Classroom Spotlight | Grade 6 – English Language Arts

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Grade 6 English Language Arts is a course filled with foundational experiences and activities that prepares students for their ongoing journey through the MYP English programme. It does this primarily through the use of the SpringBoard curriculum that offers a unique, TEKs standards aligned, continuous syllabus, ensuring students are fully prepared for their next year of English.

‘Change’ in its many forms, is the main concept that 6th grade tackles in each of their units.

  • In unit 1, we ask students to tell us their stories of change.
  • In unit 2, we read a novel that focuses on rising above a situation through resilience and courage. What controversies exist in our world today that we would like to effect change upon?
  • Through scaffolded debates and argumentative essays, grade 6 explores issues they feel strongly about in unit 3.
  • Units 4 and 5 cover drama and poetry and the changes writers can make. Included in unit 4 is a mini research essay.
  • By introducing our students early to correct research methods, we prepare them for the rigors of the essays they will write in the future, like the Personal Project in Grade 10 and Extended Essay in Grade 12.

BIS has implemented the SpringBoard curriculum in Grades 6-10 in order to provide parents with the peace of mind their children are being prepared for their next academic year and beyond, students with the skills for successful English learning and teachers with tools to assist them in attaining mastery for all their students. Grade 6 will enter Grade 7 English comforted by knowing they can access the likes of a Socratic seminar, the literature essay and even Shakespeare.

Learning to listen to each other’s views and respond appropriately is a major focus in our 6th Grade class. In our unit that introduces 6th Grade to choosing a controversy, making a claim, and providing reasons and evidence to support their view, Grade 6 showed the extent to which they might change the world one day. They were asked to find an issue they felt strongly about that they thought needed changing. The variety of interests that came out were amazing. From the dire effects of poaching to the complete banning of all straws to video games not being as bad they appear, our Grade 6 students have not only shown they feel strongly about issues in our world today but that they can also convince others of their opinions through respectful, formal language and well-reasoned research. Grade 6 English is a busy and very exciting place to be, I am left constantly wondering and looking forward to seeing where their individual journeys will take them in the future.

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