GRADE 6 LITERATURE

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GRADE 6 READING ASSIGNMENTS

Independent Reading

Parent Letter

Quarter 1 Chart

Extra Page

Quarter 1 Mystery Project

The required mystery reading (list available in "Web Links" section and in the MJDS card catalog) should be completed at least a few days before the due date on the reading card (October 4, 2011) in order to prepare for the oral presentation. Students will find out in what order they will present a few days before the due date. Here are the two items you will need: Information about the presentation and an abbreviated rubric for grading. Both items will be explained in class. Also handed out in class is a four page explanation of the criteria used for grading. This chart (below) explains the point system used to grade all the oral presentations made throughout the year. I have also included an example of the way a mystery presentation could be written beforehand. I will discuss how to put it on notecards and demonstrate the actual presentation in class.

Quarter 1 Choice Genre Assignment

One of the choice genres (lists available in "Web Links" section) is due no later than November 2, 2011. There will be some form of an assignment or individual conference as part of this assignment.

The City of Ember

This is the Vocabulary list of 28 words you must know by the time you have completed your reading. You should look up these words which will be on the final test. This is the Extra Vocabulary List with additional words that Adon Ross feels you might not know. He will discuss these words in class in addition to the ones for which you will be responsible on a final test.

1. Adon Ross will ask you to make a study notecard for each word in the list of 28 words. By using the definitions of the 28 words, you will all have the exact same definition. (This information will not be supplied until we have reached the last chapter of the book.)

2. When you look up the definitions of words in the dictionary, make sure that you have the correct definition for the context of the word and you have the correct form of the word in that definition. For example if the word ends with -ing, the definition should also end with -ing.

Map of the city of Ember. (Sorry, it is not the enlarged one Adon Ross made for students.)

Final Test Study Guide

TUCK EVERLASTING

This modern fantasy contains themes of life and death and immortality. In spite of its factors of unreality, Tuck Everlasting seems believable. Would you want to live forever? What age would you want to remain? What would happen if no one ever died? What would happen if some people lived forever? These are questions we will explore as we read this young adult classic. Written answers must follow four rules: 1) All answers must be written in complete sentences. 2) All answers should include enough of the question that anyone picking up the paper would know what the questions was. 3) All answers should begin with proper or common nouns, not pronouns. For example, "Max was afraid of his father." not "he was afraid of his father." 4) All answers should reflect as much detail as possible. In other words, elaborate; don't just say "yes" or "no." Add the "why" you feel that way. Sample written answers are linked below.

Vocabulary List with Assignment

Figures of Speech-Literary Terms /Devices

Answering Questions Explanation

Questions

Figurative Language (Figures of Speech) Worksheet

Study Guide

Independent Reading

Quarter 2 Chart

If you want more back sides of the chart for extra credit, look above at Quarter 1 Independent Reading.

Quarter 2 Choice Genre Assignment

One of the choice genres (lists available in "Web Links section") is due Wednesday, December 14, 2011. There is a written book report sheet for whichever genre you pick. (See different sheets below)

Realistic Fiction Book Report Sheet

Animal Book Report Sheet

Informational Book Report Sheet

Short Story Book Report Sheet

Quarter 2 Historical Fiction Poster Project

The required historical fiction poster project will be due Monday, January 16, 2012. Here are the directions you need: Information about the poster. This assignment will be explained several times in class. Here is the rubric that will be used for grading.

Freak, the Mighty

These are the questions students need to answer, along with vocabulary, organized by "Days." Written answers must follow four rules: 1) All answers must be written in complete sentences. 2) All answers should include enough of the question that anyone picking up the paper would know what the questions was. 3) All answers should begin with proper or common nouns, not pronouns. For example, "Max was afraid of his father." not "he was afraid of his father." 4) All answers should reflect as much detail as possible. In other words, elaborate; don't just say "yes" or "no." Add the "why" you feel that way. Sample written answers are linked below.

Vocabulary and Questions

Sample Written Answers

Schedule of Assignments 2011

Parental Video Permission Note

Research Topics

Vocabulary with Definitions

Study Guide

Mythology

Students will be reading several myths out of D'Aulaires' Greek Myths or D' Aulaires' Norse Myths. They will be given assignments to take home to answer after reading. The page numbers at the top of each assignment tell the pages to be read. Be sure to follow directions. Write good, complete sentences. Those students who have read D'Aulaires' Greek Myths before, will read Norse myths. Students will also be given the opportunity to read myths independently.

Greek Assignment 1
Greek Assignment 2	Norse Quiz 1
Greek Assignment 3	Norse Quiz 2
Greek Assignment 4	Norse Quiz 3
Greek Assignment 5	Norse Quiz 4
Greek Assignment 6	Norse Quiz 5
Greek Assignment 7	Norse Quiz 6
Greek Assignment 8	Norse Quiz 7
Greek Assignment 9
Greek Assignment 10

Quarter 3 Independent Reading

The required biography/autobiography costumed presentation is part of Humanities Night, February 28, 2012. Students will need to choose a biography or autobiography. They will then dress up as that person and present information about their person's life in first person. This is an interdisciplinary project. In addition to reading the biography there are associated requirements: a display board, pictures with captions, a written report (English), a timeline (social studies), and a bio poem (English). Below, are associated explanations.

Quarter 3 Book Chart

General Humanities Night Biography Information

Humanities Night Rubric

Project Dates and Deadlines

Biography Report Information

Humanities Night Final Instructions

Readers' Workshop

Readers' Workshop gives each student the opportunity either to read his or her own choice of fiction book or a teacher assigned book at his or her own pace (with the goal of finishing the book by the final day) . Students are given time during class to read their books and think about a question(s)/topic(s) for the day. They are to keep a log of the date, how many pages they read each day, and the answer(s) to the day's question(s) or comments about the day's topic. Grades will be based on how well-developed each student's answers/comments are. The reading log will be collected at the end of the unit. Depending on either how long the book is and/or the speed of the reader, it is possible that a student will not finish the book during the unit. Here is a sample from Adon Ross's first two days of reading IQ by Roland Smith. For 2012, students will be reading The Cay by Theodore Taylor (approximately 18 pages per day). Students may refer to the information in The Cay section farther down the page. Here is a blank chart that students can use for filling in each day's answers. It can be uploaded, typed on each night, and saved on each student's computer.

Below are the first five questions/topics:

Monday, February 6: How does the author begin the story to engage the reader? How does the story begin? Is there background information that would help you understand the story better?

Tuesday, February 7: Who/What is the main character? Describe him/her/it. In what way does the author get you to "see" what the character looks or acts like? What is this character like? Could you be friends with this character? Why/Why not?

Thursday, February 9: What is the setting of the story? Remember setting means time, place, and mood. Be as specific as possible.

Friday, February 10: What is the basic conflict/problem? If you haven't gotten to it yet, summarize what is happening so far.

Monday, February 13: What are your thoughts about the book? Do you have questions? Are you liking it? What do you like? What do you dislike?

Literature Circles

Students are given the chance to rank order a choice of book from a list. Adon Ross then organizes groups of four or five depending on those choices and other factors. The students then get together and organize their reading into ten days and decide the rotation of specific jobs explained on the sheets below. Each day students are also responsible for keeping track of the vocabulary words that Adon Ross will eventually use for a test. Adon Ross will discuss those words with the group. Some of the sheets in this section will not print out the exact same way as those that are handed out in class.

General Explanation

Rotation Schedules for Groups

Daily Worksheet for Individuals

Daily Vocabulary Tracking Sheet for eventual test

Where the Red Fern Grows
This classic middle school novel, written by Wilson Rawls, will help students understand concepts of characterization. Depending on how we have read other books so far during the school year, the method of evaluation will be different. There could be just take-home sets of questions OR a combination of both take-home sets of questions and after-reading in-class comprehension quizzes. The take-home questions are included below. OR there might be just in-class quizzes. If that is the case, there will be a study guide with questions students could use to see if they are prepared for the in-class quizzes (See below). OR the study guide questions may be used as take-home questions to answer.

When students have completed their reading, they may be writing a character sketch (see sheets below), focusing on one character trait of one character. Students have also been given background information sheets with a glossary of vocabulary words. There will also be a final test with vocabulary.

Take-home questions for Chapters I-III, pp. 1-24

Take-home questions for Chapters IV, V, pp. 25-46

Take-home questions for Chapters VI-VII, pp. 47-68

Take-home questions for Chapters VIII-XI, pp. 69-122

In-school quiz questions for Chapters XII-XIII, pp. 123-152

Take-home questions for Chapter XIV, pp. 153-168

Take-home questions for Chapter XV, pp. 169-181

Take-home questions for Chapters XVI-XVII, pp. 183-208

Take-home questions for Chapter XVIII, p. 209-221

Take-home questions for Chapters XIX-XX, pp. 223-249

Study Guide Questions p.1, p.2, p.3, p.4, p.5, p.6, p.7, p.8, p.9

Vocabulary List (without definitions) Definitions are in the special information pack given out at the beginning of the unit. Students are not responsible for all the words, just the ones we have discussed in class (and I have told the students to asterisk them).

List of Major Scenes

Character Sketch Explanation Sheet

Character Sketch Planning Sheet

Character Sketch Rubric Sheet

Quarter 4 Chart

Quarter 4 Choice Genre Book Report Assignment

Classic Book Project

Middle School Classics List

The choice genre is due _____________. The required classic book project is due ___________. Students are to choose a middle school "classic" from the list Adon Ross will provide. For this project, students may work in groups of up to three. An explanation and projects list is above.

Island on Bird Street

This Holocaust novel, written by Uri Orlev, is loosely based on the author's life as a boy living in the Warsaw Ghetto during World War II. Vocabulary and questions have been collated together as a pack with a study guide for the test. A three week schedule is attached. Also, information about ghettos is included. Depending on time, there could be a writing project component. [An alternate book, The Road from Home, a novel based on the true story of the author's mother's life escaping the Armenian Genocide of World War I, will be provided for students who have read Island on Bird Street. Those students will receive their own separate assignment explanation, dictionary assignment, journal entires, and vocabulary list.]

Island on Bird Street Assignment Schedule

Uri Olev (author) Information

Holocaust Information (in relation to Island on Bird Street

Vocabulary with definitions

Writing Project(s) Explanation Sheet

The Cay

This survival novel, loosely based on a real incident, has become a classic. The story begins in February of 1942 but focuses on the time between April and August of 1942, in the midst of World War II, and is based loosely on a true incident.

Here is a map depicting locations in the novel. You can check here if you want to know what a divi-divi tree looks like and/or if you want see a photo of the Queen Emma Bridge with some colorful local Curacao buildings in the background. Here is another photo. Another photo of the bridge. Here is a photo of what a sea grape leaf looks like. I see a variation of them on Sanibel Island when we visit each year.

This is a list of the vocabulary words you will need to know for the final test. We will be discussing them in class.

Below are questions for each of the reading assignments. By guiding your reading with these questions, you should be able to do very well on the in-class quizzes.

Chapters 5 and 6 Questions

Chapters 7 and 8 Questions

Chapters 9 and 10 Questions

Chapters 11 and 12 Questions

Chapters 13 and 14 Questions

Chapters 15 and 16 Questions

Chapters 17-19 Questions

Here is the study guide for the final test.

GRADE 6 SUMMER READING LIST 2011

This is the list from which students need to choose their books for 2011 summer reading. As the directions state, students need to read at least two books from the list but from different genres. When they return in the fall, they will be expected to take an AR test for each book. The scores will be included as part of Quarter 1 grades. If students think they will forget information, Adon Ross suggests that they take some notes about the character, setting, and plot as they read or after they read.