Grade 6 ELA South Carolina standards Standards

Written and Oral Communications

Research

Applications of Reading

Sixth Grade

English Language Arts Overarching Expectations

Evaluate and critique key literary elements that enhance and deepen meaning within and across texts.

Analyze how specific events and descriptive details develop the plot, reveal aspects of the characters, and/or create meaning.

Explain how figurative language impacts mood, tone, and meaning.

Evaluate and critique multimedia presentations of a text or subject, including their impact on an audience.

Analyze a text or subject presented through multimedia formats (e.g., reading a print version of a speech and listening to an audio recording of a speech) and explain how each media's portrayal of the text or subject impacts the audience.

Evaluate and critique the development of themes and central ideas within and across texts.

Analyze how key details contribute to the development of a theme(s) over the course of a literary text.

Analyze how supporting details contribute to the development of a central idea(s) over the course of an informational text.

Evaluate how an author's choice of point of view or perspective shapes style and meaning within and across literary texts.

Determine and explain the impact of multiple narrators or shifts in points of view and/or perspective.

Evaluate and critique how an author's perspective and purpose shape style and meaning within and across informational texts.

Analyze a primary and secondary account of the same event or topic and how the different perspectives impact the content and style of a text.

Evaluate and critique how an author uses words, phrases, and text structures to craft text.

Analyze how a particular sentence, paragraph, chapter, scene, or stanza fits into the overall structure of a text and contributes to the development of theme, setting, or plot.

Analyze how individual text sections (e.g., a particular sentence, paragraph, chapter, or section) fit into the overall structure of an informational text.

Trace the development of an author's argument while identifying the types of reasoning used and/or the rhetorical appeal of ethos, pathos, or logos in an informational text.

Summarize and paraphrase text to support comprehension and understanding.

Summarize and/or paraphrase content from grade-level text to enhance comprehension.

Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases.

Determine or clarify the meaning of known, unknown, and multiple-meaning words and phrases, choosing from an array of strategies.

use context (e.g., the overall meaning of a sentence, paragraph, or text; a word's position or function in a sentence) to determine the meaning of words and phrases;

use background or prior knowledge to determine or clarify the meanings of words and phrases; and

consult reference materials to determine or clarify the precise meanings, pronunciations, or parts of speech of words and phrases.

Analyze word relationships and nuances in word meanings within literary and informational texts.

Interpret an author's use of figurative, connotative, and technical language in literary, informational, and multimedia texts:

interpret figures of speech (e.g., metaphor) in context and analyze how they function within a text;

determine the relationship between words; and

distinguish between the connotations of words with similar denotations (e.g., economical, thrifty).

Build and apply a range of academic vocabulary, as well as grade-level appropriate morphology to apply to reading, writing, and speaking.

Apply knowledge of affixes and Greek and Latin roots to determine new and/or clarify precise meanings of words and phrases in grade-level content.

Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence.

Write arguments to support a claim with clear reasons and relevant evidence. When writing:

introduce a claim and organize the reasons and evidence clearly;

support a claim using logical reasoning supported by facts and/or data as evidence from a credible source(s);

acknowledge an alternative perspective;

use an organizational structure appropriate to the purpose and task;

use transitions to clarify the relationship(s) between claim and reasons;

provide a concluding statement or section that follows from the argument presented.

Write informative/expository texts to analyze and explain complex ideas and information.

Write informative texts to examine a topic and analyze information from one or more sources. When writing:

introduce a topic clearly and organize information logically;

develop the topic with relevant facts, definitions, details, quotes, or other information and examples;

use appropriate transitions to clarify the relationships among ideas and concepts;

use precise language and vocabulary to inform or to explain the topic; and

provide a concluding statement or section.

Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences using effective techniques.

Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences, memories, or ideas, using effective techniques, relevant descriptive details, and well-structured event sequences. When writing:

produce clear and coherent writing appropriate to the task and audience;

establish context and introduce a narrator and/or characters;

organize a logical plot structure;

use narrative techniques such as dialogue and description to develop experiences, events, setting, and/or characters;

use precise words and phrases, relevant descriptive details, and figurative language to convey experiences and events; and

provide an ending that follows logically from the narrated experiences or events.

Demonstrate command of standard English grammar and conventions when writing.

Use the rules of and make intentional decisions about standard English grammar and conventions to write single and multi-paragraph compositions with varied sentence structure. When writing:

apply knowledge of rules for capitalization;

use punctuation (commas, parentheses, dashes) to set off nonrestrictive clauses;

use a colon to introduce a quotation and a semicolon to link related independent clauses; use a hyphen in a compound adjective with numbers (e.g., two-hour movie, 30-minute class);

determine and correct pronouns with unclear or ambiguous antecedents;

explain the function of definite and indefinite articles and apply to writing compound-complex sentences to add variety;

distinguish between and use simple, compound, complex, and compound-complex sentences to add variety;

distinguish between and use different types of phrases (prepositional and appositive);

identify and revise sentence fragments, run-on sentences, pronoun-antecedent agreement, and inappropriate shifts in verb tense; and

consult print and multimedia sources to check and correct spelling.

Revise writing to improve clarity and enhance style appropriate to audience, purpose, and task.

Improve writing by planning, editing, and considering feedback from adults and peers and revising for clarity of content.

Write independently and legibly for a variety of tasks and purposes.

This standard is not directly addressed after fifth grade.

Organize and communicate ideas through a range of formats to engage a variety of audiences.

Present information orally to report on a topic or text, present an opinion, tell a story, or recount an experience, sequencing ideas logically and using relevant facts, descriptions, and details. When presenting:

demonstrate and adjust speaking techniques (e.g., appropriate eye contact, adequate volume, clear pronunciation, pacing) to engage a variety of purposes and audiences;

convey a clear perspective and purpose;

include graphics and multimedia elements to aid comprehension, enhance communication, and add interest; and

use appropriate digital tools for the task, purpose, and audience.

Through collaboration, react and respond to information while building upon the ideas of others and respecting diverse perspectives.

Engage in structured conversations and collaborations about grade-appropriate topics and texts:

ask questions to build on the ideas of others; pose and respond to questions to clarify thinking and express new ideas; and

consider and reflect upon the ideas expressed during conversations to demonstrate an understanding of diverse perspectives.

Evaluate and critique ideas and concepts interactively through listening and speaking.

Using digital media, an audio, video, live presentation, and/or a printed transcript of a presentation:

determine the effectiveness of a speaker's argument and specific claims, distinguishing relevant and valid claims from irrelevant and invalid claims; and

determine how a speaker articulates a clear message, chooses appropriate media, and/or uses appropriate voice for the audience.

Use critical thinking skills to investigate, evaluate, and synthesize a variety of sources to obtain and refine knowledge.

Conduct short and more sustained research for inquiry by:

generating a question(s) about a topic; and

using a variety of print and multimedia sources to refine the scope of inquiry as relevant to the topic.

Determine the credibility of one or more sources consulted and use the most credible source(s).

Determine which source(s) and/or information is relevant to the topic.

Logically organize findings.

Cite sources to avoid plagiarism.

Read and write for a variety of purposes, including academic and personal, for extended periods of time.

Acquire, refine, and share knowledge through a variety of multimedia literacies to include written, oral, visual, digital, and interactive texts.

Make inferences to support comprehension.

Collaborate with others and use active listening skills.

Cite evidence to explain and justify reasoning.

Create quality work by adhering to an accepted format.