Hubble Middle School
Language Arts
2014-2015 Course Syllabus
Teacher: Mrs. Julie Munson
Email: julie.munson@cusd200.org
Course Description: The sixth grade Language Arts course provides a balance
of language skills that encompass reading, writing, speaking, and listening, Students
will progress through the writing process as they plan, draft, revise, edit, and publish
their own specific types of writing. These writing types include narratives,
informative/explanatory texts and arguments. Students will be required to supply
evidence from their literary and informational texts in order to support their
thinking. Short research pieces will also be written throughout the year which will
allow students to draw on several sources in order to answer a question from their
reading. Through their writing tasks, students will be asked to revise and edit their
work for variations from standard English in their own and others’ writing and
speaking, and use this knowledge to improve their written pieces.
The sixth grade Reading course teaches essential comprehension skills and
strategies while students read closely and cite evidence from grade-level fiction and
nonfiction to support an analysis of what the materials say. Students apply skills they
learned in earlier grades to make sense of longer, more challenging books and
articles. Students develop a rich vocabulary of complex and sophisticated words and
use them to speak and write more precisely and coherently. Students develop a range
of broadly useful oral communication and interpersonal skills. They must learn to work
together, express and listen carefully to ideas, and integrate information from a
variety of sources.
Texts: Reading material includes but is not limited to:
The Lightning Thief
Flush
Frightful’s Mountain
Dragonwings
Bud, Not Buddy
by Rick Riordan
by Carl Hiaasen
by Jean Craighead George
by Laurence Yep
by Christopher Paul Curtis
Additional informational texts will be used to support the various novels.
Course Goals: This year’s goals are aligned with the new Common Core State
Standards. If you would like to see the specific standards, please type the following
site into your web browser. http://www.corestandards.org/ELA-Literacy/RI/6/
Grading: The Language Arts grade will be based on homework, notes, essays, quizzes
and tests. Assessments OF learning (i.e. did the student meet the unit
objectives/Summative) are based on tests and essays, while assessments FOR learning
(i.e. are the students meeting the day to day objectives /Formative) are based on
various homework/in class assignments, and other weekly items.
90-100 = A
80-89 = B
70-79 = C
60-69 = D
59 and below = F
Classroom Expectations: Students will be required to participate in a variety of
ways; reading, writing, speaking, and listening. Therefore, respect towards one
another will be extremely important. They will be expected to:
Report to class on time
Come to class prepared
Be respectful at all times
Actively participate by staying focused and on task
Turn off and put away cell phones and other electronic devices when not being used
for classroom purposes.
Disciplinary Actions: Students who disrupt the learning of others will first receive a
warning depending on the severity of the disruption. Further violations will result in
discipline procedures: parent contact, after school detention, or in/out of school
suspension.
Electronic devices are to be turned off and out of sight. If I see or hear the device,
the student will be given a warning. If it happens again, it will be held in the cell phone
“:box” until the end of class. Further violations will result in discipline
procedures. Refer to the student handbook.
Homework Policy: It is my expectation that students turn all homework in on
time. If a student does not turn in an assignment on time, they are able to submit a
signed “OOPS” pass for full credit. Three OOPS Passes are given per quarter. If
assignments continue to be turned in late, the student will be asked to stay after
school until the work is completed. Again, communication will be sent home so parents
are aware of this occurrence.
Absences/Make up work: Good attendance is critical for this class! Students who aren’t in class
miss out on the great collaboration, discussion, and instruction that occurs every day. If the
student is absent, s/he must arrange to get missing assignments. This could be done before or
after school, before lunch, or even during passing periods. Please refer to the Student Handbook
for the time allowed for work to be made up. If a student is in attendance up until the
day of a test or when a homework assignment is due, it is my expectation the
student will complete it or turn it in upon his/her return to school.
Units of Study:
First Quarter:
 Read The Lightning Thief
 Read nonfiction
 Analyze the stages of a hero’s journey
 Analyze Percy as an archetypal hero
 Elements of myth
 Identify the theme of a myth
 Writing process focusing on narrative writing
Second Quarter:
 Read Bud, Not Buddy
 Analyze word choice and figurative language in fiction
 Analyze word choice and structure in nonfiction and poetry
 Determine word meaning and themes in nonfiction and poetry
 Writing process focusing on argument writing
Third Quarter:
 Read Flush
 Analyze nonfiction for figurative language, connotative language, word and phrase choice and
meaning, plot development
 Analyze excerpts of nonfiction for evidence to support author’s point of view
 Analyze how author in fiction develops plot
 Practice close reading strategies
 Writing process focusing on research and evaluating research
Fourth
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Quarter:
Read Frightful’s Mountain
Build background knowledge
Begin to trace an argument
Interpret information from charts and graphs
Share information
Compare and Contrast two authors’ presentations of ideas and events
Develop a research-based claim
Determine meaning of unknown words
Writing process focusing on a position paper/supporting a research-based claim
Prepare a way to present information
Additional grammar components and vocabulary will be integrated in writing and reading selections
throughout the course of the year. Spelling and structural analysis of words (Roots and Stems) will
also be on-going.