Learning Targets

Reading Standards for Literature

I Can…

• find textual evidence to support my ideas about a text.
• determine the theme of a text and explain how it is conveyed through details.
• give an unbiased summary of a text.
• describe how the plot of a story unfolds in a series of episodes.
• explain how a character reacts or changes as the plot comes to a close.
• determine the figurative meaning of a word or phrase in a text.
• analyze the impact that word choice has on meaning and tone.
• analyze how a particular sentence contributes to the theme, setting, or plot of a text.
• explain how an author develops the point of view of the narrator or the speaker in a text.
• compare and contrast the experience of reading a text with seeing or hearing a performance of the text.
• compare and contrast how texts in different genres approach a similar theme.
• read and comprehend grade-level-appropriate literature.

Reading Standards for Informational Text

I Can…

• find textual evidence to support my ideas about a text.
• determine the central idea of a text and explain how it is conveyed through details.
• provide an unbiased summary of a text.
• analyze how an idea is introduced, illustrated, and elaborated in an informational text.
• determine the figurative, connotative, or technical meaning of a word or phrase used based on how it is used in an informational text.
• analyze how an individual section of an informational text fits into the overall structure and contributes to the development of ideas.
• determine the author’s point of view and explain how it is conveyed in an informational text.
• integrate information from different media or formats to add to my understanding of a topic or issue
• evaluate claims in a text by distinguishing claims that are supported by evidence from claims that are not.
• compare and contrast two authors’ presentations of the same events.
• read and comprehend grade-level-appropriate informational text.

Language Standards 

I Can…

• demonstrate a sixth-grade level of command of standard English grammar and usage conventions when writing or speaking.
• use pronouns in the proper case.
•  use intensive pronouns.
• correct inappropriate shifts in pronoun number and person.
• correct vague pronouns.
• recognize variations from standard English in writing and speaking and use strategies to improve the use of conventional language.
• demonstrate command of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling at a sixth-grade level when writing.
• use appropriate punctuation to set off nonrestrictive or parenthetical elements when writing.
• spell correctly at a sixth-grade level.
• use my knowledge of language and its conventions when writing, speaking, reading, or listening.
• vary sentence patterns for meaning, reader/listener interest, and style when writing or speaking.
• maintain consistency in style and tone when writing or speaking.
• use different strategies to determine or clarify the meaning of words or phrases from sixth-grade reading and content.
• use context clues to help me determine the meaning of a word or phrase.
• use sixth-grade Greek or Latin affixes and roots to help me determine the meaning of a word.
• use reference materials to find the correct pronunciation of a word, to determine or clarify its meaning, or to find its part of speech.
• verify what I think a word means by using context clues or by looking up the word in a dictionary.
• show understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and subtle differences in word meanings.
• interpret figures of speech, such as personification, using context.
• use the relationship between particular words to better understand each of the individual words.
• distinguish among connotations and denotations of words with similar meanings.
• acquire and use vocabulary appropriate for sixth-grade reading and content.

Writing Standards 

I Can…

• write an argument with clear reasons and relevant evidence to support a claim.
• write an argument with organized reasons and evidence.
• support a claim or argument with evidence and by using credible sources.
• use words, phrases, and clauses to clarify the relationships among claims and reasons.
• establish and maintain a formal style when writing an argument.
• create a conclusion that follows from the argument I present in my writing.
• write an informative or explanatory piece that examines a topic and conveys relevant ideas by including appropriate content.
• write an informative or explanatory piece with organized ideas, concepts, and information.
• use formatting, graphics, and multimedia when needed.
• develop the topic of an informative or explanatory piece by using facts, definitions, details, quotations, and other information.
• use appropriate transitions to clarify the relationships among ideas in my informative or explanatory writing.
• use precise language and vocabulary to explain the topic of my informative or explanatory writing.
•  establish and maintain a formal style in my informative or explanatory writing.
• create a conclusion that follows the information I present in my informative or explanatory writing.
• write a real or imagined narrative using effective technique, descriptive details, and logical sequences.
• engage the reader by establishing a context, introducing a narrator and characters, and organizing a logical sequence of events.
• use dialogue, pacing, and description to develop experiences, events, and characters in my narrative writing.
• use transition words, phrases, and clauses to convey sequence and signal shifts in time frame or setting in my narrative writing.
• use precise words and phrases, relevant descriptive details, and sensory language to convey experiences and events in my narrative writing.
• I can create a conclusion that follows the experiences or events described in my narrative writing.
• produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to sixth-grade tasks, purposes, and audiences.
• develop and strengthen my writing by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach, using guidance and support from my peers and adults as needed.
• use technology to produce and publish writing and collaborate with others.
• type at least three pages in a single sitting.
• conduct short research projects and use several sources to answer a question.
• gather relevant information from multiple print and digital sources, assess their credibility, and provide basic bibliographic information for sources.
• properly quote or paraphrase information from sources.
• draw evidence from texts to support my analysis, reflection, and research.
• draw evidence from literature to support my analysis, reflection, and research at a sixth-grade level.
• draw evidence from informational text to support my analysis, reflection, and research at a sixth-grade level.
• write over different time frames for a range of tasks, purposes, and audiences.

Speaking and Listening Standards 

I Can…

• engage in different types of collaborative discussions about sixth-grade topics, texts, and issues.
• prepare for collaborative discussion by reading or studying the required material in advance.
• actively participate by referring to my findings.
• follow rules for discussions, set goals and deadlines, and define roles in discussions as needed.
• pose and respond to questions with elaboration and detail in a way that contributes to the topic under discussion.
• review ideas expressed during a discussion and demonstrate understanding of multiple perspectives through reflection and paraphrasing.
• interpret information presented in different media and formats and explain how it contributes to a topic under study.
• distinguish between the arguments and specific claims that are supported by reason and evidence and those that are not.
• present claims and findings by sequencing ideas logically and using pertinent descriptions, facts, and details to emphasize main ideas and themes.
• use appropriate eye contact, adequate volume, and clear pronunciation.
• clarify information in presentations by using multimedia components and visual displays.
• adapt my speech to a variety of sixth-grade contexts and tasks.