English 6
Sixth Grade English explores identity, empathy, and the power of language. In becoming critical readers and expressive writers, students will better understand who they are and discover who they want to be. Our work is guided by six thematic questions:
- How do we define who we are?
- How does the history of our families and culture impact our present?
- How do the different parts of our identity combine to make us who we are?
- How does society shape our experiences in the world?
- How do differences in power and privilege influences our relationships?
- How can we use our voices to advocate for justice and enact change?
Through exposure to a variety of texts including poetry, short stories, novels, graphic novels, and informational texts, students learn to read critically for details, recognize figurative language, and interpret developments in plot, character, setting, and theme. In class discussions and activities, students use textual evidence to support their own thinking and evaluate classmates’ ideas. Texts include New Kid, This Book is Anti-Racist, The Crossover, Harbor Me, The Best At It, Lucky Broken Girl, The Parker Inheritance, As Brave as You, Kira-Kira, Lily and Dunkin, When You Trap a Tiger, Marcus Vega Doesn't Speak Spanish, and various short stories and poetry.
Students will build skills in both analytical and creative writing. Within each form, writing instruction emphasizes increasingly complex and varied sentence structure as well as careful word choice. With guidance, students will revise and edit their own writing as well as that of their peers, paying close attention to organization, style, and the proper grammar, usage, and mechanics of the English language. In addition, students will acquire and utilize new vocabulary through close reading as well as careful study of the vocabulary text, Sadlier-Oxford Vocabulary Workshop Level B.