Ms. Knoles, Language Arts, 6th

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ELA Unit 1

Dear Families, 
We are excited to begin our next HMH reading/ writing unit! Here is a quick look at what your child will be learning and how you can support their learning at home. 
 
Dates of Unit: August 24-September 11 (roughly)
 
Students will learn to: 
  • Cite evidence from the text to support analysis
  • Make inferences based on what is already happening in the text
  • Determine the central idea of the text.
  • Students will develop their narrative writing skills with a focus on writing an imaginative story.
  • Students will learn to identify compound and complex sentences
 
Standards addressed: 
  • CCSS.L.6.1 – Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.
  • CCSS.L.6.2 – Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.
  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.6.1 – Cite textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.6.2 – Determine a theme or central idea of a text and how it is conveyed through particular details; provide a summary distinct from personal opinions.
  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.6.6 – Explain how an author develops the point of view of the narrator or speaker in a text.
  • CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RL.6.9 – Compare and contrast texts in different forms or genres in terms of their approaches to similar themes and topics.
 
 
Essential Questions 
 
What makes a story worth reading?
 
In this module, students will: listen to, read, and view a variety of texts
and media that present them with information about the elements of
a story.
 
 
Unit Overview 
 
A genre focus on narrative text provides students with opportunities
to identify literary elements, theme, point of view, and figurative
language in order to better understand unfamiliar texts. Students will
also encounter drama and persuasive text to build knowledge across
genres. As students build their vocabulary and synthesize topic
knowledge, they will learn that well-written stories contain characters
and problems that can emotionally hook and interest readers.
 
 
Key Vocabulary 
 
Please encourage your child to use these words when talking about ELA:
 
Voracious
Discipline
Persevere
intrepid
 
Use prompts like these:
-Tell me about a time when you had to persevere to achieve something.
- Describe a person you think is intrepid. What Does It Mean?
-Have your child keep a growing list of the Critical Vocabulary words.
-Quiz each other on their meanings.
- Word Hunt Look for words with the root ject; prefixes gen–, trans–, inter–, en–; and suffixes –y, –ly, –ily, –ful, –less, –ment, –ness in books, magazines, online texts,
 
How Will We Know What Students Understand? 
 
Students will demonstrate their learning through: 
 
☐ Class discussions and conversations X
☐ Hands-on activities and models 
☐ Independent practice X
☐ Problem-solving tasks 
☐ Quick checks/exit tickets 
☐ Written explanations X
☐ Unit assessment X
☐ Other: ______________________________________ 
 
Teachers will use this information to celebrate student progress and provide additional instruction or practice when needed. 
  
Thank You for Partnering With Us! 

August 3-7

Happy First week of School!
 
I am so excited to teach your students and help them grow in both their reading and writing skills. 
 
HELLO, FAMILY!
Over the next three weeks, our class will build their knowledge about goal-setting and personal accomplishments, with a focus on the informational text genre. We will read texts and view videos about exceptional individuals who have achieved greatness and what it took for them to do that. 
 
Module 1 is titled Eyes on the Prize 
 
BRING IT HOME! Learning fun for the whole family!
 
Discuss the Topic
Set aside time daily for your child to share with you what he or she is 
learning. Use these ideas to help build your child’s knowledge about the topic: 
•Talk about the ideas your child has added to the Knowledge Map each week.
•Ask about the texts your child is reading and what he or she has learned from them.
•Share with your child your own questions about the topic, and work together to find the answers.
 
Explore the Genre
The genre focus in this module is informational text. Discuss with your child the characteristics of this genre. Ask your child to read to you each day and make time to read together.
Look for texts that
•spark your child’s curiosity
•tie to the module topic
•present interesting ideas and information
•help readers connect to social studies topic
 
Build Vocabulary
Use these ideas to help your child build a rich vocabulary. 
The Big Idea Reinforce the topic words eminent, dedication, attain, and initiatives in everyday conversations with your child. Use prompts like these: Explain what is special about an eminent person you admire. Tell about a goal you want to attain this school year. What Does It Mean? Have your child keep a growing list of the Critical Vocabulary words. Quiz each other on their meanings. Word Hunt Look for words with  the roots mis, chor, graph, tract, duc, trib; and prefixes ex–, sur–, semi– in books, magazines, online texts, and in environmental print such as signs and billboards