6th Grade Language Arts

David Jester
djester@woodscharter.org

Welcome to 6th grade Language Arts. This course is based on the Core Knowledge curriculum and the NC Standard Course of Study. I am thrilled to be working with you this year on reading, writing, and thinking about the language that surrounds us.  Through the lenses of Poetry, Drama, Myth and Legend, Fiction and Nonfiction,  we will explore and enjoy language in our world. Through regular writing workshops, students will create their own plays, poetry, graphic myths, and a slew of imagined and real journals, letters, articles, reports, papers and documents.

The curriculum has been designed to stretch students' minds into new ways of thinking and understanding the building blocks of literature. I am very much looking forward to getting to know students and their experiences with books, etc. We will delve deeply into how to write effectively and accurately so as to best communicate our message through a daily look at grammar and composition. The course will also cover an in-depth discussion of the language of literature by building on students' knowledge of literary terms and general vocabulary.

The Works:

We will read the following major works, as well as many other poems, plays, (this is an Oxford Comma) and shorter works.

Poetry:
Poems by Maya Angelou, Emily Dickenson, Robert Frost, Langston Hughes, Rudyard Kipling, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Egdar Allen Poe, William Shakespeare, William Wordsworth, A.E. Housman, and John Keats, among many others.

Folklore and Mythology:
The Odyssey by Homer
The Illiad by Homer

Elements of Fiction and Nonfiction:
The Prince and the Pauper by Mark Twain
The Giver by Lois Lowry
The Call of the Wild by Jack London
The Watsons Go to Birmingham, 1963 by Christopher Paul Curtis
The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank

Elements of Drama:
Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare
Other excerpts and shorter works by various playwrights


Expectations:
Each class will seek to become its own safe and thriving community of readers, writers, and thinkers. To achieve this, a balance between free expression and mutual respect for the boundaries of the classroom and all of the members of the class should be created. It is my job to make sure that this happens every day. I expect my students to be the best versions of themselves. Sometimes this is hard to achieve but we are all capable of it. Through the mutual respect of ourselves and others, we will build a supportive, creative and constructive classroom. I am very much looking forward to getting to know you all. If you ever need someone to listen or to help you through a tough spot, please know that my door is always open to help.

Please be on time.
Please be prepared.  
Be respectful.
Be trustworthy.

I will do my best to do the same.

Of course, all school rules apply, and students should exercise their best judgment at all times.

Materials:
Please come to class with something to write with (preferably a few things), a notebook or folder for organizing materials that I provide you with by unit (this is your preference), something to write down assignments in, a composition notebook, and any other supplies that you may need.

If you are interested in work beyond the scope of the class, or need extra help or time, please let me know and we will schedule a time to sit down.

Dear Parents,

Please feel free to contact me with any questions you may have as the year progresses. I prefer to be contacted by email at djester@woodscharter.org; however, if you would like, you may also try to reach me by calling the school directly. I will do my best to return your call or message in a timely and efficient manner. I am also very much looking forward to working with you.