English Language Arts — Grade 6

Which word is it?

Students will determine the meaning of unfamiliar vocabulary words using Context Clues, a dictionary, and structural analysis within a game format.

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

By Donna Harkey.

Pattern writing using nouns and adjectives

In this lesson plan, students will think and write creatively using nouns and adjectives. They will experience all phases of the writing process.

Format: lesson plan (grade 6 English Language Arts)

By Susan S. Craver.

Grammar and editing

In CareerStart lessons: Grade six, page 1.4

In this lesson for grade six, students will learn about the conventions of grammar and will learn how to write and edit a business letter.

Format: lesson plan (grade 6 English Language Arts)

By Jennifer Brookshire and Julie McCann.

The ABCs of the Three Little Pigs

This lesson uses a familiar fairy tale to teach writing. It is designed to emphasize using varied sentence patterns in writing.

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

By Penny Canipe.

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

What am I? Teaching poetry through riddles

Students explore, analyze, and discuss how metaphor, simile, and metonymy are used in riddle poems. They use these poetic devices to write original riddle poems. (Learn more)

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

Provided by: IRA/NCTE

Using a word journal to create a personal dictionary

This lesson enables students to track unfamiliar words as they read, link these words to their background knowledge, create new sentences for their words, and develop a final project that displays their new vocabulary. (Learn more)

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

Provided by: IRA/NCTE

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

Teaching Voice with Anthony Browne's "Voices in the Park"

By reading and discussing the characters in Anthony Browne's picture book, Voices in the Park, students gain a clear understanding of how to use voice in their own writing. (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 6 English Language Arts)

Provided by: IRA/NCTE

Slipping, sliding, tumbling: Reinforcing cause and effect through diamante poems

This lesson introduces the concept of cause and effect through an activity where students construct their own diamante poems. After introducing the concept of cause and effect, the teacher engages students in a brainstorming activity to compile a list of... (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 6 English Language Arts)

Provided by: IRA/NCTE

She did what? Revising for connotation

In this writing mini-lesson, students examine word choice to effectively portray action in a simple sentence. (Learn more)

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

Provided by: IRA/NCTE

Shared spelling strategies

Students increase their spelling accuracy and their retention by “constructing” spelling using sound, sight recall, and analyzing strategies, among others, instead of memorizing lists of words. (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 6–8 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

Reading and Writing Workshop: "Freak The Mighty"

The lesson includes the modeling and practicing of specific reading comprehension strategies, vocabulary and word study, a figurative language activity, and a selection of final projects which can be used for assessment with the accompanying rubric. (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 6 English Language Arts)

Provided by: IRA/NCTE

Products across borders

In this lesson, students identify foreign products available in the United States and learn about U.S. companies that sell products abroad. The students discuss globalization and illustrate two maps to show where products come from and where they're sold. (Learn more)

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

Provided by: National Geographic

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

Leading to great places in the middle school classroom

This mini-lesson examines types of leads in prominent young adult literature and challenges students to search for great leads and then write original examples. (Learn more)

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

Provided by: IRA/NCTE

Inventing and presenting unit 3: Persuasive speaking and invention promotion

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

Inventing and presenting unit 2: Effective speeches and building the invention

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