6th Unit 2 Module 3
Key Themes & Topics:
Community
Change
Research
Essential Questions
How do communities change?
Key Reading Standards
a. Use Key Ideas and Details to:
Cite textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text. (CCSS RI.6.1; CAS 6.2.2.a.i)
Determine a central idea of a text and how it is conveyed through particular details; provide a summary of the text distinct from personal opinions or judgments. (CCSS RI.6.2; CAS 6.2.2.a.ii)
b. Use Craft and Structure to:
Analyze how a particular sentence, paragraph, chapter, or section fits into the overall structure of a text and contributes to the development of the ideas. (CCSS RI.6.5; CAS 6.2.2.b.ii)
Key Writing Standards:
Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topi and convey ideas, concepts, and information through the selection, organization, and analysis of relevant content. (CCSS W.6.2; CAS 6.3.2.a)
Introduce a topic; organize ideas, concepts, and information, using strategies such as definition, classification, comparison/contrast, and cause/effect; include formatting and multimedia when useful to aiding comprehension. (CCSS W.6.2.a)
Develop the topic with relevant facts, definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other information and examples. (CCSS W.6.2b)
Use appropriate transitions to clarify the relationships among ideas and concepts. (CCSS W.6.2c)
Use precise language and domain-specific vocabulary to inform about or explain the topic. (CCSS W.6.2d)
Establish and maintain a formal style. (CCSS: W.6.2e)
Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from the information or explanation presented. (CCSS W.6.2f)
Summative Assessment Task
Phase I ends with an outline of the unit’s summative assessment outlining how students will show their progress of mastery of key standards and showcase their answers to the unit’s essential questions. This provides a goal toward which all weekly and daily learning activities can be designed. Summative assessments are vertically aligned to increase collaboration within and between departments.
Texts & Tasks for Unit
Choose the selection of texts and writing tasks below that will work for the unit. If you would like to provide feedback on this list or recommend a different task or text, please click here.
Extended Texts
The Ancient Maya by Lila Perl
City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau
Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli
Trash by Andy Mulligan
Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt
Weedflower by Cynthia Kadohata
Wonder by R.J. Palacio
Short Literary Texts
CommonLit (Log in to view texts)
"Sylvia Earle: Deep Ocean Explorer" by Bobbi Katz (use with Poetry Comparison task)
"April" by Bobbi Katz (use with Poetry Comparison task)
“Blue-Sky Home” by Lisa Papademetriou
“The Boy Who Cried Wolf” by Aesop
“The Last Class: The Story of a Little Alsatian” by Alphonse Daudet
“Teacher Tamer” by Avi
"The War of the Wall" by Toni Cade Bambara
"Mercury's Sandals" by Rose Edwards
Short Informational Texts
CommonLit (Log in to view texts)
"A Lifeline for Lions" by Pamela S. Turner (use with On Demand task)
"Growing Trees for Kenya" by Elizabeth Cregan (use with On Demand task)
"The Cotton Club" by Jessica McBirney (use with Common Catalysts task)
"How Jackie Robinson Changed Baseball" by Jessica McBirney (use with Common Catalysts task)
"Maldives Builds Barriers to Global Warming" by Jon Hamilton (use with Informational Text Structure task)
“The Blue-Eyed, Brown-Eyed Experiment” by CommonLit Staff
"Food Deserts” by Jessica McBirney
“From Slaves to Sharecroppers” by Leigh Dekle
"The Harlem Renaissance" by Jessica McBirney
“Should Girls be Allowed to Play High School Football?” by Josh Bean
“A Teen and a Trolley Reveal Society’s Dark Side” by Bethany Brookshire
"The Man Who Painted the Truth" by Kathleen M. Hays
Analytical Writing Tasks
SUMMATIVE ASSESSMENT - Informational Text Analysis: An essay that explores the development of two+ informational texts. (Doc) (Writable)
On Demand - Text Analysis: An essay that explores the development of two+ informational texts. Designed to be a formative check of students' understanding prior to completing the summative assessment. (Doc) (Writable)
Answer the Question in One Paragraph: A repeated writing opportunity to reflect on the essential question of the module. (Doc) (Writable)
Our Community is Like: An argumentative task making a case for which group best represents the community in a short or extended text. (Doc) (Writable)
Common Catalysts: An informational text pairing in which the writer compares and contrasts the central ideas of both texts. (Doc) (Writable)
Informational Text: Structure: An analysis of how parts of a text contribute to the development of the whole. (Doc) (Writable)
Poetry Comparison: A paired text compare and contrast of the form and style of poems by the same author. (Doc) (Writable)
Representation of Impact (literary): A visual representation of a character's impact on a community. (Doc) (Writable)
Research Task
Research Blitz - Changing Communities: A research task in which students explore changing communities in their area. Designed as either a stand alone task or used with a larger research task of the module. (Doc) (Writable)
Cause & Effect of Changing Communities: A multimedia research presentations that shares how a community that is important to the writer has changed. (Doc) (Writable)
Interviewing an Adult: A research task involving interviewing another member of a community to discuss how the community has changed over time. (Doc) (Writable)
Phase III: Planning
Each unit’s Phase III tasks will be a general week-by-week outline of the flow of learning tasks for students. Realizing the cultures and schedules at each site will vary and place unique demands on class time, these outlines are to be seen as generally flexible. Also in recognition of school and classroom cultures, expectations, and practices, unit plans will offer templates for tasks, but will not list daily lessons. This is to allow enough certainty of district alignment while allowing for features such as co-teaching, integrated ELA and social studies, and other unique programmatic designs.
Unit 2 Module 3 Reflection & Feedback
Please leave your feedback, reflections and assignment requests below.
The curriculum design team will meet quarterly to review and respond to your feedback. Please direct immediate questions or concerns to seiler_jenny@svvsd.org.