ELA Grade 6: 1st 9 Weeks

Research Project
W.6.7:
Distinguish how research
differs from other types of
writing. (K)
Focus my research around
a central question that is
provided or determine my
own research worthy
questions. (S)
Choose several sources
and gather information to
answer my research
question. (R)
Analyze the information
found in my sources to
determine if it provides
enough support to answer
my question. (R)
Refocus my research when
needed and adjust my
question when necessary.
(S)

W.6.8:
Determine the credibility
of a source by reviewing
who wrote it, when it was
written, and why it was
written. (R)
Gather information
needed to support my
research. (S)

Media Specialist/Teacher Connection

Investigate research texts (scholarly
articles, encyclopedia articles, etc.) as
mentor texts. Study the features and
structure. Use a Venn Diagram to compare
the features of one to another type of text
that is known/has been studied.
(Use the picture activity if students have
not already completed it in 5th grade)
As a starting point/hook, use the NY times
Whats Going On in This Picture? blog to
model and practice questioning and
searching.

Practice asking questions about

the picture

Discuss types of sources/where

to find info and practice
searching

Use think-aloud modeling to

analyze information found

Identify questions that come up

as a result of research and revise
questions as needed

Give students their own pictures

for guided practice
Design a research project with a teacher
that uses and teaches the Research Cycle
process (emphasizes questioning and
reflection).

Determine an essential question

that relates to curriculum OR

Allow students to develop

essential questions about topics
that are important to them.

Assessment: Students publish

their findings as a brief research
article to demonstrate their
understanding of research text
structure.
As an introduction to research or before a
specific research project:
-Review/discuss what it means to use
reliable or credible resources. Have
students share what they know about
evaluating sources.
-Introduce and explain (or review) the
CAPOW method for evaluating sources;
compare to students prior knowledge;
model using CAPOW to evaluate a source
(print and non-print).
-Students use CAPOW to evaluate a print
and non-print source; sources could be
related to research project topic and be
similar in theme/content; students
compare their CAPOW findings between
sources.
Possible strategies: Jigsaw, partner work,
stations
-Assessment: students present findings;
students complete CAPOW for at least one
of their project sources.
**If this lesson was taught in 5th grade,
consider having students be the CAPOW

Journeys Text and/or Exemplary

Text Correlation

Web Resources

The text will depend on what is being

studied in the classroom; however,
the text can be the starting point for a
larger research project.

NY Times learning blog

http://learning.blogs.nytimes.com/cate
gory/lesson-plans/whats-going-on-inthis-picture/?_r=0

For example,

The Research Cycle (slightly outdated

site but the process is still the same)
http://www.fno.org/dec99/rcycle.html

The Making of a Book by Rothbart

and History of the Book (Journeys
text) could lead to this essential
question:

How have books changed

over time, and how are
those changes affecting
our habits and attitudes as
readers?

Purdue OWL
https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/se
ction/1/
Analytical Text Structures
http://www.adlit.org/article/39554/

Students would use the Research

Cycle to ask questions about, search
for info about, and investigate the
essential question.

The texts should relate to whatever is

being studied or researched. For
easy evaluation and comparison, they
should contain similar
content/themes.

Possible hook for engagement &

discussion starter
State Farm State of Disbelief
Commercial
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3D
ZbSlkFoSU
Hoax sites for further discussion
about online sources:
http://allaboutexplorers.com/
http://www.dhmo.org/
Hoax sites lesson:
http://www.readwritethink.org/classro
om-resources/lesson-plans/hoax-hoaxstrategies-online-1135.html?tab=3
CAPOW explanation (for teaching
reference)
http://www.learninghouse.com/blog/p
ublishing/assignment-101-evaluatingweb-sites-using-capow
CAPOW slide
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BxL4f
dt1VlYFTENZUm5wc2lPVG8/view?usp=
sharing

experts who teach the class as a review.

W.6.9:
Determine textual
evidence that supports my
analysis, reflection, and/or
research. (R)
Compose written
responses and include
textual evidence to
strengthen my analysis,
reflection, and/or
research. (P)

Using the pictures and research from the

Whats Going On in This Picture? activity
(see above, W.6.7)**

Students complete a Textual

Evidence graphic organizer
(model first).
Students use their graphic
organizers to write a paragraph
response to answer the
question, Whats Going On...?
Assessment: Students can post
evidence based comments to
the NY Times blog or create a
Word document that includes
the picture and their
paragraphs.

Journeys text example

Read Knots in My Yo-yo String by
Spinelli

NY Times learning blog

http://learning.blogs.nytimes.com/cate
gory/lesson-plans/whats-going-on-inthis-picture/?_r=0

Use the graphic organizer to answer

the question, Why is teamwork
important?

Use databases for online articles that

relate to research
http://tntel.tnsos.org/
http://www.limitlesslibraries.org/

Journeys text
Knots in my Yo-yo String by Spinelli

Dramatic Tableaux
http://www.learner.org/libraries/maki
ngmeaning/makingmeaning/dramatic/l
essonplan.html

Texts will depend on what is being

studied or what the students have
read on their own.

Online Picture Book Maker

http://www.storyjumper.com/

**If the NY Times pictures have already

been used, review textual evidence and
complete the graphic organizer with any
text currently being studied.
Integrate the graphic organizer and
summary response into research projects.

RL/RI.6.1:
Identify explicit textual
evidence and inference.
(K)
Explain how a reader uses
textual evidence to reach a
logical inference or
conclusion. (R)
Read closely and find
answers explicitly in text
and answers that require
an inference. (S)

RL/RI6.3
Distinguish which
individuals, events, and/or
ideas are key for the text
to be valid. (R)
Identify the elements of
plot structure. (K)
Explain how plot is
developed by key events
and episodes experienced
by the characters. (R)
RL/RI.6.4
Identify various forms of
figurative language. (K)
Distinguish between literal
language and figurative

Use the graphic organizer to practice

determining textual evidence with any
Journeys or CCSS exemplar text (see next
column).
Intro/Hook/Review: Play the online Riddle
game for inference practice and as a
discussion starter.
http://www.philtulga.com/Riddles.html
After students have completed a novel
study in class, conduct a dramatic tableaux
activity. When tapped, the actors give
clues about who they are and what scene is
being shown. Students watching must
complete an inference chart (It Says, I Say,
and So) before the answer is revealed.
Continue to practice inference making with
a text. Read together, model the graphic
organizer, and provide opportunities for
guided and independent practice.
Give students an exit ticket on which they
must explain, How do readers make
inferences?
Identify an exemplar text (preferably a
novel) that the class has read and studied
recently. Or, allow students to use books
they have read on their own.
Discuss the elements of a story/plot, how
they connect, why they are each important.

Plot Structure Diagrams and Charts

http://www.storyboardthat.com/article
s/education/plot-diagram

In pairs or independently, students create

picture books for kids that retell the novels
and include all of the important story
elements.
At the end of their books, students must
write an explanation of why they chose to
keep certain elements and get rid of others.
For reinforcement of what has been
taught/introduced in class:
Literal vs. Figurative matching game
Students receive cards with literal and
figurative phrases. They must sort them
into their proper categories.

Literal vs. Figurative handout

http://www.readwritethink.org/files/r
esources/lessondocs/LiteralFigurativeHandout.pdf
Spine Label Poetry Examples
http://bookriot.com/2012/10/26/the-

language. (K)

Vocabulary Videos - students use cameras

or video devices, create their own literal
and figurative phrases, act out and film
each phrase, and show them to the class.
The audience has to identify each phrase
and give evidence to support an answer.

best-of-book-spine-poetry/

Students create Spine Label Poems using

library books and include one literal
phrase and one figurative phrase.
Conduct read aloud lesson with picture
books, short stories, or poetry. Partner
with the teacher to choose a text that will
force students to practice identifying
various forms of figurative language.
RL/RI.6.5
Locate textual evidence
that supports the central
idea, theme, setting, or
plot of a text. (K)
Recognize how a
particular sentence,
chapter, scene, or stanza
fits into the overall
structure of a text. (R)

RL/RI.6.6
Identify the different
points of view in a text.
Identify authors point of
view as how the author
feels about the
situation/topic of a text.
(K)
Identify and explain the
point of view of the
narrator or speaker in the
text. (K)

Choose an exemplar text with the

classroom teacher, or use a text that
currently being studied.

In pairs, groups, or independently,

students are assigned one element. With
the help of the LIS, students create Glogster
posters (or posters using some other Web
2.0 tool) to identify their element, the text
based evidence that supports it, and an
important sentence, chapter, scene, or
stanza.
Read/Show the book Zoom by Istvan
Banyai. Discuss how point of view changes
what you see as each new
image/perspective is revealed.

Glogster
http://edu.glogster.com/
Piktochart
http://piktochart.com/

All together, identify the theme, setting,

plot, and any other important elements.

Easel.ly
http://www.easel.ly/

To be determined with the teacher

Choose an exemplar text with a teacher

that includes more than one point of view.
After reading and discussing points of view
(including the authors), have students
write a letter or response from the point of
view of someone in the story. Missing
points of view could also be included.

Recognize that authors use

various formats when
presenting information on
a topic/issue. (K)

Use an evidence based claims graphic

organizer (see RL/RI.6.8) to have students
make a claim about the authors point of
view and evidence from the text to support
that claim.
Intro/Hook: Read an excerpt from the
book and ask students to close their eyes.
Discuss the visualization strategy that
can be used to improve comprehension.
Students share their visualizations out
loud or through illustration.

Identify visual displays of

information (e.g., graphs,
pictures, diagrams, charts,
media clips) in a text. (K)

Design a WebQuest that involves the use of

print, non-print, and graphic resources.
Include a real-world connection with the
research topic.

Explain the mental images

that occur while reading.
(R)

Example:

Students read/study Freedom

Walkers by Freedman

Through a WebQuest, students

explore online databases,
graphs, pictures, cartoons, and
other print sources to learn
more about the Civil Rights
movement, key figures, and
Nashvilles role during that time.
The also use the maps and other
material provided in the book.

Assessment: Students answer an

essential question and present

RL/RI.6.7

Texts will depend on conversations

with the teacher.

CCSS Exemplar (Appendix B)

Freedom Walkers: The Story of the
Montgomery Bus Boycott by Russell
Freedman

WebQuest Design Information

http://www.educationworld.com/a_tec
h/tech/tech011.shtml

their findings (citing textual

evidence) EQ and presentation
format to be determined
through collaboration with
teacher
RL/RI.6.8
Identify the claims of an
argument presented by an
author in a text. (K)

Discuss argumentative writing its

purpose and structure.
Introduce/Review Making Evidence Based
Claims graphic organizer (review if
introduced in 5th grade); discuss the
meaning of key terms: evidence based,
claim, argument; model the graphic
organizer and close reading of text

CCSS Exemplar (Appendix B)

Letter on Thomas Jefferson by John
Adams (1776)

Making Evidenced Based Claims

(scroll to end for graphic organizer;
change language on organizer to be
5th grade appropriate)
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BxL4f
dt1VlYFaVRuQUkzY19fMFk/view?usp=s
haring

Ultimately, students tackle this standard

with a CCSS exemplar.

Identify different forms of

genre. (K)
Explain the characteristics
of different forms of text
(e.g., memoirs,
biographies, articles). (K)

Create a Genre Museum that is exhibited

in the library.
Working in groups, students become
experts on a particular genre. While
guiding students through the research
process, teach mini-lessons about each
genre and conduct a short read aloud.

CCSS exemplars (Appendix B)

Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry (HF)
A Wrinkle in Time (SF)
Eleven (RF)
The Dark is Rising (Fantasy)
Sorry, Wrong Number (Drama)
Jabberwocky (Poetry)
Chicago (Poetry)

Students use their research to create a

museum exhibit all about their genre.
They can include multimedia elements,
costume, artifacts, etc.

Also find informational texts that

have different purposes: textbook,
journal article, magazine article,
editorial, etc.

Students could also read a book in their

genre and write/present a Book Talk that
tells about the book and the genre.

Additional Teaching Notes:

Developing Evidence Based Claims

Lesson
Opposing Viewpoints
http://ic.galegroup.com/ic/ovic/?p=OVI
C&u=tel_s_tsla

Using a variety of sources (magazine

articles, editorials, pro/con article from
database), split students into groups and
have them identify claims and evidence.
Students can create a chart on large paper
to share their ideas with the class.

RL/RI.6.9

Letter on Thomas Jefferson lesson