Grade 6 Humanities
Course Title: Grade 6 Humanities
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Course Description
The Grade 6 Humanities course uses reading,writing, listening, and speaking skills to explore Western hemisphere geography. The primary objective of the course is to teach students to think like global citizens who are well informed and critical thinkers about the world in which they live.
Power Standards
- Cite several pieces of textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
- Write routinely over extended time frames and shorter time frames for a range of discipline- specific tasks, purposes and audiences.
- Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking
- Acquire and use accurately grade-appropriate general academic and domain-specific words and phrases; gather vocabulary knowledge when considering a word or phrase important to comprehension or expression.
- Conduct short research projects to answer a question (including a self-generated question), drawing on several sources and generating additional related, focused questions that allow for multiple avenues of exploration.
Course Outline
Quarter 1: How can I analyze different types of text to extend my thinking?
| Guiding Questions |
Learning Objectives |
- How do the structures and routines of our classroom support my thinking and learning?
- How does engaging with narrative texts help me understand others and myself on a deeper level?
- How does my understanding of the globe affect the way I see myself and understand others?
- How does a productive discussion look, sound, and feel?
- What strategies do I use when I come to words I don’t understand?
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- Analyze informative and narrative text.
- Cite textual evidence to support a claim
- Engage in book studies to examine how writers create stories
- Collaborate with peers to further understand my thinking and others.
- Identify major geographic and cultural regions
- Utilize roots/prefixes/suffixes to figure out an unknown word
- Conduct short research to become familiar with Latin American Countries
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Summative Projects: Book Club Snapshot, Latin America Gallery Walk
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Quarter 2: How do the struggles and influences in Latin American culture affect society?
| Guiding Questions |
Learning Objectives |
- How do authors present their views in informational and literary nonfiction texts to inform their audience?
- How does having discussions with my peers about reading help me modify my views?
- What major influences or struggles have affected the culture of Latin America today?
- How can I conduct thorough research using reliable resources (literary nonfiction and informational text) to better understand myself and others
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- Write an adventurous children’s story including factual information
- Dig deeper into a Latin American issue in order to research
- Craft an informational essay and present findings in a creative way
- Participate in a book study to further examine cultural issues in Latin America
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Summative Projects: Latin America Struggles and Influences Museum, Narrative Non-Fiction Story
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Quarter 3: How can I examine word choice and themes in literature to understand the author and myself?
| Guiding Questions |
Learning Objectives |
- How can I analyze vocabulary and determine multiple meanings of words in order to gain understanding from a text?
- How do good readers sound? In what ways does fluency improve my understanding of what I read?
- How can understanding figurative language enrich my literary experience?
- How is theme connected to character and self?
- How can I analyze text structure so that I can understand and produce clear and coherent writing in a format appropriate to task, purpose, and audience?
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- Identify and incorporate important vocabulary words/synonyms/connotations used in a variety of texts to enrich writing
- Practice fluency skills through reading expressively with different types of text
- Write, produce, and perform a scripted narrative to an audience
- Participate in a book study to further examine how authors convey theme through literature
- Use figurative language to craft a collection of poetry that expresses your ideas and life experiences
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Summative Projects: Poetry Cafe, Literary Theme Study, Reader’s/Radio/Fractured Fairy Tale Theater
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Quarter 4: How can the choices of authors and directors affect my viewpoint?
| Guiding Questions |
Learning Objectives |
- How does close reading help me to gain information about a topic?
- How do I construct a credible argument by evaluating information, format, genre, and bias presented by others?
- How do different forms of media influence the way an argument is presented?
- How is my experience, understanding, and appreciation different when reading and comparing a book that has been made into a movie or live production?
- How can I capture my experiences and memories in order to produce a written piece for an audience?
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- Develop a thesis question and conduct research from various formats to understand social issues in the Western Hemisphere
- Write and produce a newscast in order to inform and persuade an audience about a social issue
- Engage in a book study to compare the text to a movie version of the story and analyze director’s choices
- Work as a community to publish a newspaper moment of the year
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Summative Projects: Social Issue Newscast, Movie/Book Study, Classroom Newspaper
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| Career and Life Skills |
| Social and Cross Cultural |
The student respects and contributes to the diverse learning community by:
- Honoring the ideas and opinions of others and
- Interacting effectively and appropriately with others
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Productivity and Accountability
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The student takes ownership of work and actions by:
- Completing assignments on time
- Arriving prepared and on time
- Managing time
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Initiative and Self Direction
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The student demonstrates independence by:
- Self-advocating for assistance or resources
- Persevering through rigorous/challenging tasks
- Utilizing feedback
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