Grand Prairie ISD
Pre-AP English 6 Course Overview Document
Through the study of selected literary works and authors of quality, students gain a deeper appreciation of literature in its various genres, a
thorough understanding of literary structures and devices as they are used within a work, and a comprehension of abstract concepts within
a text. Building on the foundation of English skills learned in elementary school, students will begin to apply and refine a variety of reading
comprehension, literary analysis, and general study strategies designed to help them in the Pre-AP/AP English classroom and beyond.
Students will reinforce and strengthen their writing skills as they work to develop more stylistically advanced sentences, and refine them as
parts of unified, fluent paragraphs, towards coherent and effective essays. Students, in addition to analysis and reaction to literary
selections, will read and closely examine a variety of essays and passages from professional writers, which act as models for the students’
own compositions. Additionally, students will continue to work with grammar and mechanics, striving towards conveying meaning clearly,
correctly, and stylistically.
• The instructional strategies, language concepts and literature concepts listed on each unit are taken from the AP
matrices, as aligned by the Pre-AP/AP vertical team. These matrices can be found on the GPISD Z drive.
• All reading selections (except full-length novels) are from Holt McDougal Literature, unless otherwise noted.
• For a list of College Board authors (some of which are in the literature text), please see the language and literature
author matrices (titled Literature-Based Reading and Language-Based Reading) on the GPISD Z drive.
• Some language concepts may need to be moved to an earlier nine weeks if needed. It would be helpful to note which concepts were
moved to which nine weeks for future reference.
• See GPISD ELA Z Drive for resources, documents, and rubrics.
• Writing rubrics: use the STAAR writing rubrics as well as rubrics found in the writing text, Writing Coach
PAP Grade 6 ELA 2014-­‐2015 Curriculum Overview Document Unit 1
Analyzing Fiction and Poetry (5 weeks)
Analyzing Informational Text (4 weeks)
Central to this unit is the study of literary nonfiction and poetry and the students’ summer reading novel. During this unit, students will read a
number of poems and literary nonfiction texts by various authors of note, along with the beginning of a unit of study for fiction and drama.
Students will employ a variety of strategies designed to foster deeper reading and analysis of the texts they read, with a particular emphasis
on poetic techniques.
Standards
(TEKS/SEs per YAG)
1A, 2ABCDE, 3ABC, 4A, 6ABC, 8A, 9A, 10ABCD, 12AB, 13AB, 14ABCDE, 15AB, 17Ai, ii, iii, iv, v, BC,
19Ai- viii, BC, 20Ai, ii, iii, 20ABC, 21ABC, 28A, FIG19ABCDEF
Novels (1-3 days on
summer reading, 2
weeks on other novel)
SUMMER READING: Freak the Mighty by Rodman Philbrick (1-3 days)
Additional Summer Reading: Student Choice from list
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain
Fiction (fiction and
poetry for 5 weeks)
Poetry (fiction and
poetry for 5 weeks)
Eleven by Sandra Cisneros (p. 198) (use a model for narrative writing)
“The Pasture” by Robert Frost (p. 62) (alliteration)
“I’m Nobody! Who are You?” by Emily Dickinson (end rhyme)
“Ode to an Artichoke” by Pablo Neruda (p. 648) (ode)
“The Walrus and the Carpenter” by Lewis Carroll (p. 142) (narrative poetry, personification)
“The Cremation of Sam McGee” by Robert Service (online) (ballad, refrain, hyperbole, conflict)(found on the Z
drive)
“The Naming of Cats” by TS Elliot
Poems meeting SE 4A and 8A in the textbook
Informational Text (4
weeks – will continue
into the 2NW)
Topics should include teacher selected pieces that would complement The Adventures of Tom Sawyer: Mark
Twain, Mississippi River, superstition, river boat industry, comparison of cultural superstitions, slavery in
America (9A, 10ABCD)
*The pieces need to have media elements embedded in the article. (13AB)
Instructional Strategies
TP-FASTT (used with poetry); affix/root word study; Thinking Maps (for vocabulary and organizing for
learning); Frayer model; main idea-detail facts; dialectical or double entry journal (scaffold by providing text
for commentary), emphasize appropriate/deep text evidence versus quotes/dialogue; fishbowl/inner-outer
circle (self-selected summer reading); Cornell Notes
PAP Grade 6 ELA 2014-­‐2015 Curriculum Overview Document Literature Concepts
Introduced
poetry, conflict, historical fiction, historical novel, narrative poetry, ode, alliteration (in poetry), onomatopoeia,
refrain, end rhyme, hyperbole, ballad, fiction
Literature Concepts
Reinforced
Literature Concepts
Assessed
alliteration, metaphor, simile, personification, imagery
Language Concepts
Introduced
narration; parallelism, irony, oxymoron; verbs: active and passive voice; prepositions;
commas in compound sentences; idioms; transition (the transitions a writer uses)
Language Concepts
Reinforced
nouns; adjectives; verbs
Language Concepts
Assessed
narration, verbs: active and passive voice, subordinating conjunctions; simple and compound sentences;
capitalization; commas in compound sentences; pronouns; transition (the transitions a writer uses); idioms
Assessments
Literary response test with excerpt from Freak the Mighty
One-pager for summer reading
Books Talks with student choice summer reading (traditional or technology based)
TP-FASTT
Writing: Personal narrative with reflection (Diagnostic Writing Collection with feedback and rewrites)
Pre-AP Nine Weeks Test
PAP Grade 6 ELA poetry, conflict, historical fiction, historical novel, narrative poetry, ode, alliteration (in poetry), onomatopoeia,
refrain, end rhyme, hyperbole, metaphor, simile, imagery, fiction
2014-­‐2015 Curriculum Overview Document Unit 2
Analyzing Informational Text Continued (3 weeks)
Analyzing Persuasive Text and Media (3
Analyzing Literary Nonfiction and Drama (3 weeks)
This unit will continue the in-depth study of the novel The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain begun in unit 1. Students reflect on
the conflicts, characters and foreshadowing found in this novel. Students will employ a variety of strategies designed to foster deeper
reading and analysis of this book, with a particular emphasis on the different themes. Students will also read and study the elements of
drama— dialogue, stage directions and other features, such as scenery, props and sound effects. Informational texts connected to the
subjects/themes found in the novel will be studied, as well.
Standards
(TEKS/SEs per YAG)
2ABCDE, 3ABC, 4A, 5A, 6ABC, 7A, 8A, 9A, 10ABCD, 11AB, 12AB, 13AB, 14ABCDE, 17Ai, ii, iii, iv,
v, BC, 18A, 19ABC, 20ABC, 21ABC, 28A, FIG19ABCDEF
Novel
none
Drama (3 weeks for
literary nonfiction and
drama)
Grandpa and the Statue by Arthur Miller (use a scene from it; show structure as a model text before
teaching The Prince and the Pauper)
The Prince and the Pauper—comparing print version to televised version The Prince and the Pauper: A
Modern Twain Story (show an excerpt only) *also see informational texts for paring selection (5A)
Dramatic version of Tom Sawyer
Literary Nonfiction (3
weeks for literary
nonfiction and drama)
The First Skateboard in the History of the World by Betsy Byars (p. 508) (personal narrative) *paired
with informational
The Horse Snake from The Land I Lost by Huynh Quang Nhuong (p. 126) (memoir) (7A)
The Jacket by Gary Soto (p. 498) (personal narrative) (7A)
The Story of My Life by Helen Keller (p. 832) (autobiography) (7A)
Poetry
“The Raven” by Edgar Allan Poe
“Macbeth: Act IV Scene 1” by Shakespeare (onomatopoeia)
“Two Ghosts Converse” by Emily Dickinson
Persuasive Text and
Media (3 weeks)
Brain Breeze (p. 978)
Shine-N-Grow: Hair Repair that Really Works! (p. 972)
Dangerous Threat? No—Loving Pet! by Lisa Epstein (p. 940)
Pit Bull Poster (p. 941)
Should Wild Animals Be Kept as Pets? by The Human Society (p. 952)
PAP Grade 6 ELA 2014-­‐2015 Curriculum Overview Document Fighting is Never a Good Solution by Sylvia Cassedy (p. 1000)
The Problem with Bullies by Sean Price (p. 486)
Informational texts cont.
(3 weeks)
What Video Games Can Teach Us by Emily Sohn (p. 944)
The Violent Side of Video Games (p. 947)
The three texts below should be paired with Literary Non-fiction and drama pieces:
Twain’s Tale Transplanted to Today (page 167) pair with the Prince and the Pauper (alliteration)
Skateboard Science (p. 519) *paired with the “First Skateboard in the History of the World”
American Sign Language (p. 840) (procedural text – 12A) * use with Helen Keller
Super Croc (p. 898) (10ABCD) *pair with the text below
Bird Brains (p. 908) (10ABCD)
Artists and Style (p. 552) (13A)
Digging Up the Past by Helen Bledsoe (p. 924)
The First Emperor by Daniel Cohen (p. 918)
Instructional Strategies
SIFT (Symbol, Images, Figures of Speech, Tone and Theme, found on p. 17 of AP Vertical Teams Guide);
Think-Pair-Share; Think Aloud; Yes-But (used for character analysis in Tom Sawyer); Thinking Maps (for
organizing for learning and vocabulary); Frayer Model; affix-root word study; Main idea-detail notes;
jigsaw articles for time period background with Twain; Cornell Notes; dialectical/double entry journal;
discussions on Edmodo, Socratic Seminars
Literature Concepts
Introduced
dynamic characters, static characters, flashback/flash-forward, foreshadowing, situational irony, drama,
dramatis personae, dramatic structure (Freytag’s Pyramid), comedy, pun, nonfiction Literature Concepts
Assessed
dynamic characters, static characters, drama, dramatic structure (Freytag’s Pyramid), comedy,
protagonist, antagonist, novel, autobiography/narrative, biography, diary/journal/memoirs/letters,
nonfiction
Language Concepts
Introduced
audience, style, types of exposition essays: cause & effect, comparison & contrast, definition, division &
classification, illustration/exemplification, persuasive essays; persuasive purposes: to inform and
convince; structure of an argument: claim and grounds; emotional fallacy: bandwagon appeals; ethical
fallacies: appeals to false authority; logical fallacy: hasty generalization; letters
PAP Grade 6 ELA 2014-­‐2015 Curriculum Overview Document Language Concepts
Reinforced
Language Concepts
Assessed
adverbs, coordinating conjunctions (FANBOYS)
Assessments
Drama SAQ with excerpt from a new piece
Writing: Expository essay (Fall Writing Collection with feedback and rewrites)
interpretive response (SAQ)
persuasive essay paired with creation of persuasive media and a critique of effectiveness
Pre-AP Semester Exam (separate grade) PAP Grade 6 ELA sentence patterns: declarative, exclamatory, imperative, interrogative, types of essays: description
and exposition; types of exposition essays: cause & effect, comparison & contrast, definition, division
& classification, illustration/exemplification, persuasive essays; persuasive purposes: to inform and
convince; emotional fallacy: bandwagon appeals; ethical fallacies: appeals to false authority; logical
fallacy: hasty generalization; letters
2014-­‐2015 Curriculum Overview Document Unit 3
Analyzing Connections Across Literary Texts (3 weeks)
Analyzing Connections Across Informational Texts (3 weeks)
Analyzing Connections Across All Genres (3 weeks)
This unit will begin with a study of persuasive text, persuasive techniques and their use in popular media. An equal amount of time will also
be given to making connections between literary texts, with a focus on myths and legends and the students’ written analyses of these
readings. This unit is completed with a three week study of informational texts on topics related to the literary readings this nine weeks.
Standards (TEKS/SEs
per
YAG)
2ABE, 3ABC, 4A, 5A, 6ABC, 7A, 8A, 9A, 10ABCD, 11AB, 12B, 13AC, 14ABCDE, 17AC, 19ABC,
20ABC, 21ABC, FIG19ABCDEF
Analyzing Connections
Across Literary Texts (3
weeks)
The Three Sisters by Anton Chekhov (use an excerpt; not even the entire first act) *pair something with it
from Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis (p. 104) *below is paired for historical fiction
President Cleveland, Where are You? by Robert Cormier (p. 234)
The Red Guards from Red Scarf Girl by Ji-li Jiang (p. 274)
Pair the above with An Interview with Ji-li Jiang (p. 284)
The Life and Adventures of Nat Love by Nat Love (p. 269)
Pair the above with Role Playing and Discovery by Jerry Pinkney (p. 266)
The Lawyer and the Ghost by Charles Dickens * pair for style and morality
The Three Questions by Leo Tolstoy (3B)
How the Leopard Got His Claws by Achebe
Analyzing Connections
Across Informational
Texts (3 weeks)
Weather that is Out of this World (p. 79)
Hurricane Hunters (p. 897)
The Death of a Moth by Annie Dillard
Everyday Mysteries: Fun Science Facts from the Library of Congress
http://www.loc.gov/rr/scitech/mysteries/butterflymoth.html Analyzing Connections
Across All Genres (3
weeks)
PAP Grade 6 ELA In Search of Pompeii (p. 341)
A Survivor’s Letter (p. 345)
Newspaper article Italians Trying to Prevent a Modern Pompeii (p. 346)
The Dog of Pompeii (p. 324)
2014-­‐2015 Curriculum Overview Document Space Settlements (p. 80)
Space Colony (p. 84)
All Summer in a Day by Ray Bradbury (p. 66)
Woodsong by Gary Paulsen (p. 114)
A Life in the Day of Gary Paulsen (P. 122)
“There is Pleasure in the Pathless Woods” by Lord Byron (online, post in the Z drive)
Instructional Strategies
Jigsaw discussion; SOAPS (speaker, occasion, audience, purpose, subject); DIDLS (diction, imagery,
details, language, syntax—or just DID for sixth grade); Thinking Maps (for organizing for learning and
vocabulary); Frayer Model; affix-root word study; Main idea-detail notes; writer’s notebook; Cornell
Notes
Literature Concepts
Introduced
essay, symbol, symbolism, imagery, science fiction
Literature Concepts
Reinforced
Literature Concepts
Assessed
Language Concepts
Introduced
Language Concepts
Reinforced
Language Concepts
Assessed
fable, folktale, folklore, fantasy, fairy tale, legend, myth, short story, symbol, plot structure, fiction,
nonfiction, imagery, setting, science fiction apostrophes, italics/underlining, irregular verbs conjunctive adverbs, correlative conjunctions, interjections
abbreviations, italics/underlining, irregular verbs, prepositional phrases
Assessments
PAP Grade 6 ELA Multiple SAQs connecting genres
Compare and Contrast genre characteristics (example: expository vs. fiction)
Writing: Expository essay (Winter Writing Collection with feedback and rewrites)
Pre-AP Nine Weeks Test
2014-­‐2015 Curriculum Overview Document Unit 4
Analyzing Connections Across All Genres Continued (3 weeks)
Producing Research within Literary Studies (6
Students will reflect on the types of nonfiction, such as letters and journals, biographies and autobiographies, media accounts, and
essays of all types. During this unit, students will read a number of pieces by various authors of note. Students will employ a variety of
strategies designed to foster deeper reading and analysis of this literature.
Standards (TEKS/SEs per
YAG)
2ABE, 3ABC, 4A, 5A, 6ABC, 7A, 8A, 9A, 10ABCDE, 11AB, 12B, 13A, 14ABCDE, 16A, 17AC, 19ABC,
20ABC, 21ABC, 22AB, 23ABCDE, 24AB, 25ABCD, 26ABC, FIG19ABCDEF
Novel/Novella
House on Mango Street, Sandra Cisneros (use with personal narrative; teacher choice of vignettes)
Poetry
“Dreams” by Langston Hughes (p. 404)
“Ceremony” by Leslie Marmon Silko (online post on Z drive)
“Ironing Their Clothes” by Julia Alvarez (pair with House on Mango Street)
Producing Research
within Literary Studies
Roll of Thunder by Mildred Taylor (look at themes as a springboard for research)
Instructional Strategies
Selective highlighting and annotation; dialectical journals/double entry journals; Socratic seminar; innerouter circle; Thinking Maps (for organizing for learning and vocabulary); Frayer Model; affix-root word study;
main idea-detail notes; RAFT (role as a writer, audience, format, topic—they use this to frame their own
writing); Cornell Notes
Literature Concepts
Introduced
mood, tone
Literature Concepts
Assessed
first person point of view, mood, theme, tone
PAP Grade 6 ELA Articles and media related to research topics
Articles on how to do research (see SE specificity in VAD)
2014-­‐2015 Curriculum Overview Document Language Concepts
Introduced
quotations; ellipsis points; quotation marks; tone; historical tense (literary present); comma
splices/fused sentences; trite expressions; coherence; detail; concrete and abstract diction; denotation
and connotation; parallelism
Language Concepts
Assessed
quotations; ellipsis points; quotation marks; sentence fragments; subject-verb agreement; consistency in
verb tense; tone; author’s style; coherence; detail; diction
Assessments
Dialectical Journal
SAQ with poetry, House on Mango Street, or historical fiction
Writing: Personal narrative (Spring Writing Collection with feedback and rewrites)
Research and multimedia presentation interpretive response
Pre-AP Semester Exam (separate grade)
PAP Grade 6 ELA 2014-­‐2015 Curriculum Overview Document