ELA+CCSS+and+F&P+Skills




 * 6th Grade Common Core Skills /
 * 6th Grade Common Core Skills /

Knowledge || 6th Grade Skills (Fountas and Pinnell Level X) ||
 * Reading Informational Texts

Thinking Within the Text Solving Words:


 * Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in grade level reading and content, including interpretation of figurative language in context.
 * 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.
 * Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade level reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies and tools.
 * Understanding meaning changes when words are used satirically, ironically, or symbolically

Searching for and Using Information:


 * Process sentences with the syntax of archaic or regional dialect

Retelling/Summarizing:


 * Determine two or more main or central ideas of a text and how they are conveyed through particular details; provide a summary of the text distinct from personal opinions or judgments.

Thinking Beyond the Text

Making Connections:

Synthesizing:
 * Examine how two authors present similar information in different types of text.
 * Build meaning and develop abstract concepts across a large number of varied texts (many genres)
 * Make connections between satirical literature and the social issues they represent

Inferring:
 * Integrate information presented in different media or formats (e.g. visually, quantitatively) as well as in words to develop a coherent understanding of a topic or issue.
 * Find evidence to support an argument


 * Cite textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences and/or generalizations drawn from the text.

Thinking About the Text

Analyzing:


 * Analyze in detail how a key individual, event, or idea is introduced, illustrated, and elaborated in a text.
 * Determine an author’s point of view or purpose in a text and explain how it is conveyed in the text.
 * Analyze the author’s structure through the use of paragraphs, chapters, or sections.
 * Engage in critical thinking across a writer’s body of work or across works on the same content and discuss findings or produce a literary essay
 * In writing, draw evidence from informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research, applying grade level reading standards for informational texts

Critiquing


 * Evaluate an author’s argument by examining claims and determining if they are supported by evidence.
 * Critique texts in terms of the writer’s bias or the use of exaggeration and subtle misinformation (as in propaganda)

Informational Writing

Write informative/ explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas, concepts, and information clearly.

Focus


 * Identify and introduce the topic for the intended audience.

Content


 * Develop and analyze the topic with relevant facts, definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other information and examples; include graphics and multimedia when useful to aiding comprehension

Organization


 * Organize ideas, concepts, and information using strategies such as definition, classification, comparison/contrast, and cause/effect
 * Use appropriate transitions to clarify the relationships among ideas and concept
 * Provide a concluding statement or section; include formatting when useful to aiding comprehension.

Style


 * Write with an awareness of the stylistic aspects of composition.
 * Use precise language and domain-specific vocabulary to inform about or explain the topic
 * Use sentences of varying lengths and complexities
 * Use precise language.
 * Develop and maintain a consistent voice
 * Establish and maintain a formal style.

Conventions


 * Demonstrate a grade appropriate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and spelling.

Research Writing

Technology & Publication

Conducting Research
 * Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing as well as to interact and collaborate with others; demonstrate sufficient command of keyboarding skills to type a minimum of three pages in a single sitting.


 * Conduct short research projects to answer a question, drawing on several sources and refocusing the inquiry when appropriate.
 * Gather relevant information from multiple print and digital sources; assess the credibility of each source; and quote or paraphrase the data and conclusions of other while avoiding plagiarism and providing basic bibliographic information for sources.

Speaking and Listening

Comprehension and Collaboration


 * Delineate a speaker’s argument and specific claims by identifying specific reasons and evidence, and recognize arguments or claims not supported by factual evidence.
 * Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions, on grade level topics, texts, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.
 * Interpret information presented in diverse media and formats (e.g. visually, quantitatively, orally) and explain how it contributes to a topic, text, or issue under study.

Presentation of Ideas


 * Present information, findings, and supporting evidence, conveying a clear and distinct perspective; organization, development, substance, and style are appropriate to purpose, audience, and task.

Integration of Knowledge, Media and Ideas


 * Include multimedia components and visual displays in presentations to clarify information.

Integration of Knowledge and Ideas


 * Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks.

Conventions of Standard English


 * Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English when speaking based on grade 6 level and content. || Reading Informational Texts

Thinking Within the Text Solving Words:


 * Notice new and useful words and intentionally record and remember then to expand oral and written vocabulary
 * Use word solving strategies background knowledge, graphics, text cents, and readers tools to solve words, including content specific and technical words
 * Use word roots and origins to understand their meaning
 * Understand a variety of words that represent big ideas and abstract concepts
 * Understand when a writer uses words in a satirical or symbolic way that changes the surface meaning

Search for and Using Information


 * Search for and use information in a wide range of graphics and integrate with information from print
 * Use a full range of readers tools( table of contents, glossary, headings and subheadings, call-outs, pronunciation guides, index, references)
 * Process long sentences(30 or more words) with embedded phrases and cluasuses
 * Gain important information from much longer texts, most with no illustrations
 * Search for and use information for texts that have many new and unfamiliar concepts and ideas

Summarizing


 * Identify important ideas and information and organize them in a summary form in order to remember and use them as background knowledge in reading or for discussion and writing
 * Exercise selectivity in summarizing the information in a text
 * Construct summaries that are concise and reflect the important and overarching ideas and information in texts

Thinking Beyond the Text

Prediction


 * Use characteristics of genre as a source of information to make predictions before and during reading

Making Connections


 * Make connections between the test and other tests that have been read and demonstrate in writing
 * Make connections between statistical literature and the social issues they represent
 * Build meaning across a larger number of texts

Synthesizing


 * Mentally form categories of related information and revise them as new information is acquired across the text
 * Integrate existing content knowledge with new information from a text to consciously create new understandings
 * Acquire new content and perspective through reading both nonfiction texts about diverse cultures, times, and places
 * Draw conclusions from information
 * Find evidence to support an argument

Inferring

Thinking About the Text Analysis
 * Infer the big ideas and themes of a text and discuss how they are applicable to peoples lives today
 * Infer the meaning of symbols that the writer uses to convey and enhance meaning
 * Infer themes and ideas from illustrations in graphic texts


 * Analyze the selection of genre in relation to inferred writers purpose for a range of text
 * Understand when a writer has combined underlying organizational structures
 * Analyze how language, illustrations, and layout word together as a unified whole to set mood and convey meaning
 * Notice how an author uses words in a connotative way
 * Understand the organization of the text in nonfiction and present it in diagrams and graphic organizers
 * Notice aspects of the writer’s craft after reading several texts or topics
 * Discuss alternative interpretations of smybolism
 * Notice and discuss the meaning of symbolism when used by a writer to create texts
 * Notice the writers choice of words that are not English and report on the reasons for these choices and how those words add to the meaning of a text
 * Notice the way writers use regional dialect and how it adds to the authenticity of the test or characters
 * Analyze tests to determine the writers POV or bias, identifying specific language that reveals bias or qualifies as propaganda
 * Identify similarities across texts
 * Compare and contrast multiple points ofiv iew
 * Derive authors implicitly state purpose
 * Distinguish between fact and fiction

Critique


 * Assess the authors qualifications to write an informational text
 * Assess whether a text is authentic and consistent with life experience
 * Use other sources of information to check the authenticity of a text
 * Discuss whether social issues and different cultural groups are accurately represented in nonfiction text
 * Critique texts in terms of the writers bira or the use of exaggeration and subtle misinformation
 * Derive the authors purpose even when not explicitly stated
 * Distinguish between fact and opinion
 * Identify contradiction
 * Evaluate how the writer has used illustrations and print to convey big ideas

Informational Writing

Expository Writing

Focus


 * Write in both first and third person
 * Use paragraphs to organize ideas (more than 5)
 * Use transitions to support the pace and flow of the writing
 * Use language to establish a point of view
 * Use transitional words for time flow (eventually, suddenly)
 * Establish a main or controlling idea that provides perspective on the topic
 * Hold the reader’s attention with clear, focused content
 * Clearly communicate main points
 * Engage the reader with ideas that show strong knowledge of the topic
 * Use a variety of ways to focus a subject (time and thematic)

Content


 * Engage readers’ interest by presenting a problem, conflict, interesting person, or surprising information
 * Support ideas with facts, details, examples, and explanations from multiple authorities
 * End an informational text with a thoughtful conclusion
 * Provide details that are accurate and relevant

Organization


 * Use well-crafted paragraphs to organize ideas
 * Choose a narrative or informational genre and organize the text appropriately
 * Use the structure of exposition, a non-narrative, with facts and information ordered in a logical way
 * Use underlying structures to present different kinds of information (established sequence, temporal sequence, compare and contrast, problem and solution, cause and effect)
 * Use a variety of beginnings and endings to engage the reader (for example, surprise, circular story)
 * Begin with a purposeful and engaging lead that sets the tone for the piece
 * Bring a piece to closure, to a logical conclusion, through an ending or summary statement
 * Use time appropriately as an organizing tool
 * Vary organizational structures to add interest to the piece (temporal sequence, story within story, flashback, flashforward, mixture of narrative and expository text)
 * Organize the text to fit the choice of narrative or informational genre
 * Clearly show topics and subtopics and indicate them with headings and subheadings in expository writing
 * Put important ideas together to communicate about a topic

Style


 * Vary sentence length to create feeling or mood and communicate meaning
 * Vary sentence length and take risks in grammar to achieve an intended effect
 * Show through language instead of telling or commentary
 * Use a variety of transactions and connections (words, phrases, sentences, and paragraphs)
 * Arrange simple and complex sentences for an easy flow and sentence transition
 * Use words in figurative ways to make comparisons (simile, metaphor)
 * Use language to establish a point of view
 * Vary language and style as appropriate to audience and purpose
 * Write in first, second, and third person to create different effects
 * Select precise words to reflect the intended message or meaning
 * Use a range of descriptive words to enhance the meaning
 * Use strong verbs (active rather than passive, and more descriptive or interesting than words typically used; for example, hurled instead of threw)
 * Use strong nouns (more descriptive or interesting than words typically used; for example, matriarch instead of mother)
 * Learn new words from reading and try them out in writing
 * Use transitional words for time flow (next, while)
 * Use memorable or vivid words (transcend, luminous)
 * Select and write appropriate words to convey intended meaning
 * Use vocabulary appropriate for the topic
 * Vary word choice to create interesting description or dialogue
 * Use figurative language to make comparisons (simile, metaphor)
 * Use colorful modifiers and style as appropriate to audience and purpose
 * Choose words with the audience’s background knowledge in mind
 * Use words that convey an intended mood or effect
 * Use repetition to create a particular effect
 * Write with a cadence that demonstrates the individualistic style of the writer
 * Use punctuation to support voice or tell the reader how to read the text (commas, ellipses, dashes, colons)
 * State information in a unique way
 * Write texts that have energy
 * Write in a way that shows care and commitment to the topic
 * Use examples to make meaning clear

Conventions


 * Appropriately punctuate heading, sidebars, and titles
 * Write a variety of complex sentences using conventions of word order and punctuation
 * Vary sentence structure and length for reasons of craft
 * Use a range of sentence types (declarative, interrogative, imperative, exclamatory)
 * Use objective and nominative case pronouns (me, him, her, he, she)
 * Identify all parts of speech
 * Use dependent and independent clauses correctly to communicate meaning
 * Correctly use verbs and objects that are often misused ([verb] to her and me; she and I [verb])
 * Use nouns, verbs, pronouns, adjectives, adverbs, and prepositions in agreement and in conventional order with sentences
 * Write sentences in past, present, future, present perfect, past perfect and future perfect tenses
 * Maintain consistency of tense
 * Understand and use paragraph structure (indented or block) to organize sentences that focus on one idea
 * Create transitions between paragraphs to show the progression of ideas
 * Use a capital letter for the first word of a sentence
 * Use a capital letter for all proper nouns
 * Identify and use special uses of capitalization (headings, titles, emphasis)
 * Use capitalization correctly within titles and headings
 * Use capitalization for specialized functions (emphasis, key information, voice)
 * Use more complex capitalization with increasing accuracy, such as abbreviations and within quotation marks
 * Notice effective or unusual use of punctuation marks by authors
 * Try out new ways of using punctuation
 * Understand and use ellipses to show pause or anticipation, usually before something surprising
 * Use dashes to indicate a longer pause or slow down the reading to emphasize particular information
 * Consistently use periods, exclamation points, and question marks as ending marks
 * Use commas and quotation marks in writing dialogue
 * Use apostrophes in contractions and possessives
 * Use commas to identify a series
 * Use brackets to set aside a different idea or kind of information
 * Use colons to indicate something is explained or described
 * Use commas and parentheses to set off parenthetical information
 * Use hyphens to divide words
 * Use indentation to identify paragraphs
 * Use semicolons to divide related parts of a compound sentence
 * Be aware of the spelling of common suffixes (for example, -ion, -ment, -ly)
 * Spell a full range of contractions, plurals, and possessives correctly
 * Spell words that have been studied (spelling words) correctly
 * Spell multisyllable words that have vowel and r
 * Use difficult homophones (principal, principle-counsel, council) correctly
 * Understand that many English words come from other languages and have Greek or Latin roots
 * Use word origin to assist in spelling and expanding writing vocabulary

Library Media Skills: Technology Communications

Digital Citizenship


 * Document multiple sources (primary and secondary) to support points
 * Understand ethical issues related to electronic communication
 * Understand how to protect personal identification on the Internet
 * Understand the concept of networking and be able to identify various components of a computer system
 * Critically read material published on Internet and compare points of view
 * Search to authenticate sources of information
 * Understand that material downloaded from interactive media should be credited and cited


 * Locate and validate information on the Internet (from approved sites)
 * Cite material downloaded from interactive media

Information Research


 * Draw information from both text (print) and non-text (photos, sound effects, animation, illustrations, variation in font and color) elements
 * Search for and download information on a wide range of topics
 * Understand the importance of multiple sites and resources for research
 * Use technology tools for research across curriculum areas
 * Recognize that information is framed by the source’s point of view and use this information to detect bias on websites
 * Use the Internet to examine current events, gathering several points of view
 * Select appropriate forms of graphics to represent particular types of data (for example, bar or line graphs)
 * Use digital photos or illustrations from the Internet
 * Understand the connection between presentation (text and non-text elements) on a website and its intended audience
 * Communicate knowledge through multimedia presentations, desktop published reports, and other electronic media
 * Frame points and issues to create persuasive productions ||