Montague Township School District
English Curriculum Guide
Grade 6
2025-2026
Jessie Smalley
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Description
The Grade 6 English Language Arts curriculum addresses reading, writing, speaking and listening, and language skills through seven interconnected units spanning the school year. Students engage with literature and informational texts across multiple genres including novels, short stories, poems, drama, memoir, and nonfiction. The curriculum emphasizes critical reading skills, text analysis, evidence-based writing, and collaborative discussion. Each unit integrates grammar, vocabulary, and language conventions into authentic reading and writing tasks. The course is structured around essential questions and enduring understandings that guide student learning and help them make connections between texts and their own experiences.
Big Ideas
- Reading and writing are interconnected skills that develop through engagement with diverse texts and authentic practice.
- Textual evidence anchors analysis and supports claims in both literary and informational contexts.
- Language conventions and mechanics strengthen clarity and effectiveness in written and spoken communication.
- Multiple perspectives and interpretations of texts deepen understanding and critical thinking.
Essential Questions
- Which is more powerful: fear or hope?
- How do texts across genres explore common themes and ideas?
- What role does evidence play in supporting claims and understanding texts?
- How do writers develop voice, purpose, and meaning through language choices?
Core Textbook
Into Literature, Grade 6 — Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Language
Reading: Informational Text
Reading: Literature
Speaking and Listening
Writing
Students analyze historical texts and primary sources to understand different perspectives on freedom, justice, and human rights across time periods and cultures.
Students investigate animal behavior, ecosystems, and survival mechanisms through reading and writing activities that connect to life science concepts.
Assessment occurs throughout the year in multiple forms. Formative assessments include text-dependent questions, discussion activities, vocabulary strategy practice, and grammar exercises embedded in reading and writing lessons. Each unit culminates in a summative assessment, typically a major writing task aligned to the unit's focus (argument, narrative, expository essay, or literary analysis) paired with a unit test. Unit 6 includes test preparation with practice on released items and research simulation tasks to prepare for standardized assessments. Benchmark assessments are referenced in the appendix for progress monitoring across special populations. All assessments are designed to measure mastery of focus standards and enduring understandings.
| Unit | Formative | Summative | Benchmark | Alternative |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01Discovering Your Voice | ✓ | ✓ | — | ✓ |
| 02Never Give Up | ✓ | ✓ | — | ✓ |
| 03Finding Courage | ✓ | ✓ | — | ✓ |
| 04Through an Animal's Eyes | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| 05Surviving the Unthinkable | ✓ | ✓ | — | ✓ |
| 06Test Prep | ✓ | ✓ | — | ✓ |
| 07Hidden Truths | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Coverage | 7/7 | 7/7 | 2/2 | 7/7 |
| Unit | IEP | 504 | MLL | At-Risk | Gifted |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01Discovering Your Voice | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| 02Never Give Up | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| 03Finding Courage | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| 04Through an Animal's Eyes | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| 05Surviving the Unthinkable | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| 06Test Prep | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| 07Hidden Truths | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Coverage | 7/7 | 7/7 | 7/7 | 7/7 | 7/7 |