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ELA Core 6th Grade
Course Overview
The Grade 6 Core ELA course launches the middle school progression (Self → Belonging → Systems) by grounding students in the power of story. Students discover how sharing stories builds community, how mentorship and craft connect individuals to heritage, and how research can make overlooked contributions visible. At the heart of the course is a central question: How do stories help us understand who we are, where we come from, and what we can discover?
Key Focus
Developing foundational ELA skills such as voice, analysis, comparison, and research through texts that reflect diverse cultural traditions and center curiosity, belonging, and the many ways human beings make and share meaning.
Arcs of inquiry
Who am I, and how do the stories I tell and discover shape my place in the world?
Unit 1: Setting Out: Voice, Self & Agency
Duration: 9 weeks
Knowledge-Building Topic
Community and Voice: How ordinary moments reveal identity, build empathy, and connect people to one another.
Essential Questions
Investigation 1: How do ordinary moments reveal who we are and how we belong?
Investigation 2: How does sharing stories help people understand one another?
Unit 2: The Art of Learning: Craft, Mentorship & Tradition
Duration: 9 weeks
Knowledge-Building Topic
Apprenticeship and Artisan Traditions: How mentorship and deliberate practice develop skill, voice, and identity—and how craft connects individuals to cultural heritage.
Essential Questions
Investigation 1: What does it take to learn something difficult?
Investigation 2: How does art connect people to their history and community?
Unit 3: Curiosity, Evidence & Discovery: Hidden Figures
Duration: 9 weeks
Knowledge-Building Topic
The Space Race and Hidden Figures: How curiosity, evidence, and teamwork drive scientific discovery—and how research helps us recognize the contributions of overlooked innovators.
Essential Questions
Investigation 1: How do curiosity, evidence, and collaboration lead to discovery?
Investigation 2: How can research help us uncover lesser-known contributions and tell a more complete story?
Unit 4: Myths, Monsters & Modern Stories
Duration: 9 weeks
Knowledge-Building Topic
Greek and World Mythology: How ancient stories explain the unknown, express cultural values, and continue to shape modern storytelling.
Essential Questions
Investigation 1: Why do cultures create stories about gods, monsters, journeys, and transformations?
Investigation 2: How do stories from different cultures explore danger, courage, or the unknown?
