Mississippi State Standards for Language Arts: Grade 6

MS.1. The student will use word recognition and vocabulary (word meaning) skills to communicate.

1.a. The student will apply knowledge of roots and affixes (e.g., non-, trans-, over-, anti-, inter-, super-, semi-, com-, ex-, il-, mid-, under-, sub-, -tion, -or, -ion, -ity, -ment, -ic, -ian, -ist, -ous, -eous, -ious, -ance, -ence, -ive, -en) to determine the meaning of multi-syllabic words. (DOK 2)

1.b. The student will develop and apply expansive knowledge of words and word meaning to communicate. (DOK 1)

1.c. The student will use grade level appropriate synonyms, antonyms, and homonyms. (DOK 2)

1.d. The student will use context clues to determine the meanings of unfamiliar or multiple meaning words. (DOK 2)

1.e. The student will use context clues to determine the figurative meanings (e.g., simile, metaphor, personification, hyperbole, idiom) of text and to communicate. (DOK 2)

1.f. The student will apply knowledge of reference materials (e.g., dictionary, glossary, teacher or peer [as a resource], thesaurus, electronic dictionary) to evaluate word choice in a variety of texts (e.g., revise writing, peer editing) and to determine meaning. [Note: These reference materials are not available during the administration of state tests.] (DOK 2)

1.g. The student will analyze and evaluate vocabulary usage based on appropriateness for context and purpose (e.g., formal and informal language). (DOK 3)

MS.2. The student will apply strategies and skills to comprehend, respond to, interpret, or evaluate a variety of texts of increasing length, difficulty, and complexity.

2.a. The student will apply knowledge of text features, parts of a book, text structures, and genres to understand, gain information from, interpret, respond to, or analyze text. (DOK 2)

2.a.1. Text features - titles, headings, captions, illustrations, graphs, charts, diagrams, bold-faced print, italics, headings, subheadings, numberings, captions, illustrations, graphs, diagrams, maps, icons, pull down menus, key word searches, etc.

2.a.2. Parts of a book - title page, table of contents, glossary, index, appendix, footnotes, etc.

2.a.3. Text structures - sequential order, description, simple cause and effect, procedure, compare/contrast, order of importance, problem/solution, etc.

2.a.4. Genres - Fiction, nonfiction, poetry, biographies, autobiographies, and plays

2.b. The student will analyze text to understand, infer, draw conclusions, or synthesize information. (DOK 2)

2.b.1. Identify and infer the main idea or topic in literary text, literary nonfiction, and informational text of increasing length and difficulty citing text-based evidence.

2.b.2. Apply knowledge of transitions and cue words to identify and sequence events in narrative text including text containing flashbacks and events in non-sequential order.

2.b.3. Infer cause and effect based on sequence of events and to predict outcomes.

2.b.4. Synthesize information stated in the text with prior knowledge and experience to draw valid conclusions with supporting evidence including text-based evidence.

2.b.5. Predict a logical outcome based upon information stated in a text and confirm or revise based upon subsequent text.

2.c. The student will recognize or generate an appropriate summary or paraphrase of the events or ideas in literary text, literary nonfiction, and informational text citing text-based evidence. (DOK 2)

2.d. The student will respond to, interpret, or compare and contrast increasingly complex literary text, literary nonfiction, and informational text citing text-based evidence. (DOK 3)

2.d.1. Story elements (e.g., setting, characters, character traits, plot, resolution, point of view)

2.d.2. Literary devices (e.g., imagery, exaggeration, dialogue)

2.d.3. Sound devices (e.g., rhyme, rhythm, alliteration, onomatopoeia, assonance)

2.d.4. Author's purpose (e.g., inform, entertain, persuade)

2.e. The student will identify and analyze facts, opinions, or tools of persuasion in written and visual texts. (DOK 2)

2.e.1. Analyze use of and distinguish between fact and opinion.

2.e.2. Analyze use of tools of persuasion (e.g., name calling, endorsement, repetition, air and rebut the other side's point of view, association, stereotypes, bandwagon, plain folks, tabloid thinking, shock tactics and fear, intertextual references).

MS.3. The student will express, communicate, evaluate, or exchange ideas effectively.

3.a. The student will use and reflect on an appropriate composing process (e.g., planning, drafting, revising, editing, publishing) to express, communicate, evaluate, or exchange ideas with a focus on texts of increasing complexity and length. [Note: Editing will be tested as a part of competency four.] (DOK 3)

3.a.1. Planning: Plan for composing using a variety of strategies (e.g., brainstorming, drawing, graphic organizers, peer discussion, reading, viewing).

3.a.2. Drafting: Draft with increasing fluency.

3.a.3. Revising: Revise selected drafts by adding, elaborating, deleting, and rearranging text based on feedback on teacher/peer feedback, writer's checklist, or rubric.

3.a.4. Editing: Edit/proofread drafts to ensure standard usage, mechanics, spelling, and varied sentence structure.

3.a.5. Publishing/Sharing: Share writing with others formally and informally using a variety of media.

3.b. The student will compose descriptive texts using sensory details and vivid language. (DOK 3)

3.c. The student will compose narrative text utilizing effective organization and vivid word choice containing multiple events with specific details. (DOK 3)

3.c.1. Stories or retellings

3.c.2. Narrative poems

3.c.3. PowerPoint presentations

3.c.4. Plays

3.c.5. Biographies and autobiographies

3.c.6. Video narratives

3.d. The student will compose informational text clearly expressing a main idea with supporting details, including but not limited to the following: texts containing chronological order; procedural; cause and effect; comparison and contrast; order of importance; problem/solution. (DOK 3)

3.d.1. Reports

3.d.2. Letters

3.d.3. Functional texts

3.d.4. Presentations

3.d.5. Poems

3.d.6. Essays

3.e. The student will compose persuasive text clearly expressing a main idea with supporting details, utilizing effective word choice and organization for a specific purpose and audience. (DOK 3)

3.e.1. Letters

3.e.2. Speeches

3.e.3. Advertisement

3.f. The student will compose text of a variety of modes based on inquiry and research. (DOK 4)

3.f.1. Generate questions.

3.f.2. Locate sources (e.g., books, interviews, Internet, reference materials, on-line data bases) and gather relevant information from multiple sources.

3.f.3. Identify and paraphrase important information from sources.

3.f.4. Compare and contrast important findings and select sources to support central ideas, concepts, and themes.

3.f.5. Present the results using a variety of communication techniques.

3.f.6. Reflect on and evaluate the process.

MS.4. The student will apply Standard English to communicate.

4.a. The student will apply Standard English grammar to compose or edit. (DOK 1)

4.a.1. Nouns (e.g., singular, plural [including irregular forms], common, proper, singular possessive, plural possessive, appositives, concrete, abstract, compound [one word: bookcase; two or more words: prime number/Yellowstone National Park/George Washington; hyphenated words: editor-in-chief]; predicate nominatives; direct and indirect objects)

4.a.2. Verbs (helping verbs, irregular, linking, transitive, and intransitive)

4.a.3. Verb tense [including purpose] (present, past, future; present perfect, past perfect, and future perfect)

4.a.4. Subject-verb agreement in sentences containing indefinite pronouns, compound subjects, and prepositional phrases separating subject and verb

4.a.5. Articles; coordinating/subordinating conjunctions

4.a.6. Adjectives (e.g., descriptive, comparative, superlative; predicate adjectives)

4.a.7. Prepositions

4.a.8. Pronouns (e.g., subject, object, reflexive, singular, singular possessive, plural, plural possessive, demonstrative, interrogative, indefinite, relative)

4.a.9. Pronoun-antecedent agreement (number and gender)

4.a.10. Adverbs (avoiding double negatives; comparative forms)

4.a.11. Interjections

4.b. The student will apply Standard English mechanics to compose or edit. (DOK 1)

4.b.1. End punctuation (e.g., period, question mark, exclamation mark)

4.b.2. Periods in common abbreviations (e.g., titles of address, days of the week, months of the year)

4.b.3. Commas (e.g., dates; series; addresses; greetings and closings of letters; quotations; introductory prepositional phrases; appositives; nonessential appositive phrases; interrupters; introductory clauses; and nonessential clauses)

4.b.4. Apostrophes (possessives; contractions)

4.b.5. Semicolons (compound sentences)

4.b.6. Quotation marks (e.g., quotations, titles of poems, titles of songs, titles of short stories, titles of chapters, titles of magazine articles)

4.b.7. Underlining/Italics (titles of books, movies, plays, and television shows)

4.b.8. Colons (e.g., time, before lists introduced by independent clauses, and business letters)

4.b.9. Capitalization (e.g., first word in a sentence, proper nouns, days of the week, months of the year, holidays, titles, initials, the pronoun ''I,'' first word in greetings and closings of friendly letters, proper adjectives)

4.b.10. Spell words commonly found in sixth grade level text.

4.b.11. Produce legible text.

4.c. The student will apply knowledge of sentence structure in composing or editing to achieve a purpose. (DOK 2)

4.c.1. Analyze the structure of sentences (e.g., simple sentences including those with compound subjects and/or compound predicates; compound sentences including those with compound subjects and/or compound predicates; and complex sentences, including independent and dependent clauses).

4.c.2. Compose simple sentences with compound subjects and/or compound predicates; compound sentences including those with compound subjects and/or compound predicates; and complex sentences, including independent and dependent clauses.

4.c.3. Avoid sentence fragments, run-on sentences, and comma splices.

4.c.4. Analyze sentences containing descriptive adjectives, adverbs, prepositional phrases (functioning as adjectives or adverbs), appositive phrases, adjective clauses, and adverb clauses

4.c.5. Compose sentences using descriptive adjectives, adverbs, prepositional phrases (functioning as adjectives or adverbs), appositive phrases, adjective clauses, and adverb clauses.