Course Title: 6th grade English Language Arts
Teacher:Adina Richman
Email:
Course Description: The first year of middle school is a transitional time. Students are exposed to new forms of expression, strategies and concepts, but many of the lessons are reviews, or are recursive in nature, such as grammar, syntax and usage rules. We will learn how to make, take and/or use graphic organizers, Cornell Notes, Bloom’s Taxonomy, and the Jane Schaffer Method of writing essays. Additionally, we will learn how to recognize and use the literary elements, rhetorical devices and literary archetypes. Our literary selections and curriculum are designed to help students go from dependence to independence in projects and thought, and from foundational concrete rules to abstract thinking and meaningful questioning. Because of this, the course curriculum is based around Guiding and Eternal Questions.
Guiding Questions: Can one person make a difference? How does one create positive change? What keeps us from change? Who am I? Who do I want to become? What is an individual’s responsibility to him/herself and to society?
Eternal Questions: Who Am I? What Makes Me Unique? What is My Purpose?
Major works:
- Seedfolks, by Paul Fleischman
- A Wrinkle In Time, by Madeleine L’Engle
- When You Reach Me, by Rebecca Stead
- I Am Malala- by Malala Yousafszi (nonfiction; excerpts)
- The Diary of Anne Frank - play by Albert Hackett and Frances Goodrich with excerpts from Anne Frank, Diary of a Young Girl, by Anne Frank (nonfiction) and Anne Frank Remembered; the Story of the Woman Who Helped Hide Anne Frank by MiepGies and Alison Gold (nonfiction; video documentary and book)
- Freak the Mighty, by Rodman Philbrick
Key Areas of Study:
- Literary Elements
- Rhetorical Devices
- Archetypes
- Vocabulary Building
- Close Reading
- Summary, Response, Critique
- Personal Narrative
- Creative Writing
- The writing Process, Paragraph Writing and the essay
- Bloom’s Taxonomy
Methods of Assessment:
The course will be taught through class discussion, large and small group work, interactive activities, projects, reading selections, and lecture. Students will be assessed for comprehension and/or mastery in a variety of manners, including, but not limited to, oral examination, participation, formal tests, quizzes, written and visual compositions, teacher observation, notes, rubrics, numeric and letter grades, and Socratic Inquiry.
Grading Policy:
Homework – 30%
Classwork- 30%
Tests, quizzes, major essays and projects -40%
Late work will be accepted for up to three days past the due date. Each late day, a 10 point deduction will be applied. After three days, the assignment will receive a zero.
Cheating, copying and plagiarism will result in a grade of 0.
Philosophical Mission Statement:
I believe that the primary objective of a Language Arts teacher is to present students with different models for effective communication, comprehension and expression, in order to facilitate and stimulate creative thought, questioning skills, critical thinking, and meaningful, articulate expression of unique or original thought.
I believe that people learn, absorb and retain information in different ways, and that an eclectic approach is necessary to serve and stimulate a diverse student population.
I believe that people are capable of change and that high expectations promote success and self-confidence.
I believe that we gain knowledge, insight and flexibility through the study of alternative, diverse viewpoints, theories and strategies. The exploration of patterns and connections are essential to understanding human motivation, life and civility.
I believe in respect, collaboration, and ownership of ideas, actions, speech and responsibility. It is necessary to create a learning environment in which every participant feels valued, trusted and trustworthy, respected, and comfortable to express opinions, make mistakes, and nurture learning and positive change.
I believe that students should be encouraged to move from dependence to independence, from “being told” toward “figuring out.” Students are a vital part of their own educations and should be part of the decision-making and execution of their academic goals.