Alabama, toward one of the darkest moments in America's history.
Gratz, Alan. Refugee. Scholastic Press, 2017.
Refugee
Three different kids.
One mission in common: ESCAPE.
Josef is a Jewish boy in 1930s Nazi Germany. With the threat of concentration camps looming, he and his family board a ship bound for the other side of the world…
Isabel is a Cuban girl in 1994. With riots and unrest plaguing her country, she and her family set out on a raft, hoping to find safety and freedom in America…
Mahmoud is a Syrian boy in 2015. With his homeland torn apart by violence and destruction, he and his family begin a long trek toward Europe…
All three young people will go on harrowing journeys in search of refuge. All will face unimaginable dangers–from drownings to bombings to betrayals. But for each of them, there is always the hope of tomorrow. And although Josef, Isabel, and Mahmoud are separated by continents and decades, surprising connections will tie their stories together in the end.
GenresHistorical FictionYoung AdultMiddle GradeFictionRealistic FictionHistorical
Reynolds, Jason. Ghost. Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2016.
Ghost
Jason Reynolds
Running. That's all that Ghost (real name Castle Cranshaw) has ever known. But never for a track team. Nope, his game has always been ball. But when Ghost impulsively challenges an elite sprinter to a race—and wins—the Olympic medalist track coach sees he has something: crazy natural talent. Thing is, Ghost has something else: a lot of anger, and a past that he is trying to outrun. Can Ghost harness his raw talent for speed and meld with the team, or will his past finally catch up to him?
Web Based Instruction
No Red Ink - Students will be accessing No Red Ink in class on a regular basis to improve their grammar and writing skills.
SCCCR Standards
This curriculum is designed to provide consistent student interaction with the South Carolina College and Career Ready Standards for English Language Arts. Those standards can be found here: New SC CCR ELA Standards 6th grade
The matrix below displays the tentative units of study, arranged by quarter. The teacher reserves the right to make changes to this syllabus as needed.
COURSE OUTLINE
QUARTER ONE
Grammar: “Strong Writers Begin with Strong Sentences.”
Literary Study: Annotating Short Stories
Writing: Well-Constructed Narrative
-Text Features
-Grammar Spiral Review (focus Pronouns and Sentence Structure/Strong Sentence Writing)
-Literary Terms and Author’s Craft (Plot, Plot Structure and Development, Characterization, Setting, Conflict)
-Annotations
-Narrative Text Writing with Arts Integration
-Academic Vocabulary
QUARTER TWO
Literary Study: Theme and Author’s Purpose
Writing and Research: Informative
-Themes and Theme Development (Al Capone Does My Shirts)
-Companion Texts-Poems. Excerpts
-Text Dependent Questioning with Citing Text Evidence
-Point of View and Author’s Purpose
-Punctuation Rules (commas, parentheses, dashes, semicolons)
-Informational Writing and Research from Credible Sources-Arts Integration Canvases
-Pathos, Ethos, Logos
QUARTER THREE
Theme Study: Making Your Voice Heard
Literary Study: Novel (The Watsons Go to Birmingham)
Writing: Persuasive
-Research on Novel
-Figurative and Connotative Meanings
-Literary Terms And Author’s Craft
(Tone, Mood, Dialogue)
-Text Dependent Questioning with citing Text Evidence
-Weekly Vocabulary Units
-Arts Integration: Identity Poetry and Collage
-Speeches (Call to Action)
QUARTER FOUR
Theme Study: Overcoming Adversity (Refugee)
Writing: Formal Argument
-Literary Study: Poetry and Figurative Language
-Text Dependent Questioning with citing Text Evidence
-Weekly Vocabulary Units
-Show What YOU Know
-Argument Essay
Materials Needed: Red notebook, highlighters, pencils, pens, loose-leaf notebook paper, and post-it notes.
*Individual teachers may alter this syllabus to best serve the educational needs of our students.
**For more detailed information about assignments, please visit my webpage on the League Academy website.
Dear Parents,
During the course of the school year, we plan to show video clips, commercials, and movies in full or as excerpts to enhance our class curriculum.
Our school requires parental permission for your student to view movies that are used in our curriculum which have a rating above “G.” No rated “R” movies will be shown under any circumstances.
We believe showing your son or daughter movies enables them to benefit from visualizing a story for better understanding and application. Video clips and movies help generate discussion of theme, characterization, and other literary elements.
Movies, along with our hands-on activities such as reading, in-class discussion groups, and research projects, give students a well-rounded opportunity to discover the world of literature. Movies go beyond dry facts and help bring events “alive.”
Be assured that we will use proper discretion when showing film. Video clips, commercials, and movies will be selected based on their merit to our curriculum. Lesson plans related to video will be available upon request.
Thank you for taking the time to read and sign this permission form located in the PARENT INFO Portion of my Website.
Sincerely, Mrs. Viers