UNIT OVERVIEW
Unit One: Launching with Personal Narratives
Grade 6
Unit 1: Launching with Personal Narratives; Crafting Powerful
Life Stories
Essential Questions:
Personal Narrative:
Time Frame: September/October
Key Vocabulary:

What is my life story?

How does this moment fit into the whole of my life?

What role do I play in those interactions?

What are the central tensions in my life and how do I deal with them?
Fiction Writing:

Learning to craft and revise integral scenes.

Learning to create well-developed characters that respond to conflict in
realistic ways.

Learning to use tension and pacing to draw readers into their unfolding plot.
Mentor Texts:

Personal narrative from Ai’s
notebook to be projected

Chart titled, “How to Write
Powerful Personal Narratives:

Samples of Ai’s writing-copies for
all students

Excerpt of Ai’s personal narrative
(link)
Technology:

Smartboard

CD ROM for this TC Unit
Common Core State Standards


W.6.3: Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, relevant descriptive details, and well‐structured event sequences.
W.6.4: Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.

Chart titled, “My Writing Goals”

Jack Gantos’s neighborhood map
(online)

Chart titled, “Strategies for
Generating Personal Narrative
Topics”

Two excerpts of a student’s
personal narrative, before and
after revising

Checklist titled, “Questions to
Ask Yourself as You Edit”

“Everything Will Be Okay” by
James Howe

Narrative Writing Checklist for
grades 5 and 6

Copy of “Look Up and Watch the
Snow”

Chart titled, “Techniques for
Writing Memorable Leads”

“The House on Mango Street” by
Sandra Cisneros
Teaching Points/Lesson Activity Description
Personal Narrative:
Bend One: Launching Independent Writing Lives and
Generating Personal Narratives

Setting up to Write: Writers can study finished
work, imagining the strategies that other writers
probably used, and then try these strategies with
Assessment

W.6.5: 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.

W.6.10: 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.

RL.6.3: 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

RL.6.5: 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.

RL.6.6: Explain how an author develops the point of view of the narrator or speaker in a text.

SL.6.1: 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.

L.6.1: Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.

L.6.2: Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.

L.6.3: Use knowledge of language and its conventions when writing, speaking, reading, or listening.

L.6.4.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.
their own work (Page 2)

Calling on all strategies to write up a storm:
Writers call on a toolkit of strategies for finding
ideas for their stories, and that they can use those
ideas to launch into fast and furious writing.
Narrative writers sometimes generate story ideas by
thinking of places and meaningful episodes that
occurred in them. (Page 12)

Writing from moments that really matter: To
come up with ideas for personal narratives, it can
help to think of small moments that matter deeply.
Writers often do this by turning to moments when
they realized or learned something significant.
(Page 23)

Telling the story from the narrator’s point: To
write effective narratives, writing reimagine the
episode as they put it on paper, so that readers will
be able to experience it too. (Page 32)

Reading closely to learn from other authors:
Writers raise the level of their own writing by
imitating the personal narrative writing that inspires
and moves them. (Page 42)

Taking stock: pausing to assess and set goals:
Writers sometimes pause to consider their
progress, using a checklist to assess their own
growth and set new goals.
Bend Two: Moving through the Writing Process and
toward Our Goals

Rehearsing: Experimenting with beginnings:
Writers generate multiple leads as a way to
rehearse a story. (Page 62)

Flash-Drafting: Get the whole story on the page:
Writers take their seed ideas to flash-draft a firstdraft version of their stories. (Page 71)

Using writer’s notebooks for mindful, goaldriven work: Writers use their writer’s notebooks
as a place to try new things, to practice their skills
and to work hard at the writing goals they’ve set for
themselves. (Page 74)

Re-angling and rewriting to convey what a story
is really about: Writers kick off their substantial
revision process by re-angling their story telling to
hint at the larger meaning, earl on in the story, and
then to develop the deeper meaning throughout the
story. (Page 83)

Elaborating on important scenes and adding
new ones from the past: Writers use everything
they know about writing powerful scenes to further
develop the most important parts of their stories and
to incorporate new moments from the past that
connect with their stories’ meaning. (Page 96)

Using all available resources to aid with final
touches: Writers draw on the many writing tools
available to them, including classroom charts and
checklists, to aid with final revisions and with
editing.
Bend Three: Writing a Second Personal Narrative
with New Independence

Taking charge of the writing process:
Deciding where to begin and how to revise
from the get-go:
UNIT OVERVIEW
Unit Two: Fiction Writing
Grade 6
Unit 2: Fiction Writing
Time Frame: October-November
Essential Questions:

Learning to craft and revise integral scenes.

Learning to create well-developed characters that respond to conflict in realistic ways.

Learning to use tension and pacing to draw readers into their unfolding plot.
Mentor Texts:

Technology:
Rockets Website
Key Vocabulary: fiction, central tension,
integral scenes, pacing, conflict, realistic, plot,
timelines
Common Core State Standards

W.6.3: Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, relevant descriptive details, and well‐structured event sequences.

W.6.4: Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.

W.6.5: With some guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by 
Smartboard

CD ROM for this TC Unit
Teaching Points/Lesson Activity Description
Fiction Writing (If..Then..Curriculum Book)
Bend One: Collecting and Rehearsing Story Ideas While Checking in
on Writing Ideas


Collecting possible story ideas by writing story blurbs and
small scenes: Writers often generate ideas by looking at moments
of trouble from their live and then projecting those onto a character.
Writers return to moments of trouble in their own in their own lives.
They get ideas for fiction just as they get ideas for personal
narratives and essays, by paying attention to moments and issues
in their own lives. (Page 18)
Collecting ideas for conflicts that characters face: Writers think
about which issues have factored into their own lives (fitting in,
Assessment
Writing Pathways
Book: Performance
Assessments and
Learning
Progressions:
On-Demand
Performance
Assessment Prompt for
Narrative Writing—page
206
Narrative Writing
Teaching Rubrics—page
planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach.

W.6.6: 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.
divorce, loss, etc). They can then brainstorm small moment
episodes in which they’ve experienced one of those issues and use
that small moment as grist for a story idea. (Page 20)


Rehearsing how stories might go, using planning tools: Writers
often think of a story in terms of three major parts: in the first part,
readers meet the characters and discover the setting, as well as
hints of the problem; in the second part, the problem is developed
and choices are made; and in the third part, change and resolution
occurs. (Page 20)
Writing entries to develop plot, setting and characters: Once
writers have a story idea in mind, they often do some writing to
develop aspects of a story’s plot, setting or characters. (Page 21)
Bend two: Drafting with a Strong Purpose and Revising in Deep,
Meaningful Ways

Diving in: Drafting the “problem scene” first: Writers develop a
sense of when they’re ready to start drafting parts of a story. As
important scenes crystallize in their imaginations, they are eager to
get them on paper. Writers set themselves the task of drafting their
“problem scene” first—the one in which the character faces the
central problem. (Page 23)

Walking in the footsteps of favorite stories while using mentor
texts to draft: Writers often spend a bit of time studying some
texts—one that resemble the kind of thing they aim to write. Writers
notice and jot lists of the moves these other writers have made, and
then they try out similar moves in their own writing. (Page 24)

Writing (and rewriting) different leads for each scene,
especially opening scenes: Writers draft the scenes of a story,
they try out different leads—not just for the opening scene, but for
each scene. Writers do this knowing that different leads can spur
new thinking and help them develop the meaning of a story or the
characters or the setting. (Page 25)

Considering ending that resolve conflict in realistic ways:
207
Narrative Writing
Checklists—page 219
Learning Progression for
Narrative Writing—
pages 202-205
Narrative leveled
student writing
samples—pages 222223
Narrative Annotated
Writing Developed
through the
Progression—page 230
Published Piece
Writers consider various ending. They are cautious of fairy tale
endings in which everything is solved perfectly. Instead they ask
themselves, “How might this turn out in real life? What is realistic,
yet also conveys what I want to teach about this particular issue?”
(Page 26)
Bend three: Revising and editing with an eye toward publication

Developing a sense of time and place: Writers craft setting on
purpose. They may make it thunder outside to show that a
character is growing angry on the inside. They may make the
scenery be sinister to foreshadow problems. Once writers know
what they really want to say in a story, the return to their draft and
revise the setting so that it helps to advance the larger meaning.
(Page 27)

Using dialogue as a powerful story element: Skilled writers use
dialogue sparingly, intentionally. They may use dialogue to bring out
the conflict in a story or to show a character’s most revealing traits.
(Page 28)

Revising: Writers, it is important to reconsider your paragraphs.
Writers know that narrative paragraphs often mark important
moments of change in story. They are like a street sign for a reader.
A new narrative paragraph indicates a change in setting or time, in
actions or in mood, or when a new character speaks. (Page 28)

Using punctuations while editing for clarity and variety: Writers
have a variety of punctuation marks to use in their writing such as
commas, dashes, ellipses, etc. Another thing writers pay close
attention to when they revise is making sure that the readers don’t
get lost or confused in all the pronouns that float around in the
story. (Page 28)
Bend four: Publishing and a celebration

Preparing for publication: Fiction writers like all other writers think
carefully about how to publish their writing. Writers seek help when
they strive to meet publishing deadlines. They help each other with
editing, copying, or typing, in other words, fancying up writing to get
it ready for publication. They work within a community of writers to
meet everyone’s goals. (Page 29)

Giving Feedback and holding a celebration: Writers welcome
opportunities to show off their skills. They carry everything they can
forward, so that each piece they write is more fluent and skillful than
the one before. They sometimes take everything they know and put
it to use right away writing another very fast story so that they put all
their skills to use. Writers are also thoughtful in the feedback they
give other writers. Writers know that fellow writers appreciate
hearing what especially worked. (Page 30)
UNIT OVERVIEW
Unit Three: Writing Information Books on Topics of Personal Expertise
Grade 6
Essential Questions/Big Ideas:
Unit 3: Writing Information Books on Topics of
Personal Expertise
Time Frame: December-January
Key Vocabulary: nonfiction, factual, precise,
format, headings, subtopics

Write about topics students know intimately and ones they find fascinating

Learn to plan for writing using a variety of text structures and to use text structures to convey
information clearly

Elaborate using a variety of techniques

Learn to weave outside information into their own writing

Read information texts as insiders, noticing the choices that other authors have made and
developing theories about the effects those craft moves are meant to have on readers.

Nonfictions writers draw on a variety of craft moves to highlight both central ideas and
significance of their content.
Mentor Texts:

Nonfiction books containing a variety of
text features

Chart titled: “Ways Nonfiction Can be
Organized”

Common Core State Standards
W.6.2: Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a
topic and convey ideas, concepts, and information
through the selection, organization, and analysis of
Technology:

Smartboard

CD ROM for this TC Unit

Access to computers
Information Writing Checklist
Teaching Points/Lesson Activity Description
Bend One: Drafting and Revising to Teach What You Know

Considering different structures: Writing an information book is similar
to teaching—and one of the things a teacher does is break down a topic
Assessment
Writing Pathways Book:
Performance
Assessments and
relevant content.
W.6.4: Produce clear and coherent writing in which the
development, organization, and style are appropriate to
task, purpose, and audience.
into smaller topics so it is easier for the learner to grasp the content.
Teachers and writer, both try to think of a logical way to organize the
information for learners. (Page 4)

W.6.5: 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.
W.6.6: 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.

Studying qualities of good information writing to write well right from
the start: Although information writers are mostly fastening information
onto the page so that others can learn it, their goal is the same goal that
fiction writers have—to write well, to write in ways that get through to their
readers. Two ways that information writers do this is to read the work of
other information writers and to write with their readers in mind, thinking,
“How can I make this really good?” (Page 6)
Working on self-assessment, goal-setting and revision: Writers always
draw on what they know. The purpose of self-assessment is for writers to
reflect on goals they need to tackle and to make those goals into a big
deal. (Page 7)
Learning Progressions:
On-Demand Performance
Assessment Prompt for
Information Writing—page
156
Information Writing
Teaching Rubrics—page
157-162
Information Writing student
Checklist—page 172-173
Learning Progression for
Information Writing—pages
150-156
W.6.7: Conduct short research projects to answer a
question, drawing on several sources and refocusing
the inquiry when appropriate.

Writing with specifics: Information writing is built with detail—and that
details need to be specific, precise and factual. In information writing,
perhaps more so than in any other genre, specifics matter. (Page 8)
Information leveled student
writing samples—pages
178-181
W.6.8: 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.

Selecting appropriate content: Writers give careful attention to the
content they include in their pieces, deciding not only what should go in
each section, but also what might be excluded. (Page 8)

Creating cohesion using transition words: An important skill for an
information writer is to create cohesion across a piece of writing. Parts of a
text—paragraphs, sections, or chapters—are like links in a chain. Each
subsection of a text must be linked with the ones before it and the ones
after it. (Page 9)
Information Annotated
Writing Developed through
the Progression—page
189-191
W.6.9: Draw evidence from literary or informational
texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.
L.6.1: Demonstrate command of the conventions of
standard English grammar and usage when writing or
speaking.

L.6.2: Demonstrate command of the conventions of
standard English capitalization, punctuation, and
spelling when writing.
L.6.3: Use knowledge of language and its conventions
when writing, speaking, reading, or listening.
L.6.4: 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
Developing text features to teach information and ideas: Text features
are more than just pictures that go with the words on the page. Text
features can be used to teach additional information or convey information
more quickly in a better format than words. (Page 9)
Bend Two: Using Brief Research to Supplement and Extend Books

Researching to find new information that bolsters writing: One way
information writers set out to research is to think about kinds of research
they need to do to find the information they need, such as interviewing an
expert, using books of online sources, or creating a survey. Then keeping
their deadline and audience in mind, writers make smart decisions about
Published Piece
strategies.
what kind of research makes the most sense for their project. (Page 10)
L.6.6: Acquire and use accurately grade-appropriate
general academic and domain-specific words and
phrases; gather vocabulary knowledge when
considering a word or phrase important to
comprehension or expression.

Quoting experts: Information writers often draw on he testimony of
experts to support their writing. They research, on the lookout for “juicy
quotes” that they can incorporate into their writing, quotes that capture
precisely what the writers are hoping to say or that support a fact or idea
they’ve included in their writing. (Page 11)
SL.6.1: 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.

Including expert language or content vocabulary: Because information
writers teach others, they make sure they are using the technical
vocabulary that distinguishes them as experts and that informs others
about their topics. (Page 11)

Using diagrams and illustrations to convey information: Information
writers look for opportunities to use a diagram or illustration from a source
that would be just right in their own writing. Often this is one that visually
illustrates—and thus clarifies—a larger point or idea in a way that words
alone cannot. When writers insert an image from another text, they are
careful not only to reference it, but explain it as well. (Page 12)

Self-assessing and setting goals: Using the grade 6 information
checklist student should consider their goals alongside their latest work,
studying to be sure that all they have learned, or set out to try to do really
well, is reflected in their work. (Page 13)
SL.6.2: 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.
SL.6.3: Delineate a speaker's argument and specific
claims, distinguishing claims that are supported by
reasons and evidence from claims that are not.
SL.6.4: 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.
Bend Three: Using Mentor Texts to Lift Writing to the Next Level

Using mentor texts for ideas on presenting information and
structuring texts: Writers often look to other writers not just for
information itself, but for how that information is presented—in other
words, how the text is structured. (Page 13)

Analyzing texts by published authors asking, “What makes this text
so effective at conveying information?”: Yesterday we noticed ways
that published authors structured their information texts. Today we can
study these texts with an eye on how these authors packed their texts with
tons of great information. We can study our texts and ask, “What makes
this so effective at conveying information?” (Page 14)

Readying writing for presentation: Writers edit in meaningful ways,
looking carefully at where best to create paragraphs, examining their use
of pronouns, punctuation, and spelling, and making sure to incorporate all
they know about the conventions of grammar. They might also consider
SL.6.5: Include multimedia components (e.g., graphics,
images, music, sound) and visual displays in
presentations to clarify information.
SL.6.6: Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and
tasks, demonstrating command of formal English when
indicated or appropriate.
RI.6.1: Cite textual evidence to support analysis of what
the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from
the text.
RI.6.2: 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.
RI.6.3: Analyze in detail how a key individual, event, or
idea is introduced, illustrated, and elaborated in a text
(e.g., through examples or anecdotes).
varying their sentence structures for meaning, style and reader
engagement. (Page 15)

Sharing published pieces with the world: Celebrating with students
serves as a reminder to students that they are writing for an audience
which, inevitably, guarantees that the level of each student’s work will be
lifted. (Page 16)
UNIT OVERVIEW
Writing Unit Four: Research Based Information Writing
Grade 6
Unit 4: Research Based Information Writing Essential Questions/Big Ideas:
Time Frame: January/March
Key Vocabulary: compelling, research,
sources, key points, credibility, accurate,
supportable, emblematic details, concrete
details, digital formats, statistics

Read and analyze a wide variety of sources to develop a big-picture view of a topic.

Discover key points and ideas within a larger topic

Choose compelling issues to write about

Follow a trail of research

Strengthening their credibility by incorporating solid evidence into their writing including
accurate quotes, supportable facts and clear statistics

Elaborating on key points with emblematic and concrete details
Mentor Texts:

Malala Yousafzai, the Pakistani education
activist: Youtube search term: “Malala
Yousafzai Speaks Out”

Alex Lin, lobbyist for e-waste legislation:
Youtube search term: “Alex Lin Helps
Reduce E-Waste”

Chart titled: “Power-Learning and NoteTaking”

Mala Yousafzai: Youtube search term:
“Malala” and “Daily Show”

Chart titled: “Questions that Writers of
Profiles Ask of Their Subjects”
Technology:

Smartboard

Access to computers

CD Rom for this TC Unit

Information Writing Checklist

Flash-draft student essay examples

Research articles for student topics

Chart titled: “Common Structures for
Information/Nonfiction Texts”

Table of content charts

Chart titled: “Writing Information Chapters”

“Malala the Powerful” article by Kristin
Lewis

Chart titled: “Writing Information Texts
Well”

Chart titled: “Some Recommended
Transition Words”

“Cyberbullying: what Schools can do to Stop It” by Emily Richmond. Search terms: “cyber bullying, schools” 
“The Teen Guide to Global Action”, by Barbara A. Lewis 
Chart titled: “Types of Text Features” 
Praises Sheets 
Pointers Sheets 
Chart titled: “Big to Small” 
Chart titled: “One Way an Introduction can Go” 
Chart titled: “Strategies for Writing Compelling Introductions” Common Core State Standards





W.6.2: Write informative/explanatory texts
to examine a topic and convey ideas,
concepts, and information through the
selection, organization, and analysis of
relevant content.
W.6.5: 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.
W.6.7: Conduct short research projects to
answer a question, drawing on several
sources and refocusing the inquiry when
appropriate.
W.6.8: 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.
W.6.9b: 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

Chart titled: “Information Writers us Quotations” 
Chart titled: “Transitional Phrases that Lead Readers into Quotations” Teaching Points/Lesson Activity Description
Bend One: Writing Research-Based Informational Essays

Becoming engaged with a topic: Information writers research and gather
information quickly to be able to teach others. (Page 2)

Reading for a wide view of a topic: teen activism: Writers read and
analyze a wide variety of sources to develop a big-picture view of a topic.
(Page 13)

Preparing to write information essays: finding and supporting key
points: Writers want to become expert on a topic. They analyze each new
piece of information to determine how it fits into the topic as a whole.
(Page 22)

Structure sets you free: using prior knowledge to flash-draft essays:
Writers rely on a structure for their essays that helps them write quickly
and efficiently. (Page 32)
Bend Two: Drafting and Revising Information Books on More Focused
Topics

The trail of research: pursuing information and focusing in on topics:
Writers pursue a research subject and think about what makes the topic
important. This leads them on a trail of research, of one topic leading to
another. (Page 42)

Envisioning structures to plan an information book: Writers
information books envision several possible ways to use or combine
structures to create a working plan for a book. (Page 53)

Constructing texts with sold bricks of information: Writers construct
Assessment
Writing Pathways Book:
Performance
Assessments and
Learning Progressions:
On-Demand Performance
Assessment Prompt for
Information Writing—page
156
Information Writing
Teaching Rubrics—page
157-162
Information Writing student
Checklist—page 172-173
Learning Progression for
Information Writing—pages
150-156
Information leveled student
writing samples—pages
178-181
Information Annotated
Writing Developed through
the Progression—page
189-191
claims that are not").








RI.6.1: Cite textual evidence to support
analysis of what the text says explicitly as
well as inferences drawn from the text.
RI.6.2: 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.
RI.6.3: Analyze in detail how a key
individual, event, or idea is introduced,
illustrated, and elaborated in a text (e.g.,
through examples or anecdotes).
RI. 6.7: 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.
RI.6.10: 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.
SL.6.1: 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.
SL.6.2: 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.
SL.6.4: Present claims and findings,
information writing with solid bricks of information—quotations, facts,
anecdotes, and numbers—connecting them with ideas and transitions.
(Page 64)

Research: gathering specific information and creating meaning:
When doing research, writers read with an eye toward collecting specific
bits of information—the information they need for their writing. (Page 74)

Writing with detail: Writers write long, with vivid concrete details that help
readers fully understand what the writers are trying to teach. (Page 79)

Lifting the level of sentence complexity: One way information writers
make text more authoritative and academic is to write more complex
sentences. (Page 89)

Using text features to strengthen writing: Information writers create
useful engaging text features to teach information to readers in a variety of
ways. (Page 98)

Planning ready-to-go chapters: When writers have to write a chapter
that’s ready to go, they go through the whole writing process in their
minds, even before they write the first word on the page. (Page 110)

Quoting with purpose in mind: When writers prepare to write final drafts,
part of their work is to use meaningful quotations with a specific purpose in
mind. (Page 120)

Celebrating with a book exhibit tour: Writers lean from studying each
other’s book and sharing feedback, especially when feedback is precise
and concrete. (Page 129)
Bend Three: Digital Writing Projects: Sharing Expertise Online

Studying digital mentor texts: To get insights for new writing projects,
writers often study mentor texts to get a broad vision of a particular kind of
writing and an in-depth look at genre or format. (Page 134)

Revising to fit digital formats: determining importance: When writers
present their work within the constraints of a digital format, they must
determine what information is most important to share. (Page 144)

Pouring into digital forms….and publishing: As writers transition their
writing into digital formats, they must make decisions quickly, be flexible
about formats, spot errors with an editor’s eye, and know that they can go
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.

L.6.1: Demonstrate command of the
conventions of standard English grammar
and usage when writing or speaking.

L.6.2: Demonstrate command of the
conventions of standard English
capitalization, punctuation, and spelling
when writing.

L.6.3: Use knowledge of language and its
conventions when writing, speaking,
reading, or listening.
back to revise. (Page 152)

Celebration: presentations, feedback, reflection: Informational writers
want to teach information and ideas effectively and engagingly to their
audiences—whether it’s printed book, a website, a digital slideshow and or
a live presentation by the writer.
UNIT OVERVIEW
Unit Five: The Literary Essay
Grade 6
Unit 5: The Literary Essay
Time Frame: March-April
Key Vocabulary: essay format, literary essay,
argument, evaluate, evidence, voice, clarity,
compare, contrast, theme-based
Essential Questions/Big Ideas:

Students will learn to express their thoughts while reading

Students will name their ideas succinctly

Students will back up their ideas and observations with strong evidence

Students will write with voice and clarity

Students will incorporate quotes with context and precision
Mentor Texts:
Technology:

“Raymond’s Run” by Toni Cade

Smartboard

“The Three Little Pigs”

CD Rom for this TC Unit

Chart titled: “Boxes and Bullets Essay
Structure”

“Thank you Ma’am” by Langston Hughes

“The Gift of the Magi” by O’Henry

“Everything will be Okay” by James Howe

“Freak the Geek” by John Green

“Your Move” by Eve Bunting

“Stray” by Cynthia Rylant

Chart titled: “How to Write a Literary Essay
about Character”

Chart titled: “Thought Prompts that Help an
Essayist Think and Write”
Common Core State Standards

W.6.1a: Introduce claim(s) and organize
the reasons and evidence clearly.





Sample of a literary essay for each student

Copies of the Argument Writing Checklist
for grades 5/6

Chart titled: “How to Write a Theme-Based
Essay”

Chart titled: “How to Write a Compare and
Contrast Literary Essay”
Teaching Points/Lesson Activity Description
W.6.1: Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence.



W.6.1b: Support claim(s) with clear
reasons and relevant evidence, using
credible sources and demonstrating an
understanding of the topic or text.
W.6.1c: Use words, phrases, and clauses
to clarify the relationships among claim(s)
and reasons.
Bend One: Writing Strong Literary Essays

Essay boot camp: When writing an essay, writers start with a clear sense
of the structure in which they’ll be writing and then shape the content to fit
into that structure, changing the structure around if the content requires
them to do so. (Page 2)

Growing big ideas from details about characters: To generate ideas for
an essay about literature, writers reread a text very closely, paying
attention to important details about the characters and thinking about the
author’s intention. (Page 14)

Writing to discover what a character really wants: Literary essayists
think and write about what motivates characters and what characters really
want, and then they use this writing as the basis for their essays. (Page
24)
W.6.1c: Establish and maintain a formal
style.
W.6.1e: Provide a concluding statement
or section that follows from the argument
presented.

Crafting claims: Essayists mull over their ideas about the character and
then choose one they can craft into a claim that feels worth thinking and
writing about and that may eventually drive an essay. (Page 35)

W.6.2: Write informative/explanatory 
Conveying evidence: Summarizing, storytelling and quoting:
Essayists reread the text through the lens of claim, searching for the most
compelling evidence that can support it. (Page 46)


texts to examine a topic and convey ideas, concepts, and information through the selection, organization, and analysis of relevant content.
W.6.3: Write narratives to develop real or Studying a mentor text to construct literary essays: Writers can study
published literary essays to learn techniques and structures to bring to the
Assessment
Writing Pathways
Book: Performance
Assessments and
Learning
Progressions:
On-Demand
Performance
Assessment Prompt for
Argument Writing—page
110
Argument Writing
Teaching Rubrics—page
111-115
Argument Writing
student Checklist—page
126-127
Learning Progression for
Argument Writing—
pages 103-109
Argument leveled
imagined experiences or events using effective technique, relevant descriptive details, and well‐structured event sequences.



W.6.4: Produce clear and coherent writing
in which the development, organization,
and style are appropriate to task, purpose,
and audience.
W.6.5: 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.
W.6.9: Draw evidence from literary or work of drafting their own essays. (Page 54)

Bend Two: Elevating the Complexity of Literary Essays

Drafting using all that you know: When essayists sit down to draft, they
often draft quickly, piecing together all the necessary parts and drawing on
everything they know. (Page 89)

First impressions and closing remarks: Literary essayists begin their
essays with a universal statement about life and then transition to the textbased claim itself, by narrowing their focus to the particular story they are
writing about. They make sure they end their essays with power and
voice, leaving their reader with a strong final impression that concludes
their journey of thought. (Page 93)

Quoting texts: Essayists use quotations from the text to support their
ideas, choosing just key parts of a quotation and providing the context for
how that bit of text supports their thinking. (Page 103)

Editing inquiry centers: Editors learn about conventions by studying
mentor texts. (Page 113)
W.6.10: 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.



RL.6.1: Cite textual evidence to support
analysis of what the text says explicitly as
well as inferences drawn from the text.
RL.6.2: 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.
RL.6.3: 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
Looking for themes in the trouble of a text: Literary essayists look for
themes in texts by identifying and analyzing the problems that characters
face and considering the inherent lessons. (Page 76)

informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.

Revising essays to be sure you analyze as well as cite text evidence:
Essayists often revise their essays to make sure they explain why and how
the evidence connects with, or supports, their claim. (page 65)
Bend Three: Writing Compare-and-Contrast

Building the muscles to compare and contrast: To compare and
contrast, essayists notice the similarities and differences between their
subjects, noting their significance, and then categorize their observations
into patterns or ideas, in preparation to write a compare-and-contrast
essay. (Page 118)

Comparing and contrasting themes across text: Essayists write
compare-and-contrast essays by thinking across texts about similarities
and differences among themes. (Page 128)

Applying what you have learned in the past to today’s revision work:
Essayists use what they already know about essay writing, as well as a
student writing
samples—pages 132133
Argument Annotated
Writing Developed
through the
Progression—page 140
Published Piece
toward a resolution

RL.6.4: 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

RL.6.5: 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.

RL.6.10: 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.

SL.6.1: 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.

SL.6.2: 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.

SL.6.4: 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.
variety of resources to revise their compare-and-contrast essays. (Page
138)

Identifying run-ons and sentence fragments: Essayists fine tune their
writing by finding and fixing run-ons and sentence fragments. (Page 146)

Celebrating Literary Essays: Find different ways to share and celebrate
their completed literary essays. (Page 150)

SL.6.6: Adapt speech to a variety of
contexts and tasks, demonstrating
command of formal English when
indicated or appropriate.

L.6.1: Demonstrate command of the
conventions of standard English grammar
and usage when writing or speaking.

L.6.2: Demonstrate command of the
conventions of standard English
capitalization, punctuation, and spelling
when writing.

L.6.3: Use knowledge of language and its
conventions when writing, speaking,
reading, or listening.

L.6.5: Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings.

L.6.6: Acquire and use accurately grade‐
appropriate general academic and domain‐specific words and phrases; gather vocabulary knowledge when considering a word or phrase important to comprehension or expression.
UNIT OVERVIEW
Unit 6 Writing-Memoir
Grade 6
Essential Questions/Big Idea:
Unit 6: Memoir

Students will draw upon and extend their prior narrative skills to engage the reader, sequence
event, and convey meaning through storytelling.

Students will draw upon and extend their prior expository knowledge to skillfully unpack and
couch those stories in idea-based writing.

Students will learn to analyze their life experiences to determine what it is they most want to
convey about themselves and their lives.

Students will make purposeful craft and structure choices.

Students will be exposed to the varied and complex structures that make up memoir writing.

Based on the stories students have to tell and the themes they want to convey, they will pick a
structure that matches their intentions.
Time Frame: April-June
Key Vocabulary: memoir, refrain, metaphor,
comparison, thematic anthologies
Mentor Texts:
Technology:

Narrative Writing Checklist

Smartboard

Argument Writing Checklist

CD Rom for this TC Unit

“Quietly Struggling” by Kelly Boland Hohne

Access to computers

“Marshfield Dreams” by Ralph Fletcher

“Little by Little” by Jean Little

“When I Was Your Age: Original Stories
about Growing Up” edited by Amy Ehrlich
Common Core State Standards
W.6.3: Write narratives to develop real or
imagined experiences or events using effective
technique, relevant descriptive details, and wellstructured event sequences.

“Knots in my Yo-Yo String” by Jerry
Spinelli

“Going Where I’m Coming From” by Anne
Mazer

“Persepolis” by Marjane Satrapi

“Fist, Stick, Knife, Gun” by Geoffrey
Canada

“Long Way Gone” by Ishmael Beah

“Eleven” by Sandra Cisneros

“Woman Hollering Creek and Other
Stories”

“Not Enough Emilys” by Jean Little

“Hey World, Here I Am” by Cynthia Rylant

“My Grandmother’s Hair” by Cynthia Rylant
Teaching Points/Lesson Activity Description
Bend One: Writing “Big” and “Small” to Discover Meaningful Topics,
Patterns, And Questions To Explore

Drawing on known strategies to collect and develop small-moment
ideas: Writers often begin by writing lots and lots of anecdotes—small
moment stories—that capture the tensions in their lives that show pivotal
points and life themes. If they feel stuck for ideas, writers rely on what they
already know. One way to do this is by listing out the strategies they’ve
learned for collecting small moments (first times, last times, important
people, places and things, issues) in a notebook and then using one of
them to quickly develop new topics to write about. (Page 47)

Writing to find depth in already uncovered ideas: Exploring the
unknown in the known: As writers, we are always on the lookout for
W.6.4: Produce clear and coherent writing in
which the development, organization, and style
are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
W.6.5: 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.
W.6.6: Use technology, including the Internet, to
Assessment

Published Piece
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.
S.L.6.4: 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.
emotions that keep recurring, as well as objects or relationships that
preoccupy us. When collecting for a memoir, writers don’t just write to
come up with new story ideas. Writers write to find depth in the ideas
they’ve already uncovered. They ask, “What don’t I know about what I
know”, “Where’s the mystery in this topic or idea?”, “What other times in
my life fit with this same theme?” and “Are there other moments where I’ve
put pressure on myself?” (Page 47)

S.L.6.6: Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and
tasks, demonstrating command of formal English
when indicated or appropriate.
L.6.1: Demonstrate command of the conventions
of standard English grammar and usage when
writing or speaking.
L.6.2: Demonstrate command of the conventions
of standard English capitalization, punctuation,
and spelling when writing.
L.6.3: Use knowledge of language and its
conventions when writing, speaking, reading, or
listening.
L.6.4: 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.
L.6.5: Demonstrate understanding of figurative
language, word relationships, and nuances in
word meanings.
L.6.6: 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.
Using mentors to inspire stories worth telling: Read aloud a few
published memoirs and discuss. Of all the qualities of good writing, the
one that matters the most by be the elusive quality writers refer to as
voice. A person writes with voice when she allows the imprint of her
personality to come through in their writing. Offer your writers reminders of
what it means to write with elaboration and focus, and how to experiment
with foreshadowing and recollection to bring out meaning. Point of view
too, will be key her because your writers are the characters in their texts
and will want to orient the reader to their thoughts, beliefs and
experiences. (Page 48)
Bend Two: Drawing on the Qualitites of Good Writing to Write—and
Revise—Shapely Memoir

Focusing a story on you, not the events: Writers focus a memoir not on
events, but on themselves, asking questions like, “What am I trying to say
about myself in this piece?” and “What do I want my readers to know
about me?” Once a writer has begun to determine what he is trying to say,
he can aim to write in ways that highlight that meaning. (Page 49)

Using mentor texts to adjust structure: Memoirists structure their texts
in a variety of ways. One way to decide how your own piece will go is to
study the structure choices other authors have made, paying attention to
how those choices suit their topics, convey their intended meaning, and
help them connect with their audience. (Page 50)

Flash Drafting: Today your students will produce a flash draft of their
memoir. Remind your students to refer to the plans they created in the last
session and use everything they know about narrative and argument
writing. (Page 51)

Revising for structure on the run (two sessions): Today and tomorrow
you will want to teach students to revise by redrafting—quite literally taking
the piece that they wrote, setting it aside, and rewriting it from beginning to
end. (Page 51)

Setting goals for revision using checklists and partners: Writers set
new goals, revisit old goals and work on becoming more adept writers.
Have students use both the Narrative and Argument Writing Checklists.
Have them reread their pieces again asking, “Which goals have I met?”
“Which goals am I starting to meet?” “Which goals have I not yet worked
on?” (Page 52)

Editing: Writers spend time editing their work before considering it
finished. On a chart, list the editing strategies you’ve taught or ones that
you know students have learned in the past. (Page 53)
Bend Three: Writing a Second Memoir, with a Focus on Bringing Out
Meaning

Beginning a second memoir: Like any good writer, your notebooks are
teeming with stories to be told! Before we end this unit, I want to give you
the opportunity to try out one more memoir—on that is different than the
one you just finished. Writers have thousands of ideas hiding in their
notebooks and often reach in, select one that stirs them, spend a moment
thinking about how the piece will be structured, and then get right to
drafting. (Page 54)

Tinkering with structure: Convey to your students that they should revisit
structures that they have studied and written within the past. You should
draw on old charts from narrative and essay writing unties that students
will recall to serve as reminders. (Page 55)

Elaborating to bring out the most important part of a memoir: Writers
know that revision is not a one-size-fits-all. Not every writer’s piece needs
the same thing. Instead, writers think back over everything they’ve learned
about revision and ask, “Which strategy or technique will help to make my
memoir the best it can be?” “What will I do first?” “Next?” Memoirists
include telling details to convey their thoughts and feelings. They use
refrains, metaphors or comparisons. (Page 55)

Experimenting with structure to evoke meaning: Memoirists often play
with structure trying to find the one that best conveys their intended
meaning. You should spotlight the importance of revising for clear
transitions: from moment to moment and from moment to reflection and
back. Provide words such as: previously, prior, earlier, meanwhile, at the
same time, simultaneously, later, after and I now realize. (Page 56)

Creating a blend of dialogue, thinking and action to revise for
meaning: Memoirists often tackle complicated emotions in their pieces.
One way they revise to bring these out is through careful weaving of
dialogue, thinking and actions. (Page 56)

Revising ending with help from mentor texts: Writers look at the
endings used by mentor authors and steal ideas for their own pieces.
(Page 57)

Bend Four: Publishing and Celebrating

Making celebration plans: organizing classroom anthologies: Classes
of writers often decide to publish their memoirs in thematic anthologies.
We start to imagine the themes of our anthologies and which memoirs will
go together. (Page 57)

Making final revisions before publishing: When writers prepare their
writing for publication, it helps to read it out loud to hear the sound of each
word and the rhythm of the sentences. Writers communicate with readers
by choosing words that convey not only the content but also the mood, the
tone, and the feelings that they want to convey. (Page 58)

Celebrating the journey of memoir writing: Invite students to publish
their finished pieces and celebrate. (Page 58)
Unit of Study Poetry Anthologies: Writing, Thinking, and Seeing More