Support your sixth-grade students in close reading discussions of nonfiction and fiction texts with practice that supports Common Core methodology.

Each unit contains two related reading selections that reflect sixth-grade science and social studies topics and are focused around an essential question. For example, How can science affect sports? (essential question) connects "What´s Holding You Back?" (a nonfiction article) and "Balance" (a fictional short story).

The activities in each unit help students:
• Learn and apply academic vocabulary in context
• Participate in oral close reading discussions
• Answer comprehension questions
• Write to a prompt with the help of a graphic organizer

This resource includes:
• Eight robust units that include a unit assessment with discussion of the topic, texts, and essential question, as well as a writing prompt.
• Downloadable home–school connection activities and projects to extend learning at home.
• Common Core correlations for every unit for easy reference.
• Plus, the suggested learning path is easy to scaffold!