Grade 6 Semester Outline 2

Grade 6 Semester Outline

English Conversation (生活美語)

Email: timesthreethehighest@gmail.com

Blog: www.taitungstyle.blogspot.com

Facebook: Timesthree Thehighest

January 5, 2012

Of the four sixth grade classes, only two of them (6-4 and 6-1) are really performing up to grade level.  Most of the students in 6-3 arrive late to class, and there have been many behavior problems with that class this semester.  Many of the boys in that class have very poor attitudes about learning anything, and at least three of them haven’t even mastered the third grade English curriculum, much less the sixth.  6-2 is a different problem.  They are generally well behaved, but a few of the students in that class are extremely distracting for both the other students and the English teacher.

Topics covered in the Longman 8 textbook are weather, days of the week and activities, clothes, and personal possessions.  I have always had a difficult time getting students interested in the weather unit.  We’ll see if I can come up with anything sufficiently interesting this time?

This book isn’t any more difficult than the Longman 7 textbook.  Students who struggled with 7 will probably continue to struggle with 8, and students who did well with 7 will have no problem with 8.  During this semester, I plan on taking those who haven’t finished their in-class assignments into the library annex, and this should help some of them improve.

Phonics covered in Longman 8 are R-controlled vowels, R-blends, L-blends, and S-blends.  Many students have trouble repeating these sounds, and scores on any dictation exercise are always low during this time.  Most of the students are very “weak” on the phonics sections, probably because they view these as less important.

Getting through the sixth grade, second semester English curriculum can be a challenge for all of the English teachers involved.  The sixth graders have many activities during this time, and they also finish the semester about a month earlier than the other grades!

Week	Topics Covered
1	Weather and climate, R-controlled vowels.
2	Weather and climate, R-controlled vowels., art project
3	Weather and climate, R-controlled vowels., ball game
4	Weekdays and habits, R-blends, review
5	Written Test #1/DVD
6	Weekdays and habits, R-blends
7	Weekdays and habits, R-blends, art project
8	Weekdays and habits, R-blends, ball game
9	Clothing and accessories, L-blends, review
10	Written Test #2/DVD
11	Clothing and accessories, L-blends
12	Clothing and accessories, L-blends, art project
13	Clothing and accessories, L-blends, ball game
14	Accessories and personal appliances, S-blends
15	Accessories and personal appliances, S-blends
16	Accessories and personal appliances, S-blends
17	Special Topic #1
18	Special Topic #2
19	Special Topic #3/DVD
20	Oral (Speaking) Test #1

Notes

l   This class follows a month-by-month schedule, with an art project, a ball game, a test, and a DVD presentation presented with a four-week timeframe.  Not every class will have their lessons on the same week.

l   Written tests are tests of written English and reading comprehension.  The oral test is a test of listening comprehension and speaking ability.  All of the material tested is to be found within the book.

l   Every class will be made as interactive as possible, with a variety of learning styles accommodated.  I use songs, movement, and other methods throughout the semester.

l   Each semester we have a “special topic,” which is an extension of something in the textbook.  The subjects/vocabulary covered during these “special topic” sessions will not be the subject of any test.