Sixth Grade - Language Arts

Sixth Grade - Language Arts Indicators

Contextual Understanding	Define the meaning of unknown words by using context clues and the author's use of definition, restatement and example.
Conceptual Understanding	Apply knowledge of connotation and denotation to determine the meaning of words. Identify analogies and other word relationships, including synonyms and antonyms, to determine the meaning of words. Interpret metaphors and similes to understand new uses of words and phrases in text. Recognize and use words from other languages that have been adopted into the English language.
Structural Understanding	Apply the knowledge of prefixes, suffixes and roots and their various inflections to analyze the meaning of words. Identify symbols and acronyms and connect them to whole words.
Tools and Resources	Determine the meanings and pronunciations of unknown words by using dictionaries, thesauruses, glossaries. technology and textual features, such as definitional footnotes or sidebars.

Reading Process

Comprehension Strategies	Establish and adjust purposes for reading including to find out, to understand, to interpret, to enjoy and to solve problems. Predict or hypothesize as appropriate from information in the text, substantiating with specific references to textual examples that may be in widely separated sections of text. Make critical comparisons across texts, noting author's style as well as literal and implied content of text. Summarize the information in texts, recognizing important ideas and supporting details, and noting gaps and contradictions. Select, create and use graphic organizers to interpret textual information. Answer literal, inferential, evaluative and synthesizing questions to demonstrate comprehension of grade-appropriate print texts and electronic and visual media.
Self-Monitoring Strategies	Monitor own comprehension by adjusting speed to fit the purpose, or by skimming, scanning, reading on, looking back, note taking or summarizing what has been read so far in text. List questions and search for answers within the text to construct meaning.
Independent Reading	Use criteria to choose independent reading materials (e.g., personal interest, knowledge of authors and genres or recommendations from others). Independently read books for various purposes (e.g., for enjoyment, for literary experience, to gain information or to perform a task).

Reading Applications:
Informational, Technical and Persuasive Text

Use text features, such as chapter titles, headings and subheadings; parts of books including the index, appendix, table of contents and online tools (search engines) to locate information.
Analyze examples of cause and effect and fact and opinion.
Compare and contrast important details about a topic, using different sources of information, including books, magazines, newspapers and online resources.
Compare original text to a summary to determine the extent to which a summary adequately reflects the main ideas and critical details of the original text.
Analyze information found in maps, charts, tables, graphs, diagrams and cutaways.
Identify an author's argument or viewpoint and assess the adequacy and accuracy of details used.
Identify and understand an author's purpose for writing, including to explain, entertain, persuade or inform.
Summarize information from informational text, identifying the treatment, scope and organization of ideas.

Reading Applications:
Literary Text

Analyze the techniques authors use to describe characters, including narrator or other characters' point of view, character's own thoughts, words or actions.
Identify the features of setting and explain their importance in literary text.
Identify the main and minor events of the plot, and explain how each incident gives rise to the next.
Explain first, third and omniscient points of view, and explain how voice affects the text.
Identify recurring themes, patterns and symbols found in literature from different eras and cultures.
Explain the defining characteristics of literary forms and genres, including poetry, drama, myths, biographies, autobiographies, fiction and non-fiction.
Distinguish how an author establishes mood and meaning through word choice, figurative language and syntax.

Writing Processes

Prewriting	Generating writing ideas through discussions with others and from printed material and keep a list of writing ideas. Conduct background reading, interviews or surveys when appropriate. Establish a thesis statement for informational writing or a plan for narrative writing. Determine a purpose and audience. Use organizational strategies (e.g., rough outlines, diagrams, maps, webs and Venn diagrams) to plan writing.
Drafting, Revising & Editing	Organize writing, beginning with an introduction, body and a resolution of plot, followed by a closing statement or a summary of important ideas and details. Vary simple, compound and complex sentence structures. Group related ideas into paragraphs, including topic sentences following paragraph form, and maintain a consistent focus across paragraphs. Vary language and style as appropriate to audience and purpose. Use available technology to compose text. Reread and analyze clarity of writing. Add and delete information and details to better elaborate on a stated central idea and to more effectively accomplish purpose. Rearrange words, sentences and paragraphs, and add transitional words and phrases to clarify meaning. Use resources and reference materials (e.g., dictionaries and thesauruses) to select more effective vocabulary. Proofread writing, edit to improve conventions, (e.g., grammar, spelling, punctuation and capitalization), and identify and correct fragments and run-ons. Apply tools (e.g., rubric, checklist and feedback) to judge the quality of writing.
Publishing	Prepare for publication (e.g., for display or for sharing with others) writing that follows a format appropriate to the purpose, using techniques such as electronic resources, principles of design (e.g., margins, tabs, spacing and columns) and graphics (e.g., drawings, charts and graphs) to enhance the final product.

Writing Applications

Write narratives that maintain a clear focus and point of view and use sensory details and dialogue to develop plot, characters and a specific setting.
Write responses to novels, stories, poems and plays that provide an interpretation, critique or reflection and that support judgments with specific references to the text.
Write letters that state the purpose, make requests or give compliments and use business letter format.
Write informational essays or reports, including research, that present a literal understanding of the topic, include specific facts, details and examples from multiple sources and create an organizing structure appropriate to the purpose, audience and context.
Write persuasive essays that establish a clear position and include organized and relevant information to support ideas.
Produce informal writings (e.g., journals, notes and poems) for various purposes.

Writing Conventions

Spelling	Spell frequently misspelled and high-frequency words correctly.
Punctuation & Capitalization	Use commas, end marks, apostrophes and quotation marks correctly. Use semicolons, colons, hyphens, dashes and brackets. Use correct capitalization.
Grammar and Usage	Use all eight parts of speech (e.g., noun, pronoun, verb, adverb, adjective, conjunction, preposition, interjection). Use verbs, including perfect tenses, transitive and intransitive verbs and linking verbs. Use nominative, objective, possessive, indefinite and relative pronouns. Use subject-verb agreement with collective nouns, indefinite pronouns, compound subjects and prepositional phrases.

Research

Generate a topic, assigned or personal interest, and open-ended questions for research and develop a plan for gathering information.
Identify appropriate sources, and gather relevant information from multiple sources (e.g., school library catalogs, online databases, electronic resources and Internet-based resources).
Identify elements of validity in sources, including publication date, coverage, language, points of view, and discuss primary and secondary sources.
Identify important information found in sources and paraphrase the findings in a systematic way (e.g., notes, outlines, charts, tables, graphic organizers).
Compare and contrast important findings and select sources to support central ideas, concepts and themes.
Use quotations to support ideas.
Use an appropriate form of documentation, with teacher assistance, to acknowledge sources (e.g., bibliography, works cited.
Use a variety of communication techniques, including oral, visual, written or multimedia reports, to present information that supports a clear position with organized and relevant evidence about the topic or research question.

Communication: Oral and Visual Conventions

Listening and Viewing	Demonstrate active listening strategies (e.g., asking focused questions, responding to cues, making visual contact). Summarize the main idea and draw conclusions from presentations and visual media. Interpret the speaker's purpose in presentations and visual media (e.g., to inform, to entertain, to persuade). Identify the persuasive techniques (e.g., bandwagon, testimonial, glittering generalities, emotional word repetition and bait and switch) used in presentations and media messages.
Speaking Skills & Strategies	Demonstrate an understanding of the rules of the English language and select language appropriate to purpose and audience. Use clear diction and tone, and adjust volume, phrasing and tempo to stress important ideas. Adjust speaking content and style according to the needs of the situation, setting and audience.
Speaking Applications	Deliver informational presentations (e.g., expository, research) that: a. demonstrate an understanding of the topic and present events or ideas in a logical sequence. b. support the controlling idea or thesis with relevant facts, details, examples, quotations, statistics, stories and anecdotes; c. include an effective introduction and conclusion and use a consistent organizational structure (e.g., cause-effect, compare-contrast); d. use appropriate visual materials (e.g., diagrams, charts, illustrations) and available technology, and e. draw from multiple sources and identify sources used. Deliver formal and informal descriptive presentations that convey relevant information and descriptive details. Deliver persuasive presentations that: a. establish a clear position; b. include relevant evidence to support position and to address potential concerns of listeners; and c. follow common organizational structures when appropriate (e.g., cause-effect, compare-contrast, problem-solution).

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