RADNOR TOWNSHIP SCHOOL DISTRICT
Course Overview
Language Arts – Grade 6
General Information
Prerequisite: Student has met readiness level
Length: Full year
Format: Meets for two periods
Course Description
Grade 6 Language Arts allows students to pursue rigorous coursework that is aligned with Pennsylvania
Common Core State Standards. Students are admitted to this course based on criteria that consider past
performance and demonstrated readiness. Students in this course will develop grade level appropriate
skills in reading, writing, speaking and listening, and research. Rigorous in and out of class reading,
challenging class discussions and a variety of writing experiences will be required. Summer
assignments will also be required.
Course Objectives:
1. Students will be able to read, understand, and respond to informational text such as essays,
articles, and biographies.
2. Students will be able to read, understand, and respond to works of literature, including novels,
stories, poetry, and drama.
3. Students will develop the skills of informational, argumentative, and narrative writing.
4. Students will engage in evidence-based analysis of text.
5. Students will focus on communication skills that enable critical listening and effective expression of
ideas, including collaborative discussion, inquiry, and presentation.
6. Students will develop and refine advanced vocabulary skills to improve reading, writing, speaking,
and listening.
7. Students will practice grammatical conventions, and apply them consistently as they write across all
content areas.
Common Assessments:
Required Assessments:
Common Assessments (all sixth grade students in all levels):
Essay (on demand): Figurative Language: after reading a selection from Tuck
Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt, Students will write a multi paragraph essay explaining how
an author’s use of figurative language helps set mood and tone.
Folktale Identification (on demand): After reading Under the Rice Moon, students will
write a well developed paragraph that explaining why the piece is a folktale.
Determining Author’s Purpose (on demand): is a text dependent analysis piece that
will require students to read an informational argument article and determine the author’s
purpose.
Research Paper (process piece in conjunction with Social Studies): Students will
select a country that has not previously been studied in class and write a research-based
paper about how that country has been impacted by and adapted to its geographic
conditions.
Common Course Assessments (only those students enrolled in this course):
Unit 1: Artful Reading and Writing
Dialectical Reading Journals : Scored with Rubric
Narrative writing: RTSD Writing Rubric: Personal Narrative
Wordly Wise Tests: Units 1-5
Test : Grammar Workshop Unit 1- Sentences
Test : Grammar Workshop Unit 2- Nouns
Unit 2:Growing and Changing
Close Reading Poetry: Identification and interpretation of mood and tone and other poetic
devices.
Informative/Explanatory- process and timed pieces to include:
 Essay: comparing a topic/theme presented in different genres
 Expository: analysis of author’s choice of genre to tell a story
Test :Grammar Workshop Unit 3 – Verbs
Test : Grammar Workshop Unit 4 - Adjectives, Adverbs, Conjunctions and Prepositions
Tests: Wordly Wise Lessons 6-10 and Review 5-8
Unit 3: Literature Reflects Life
Dialectical Journal: Biography/Memoir/Historical Fiction: using textual evidence and
quotes to support analysis of theme.
Test :Grammar Workshop Unit 4– Conjunctions and Prepositions
Test: Grammar Workshop Unit 5 - Pronouns
Test: Wordly Wise Lessons 11-15 and Review Test Lessons 9-12
Unit 4: Dramatically Speaking
Dialectical Journal: Drama- using textual evidence and quotes to support character
analysis
Test: Grammar Workshop- Review capitalization, punctuation, commonly confused words
Tests: Wordly Wise Lessons 16-20 Review Test Lessons 13-16 and 17-20
Major Units of Study:
Units of study are organized in a manner that encourages students to make connections across complex
skills, strategies, and content.
Unit #1
Unit #2
Unit #3
Unit #4
Artful Reading and Writing
Growing and Changing
Literature Reflects Life
Dramatically Speaking
The following units are year-long and run concurrently with the core units.
On-going unit: Self-selected reading
On-going unit: Vocabulary
On-going unit: Grammar
Materials & Texts
Unit 1: Artful Reading and Writing
Required Texts and Resources:
Common Text and Resources:
Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt
Folktales From Around the World edited by Jane Yolen
Grammar Workshop Sadlier 2013
Common Course Text and Resources
Literature for Thought: Family Matters Perfection Learning 2006
Cycle Of Life (Diamantes) by Dawn Slanker
Fountain of Youth by Stanley Cooper
Wordly Wise 3000 Book 6 Educators Publishing Service
Criterion Online Writing Evaluation, a service that evaluates students’ writing skills
Unit 2: Growing and Changing
Required Texts and Resources:
Common Texts and Resources:
Grammar Workshop Sadlier 2013
Common Course Texts and Resources:



Literature for Thought: Family Matters Perfection Learning 2006
Phoenix Farm by Jane Yolen
After the Divorce by Jewel Kilcher
Wordly Wise 3000 Book 6 Educators Publishing Service
Selected materials from Laying the Foundation, an organization that provides teacher resources
Criterion Online Writing Evaluation, a service that evaluates students’ writing skills
Supplemental Texts and Resources (use may vary):

Selected Poetry from various Literature Anthologies

One of the Following Literature Circle Selections:
 A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle
 Black Storm Comin’ by Diane Lee Wilson
 Habibi by Naomi Shihab Nye
 Esperanza Rising by Pam Munoz Ryan
 Cracker! The Best Dog in Vietnam by Cynthia Kadohata
 A Long Way from Chicago by Richard Peck
 Freak the Mighty by Rodman Philbrick
 The Girl Who Owned a City by O.T. Nelson
 The Cay by Theodore Taylor
Unit 3: Literature Reflects Life
Required Texts and Resources:
Common Text and Resources:



Inside Out & Back Again by Thanhha Lai
Tasting the Sky: A Palestinian Childhood by Ibtisam Barakat
Grammar Workshop Sadlier 2013
Common Course Text and Resources


Ode to La Tortilla by Gary Soto
Wordly Wise 3000 Book 6 Educators Publishing Service
Supplemental Texts and Resources (may vary):



Selected materials from Laying the Foundation, an organization that provides teacher resources
Criterion Online Writing Evaluation, a service that evaluates students’ writing skills
Sky by Hanneke Ippisch
Unit 4: Dramatically Speaking
Required Texts and Resources:
Common Text and Resources:
 The Mousetrap a play by Agatha Christie
 Grammar Workshop Sadlier 2013
Common Course Text and Resources:
 Wordly Wise 3000 Book 6 Educators Publishing Service
Supplemental Texts and Resources (may vary):
One of the Following Literature Circle Selections:
 Hound of the Baskervilles by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
 Rebel Fire by Andy Lane
 Chomp by Carl Hiassen
 Flush by Carl Hiassen
 Hoot by Carl Hiassen
 Scat by Carl Hiassen
 Rush for Gold by John Feinstein
 The Rivalry: Mystery at the Army vs. Navy Game by John Feinstein
 Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie
Summer Assignment
RMS publishes an annual summer reading list. Students should refer to the RMS library web page for
summer reading expectations.