20 Church St. Mansfield, MA 02048
6 TH G
E
S
2014-2015
Educator: Hamzah Henshaw
E-mail: hhenshaw@anahs.org
Phone Number: 508-261-7077
The sixth grade English course seeks to kindle a lifelong love of reading and writing in its students. The course will help students make the critical leap from focusing on superficial questions like “What?” and “Who?” to exploring deeper questions like “Why?” and “How?” The novels chosen this year cover themes such as overcoming racism, dealing with adversity, and finding oneself in the world. Whenever possible, we will be drawing on ideas from the Max
Warburg Courage Curriculum, an award-winning 6 th grade curriculum used in many
Massachusetts schools. Excerpts from Muslim authors will be included whenever possible.
In addition to reading classic novels and short stories together as a class, students will be expected to complete at least one free reading book per trimester. Students will keep a free response journal, produce at least one graded, revised writing assignment per month, and have bi-weekly vocabulary, grammar, and reading tests. Finally, students will participate in numerous local and state contests such as: Boston Courage Essay Contest, Massachusetts Science Poetry
Contest, Letters about Literature, Muslim Poetry Contest, and a vocabulary bee.
By the completion of this course the successful student should have learned (for specific standards, please see the end of this document):
1.
How to extract the main idea and analyze themes, characters, settings, and narrative structures in a wide variety of literature
2.
How to write a personal narrative, a creative short story, various forms of poetry, a persuasive speech, and an analytical paragraph
3.
The 8 parts of speech, how to vary sentence structure, and how to parse/diagram most sentences

4.
How to format an essay on the computer and how to evaluate online content
5.
A wide variety of new vocabulary through explicit instruction and context clues
6.
How to happily curl up with a book on a rainy day without a TV, iPhone, iPad or other device in sight!
In this course students will:
1.
Read, discuss, and analyze a wide variety of novels, short stories, nonfiction and poetry
2.
Read at least one free reading book per trimester (3 per year)
3.
Keep a writing journal for in-class writing prompts and reading responses
4.
Produce at least one graded, revised writing assignment per month
5.
Complete bi-weekly tests in vocabulary, grammar, and critical reading
6.
Learn how to appropriately use technology in the English classroom
th
Sixth Grade English meets three times a week during a “double block.” There are thus six separate class periods. In order to ensure that class objectives are met and that students stretch a wide variety of mental muscles, the course will generally follow this structure:
Class Name Meeting Time
A
Objectives
Monday 7: 1:12-1:55pm Free reading

Discuss reading or writing HW
B
C
D
E
Monday 8: 1:55-2:38pm Introduce weekly vocabulary or grammar
Tuesday 5: 10:54-11:34am Freewriting  Discuss reading or writing HW
Tuesday 6: 11:34-12:14pm Practice/review vocab or grammar
Wednesday 1: 7:43-8:26am Free reading

Discuss reading or writing HW
F Wednesday 2: 8:29-9:12am Test /Reading Rug/Journal or Notebook Check
th
The following grid attempts to outline the material to be covered this year. This curriculum may change as every group of students is different.
Trimester I
Literature
The Cay , Bridge to
Terabithia/Taking
Sides, nonfiction
Writing/Project
Summer Reading project, Letter About
Literature, Fable
Grammar
POS Review,
Pronouns (subject, object, possessive, intensive)
Vocabulary
Units 1-4 Wordly
Wise

Trimester II
Literature
Al Capone Does my
Shirts , The Reason I
Jump , Iqbal/Maniac
Magee , Poetry
Writing/Project
Poetry Portfolio,
Metaphorical Prison
Project, Boston
Courage Essay
(personal narrative)
Grammar
S/V Agreement,
Tense Consistency,
Greek/Latin roots
Vocabulary
Units 5-8 Wordly
Wise
Trimester III
Literature
Hatchet / Where the
Red Fern
Grows/Tuck
Everlasting , The
Little Prince/So Far from the Bamboo
Grove
Writing/Project
Newspaper,
Persuasive speech,
Muslim poetry contest
Grammar
Punctuation,
Sentence Diagrams,
Spelling
Vocabulary
Units 9-12 Wordly
Wise
Supplies

Journal—Black & White Composition Book (will be provided)

Notebook—Either a three ring binder with paper for taking notes OR a spiral notebook with pockets for storing handouts (students provide their own)

Ample pens & pencils

Access to a computer at home with word processing, internet, and printing capabilities
Novels (we will read some but not all of these based on class interest; subject to change)

The Cay by Theodore Taylor

Al Capone Does My Shirts by Gennifer Choldenko

Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbit

Hatchet by Gary Paulsen

Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls

The Little Prince by Antoine de St.-Exupery

Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson

Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli

So Far from the Bamboo Grove by Yoko Kawashima Watkins

Taking Sides by Gary Soto

The Reason I Jump by Naoki Higashida

Various short stories and poems (photocopied)

Grammar, Usage, Mechanics & Writing

Grammar, Usage, and Mechanics: Grade Six (McDougal Littell) & Language Network:
Grade 6 (McDougal Little)
Vocabulary

Wordly Wise 3000: Book 6 (EPS)
Spelling
 www.sweetspelling.com
, www.beewizards.com
, www.spellit.com
نیدلا فصن قلخلا نسح
The Prophet Muhammad (SAWS) said, “Having good character constitutes half the religion.” To achieve half the religion, my class has just five rules:
1. Listen And Follow Directions
2. Raise Your Hand Before Speaking Or Leaving Your Seat
3. Respect Your Classmates And Your Teacher
4. Keep Hands, Feet, And Objects To Yourself
5. Come To Class Prepared And Ready To Learn
If any of the above rules is broken, these are the consequences. I decided to use a soccer-based system since it is so familiar to many students. Violations are “re-set” every day and do not carry over. Discipline accounts for 10% of your total grade. You will begin the week with a perfect 10 in discipline, and can receive bonus points by receiving no fouls. Try not take being disciplined personally:
OUL
AUSE
Minor Violation
SSESSMENT
Verbal Warning
RADE
FFECT
-0.5 points from weekly discipline grade after first foul
ELLOW
ARD
Medium Violation or 3 Fouls
5 minutes in hallway -1.5 points from discipline grade
ED
ARD
Major Violation or 2 Yellow Cards
Class expulsion & detention
-3 points from weekly discipline grade
Multiple red cards will lead to parent conferences and more significant consequences.

The following items will be assessed regularly:
1.
Homework— margin notes, grammar & vocabulary exercises, completion of free reading
2.
Discipline— appropriate behavior within class rules
3.
Class Participation
—active participation in class discussions; maintenance of notebook
4.
Tests/Quizzes
—bi-weekly tests on grammar, vocabulary, and critical reading
5.
Essays/Projects— monthly formal writing/project
For the first trimester, course components will be weighted as outlined below:
1.
Homework— 30%
2.
Discipline— 10%
3.
Class Participation— 5%
4.
Tests/Quizzes— 35%
5.
Essays/Projects— 20%
Beginning of class: When students enter class, they should immediately look at the board and follow any instructions. Typically, students will be required to turn in any written homework on the metal stand next to the teacher’s desk and will then engage in SSR (silent sustained reading) or free writing for the first 10-15 minutes of class. You are expected to come to class with your assignments completed BEFORE you enter the classroom. Homework will be counted as late if it is not ready at the beginning of the period.
Lateness: All students arriving to class after the bell without a written note from another teacher will get a “foul” (first step of discipline system). Similarly, students who arrive on time but must then leave to get missing class materials will also get a foul. Students who arrive late for FIRST
PERIOD CLASS must bring a tardy pass from Sr. Fatma to be admitted to class.
Late Work: NO LATE WORK WILL BE ACCEPTED FOR FULL CREDIT. Teacher discretion applies (illnesses and medical emergencies are obviously permitted), but please be advised that computer problems of any sort (printer errors, hard drive malfunctions, viruses) are never an acceptable excuse.

1 day late = maximum 75% credit

2 days late = maximum 50% credit


3 or more days late = no credit
Formal Papers: All formal papers must be typed. Always save a copy for yourself. Formal papers must follow MLA guidelines in style and format. Procedures for digital submissions will be explained in class.
Absence Policy for Homework and Tests: (teacher discretion applies)
1.
Homework missed due to absence is your responsibility to make up.
2.
All homework assigned before an absence is due the first day you return; otherwise, it is considered late.
3.
For any test scheduled before a one-day absence, you must be prepared to take the test upon your first day back to school.
4.
All major essays must be handed in on the due date. If you know you are not going to be in class the day an assignment is due or you are sick that day, you must arrange to hand it in digitally.
5.
For any assignments and/or tests missed during an excused extended absence, the same number of days missed will be given to make up all work missed. For example, if you miss three days, you have three days to turn in your work and take any quizzes or tests. Weekend days count as make up days. Check with me your first day back for all assignments missed.
Bathroom Policy: Each student receives three bathroom passes per term. You may use your bathroom passes at your discretion. Any unused passes will be added to your class participation grade at the end of the semester. If you must use the bathroom and you have exhausted your supply of bathroom passes, you will receive a “foul.”
Electronic devices: Unless you are granted explicit permission, any cell phones, iPa(o)ds, laptops or other electronic devices seen or heard will be confiscated and given to Sr. Fatma for 24 hours.
Plagiarism/Cheating: I begin the year with complete trust and faith in each of you. Islam, for me, is much more about walking the walk than talking the talk. Please do not abuse that trust by being dishonest. Learning cooperatively is great, and I encourage you to get together to brainstorm and discuss assignments. When you sit down to complete an individual assignment, however, the work must be yours alone. Penalties for plagiarism—another word for cheating— are stiff. If a paper or assignment is obviously copied, whether from a classmate’s work or from the internet, it will receive no credit. Students who give others their work to be copied will also receive zeroes.

The very first command of the Quran was, “Read!” Studies have shown that children who love to read lead happier, more successful lives. Students are thus required to read at least one book of their choosing during each trimester. Students will have a variety of choices for how to get credit for their free reading (oral presentations, projects, etc.), but one project grade for each term will be based on their free reading book.
Students should choose at least one fiction and one nonfiction book. They should try to find books that genuinely interest them and that they want to read and that they have NOT read before. These books may be taken out of the ANA library, a local public library, or purchased, and they must be approved by the teacher. Helpful reading lists can be found at Goodreads.com and ISLA . The first 10-15 minutes of many classes will be devoted to Silent Sustained Reading
(SSR), and students MUST bring their free reading book to EVERY CLASS. Students finishing tests and classwork early will be instructed to free read; failure to have a book with you will result in a “foul.”
Islam flourished in Madina Munawwara when the Muhajireen of Makkah were assisted by the
Ansar of Madina. Muslim scholars have said that the divine formula is: hijra + nusra = hidaya.
Similarly, in the academic setting, experience has shown that students achieve the greatest success when they combine focused classwork with meaningful homework. The formula is thus: classwork + homework = achievement.
Since all of our classes are double blocks, students will typically have two different types of homework as explained below:

Homework 1—Reading or Writing: When reading novels or short stories, students will be assigned a certain number of pages/chapters. To ensure careful, active reading, they will often have to write 1-2 key quotes and 1-2 questions about the reading in their journals. When working on essays or projects, students will have to meet intermediate deadlines.

Homework 2—Vocabulary or Grammar: Students will usually have either a written vocabulary or grammar assignment in one of their textbooks.
Note: Sometimes teachers can miscalculate how long their homework will take and thereby unintentionally inundate their students with more homework than they can handle. If students have spent 1 hour on their English homework and are still not done, they may get a note from a parent explaining that they had to move on to other subjects.

The prophet Muhammad (SAWS) said, “Cleanliness is half of imān (faith).” Staying organized is essential to success in the increasingly busy modern world. Students will be expected to file all handouts in an organized manner. When completing assigned reading, students should write down quotes, questions, and other notes in their notebook. They must also adopt a system for taking notes during class. Student notebooks will be collected and assessed during each trimester, and this will affect their class participation grade.
Becoming a competent writer of the English language is absolutely essential if you want to leave your mark on the world. Peter Elbow has distinguished between two types of writing: freewriting
& formal writing. While the latter consists of edited essays that have long been the mainstay of schools, the former is often neglected. Freewriting means simply that for ten minutes you write without stopping. The idea isn't to produce a polished piece of writing, but to simply get in the habit of writing without censoring and editing. In freewriting, "[n]ever stop to look back, to cross something out, to wonder how to spell something, to wonder what word or thought to use, or to think about what you are doing." The only rule to follow in freewriting is to simply not stop writing.
Students will do their freewriting in their journals, often in response to a writing prompt. They will also use their journals to write responses to the class book or their free reading book. Entries should always be dated. Journals will be collected and assessed regularly throughout the trimester.
High school is a time where students can take a “shortcut” to becoming competent scholars of
English by explicitly studying vocabulary and grammar. The second half of many classes will be devoted to introducing and practicing the new vocabulary from the vocabulary textbook and completing grammar exercises in the grammar textbook. Tests on grammar, vocabulary, and critical reading will be given roughly every two weeks, usually on Wednesdays.
Students may revise and resubmit any or all of their essays except for journal entries and in-class essays. My only stipulation is that you may submit only one revision per essay. I will average the first and second grade for the final grade on this essay. Although I often do not change the grade,
I will never lower from the original grade. Please turn in all revisions at least one week before the end of the trimester. Except in exceptional circumstances, students who fail tests will NOT be permitted to take a retest.

It is the policy of the English Department of Al-Noor Academy that every student have free access at home to a reliably functioning personal computing device, together with a functioning, compatible printer. The computer and printer will be integral to the curriculum, and any student without one will bear the responsibility of finding a reliable alternative (e.g. public library, commercial Internet café). The teacher will frequently communicate by email, and reliable email address is also necessary.
Students are responsible for keeping a folder — backed up, most likely on a USB “thumb drive” for the purpose—on their computer containing their cumulative English work. Writing should be done in MS Word, Pages (the Apple competing product) or a plain text editor.
In an effort to cut down on costs and harness the power of an exciting new technology, the school is seeking, whenever possible, to obtain literature books in electronic form. The “books” will be distributed by electronic mail, most likely in the form of PDFs, for reading on any compatible electronic device. Increasingly, students will be allowed to use Kindles or other ereaders to complete in-class free and assigned reading.

Academic dishonesty of any kind, including but not limited to plagiarism, cheating on any assessment, copying homework answers from other students, will not be tolerated

Plagiarism is stealing. It includes downloading papers from the Internet and using words or ideas without attribution

Remember, changing a few words or phrases around does not make the work your own and is still considered plagiarism even if you cite the source. You need to use direct quotes or really make the work your own by synthesizing material from several sources
(and then citing those sources) to avoid plagiarism
 You should also not cite sources that you haven’t used

Cheating on tests encompasses using or having the appearance of using any unauthorized materials during a test or quiz. Students are responsible for removing all study materials and electronic devices from within sight and reach during each testing period

Incidents of academic dishonesty will be result in a grade of 0 and will be reported to the administration and your family

th
By the completion of this course the successful student will insh’Allah be able to:
Reading

Cite textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.

Determine a theme or central idea of a text and how it is conveyed through particular details; provide a summary of the text distinct from personal opinions or judgments.

Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the impact of a specific word choice on meaning and tone

Explain how an author develops the point of view of the narrator or speaker in a text.

Compare and contrast the experience of reading a story, drama, or poem to listening to or viewing an audio, video, or live version of the text, including contrasting what they "see" and "hear" when reading the text to what they perceive when they listen or watch.

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.
Writing
 Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence. Introduce claim(s) and organize the reasons and evidence clearly. Support claim(s) with clear reasons and relevant evidence, using credible sources and demonstrating an understanding of the topic or text.
 Use words, phrases, and clauses to clarify the relationships among claim(s) and reasons.

Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from the argument presented.

Introduce a topic; organize ideas, concepts, and information, using strategies such as definition, classification, comparison/contrast, and cause/effect; include formatting (e.g., headings), graphics
(e.g., charts, tables), and multimedia when useful to aiding comprehension.

Develop the topic with relevant facts, definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other information and examples.

Use appropriate transitions to clarify the relationships among ideas and concepts.

Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, relevant descriptive details, and well-structured event sequences.

Engage and orient the reader by establishing a context and introducing a narrator and/or characters; organize an event sequence that unfolds naturally and logically.


Use narrative techniques, such as dialogue, pacing, and description, to develop experiences, events, and/or characters.

With some guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach.
 Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing as well as to interact and collaborate with others; demonstrate sufficient command of keyboarding skills to type a minimum of three pages in a single sitting.
 Conduct short research projects to answer a question, drawing on several sources and refocusing the inquiry when appropriate.
 Gather relevant information from multiple print and digital sources; assess the credibility of each source; and quote or paraphrase the data and conclusions of others while avoiding plagiarism and providing basic bibliographic information for sources.
Speaking & Listening
 Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacherled) 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.

Follow rules for collegial discussions, set specific goals and deadlines, and define individual roles as needed.

Review the key ideas expressed and demonstrate understanding of multiple perspectives through reflection and paraphrasing.

Delineate a speaker's argument and specific claims, distinguishing claims that are supported by reasons and evidence from claims that are not.

Present claims and findings, sequencing ideas logically and using pertinent descriptions, facts, and details to accentuate main ideas or themes; use appropriate eye contact, adequate volume, and clear pronunciation.

Include multimedia components (e.g., graphics, images, music, sound) and visual displays in presentations to clarify information.
Grammar & Vocabulary
 Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar, capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing or speaking.
 Ensure that pronouns are in the proper case (subjective, objective, possessive). Recognize and correct inappropriate shifts in pronoun number and person. Recognize and correct vague

pronouns (i.e., ones with unclear or ambiguous antecedents). Use intensive pronouns (e.g., myself, ourselves ).

Recognize variations from standard English in their own and others' writing and speaking, and identify and use strategies to improve expression in conventional language.
 Maintain consistency in style and tone.
 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.
 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.
 Use common, grade-appropriate Greek or Latin affixes and roots as clues to the meaning of a word (e.g., audience, auditory, audible ).
 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.
 Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings.

Interpret figures of speech (e.g., personification) in context.

Distinguish among the connotations (associations) of words with similar denotations (definitions)
(e.g., stingy, scrimping, economical, unwasteful, thrifty ).
Finally…
I check my email ( hamzah.henshaw@gmail.com
) daily so this is the quickest way to receive feedback. If you are seeking grade information, that will be available through Jupiter. Please send an email to me directly for specific concerns. Remember, we are all brothers and sisters in
Islam—always keep in mind the following hadith in your interactions with me and with each other:
(The Muslim is the one who avoids harming other
Muslims with his tongue or his hands).