Courageous Character/Fictional Literature and Informational Text
Essential Question/Anchor: How are acts of courage revealed in writing?
In this six-week, students select a fictional story with a courageous character and pair it with related informational text from the same historical time frame. GRADE 6
Unit 4
Related Literary Texts
Poetry
“Casabianca” (Felicia Dorothea Hemans) “If” (Rudyard
Kipling) (EA)
Lives: Poems about Famous Americans (Lee Bennett Hopkins
and Leslie Staub)
Stories
Counting on Grace (Elizabeth Winthrop)
Suggested Objectives:
Define courage.
Read a variety of literature and
informational text about
challenging historical events
and memorable experiences.
Fire from the Rock (Sharon M. Draper)
Free at Last! Stories and Songs of Emancipation (Doreen
Rappaport and Shane W. Evans)
Iqbal (Francesco D’Adamo)
Kira-Kira (Cynthia Kadohata)
1
Compare and contrast stories
with courageous characters.
Explore the similarities and
differences in authors’
characterization techniques.
Red Scarf Girl: A Memoir of the Cultural Revolution (Ji-Li
Jiang)
Read informational text to
understand the historical
context for the setting of a story
with courageous characters.
Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes (Eleanor Coerr)
(easier to read but excellent)
Write an argument about a
historical event studied.
Shipwreck Season (Donna Hill)
Define related words and
identify their parts of speech
(e.g., courage, courageous,
courageousness; conviction,
convince, etc.).
Lyddie (Katherine Paterson) (EA)
Sign of the Chrysanthemum (Katherine Paterson and Peter
Landa) (EA)
Snow Falling in Spring: Coming of Age in China During the
Cultural Revolution (Moying Li)
SOS Titanic (Eve Bunting)
1
The Circuit: Stories from the Life of a Migrant Child
(Francisco Jiménez)
1
"The People Could Fly" from The People Could Fly (Virginia
Rouge
Parish
Hamilton West
and LeoBaton
and Diane
Dillon)
(E) \ 2013 Grade 6 ELA
1
Building Student Knowledge
Students choose from stories
about varied circumstances in
which people acted with
tremendous courage: in times
of slavery, instances of
shipwrecks, or during the days
of unfair child labor practices.
Students recognize that acts of
courage may have lasting
effects on others. In this unit,
students have the opportunity
to refine their definitions of
courage by examining how
characters—real and
fictional—grow by overcoming
obstacles. After reading about
outwardly courageous people,
students consider quiet acts of
courage, and class discussions
reveal the importance of those
people who often remain
unnoticed or behind the scenes.
Students examine how
language and vocabulary
enhance the reader’s
experience, cite specific
passages of text to justify their
thoughts, and critically
examine the artistic license
often taken in historical fiction.
In the culminating project for
this unit, students write and
publish their own stories of
courageous characters.
Focus Common Core Standard
Possible CCS
Reading
RL.6.1 RL.6.2 RL.6.3
RL.6.4 RL.6.6 RL.6.9
RI.6.2
RI.6.4
RI.6.5
RI.6.6
RI.6.8
Writing
W.6.1
W.6.3 W.6.4
W.6.6
W.6.8
W.6.9(a) W.6.9(b)
Speaking and Listening
SL.6.1
SL.6.1(a)
SL.6.1(b)
SL.6.1(c)
SL.6.1(d)
SL.6.2
SL.6.4
SL.6.6
Language
L.6.1
L.6.1(a)
L.6.1(b)
L.6.1(c)
L.6.1(d)
L.6.1(e)
L.6.2
L.6.2(a)
L.6.2(b)
L.6.3
L.6.3(a)
L.6.3(b)
L.6.4
L.6.5
L.6.5(a)
L.6.5(b)
L.6.5(c)
The Power of Light: Eight Stories for Hanukkah (Isaac
Bashevis Singer and Irene Lieblich) (EA)
The Tale of the Mandarin Ducks (Katherine Paterson and Leo
and Diane Dillon) (E)
Timothy of the Cay (Theodore Taylor)
Under the Blood-Red Sun (Graham Salisbury)
Uprising: Three Young Women Caught in the Fire That
Changed America (Margaret Peterson Haddix)
War Comes to Willy Freeman (James and Christopher
Collier) (easier to read but excellent)
Informational Texts/Nonfiction
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2
A Night to Remember: A Classic Account of the Final Hours of the Titanic (Walter Lord) (E)
Exploring the Titanic: How the Greatest Ship Ever Lost—Was Found (Robert D. Ballard)
Harriet Tubman: Conductor on the Underground Railroad (Ann Petry) (E)
Kids at Work: Lewis Hine and the Crusade Against Child Labor (Russell Freedman and Lewis Hine) (EA)
Kids On Strike! (Susan Campbell Bartoletti)
Kids with Courage: True Stories About Young People Making a Difference (Barbara A. Lewis)
Leon’s Story (Leon Walter Tillage and Susan L. Roth)
Life in Ancient Japan (Peoples of the Ancient World) (Hazel Richardson)
Many Thousand Gone: African Americans from Slavery to Freedom (Companion to The People Could Fly) (Virginia Hamilton and Leo and Diane
Dillon)
Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave, Written by Himself (Frederick Douglass) (E)
Rebels Against Slavery: American Slave Revolts (Patricia C. and Fredrick L. McKissack)
Samurai: Warlords of Japan (High Interest Books) (Arlan Dean)
Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World: The Extraordinary True Story of Shackleton and the Endurance (Jennifer Armstrong)
Up Before Daybreak: Cotton and People in America (Deborah Hopkinson)
West Baton Rouge Parish 2013 Grade 6 ELA
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You Wouldn't Want to Sail on the Titanic! One Voyage You'd Rather Not Make (You Wouldn’t Want To…Series) (David Stewart, David Salariya
and David Antram)
Art, Music and Media
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Art
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o
o
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o
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Music
o
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o
Unit 3:
Frederick Douglass Home (Washington, DC, ca. 1855)
Iwo Jima Memorial (Rosslyn, Virginia, 1954)
Lincoln Memorial (Washington, DC, 1912-1922)
Vietnam War Memorial (Washington, DC, 1982)
Washington Monument (Washington, DC, 1848-1888)
Terminology:
Antagonist
Traditional, “Cotton Mill Girls” (as sung by Michèle Welborne)
Traditional, “Nobody Knows the Trouble I’ve Seen”
Traditional, possibly Wallis Willis, “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot”
Character Development
Protagonist
Weeks 21-26
Unit 4 Fictional Literature and Informational Text
“I CAN” Statements
Standards for Unit 4
Reading Literature
RL.6.1 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.
RL.6.2 Assess how point of view or purpose shapes the content and style of
a text.
RL.6.3 Analyze how and why individuals, events, and ideas develop and
interact over the course of a text
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West Baton Rouge Parish 2013 Grade 6 ELA
I can analyze text to cite textual evidence which is explicitly stated.
I can analyze text to cite textual evidence which is inferred.
I can analyze supporting details used to determine theme or central idea.
I can distinguish between textual facts and opinions.
I can formulate a summary based on facts from the text
I can describe how a plot unfolds in a series of episodes.
I can explain how character(s) respond or change over the course of the story or
drama.
RL.6.4 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.
I can determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a
text, including figurative and connotative meanings.
I can analyze the impact of a specific word choice on meaning and tone.
RL.6.6 Assess how point of view or purpose shapes the content and style of
a text.
FOCUS STANDARD
RL.6.9 Analyze how two or more texts address similar themes or topics in
order to build knowledge or to compare the approaches the authors take.
Reading Informational Text
FOCUS STANDARD
RI.6.2 Determine central ideas or themes of a text and analyze their
development; summarize the key supporting details and ideas.
RI.6.4 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.
RI.6.5 Analyze the structure of texts, including how specific sentences,
paragraphs, and larger portions of the text (e.g., a section, chapter, scene,
orstanza) relate to each other and the whole.
I can compare and contrast point of view of the narrator to characters in a
text.
I can analyze how the author develops these different points of view.
I can 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).
I can determine a central idea of a text and how it is conveyed through
particular details.
I can provide a summary of the text distinct from personal
opinions or judgments.
I can determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a
text, including figurative and connotative meanings.
I can analyze the impact of a specific word choice on meaning and tone.
I can 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.
RI.6.6 Assess how point of view or purpose shapes the content and style of a I can explain how an author develops the point of view of the narrator or
text.
speaker in a text.
RI.6.8 Delineate and evaluate the argument and specific claims in a text,
I can trace 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
I can distinguishing claims that are supported by reasons and evidence
from claims that are not
Writing
FOCUS STANDARD
I can write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant
W.6.1 Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive
evidence.
topics or texts, using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence.
I can introduce claim(s) and organize the reasons and evidence clearly.
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West Baton Rouge Parish 2013 Grade 6 ELA
W.6.3 Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events
using effective technique, well-chosen details, and well-structured event
sequences.
I can write a narrative to develop real or imaginative experiences or
events using effective techniques, 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.
I can produce a writing piece that is clear and coherent with idea
development, organization, and style appropriate to task, purpose,
and audience.
I can use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing
as well as to interact and collaborate with others.
FOCUS STANDARD
W.6.6 Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish
writing and to interact and collaborate with others.
W.6.8 Gather relevant information from multiple print and digital sources,
assess the credibility and accuracy of each source, and integrate the
information while avoiding plagiarism.
I can demonstrate sufficient command of keyboarding skills to type a
minimum of three pages in a single sitting.
I can gather relevant information from multiple print and digital sources.
I can assess the credibility of each source.
I can quote or paraphrase the data and conclusions of others while
avoiding plagiarism and providing basic bibliographic information for
sources.
W.6.9 Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support
analysis, reflection, and research.
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”).
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”).
Speaking and Listening
SL.6.1 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.
I can draw evidence from key ideas and details as support for research.
I can analyze key ideas and details in a text as evidence for support
understanding of text.
I can reflect on key ideas and details in a text as evidence for support
understanding of text.
I can 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.
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.
I can follow rules for collegial discussions, set specific goals and deadlines,
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West Baton Rouge Parish 2013 Grade 6 ELA
and define individual roles as needed.
I can pose and respond to specific questions with elaboration and detail by
making comments that contribute to the topic, text, or issue under
discussion.
I can review the key ideas expressed and demonstrate understanding of
multiple perspectives through reflection and paraphrasing.
FOCUS STANDARDS
SL.6.2 Integrate and evaluate information presented in diverse media
and formats, including visually, quantitatively, and orally.
SL.6.4 Present information, findings, and supporting evidence such that
listener scan follow the line of reasoning and the organization,
development, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
SL.6.6 Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and communicative tasks,
demonstrating command of formal English when indicated or
appropriate.
Language
L.6.1 Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English
grammar and usage when writing or speaking.
I can interpret information presented in diverse media and formats
(e.g.,visually, quantitatively, orally)
I can explain how it contributes to a topic, text, or issue under study.
I can present claims and findings.
I can sequence ideas logically and using pertinent descriptions, facts, and
details to accentuate main ideas or themes.
I can use appropriate eye contact, adequate volume, and clear
pronunciation.
I can adapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks, demonstrating
command of formal English when indicated or appropriate.
I can demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English
grammar and usage when writing or speaking.
I can identify and use pronouns are in the proper case (subjective,
objective, possessive).
I can use intensive pronouns correctly (e.g., myself, ourselves).
I can recognize and correct inappropriate shifts in pronoun number and
person.
I can recognize and correct vague pronouns (i.e., ones with unclear or
ambiguous antecedents).
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West Baton Rouge Parish 2013 Grade 6 ELA
I can recognize variations from Standard English in their own and others'
writing and speaking, and identify and use strategies to improve expression
in conventional language.*
L.6.2 Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English
capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.
I can demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English
capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.
I can use punctuation (commas, parentheses, dashes) to set off
nonrestrictive/parenthetical elements.*
I can spell correctly.
FOCUS STANDARD
L.6.3 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.
I can use knowledge of language and its conventions when writing,
speaking, reading, or listening.
I can vary sentence patterns for meaning, reader/listener interest, and
style.
I can maintain consistency in style and tone.
L.6.4 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.
I can 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.
I can 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.
I can use common, grade-appropriate Greek or Latin affixes and roots as
clues to the meaning of a word (e.g., audience, auditory, audible).
I can 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.
I can verify the preliminary determination of the meaning of a word or
phrase (e.g., by checking the inferred meaning in context or in a
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West Baton Rouge Parish 2013 Grade 6 ELA
L.6.5 Demonstrate understanding of word relationships and nuances in
word meanings.
dictionary).
I can demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word
relationships, and nuances in word meanings.
I can interpret figures of speech (e.g., personification) in context.
I can use the relationship between particular words (e.g., cause/effect,
part/whole, item/category) to better understand each of the words.
I can distinguish among the connotations (associations) of words with
similar denotations (definitions) (e.g., stingy, scrimping, economical,
unwasteful, thrifty).
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West Baton Rouge Parish 2013 Grade 6 ELA