English Language Arts — Grade 6

Seven directions: Making connections between literature and American Indian history

This middle school lesson uses picture books to integrate American Indian culture and belief systems with language and visual arts.

Format: lesson plan (grade 6–8 English Language Arts)

By Edie McDowell.

The Great Gilly Hopkins: Characterization and prediction

In the final chapters of the novel, Gilly's grandmother learns she has a granddaughter and decides to take Gilly out of foster care. Many of my classroom readers are often dismayed by this unexpected conflict and its outcome. In this lesson, the classroom becomes a courtroom where students predict the outcome of this conflict.

This activity can be used at the end of the novel, but I like to use it after reading chapters 10 and 11 so students can compare the courtroom decision to the end of the novel.

Format: lesson plan (grade 6 English Language Arts)

By Emily Vann.

Resources on the web

Using QARs to develop comprehension and reflective reading habits

This ReadWriteThink lesson provides a foundation for building reflective reading habits, which enable students to develop higher-level comprehension strategies. Students are introduced to a variety of question-answer relationships (QARs) in an effort to... (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 6–8 English Language Arts)

Provided by: ReadWriteThink

Using children's literature to develop classroom community

This lesson introduces students to the concept of collaborative learning with an activity based on Shel Silverstein's poem, “What's in the Sack?”. After developing a foundation for group and partner work, students explore children's literature... (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 6–8 English Language Arts)

Provided by: ReadWriteThink

Student contracting

This lesson from ReadWriteThink provides teachers with a basic contract format, sustained silent reading (SSR) extension activities, and literature response activities. Students develop contracts that focus on language arts education. (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 6–8 English Language Arts)

Provided by: ReadWriteThink

Scaling back to essentials: Scaffolding summarization with fishbone mapping

Students learn effective reading strategies in this lesson that focuses on a nonfiction piece about nature. The lesson includes explicit instruction on how to use repeated references as a strategy for determining important information in a text and how... (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 6–8 English Language Arts)

Provided by: ReadWriteThink

My life/your life: A look at your parents' past

The goal of this lesson is to help students make connections between their experiences and those of their parents through reflection and writing. After students become familiar with the format of interviews by evaluating sample questions and answers of... (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 6–8 English Language Arts)

Provided by: ReadWriteThink

Literature circle roles reframed: Reading as a film crew

Students read and analyze books in this lesson where film production roles are substituted for the traditional literature circle roles. After students brainstorm roles found in film crews, they consider what the possible responsibilities of these jobs would... (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 6–8 English Language Arts)

Provided by: ReadWriteThink

Folktale frenzy: WebQuest writing

In this lesson from ReadWriteThink, students design WebQuests in order to teach their peers about the subgenres that fall under the heading of “folktale.” Each group writes tasks that focus on answering an essential question, detailed processes... (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 6 English Language Arts)

Provided by: IRA/NCTE

Fighting injustice by studying lessons of the past

Using an online Venn Diagram tool, students study the experience of European Jews during the Holocaust, and then compare their experience to those of the Cherokees during the Trail of Tears and the Japanese–Americans during World War II. Students write... (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 6–8 English Language Arts and Social Studies)

Provided by: ReadWriteThink

Exploring Free Speech and Persuasion with '"Nothing but the Truth"

In this ReadWriteThink lesson, after reading the novel Nothing But The Truth, students discuss the protagonist Phillip and his right to free speech as well as their own rights. Students examine various Web sites to research First Amendment... (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 6–8 English Language Arts and Social Studies)

Provided by: ReadWriteThink

Developing a definition of reading through analysis in middle school

In this lesson from ReadWriteThink, students will interact with a variety of different texts to uncover a broader meaning of reading. Given one of a variety of different texts, students will brainstorm alone and together what they will need as a reader... (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 6–8 English Language Arts)

Provided by: ReadWriteThink

Critical literacy: Point of view

In this lesson from ReadWriteThink, students learn to look at texts from different viewpoints. Was the “big bad wolf” really bad? Throughout the lesson, students are encouraged to view texts from different angles. (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 6–8 English Language Arts)

Provided by: ReadWriteThink

Cosmic oranges: Observation and inquiry through descriptive writing and art

The lesson is designed to enhance cognitive skills used in nearly every discipline and can serve as a prelude to an inquiry project, scientific investigation, art project, or descriptive writing assignment. After students work in collaborative groups to... (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 6–8 English Language Arts)

Provided by: ReadWriteThink

Breaking barriers, building bridges: Critical discussion of social issues

In this lesson from ReadWriteThink, teachers use picture books depicting several cultures, to introduce students to complex issues of race, class and gender. Then teachers engage students in critical discussion about “the human experience.”... (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 6–8 English Language Arts)

Provided by: ReadWriteThink