Consensus Curriculum Language Arts
Diocese of Richmond 6th Grade
GRADE 6
A. ORAL COMMUNICATION: SPEAKING/LISTENING
1. Formulates and asks relevant questions
2. Demonstrates effective listening skills
3. Uses language and vocabulary appropriate to audience, topic and purpose
4. Presents, listens critically, and expresses opinions in oral presentations
5. Reads poetry and prose aloud with correct volume, pitch, tone, eye contact and expression
6. Correctly follows spoken instructions
7. Paraphrases and summarizes what is heard
B. WRITING/LANGUAGE
Purposeful Writing
1. Uses correct tone with regard to audience and purpose
2. Differentiates between fact and fiction
3. Demonstrates competence with types of writing such as narrative, expository, creative, descriptive, persuasive
4. Correctly identifies and constructs topic sentences and paragraphs
5. Uses literary devices such as alliteration, personification, onomatopoeia and other figurative language
6. Completes writing tasks using the 5-step writing process: prewriting, first draft, revising, editing and publishing
7. Understands the intellectual property of others to avoid plagiarism
8. Uses appropriate tone and voice with regard to audience and author’s purpose
Word Patterns/ Language
9. Recognizes and uses prefixes, suffixes, homographs, homophones,
homonyms, synonyms, antonyms and abbreviations
10. Investigates and recognizes the etymology of words
11. Recognizes and uses analogies
12. Demonstrates correct syllabication in decoding words
13. Identifies word origin and derivations
14. Uses roots, synonyms, and antonyms to expand vocabulary
15. Uses context and sentence structure to determine meanings and to differentiate among multiple meanings of words
16. Uses dictionaries, thesauruses, glossaries and Internet sources to
determine definition, pronunciation, etymology, spelling and usage of
words
17. Distinguishes between connotative and denotative meanings of words
Grammar/ Mechanics
18.Edits writing for correct grammar, capitalization, punctuation,
spelling, sentence structure and paragraphing
19. Uses subject-verb agreement
20. Uses correct pronoun-antecedent agreement to include indefinite pronouns
21. Maintains consistent verb tense across paragraphs
22. Uses quotations marks with dialogue
23. Composes different types of sentences, specifically simple and compound
24. Classifies sentences according to form and use
25. Uses a variety of graphic organizers including sentence diagrams, to analyze and improve sentence formation and paragraph structure
26. Recognizes and uses coordinating conjunctions when creating compound components in a sentence
27. Identifies and uses correct verb tense, specifically present, past, future, present perfect, past perfect, future perfect and emphatic
28. Classifies parts of speech, specifically nouns (concrete and abstract), pronouns, verbs (action, linking, transitive and intransitive), adjectives, adverbs and prepositional phrases
C. READING
Comprehension/ Strategic Thinking
1 . Demonstrates an understanding of a variety of genres
2. Identifies, analyzes and uses figurative language
3. Reads classic and current literature for enjoyment and information, including age-appropriate periodicals
4. Analyzes story elements of characterization, setting, conflict, theme and point of view
5. Demonstrates ability to create and interpret graphs, maps, charts, cables, diagrams, timelines and webs
6. Uses critical reading strategies to include questioning, making predictions, connections, inferences, etc.
7. Draws connections between history, art, music and literary works
8. Uses text structures such as type, headings and graphics to predict and categorize information in both print and digital texts
9. Determine author’s tone use of tone and mood
10. Demonstrates ability to analyze literature using the five point plot chart (exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, resolution)
11. Describes cause-and-effect relationships and their impact on plot
D. RESEARCH/MEDIA LITERACY
1. Compares and contrasts auditory, visual and written media messages
2. Demonstrates use of word processing utilities such as spell check,
grammar check, thesaurus and dictionary
3. Demonstrates ability to copy and organize notes
4. Utilizes print-based sources and on-line resources of information
5. Uses a variety of media and technology resources to enhance research
6. Exhibits proficiency in keyboarding, publishing and presenting data
7. Credits sources of directly quoted and summarized material using the correct MLA format
8. Evaluates the validity and authenticity of texts and on-line sources
E. CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS/STUDY SKILLS
1. Makes, confirms and revises predictions
2. Uses information in text to draw conclusions and make inferences
3. Identifies the main idea
4. Identifies transitional words and phrases
5. Compares and contrasts information about one topic or character with another
6. Demonstrates the ability to infer and draw conclusions
7. Compares and contrasts information in various subject areas
8. Investigates and determines a variety of test taking skills
9. Develops study methods that ensure competency in the various content areas
10. Develops ability to assess and solve problems
Diocese of Richmond 6th Grade
GRADE 6
A. ORAL COMMUNICATION: SPEAKING/LISTENING
1. Formulates and asks relevant questions
2. Demonstrates effective listening skills
3. Uses language and vocabulary appropriate to audience, topic and purpose
4. Presents, listens critically, and expresses opinions in oral presentations
5. Reads poetry and prose aloud with correct volume, pitch, tone, eye contact and expression
6. Correctly follows spoken instructions
7. Paraphrases and summarizes what is heard
B. WRITING/LANGUAGE
Purposeful Writing
1. Uses correct tone with regard to audience and purpose
2. Differentiates between fact and fiction
3. Demonstrates competence with types of writing such as narrative, expository, creative, descriptive, persuasive
4. Correctly identifies and constructs topic sentences and paragraphs
5. Uses literary devices such as alliteration, personification, onomatopoeia and other figurative language
6. Completes writing tasks using the 5-step writing process: prewriting, first draft, revising, editing and publishing
7. Understands the intellectual property of others to avoid plagiarism
8. Uses appropriate tone and voice with regard to audience and author’s purpose
Word Patterns/ Language
9. Recognizes and uses prefixes, suffixes, homographs, homophones,
homonyms, synonyms, antonyms and abbreviations
10. Investigates and recognizes the etymology of words
11. Recognizes and uses analogies
12. Demonstrates correct syllabication in decoding words
13. Identifies word origin and derivations
14. Uses roots, synonyms, and antonyms to expand vocabulary
15. Uses context and sentence structure to determine meanings and to differentiate among multiple meanings of words
16. Uses dictionaries, thesauruses, glossaries and Internet sources to
determine definition, pronunciation, etymology, spelling and usage of
words
17. Distinguishes between connotative and denotative meanings of words
Grammar/ Mechanics
18.Edits writing for correct grammar, capitalization, punctuation,
spelling, sentence structure and paragraphing
19. Uses subject-verb agreement
20. Uses correct pronoun-antecedent agreement to include indefinite pronouns
21. Maintains consistent verb tense across paragraphs
22. Uses quotations marks with dialogue
23. Composes different types of sentences, specifically simple and compound
24. Classifies sentences according to form and use
25. Uses a variety of graphic organizers including sentence diagrams, to analyze and improve sentence formation and paragraph structure
26. Recognizes and uses coordinating conjunctions when creating compound components in a sentence
27. Identifies and uses correct verb tense, specifically present, past, future, present perfect, past perfect, future perfect and emphatic
28. Classifies parts of speech, specifically nouns (concrete and abstract), pronouns, verbs (action, linking, transitive and intransitive), adjectives, adverbs and prepositional phrases
C. READING
Comprehension/ Strategic Thinking
1 . Demonstrates an understanding of a variety of genres
2. Identifies, analyzes and uses figurative language
3. Reads classic and current literature for enjoyment and information, including age-appropriate periodicals
4. Analyzes story elements of characterization, setting, conflict, theme and point of view
5. Demonstrates ability to create and interpret graphs, maps, charts, cables, diagrams, timelines and webs
6. Uses critical reading strategies to include questioning, making predictions, connections, inferences, etc.
7. Draws connections between history, art, music and literary works
8. Uses text structures such as type, headings and graphics to predict and categorize information in both print and digital texts
9. Determine author’s tone use of tone and mood
10. Demonstrates ability to analyze literature using the five point plot chart (exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, resolution)
11. Describes cause-and-effect relationships and their impact on plot
D. RESEARCH/MEDIA LITERACY
1. Compares and contrasts auditory, visual and written media messages
2. Demonstrates use of word processing utilities such as spell check,
grammar check, thesaurus and dictionary
3. Demonstrates ability to copy and organize notes
4. Utilizes print-based sources and on-line resources of information
5. Uses a variety of media and technology resources to enhance research
6. Exhibits proficiency in keyboarding, publishing and presenting data
7. Credits sources of directly quoted and summarized material using the correct MLA format
8. Evaluates the validity and authenticity of texts and on-line sources
E. CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS/STUDY SKILLS
1. Makes, confirms and revises predictions
2. Uses information in text to draw conclusions and make inferences
3. Identifies the main idea
4. Identifies transitional words and phrases
5. Compares and contrasts information about one topic or character with another
6. Demonstrates the ability to infer and draw conclusions
7. Compares and contrasts information in various subject areas
8. Investigates and determines a variety of test taking skills
9. Develops study methods that ensure competency in the various content areas
10. Develops ability to assess and solve problems