English 6

Description

Using a motif of Heroes, Helpers, and Hope, students in the Middle School Language Arts I course will acquire the reading, writing, language, and speaking/listening skills necessary for success in college, career, and beyond. Students will become critical readers and thinkers as they delve into fiction and informational texts within the course. They will also learn to effectively write narrative, informational, and argumentative pieces and present their ideas clearly and cohesively. 

Major Topics and Concepts

Semester 1

Reading Comprehension / Informational and Expository Writing / Narrative Writing

Developing an idea
Identifying theme
Plot pattern
Comparing and contrasting mediums
Using context clues
Thesaurus and dictionary skills
Implicit and explicit meaning
Finding the main idea
Writing an effective summary
Assess internet sources
Why writers choose words
Reading informational texts
Researching and organizing information
Avoiding plagiarism / citing sources
Writing an introduction 
Connecting  and supporting ideas
Writing a conclusion 
Revising writing
Using formal language in writing
Recognizing point of view
Identifying the narrator
Planning narrative writing
Beginning a narrative
Writing dialogue
Writing the body of a narrative
Using commas
Writing effective transitions

SEMESTER 1 Advanced

Novel Study
Changes in language
Analyzing major characters
Mood and point of view

SEMESTER 2

Reading Comprehension / Argumentative Writing / Fiction Analysis

Novel / Short Story Study
Analyzing central idea
Structure and development of texts
Compare and contrast genre
Context Clues
Read various types of fiction
Spelling
Interpreting information in various formats
Formal style
Poetry
Figures of speech: personification / hyperbole / alliteration
Compare themes in different  genre
Greek and Latin word clues
Implicit and explicit evidence in texts
Figurative Language: alliteration/ onomatopoeia
Plot analysis
Drama development
Point of view of fiction characters
Pronoun case: subjective, objective and possessive 
Intensive pronouns
Inappropriate pronoun shifts
Vague pronouns
Multimedia components
Oral discussions / rules of collegial discussions / adapt speech
Argumentation analysis
Restrictive / parenthetical elements
Support claims
Delineate an argument
Trace and evaluate argument
Distinguishing valid / invalid claims
Comma usage
Draw evidence from informational text
Write argumentation introduction / claims and support / conclusion