Unit Plan 19 (Grade 6 ELA): Finding and Tracking Theme
Grade 6 theme unit: students determine a story’s theme, trace how it develops through character choices and events, and write evidence-based summaries. They practice citing precise lines and refining theme statements into clear, insightful messages.
Focus: Theme development across a text; evidence-based summaries
Grade Level: 6
Subject Area: English Language Arts (Reading Literature)
Total Unit Duration: 5 sessions (one week), 45–60 minutes per session
I. Introduction
Theme isn’t a one-word topic—it’s a message or insight that emerges as characters make choices, problems intensify, and consequences unfold. This week, students will determine a theme, track how it develops through key details, and craft objective, evidence-based summaries. They’ll practice citing lines precisely and revising theme statements from vague to specific.
II. Objectives and Standards
Learning Objectives — Students will be able to…
- Determine a theme of a literary text and track its development through details (RL.6.2).
- Cite textual evidence (direct quotes or accurate paraphrases) to support claims and inferences about theme (RL.6.1).
- Write objective summaries that capture central events/ideas without opinions or judgments (RL.6.2).
- Read and comprehend grade-level literature with appropriate scaffolds (RL.6.10).
Standards Alignment — CCSS Grade 6
- Reading Literature 6.2 (RL.6.2): Determine a theme or central idea of a text and how it is conveyed through particular details; provide a summary of the text distinct from personal opinions or judgments.
- Reading Literature 6.1 (RL.6.1): Cite textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
- Reading Literature 6.10 (RL.6.10): By the end of the year, read and comprehend literature in the grades 6–8 text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range.
Success Criteria — student language
- I can state the theme as a complete idea/message, not a single word.
- I can point to lines that develop the theme and explain how they do it.
- I can write a clear, objective summary (no opinions; accurate sequencing/importance).
- I can revise a basic theme into a precise one using evidence.