Grade 6
Language Arts
I. WRITING, GRAMMER AND USAGE
A. WRITING AND RESEARCH
- integrating quotations from sources
- acknowledging sources and avoiding plagiarism
- preparing a bibliography
B. SPEAKING AND LISTENING
á
Participate civilly and
productively in group discussions
á
Give a short speech to
the class that is well-organized and well-supported
á
Demonstrate an ability
to use standard pronunciation when speaking to large groups and in formal
circumstances, such as a job interview
C. GRAMMAR AND USAGE
á
Understand what a
complete sentence is, and
-
identify subject and predicate
-
identify independent and dependent clauses
- correct
fragments and run-ons
á
Identify different
sentence types, and write for variety by using
- simple
sentences
- compound sentences
- complex sentences
- compound-complex sentences
á
Correctly use punctuation
introduced in earlier grades, and learn how to use a semi-colon or comma with and,
but, or or to separate the sentences that form a compound
sentence.
á
Recognize verbs in
active voice and passive voice, and avoid unnecessary use of passive voice.
á
Recognize the following
troublesome verbs and how to use them correctly:
sit, set
rise, raise
lie, lay
á
Correctly use the
following:
good
/ well
between
/ among
bring
/ take
accept
/ except
fewer
/ less
like
/ as
affect
/ effect
who
/ whom
imply
/ infer
principle
/ principal
their
/ there / theyŐre
D. SPELLING
á
Review spelling rules
for use of ie and ei; for adding prefixes and suffixes
á
Continue work with
spelling, with special attention to commonly misspelled words, including:
acquaintance develop naturally separate
amateur embarrassed occurrence similar
analyze exaggerate parallel sophomore
answer exercise peasant substitute
athlete fulfill philosopher success
Britain gymnasium possess suspicion
characteristic hypocrite privilege tragedy
committee innocence receipt woman
conscious interrupt recommendation writing
cooperate license repetition
criticize marriage restaurant
dependent minimum rhythm
E. VOCABULARY
Latin/Greek
Word Meaning Examples
annus
(L) year annual,
anniversary
ante
(L) before antebellum,
antecedent
aqua
(L) water aquarium
astron
(G) star astronaut,
astronomy
bi
(L) two bisect,
bipartisan
bios
(G) life biology,
biography
centum
(L) hundred cent,
percent
decem
(L) ten decade,
decimal
dico,
dictum (L) say,
thing said dictation,
dictionary
duo
(G, L) two duplicate
ge
(G) earth geology,
geography
hydor
(G) water hydrant,
hydroelectric
magnus
(L) large,
great magnificent,
magnify
mega
(G) large,
great megaphone,
megalomania
mikros
(G) small microscope,
microfilm
minus
(L) smaller diminish,
minor
monos
(G) single monologue,
monarch, monopoly
omnis
(L) all omnipotent,
omniscient
phileo
(G) to
love philosophy,
philanthropist
Latin/Greek
Word Meaning Examples
phone
(G) sound,
voice phonograph,
telephone
photo
(from G phos) light photograph,
photocopy
poly
(G) many polygon
post
(L) after posthumous,
posterity
pre
(L) before predict,
prepare
primus
(L) first primary,
primitive
protos
(G) first prototype,
protozoa
psyche
(G) soul,
mind psychology
quartus
(L) fourth quadrant,
quarter
tele
(G) at
a distance telephone,
television, telepathy
thermos
(G) heat thermometer,
thermostat
tri
(G, L) three trilogy,
triangle
unus
(L) one unanimous,
unilateral
video,
visum (L) see,
seen evident,
visual
vita
(L) life vitality,
vitamin
II.
POETRY
A. POEMS
All the worldŐs a stage [from As You Like It] (William
Shakespeare)
Apostrophe to the Ocean [from Childe HaroldŐs
Pilgrimage, Canto 4, Nos. 178-184]
(George
Gordon Byron)
I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud (William Wordsworth)
If (Rudyard Kipling)
Mother to Son (Langston Hughes)
Lift EvŐry Voice and Sing (James Weldon Johnson)
A narrow fellow in the grass (Emily Dickinson)
A Psalm of Life (Henry Wadsworth Longfellow)
The Raven (Edgar Allan Poe)
A Song of Greatness (a Chippewa song, trans. Mary
Austin)
Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening (Robert Frost)
Sympathy (Paul Laurence Dunbar)
There is no frigate like a book (Emily Dickinson)
The Walloping Window-blind (Charles E. Carryl)
Woman Work (Maya Angelou)
B. TERMS
meter
iamb
couplet
rhyme
scheme
free
verse
III.
FICTION AND DRAMA
A. STORIES
The Iliad and The Odyssey (Homer)
The Prince and the Pauper (Mark Twain)
B. DRAMA
Julius
Caesar (William Shakespeare)
C. CLASSICAL MYTHOLOGY
Apollo and Daphne
Orpheus and Eurydice
Narcissus and Echo
Pygmalion and Galatea
D. LITERARY TERMS
á
Epic
á
Literal and figurative
language (review from grade 5)
imagery
metaphor
and simile
symbol
personification
IV. SAYINGS AND PHRASES
All for one and one for all. Money
is the root of all evil.
AllŐs well that ends well. Necessity
is the mother of invention.
Bee in your bonnet. ItŐs
never over till itŐs over.
The best-laid plans of mice and men oft go awry. Nose out of joint
A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush Nothing
will come of nothing.
Bite the dust Once
bitten, twice shy.
Catch-as-catch-can On
tenterhooks
DonŐt cut off your nose to spite your face Pot
calling the kettle black
DonŐt lock the stable door after the horse is stolen Procrastination is the thief of time.
DonŐt look a gift horse in the mouth. The
proof of the pudding is in the eating.
Eat humble pie RIP
A fool and his money are soon parted. The
road to hell is paved with good intentions.
A friend in need is a friend indeed. Rome
wasnŐt built in a day.
Give the devil his due. Rule
of thumb
Good fences make good neighbors. A
stitch in time saves nine.
He who hesitates is lost. Strike
while the iron is hot.
He who laughs last laughs best. Tempest
in a teapot
Hitch your wagon to a star. Tenderfoot
If wishes were horses, beggars would ride. ThereŐs
more than one way to skin a cat.
The leopard doesnŐt change his spots. Touch!
Little strokes fell great oaks. Truth
is stranger than fiction.