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As part of the sixth grade curriculum, we will be studying and discussing different themes and how they relate to the various genres of literature. Exposing children to various genres of literature not only introduces them to different types of literature, but also allows them the opportunity to apply similar skills and strategies in one specific genre. As we focus on a specific theme, we will do a read aloud in class. I will use the read aloud as a mentor text to teach important strategies and literacy concepts. The students will also be required to select another book from this specific genre, theme, or author that they will read independently at home or at times, in literature circles in class and complete a book project. I will be giving the students specific authors, and at times, specific books to choose from. I will send home a letter as we begin a new theme of study to inform you that it is time to select a book and when the book project will be due.
Theme 1 - Identity
Our first theme is Identity. Identity is the name or essential character that identifies somebody or something. As the shared reading, I have chosen Tangerine by Edward Bloor. In the book Tangerine, twelve-year-old Paul sees the move as a way to start anew, maybe even make a name for himself in middle school soccer—despite his father’s obsession with his high-school-age brother Erik’s future in football. Paul is visually impaired but it’s everyone else who seems to be blind to Erik’s dangerous nature. Tangerine is a gut-wrenching coming-of-age novel about truth, memory, culture, courage, social consciousness, class-ism, the environment . . . and soccer. Paul is a character well worth cheering for. The book has won many awards: ABA’s Pick of the Lists, ALA Best Book for Young Adults, Bulletin Blue Ribbon Book, Horn Book Fanfare Selection, IRA Young Adults’ Choice, New York Public Library 100 Titles for Reading and Sharing.
Theme 2 - Community
Our second theme is Community. Community is a group of people with a common background or with shared interests within society. As the read aloud, I have chosen Once by Morris Gleitzman. Felix, a Jewish boy in Poland in 1942, is hiding from the Nazis in a Catholic orphanage. The only problem is that he doesn't know anything about the war, and thinks he's only in the orphanage while his parents travel and try to salvage their bookselling business. And when he thinks his parents are in danger, Felix sets off to warn them--straight into the heart of Nazi-occupied Poland. To Felix, everything is a story: Why did he get a whole carrot in his soup? It must be sign that his parents are coming to get him. Why are the Nazis burning books? They must be foreign librarians sent to clean out the orphanage's outdated library. But as Felix's journey gets increasingly dangerous, he begins to see horrors that not even stories can explain. Despite his grim surroundings, Felix never loses hope. Morris Gleitzman takes a painful subject and expertly turns it into a story filled with love, friendship, and even humor.
Theme 3 - Inquiry
Our third theme is Inquiry. “As one may bring himself to believe almost anything he is inclined to believe, it makes all the difference whether we begin or end with the inquiry, 'What is truth?'” Inquiry is the act of asking or requesting information. We will discuss the concept of inquiry as we complete a read aloud in class.
As the shared reading, I have selected And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie. The shared reading, And Then There Were None, is considered the best mystery novel ever written by many readers. And Then There Were None is the story of 10 strangers, each lured to Indian Island by a mysterious host. Once his guests have arrived, the host accuses each person of murder. Unable to leave the island, the guests begin to share their darkest secrets--until they begin to die.
Theme 4 - Collaboration
Our last theme is Collaboration. “If I have seen further than others, it is by standing upon the shoulders of giants.” As the read aloud, I have chosen Forge by Laurie Halse Anderson. This is the sequel to the book Chains. In the book Forge, the young soldiers at Valley Forge are suffering from hunger, cold, and the threat of the British army. Their newly forged bonds of friendship might be enough to help them survive. But the chains of Curzon’s past threaten to shackle him again.
As an independent book, students can choose any free choice book to read.