Language Arts - 6th Grade

The Language Arts for St. Mary’s 6th graders uses novels to both teach the curriculum and to dig into the following themes:

• How do you show perseverance?
• Looking at situations from multiple perspectives
• Understanding the importance of family
• What does it take to be a leader?

Two of our novel studies correspond with Minnesota history, allowing for cross-curricular study.

During the course of the year, students will read these four texts:

• The Broken Blade by William Durbin (most years, the author comes and visits with the class)
• Soldier’s Heart by Gary Paulsen
• The Watsons go to Birmingham by Christopher Paul Curtis
• The Girl Who Owned a City by O.T. Nelson

In addition to the novel studies, students build writing skills with weekly structured paragraph writings, assigned argument essays, journal responses, and more. Grammar and vocabulary is structured into the curriculum.