Dr. Michael Kester-Haynes

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Grade 6 ELA Units

Unit Plan 17 (Grade 6 ELA): Explanatory Writing with Graphics & Citations

Grade 6 informative writing unit: students craft multi-paragraph articles with clear theses, organized sections, and integrated charts or diagrams. They analyze visuals, use domain vocabulary, cite sources, and conclude effectively.

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Grade 6 ELA Units

Unit Plan 16 (Grade 6 ELA): Mini-Research – Reading Across Sources

Grade 6 research unit: students craft focused questions, evaluate credible sources, take organized notes, and synthesize ideas across texts. They use tech tools to cite, draft, and publish a clear, well-supported mini-report.

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Grade 6 ELA Units

Unit Plan 15 (Grade 6 ELA): Performance Reading & Speaking

Grade 6 performance unit: students build prosody and presentation skills by performing poems or scenes with multimedia. They compare reading to live performance and analyze how voice, visuals, and pacing shape meaning.

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Grade 6 ELA Units

Unit Plan 14 (Grade 6 ELA): Poetry Craft – Figurative Language & Imagery

Grade 6 poetry unit: students explore figurative language, imagery, and structure to interpret meaning and tone. They analyze how stanzas, repetition, and word choice shape emotion, then write focused poetry analysis paragraphs.

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Grade 6 ELA Units

Unit Plan 13 (Grade 6 ELA): Informational Structures Across Articles

Grade 6 informational text unit: students analyze sequence, cause/effect, and comparison structures, explaining how sections develop ideas. They read across texts on the same topic to compare how structure shapes understanding.

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Grade 6 ELA Units

Unit Plan 12 (Grade 6 ELA): Cohesion, Counterclaims & Conclusions

Grade 6 argument writing unit: students use precise transitions, add formal counterarguments, and craft logical conclusions while revising for clarity, cohesion, and correct conventions.

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Grade 6 ELA Units

Unit Plan 11 (Grade 6 ELA): Reasons, Evidence, and Quoting/Paraphrasing

Grade 6 argument evaluation unit: students trace and evaluate claims, reasons, and evidence in texts and speeches, judging credibility and relevance. They practice accurate quoting and paraphrasing, use transitions for cohesion, and write formal analytical paragraphs supported by strong evidence.

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Grade 6 ELA Units

Unit Plan 10 (Grade 6 ELA): Launching Argument Writing

Grade 6 argument writing unit: students craft precise, arguable claims, support them with logical reasons and text-based evidence, and plan with audience awareness. They use transitions for cohesion and test ideas through collaborative, text-cited discussions before drafting arguments.

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Grade 6 ELA Units

Unit Plan 9 (Grade 6 ELA): Morphology & Vocabulary Power

Grade 6 vocabulary unit: students decode words using Greek and Latin roots, prefixes, and suffixes, apply context clues to infer meaning, and confirm with dictionaries or glossaries. They build word-solving strategies and use new academic vocabulary accurately in writing and speech.

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Grade 6 ELA Units

Unit Plan 8 (Grade 6 ELA): Informative Writing Foundations

Grade 6 informative writing unit: students write clear, organized essays with strong theses, facts, definitions, and examples. They use transitions, domain vocabulary, and formal style to explain topics, concluding with insight while applying grammar and conventions for polished writing.

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Grade 6 ELA Units

Unit Plan 7 (Grade 6 ELA): Central Idea and Objective Summary

Grade 6 informational reading unit: students identify a text’s central idea, select key supporting details, and write concise, objective summaries. They also interpret visuals or media to explain how each contributes to understanding, citing clear evidence without personal opinions.

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Grade 6 ELA Units

Unit Plan 6 (Grade 6 ELA): Nonfiction Text Features & Structures

Grade 6 informational reading unit: students analyze how text sections build ideas and use headings, graphics, and hyperlinks to find and integrate information from multiple sources. They cite evidence and explain how structure and visuals deepen understanding.

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Grade 6 ELA Units

Unit Plan 5 (Grade 6 ELA): Point of View & Narrator’s Perspective

Grade 6 point of view unit: students analyze how narrators shape content, tone, and reader understanding through perspective and style. They compare multiple viewpoints, cite textual evidence, and refine their own writing with sentence variety and consistent tone for clarity and impact.

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Grade 6 ELA Units

Unit Plan 4 (Grade 6 ELA): Personal Narrative – Small Moments

Grade 6 narrative writing unit: students craft personal narratives that orient the reader, build sequence and pacing, and end with reflection. They use dialogue, transitions, and sensory details to develop voice and meaning while revising and editing for clarity and conventions.

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Grade 6 ELA Units

Unit Plan 3 (Grade 6 ELA): Character, Setting, and Plot Structure

Grade 6 literature analysis unit: students examine how plot unfolds, how characters respond and change, and how an author’s word choice shapes tone and meaning. They map episodes, track character arcs, and analyze how scenes advance the story’s overall structure and theme.

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Grade 6 ELA Units

Unit Plan 2 (Grade 6 ELA): Reading with Evidence & Theme

Grade 6 ELA evidence and theme unit: students learn to ask and answer text-dependent questions, cite strong evidence, and infer theme or central ideas. Through close reading, discussion, and writing, they build analytical reading, inference, and academic discussion skills.

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Grade 6 ELA Units

Unit Plan 1 (Grade 6 ELA): Launching Our Reading–Writing Community

Grade 6 ELA launch unit: students build reading stamina, practice close reading and discussion norms, and learn writer’s workshop routines. Through reading, talking, and writing daily, they strengthen comprehension, clarity, and academic language skills for middle school success.

The Admin Angle

The Admin Angle: Don’t Use Intercom Announcements (Protect the Flow; Send a Morning Email Instead)

Schools: replace PA announcements with a scannable morning email to protect instruction. Get a full conversion blueprint—decision flow, templates, tools, 90-day rollout, scripts, and metrics—to cut interruptions and reclaim learning minutes.

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Grade PreK ELA Units

Unit Plan 36 (Grade PreK ELA): Publishing Celebration & Reflection

PreK publishing celebration unit: students curate a mini-portfolio, add wow and sound words, and present short author talks with visuals. Through reflection and performance, they build confidence, expressive language, and early writing and speaking skills.

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Grade PreK ELA Units

Unit Plan 35 (Grade PreK ELA): Author Study – Voices & Point of View

PreK literature and author study unit: students learn to identify who is telling a story—character or narrator—while exploring the roles of author and illustrator. By comparing books from the same author, they build comprehension, voice awareness, and early literary analysis skills.

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Grade PreK ELA Units

Unit Plan 34 (Grade PreK ELA): Conventions Clinic – Print, Caps, Spacing, Sound Writing

PreK writing conventions unit: students learn print concepts, capital letters, spaces, end marks, and phonetic spelling. Through modeling and guided writing, they build foundational skills in sentence formation, directionality, and sound-letter awareness for early literacy success.

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Grade PreK ELA Units

Unit Plan 33 (Grade PreK ELA): Summarizing & Retelling Key Ideas

PreK informational comprehension unit: students identify a text’s main topic and key details, then create oral and visual summaries using drawings and labels. Through guided discussions and questioning, they build early summarizing, listening, and comprehension skills.

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Grade PreK ELA Units

Unit Plan 32 (Grade PreK ELA): Information Booklets with Text Features

PreK informational writing unit: students become authors of multi-page booklets with headings, labels, and captions. Through mentor texts and guided practice, they plan, draw, and write about familiar topics, building vocabulary, print awareness, and early nonfiction writing skills.

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Grade PreK ELA Units

Unit Plan 31 (Grade PreK ELA): Shared Research Project

PreK research and information-gathering unit: students plan questions, collect facts from books and teacher-guided web sources, and make simple notes with drawings and labels. They collaborate to create a class poster or slide, building early inquiry, vocabulary, and digital literacy skills.

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Grade PreK ELA Units

Unit Plan 30 (Grade PreK ELA): Reading Science/Social Studies with Visuals

PreK informational visuals unit: students read diagrams, maps, and charts, using domain words like label, key, route, and graph. Through mapping and charting, they build comprehension, vocabulary, and questioning skills for early science and social studies learning.