English Language Arts — Grade 6

Resource recon

Teams of students will search for the answers to questions using various information resources. The questions will be in categories such as: biography, current events, historical events, geography, language. Besides competing for the fastest answer, the students will learn (1) how to use the resource effectively, and (2) which resource is best for finding different types of information.

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

By Keith Dudley.

Literature biography project

For this 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. This project is designed to act as an independent study geared toward AG or Level 3 and Level 4 students, but each step in the research process can also be taught directly to students in the classroom.

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.

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 6 Science and Social Studies)

By Eric Eaton.

Resources on the web

You know the movie is coming—Now what?

After exploring cinematic terms, students read a literary work with director's eyes and then try to predict what elements would be present in the film version of the book. (Learn more)

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

Provided by: IRA/NCTE

Where Do Your Possessions Come From?

Students learn about the Earth's natural resources and the ways that people use these resources. (Learn more)

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

Provided by: National Geographic

Travel brochures: Highlighting the setting of a story

Students create travel brochures in this lesson that introduces the author's creation of setting in a literary work. (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 6 English Language Arts)

Provided by: IRA/NCTE

Scaling back to essentials: Scaffolding summarization with fishbone mapping

In this lesson, students work in pairs and cooperative groups as they complete fishbone maps that highlight the main ideas and relevant details from a cause-effect text. (Learn more)

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

Provided by: IRA/NCTE

Play ball! Encouraging critical thinking through baseball questions

Students create a baseball-themed Jeopardy game after a read–aloud of Lou Gehrig: The Luckiest Man by David A. Adler. After the teacher explains the purpose of asking good questions, students... (Learn more)

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

Provided by: ReadWriteThink

Pictures in Words: Poems of Tennyson and Noyes

Students will explore how poets Tennyson and Noyes use words to paint vivid and memorable pictures and describe how “word pictures” emphasize or qualify the meanings of their poems. (Learn more)

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

Provided by: National Endowment for the Humanities

Picture books as framing texts: Research paper strategies for struggling writers

Using picture books as models, students think more about what to say and less about how to say it, which leads to better learning experiences and better writing. (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 6 English Language Arts)

Provided by: IRA/NCTE

Live from ancient Olympia!

This page contains an EDSITEment lesson in which students have an opportunity to develop “live interviews” with ancient athletes that reflect an understanding of the beliefs that underlay the ancient Olympic Games. In addition, students will... (Learn more)

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

Provided by: ReadWriteThink

Inventing and presenting unit 1: Analyzing nonfiction and inventing solutions

Students read about inventors, propose inventions to solve problems they have identified, and build and test their inventions. (Learn more)

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

Provided by: IRA/NCTE

Introducing each other: Interviews, memoirs, photos, and internet research

In this lesson from ReadWriteThink, students read, write, speak, listen, and research as they interview a partner and write an article, write a personal memoir, take partner photographs, and use the Internet to find pictures and information illustrating... (Learn more)

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

Provided by: ReadWriteThink

GIST: A summarizing strategy for use in any content area

This lesson supports comprehension and summarizing skills by engaging students in reading and identifying the “5Ws and the H” in newspaper articles. (Learn more)

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

Provided by: IRA/NCTE

Geography and your dream job

Introduces students to the five themes of geography. (Learn more)

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

Provided by: National Geographic

Folktale frenzy: WebQuest writing

Students design WebQuests in order to teach their peers about the subgenres that fall under the heading of “folktale.” (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 6 English Language Arts)

Provided by: IRA/NCTE

Finding the science behind science fiction through paired readings

In this lesson, students explore the genre of science fiction, while learning more about the science integrated into the plot of the story using nonfiction texts and resources. (Learn more)

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

Provided by: IRA/NCTE

Expository escapade-Detective's handbook

In this lesson, students combine reading the detective fiction genre with expository writing. (Learn more)

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

Provided by: IRA/NCTE

An exploration of text sets: Supporting all readers

Introduces text sets to support readers of a range of abilities and experience. (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 6 English Language Arts)

Provided by: IRA/NCTE