 | | overview of year | | OVERVIEW OF YEAR (Mr. Ford’s sixth-grade writing class, 04-05)
The first several weeks of writing class are very busy. There are many skills that students need to learn and work on, and not all students are “in the same place.” I try to teach these skills in a way that will serve everyone, and I think I have prioritized pretty well. Everything that they need cannot be taught all at once, but by the end of the year your sixth-grader should be a much better writer, regardless of his or her skill level at the year’s beginning.
ASSIGNMENTS AND PROJECTS ( not all-inclusive, and subject to change)
SEPT/OCT Take One, Moment One, Snapshot One, Music Writing, Reverse Snapshot, Thoughtshots, Open Topic writing
OCT/NOV biographies, oral presentation, cartoon project, Open Topic writing
NOV/DEC RESPECT (unit on respect and manners, including a handmade book), poetry, Open Topic writing
JAN/FEB Thea Holtan research project (2-3 weeks), oral presentation,
Walter Mitty, Open Topic writing
FEB/MAR folktale (book) project, Imaginings (Capitol Hill student anthology of writing),
oral presentation, Open Topic writing
MAR/APR Philosophy Slam essay contest (topic and dates TBA), Open Topic writing
APR/MAY/JUN Essay on Elements, debates, final (hardcover) book project using Open Topic writing from the year, oral presentation
CONTENT AREAS
CREATIVE WRITING [Open-Topic writing, content exercises, stories, essays, poetry, letters, folktales, editorials, cartoons, biographies]
note: Some of these become assignments added to the above list.
RESEARCH WRITING [note taking, outlining, and writing a report, Thea Holtan-style]
TECHNICAL WRITING [set of instructions)
SKILLS TAUGHT THROUGHOUT THE YEAR
ELEMENTS OF CREATIVE WRITING [content, writer’s voice, word choice, simile, metaphor, point of view, dialogue, plot, setting, characters, theme]
SPELLING [English phonemes, rules of spelling, tests]
GRAMMAR, PUNCTUATION [extensive note taking, tailored worksheets, quizzes]
REVISING, EDITING, PROOFREADING [techniques, note taking, and extensive practice in each area]
BOOK MAKING [soft cover books and a final (hard-cover) project
featuring students’ Open Topic writing]
SPEAKING [oral presentations, debates, oral reading, group sharing]
-over, please-
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