English Language Arts

Course Description:

Students will learn and apply comprehension strategies while reading, writing, and responding to a variety of media and genres. Students will refine their writing skills in all modes of writing through the Six Traits and the writing process to plan, draft, revise, edit, and publish with diverse purposes and audiences in mind. Learners will develop speaking and listening skills to effectively communicate in both formal and informal settings. Successful completion of this course will prepare students for English Language Arts 7.

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Unit 1: Childhood

  • Literary Focus: Imagery, Non-Fiction Narrative, Inferencing, Author's Purpose, Theme, Literary Devices, Elements of Literary Text, Memoir, Point of View
  • Reading Power Strategies: Making connections, Visualization, Monitoring Understanding & Activating Background Knowledge
  • Grammar Focus: Common and Proper nouns, Possessive nouns, Adjectives and Adverbs
  • Writing Focus: Non-Fiction narrative (When did a challenge lead to a triumph?)

Unit 2: Tuck Everlasting (Teacher Led-Novel Study)

  • Literary Focus: Imagery, Inferencing, Author's Purpose, Theme, Point of View
  • Grammar Focus:

Unit 3: Animal Allies

  • Literary Focus: Author's Purpose, Literary Devices, Poetry, Theme, Historical Fiction, Setting, Conflict, Elements of Literary Text
  • Reading Power Strategies: Text Features, Note-Taking, Questioning, Predicting & Summarizing
  • Grammar Focus: Commas, Pronouns, Verbs and Verb tenses
  • Writing Focus: Thesis Statements, 5-Paragraph Essay, Main Ideas/Details, 6 Traits of Writing

Unit 4: Poetry (Study & Creation)

  • Literary Focus: Figurative Language, Poetry Elements (Similie, Metaphor, Alliteration, Onomatopoeia, Imagery, Rhythm, Personification, Hyperbole, Idiom, Analogy, Tone & Mood)
  • Grammar Focus: Appositives, Independent & Dependent Clauses, Verbs (action, helping & linking), Comparative/Superlative Adjectives

Unit 5: Biography (Research)

  • Literary Focus:
  • Reading Power Strategies: Previewing, Note-Taking, Text Features & Questioning
  • Expository 5-Paragraph Essay: What makes a person larger than life?
    • The 6 Traits of Writing
  • Grammar Focus: Subject & Predicate, Sentences (simple, complex and compound), Independent & Subordinate Clauses, Conjunctions, Interjections

Unit 6: Literature Circles

  • Literary Focus:
  • Student Led Literature Circles:
    • Bearstone
    • Bud, Not Buddy
    • Maniac Magee
    • Where the Red Fern Grows
  • Reading Power Strategies: Previewing, Questioning, Monitoring Understanding, Text Structure, Vocabulary, Activating Background Knowledge & Note-Taking
  • Grammar Focus: Prepositional Phrases, Participle (past, present and gerunds), Subject Complements and Predicate Nominatives

Unit 7: Persuasive Unit

  • Literary Focus:
  • Shark Tank Presentation
  • Grammar Focus: