Longview ISD
Page 1
6th Grade Unit 1:
Tests of Courage
TAKS Objective:
1, 2
Suggested Time Frame:
TEKS:
First Six Weeks
6.10A, 6.10B, 6.10C, 6.10D, 6.10E,
6.10F, 6.10G, 6.10J, 6.10L, 6.2F, 6.8D,
6.12G, 6.12J
Unit Overview
Tests of Courage: In this unit students will read about people who face internal and external challenges. They will examine the
tests of courage people face and their reactions to those tests.
Enduring Understandings
 There are many kinds of courage.
 People vary in reactions to tests of
courage.
 Humans draw courage from personal
experiences and knowledge.
Language of Instruction
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Relationships and/or Connections
that should emerge
 Students should learn that exercising
courage, while sometimes difficult,
produces worthwhile consequences that
have long-term value. See Real World
Links, McDougal Littell Literature,
p. xxvi.
character
conflict
editing
plot
prewriting
publishing
setting
short story
summarize
theme
Core Vocabulary
absurd
acquaintance
ailing
ambition
apparently
appropriate
armistice
arouse
association
attain
attire
bade
badger
barren
boundary
Essential Questions
 How is courage tested?
 How do experience and knowledge
affect courage?
 Are people changed after tests of
courage?
brier
bureau
clad
clamber
conceal
conclude
contrary
decline
dignified
disposition
essential
fatigue
forfeit
gallant
harsh
Products students will develop
Select from:
 book report
 diorama
 art
 collages
 commercials
 comic strips
 newspaper interview
 map
 posters
 video news magazine
 brochures
Writing Purpose
 Understanding the 4 principle parts
of writing a paper
 Model by using student samples
and state rubric attributes
Focus and Coherence
 Effective Closures
 Summaries
 Opinions, questions, quotations
Organization
Narrative Expressive (personal
narrative)
 Analyze published work from “The
Story of my Life”, p. 382—(found in
Grade 6 McDougal Littell’s The
Language of Literature)
 Select and imbed organizational
modes
 Personal narrative (writing to
entertain)
 Short stories
 Humorous stories
Depth of Development
 Read a variety of texts and analyze
author’s craft
 Style
 Tone
 Mood
 Purpose of writing
 Apply techniques of vivid vocabulary
and connected development of
ideas
 Build writing vocabulary
 Vivid adjectives
 Precise adverbs
 Literary devices
 Sensory images
Voice
Focus: Individual Perspectives
Create essays that show individual voice
that evoke:
 Life
 Joy
 Excitement
 Sadness
Conventions
 Review 6th grade expectations
including: A1, A2, A3, A5, A7, A9,
A13, B1, B2, B3, B8, C1, C5, C6,
C7, C15, C16, C18, D1, E1, E3, F2,
F3, G1, I1, I3, J1
8/27/2007
DRAFT 2
Longview ISD
Page 2
6th Grade Unit 1:
Tests of Courage
TAKS Objective:
1, 2
Suggested Time Frame:
TEKS:
First Six Weeks
6.10A, 6.10B, 6.10C, 6.10D, 6.10E,
6.10F, 6.10G, 6.10J, 6.10L, 6.2F, 6.8D,
6.12G, 6.12J
Unit Overview
Tests of Courage: In this unit students will read about people who face internal and external challenges. They will examine the
tests of courage people face and their reactions to those tests.
Text Resources
Choose from:
Literature Anthology:
 Zlateh the Goat
 Damon & Pythias
 Matthew Henson on Top of the World
 Words on a Page; President Cleveland
 Where Are You?
 Summer of Fire
 Newberry Acceptance Speech
 School Play; Trading Card Talk
 All I Really Know I Learned in
Kindergarten
 Primer Lesson
 It Seems I Test People
 All Summer in a Day
 The Quarrel
6th grade novels:
 Roll of Thunder
 Hear My Cry
 The Swiss Family Robinson
 The Cay
 My Side of the Mountain
 Where the Red Fern Grows
 Number the Stars
 The Secret Garden
Selected Children’s Stories:
 Miss Nelson is Missing
 My First American Friend
 Brave Irene
 Quick as a Cricket
 The Three Little Pigs
 The True Story of the Three Little Pigs
 “Newberry Acceptance Speech” from
Language of Literature
WRITING MINILESSONS:
Week 1
Getting-to-Know-You List Poem
Week 2
Writing a Personal Narrative
from a Timeline
Week 3
Who am I?
What has made me who I am?
Week 4
“Shifting Gears”
Week 5
A Picture’s worth a Thousand
Words: from Image to Detailed
Narrative
Week 6
The Possibilities of Words
Enrichment Workstations
Whole group
Speaking & Listening Skills/Processes
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Small group
Paired learning (partners)
Library
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Writing/Grammar
Vocabulary
Reading Skills
Sustained Silent Reading
Poetry
Library Research
Literature Circles
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6.2E
6.3A
6.3B
6.3C
6.4A
6.4C
6.5A
6.5B
6.5C
6.5D
6.5E
6.5F
6.6A
6.6B
6.6C
6.7A
6.7B
6.7C
6.7D
6.7E
6.8A
6.8B
6.8C
6.9A
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6.9B
6.9C
6.9D
6.9E
6.10K
6.10M
6.11A
6.11B
6.11D
6.12B
6.12D
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6.13A
6.13B
6.13C
6.13D
6.13E
6.13G
6.13H
6.13I
6.14A
6.14B
6.14C
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6.19E
6.20B
6.20C
6.20D
6.20E
6.20F
6.20G
6.21A
6.21B
Writing Skills/Processes
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Technology & Electronic Resources
 Online reading resources
http://www.Kidsolr.com
 Online video clips
 Internet research
http://www.mcdougallittell.com
6.15F
6.15H
6.16A
6.16B
6.16C
6.16D
6.16E
6.16F
6.16G
6.18A
6.18B
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6.18C
6.18D
6.18E
6.18F
6.18G
6.18H
6.18I
6.19A
9.19B
6.19C
6.19D
Viewing & Representing Skills/Processes
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Other (i.e., Speakers, Field Trips)
NOTES:
6.22A
6.22B
6.22C
6.23A
6.23B
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6.23C
6.23D
6.24A
6.24B
6.24C
Method(s) of Assessment
Observation
A Observation evaluated by peers
B Students engaged in learning activities
C Direct questioning
D Observation of performance or process
Constructed Response
I.
TEKS Check
II. Open-ended
R2R:
“Going Home” and “Puppies for Sale”
III.
Essay
IV. Research Paper
V. Log / Journal
VI. Story / Play / Poem
VII.
Model / Map / Video
VIII. Oral / Visual / Multimedia Presentation
1
2
3
4
8/27/2007
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Reading Skills and Processes
Computer Lab
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6.1A
6.1B
6.1C
6.1D
6.2A
6.2D
Selected Response
Fill-in-the-blank test
Matching test
Multiple choice test
True/False test
DRAFT 2
Longview ISD
Page 3
Sixth Grade ELA 1st Six Weeks Overview
In this brief summary, the dates will fluctuate according to your students,
calendar, and special events.
Reflections
Suggested: 2 Days
 Skills: Establish classroom and school routines and procedures
 Modeling: Miss Nelson is Missing
 Reading: Choose from the collection of short stories, poetry, etc. in McDougall Littell's
The Language of Literature
Suggested: 5 Days
 Skills: Use background knowledge to comprehend. Discuss story elements.
 Modeling: My First American Friend
 Reading: Choose from the collection of short stories, poetry, etc. in McDougall Littell's
The Language of Literature
 Novel Study: (can choose from the following): Roll of Thunder, Hear my Cry; The Swiss Family Robinson;
The Cay; Number the Stars; My Side of the Mountain; The Secret Garden; Where the Red Fern Grows
 Writing: Begin Prewriting (brainstorming) for personal narrative
Suggested: 5 Days
 Skills: Discuss purposes for reading with different types of literature. Evaluate articles and editorials.
 Modeling: “Newberry Acceptance Speech” in The Language of Literature pgs. 676-677
 Reading: Choose from the collection of short stories, poetry, etc. in McDougall Littell's
The Language of Literature
 Novel Study: (can choose from the following): Roll of Thunder, Hear my Cry; The Swiss Family Robinson;
The Cay; Number the Stars; My Side of the Mountain; The Secret Garden;
Where the Red Fern Grows
 Writing: Continue Prewriting (mapping ideas using graphic organizer) for personal narrative
Suggested: 5 Days
 Skills: Story structure and main idea
 Modeling: Brave Irene
 Reading: Choose from the collection of short stories, poetry, etc. in McDougall Littell's
The Language of Literature
 Novel Study: (can choose from the following): Roll of Thunder, Hear my Cry; The Swiss Family Robinson;
The Cay; Number the Stars; My Side of the Mountain; The Secret Garden;
Where the Red Fern Grows
 Writing: Continue Prewriting (writing rough draft) for personal narrative
Suggested: 5 Days
 Skills: Discuss literary elements found in stories. Review strategies for monitoring comprehension.
 Modeling: “from the Fun of It” in The Language of Literature
 Reading: Choose from the collection of short stories, poetry, etc. in McDougall Littell's
The Language of Literature
 Novel Study: (can choose from the following): Roll of Thunder, Hear my Cry; The Swiss Family Robinson;
The Cay; Number the Stars; My Side of the Mountain; The Secret Garden;
Where the Red Fern Grows
 Writing: Editing and revising personal narrative
Suggested: 5 Days
 Skills: Use graphic organizers (compare/contrast, timelines, outlining, Venn diagrams, etc.) to make
information easier to understand. Identify main idea using details to support. Compare/contrast.
 Modeling: Compare/Contrast The Three Little Pigs and The True Story of the Three Little Pigs
 Reading: Choose from the collection of short stories, poetry, etc. in McDougall Littell's
The Language of Literature
 Novel Study: (can choose from the following): Roll of Thunder, Hear my Cry; The Swiss Family Robinson;
The Cay; Number the Stars; My Side of the Mountain; The Secret Garden;
Where the Red Fern Grows
 Writing: Publishing (final copy) of personal narrative
8/27/2007
DRAFT 2