6th Grade English Language Arts Curriculum Map
Gray Middle School
SpringBoard
Unit
(# and Title)
Measuring Changes:
(Unit 4 in
SpringBoard)
Skills and vocabulary to
be embedded through
all units
Timeline
Embed throughout Year
Unit Goals
Embedded
Assessments
Essential
Questions
● To recognize personal
and academic change
and growth over time.
● To practice thoughtful
reflection.
● To build global revision
skills.
● To set goals for future
reading and writing.
Revising, Reflecting, and
Publishing components
integrated in embedded
assessments in all units
Unit 1:
Changes in Me
Independent Reading: Autobiographical, Fiction,
Nonfiction Narratives
August - November / 11 weeks
Mid November – End January / 8-9 weeks
Unit 3:
Identify ,Changes, Holes
Possible Independent Reading: Other Louis
Sachar works
Feb - April / 7 weeks
Testing
Window
Last 14 days
of School
Year
Unit 5:
Changing Times and Places Independent Reading:
Science Fiction & Nonfiction Re:inventors /
Inventions
April – End of Year / 6 weeks
● Define change, and identify the types of change that
adolescents encounter.
● Make thematic connections among texts and between
texts and your own life.
● Use descriptive language in writing both narrative and
expository text.
● Understand and explain the relationship between cause
and effect.
● To explore the craft of storytelling and write a short
story.
● To recognize essential elements of plot, point of view,
characterization and setting.
● To build oral reading fluency.
● To write using precise adjectives and adverbs.
● To explore the concept of voice through both reading
and writing.
● To read challenging texts, both fiction and nonfiction,
with fluency and comprehension.
● To identify elements of legends and myths present in a
contemporary work of fiction.
● To identify how a character is presented and how he or
she changes throughout a novel.
● To develop writing skills through various stages of the
writing process.
● To research, gather and organize content to achieve
purpose for a presentation.
● To relate setting to action, characterization, and plot.
● To define, identify, and analyze various elements of
drama.
● To rehearse and present an engaging performance.
● EA#1: Writing a Personal Narrative About an Incident
That Changed Me -- use for common building/district
assessment
● EA#2: Writing an Expository Essay about a Change in Me
● EA#1: Creating a Short Story --use for common
building/district assessment
● EA#2: Producing a TV News Story
● EA#1: Writing Letters in the Voices of Characters
● EA#2: Writing a Character Analysis Essay -- use for
common building/district assessment
● EA#1: Researching and Presenting an Item That Has
Changed Over Time
Note: For EA #2, consider collaborating with social studies
teachers; unit goals align with social studies standards
● Why is it important to
reflect on personal
change and growth?
● Why does successful
writing require global
revision?
Unit 2: Changes in My
World Independent
Reading: Narratives &
News
● What is the relationship between change and growth?
● How do writers use different modes to express their
ideas?
1
Note: For EA #1, consider collaborating with social studies
teachers; unit goals align with social studies standards
● EA#2:Transforming and Performing a scene from a Play
Note: For EA #2, consider collaborating with social studies
teachers; unit goals align with social studies standards
● How are people influenced by changes in their worlds?
● How does a writer effectively craft a story
● How do internal and external factors influence one’s
self-perception?
● How does voice relate to audience and purpose?
1/08/2014
● Why do objects change over time, and how does this
change affect society?
● How does setting affect characterization and plot?
6th Grade English Language Arts Curriculum Map
Gray Middle School
SpringBoard
Unit
(# and Title)
Power
Activities
(Number and
Title)
Measuring Changes:
(Unit 4 in
SpringBoard)
Skills and vocabulary to
be embedded through
all units
4.6 Applying Reading
Strategies
4.8 Applying Revision
Strategies: Adding
4.9 Applying Revision
Strategies: Replacing
4.10 Applying Revision
Strategies: Deleting
Note: Teach & review
revision strategies lessons
(Activities 4.8-4.10) within
the other units
See bold writing
process in Vocabulary
Basic Skills
(Grammar/
Writing
Process)
Ellipses Points,
Compound Sentence,
Independent Clause
Unit 1:
Changes in Me
Independent Reading: Autobiographical, Fiction,
Nonfiction Narratives
Unit 2: Changes in My
World Independent
Reading: Narratives &
News
EA 1
1.1 Previewing the Unit
1.2 Planning to Revisit, Revise and Reflect
1.3 The Idea of Change
1.6 A Lion’s Narrative
1.7 Memory Map (Consider using this as the prewrite for
EA1)
1.8 Family Stories
1.9 Getting Superpowers
1.10 Narrative Openings
1.11 What Makes a Good Narrative
EA 2
1.13 Explaining Change
1.14 Changing Narrative to Expository Consider alternate
expository texts
1.15 Using Context Clues
1.16 Changes in Three Arrows
1.17 Reading “The Jacket”
1.18 The Mermaid Speaks
EA 1
2.1 Previewing the Unit
2.2 A Toy’s World
2.3 Changes in My World
2.5 Changes in Simba’s World
2.6 Play Ball: Part 1
2.7 Play Ball: Part 2
2.8 Picturing Green Gables
2.9 He Said, She Said
OR
2.10 Character Changes
2.11 Writing about a Chance Encounter, consider Step 8
only
EA 2
2.12 Understanding TV News
2.13 The Parts of a News Story
2.17 Meet the Watsons
EA1
verbs (state of being verbs and action verbs)
nouns
subject
predicate
adjectives
dialogue punctuation
quotation marks
dialogue tags
vivid verbs
active and passive verbs
EA2
semicolon
simple sentences
compound sentences
clause
compound subjects
compound predicates
parentheses
pronouns
interjections
adverbs
2
Unit 3:
Identify ,Changes, Holes
Possible Independent Reading: Other Louis
Sachar works
Testing
Window
Unit 5:
Changing Times and Places Independent
Reading: Science Fiction & Nonfiction
Re:inventors / Inventions
EA 1
3.1 Previewing the Unit
3.2 Changes: Voluntary & Involuntary
3.3 Character Presented in a Film Clip
3.4 Character Analysis in Bad Boy
3.5 Finding & Using Textual Evidence
3.6 Walter Says “Thank You”
3.9 Beginning the Journey
3.10 You are Entering Camp Green Lake
3.11 Visualizing the Subplot
3.12 Vocabulary in Context
3.13 The New Kid
3.14 / 3.16 Tracing Stanley’s Character, consider jigsaw or
as ongoing assignment
3.15 Writing a Letter Home
3.19 Stanley & Zero
3.20 Kissin’ Kate Barlow
EA 2
3.22 Visualizing Vocabulary
3.24 Hector Zeroni
3.25 Evolution of the Caveman
EA 1
5.1 Previewing the Unit
5.2 Passing of Time
5.3 Recognizing How Time Relates to Change
5.4 Creating a Works Cited Page
5.5 Technology Changes
EA 1
adverbs, quotation marks, dialogue, preposition,
prepositional phrase, subject, predicate
EA 1
parallel structures, commas (listing), action verbs, diction,
syntax
No new concepts introduced
EA 2
subject verb agreement, verb tense, commonly confused
words (pg 172)
EA 2
transitions (coherence)
Note: For the second half of Unit 2, consider alternate
texts (narratives from Unit 1, social studies text, etc.)
1/08/2014
Note: For EA 1, consider collaborating with social studies
teachers; unit goals align with social studies standards
5.6 Forced Changes
5.7 Tone Changes
5.8 Reader’s Theater
5.10 Poetry Presentation
5.11 Creating a Dramatic Script from a Poem
5.13 Guided Reading of Rip Van Winkle
5.14 Poetry Performance
5.16 Playing with Time Periods
6th Grade Language Arts Curriculum Map
SpringBoard
Unit
(# and Title)
Measuring
Changes:
(Unit 4 in
SpringBoard)
Skills and vocabulary
to be embedded
through all units
Local/Global Revision,
Reflect, Reflection,
Diffusing, Genre,
Metaphor,
Personification
Vocabulary
Unit 1:
Changes in Me
Independent
Reading: autobiographical, fiction, nonfiction
narratives
EA1
Fluency, Alliteration, Rhyme Scheme,
Characterization,
Narrative, Point of
View, Expository,
Writing
Cause/Effect
Narrative Writing
Conflict: (external/internal)
Plot, Character
Resolution,Setting
Dialogue,
Chronological
Commentary, Details
Incident, Sequence of Events, Thesis Statement,
Topic Sentence, Hook (Lead), AQQS, Transitions,
Sensory Details
Graphic Organizer
Summary
Unit 2: Changes in
My World
Independent
Reading:
narratives & news
EA1
Short Story, Figurative
Language, Monologue Exposition, Rising Action, Climax, Falling
Action, Prewriting, Theme, Meta-cognitive Markers, Character
Traits, Personification
Revision-adding, deleting, replacing
EA2
Anchor, Crawler, Feature (soft news) Story, Graphics, Hard News
Story, Lower Third, MOS Interview, On-camera Reporter,Idiom,
hyperbole, Reflection, Alliteration, Onomatopoeia
Revision-adding, deleting, replacing
Unit 3:
Identify
Changes
Holes
Possible Independent Reading: other Louis Sachar
works
EA1
Internal/External, Diction
Voice,
Personal Letter, Setting
Subplot, Looping, Voluntary, Involuntary, Subjective, Objective,
Inference, Essay, Novel, Omniscient, Flashback, Subplot,
Symbol, Symbolism, Tone, Synonyms, Antonym, Homophone,
Monologue, Textual Evidence, Paraphrase, Purpose, Audience,
Tone, Context, Double Entry Journal
Testing
Window
Unit 5: Changing
Times and
Places
Independent
Reading: science fiction & nonfiction re:inventors /
inventions
EA1
Primary Source, Secondary Source, Artifacts, Research
EA2
Tone, Transform
Presentation, Drama, Performance
Interpretation, Oral Interpretation, Inflection, Pitch, Rate,
Rhythm, Volume, Script, Pantomime, Gestures, Predicting,
Paraphrasing, Summarizing, Rereading, Preview,
collaborate,
Revision-adding, deleting, replacing
Free Verse, Quatrain, Rhyme Scheme
EA2
QHT, Scan, Literary Analysis,
Revision-adding, deleting, replacing
Revision-adding, deleting, replacing
Revision-adding, deleting, replacing
EA2
Introduction Conclusion
Denotation
Connotation
Expository Writing
Opinion, Analogy
Diffusing, Prediction
Textual Evidence
Simile, Metaphor
Revision-adding, deleting, replacing
Writing Workshop 8:
Persuasive Writing
Resources
Writing Workshop 1: Writing Process
Writing Workshop 4: Personal Narrative
Writing Workshop 6: Expository Texts
Reading Extensions
Island of the Blue Dolphins
Girl Who Owned a City
Parvanna’s Journey
Reading Extensions
(Online) Unit Reading Assessment
Writing Workshop 2: Short Story
Writing Workshop 8: Persuasive Writing
Reading Extensions
Watson’s Go to Birmingham
Anne of Green Gables
Hunger Games
Writing Workshop 7: Procedural Texts: Informal Letters
Writing Workshop 9: Response to Literature and Expository
Texts
Reading Extensions
Small Steps
Freak the Mighty
Bad Boys
(Online) Unit Reading Assessment
3
1/08/2014
Writing Workshop 5: Script Writing
Writing Workshop 10: Research
Reading Extensions
Eva
Wrinkle in Time
Transall Saga
Other Readers’ Theatre