Implementing the Common Core StandArds
Teacher's Guide to Meeting
the Common Core Standards*
with Prentice Hall Literature
Table of Contents
Grade 6
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
College and Career Readiness Standards for Reading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Reading Standards for Literature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Reading Standards for Informational Texts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
College and Career Readiness Standards for Writing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Writing Standards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
College and Career Readiness Standards
for Speaking and Listening . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Speaking and Listening Standards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
College and Career Readiness Standards for Language . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Language Standards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Standards Carried Through the Grades
(Conventions—Progressive Standards) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Model Responses to Teacher’s Guide Discussion Prompts . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
*The version of the Common Core standards presented in this document reflects the final version of the CCS
issued by the Council of Chief State School Officers and the National Governors Association in June 2010.
Pearson provides a Teacher’s Guide for each grade of Literature, presenting the complete text of the final
Common Core Standards, correlations to student edition, and supporting guidance for teachers.
Grade 6 • Page 1
Introduction
The Pearson Promise
Welcome to the Common Core Standards. As the largest educational
publishing company in the world, Pearson is committed to providing you
with curriculum that not only meets these new guidelines, but also supports
your implementation of these standards with your students.
Now that the Common Core Standards are finalized, Pearson is providing a
full Common Core Alignment that correlates to every grade level of Prentice
Hall Literature and supports your instructional needs.
This correlation provides an alignment of our grade 6 literature anthology to
the Common Core Standards. You will also find “mini-lessons” embedded
in these correlations to help you tailor your instruction to meet the
requirements of the standards.
We value your partnership highly and look forward to continuing our mission
to provide educational materials that fully satisfy your classroom needs.
Grade 6 • Page 2
Implementing the Common Core StandArds
Meeting the Common
Core Standards with
Prentice Hall Literature
Grade 6
College and Career Readiness Standards for Reading
The College and Career Readiness (CCR) anchor standards in the Reading domain appear below.
On the pages that follow, grade-specific standards define what students should understand and
be able to do in grade 6 as they build toward the CCR Reading standards. The CCR and gradespecific standards are therefore necessary complements—the former providing broad standards, the
latter providing additional specificity—that together define the skills and understandings that all
students must demonstrate. (Note that Common Core Standards for Reading are divided between
Literary and Informational texts.)
Key Ideas and Details
1.Read closely to determine what the text says explicitly and to make logical inferences from
it; cite specific textual evidence when writing or speaking to support conclusions drawn
from the text.
2.Determine central ideas or themes of a text and analyze their development; summarize the
key supporting details and ideas.
3.Analyze how and why individuals, events, and ideas develop and interact over the course of
a text.
Craft and Structure
4.Interpret words and phrases as they are used in a text, including determining technical,
connotative, and figurative meanings, and analyze how specific word choices shape
meaning or tone.
5.Analyze the structure of texts, including how specific sentences, paragraphs, and larger
portions of the text (e.g., a section, chapter, scene, or stanza) relate to each other and the
whole.
6.Assess how point of view or purpose shapes the content and style of a text.
Integration of Knowledge and Ideas
7.Integrate and evaluate content presented in diverse formats and media, including visually
and quantitatively, as well as in words.
8.Delineate and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text, including the validity of
the reasoning as well as the relevance and sufficiency of the evidence.
9.Analyze how two or more texts address similar themes or topics in order to build
knowledge or to compare the approaches the authors take.
Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity
10.Read and comprehend complex literary and informational texts independently and
proficiently.
Grade 6 • Page 3
Reading Standards for Literature
Common Core Standards
Meeting the Common Core Standards with Prentice Hall
Literature: Correlations with Teacher's Notes
Key Ideas and Details
1. Cite textual evidence to support
analysis of what the text says explicitly as
well as inferences drawn from the text.
Reading Skill, pp. 189, 219, 271, 301, 621, 705
2. Determine a theme or 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.
Literary Analysis, pp. 271, 933; Reading Skill, p. 705
3. Describe how a particular story’s
or drama’s plot unfolds in a series of
episodes as well as how the characters
respond or change as the plot moves
toward a resolution.
Literary Analysis, pp. 21, 219, 933
To cover the standard, introduce literal comprehension and inferential reading skills
using the Reading Skill instruction on the pages cited. As students apply literal
comprehension skills such as paraphrasing (p. 621) and summarizing (p. 705) to
the lesson selections, direct them to cite textual evidence to support their analyses
of what the text says explicitly. Similarly, as students apply inferential skills such as
making inferences (pp. 189 and 219) and drawing conclusions (pp. 271 and 301),
ensure that they cite textual evidence to support their inferences and conclusions.
Reinforce the skills and assess mastery by having students complete the After You
Read questions for each selection.
To cover the standard, introduce the concept of theme using the Literary Analysis
instruction on pages 271 and 933 and the concept of summarizing using the
Reading Skill instruction on page 705. Clarify that some themes are universal,
expressed regularly in many cultures and time periods; others are more specific to
the culture and time period that produced the work. As students determine how
the theme or themes of each lesson selection are conveyed through particular
details, have them first summarize the text’s key details without introducing
opinions or judgments and then draw on details from their summaries to support
their analyses of the themes. Encourage them to fill out, for each selection, a
theme map like the one on page 271. Reinforce skills and assess mastery by having
students complete the After You Read questions for each selection.
To cover the standard, introduce the concepts of plot, conflict, and resolution using
the Literary Analysis instruction on pages 21 and 219. Stress that the plot is a series
of episodes that center on a conflict or struggle to which the main character must
respond, sometimes changing as a result. As students describe each plot, conflict,
and resolution in the lesson selections, have them identify the main character, the
conflict he or she faces, and his or her response to the conflict. Reinforce skills and
assess mastery by having students complete the After You Read questions for the
selections.
To further support and reinforce the standard, have students read the Literary
Analysis feature on page 933, focusing on the instruction about conflict and
character in the last paragraph. As they read one of the lesson selections and
fill out a chart like the one on page 933, have students focus on how the main
character changes as a result of facing the conflict
Grade 6 • Page 4
Implementing the Common Core StandArds
Reading Standards for Literature
Common Core Standards
Meeting the Common Core Standards with Prentice Hall
Literature: Correlations with Teacher's Notes
Craft and Structure
4. Determine the meaning of words
and phrases as they are used in a text,
including figurative and connotative
meanings; analyze the impact of a
specific word choice on meaning and
tone.
Reading Skill, pp. 561, 585; Literary Analysis, p. 585
To address the standard, introduce the concepts of meaning from context and
figurative language with the Reading Skill instruction on pages 561 and 585 and
the Literary Analysis instruction on page 585. Explain that when students consider
the meanings of words and phrases used in a text, they should consider whether
those words and phrases are used figuratively, meaning something beyond their
literal, word-for-word meaning; they should also consider the connotations, or
emotional associations, that each word or phrase conveys. Tell students to consider
figurative and connotative meanings as they apply the skills to the lesson selections.
To illustrate, direct their attention to the third line of the poem on page 589 and ask
these questions:
1.Does the rain literally sing a lullaby? If not, and the phrase “sing you a lullaby”
is figurative, not literal, what does it mean about the rain?
2.What connotation, or emotional association, does the phrase “sing you a
lullaby” have?
3.Considering the phrase’s figurative and connotative meanings, what impact
does it have on the overall meaning and tone or emotion of the poem?
Reinforce the skills and assess mastery by having students respond to the After You
Read questions that follow the selections.
Grade 6 • Page 5
Reading Standards for Literature
Common Core Standards
Meeting the Common Core Standards with Prentice Hall
Literature: Correlations with Teacher's Notes
5. Analyze how a particular sentence,
chapter, scene, or stanza fits into the
overall structure of a text and contributes
to the development of the theme,
setting, or plot.
Literary Analysis, pp. 21, 271, 301; Comparing Literary Works, pp. 342, 962
To address the standard, introduce the concepts of theme, setting, and plot in the
Literary Analysis instruction on pages 21, 271, and 301 and the Comparing Literary
Works instruction on page 342. As students explain each theme, setting, or plot in
the lesson selections and complete the After You Read questions that follow, have
them focus on how particular sentences or scenes fit into the overall structure of
the text and contribute to the development of theme, setting, and/or plot. As an
example, use these prompts to guide discussion of “The Circuit”:
1.Which sentence in the fifth paragraph repeats something already said
in the text?
2.What do the cardboard boxes in the fifth paragraph show is happening to
Panchito and his family?
3.Where do the cardboard boxes appear again, and what do they signify? Why
is their appearance even sadder or more upsetting when they appear again?
4.How do these repeated elements relate to the theme, setting, and plot of the
story? How do they relate to the title?
To further support and reinforce the standard, have students read the Comparing
Literary Works instruction on page 962. As students read the paired selections
and respond to the marginal prompts, have them focus on how the flashback and
foreshadowing fit into the overall structure of the text and contribute to the theme,
setting, or plot of each story.
6. Explain how an author develops the
point of view of the narrator or speaker
in a text.
Literary Analysis, p. 43
To cover the standard, introduce the Literary Analysis instruction on page 43. Have
students apply the skills as they read and discuss one of the lesson selections that
follow, using the prompts to help them analyze point of view in the selection.
Reinforce the skills and assess mastery by having students complete the After You
Read questions for the selection.
Grade 6 • Page 6
Implementing the Common Core StandArds
Reading Standards for Literature
Common Core Standards
Meeting the Common Core Standards with Prentice Hall
Literature: Correlations with Teacher's Notes
Integration of Knowledge and Ideas
7. Compare and contrast the experience
of reading a story, drama, or poem to
listening to or viewing an audio, video,
or live version of the text, including
contrasting what they “see” and “hear”
when reading the text to what they
perceive when they listen or watch.
To address the standard, enrich the Comparing Literary Works lesson that begins
on page 884 by having students compare “Mowgli’s Brothers” and the excerpt
from James and the Giant Peach to their animated film versions, both of which
are available on DVD. After students have read each selection, have them view the
animated version, focusing in the case of James and the Giant Peach on the portion
of the film that appears in the excerpt (and noting that stills from the animated
version actually illustrate the excerpt). Ask students to take notes as they view,
listing the similarities and differences between the text and its filmed version. Guide
students in analyzing production techniques used in the film version, including
animation, sound, lighting, camera angles, and the composition of shots. For
example, use these prompts to guide discussion for James and the Giant Peach:
1.Compare the text description of the giant peach to the animated film version
of it. Does the animated version meet your expectations? If not, why not?
2.Compare the characters as you “saw” and “heard” them while reading the
text to the animated versions of those characters, including their voices as well
as their appearance and actions. Which do you prefer, and why?
3.Do the sensory details in the text description all come alive in the animated
version, or are there aspects not as well as captured? Cite details to support
your answers.
4.How faithful is the animated version to the plot of the text? What factors
might explain differences?
5.Describe the use of camera angles and lighting in the scene from the text.
What effect do these film techniques create at this point in the story? Are they
consistent with the text? Explain.
After students have read both selections and viewed their adaptations, expand the
After You Read features on page 905 by having students compare and contrast
the two selections in terms of their adaptations. Have them discuss which original
selection better lent itself to adaptation and which adaptation did a better job of
capturing the original, citing examples from the works to support their analyses.
8. (Not applicable to literature.)
N/A
9. Compare and contrast texts in different
forms or genres (e.g., stories and poems;
historical novels and fantasy stories)
in terms of their approaches to similar
themes and topics.
To address the standard, enrich the lesson that begins on page 140 by having
students read the poem “The Sidewalk Racer or On the Skateboard” on page 625
after they read the novel excerpt “The Sound of Summer Running.” Ask students
to compare and contrast the topics and themes of the two works and to consider
what light the poem sheds on the feelings and attitudes expressed by characters in
“The Sound of Summer Running.” Use these prompts to guide discussion:
1.What is similar about the topics of the two selections? What aspects of the
topic in “The Sound of Summer Running” do not appear in the poem?
2.How does the sidewalk racer feel about being on a skateboard? How are
those feelings similar to and different from what Douglas likes about wearing
the tennis shoes?
3.Consider the feelings and reactions of Mr. Sanderson to wearing the tennis
shoes and of the sidewalk racer to being on the skateboard. What role does
imagination play in their reactions?
4.As a symbol, what do the tennis shoes represent? Does the poem contain a
symbol with a similar meaning? Explain.
5.State in one sentence a theme that might apply to both selections.
Grade 6 • Page 7
Reading Standards for Literature
Common Core Standards
Meeting the Common Core Standards with Prentice Hall
Literature: Correlations with Teacher's Notes
Range of Reading and Level of Text
Complexity
10. By the end of the year, read and
comprehend literature, including stories,
dramas, and poems, in the grades 6–8
text complexity band proficiently, with
scaffolding as needed at the high end of
the range.
Independent Reading, pp. 167, 367, 539, 681, 813, 1003
To address the standard, use the suggestions for independent reading on pages
167, 367, 539, 681, 813, and 1003. These suggested works include volumes of
fiction of varying complexity. Use the Lexile scores and L1 (“for struggling readers”)
through L4 (“above level”) reading level indicators in the Prentice Hall Literature
Teacher’s Edition to help students choose independent readings of the appropriate
complexity. (Note that, as the CCS require, the assessment of text complexity on
the Independent Reading pages is based on both qualitative measures, such as
concept-level and reader interest, and quantitative measures, such as Lexile score.
For this reason, the readability score given for an Independent Reading title may
not fully reflect its complexity; consult the L1 through L4 ratings for clarification.
In addition, the CCS require that the match between reader and task be taken
into account when assessing complexity. Assign independent reading tasks
commensurate with the ability level of each student.)
You may also address the standard by offering students a choice of selections in
the Literature student edition for independent reading. Use the Accessibility at a
Glance chart in the Teacher’s Edition to assess text complexity.
To ensure students’ proficiency in reading independently, hold Literature Circles
for the titles students choose to read, following the guidance for Literature Circles
in the Professional Development Guidebook and using the Connecting to the Big
Question discussion questions on the Independent Reading page in the Literature
Teacher’s Edition. You may also use the additional independent reading support in
the Guidebook, including the Response Journal, Save the Last Word for Me, and
Reading Log pages.
To support students’ fluency, you may wish to use the research-based strategies
for practicing fluency, such as structured partner reading, found in section 1 of the
Professional Development Guidebook. For additional fluency practice, you
will find Fluency notes at point of use for selections throughout the Literature
Teacher’s Edition.
Grade 6 • Page 8
Implementing the Common Core StandArds
Reading Standards for Informational Texts
Common Core Standards
Meeting the Common Core Standards with Prentice Hall
Literature: Correlations with Teacher's Notes
Key Ideas and Details
1. Cite textual evidence to support
analysis of what the text says explicitly as
well as inferences drawn from the text.
Reading Skill, p. 469
2. 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.
Reading Skill, pp. 469, 489
3. Analyze in detail how a key individual,
event, or idea is introduced, illustrated,
and elaborated in a text (e.g., through
examples or anecdotes).
Informational Texts, p. 438; Reading Skill, pp. 469, 489
To cover the standard, introduce the concept of main idea using the Reading
Skill instruction on page 469. Explain that main ideas are often explicit, or stated
directly, but are sometimes implicit and must be inferred, or figured out, from
details in the text. Have students apply the skills as they read and discuss one of
the lesson selections. Explain that they can fill out a Main Idea Map like the one
on page 469 in order to list key selection details that support an explicit main
idea or from which they infer an implicit main idea. Reinforce the skills and assess
mastery by having students complete the After You Read questions that follow
the selection.
To address the standard, review the concept of main idea using the Reading
Strategy instruction on pages 469 and 489. As students determine how the main
ideas of the lesson selections are conveyed through particular details, have them
first summarize each text’s key details without introducing opinions or judgments
and then draw on details from their summaries to support their analyses of the
main ideas. Tell them to fill out, for each selection, a Main Idea Checklist like the
one on page 489. Reinforce skills and assess mastery by having students complete
the After You Read questions for each selection.
To cover the standard, introduce the skill of evaluating author’s conclusions using
the instruction on page 438. Have students apply the skill as they read and discuss
the lesson selections. As they analyze each author’s development of a persuasive
argument, ensure that they discuss the ways each author introduces, illustrates, and
elaborates key ideas in the text. Reinforce the skills and assess mastery by having
students complete the Comparing Informational Texts section after the selections.
To further reinforce and support the standard, enrich the lessons on identifying
the main idea (pp. 469 and 489) by explaining that authors often help readers
understand their main ideas by choosing effective ways to introduce, illustrate,
and elaborate on key points. As students apply the skills to each lesson selection,
guide them in charting the author’s introduction, illustration, and elaboration of
key ideas, and lead them in evaluating whether the author’s development of key
ideas contributes to the clarity of the text. For example, when teaching “Langston
Terrace,” you might guide students to see that the writer effectively uses specific
facts and examples to illustrate her main idea about the sense of community at
Langston Terrace.
Grade 6 • Page 9
Reading Standards for Informational Texts
Common Core Standards
Meeting the Common Core Standards with Prentice Hall
Literature: Correlations with Teacher's Notes
Craft and Structure
4. Determine the meaning of words
and phrases as they are used in a text,
including figurative, connotative, and
technical meanings.
Comparing Literary Works, p. 516
To address the standard, introduce the skill of analyzing the author’s style using
the instruction on page 516. Stress that word choice or diction is an important
part of an author’s style. Point out that when students examine the words and
phrases used in a text, they should consider whether those words and phrases are
used figuratively, meaning something beyond their literal, word-for-word meaning,
and they should also consider the connotations, or emotional associations, that
each word or phrase conveys. Finally, remind them to consider any technical or
specialized meanings that the words and phrases might have. As students apply
the skills to the lesson selections, ask them to consider any figurative, connotative,
and technical meanings of the words and phrases that are part of each author’s
style. To illustrate, ask these questions about the first paragraph of “Letter from a
Concentration Camp”:
1.What does the phrase “what got her down” mean? Is it used literally
or figuratively? Explain.
2.What technical term for a dining area does the paragraph contain?
3.Identify at least three words or phrases with negative connotations that
the paragraph contains. What do these words and phrases show about the
writer’s tone, or emotional attitude, in describing the camp?
Reinforce the skills and assess mastery by having students respond to the After You
Read questions that follow the selections.
5. 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.
Informational Texts, pp. 244, 878
To cover the standard, enrich the instruction on text aids and features on
page 244. Explain that most text features, including chapter or section titles, main
headings, subheadings, boldface or otherwise highlighted key terms, illustrations,
diagrams, and captions, can help readers understand the development of ideas in
informational texts. For example, in the textbook article about ancient Egypt, the
main heading “Homes for the Dead” under the section title “Art, Architecture, and
Learning in Egypt” would alert readers that the structures ancient Egyptians built
to house their dead were an important part of Egyptian art and architecture. As
students read the lesson selections and respond to the prompts, have them focus
on how the text aids help show how a particular sentence, paragraph, chapter,
section, or illustration fits into the overall structure of each text and contributes
to the development of its ideas. Reinforce the skills and assess mastery by having
students do the same as they complete the Comparing Informational Texts section
that follows the selections.
To further support the standard, use the instruction on creating outlines in
the Informational Texts feature on page 878. Draw students’ attention to the
model outline on the page, and note that when students create an outline of an
informational text, they are considering how particular sentences, paragraphs,
chapters, or sections fit into the overall structure of a text and contribute to the
development of its ideas. Have students read the selections, using the marginal
prompts to help them understand each selection’s structure, and then respond to
the Comparing Informational Texts feature that follows the selections. To reinforce
skills and assess mastery, have students complete the Timed Writing on page 883,
which in this case is based on one of the Informational Texts they just read.
Grade 6 • Page 10
Implementing the Common Core StandArds
Reading Standards for Informational Texts
Common Core Standards
Meeting the Common Core Standards with Prentice Hall
Literature: Correlations with Teacher's Notes
6. Determine an author’s point of view
or purpose in a text and explain how it is
conveyed in the text.
Literary Analysis, p. 93; Reading Skill, pp. 395, 419
To cover the standard, introduce the concept of author’s perspective or point of
view using the Literary Analysis instruction on page 92 and the concept of author’s
purpose using the Reading Skill instruction on pages 395 and 419. Have students
apply the skills as they read and discuss the lesson selections. Reinforce the skills
and assess mastery by having students complete the After You Read questions that
follow the selections.
Integration of Knowledge and Ideas
7. Integrate information presented in
different media or formats (e.g., visually,
quantitatively) as well as in words to
develop a coherent understanding of a
topic or issue.
Informational Texts, p. 135; Model Selection: Diary, p. 382
To address the standard, enrich the Informational Texts lesson on p. 135. Have
students make and support assertions about the atlas entry on pages 135–136 by
integrating the visual and quantitative information in the maps, key, and scale bar
with the information that the atlas entry presents in words. Use these prompts to
help students integrate the information:
1.Which of the maps on pages 135–136 most clearly illustrates the first
sentence of the atlas entry on page 135?
2.What detail mentioned in the map label about Hispaniola on page 136 is
illustrated in the map of Hispaniola on page 135 but not in the map on page
136 that accompanies the map label?
3.According to the map on page 135, which two cities on Hispaniola have a
population of more than 500,000 people? About how many miles apart are
these two cities?
4.Which of the earlier maps in the entry can best help you identify Cuba in the
last map in the entry?
5.Identify at least three farm products of Cuba shown in the last map. Based on
this map and the text in the atlas entry, which farm product of Cuba would
you guess is the most important? Why?
To further support and reinforce the standard, use the model nonfiction selection
“Zlata’s Diary,” focusing on the Critical Viewing features and selection text. Before
students read the selection, explain that the Critical Viewing questions will help
them examine how the visual illustrations clarify and enhance the information in the
author’s written words. Then, as students read the selection, have them integrate
the visual and written information by responding to the six Critical Viewing
questions. Assess mastery of the integrated visual and written material by having
students respond to the After You Read questions following the selection.
Grade 6 • Page 11
Reading Standards for Informational Texts
Common Core Standards
Meeting the Common Core Standards with Prentice Hall
Literature: Correlations with Teacher's Notes
8. Trace and evaluate the argument and
specific claims in a text, distinguishing
claims that are supported by reasons and
evidence from claims that are not.
Informational Text, pp. 438, 782
9. Compare and contrast one author’s
presentation of events with that of
another (e.g., a memoir written by and a
biography on the same person).
Literary Analysis, p. 93
To cover the standard, introduce the skills of evaluating author’s conclusions
and evaluating evidence in the Informational Text instruction on pages 438 and
782. Have students apply the skills as they read and discuss the lesson selections,
explaining which claims are sufficiently supported by reasons and evidence and
which are not. Reinforce skills and assess mastery by having students complete
Comparing Information Text features that follow the selections.
To address the standard, introduce the Literary Analysis instruction (author’s
perspective) on page 93. Enrich the instruction by having students read both
selections and asking them to compare Susy Clemens’s presentation of events
and experiences in her father’s life with that of Twain himself. To spark such
a comparison, have students answer Literary Analysis question number 4 on
page 107. Use these prompts to guide discussion:
1.How is Susy Clemens’s attitude toward her father, as revealed in her
biography, different from Mark Twain’s attitude toward himself, as revealed in
“Stage Fright”?
2.Which of the two writers gives more details about Twain’s physical
appearance? Contrast the information they provide on this subject.
3.Where in the Twain speech is there evidence to support Susy Clemens’s
statement that “Papa very seldom writes a passage without some humor in it
somewhere”?
4.In the paragraph about Twain calling himself a mugwump, what does Susy
Clemens conclude about her father? How is this conclusion borne out by
Twain’s “Stage Fright” speech?
5.For what occasion did Twain gave his “Stage Fright” speech? What does his
giving this speech for this occasion show about the kind of parent—and kind
of person— he was? Which details in “My Papa, Mark Twain,” also show him
to be that kind of parent or person? Explain.
Grade 6 • Page 12
Implementing the Common Core StandArds
Reading Standards for Informational Texts
Common Core Standards
Meeting the Common Core Standards with Prentice Hall
Literature: Correlations with Teacher's Notes
Range of Reading and Level of Text
Complexity
10. By the end of the year, read and
comprehend literary nonfiction in
the grades 6–8 text complexity band
proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at
the high end of the range.
Independent Reading, pp. 167, 367, 539, 681, 813, 1003
To address the standard, use the suggestions for independent reading on pages
167, 367, 539, 681, 813, and 1003. These suggested works include literary
nonfiction of varying complexity. Use the Lexile scores and L1 (“for struggling
readers”) through L4 (“above level”) reading level indicators in the Prentice Hall
Literature Teacher’s Edition to help students choose independent readings of
the appropriate complexity. (Note that, as the CCS require, the assessment of
text complexity on the Independent Reading pages is based on both qualitative
measures, such as concept-level and reader interest, and quantitative measures,
such as Lexile score. For this reason, the readability score given for an Independent
Reading title may not fully reflect its complexity; consult the L1 through L4 ratings
for clarification. In addition, the CCS require that the match between reader and
task be taken into account when assessing complexity. Assign independent reading
tasks commensurate with the ability level of each student.)
You may also address the standard by offering students a choice of literary
nonfiction selections in the Literature student edition for independent reading.
Use the Accessibility at a Glance chart in the Teacher’s Edition to assess text
complexity.
To ensure students’ proficiency in reading independently, hold Literature Circles
for the titles students choose to read, following the guidance for Literature Circles
in the Professional Development Guidebook. You may also use the additional
independent reading support in the Guidebook, including the Response Journal,
Save the Last Word for Me, and Reading Log pages.
To support students’ fluency, you may wish to use the research-based strategies
for practicing fluency, such as structured partner reading, found in section 1 of the
Professional Development Guidebook. For additional fluency practice, you
will find Fluency notes at point of use for selections throughout the Literature
Teacher’s Edition.
Grade 6 • Page 13
College and Career Readiness Standards for Writing
The College and Career Readiness (CCR) anchor standards in the Writing domain appear below.
On the pages that follow, grade-specific standards define what students should understand and
be able to do in grade 6 as they build toward the CCR Writing standards. The CCR and gradespecific standards are therefore necessary complements—the former providing broad standards, the
latter providing additional specificity—that together define the skills and understandings that all
students must demonstrate.
Text Types and Purposes
1.Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid
reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence.
2.Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas and
information clearly and accurately through the effective selection, organization, and
analysis of content.
3.Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective
technique, well-chosen details, and well-structured event sequences.
Production and Distribution of Writing
4.Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are
appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
5.Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or
trying a new approach.
6.Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing and to interact and
collaborate with others.
Research to Build and Present Knowledge
7.Conduct short as well as more sustained research projects based on focused questions,
demonstrating understanding of the subject under investigation.
8.Gather relevant information from multiple print and digital sources, assess the credibility
and accuracy of each source, and integrate the information while avoiding plagiarism.
9.Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and
research.
Range of Writing
10.Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and
shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of tasks, purposes, and
audiences.
Grade 6 • Page 14
Implementing the Common Core StandArds
Writing Standards
Common Core Standards
Meeting the Common Core Standards with Prentice Hall
Literature: Correlations with Teacher's Notes
Text Types and Purposes
1. Write arguments to support claims
with clear reasons and relevant evidence.
1.a. Introduce claim(s) and organize the
reasons and evidence clearly.
To satisfy the standard, have students complete the Writing Workshop on the
Persuasive Essay on pages 526–533, enriching the instruction as indicated below
in the teaching notes for each subparagraph of the standard. To provide further
support and reinforcement, use the additional opportunities cited in these
notes.
Writing Workshop, pp. 526–533; Writing, p. 435; Timed Writing, pp. 249, 443
To cover the standard, have students complete the Writing Workshop on the
Persuasive Essay on pages 526–533, emphasizing the strategies taught on pages
527 and 528 for narrowing a topic, collecting evidence, introducing a claim in a
thesis statement, and creating a clear organization. Note that persuasive writing
sometimes takes on special forms, such as an editorial or a letter to the editor,
which may be shorter than a standard persuasive essay.
To provide additional support and reinforcement for the standard, assign the
Writing activity on page 435, a persuasive letter to a friend; the Timed Writing
on page 249, a position statement; and/or the Times Writing on page 443, an
editorial response. Tell students to state their central claim, or main point, in
clear, memorable terms and to organize clearly their supporting reasons and
evidence.
1.b. Support claim(s) with clear
reasons and relevant evidence, using
credible sources and demonstrating an
understanding of the topic or text.
Writing Workshop, pp. 526–533; Writing, p. 435; Timed Writing, pp. 249, 443
To address the standard, have students complete the Writing Workshop on the
Persuasive Essay on pages 526–533, emphasizing the strategies taught on pages
528 and 530 for supporting ideas and improving support. Tell students to use clear
reasons and relevant evidence as support, obtaining their information from credible
sources. Offer these guidelines:
•Use information from well-known publications or authors whose credentials
indicate knowledge of the topic.
•Use reliable Internet Web sites, such as those of universities (ending in .edu),
government agencies (ending in .gov), and respected publications and
organizations (often ending in .org). Avoid personal Web sites, commercial
Web sites (ending in .com) that may have conflict of interest, and wiki sites to
which anyone can make changes.
•Use sources that are as up to date as the topic requires. For example, if your
claim is that railroads helped connect 19th-century America, older sources
would probably be relevant and credible, but if your claim is that high-speed
rail is needed in America today, you would need to use sources that provide
the most current information.
•Use more than one source as support for the same evidence, and confirm that
the information in one source is not contradicted in another.
To provide additional support and reinforcement for the standard, assign the
Writing activity on page 435, a persuasive letter to a friend; the Timed Writing on
page 249, a position statement; or the Timed Writing on page 443, an editorial
response. Tell students to use clear, logical reasoning to support their central claim
and to provide evidence in the form of facts, quotations, and examples.
Grade 6 • Page 15
Writing Standards
Common Core Standards
1.c. Use words, phrases, and clauses to
clarify the relationships among claim(s)
and reasons.
Meeting the Common Core Standards with Prentice Hall
Literature: Correlations with Teacher's Notes
Writing Workshop, pp. 526–533; Writing, p. 435; Timed Writing, pp. 249, 443
To cover the standard, have students complete the Writing Workshop on the
Persuasive Essay on pages 526–533, emphasizing the strategies for combining
sentences on page 531. Explain that in addition to transitional words and phrases,
syntax, or sentence structure, can help clarify the relationships between ideas. Offer
these examples:
•A complex sentence can clarify the relationship between claims and reasons:
The demand for intercity passenger trains will get higher as gasoline prices
continue to rise.
•A compound sentence can clarify the relationships between reasons and
evidence: North Carolina has improved its intercity passenger train service, and
three trains in each direction now connect the cities of Charlotte and Raleigh.
To provide additional support and reinforcement for the standard, assign the
Writing activity on page 435, a persuasive letter to a friend; the Timed Writing on
page 249, a position statement; and/or the Times Writing on page 443, an editorial
response. Tell students to use conjunctions such as and, but, although, and because
or transitional words and phrases such as similarly, for that reason, and however to
clarify the relationships between their ideas.
1.d. Establish and maintain a
formal style.
To address the standard, enrich the instruction for the Writing Workshop on the
Persuasive Essay on pages 526–533 by discussing qualities that mark a formal style,
as follows:
•A formal style maintains a distance between the writer and the reader.
•It uses a matter-of-fact, unemotional tone.
•It expresses ideas clearly and logically.
•It backs up claims and key ideas with facts, reasons, and examples.
•It uses precise language and a somewhat elevated vocabulary.
•It uses standard English and avoids contractions, dialect, and slang.
Present these examples:
•Informal: It’s awful when folks blabber away on their cellphones in
restaurants.
•Formal: Many people find it unpleasant to listen to others using their
cellphones in restaurants.
•Informal: It’s easy to see why salsa music is so popular—it’s the best music in
the world.!
•Formal: Salsa music is popular in part because it is so lively and tuneful.
Encourage students to maintain a formal style as they draft. Have partners
exchange drafts and circle any language that seems to depart from a formal style.
Direct students to revise for style after considering partners’ comments.
To provide additional support and reinforcement for the standard, use a similar
strategy for the Timed Writing on page 249, a position statement , and/or the
Timed Writing on page 443, an editorial response.
Grade 6 • Page 16
Implementing the Common Core StandArds
Writing Standards
Common Core Standards
1.e. Provide a concluding statement or
section that follows from the argument
presented.
Meeting the Common Core Standards with Prentice Hall
Literature: Correlations with Teacher's Notes
Writing Workshop, pp. 526–533; Writing, p. 435; Timed Writing, pp. 249, 443
To cover the standard, have students complete the Writing Workshop on the
Persuasive Essay on pages 526–533, emphasizing the blue callout boxes in the
Student Model on page 532, which show the progression of the model toward
a strong conclusion. To help students write their own strong conclusion, suggest
these strategies:
•Review the draft up to the concluding paragraph, noting main points and
evidence.
•Draft a conclusion that begins with a summary statement of the central claim
of the essay.
•Briefly review main points for the reader.
•Conclude with a memorable restatement or extension of the central claim,
such as a reference to an example given earlier. For instance:
If high-speed rail is introduced in Ohio, then Aunt Sally [referring to an
example earlier in the essay] will have a safe, comfortable, and affordable way
to get from Cleveland to Columbus.
To provide additional support and reinforcement for the standard, use a similar
strategy to enrich the Writing activity on page 435, a persuasive letter to a friend;
the Timed Writing on page 249, a position statement; and/or the Timed Writing on
page 443, an editorial response.
2. Write informative/explanatory texts
to examine a topic and convey ideas,
concepts, and information through the
selection, organization, and analysis of
relevant content.
2.a. Introduce a topic; organize
ideas, concepts, and information,
using strategies such as definition,
classification, comparison/contrast,
and cause/effect; include formatting
(e.g., headings), graphics (e.g., charts,
tables), and multimedia when useful to
aiding comprehension.
To satisfy the standard, have students complete the Writing Workshop on the Howto Essay on pages 462–467 or the Writing Workshop on the Cause-and-Effect Essay
on pages 800–807, enriching the instruction as indicated below in the teaching
notes for each subparagraph of the standard. To provide further support and
reinforcement, use the additional opportunities cited in these notes.
Writing Workshop, pp. 462–467, 800–807; Timed Writing, p. 607
To cover the standard, have students complete the Writing Workshop on the Howto Essay on pages 462–467 or the Writing Workshop on the Cause-and-Effect Essay
on pages 800–807, emphasizing the strategies taught for a catchy introduction or
strong thesis statement (pp. 464 or 802), for organizing information. (pp. 463 or
802), and for planning illustrations and diagrams (p. 464). Tell students that a good
introduction captures readers’ attention, includes a strong thesis statement, and
gives readers a general idea of what they will learn in the essay. Encourage students
to include formatting elements (such as headings or bold print for key terms);
graphics such as charts, illustrations, diagrams, and tables; and multimedia elements
such as stills, audio, or video, if including them will aid readers’ comprehension.
To provide additional support and reinforcement of the standard, assign the Timed
Writing on page 607, a set of instructions. Remind students to use formatting
elements such as headings and graphics such as charts or illustrations to aid readers’
comprehension. Review these strategies for providing an effective introduction:
•Start with an attention-grabbing opening sentence that appeals to readers’
interests or invites their curiosity.
•Briefly explain why the topic is important or why information on the topic may
be useful.
•Briefly indicate what readers can expect to find in the essay and how it will be
organized or presented.
Grade 6 • Page 17
Writing Standards
Common Core Standards
2.b. Develop the topic with relevant
facts, definitions, concrete details,
quotations, or other information and
examples.
Meeting the Common Core Standards with Prentice Hall
Literature: Correlations with Teacher's Notes
Writing Workshop, pp. 462–467, 800–807; Timed Writing, p. 607
To cover the standard, have students complete the Writing Workshop on the Howto Essay on pages 462–467 or the Writing Workshop on the Cause-and-Effect
Essay on pages 800–807, emphasizing the strategies taught for developing a topic
taught on pages 463–464 or 801–802. You may wish to have peers review each
other’s work to comment on the depth of development and relevance of support
and then have students add facts, definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other
information and examples based on partners’ comments.
To provide additional support and reinforcement for the standard, assign the Timed
Writing on page 607, a set of instructions. Tell students to develop their topic with
relevant facts, definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other information and
examples that will make their instructions clear and complete.
2.c. Use appropriate transitions to
clarify the relationships among ideas
and concepts.
Writing Workshop, pp. 462–467, 800–807; Timed Writing, p. 607
To cover the standard, have students complete the Writing Workshop on the Howto Essay on pages 462–467 or the Writing Workshop on the Cause-and-Effect Essay
on pages 800–807, emphasizing the strategies taught for using effective transitions
on pages 464 or 802. You may wish to have peers review each other’s work to
check if there are sufficient transitions to clarify the relationships among ideas and
concepts and then have students add necessary transitions based on partners’
comments.
To provide additional support and reinforcement for the standard, assign the Timed
Writing on page 607, a set of instructions. Offer these guidelines in using transitions
to clarify the relationships among ideas and concepts.
•Use time transitions, such as first, next, at the same time, and finally, to help
readers follow the sequence of steps or activities in the instructions.
•Use spatial transitions, such as at the top, next to, and on the left to help
readers picture steps or activities they are to perform or objects they are to use
in following the instructions.
•Use appropriate transitions to express cause or effect, comparison or contrast,
order of importance, and other relationships among ideas and concepts in the
instructions.
Grade 6 • Page 18
Implementing the Common Core StandArds
Writing Standards
Common Core Standards
2.d. Use precise language and domainspecific vocabulary to inform about or
explain the topic.
Meeting the Common Core Standards with Prentice Hall
Literature: Correlations with Teacher's Notes
To address the standard, enrich the instruction for the Writing Workshop on the
How-to Essay on pages 462–467 or the Writing Workshop on the Cause-and-Effect
Essay on pages 800–807 to include the use of precise, domain-specific language.
Tell students that an effective informational/explanatory essay uses precise language
and vocabulary that is specific to the domain, or subject area, that the essay is
about. Note that when they use domain-specific technical terms, students should
also provide brief definitions if they feel that their particular reading audience will
find such definitions helpful. Present these examples:
•Not Precise: Use sunscreen to keep your skin in good shape.
•Precise: Use sunscreen to protect your skin from the sun.
•Not Domain Specific: Students often write poems in groups of four lines.
•Domain Specific (Audience of Students): Students often write poems in
four-line stanzas called quatrains.
•Domain Specific (Audience of English Teachers): Students often write
poems in quatrains.
As students read and apply the Literary Analysis instruction in the textbook, they
will have frequent opportunities to learn terms specific to language arts and employ
them in their writing. Following are just a few examples from Unit 1:
•Literary Analysis: Plot, page 21
•Literary Analysis: Narrator and Point of View, page 43
•Literary Analysis: Tone, page 111
Encourage students to use precise language and domain-specific vocabulary as they
draft. Have partners exchange drafts and circle any language that seems imprecise
or that needs a brief definition. Direct students to revise for style after considering
partners’ comments.
To provide additional support and reinforcement for the standard, follow a similar
strategy for the Timed Writing on page 607, a set of instructions.
Grade 6 • Page 19
Writing Standards
Common Core Standards
2.e. Establish and maintain a
formal style.
Meeting the Common Core Standards with Prentice Hall
Literature: Correlations with Teacher's Notes
Writing Workshop, pp. 462–467, 800–807; Timed Writing, p. 607
To address the standard, enrich the instruction on the How-to Essay on pages
462–467 or the Writing Workshop on the Cause-and-Effect Essay on pages
800–807 by discussing qualities that mark a formal style, as follows:
•A formal style maintains a distance between the writer and the reader.
•It uses a matter-of-fact, unemotional tone.
•It expresses ideas clearly and logically.
•It backs up claims and key ideas with facts, reasons, and examples.
•It uses precise language and a somewhat elevated vocabulary.
•It uses standard English and avoids contractions, dialect, and slang.
Present these examples:
•Informal: It’s bad news to spend much time in the sun without taking a few
hits from the old sunscreen bottle.
•Formal: Spending time in the sun without using sunscreen is a bad idea.
Encourage students to maintain a formal style as they draft. Have partners
exchange drafts and circle any language that seems to depart from a formal style.
Direct students to revise for style after considering partners’ comments.
To provide additional support and reinforcement for the standard, use a similar
strategy for the Timed Writing on page 607, a set of instructions.
2.f. Provide a concluding statement
or section that follows from the
information or explanation presented.
Writing Workshop, pp. 462–467, 800–807; Timed Writing, p. 607
To cover the standard, have students complete the How-to Essay on pages 462–467
or the Writing Workshop on the Cause-and-Effect Essay on pages 800–807,
emphasizing the strategy for writing effective conclusions on page 464 and/or
the blue callout boxes in the Student Model on page 466 or 806, which show the
progression of each model toward a strong conclusion. To help students write their
own strong conclusion, suggest these strategies:
•Review the draft up to the concluding paragraph, noting main points and
evidence.
•Draft a conclusion that begins with a summary statement of the central claim
of the essay.
•Briefly review main points for the reader.
•Conclude with a memorable restatement or extension of the central claim,
such as a reference to a question asked near the start of the essay. For
instance:
Finally, regarding the question of whether or not everyone benefits by wearing
sunscreen, the answer is a resounding yes.
To provide additional support and reinforcement for the standard, use a similar
strategy to enrich the Writing activity on page 607, a set of instructions.
Grade 6 • Page 20
Implementing the Common Core StandArds
Writing Standards
Common Core Standards
Meeting the Common Core Standards with Prentice Hall
Literature: Correlations with Teacher's Notes
3. Write narratives to develop real or
imagined experiences or events using
effective technique, relevant descriptive
details, and well-structured event
sequences.
To satisfy the standard, have students complete the Writing Workshop on an
Autobiographical Narrative on pages 154–161 or the Writing Workshop on a
Short Story on pages 354–361, enriching the instruction as indicated below in the
teaching notes for each subparagraph of the standard. To provide further support
and reinforcement, use the additional opportunities cited in these notes.
3.a. Engage and orient the reader by
establishing a context and introducing
a narrator and/or characters; organize
an event sequence that unfolds
naturally and logically.
Writing Workshop, pp. 154–161, 354–361; Writing, pp. 131, 331
To cover the standard, have students complete the Writing Workshop on an
Autobiographical Narrative on pages 154–161 or the Writing Workshop on a Short
Story on pages 354–361, emphasizing the instruction on character relationships,
order of events, and lead sentences on pages 155, 156, and 158 or the instruction
on character and plot on pages 355 and 356. Enrich the instruction by pointing
out that however familiar students are with the elements of their narratives, their
readers may need explanations of elements such as who the narrator and/or
other characters are, how the characters are related to one another, and how the
characters are related to the settings or context in which the events unfold. Explain
that providing this information near the start of a narrative will help engage and
orient readers so that they can follow with interest the events or experience about
to unfold.
To provide additional support and reinforcement for the standard, assign the
Writing activity on page 131, a personal anecdote, or page 331, a personal
narrative. Tell students to engage and orient readers by establishing themselves as
the narrator and explaining their relationships with other characters and with the
settings or context in which the events unfold.
3.b. Use narrative techniques, such as
dialogue, pacing, and description, to
develop experiences, events, and/or
characters.
Writing Workshop, pp. 154–161, 354–361; Writing, pp. 131, 331
To cover the standard, have students complete the Writing Workshop on an
Autobiographical Narrative on pages 154–161 or the Writing Workshop on a Short
Story on pages 354–361, emphasizing the instruction on descriptive language
and dialogue on pages 156 and 158 or 356 and 358. Stress that description and
dialogue are narrative tools that help reveal information about characters, events,
and settings. Explain that good writers are also careful about the pacing of a
narration, revealing details or events gradually to generate maximum reader interest
and suspense.
To provide additional support and reinforcement for the standard, assign the
Writing activity on page 131, a personal anecdote, or page 331, a personal
narrative. Tell students to employ narrative techniques such as dialogue, pacing, and
description to develop the experiences, events, and/or characters in their narratives.
Grade 6 • Page 21
Writing Standards
Common Core Standards
3.c. Use a variety of transition words,
phrases, and clauses to convey
sequence and signal shifts from one
time frame or setting to another.
Meeting the Common Core Standards with Prentice Hall
Literature: Correlations with Teacher's Notes
Writing Workshop, pp. 154–161, 354–361; Writing, pp. 131, 331
To cover the standard, have students complete the Writing Workshop on an
Autobiographical Narrative on pages 154–161 or the Writing Workshop on a
Short Story on pages 354–361, emphasizing the instruction on identifying and
strengthening connections on page 158 or on creating logical connections on page
358. Enrich the instruction by discussing the use of words, phrases, and clauses to
convey sequence and signal shifts from one time frame or setting to another. Offer
these examples:
•Transitional words: first, next, then, meanwhile, before, during, now,
yesterday, finally
•Transitional phrases: at the same time, last week, a month ago, some years
back, at long last
•Transitional clauses: Before this event took place, While he was sleeping,
When I was a child, After she left, As I walked into another room
To provide additional support and reinforcement for the standard, assign the
Writing activity on page 131, a personal anecdote, or page 331, a personal
narrative. Tell students to use transitional words, phrases, and clauses such as
those listed above to convey sequence and signal shifts from one time frame or
setting to another.
Grade 6 • Page 22
Implementing the Common Core StandArds
Writing Standards
Common Core Standards
3.d. Use precise words and phrases,
relevant descriptive details, and sensory
language to convey experiences and
events.
Meeting the Common Core Standards with Prentice Hall
Literature: Correlations with Teacher's Notes
Writing Workshop, pp. 154–161, 354–361; Writing, pp. 131, 331
To cover the standard, have students complete the Writing Workshop on an
Autobiographical Narrative on pages 154–161 or the Writing Workshop on a Short
Story on pages 354–361, emphasizing the instruction on descriptive language
and word choice on pages 156 and 158 or 356 and 358. Stress that an effective
narrative uses precise words and phrases and vivid sensory language to convey
experiences and events. Present these examples:
•Vague: I was unhappy when our teacher handed out the test.
•Precise and Vivid: I gulped nervously when our math teacher distributed
the quiz.
Encourage students to use precise, vivid language as they draft. Have partners
exchange drafts and circle any language that they think needs to be more vivid or
precise. Direct students to revise for style after considering partners’ comments.
To provide additional support and reinforcement for the standard, follow a similar
strategy for the Writing activity on page 131, a personal anecdote, or page 331,
a personal narrative.
3.e. Provide a conclusion that follows
from the narrated experiences or
events.
Writing Workshop, pp. 154–161, 354–361; Writing, pp. 131, 331
To address the standard, have students complete the Writing Workshop on an
Autobiographical Narrative on pages 154–161 or the Writing Workshop on a Short
Story on pages 354–361, emphasizing the instruction on plot development on page
156 or 356 and the blue callout boxes in the Student Model on page 160 or 360,
which show the progression of each narrative toward a strong conclusion. Offer
these tips to help students write their own strong conclusions:
•End with emphasis, not abruptly of by trailing off. The last event you narrate
or scene you describe should help to summarize the narrative by clearly
showing the results of what has happened. For example, if over the course of
a narrative the narrator or main character has found new self-confidence, the
final scene might discuss or show her or him acting decisively or speaking with
confidence before a large crowd.
•Tie up loose ends. Unless you are planning to write a sequel, you should not
leave readers wondering what happened to an important character or whether
an important problem was resolved. Be careful not to cram details about every
unresolved little matter into the resolution. The resolution is the point at which
you give the final outcome, not tell a whole story in a sentence.
Have students apply these tips as they draft and revise their narratives.
To provide additional support and reinforcement for the standard, follow a similar
strategy for the Writing activity on page 131, a personal anecdote, or page 331, a
personal narrative.
Grade 6 • Page 23
Writing Standards
Common Core Standards
Meeting the Common Core Standards with Prentice Hall
Literature: Correlations with Teacher's Notes
Production and Distribution of Writing
4. Produce clear and coherent writing in
which the development, organization,
and style are appropriate to task,
purpose, and audience. (Grade-specific
expectations for writing types are defined
in standards 1–3 above.)
Writing Workshop, pp. 86–91, 154–161, 264–269, 462–467, 614–619, 668–675
To cover the standard, have students complete the Writing Workshop assignments
on the pages cited, emphasizing the strategies for
•organization (pp. 88, 156, 266, 463, 615–616, 670, ),
•development (pp. 87–88, 155–156, 266, 464, 615, 669–670), and
•style (pp. 87, 156, 265, 464, 617, 670, 673),
and the relationship of these elements to task, purpose, and audience.
5. With some guidance and support from
peers and adults, develop and strengthen
writing as needed by planning, revising,
editing, rewriting, or trying a new
approach. (Editing for conventions should
demonstrate command of Language
standards 1–3 up to and including
grade 6.)
Writing Workshop, pp. 86–91, 154–161, 526–533, 614–619, 668–675, 800–807
To cover the standard, have students complete the Writing Workshop assignments
on the pages cited, emphasizing the strategies for
•planning (pp. 86, 155–156, 527–528, 614–615, 801–802),
•revising (pp. 88–89, 158–159, 530–531, 616–617, 672–673, 804–805), and
•editing (pp. 91, 161, 533, 619, 675, 807).
As you review students’ drafts, use your judgment to identify work that needs to be
rewritten or rethought. For instance, a student might begin an informational writing
assignment by writing on a topic that is too general. Suggest that the student
choose a more specific topic that better addresses the purpose of the assignment,
and have the student rewrite on the new, more focused topic. Arrange for guidance
and support from peers as appropriate (see Peer Review, pp. 158, 530, 672, 804).
Grade 6 • Page 24
Implementing the Common Core StandArds
Writing Standards
Common Core Standards
Meeting the Common Core Standards with Prentice Hall
Literature: Correlations with Teacher's Notes
6. Use technology, including the Internet,
to produce and publish writing as well as
to interact and collaborate with others;
demonstrate sufficient command of
keyboarding skills to type a minimum of
three pages in a single sitting.
Writing Workshop, pp. 462–467, 906–911
To cover the standard, have students complete the Writing Workshop for a How-to
Essay on pages 462–467 and the Writing Workshop on a Multimedia Report on
pages 906–911. Ensure that students display sufficient keyboarding skills to type a
minimum of three pages in a single sitting.
For the Writing Workshop on a Multimedia Report, students will use technology
to research and organize their presentations (pp. 907–908) and will present
information in a digital format (p. 911). Help students use the Internet as a source
for their multimedia presentations, directing them to reputable Web sites that
provide free online still photos, videos, and audios.
For the Writing Workshop on the How-to Essay, have students choose the option
of creating a Web page to publish and present their reports (p. 467). As they
complete the assignment, encourage them to collaborate with other students in
creating their Web page and to have other students interact with the final Web
page by posting to it.
Research to Build and Present Knowledge
7. Conduct short research projects to
answer a question, drawing on several
sources and refocusing the inquiry when
appropriate.
Research and Technology, pp. 109, 217, 417, 487
To address the standard, have students complete some or all of the Research and
Technology assignments on pages 109, 217, 417, and 487. To help students focus
their research and refocus the inquiry when appropriate, tell them to pose two or
three questions about their topic and then do research to answer each question. For
example, for the Research and Technology activity on page 109, students who read
“My Papa, Mark Twain” and are doing research about Mark Twain’s books might
focus or refocus their inquiry with these questions:
•Who are three of the best-known characters in Mark Twain’s books?
•What happens to each of these characters in the course of the book?
For the same Research and Technology activity on page 109, students who read
“Stage Fright” and are doing research about stage fright might focus or refocus
their inquiry with these questions:
•What is stage fright?
•What are some of the causes of stage fright?
•What are some ways that stage fright can be overcome?
Grade 6 • Page 25
Writing Standards
Common Core Standards
Meeting the Common Core Standards with Prentice Hall
Literature: Correlations with Teacher's Notes
8. Gather relevant information from
multiple print and digital sources; assess
the credibility of each source; and quote
or paraphrase the data and conclusions
of others while avoiding plagiarism and
providing basic bibliographic information
for sources.
Writing Workshop, pp. 988–997
To cover the standard, have students complete the Writing Workshop on the
Research Report on pages 988–997, emphasizing the strategies for gathering
information from multiple sources, quoting or paraphrasing the information,
and citing sources to avoid plagiarism on pages 989–990. Tell students to gather
relevant information from credible print and digital sources. Enrich the instruction
as follows:
•Review strategies for the effective use of search terms in browsing digital
sources. Recommend that students use either highly specific terms, such as a
person’s full name, or moderately general terms. For example, “dogs” is too
general a search term; “bomb-sniffing dogs used by police” is more targeted
and should yield more relevant hits.
•Review criteria to use in assessing the credibility and accuracy of sources.
Internet sites sponsored by the government (ending in .gov) or an educational
institution (ending in .edu) are generally more credible than those put up
by businesses (ending in .com), although students should be careful that
the .edu sites they use are actually sponsored by the university and are not
simply private sites of students attending the university. Books and articles in
specialized magazines, such as science journals, are often more reliable than
articles in popular magazines; however, the information in books may be less
up-to-date than that of recent magazines or on the Internet.
9. Draw evidence from literary or
informational texts to support analysis,
reflection, and research.
Writing to Compare Fiction and Nonfiction, p. 85; Writing to Compare
Symbols, p. 153; Writing to Compare Characters’ Motives, p. 263; Writing
Workshop, pp. 264–269; Writing to Compare Authors’ Style, p. 525; Writing
to Compare Elements of Fantasy, p. 905
To cover the standard, have students complete the Writing Workshop on Response
to Literature: Review on pages 264–269. Clarify that students need to draw
evidence from the literary or informational text they are examining in order to
support their analysis, reflection, and research.
To provide further support and reinforcement for the standard, have students
complete one or more of the cited Writing to Compare assignments. As students
write their responses, have them focus on providing evidence from the text that
supports their analysis of it as well as their reflections about it.
Grade 6 • Page 26
Implementing the Common Core StandArds
Writing Standards
Common Core Standards
9.a. Apply grade 6 Reading standards
to literature (e.g., “Compare and
contrast texts in different forms
or genres [e.g., stories and poems;
historical novels and fantasy stories]
in terms of their approaches to similar
themes and topics”).
Meeting the Common Core Standards with Prentice Hall
Literature: Correlations with Teacher's Notes
Writing, p. 299; Writing to Compare Theme, p. 353; Writing,
p. 735; Writing to Compare Foreshadowing and Flashback, p. 987
To address the standard, have students complete one writing assignment from each
of these pairs:
•the Writing to Compare Theme assignment on page 353 or the Writing
assignment on page 735, a summary, in either of which students will apply
aspects of grade 6 Reading Standard for Literature 2, “Determine a theme or
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”; and
•the Writing assignment on page 299, a description of a character, or the
Comparing Foreshadowing and Flashback assignment on page 987, in either
of which students will apply aspects of grade 6 Reading Standard for
Literature 3, “Describe how a particular story’s or drama’s plot unfolds in a
series of episodes as well as how the characters respond or change as the plot
moves toward a resolution.”
9.b. Apply grade 6 Reading standards
to literary nonfiction (e.g., “Trace and
evaluate the argument and specific
claims in a text, distinguishing claims
that are supported by reasons and
evidence from claims that are not”).
Selections, pp. 96, 104; Timed Writing, p. 787
To address the standard, review and discuss with students the lesson in the note to
Reading Informational Text Standard 9, on page 12 of this Teacher’s Guide. Then,
have them apply the standard by writing an essay comparing and contrasting Susy
Clemens’s presentation of her father with his self-presentation in his speech.
To provide further support and reinforcement for the standard, have students
complete the Timed Writing on page 787, an essay evaluating the evidence in
the authors’ argument, in which they will apply grade 6 Reading Standard for
Informational Text 8, “Trace and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text,
distinguishing claims that are supported by reasons and evidence from claims that
are not.”
Grade 6 • Page 27
Writing Standards
Common Core Standards
Meeting the Common Core Standards with Prentice Hall
Literature: Correlations with Teacher's Notes
Range of Writing
10. Write routinely over extended time
frames (time for research, reflection,
and revision) and shorter time frames (a
single sitting or a day or two) for a range
of discipline-specific tasks, purposes, and
audiences.
Students will write routinely over shorter time frames for a range of tasks, purposes,
and audiences as they complete the Writing activity after each main selection
pairing, the Timed Writing activity at the end of each Informational Texts feature,
and the Writing to Compare activity at the end of each Comparing Literary Works
feature. The examples from Unit 1 include these:
•Writing: News Report, p. 41
•Writing: Autobiographical Narrative, p. 63
•Timed Writing: Letter, p. 71
•Writing to Compare Fiction and Nonfiction, p. 85
•Writing: Dramatic Scene, p. 109
•Writing: Personal Anecdote, p. 131
•Timed Writing: Description, p. 139
•Writing to Compare Symbols, p. 153
Students will write routinely over extended time frames for a range of tasks,
purposes, and audiences as they complete the two Writing Workshops in each unit,
as follows:
•Description: Descriptive Essay, pp. 86–91
•Narration: Autobiographical Narrative, pp. 154–161
•Response to Literature: Review, pp. 264–269
•Narration: Short Story, pp. 354–361
•Exposition: How-to Essay, pp. 462–467
•Exposition: Persuasive Essay, pp. 526–533
•Exposition: Problem-and-Solution Essay, pp. 614–619
•Exposition: Comparison-Contrast Essay, pp. 668–675
•Response to Literature: Letter, pp. 738–743
•Exposition: Cause-and-Effect Essay, pp. 800–807
•Research: Multimedia Report, pp. 906–911
•Research: Research Report, pp. 988–997
Grade 6 • Page 28
Implementing the Common Core StandArds
College and Career Readiness Standards
for Speaking and Listening
The College and Career Readiness (CCR) anchor standards in the Speaking and Listening
domain appear below. On the pages that follow, grade-specific standards define what students
should understand and be able to do in grade 6 as they build toward the CCR Speaking and
Listening standards. The CCR and grade-specific standards are therefore necessary complements—
the former providing broad standards, the latter providing additional specificity—that together
define the skills and understandings that all students must demonstrate.
Comprehension and Collaboration
1.Prepare for and participate effectively in a range of conversations and collaborations
with diverse partners, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly and
persuasively.
2.Integrate and evaluate information presented in diverse media and formats, including
visually, quantitatively, and orally.
3.Evaluate a speaker’s point of view, reasoning, and use of evidence and rhetoric.
Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas
4.Present information, findings, and supporting evidence such that listeners can follow the
line of reasoning and the organization, development, and style are appropriate to task,
purpose, and audience.
5.Make strategic use of digital media and visual displays of data to express information and
enhance understanding of presentations.
6.Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and communicative tasks, demonstrating command
of formal English when indicated or appropriate.
Grade 6 • Page 29
Speaking and Listening Standards
Common Core Standards
Meeting the Common Core Standards with Prentice Hall
Literature: Correlations with Teacher's Notes
Comprehension and Collaboration
1. Engage effectively in a range of
collaborative discussions (one-on-one,
in groups, and teacher led) with diverse
partners on grade 6 topics, texts, and
issues, building on others’ ideas and
expressing their own clearly.
1.a. Come to discussions prepared,
having read or studied required
material; explicitly draw on that
preparation by referring to evidence
on the topic, text, or issue to probe and
reflect on ideas under discussion.
Talk About It, pp. 363, 999; Listening and Speaking, p. 509
1.b. Follow rules for collegial
discussions, set specific clear goals and
deadlines, and define individual roles
as needed.
Research and Technology, pp. 331, 487; Talk About It, p. 535; Listening and
Speaking, p. 779
To cover the standard, have students prepare material for discussion using the
Listening and Speaking activity on page 509 (an informal discussion) and one or
both of the Talk About It activities on page 363 (a group discussion) and page 999
(a panel discussion). As students prepare for the Listening and Speaking activity,
emphasize that they should reread the selection to identify points in the reading
that support their views. As they prepare for either of the Talk About It activities,
remind them first to complete the Think About It chart on the facing page to gather
evidence from the unit selections and their own experience. For each activity, make
sure that students draw on the results of their rereading or the evidence they have
gathered in order to make their points in the discussions.
To cover the standard, assign the debate in the Talk About It activity on page 535
or the Listening and Speaking activity on page 779. Tell students to use library
or Internet sources to investigate the rules of debates so that they can conduct
their debates in an orderly and collegial manner. As part of students’ preparation
for the debate, have them determine roles and goals or responsibilities, voting
for one team member as captain, deciding on which individual team members
should be responsible for which different topics to research or selections to reread,
and determining deadlines for completing this research or rereading. Then, have
students conduct their debates in front of the class, with each team member
supporting debate points by drawing on the research or rereading he or she did.
Evaluate the conduct of the debate as well as the content of the arguments and the
preparation and participation of each team member.
To further support and reinforce the standard, enrich the Research and Technology
activity on page 331 (a group presentation) or page 487 (an informative group
presentation) by guiding students in discussing goals and deadlines for the project,
as follows:
•Have students make a checklist of the goals set out in the assignment on the
student page.
•Have them add any interim steps that they may need to accomplish, such as
conducting preliminary research to divide the topic into subtopics and then
assigning different group members to research different subtopics.
•Have students set reasonable deadlines for each step and goal on their list,
ending with the deadline you assign for the project.
•Have them monitor their progress by checking off each step as they accomplish it.
•Remind students to present their information in a collegial format in which
each group member participates.
Grade 6 • Page 30
Implementing the Common Core StandArds
Speaking and Listening Standards
Common Core Standards
1.c. Pose and respond to specific
questions with elaboration and detail
by making comments that contribute
to the topic, text, or issue under
discussion.
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Literature: Correlations with Teacher's Notes
Talk About It, pp. 163, 363, 999; Listening and Speaking, p. 509, 779
To cover the standard, have students complete the Talk About It activities on page
163 (a persuasive speech) or page 999 (a panel discussion) or the Listening and
Speaking activity on page 779 (a debate), emphasizing the directions on the student
page that invite the students to take questions from the audience. For the panel
discussion or debate, have panel or debate team members ask specific questions
of each other as well. Remind students to cite details from unit selections they read
and/or their own experiences as support and elaboration for their responses to the
questions posed.
To further support and reinforce the standard, enrich the Talk About It activity on
page 363 (a group discussion) and the Listening and Speaking activity on page 509
(an informal discussion) by asking students in each group to pose and respond to
questions during their discussions. Also encourage them to hold a question-andanswer session with the rest of the class after they present their summaries.
1.d. Review the key ideas expressed
and demonstrate understanding
of multiple perspectives through
reflection and paraphrasing.
2. Interpret information presented in
diverse media and formats (e.g., visually,
quantitatively, orally) and explain how it
contributes to a topic, text, or issue under
study.
Talk About It, pp. 363; Listening and Speaking, p. 509
To cover the standard, have students complete Talk About It activity on page
363 (a group discussion) and the Listening and Speaking activity on page 509
(an informal discussion), emphasizing the directions to summarize the group’s
ideas at the end of their group discussions. Remind students to include multiple
perspectives of different group members in their summaries. Then, as students
offer their summaries, check that they have included key ideas and demonstrate
understanding of multiple perspectives, including those that they do not
personally share.
Communications Workshop, pp. 166, 366, 812
To address the standard, have students complete the Communications Workshop
on following oral directions on page 166. Point out that oral directions are often
accompanied by visual and quantitative elements, such as charts, graphs, maps,
and diagrams, that make them clearer. Then, tell students to complete the activity
at the bottom of the student page. Tell students to include visual or quantitative
information, such as a graph, chart, or map, to accompany the oral directions they
give to their partners.
To further support and reinforce the standard, have students complete the
Communications Workshop on evaluating a persuasive message on page 366 or the
Communications Workshop on identifying tone, mood, and emotion on page 812.
Discuss the types of information that are typically presented visually, quantitatively,
or orally—news broadcasts, political speeches, television advertisements, radio
talk shows, documentaries, and so on. Point out that in such presentations, visual
appeals, graphic elements, and the tone, mood, and emotion of oral delivery are
important tools in conveying the message. Then, have students complete the
activity on evaluating an advertisement (p. 366) or on evaluating a news interview
program (p. 812). Ask students to consider how visual, quantitative, and oral
elements help convey ideas about the topic or issue and how these elements
contribute to the effectiveness of the communication.
Grade 6 • Page 31
Speaking and Listening Standards
Common Core Standards
Meeting the Common Core Standards with Prentice Hall
Literature: Correlations with Teacher's Notes
3. Delineate a speaker’s argument and
specific claims, distinguishing claims that
are supported by reasons and evidence
from claims that are not.
Communications Workshop, p. 366; Talk About It, p. 535;
Listening and Speaking, p. 779
To cover the standard, ask students to complete the Communications Workshop on
evaluating a persuasive message on page 366. Have students focus on the content
of persuasive messages, separating fact from opinion, and analyzing the logic of the
persuasive argument presented to support a claim. Discuss the types of claims most
commonly found in television advertising:
•One type of claim is a statement of fact—a statement that can be proven true
or false. Unless the fact is commonly known and accepted, a factual claim
needs to be logically supported, or proven, with evidence such as scientific
studies, eyewitness accounts, or expert opinions.
•Another type of claim is a statement about the value or worth of something.
A value judgment should also be supported logically; evidence might take the
form of facts that show why the thing is useful, efficient, inexpensive, and
so on. A value statement is not well supported if the only evidence offered is
that many people would agree to the statement or if the value statement is
presented as a statement of fact.
As students evaluate the television advertisement for the Workshop activity, have
them identify and evaluate the reasoning used and claims presented as well as the
kind of evidence presented for each claim.
To further support and reinforce the standard, assign the debate in the Talk About
It activity on page 535 or the Listening and Speaking activity on page 779. As
each team presents its debate points, have the rest of the class listen carefully
and jot down notes to identify the arguments and specific claims and distinguish
those claims that are supporting by reasons and evidence from those that are not.
After the debate, ask the audience to use their notes as they evaluate the debate
performances to decide which team was the “winner.”
Presentation of Knowledge and Ideas
4. Present claims and findings,
sequencing ideas logically and using
pertinent descriptions, facts, and details
to accentuate main ideas or themes;
use appropriate eye contact, adequate
volume, and clear pronunciation.
Communications Workshop, pp. 538, 1002; Listening and Speaking,
pp. 435, 855
To cover the standard, have students complete the Communications Workshop on
a problem-solution proposal on page 538. As you present the instruction on the
student page, stress that the ideas students present should be logically sequenced
and that the descriptions, facts, and details they use as evidence should be
pertinent to their main ideas. Emphasize the section on delivery, which stresses the
importance of speaking slowly and clearly and using eye contact and gestures to
keep the audience engaged.
To further support and reinforce the standard, assign the Communications
Workshop on page 1002 (an oral response to literature) or one of the Listening
and Speaking activities on pages 435 (an instructional presentation) and 855 (an
oral report). Emphasize the directions for organizing and presenting evidence to
support key points and for delivering the speech clearly and effectively. Ensure that
students maintain eye contact and speak clearly at an adequate volume as they
present. If students videotape their oral response to literature, as suggested in the
activity at the end of the lesson, remind them to look into the camera to maintain
eye contact.
Grade 6 • Page 32
Implementing the Common Core StandArds
Speaking and Listening Standards
Common Core Standards
Meeting the Common Core Standards with Prentice Hall
Literature: Correlations with Teacher's Notes
5. Include multimedia components
(e.g., graphics, images, music, sound) and
visual displays in presentations to clarify
information.
Research the Author, p. 187; Research and Technology, p. 331;
Communications Workshop, p. 680; Listening and Speaking, p. 855;
Writing Workshop, pp. 906–911
To cover the standard, have students complete the activities for a multimedia
presentation in the Research the Author feature on page 187, for a research
presentation in the Research and Technology feature on page 331, for a persuasive
speech in the Communications Workshop on page 680, for an oral report in the
Listening and Speaking feature on page 855, and/or for a multimedia report in the
Writing Workshop on pages 906–911. Have students apply the guidance on the
student pages to choose and use multimedia components and visual displays that
best clarify the information they are presenting. Enrich the instruction by presenting
these points:
•Choosing a few strong audio or visual elements that have a clear meaning
and relevance to the presentation is often better than using a large number of
elements that are not clearly connected. For example, for students doing the
Research and Technology presentation on gold mining in Canada, many slides
showing scenes of western Canada may not be as effective as a few historic
pictures of gold miners there.
•Using multimedia components throughout the presentation, rather than
clustering their use at one point, creates better pacing and will be more
appealing and less confusing to an audience.
•Visuals such as maps, charts, and diagrams—and any labels or other text
on them—should be large enough and clear enough to be easily seen at a
distance, and they should not contain more labels or text than the audience
can readily absorb.
•Sound components such as background music or special effects should not be
so loud that they drown out the spoken part of the presentation.
Guide students in applying these tips as they prepare and deliver their presentations.
Grade 6 • Page 33
Speaking and Listening Standards
Common Core Standards
Meeting the Common Core Standards with Prentice Hall
Literature: Correlations with Teacher's Notes
6. Adapt speech to a variety of contexts
and tasks, demonstrating command
of formal English when indicated or
appropriate. (See grade 6, Language
standards 1 and 3 on pages 36–39 and
41 for specific expectations.)
To cover the standard, have students complete a variety of speaking assignments
covering a range of contexts and tasks, including some of those listed below. Have
students adapt their speech appropriately for each, based on your instruction and
the guidance in the student edition.
•Listening and Speaking: Interview, p. 299
•Listening and Speaking: Instructional Presentation, p. 435
•Listening and Speaking: Informal Discussion, p. 509
•Communications Workshop: Problem-Solution Proposal, pp. 538
•Listening and Speaking: Dramatic Poetry Reading, p. 599
•Talk About It: Oral Presentation, p. 677
•Communications Workshop: Persuasive Speech, p. 680
•Research the Author: Storytelling Program, p. 703
•Listening and Speaking: Debate, p. 779
•Listening and Speaking: Oral Report, p. 855
•Listening and Speaking: Dramatic Reading. p. 931
•Talk About It: Panel Discussion, p. 999
•Communications Workshop: Oral Response to Literature, p. 1002
As you make each assignment, have students identify
•the context, including the audience (e.g., a formal presentation in class, a
group discussion with peers, and special presentation to a younger audience)
•the communicative task (e.g., to persuade, to share information, to elicit
information, to entertain, to solve a problem)
•ways to adapt their speech to the given context and task (e.g., use formal
speech to share information in a classroom presentation, informal speech
to share or elicit information in a group discussion, and simple speech to
entertain an audience of young children; speak expressively and use pauses,
gestures, and facial expressions when seeking to entertain; vary volume
dramatically when attempting to persuade)
Monitor students’ command of formal English in presentations that require them to
use it. As necessary, identify one or two specific departures from formal usage for
each student, such as the use of slang terms; common usage problems, including
incorrect pronouns and verb tenses (e.g., “Jane and myself read the play; she brung
her copy to class); and frequent use of temporizing words such as like, you know,
and I mean. Assign students the goal of eliminating such problems from their next
formal presentation.
Grade 6 • Page 34
Implementing the Common Core StandArds
College and Career Readiness Standards for Language
The College and Career Readiness (CCR) anchor standards in the Language domain appear
below. On the pages that follow, grade-specific standards define what students should understand
and be able to do in grade 6 as they build toward the CCR Language standards. The CCR
and grade-specific standards are therefore necessary complements—the former providing
broad standards, the latter providing additional specificity—that together define the skills and
understandings that all students must demonstrate.
Conventions of Standard English
1.Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when
writing or speaking.
2.Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization,
punctuation, and spelling when writing.
Knowledge of Language
3.Apply knowledge of language to understand how language functions in different contexts,
to make effective choices for meaning or style, and to comprehend more fully when
reading or listening.
Vocabulary Acquisition and Use
4.Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases
by using context clues, analyzing meaningful word parts, and consulting general and
specialized reference materials, as appropriate.
5.Demonstrate understanding of word relationships and nuances in word meanings.
6.Acquire and use accurately a range of general academic and domain-specific words and
phrases sufficient for reading, writing, speaking, and listening at the college and career
readiness level; demonstrate independence in gathering vocabulary knowledge when
considering a word or phrase important to comprehension or expression.
Grade 6 • Page 35
Language Standards
Common Core Standards
Meeting the Common Core Standards with Prentice Hall
Literature: Correlations with Teacher's Notes
Conventions of Standard English
1. Demonstrate command of the
conventions of standard English grammar
and usage when writing or speaking.
1.a. Ensure that pronouns are in the
proper case (subjective, objective,
possessive).
Integrated Language Skills—Grammar: Pronouns, p. 108
To address the standard, have students read the instruction on pronouns in the
Integrated Language Skills Grammar feature on page 108. Enrich the material
by explaining that the case of a pronoun is the form it takes to show its use in a
sentence. Note that personal pronouns can be divided into two cases, subjective
(also called nominative) and objective, and that possessive pronouns are actually a
third case. Provide students with the following chart of these pronouns:
Subjective
(Nominative)
Case
Objective
Case
Possessive
Case
First-person singular (the
person speaking)
I
me
my, mine
Second-person singular (the
person spoken to)
you
you
your, yours
Third-person singular (the
person or thing spoken about)
he, she, it
her, him, it
his, her,
hers, its
First-person plural (the
person speaking and others)
we
us
our, ours
Second-person plural (the
people spoken to)
you
you
your, yours
Third-person plural (the people
or things spoken about)
they
them
their, theirs
Person
Explain that the subjective or nominative case is used when the pronoun is the
subject of a sentence or clause:
•Subject of a sentence: I read about Mark Twain.
•Subject of a clause: Mark Twain described a time when he had stage fright.
The objective case is used when the pronoun is the object of a verb, a preposition,
or a verbal (participle, gerund, or infinitive).
•Direct object of a verb: Mark Twain’s daughter admired him very much.
•Indirect object of a verb: Public speaking gave him stage fright.
•Object of a preposition: Twain’s daughter wrote a biography about him.
•Object of a verbal (here, a participle): Comforting her, Twain described an
episode of stage fright.
The possessive case is used for pronouns that show ownership or possession.
A different form is usually used when the possessive pronoun precedes a noun and
when it stands alone.
•Before a noun: Her book includes the excerpt “My Papa, Mark Twain.”
•Stands alone: Is this book hers?
Grade 6 • Page 36
Implementing the Common Core StandArds
Language Standards
Common Core Standards
1.b. Use intensive pronouns (e.g.,
myself, ourselves).
Meeting the Common Core Standards with Prentice Hall
Literature: Correlations with Teacher's Notes
Address the standard after students have completed the Integrated Language
Skills Grammar features on pages 108 and 130. Explain that there are other
types of pronouns in addition to personal, possessive, interrogative, and indefinite
pronouns. Among them is the intensive pronoun, which ends in -self or -selves and
is used for emphasis or intensity. Note than an intensive pronoun often comes right
after the noun or pronoun it renames for emphasis. For example:
•Spiders themselves are quite amazing.
•She herself was very frightened by the spider.
Occasionally, an intensive pronoun can come a bit later in a sentence:
•I saw it myself, and it was pretty scary.
Explain another type of pronoun that ends in -self or -selves: the reflexive pronoun
serves as an object, “reflecting back” on the subject of the sentence or clause when
that subject is the same person or thing as the object is. For example
•The spider spun the web all by itself. (Itself, the object of the preposition by,
“reflects back” on the subject, spider, since it is the same thing as the subject is.)
•The spider web clung to her clothing until she gave herself several wild shakes.
(Herself, the object of the verb gave, “reflects back” on the second clause’s
subject, she, since it refers to the same person as the subject.)
Provide students with the following chart of intensive and reflexive pronouns.
Person
Intensive or
Reflexive Pronoun
First-person singular (the person speaking)
myself
Second-person singular (the person spoken to)
yourself
Third-person singular (the person or thing
spoken about)
himself, herself, itself
First-person plural (the person speaking and
others)
ourselves
Second-person plural (the people spoken to)
yourselves
Third-person plural (the people or things
spoken about)
themselves
After students study the chart, offer these usage tips:
•Singular intensive and reflexive pronouns end in -self; plural, in -selves In
formal English, there is no such word as ourself or themself.
•The third-person singular intensive or reflexive pronoun for males is himself. In
formal English, there is no such word as hisself.
•The third-person plural intensive or reflexive pronoun is themselves. In formal
English, there is no such word as theirselves (or theirself).
•In formal English, intensive pronouns cannot be used without an antecedent
nearby.
Incorrect: Himself thinks he is the boss, but he is not.
Correct: He himself thinks he is the boss, but he is not.
Grade 6 • Page 37
Language Standards
Common Core Standards
1.c. Recognize and correct
inappropriate shifts in pronoun
number and person.
Meeting the Common Core Standards with Prentice Hall
Literature: Correlations with Teacher's Notes
Writing Workshop: Revising for Pronoun/Antecedent Agreement, p. 159
To cover the standard, use the Writer’s Toolbox feature on Revising for Pronoun/
Antecedent Agreement on page 159 to introduce the convention of avoiding
inappropriate shifts in pronoun number and person. Help students understand why
the pronouns are correct in the boxed examples. Then, review with them the three
steps for recognizing and correcting errors with pronouns and their antecedents.
Finally, have students apply the steps as they review their writing, correcting any
inappropriate pronoun shifts by revising to make the pronoun agree with its
antecedent.
To reinforce the standard and assess mastery, have students recognize and correct
any inappropriate pronoun shifts in these sentences. Tell students that not every
sentence has a pronoun error.
1.Either Bonnie or Lisa will do their research at the library.
2.I keep some tissues in my purse because you never know when I might need
them.
3.All of the students had their cellphones turned off.
4.Everyone finished their homework before supper.
1.d. Recognize and correct vague
pronouns (i.e., ones with unclear or
ambiguous antecedents).
To address the standard, review the definition of an antecedent and the concept
of pronoun/antecedent agreement on page 159. Then, enrich the instruction
by explaining that a good writer avoids vague pronouns—that is, pronouns
with unclear or ambiguous antecedents. Offer the following examples of vague
pronouns, and discuss with students some possible ways to correct them.
•Incorrect: Anna told Mindy that she needed to arrive by ten. (Who needed to
arrive, Anna or Mindy?)
Possible corrections: Anna told Mindy that Mindy needed to arrive by ten;
OR “You need to arrive by ten,” Anna told Mindy.
•Incorrect: He is a very kind person, and it shows in his charity work. (What
exactly is the antecedent of it?)
Possible correction: He is a very kind person, and his kindness shows in his
charity work.
•Incorrect: Sherry lost five pounds on her diet. This made her very happy. (What
is the antecedent of This?)
Possible correction: Sherry lost five pounds on her diet, and this weight loss
made her very happy.
To further reinforce the standard, have students go over their writing, identifying
and correcting any vague pronouns in their sentences. Invite students to share the
problems and corrections in class.
Grade 6 • Page 38
Implementing the Common Core StandArds
Language Standards
Common Core Standards
1.e. Recognize variations from standard
English in their own and others’
writing and speaking, and identify and
use strategies to improve expression in
conventional language.
Meeting the Common Core Standards with Prentice Hall
Literature: Correlations with Teacher's Notes
To cover the standard, go over the following revising and editing features, which
offer strategies for improving expression by correcting variations from several
important conventions of standard English.
•Writing Workshop: Focus on Comparative and Superlative Adjectives, p. 91
•Writing Workshop: Revising for Pronoun/Antecedent Agreement, p. 159
•Writing Workshop: Correcting Errors with Verbs, p. 267
•Writing Workshop: Revising to Maintain Verb Tense, p. 359
•Writing Workshop: Revising for Correct Use of Troublesome Modifiers,
p. 465
•Writing Workshop: Revising for Sentence Structure (run-on sentences),
p. 616
•Writing Workshop: Check Subject-Verb Agreement, p. 672
•Writing Workshop: Focus on Double Comparisons, p. 675
•Writing Workshop: Revising Sentence Fragments, p. 909
To help students master the conventions of standard English taught in these
features, have them work with a partner to correct variations from these
conventions in their own and their partners’ writing and speaking.
To reinforce the standard and assess mastery, provide students with the following
sentences. Ask them to identify the variation or variations from standard English
that each sentence contains and to indicate how the sentence should be corrected
to follow English usage conventions.
1.Everyone in those suburbs pay high rates for their property taxes.
2.Of the two flowers, that one is the most prettiest.
3.The dog will lay in front of the fireplace for hours, then she will rise to eat.
4.I drunk the water quick because I am so thirsty.
5.Although the runner did good as far as speed was concerned.
Grade 6 • Page 39
Language Standards
Common Core Standards
Meeting the Common Core Standards with Prentice Hall
Literature: Correlations with Teacher's Notes
2. Demonstrate command of the
conventions of standard English
capitalization, punctuation, and spelling
when writing.
2.a. Use punctuation (commas,
parentheses, dashes) to set off
nonrestrictive/parenthetical elements.
To cover the convention, have students turn to “A Backwoods Boy” on pages
448–460, and ask them to examine the fifth paragraph. Point to the use of the long
dashes to set off the words “Zachariah Riney followed by Caleb Hazel,” and explain
that dashes are one way to punctuate a nonrestrictive or parenthetical element in a
sentence. Explain that a nonrestrictive or parenthetical element is a word, phrase, or
clause that interrupts a sentence to add information about another word, phrase,
or clause that it renames or modifies. Here, for example, “Zachariah Riney followed
by Caleb Hazel” renames the noun “teachers,” interrupting the sentence to add
information about who those teachers were.
Explain that nonrestrictive or parenthetical elements should always be set off from
the rest of the sentence by punctuation. Offer the following guidelines:
•Use commas to set off most nonrestrictive or parenthetical elements.
•Use dashes to place stronger emphasis on the nonrestrictive or parenthetical
element.
•Use parentheses for a nonrestrictive or parenthetical element that provides
extra information and is less closely related to the rest of the sentence.
•If the nonrestrictive or parenthetical element opens the sentence, use just one
comma or dash after it; if it closes the sentence, use just one comma or dash
before it. Parentheses, however, must always be used in pairs.
Working with students, find sentences from “A Backwoods Boy” to illustrate the
guidelines; for example:
•[first paragraph p. 449]: A poor backwoods farm boy, he grew up swinging
an ax . . .
•[second paragraph p. 450]: His father, Thomas, was a burly, barrel-chested
farmer and carpenter . . .
•[first full paragraph p. 451]: Thomas put up a temporary winter shelter—a
crude, three-sided lean-to of logs and branches. . . . At night, wrapped in
bearskins and huddled by the fire, Abraham and Sarah . . .
•[fourth full paragraph p. 451]: . . . victims of the dreaded “milk sickness” (now
known to be caused by a poisonous plant called white snake root).
To reinforce the standard and assess mastery, have students exchange recent
writing with a classmate and check that their partner has correctly punctuated
nonrestrictive or parenthetical elements.
2.b. Spell correctly.
Writing Workshop: Editing and Proofreading, pp. 361, 467, 533, 619, 807
To cover the standard, introduce the concepts of spelling homophones (p. 361),
easily confused words (p. 467), irregular plurals (p. 533), words with suffixes
(p. 619), and unstressed vowel sounds (p. 807), using the instruction on the
pages cited. Reinforce and assess mastery by having students apply these spelling
guidelines as they edit and proofread their writing.
Grade 6 • Page 40
Implementing the Common Core StandArds
Language Standards
Common Core Standards
Meeting the Common Core Standards with Prentice Hall
Literature: Correlations with Teacher's Notes
3. Use knowledge of language and its
conventions when writing, speaking,
reading, or listening.
3.a. Vary sentence patterns for
meaning, reader/listener interest,
and style.
Grammar, pp. 598, 874; Writing Workshop, pp. 88, 531, 617, 673, 741, 805
3.b. Maintain consistency in style
and tone.
Writing Workshop, pp. 87, 265, 739
To cover the standard, use the instruction on the pages cited to introduce the
concepts of sentence length (p. 88), sentence type (pp. 598 and 617), sentence
structure (p. 874), and sentence combining (pp. 531, 673, 741, 805). Stress that
students should vary their sentence lengths, types, and structures not only to
convey particular meanings but also to establish their style and make their writing
more interesting to read or hear. Have students practice varying sentence lengths by
completing the first Challenge exercise on page 598 and the two Practice exercises
on pages 874. Reinforce the standard and assess mastery by having students work
in pairs, reading each other’s essays for one or more of the Writing Workshops and
making suggestions to improve style and generate interest by varying sentence
lengths, types, and structures.
To cover the standard, use the instruction on the pages cited to introduce the
concepts of word choice (pp. 87 and 739) and voice (p. 265). Enrich the instruction
by explaining that voice is closely related to tone, the attitude a writer expresses
toward his or her subject or audience. Point out that word choice, voice, and tone
are all key elements of a writer’s style, the quality of a person’s writing that makes
it distinct from everyone else’s. Discuss other elements of a writer’s style, such as
sentence length and use of figurative language.
Explain that good writers maintain a consistent style and tone, changing them only
when there is a reason to do so. Offer the following examples in which tone and
style change, and discuss whether or not there is reason for the change, eliciting
that the second example has a reason (to show the high excitement of the moment)
but the first does not. Then, discuss how the first example might be changed to
maintain consistency in style and tone.
•In the sleepy town along the river, all was still. The sun poured down on the
empty dock, where no boats were moored. Yikes! It sure was a hot one.
•In the sleepy town along the river, all was still. The sun poured down on the
empty dock, where no boats were moored. Then suddenly—boom! The
explosion was followed by a cry of terror.
Reinforce the standard and assess mastery by having students work in pairs, reading
each other’s essays for one or more of the Writing Workshops and suggesting
changes, if necessary, to maintain a consistent style and tone.
Grade 6 • Page 41
Language Standards
Common Core Standards
Meeting the Common Core Standards with Prentice Hall
Literature: Correlations with Teacher's Notes
Vocabulary Acquisition and Use
4. Determine or clarify the meaning of
unknown and multiple-meaning words
and phrases based on grade 6 reading
and content, choosing flexibly from a
range of strategies.
4.a. Use context (e.g., the overall
meaning of a sentence or paragraph;
a word’s position or function in a
sentence) as a clue to the meaning of a
word or phrase.
Reading Skill, pp. 561, 585
To cover the standard, introduce the concept of context clues using the Reading
Skill instruction on pages 561 and 585. Enrich the instruction by explaining that
context clues include not only the text surrounding an unfamiliar word but the
unfamiliar word’s position and function in a sentence. To illustrate, offer this
sentence, which contains the possibly unfamiliar word blurb:
I read the blurb on the book jacket to see what the book was about and hear
how great it was.
Explain that for someone who does not know what blurb means, his or her first
clue is its position in the sentence: since it comes immediately after the article
the and is not followed by a noun, it is probably a noun itself. Its position also
suggests that it functions as the direct object of the verb read, again indicating
that it is probably a noun. The surrounding words provide even clearer context
clues: the blurb is something that can be read; it is found on the book jacket; it tells
something about the book’s contents and is full of praise. Putting all these clues
together gives a reader a very clear idea of the meaning of the word blurb.
Tell students to use a similar process as they read the selections and respond to the
marginal prompts about context clues. Reinforce the standard and assess mastery
by having students complete the After You Read questions for each selection.
4.b. Use common, grade-appropriate
Greek or Latin affixes and roots as
clues to the meaning of a word
(e.g., audience, auditory, audible).
Word Study, pp. 30, 44, 94, 112, 121, 190, 220, 470, 570, 858
To cover the standard, use the Word Study instruction on the pages cited and
throughout the text to introduce and develop the skill of using Greek and Latin
affixes and roots as clues to meanings of unknown words. Have students apply the
skill as they read the selections that follow the instruction. Reinforce the skill and
assess mastery by having students complete the Word Study Challenges that follow
each selection.
Grade 6 • Page 42
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Literature: Correlations with Teacher's Notes
4.c. Consult reference materials (e.g.,
dictionaries, glossaries, thesauruses),
both print and digital, to find the
pronunciation of a word or determine
or clarify its precise meaning or its part
of speech.
Vocabulary Workshop, pp. 164–165; Glossary, pp. R1–R6
4.d. Verify the preliminary
determination of the meaning of a
word or phrase (e.g., by checking the
inferred meaning in context or in a
dictionary).
Reading Skill, pp. 561, 585
To address the standard, use the instruction in the Vocabulary Workshop on pages
164–165 to introduce the features and uses of dictionaries and thesauruses Have
students practice using a dictionary and thesaurus by completing Practice A and
Practice B on page 165. Then, have students turn to the Glossary on pages R1–R6.
Explain that unlike a dictionary, which attempts to include many or most of the
words in the English language, a glossary covers only words from a particular
subject or textbook; here, the glossary lists vocabulary words from the selections in
the textbook. Have students compare the contents of the dictionary entry on page
164 with the contents of the glossary entries on pages R1–R6— i.e., each entry
in both give the pronunciation, part of speech, and definition or definitions of the
entry word, but the dictionary also contains an etymology, or history, of the word.
Explain that students can consult dictionaries and glossaries, both print and digital,
to find the pronunciations of unfamiliar words they come across in their reading
and to confirm precise meanings after using context clues to guess those meanings.
Discuss how thesauruses can help students in their writing by suggesting synonyms
and sometimes antonyms that they can use. Then, to reinforce skills and assess
mastery, have students read any Comparing Literary Works feature in their text,
consulting a dictionary or a glossary to help them understand unfamiliar words and
consulting a thesaurus to help them complete the writing activity that follows the
selection.
To cover the standard, use the instruction on page 581 to introduce the skill of
rereading and reading ahead to verify the preliminary determination of a word’s
meaning. Have students apply the skill as they read the lesson selections that follow
the instruction and complete the appropriate After You Read activity.
To reinforce the standard, extend the Reading Skill instruction on context clues on
page 561 by explaining that students should make a preliminary determination
of a word’s meaning using context clues and then read ahead to check whether
additional context clues confirm their inference. Then, students should look up the
word in a dictionary to further confirm the meaning. Have students apply the skills
as they read the lesson selections and complete the appropriate After You Read
activity.
Grade 6 • Page 43
Language Standards
Common Core Standards
Meeting the Common Core Standards with Prentice Hall
Literature: Correlations with Teacher's Notes
5. Demonstrate understanding of
figurative language, word relationships,
and nuances in word meanings.
5.a. Interpret figures of speech (e.g.,
personification) in context.
Literary Analysis, pp. 585, 913; Vocabulary Workshop, pp. 1000–1001
To cover the standard, introduce the concept figurative language and the three
figures of speech—similes, metaphors, and personification—covered by the
combine Literary Analysis instruction on pages 585 and 913. As students read the
selections following the instruction, have them interpret figures of speech of the
type or types taught with the lesson. Reinforce the skills and assess mastery with
the After You Read questions for each lesson.
To further support and reinforce the standard, assign the Vocabulary Workshop on
Idioms on pages 1000–1001. After students have read the instruction and studied
the examples on page 1000, point out that idioms, which have come to mean
something different from the literal meaning of the words that make them up, are
a kind of figurative language. Then, have students complete Practice A, Practice B,
the Activity, and the Challenge on page 1001.
5.b. Use the relationship between
particular words (e.g., cause/effect,
part/whole, item/category) to better
understand each of the words.
Vocabulary Practice, pp. 921, 929
To cover the standard, introduce the concept of analogies in the Vocabulary
Practice on either page 921 or 929, depending on which of the paired selections
in this grouping you have assigned your students. Explain that in analogies, the
relationship between one pair of words helps the reader understand or explain
the relationship of another pair of words. Discuss some of the relationships that
analogies can express, such as
•synonyms: slender is to thin as pretty is to lovely
•opposites: day is to night as summer is to winter
•cause/effect: plant is to grow as rain is to flood
•part/whole: tree is to forest as finger is to hand
•item/category: red is to color as pea is to vegetable
•item/use: pen is to write as car is to drive
After students complete the Vocabulary Practice, discuss how relationships like
those found in analogies can lead to a better understanding of pairs of words. As
an example, offer the following sentence:
The long drought resulted in a terrible famine.
Elicit that the relationship here is cause/effect. Clarify, if necessary, that a drought
is a period without rain and that a famine is a shortage of food. Then, discuss with
students how knowing the meaning of one word in the cause/effect relationship
can help a reader understand the meaning of the other word, and vice versa.
To further reinforce the standard, have students look through recent readings for
examples of words pairs illustrating relationships like those listed above. Have
students explain how the relationships between the words in a particular pair help
them better understand the meaning of each word.
Grade 6 • Page 44
Implementing the Common Core StandArds
Language Standards
Common Core Standards
5.c. Distinguish among the
connotations (associations) of words
with similar denotations (definitions)
(e.g., stingy, scrimping, economical,
unwasteful, thrifty).
6. Acquire and use accurately gradeappropriate general academic and
domain-specific words and phrases;
gather vocabulary knowledge when
considering a word or phrase important
to comprehension or expression.
Meeting the Common Core Standards with Prentice Hall
Literature: Correlations with Teacher's Notes
Vocabulary Workshop, pp. 678–679
To cover the standard, have students complete the Vocabulary Workshop on
Connotation and Denotation on pages 678–679. Reinforce the skills and assess
mastery with the Practice exercises, the Activity, and the Challenge.
To address the standard, assign main selections throughout the book and introduce
the English language arts-specific vocabulary (such as characterization, mood,
personification, and stage directions) taught in the accompanying Literary Analysis
instruction. As students analyze the selections using these skills and concepts, they
will apply the English language arts-specific words and phrases in discussion and in
written responses to questions. Here are examples from Unit 1:
•Literary Analysis: Plot, p. 21
•Literary Analysis: Narrator and Point of View, p. 43
•Literary Analysis: Author’s Perspective, p. 93
•Literary Analysis: Tone, p. 111
To further support the standard, introduce the Big Question vocabulary, which
includes general academic vocabulary, taught in the Introducing the Big Question
feature for each unit. Then, as you teach selections in the unit, assign the Writing
About the Big Question activities that appear on Making Connections pages
preceding selections. By completing these activities, students will practice use of
the Big Question words, including grade-appropriate academic vocabulary. Here are
examples from Unit 1:
•Big Question Vocabulary, p. 3
•Writing About the Big Question, pp. 22, 30, 44, 52, 73, 94, 102, 112,
122, 141
Grade 6 • Page 45
Standards Carried Through the Grades
The following skills require continued attention in higher grades (after their introduction in the
grade listed below) as they are applied to increasingly sophisticated writing and speaking.
Conventions—Progressive Standards
Meeting the Common Core Standards with Prentice Hall
Literature: Correlations with Teacher's Notes
Grade 3
1.f. Ensure subject-verb and pronounantecedent agreement.
159, 672, R42
3.a. Choose words and phrases for effect.
87, 358, 416, 435
Grade 4
1.f. Produce complete sentences,
recognizing and correcting inappropriate
fragments and run-ons.
616, 909, R40
1.g. Correctly use frequently confused
words (e.g., to/too/two; there/their).
Teach students how to correctly use frequently confused words by providing
these examples:
•affect/effect
Affect is most often used as a verb meaning “to influence or produce a change
in something or someone.”
Effect is most often used as a noun meaning “a result, or something brought
about by a cause.” Examples:
What a teacher says affects the minds of her students.
His teacher’s effect on him was enormous.
•bad/badly
Use bad after a linking verb such as feel, look, or seem. Use badly when an
adverb is required. Examples:
He rarely feels bad about his mistakes.
He often behaves badly in class.
•fewer/less
Use fewer for items that can be counted. Use less for things that cannot be
counted. Examples:
Fewer baseball players are coming to practice sessions.
Team members seem to have less enthusiasm for the game.
•there/their
There designates a place, while their indicates possession. Example:
You will find their baseball gloves over there.
•to/too/two
To is a preposition that can mean “toward, as far as, on, or until.” Too is an
adverb meaning “also, more than enough, or extremely.” Two refers to “the
number between one and three.” Examples:
She went to her room after dinner.
He thought it was too cold for that time of year.
Her teacher had given her two homework assignments.
Encourage students to keep a list of words that they commonly confuse. Have
them define these words and use them in meaningful sentences.
Grade 6 • Page 46
Implementing the Common Core StandArds
Standards Carried Through the Grades
The following skills require continued attention in higher grades (after their introduction in the
grade listed below) as they are applied to increasingly sophisticated writing and speaking.
Conventions—Progressive Standards
Meeting the Common Core Standards with Prentice Hall
Literature: Correlations with Teacher's Notes
3.a. Choose words and phrases to convey
ideas precisely.
464, 804, 992
3.b. Choose punctuation for effect.
598, 617, 954
Grade 5
1.d. Recognize and correct inappropriate
shifts in verb tense.
298, 330, 359
2.a. Use punctuation to separate items in
a series.
930, 954, R43
Teach students to recognize various verb tenses with the instruction on
pages 298 and 330. Then, teach them how to avoid shifts in tense by
using the instruction on page 359. Have students revise their written work
for illogical shifts in tense.
Grade 6 • Page 47
Model Responses to Teacher’s
Guide Discussion Prompts
Grade 6
Reading: Literature—Standard 4, Teacher’s Guide, p. 5
1.No, the expression is figurative. It means the rain is soothing.
2.It has a positive, peaceful connotation.
3.It emphasizes the speaker’s delight in and comfort from the rain.
Reading: Literature—Standard 5, Teacher’s Guide, p. 6
1.“Yes, it was that time” repeats much of the opening sentence of the story.
2.They are moving.
3.They appear again in the last paragraph and again signify that the family of migrant farm
workers is moving. Their appearance is even more upsetting because Panchito has been fitting
in to his new community and taken advantage of the opportunities there; we now see how
disturbing to his life this relocation will be.
4.The elements stress that Panchito and his family must move all the time as the plot unfolds,
the changes in setting they keep encountering, and the theme that the lives of migrant farm
workers are difficult and upsetting. The title also stresses the plot and theme, underscoring the
“circuit” the family must make instead of settling in one place and putting down roots.
Reading: Literature—Standard 7, Teacher’s Guide, p. 7
1.Students should compare the text description with the animated version, drawing on both the
text and the animation to make their points. They should explain what they expected from the
animated version. Then, they should indicate whether or not the animated version met those
expectations.
2.Students should use specific details in their comparisons of the characters they imagined as
they read and the characters portrayed in the animation. Students should also explain their
preference for their own imagined versions of the characters or the animated versions.
3.Students should cite specific sensory details to make their points.
4.Students should detail where, if anywhere, the animated version diverges from the plot in the
text.
5.Students should provide details of camera angles and lighting in the animated version, explain
the effects of those film techniques, and decide whether they support elements in the text or
are inconsistent with the text.
Reading: Literature—Standard 9, Teacher’s Guide, p. 7
1.Both are about a recreational sports activity involving footwork, footgear, and speed. “The Sound
of Summer Running” touches on the cost of tennis shoes, the main character’s efforts to acquire
them, and their association with youth. These aspects of the topic do not appear in the poem.
Grade 6 • Page 48
Implementing the Common Core StandArds
(Grade 6 Model Responses, cont.)
2.He feels fast, joyous, and in charge. The feeling of joy is similar, but speed and control are both
less of a factor for Douglas, who associates wearing the shoes with the freedom and pleasure of
summer.
3.Imagination plays a large role—in each case, the person performing the action imagines
himself or herself as something other than what he or she really is—antelopes or gazelles in the
case of Mr. Sanderson; a sailor, driver, or human automobile in the poem.
4.They represent freedom, joy, and adolescence. Yes, skateboarding also seems to represent joy.
5.Activities like skateboarding or running in tennis shoes can bring a strong sense of freedom
and joy.
Reading: Informational Text—Standard 4, Teacher’s Guide, p. 10
1.It means “what made her depressed or unhappy.” It is used figuratively.
2.The technical term is mess hall.
3.Words and phrases with negative connotations include smelly, old, pouring, cry, what got her
down, and muddy. They show that the writer dislikes the camp intensely and feels sorrow and
anger about being there.
Reading: Informational Text—Standard 7, Teacher’s Guide, p. 11
1.The first sentence of the atlas entry on page 135 is most clearly illustrated by the map with the
inset at the top of page 136.
2.The detail that Hispaniola consists of two countries, Haiti and the Dominican Republic,
is illustrated in the map of Hispaniola on page 135 but not in the map on page 136 that
accompanies the map label.
3.The cities are Port-au-Prince and Santo Domingo. These cities are just under 200 miles apart.
4.The next-to-last map with its labels can best help you identify Cuba in the last map.
5.Farm products of Cuba include sugar cane, pigs, cattle, coffee, bananas, and tobacco. Sugar cane
is probably most important, because on the map, Cuba has more than one symbol only for sugar
cane, tobacco, and pigs, and because of these three products, only sugar cane is mentioned in
the final paragraph of the entry, which says that it is “one of the world’s biggest sugar producers.”
Reading: Informational Text—Standard 9, Teacher’s Guide, p. 12
1.She is much more admiring and adoring of her father than he is of himself.
2.Susy gives far more details about Twain’s physical appearance. She paints him as a striking
figure, while Twain pooh-poohs his appearance with the statements about his age like “I’m
older than I look.”
3.Evidence includes his final remark about being so seasick “that there wasn’t any left for those
other two hundred passengers,” his recounting of the governor’s wife laughing at the wrong
moment during his speech because he had prompted her to do so; and his concluding remark
about his daughter’s singing being hereditary.
4.She concludes that he likes to talk. It is borne out by his tangent about seasickness, his
roundabout way of telling what happened during his first speaking appearance in San
Francisco, and his making such a long, anecdotal speech in the first place to introduce his
daughter’s singing
Grade 6 • Page 49
(Grade 6 Model Responses, cont.)
5.He gave it to introduce his young daughter’s singing. He was a loving, understanding parent
and a kindhearted, sympathetic person. The information Susy Clemens gives about her
relationship with her father supports the impression of his being a loving parent, and the
details about The Prince and the Pauper supports the impression that Twain was a kindhearted,
sympathetic person.
Language—Standard 1.c, Teacher’s Guide, p. 38
1.Their should be her.
2.You should be I.
3.correct as is
4.Their should be his or her.
Language—Standard 1.e, Teacher’s Guide, p. 39
1.Everyone in those suburbs pays high rates for his or her property taxes. [subject-verb
agreement; pronoun-antecedent agreement]
2.Of the two flowers, that one is (the) prettier. [comparative vs. superlative modifiers; avoid
double comparisons]
3.The dog will lie in front of the fireplace for hours. Then (OR hours; then OR hours, and then)
she will rise to eat. [lay/lie (troublesome verbs); avoid run-on sentence (note rise, another
troublesome verb, is correct)]
4.I drank the water quickly because I was so thirsty. [correct irregular verb form; adjective vs.
adverb (troublesome modifiers); consistent verb tense]
5.The runner did well as far as speed was concerned; OR Although the runner did well as far as
speed was concerned, he still lost the race. [good/well (troublesome modifiers; avoid sentence
fragment]
Grade 6 • Page 50