ELA Curriculum Syllabus, Grade 6
Scituate Public Schools
UNIT 1- FICTION AND NONFICTION
Prentice Hall Literature: Unit 1 focuses on fiction and non-fiction stories. The reading skill focuses are making predictions for part I
and fact versus opinion for part II. This unit will also discuss the elements of both fiction and non-fiction stories as well as the various
forms of fiction and non-fiction included in each genre. The required writing for this unit will be a descriptive essay that can be either
a fiction or non-fiction piece. Additional choices for writing include an autobiographical narrative and a fact versus opinion piece. In
the Prentice Hall Grammar book, the focus of instruction will be on nouns and pronouns.
Length of unit- 6 weeks
READING
Instructional Focus
Making Predictions - using prior knowledge, using text structure, verifying predictions
Fact and Opinion - clues that indicate an opinion, resources to check facts, making generalizations
Elements of Fiction - imaginary characters and events, plot, setting, narrator, point of view, theme
Elements of Nonfiction - real people and events, author as narrator; purpose to explain, persuade, inform
Required Reading
Part I:
Prentice Hall Literature textbook
(F)-signifies fiction, (N)-signifies non-fiction
(F)Greyling- Jane Yolen; p.7
(N)My Heart is in the Highland -Jane Yolen; p.15
(F)The Homecoming- Laurence Yep; p.31
(N)The Drive-In Movies- Gary Soto; p.44
(F)Why Monkeys Live in Trees- Julius Lester; p.68
(N)The Case of the Monkeys that Fell From the Trees- Susan Quinlan; p.72
Part II: (N)Stage Fright- Mark Twain; p.92
(N)My Papa, Mark Twain- Susy Clemens; p.97
(F)The Lady and the Spider- Robert Fulghum; p.108
(F)The Sound of Summer Running- Ray Bradbury; p.130
(F)Eleven- Sandra Cisneros; p.137
Alternative Story Choices Prentice, Hall Literature textbook (F)-signifies fiction, (N)-signifies non-fiction
(F)Stray- Cynthia Rylant; p.24
(F)The Market Square Dog- James Herriot; p.51
(N)Names/Nombres- Julia Alvarez; p.115
(F)from Bad Boy- Walter Dean Myers; p.156
Required Trade Book- A Stranger Came Ashore, Mollie Hunter
WRITING
Instructional Focus
Descriptive Writing Prentice, Hall Writing and Grammar textbook, Chapter 6
Prentice, Hall Literature textbook, pp. 82 - 86
Six Traits- primary emphasis - Ideas & Organization, secondary emphasis - Sentence Fluency & Word choice
Required Writing Assignment: Descriptive Essay (fiction or non-fiction)
Suggested writing assignments
Work in Progress - Descriptive Essay
Literature pp.13, 17, 41
Work in Progress - Autobiographical Essay Literature pp. 105, 123
with The Drive-In Movies
Literature p. 49
with The Market Square Dog
Literature p. 59
with Lady and the Spider
Literature p. 113
with Names/Nombres
Literature p. 121
Alternative perspective - discuss Lady and the Spider then rewrite Eleven from a different viewpoint
Choose an issue and write about it incorporating both fact and opinion
Write predictions connected to A Stranger Came Ashore
LANGUAGE
Instructional Focus
Nouns and Pronouns
Root Words
Vocabulary
Grammar: Nouns
Literature textbook
Writing/Grammar textbook
Nouns
p. 60
Ch 14 p. 188 - 191
Compound Nouns
Ch 14 p. 192
Common and Proper Nouns
p. 40
Ch 14 p. 193-195
Grammar: Pronouns
Literature textbook
Writing/Grammar textbook
Pronouns
p. 122
Ch 14 p. 196 -197
Personal Pronouns
p. 104
Ch 14 p. 198 - 199
Demonstrative Pronouns
Ch 14 p. 200 - 201
Root Words
Literature textbook
Root Words - dict, -ver, -port
pp. 21,40,60
Vocabulary
Literature textbook
From the stories
pp. 22, 42,66, 90, 106, 128,
For making predictions
p. 21
To discuss fact and opinion
p. 89
Interdisciplinary Links
Social Studies
Reading an atlas Literature textbook p.124
Locate settings of stories such as the Shetland Islands from Greyling and A Stranger Came Ashore.
Locate the homes of the authors in the unit
Social Studies
5 themes of Geography
Find how Place, Location, Movement, Human(or animal)/Environment Interaction, and Region relate to the stories.
The Case of the Monkeys that Fell From the Trees- Susan Quinlan; p.72
Media Links
with Greyling
Video "The Secret of Roan Inish"
Science website- www.animaland.org
Description: Unit 6- Prentice Hall Literature: Unit 6 focuses on themes in folk literature. The reading skill focuses are cause and effect in part I and a purpose for
reading in part II. In addition, this unit will teach skills such as identifying organizational structure in writing and comparing elements of fantasy stories. The use of
personification, foreshadowing and flashbacks in folk literature will also be included in this unit. The required writing for this unit will be a research report that is
completed in conjunction with the social studies curriculum on an ancient civilization. In the Prentice Hall Grammar book, the focus of instruction will be on simple,
compound and complex sentences, sentence fragments and commas.
Length of unit- 5 weeks
Required Reading: Prentice Hall Literature
Part IBlack Cowboy, Wild Horses –Julius Lester; p.765
The Tiger Who Would Be King –James Thurber; p.780
The Ant and the Dove – Leo Tolstoy; p.781
The Whale Rider –Witi Ihimaera; p.794
Arachne –Olivia Coolidge; p.801
Mowgli’s Brothers –Rudyard Kipling; p.816
from James and the Giant Peach –Roald Dahl; p. 825
Part II-
Why the Tortoise’s Shell is not Smooth –Chinua Achebe; p.
The Stone –Lloyd Alexander; 866
Lob’s Girl –Joan Aiken; p.888
Jeremiah’s Song - Walter Dean Myers; p.901
Supplementary Reading: Prentice Hall Literature
The Lion and the Bulls –Aesop; p.785
A Crippled Boy –My-Van Tran; p.786
36 Beached Whales die in St. Martin; p.811
He Lion, Bruh Bear, and Bruh Rabbit –Virginia Hamilton; p.846
Music For All; p.861
The Three Wishes –Ricardo Alegria; p.879
The Fun They Had –Isaac Asimov; p.928
Required tradebook- None
Writing:
Instructional FocusRequired Writing Assignment- Prentice Hall Literature- Multimedia Research Report p.836
Six Traits- Primary emphasis on organization, ideas & voice; secondary emphasis on sent. fluency & word choice
Required Writing Prompt- None
Suggested writing assignments- 1) Cause and effect piece
2) Compare and contrast two stories
3) Write and original folk tale
Language:
Instructional focus- Prentice Hall Writing and Grammar: Independent/subordinate clauses, simple, compound, complex sentences, sentence fragments, commas;
chapters 20, 21 & 26 (p.424-428, 441-445, 564-573)
Additional Elements
Interdisciplinary connections- 1) social studies research report 2) Folk art study
Media links- 1) Videos- James and the Giant Peach, Whale Rider