English Curriculum
Mr. Pickett’s 6th Grade ELA Syllabus
What will students learn in English class?
Students will learn to think critically about what they read (both fiction and nonfiction). They'll learn to cite evidence from the text to support their analysis of what they read. They will expand their skill in the main three types of writing: narrative (storytelling), explanatory, and argumentative. We will focus on attending to using correct grammar, punctuation, capitalization, and spelling. Students will learn to prepare for and participate in academic discussions and presentations to classmates. They will improve their listening skills through discussions and audiobooks. Finally, students will learn about figurative language while reading and writing poetry. For a more in-depth look at what we'll cover this year, scroll to the bottom of this page.
Where do I find assignments, links to class meetings, and grades?
All assignments will be posted on SchoolLoop and Google Classroom with directions and due dates. You will complete the work on Google Classroom. You can see your overall class grade on SchoolLoop.
How do I contact Mr. Pickett?
dpickett@brssd.org. Expect responses within a day or two on weekdays between 8 am and 4 pm.
Grading Categories
· Formal Evaluations - tests, essays, projects, & quizzes (50%)
· Informal Evaluations – class assignments, practice work (50%)
Grading Guidelines
· On-time assignments get full credit, late assignments are deducted 50%
· Students will get full credit on the first three late assignments per semester
· Contact Mr. Pickett for extra time on assignments in case of emergency, sickness, or other circumstances
· Students will get a rubric when starting formal evaluations and be graded based on that rubric
Grading Scale
A 93-100 C 73-76
A- 90-92 C- 70-72
B+ 87-89 D+ 67-69
B 83-86 D 63-66
B- 80-82 D- 60-62
C+ 77-79 F 59 and below
Here is a more in-depth look at what students will learn.
Reading Literature
Cite evidence
Theme, Plot, Character, and Point of view
Write a summary
Determine unknown words & connotation w/ context clues, Greek/Latin roots, & reference materials
Compare audio/written/video
Figurative language
Reading Nonfiction
Cite evidence
Main idea
Write a summary
How is an idea elaborated
Text features and structure
Evaluate an argument, claim supported by evidence?
Writing
Argumentative
Narrative
Explanatory
Writing Skills
Research
Evaluate sources
Cite evidence & avoid plagiarism
Revise / edit / collaborate
On-demand writing
Speaking & Listening
Collaborative discussions
Come prepared
Follow rules
Ask questions
Review key ideas & reflect
Present narrative, explanatory, and argumentative
Written Conventions
Spelling, punctuation, capitalization, and grammar
Pronouns