English Language Arts — Grade 6

Using reference materials

In CareerStart lessons: Grade six, page 1.1

In this lesson for grade 6, students gain an understanding of how classified ads are used to search for jobs.

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

By Jennifer Brookshire and Julie McCann.

Threads through South America: Weaving in Ecuador

This lesson for grade six takes a look at the weaving and textiles created in the Andes of Ecuador in and near the town of Otavalo. In addition to learning about Ecuadorian weaving, students may also create their own woven artifact.

Format: lesson plan (grade 6–7 Visual Arts Education, English Language Arts, and Social Studies)

By Eric Eaton.

Story shackles: Linking students to written text

Chain your students to reading a given text critically! Story Shackles is an imaginative and stimulating way for students to acquire the ability to retell events of a story or text, sequence the action or happenings in a story, or to simply summarize the plot, main ideas with supporting details, or general information of a story or text.

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

By Kim Rector.

Sticky-note discussions

Sticky-notes discussions are fun, add variety to reading, and allow students to respond to the written text immediately. They are easy to implement in all content areas. Sticky-note discussions are effective when used individually, in a small or large group, or a combination of settings.

Format: lesson plan (grade 3–8 English Language Arts)

By Kim Rector.

Literature biography project

Students will learn to develop the various processes used in researching and writing a biographical research paper, including brainstorming, note taking, outlining, creating a bibliography, and writing the final draft.

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

By Sandra Dail.

Interpreting Diaries of the American South

Students will read diaries of individuals who lived in the American South from 1865-1917. After reading these diaries the students will use a visual means of displaying their interpretation. Visual presentations will be one of the following: shadow box, poster, PowerPoint using drawings done by the student, brochure, or presenting an item that would have been used during the time that their diary was written.

Format: lesson plan (grade 6–7 English Language Arts)

By Rhonda Sneeden.

Fact and opinion in the real world

In CareerStart lessons: Grade six, page 1.8

This lesson for grade 6 will help students understand the differences between fact and opinion based on career-related examples.

Format: lesson plan (grade 6 English Language Arts)

By Jennifer Brookshire and Julie McCann.

Ecuador: A study of population

In this lesson, students will create population pyramid graphs and analyze photographs to investigate population in Ecuador. Students will draw on this analysis to make predictions about how population issues will affect Ecuador's future. The lesson plan is designed to be adapted to the study of various countries.

Format: lesson plan (grade 6–7 English Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, and Social Studies)

By Eric Eaton.

Ecuador: A land of climate diversity

In this lesson, students will create climate graphs and analyze photographs to investigate the various types of climate in Ecuador and the interactions between climate and human culture. The lesson plan is designed to be adapted to the study of various countries.

Format: lesson plan (grade 5 and 7 Mathematics, Science, and Social Studies)

By Eric Eaton.

Details and sequencing

In CareerStart lessons: Grade six, page 1.7

This lesson for grade six will introduce students to careers in environmental protection as it teaches them to identify details and sequence in a non-fiction reading passage.

Format: lesson plan (grade 6–7 English Language Arts and Guidance)

By Jennifer Brookshire and Julie McCann.

Comparing and contrasting careers

In CareerStart lessons: Grade six, page 1.9

This lesson for grade six will help students understand comparing and contrasting. Students will conduct career surveys with adults and will use the results to create Venn diagrams.

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

By Jennifer Brookshire and Julie McCann.

Cause and effect in the workplace

In CareerStart lessons: Grade six, page 1.10

This lesson for grade 6 will help students understand cause and effect and how these concepts apply to the workplace.

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

By Jennifer Brookshire and Julie McCann.

Career research and acrostic poetry

In CareerStart lessons: Grade six, page 1.6

In this lesson for grade 6, each student will research a chosen career and will use the information to create an acrostic poem.

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

By Holly Grout, Deborah Smith, and Natalie Summers.Adapted by Jennifer Brookshire and Julie McCann.

Resources on the web

Writing free verse in the "voice" of Cesar Chavez

In this ReadWriteThink lesson, students familiarize themselves with the characteristics of free verse and write a free verse poem using written material about labor activist Cesar Chavez. Students take notes about experiences that helped shape the life... (Learn more)

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

Provided by: ReadWriteThink

Weaving the threads: Integrating poetry annotation and web technology

This lesson from ReadWriteThink engages students in meaningful research using poetry as a focal point. Students identify words and phrases in a poem by a Native American and in the process, learn about Native American culture and history. Students create... (Learn more)

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

Provided by: ReadWriteThink

Viking voyagers: Navigating online content area reading

In this lesson that focuses on Viking culture, students implement before-, during-, and after-reading strategies to support their comprehension while navigating websites and a Viking Quest. The teacher activates prior knowledge by asking students what they... (Learn more)

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

Provided by: ReadWriteThink

Using the check and line method to enhance reading comprehension

This ReadWriteThink lesson is intended to uncover the underlying principle that careful monitoring of textual reading assignments can significantly increase comprehension and retention of the information. The check and line method described in this lesson... (Learn more)

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

Provided by: ReadWriteThink

Travel brochures: Highlighting the setting of a story

In this lesson, students are introduced to the element of setting in a piece of literature. While reading a novel or short story, students identify the textual descriptions of setting and then conduct research on that place. After studying examples of professional... (Learn more)

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

Provided by: ReadWriteThink

Timelines and texts: Motivating students to read nonfiction

In this ReadWriteThink lesson, students use an historical timeline and their prior knowledge to predict when specific inventions were produced and explain their reasons for placing an invention in a particular year. During a paired thinking and sharing... (Learn more)

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

Provided by: ReadWriteThink

Story character homepage

This lesson from ReadWriteThink presents a project for literature circles or class novels to develop understanding of a character. In groups students will look at examples of homepages on the Internet, note what elements most contain, and use them as models... (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 6–8 Computer/Technology Skills and English Language Arts)

Provided by: ReadWriteThink