Grade 6 Reading

In this unit, students will begin the year by writing personal narratives and building classroom routines that support a strong community of readers and writers. Students will focus on developing clear, focused writing while learning how to give and use feedback. Students will then read selections from Roald Dahl’s memoir Boy: Tales of Childhood and examine how Dahl uses sensory details, language, structure, and textual evidence to convey complex childhood experiences. 

In this unit, students will read like investigators as they explore scientific discovery and detective work through multiple genres. Students will study The Secret of the Yellow Death by Suzanne Jurmain and selected Sherlock Holmes stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, examining how investigators use clues, observations, evidence, and data to solve problems. Students will also consider the ethics of scientific experiments and make connections to public health today. 

In this unit, students will explore the history and global impact of chocolate through primary and secondary sources, artifacts, and images. Students will learn about chocolate’s 3,700-year history, from ancient cultures in Mexico, including the Olmec, Maya, and Aztec, to current issues related to labor practices and environmental impact in chocolate production. Students will strengthen information literacy skills by developing research questions, analyzing sources, participating in a Socratic seminar, and constructing evidence-based arguments. 

In this unit, students will closely read and analyze Greek myths, including “Prometheus,” “Odysseus,” and “Arachne.” Students will explore how myths raise important questions about justice, responsibility, leadership, pride, arrogance, and what it means to be human. Through reading, discussion, and independent exploration of Greek, Roman, and Middle Eastern myths, students will examine character traits, compare perspectives, and consider how people’s choices affect the communities they belong to.

In this unit, students will read Summer of the Mariposas by Guadalupe Garcia McCall, a contemporary Latino retelling inspired by The Odyssey. Students will follow the Garza sisters on their journey into Mexico and back as they explore themes of family, identity, courage, and belonging. Students will analyze how characters change, compare the novel to episodes from The Odyssey, examine Mexican folklore and Aztec mythology, and explore the symbolism of the mariposa. Through discussion, research, mapping, and writing, students will develop a deeper understanding of the hero’s journey and write an evidence-based essay explaining what helps one of the heroes succeed in key moments.

In this unit, students will investigate the sinking of the Titanic by exploring primary, secondary, and tertiary sources. Students will analyze artifacts such as dining menus, photographs, drawings, telegraph transcripts, passenger records, and newspaper accounts to better understand what happened in 1912. Students will build information literacy skills by evaluating source reliability, using information ethically, and conducting independent research. In writing, students will research an assigned Titanic passenger and create a narrative account from that passenger’s point of view while considering issues of gender, class, and historical perspective.