6th grade Standards

The sixth grade AVID Elective course is an introduction to the AVID philosophy. Students will develop awareness of the values accompanying academic goals and success. The course will focus on building self-confidence and communication skills in working with peers and adults. Students will be exposed to reading strategies that will assist in vocabulary building and understanding a variety of texts, and will also focus on pre-writing techniques, summary writing and structural components of note-taking. The students will increase college and career awareness through guest speaker presentations, field trip opportunities and research.

Educational Domains

6th grade AVID Standards

Character Development (6-CD)

A. Self-Awareness

1. Develop an understanding of SLANT interactions (Sit in the Front, Lean Forward, Ask Questions, Nod your Head, Talk to the Teacher) and apply strategy in all classes

2. Develop awareness of proper behaviors in varied settings

3. Complete self-evaluations about conflict management, personal behavior, accomplishments and interactions with others

B. Goals

1. Understand how to calculate grade point average

2. Create an academic six-year plan for secondary education

3. Read short biographies or articles that focus on goal setting

4. Understand how to set goals using GPA (Goal, Plan, Action) outline

5. Monitor guidelines of AVID school contract, in order to fulfill requirements

6. Practice setting intermediate and short-range goals with GPA outlines, projects, reading assignments, and/or homework

C. Community and School Involvement

1. Identify various opportunities to become involved in and contribute to the school/community

Communication (6-COMM)

A. Speaking

1. Understand basic terminology associated with public speaking

2. Practice monitoring word choice when speaking

3. Understand proper adult salutations (Dr., Mrs., Ms., etc.)

4. Develop awareness of nonverbal communication when speaking

5. Participate in impromptu speeches to build confidence in public speaking

6. Practice speaking skills in front of small groups

Writing (6-WRI)

A. The Writing Process

1. Use pre-writing techniques to brainstorm ideas for writing

2. Revise drafts or writing to improve and clarify

3. Edit students' essays, especially checking for errors in capitalization and pronoun usage

4. Utilize rubrics to self-evaluate writing

B. Writing Skills

1. Understand strategies to write effective paragraphs

2. Apply strategies to build and expand on vocabulary/word choice

3. Effectively use pronouns in writing

4. Use proper capitalization in writing

C. Writing Applications

1. Develop and strengthen writing through the creation of a narrative essay

2. Develop and strengthen writing through the creation of an expository essay

D. Writing to Learn

1. Write summaries which include only the most important information

2. Reflect on learning from all content areas through the use of learning logs

Inquiry (6-INQ)

A. Costa's Levels of Thinking

1. Develop an awareness of Costa’s Levels of Thinking and/or Bloom’s Taxonomy

B. Tutorials

1. Establish a foundational understanding for collaborative tutorial skills

2. Participate in academic tutorials with peers as group members and college tutors as facilitators, twice per week

C. Socratic Seminar and Philosophical Chairs

1. Introduce the basic components of Philosophical Chairs and Socratic Seminars using topics based on student interest

2. Compare and contrast one author's presentation of events with that of another (e.g., a memoir written by an author and a biography of the same person) in a Socratic Seminar or Philosophical Chairs discussion

3. Integrate information presented in different media or formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively), as well as in words, to develop a coherent understanding of a topic or issue in a Socratic Seminar or Philosophical Chairs discussion.

Collaboration (6-COLL)

1. Participate in team building lessons to learn about valuing and effectively working with others

2. Follow established rules for engaging in collaborative activities

3. Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners

Organization (6-ORG)

A. Organization and Time Management

1. Develop and maintain an organized binder, divided by subjects, which includes a supply pouch and other academically useful materials

2. Keep calendars and/or planners for each class which show assignments

3. Begin an academic portfolio, demonstrating personal and academic growth

4. Publish final versions of writing for the academic portfolio

B. Note-Taking

1. Understand the history and functionality of the Cornell note-taking method

2. Utilize Cornell note-taking methods in most classes

3. Take four to nine pages of quality Cornell notes per week

4. Develop an understanding of the organization surrounding right-column notes

5. Develop an understanding of the organization surrounding left-column notes for main ideas and questions

6. Develop an understanding of the summary in Cornell note-taking

C. Research and Technology

1. Use technology in assignments and presentations

D. Test Preparation and Test-Taking

1. Develop an understanding of how to prepare for content area final exams, focusing on before, during and after an exam

Reading (6-REA)

A. Vocabulary

1. Identify key vocabulary while reading

B. Textual Analysis

1. Read and discuss various examples of text, including, but not limited to, articles from magazines and newspapers

2. Determine the main idea of grade appropriate text

3. Use multiple reading strategies, including, but not limited to, Marking the Text and numbering paragraphs to better understand text

4. Summarize informational text

5. Develop awareness of visuals (captions, illustrations, etc.)

College Preparedness (6-CP)

A. Guest Speakers

1. Choose guest speakers who represent careers of interest and prepare questions for the speakers with teacher support

2. Use listening skills during presentations by guest speakers, regarding career preparation and attendance at four-year colleges and universities

3. Write to reflect on the learning from guest speaker presentations

B. Field Trips

1. Participate in field trips, such as visiting a career/technical education center, community college or cultural/arts venue

2. Use skills of listening and observing during field trip experiences

3. Write to reflect on the learning from field trip experience(s)

C. College and Career Knowledge

1. Use technology to understand differences in post-secondary institutions