Strath Haven Middle School
Sixth Grade, Integrated Language Arts
Mr. Tom Barbella
Dr. Meredith Haab
Ms. Casey Cohen
Mrs. Celeste Gerhab
Mr. Marc DeJong
Mrs. Bridget Welsh
Sixth Grade Integrated Language Arts involves the practice, skill
improvement, and effectiveness in the following areas:
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Reading
Writing
Grammar
Studying
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Thinking
Speaking
Listening
Teamwork
Literature
Sixth graders begin the study of basic literary concepts through reading fiction
and nonfiction novels, informational text, and genre studies.
Grammar
Grammar is the vocabulary of our language. Sixth graders will learn and/or
review the following:
 The parts of speech
 Five sentence structures
o Compound
o Series
o Appositive
o Interrupter
o Introductory phrase
 Use of internal punctuation
 Capitalization
Writing
 Write for a variety of purposes including, but not limited to: various
essays, responses to literature, poetry, and creative stories
 Create a paragraph in the topic sentence/supporting detail form
 Practice the five paragraph essay format in the following ways:
1. Narrative
2. Informative
3. Persuasive
4. Descriptive
5. Compare/Contrast
 Use the writing process to create a writing piece with correct sentence
and paragraph structure, grammar, and punctuation
 Understand and use the writing rubric
Projects
Sixth grade students will work individually and with their classmates to complete
projects throughout the school year:
 Writing portfolio (scrapbooks)
 Movie Project
 Library Research
 Literature Response Projects
Thinking, Speaking, and Listening
 Demonstrate effective communication skills and share information
through speeches and presentations.
 Engage in large and small group presentations, activities, and projects
Assessment
Students will be graded based on the following:
 Homework
 Quizzes
 Tests
 Writing Assignments
 Projects
 Participation
 Preparedness
Integrated Language Arts
Integrated Language Arts is a sixth grade class that integrates reading and
language arts. The class is grounded in multicultural literature engaging
students in reading, writing, speaking and listening to learn. Strategic
instruction in reading and writing skills are incorporated into class work.
Students learn about diverse cultures by reading and writing their way around
the world. The themes of ILA enhance and extend the sixth graden Model United
Nations interdisciplinary program. ILA readers become a part of a multicultural
dialogue through interacting with the unique arts, customs, belief systems, and
life styles of the world cultures the read about. In addition to literature, world
cultures may be experienced through exposure to ethnic foods, music, the arts,
and internet travel.
Textbooks/Workbooks:
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Reading and Writing Sourcebooks
Buckle Down Pennsylvania PSSA
All Write Skillsbook
Elements of Language
English 2200
Mastering the Grade 6 PSSA Writing Assessment
Reading Literature
Grimm’s Fairy Tales
Best Pratices in Reading
Reader’s Handbook
Houghton Mifflin Company
Buckle Down Publishing
Houghton Mifflin Company
Holt, Rinehart, & Winston
Harcourt, Brace Jovanovich, Inc.
Jarrett Publishing Company
McDougal, Little & Company
Grosset & Dunlap, Inc.
Options Publishing
Great Sources
Integrated Language Arts novels are chosen from the following list:
Integrated Language Arts Novels
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True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle
Iqbal
The Kite Rider
Chu Ju’s House
Colibri
The Baboon King
Year of Impossible Goodbyes
We Are Americans
Uncommon Journeys
Bridge To America
A Single Shard
The Hobbit
Maroo and the Winter Caves
Weasel
The Pinballs
The Hatchet
The Secret School
Nory Ryan’s Song
Because of Winn Dixie
Avi
Francesco D’Adamo
Geraldine McCaughrean
Gloria Whelan
Ann Cameron
Anton Quintana
Sook Nyul Choi
Dorothy and Thomas Hoobler
A Peace Corps Literature Book
Linda Glaser
Linda Sue Park
J.R.R. Tolkien
Ann Turnbill
Cynthia DeFelice
Betsy Byars
Gary Paulsen
Avi
Patricia Reilly Giff
Kate DiCamillo
Core Novels
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Breadwinner
Buried in Ice
Old Yeller
The Golden Goblet, OR
A Place in the Sun, OR
The Egypyt Game
Debra Ellis
Owen Beattie and John Geiger
Fred Gipson
Eloise Jarvis McGraw
Jill Rubalcaba
Zilpha Keatley Snyder