A Wide Range of High-Quality Texts for Engaging ELAR Instruction

The study materials for Grade 6 ELAR in Texas have been designed to provide students with a top-notch learning experience. These materials offer a diverse selection of texts that cater to a range of student interests. Expert writers from various disciplines have contributed to the creation of these well-crafted texts.

Rich and Varied Text Selection

The publishers of these materials have meticulously chosen high-quality texts that encompass a wide variety of genres, backgrounds of authors, and accessibility for students. The texts include works by multiple award-winning and well-known authors. Through these carefully selected texts, students are exposed to engaging and relatable content from experts in different fields and acclaimed authors from various cultures and backgrounds. The thematic units in which these texts are arranged provide a well-structured approach, offering students the opportunity to explore different genres and writing styles.

The preface material for each unit is designed to further enhance the learning experience. It provides helpful information about the texts, such as their Lexile levels, publication dates, and potential challenges. The complexity of the texts gradually increases throughout the year, with average Lexile levels ranging from 670L to 750L in Unit 1 and reaching between 940L and 1070L in Unit 6. This progression ensures that students are exposed to increasingly complex traditional, contemporary, classical, and culturally diverse texts.

Exploring High-Quality Texts: Units and Examples

In Unit 1, students are introduced to a collection of high-quality texts that cover a wide range of interests while also providing academic challenges. One such example is the personal memoir Eleven, written by the award-winning author Sandra Cisneros. Through the first-person perspective of an awkward and introverted 11-year-old, Cisneros skillfully weaves a narrative that allows students to analyze the characterization of the main protagonist. Another remarkable memoir included in this unit is Red Scarf Girl by Ji-Li Jiang. Through her first-person narration, Jiang recounts her turbulent teenage years in communist China, exposing students to themes such as conformity, prejudice, and justice. The memoir contributes to the overall complexity of the material, aligning it with high standards and expectations.

Unit 2 includes a selection of fiction, poetry, and nonfiction texts, carefully paired to enhance complexity and provide a comprehensive learning experience. For example, The Southpaw by Judith Viorst thematically complements a 2017 letter to the editor by NCAA Division I volleyball player Jacki Jing, titled “We’re on the Same Team.” This unit also features well-crafted poems by accomplished and award-winning authors that explore the challenges of relationships. Excerpts from Newbery Award-winning novels Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech and Mildred Taylor’s Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry are included as well, offering optional focused-novel units for students. “Teenagers” by the celebrated Mexican-American contemporary author Pat Mora uses rich vocabulary to engage students in the poetic exploration of themes such as inference, synthesis, and textual evidence citation. The inclusion of “Tableau,” a poem by Countee Cullen, further enriches the unit with its elaborative figurative language, shedding light on the social struggles for equality during the Harlem Renaissance.

In Unit 4, students engage with excerpts from the autobiographical novel I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban. This powerful book, written by Malala Yousafzai, the youngest recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize, chronicles her courageous decision to take a public stand against the Taliban.

Unit 5 delves into the captivating memoir Warriors Don’t Cry by African-American author Melba Patillo Beals. Additionally, the unit features “The Miracle Worker” by William Gibson, a captivating drama that explores the personal journey of Helen Keller, a remarkable woman who overcame the challenges of being blind and deaf with the help of her dedicated teacher. The theme of an inspiring and courageous teacher who puts their students first resonates deeply with students at this age.

Unit 6 takes students on a profound exploration of the struggles and challenges faced by individuals and characters as they search for their true selves. The texts included in this unit have Lexile levels ranging from 730 to 1110, ensuring that they provide both accessible and intellectually stimulating reading experiences for all students. This unit includes Langston Hughes’ thought-provoking poem “I, Too, Sing America,” “Letter to His Daughter” by W.E.B. DuBois, the contemporary graphic novel “Brave” by Svetlana Chmakova, and “My Hermitage” by Alexander Posey, a poet, journalist, political figure, and member of the Muscogee Creek Nation. These texts provide students with a solid foundation in reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills.

By offering such a diverse and high-quality range of texts, the Texas StudySync Grade 6 materials ensure that students are engaged and challenged throughout their ELAR instruction.

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