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Minnesota Standards

Minnesota 6th Grade ELA Standards

All 42 Minnesota English language arts standards for 6th grade, each explained in plain English. The official wording is in Minnesota Department of Education's document, linked at the end of this page.

42 standards

Reading

20 standards
6.1.1.2
Read and understand long unfamiliar words, alone or in context, using letter sounds, syllables and Greek parts like photo, graph or bio.
6.1.2.1
Track understanding while reading alone, annotate with highlights and notes with guidance, and repair confusion using prior knowledge, context clues, rereading or reading ahead.
6.1.2.2
Choose and read sixth grade level texts with skill for class work, like a middle school novel or a science article on ecosystems.
6.1.2.3
Find and read books reflecting the views of mainstream, underrepresented and marginalized groups, searching award lists, curated lists and reviews.
6.1.3.1
Select and read texts for personal interest, fun or coursework that portray Dakota and Anishinaabe people and perspectives from the past and the present.
6.1.4.1
Cite evidence from a text to back up an analysis of what it says outright and what it implies, and summarize the text.
6.1.4.2
Tell apart central ideas the author states and ones the reader must infer, then name themes and central ideas and support them with evidence.
6.1.4.3
Analyze how a story's plot unfolds in a series of episodes and how the characters react as the plot moves forward.
6.1.4.4
Analyze how a nonfiction text introduces a key person, event or idea and then builds on it with examples and details, like a biography of a scientist.
6.1.5.1
Analyze how one sentence, chapter, scene or stanza fits the whole structure of a literary work, including its point of view, and helps develop theme, setting or plot.
6.1.5.2
Analyze how a sentence, paragraph or section fits a nonfiction text's structure, like cause and effect or compare and contrast, and helps develop the ideas.
6.1.5.3
Interpret, use and evaluate charts, images, video and other media in texts, and compare and contrast how different texts use such visuals.
6.1.6.1
Analyze how several cultures, including Dakota and Anishinaabe, tell about the same event or topic, noting key likenesses and differences in point of view.
6.1.6.2
Compare and contrast similar texts from different time periods and how their era shaped meaning, content or style, like fairy tales from two centuries.
6.1.6.3
Trace and judge a text's central theme or argument, separating claims backed by facts and evidence from claims that lack support.
6.1.7.1
Sort relevant from irrelevant evidence to judge how well an author's argument holds up.
6.1.8.1
Analyze how word choice, rhythm or meter, and sound devices like rhyme, assonance and consonance affect the mood and meaning of a poem, story or song.
6.1.8.2
Study academic and technical words in nonfiction using word parts, word history and tools like a dictionary or glossary, such as the roots in photosynthesis.
6.1.9.1
Find and choose information from varied sources with diverse viewpoints, and explain how its format, like a podcast versus an article, changes understanding.
6.1.9.2
Evaluate each source's point of view, trustworthiness and relevance to the task and purpose.

Writing

16 standards
6.2.1.1
Write with correct punctuation, including dashes, hyphens and ellipses, plus accurate spelling, capitalization and grammar in real writing tasks.
6.2.1.2
Spell words with Greek roots correctly in real writing, applying spelling patterns and rules, like the ph in telephone or the ch in chorus.
6.2.1.3
Use nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs and pronouns correctly in one's writing, keeping verb tenses accurate and consistent, building on earlier grammar.
6.2.2.1
Write often for many tasks, purposes and audiences, choosing one's own topics and formats, like a blog post, a short story or a lab summary.
6.2.2.2
Write a reflection on how one's viewpoint, identity and voice have grown over time, like looking back at writing from earlier grades.
6.2.3.1
Draft several pieces, choose which to carry through the full writing process and how to revise them, then edit and publish.
6.2.3.2
Vary words, phrases and sentence structures to fit the context, choosing words for their exact and implied meanings, to state ideas precisely and hook readers.
6.2.4.1
Write an argument that states a claim and also presents and answers an opposing view, building on earlier argument skills.
6.2.4.2
Write to persuade with emotional strategies like motivation or inspiration, and explain why the chosen strategies work, building on earlier skills.
6.2.5.1
Write to inform on a topic with diverse views, including Dakota and Anishinaabe ones, precise subject terms, and structures like cause and effect or problem and solution.
6.2.5.2
Respond in writing to a story or poem, showing how a character is complex, like through a personal reaction or an analysis of their choices.
6.2.6.1
Write creative pieces that show complex characters or self-expression, like mixed emotions, hidden motives or a character who changes over time.
6.2.6.2
Use dialogue and sensory details to develop characters, setting and plot, and choose a structure that fits the style and tone of a story, poem or other creative piece.
6.2.7.1
Write one's own questions to guide research and adjust the focus of those questions when the findings point a new way.
6.2.7.2
Research independently using sources with varied viewpoints, judge how trustworthy and relevant the information is, avoid plagiarism, and report findings in writing.
6.2.8.1
Cite print and digital sources, putting their ideas in one's own words as well as quoting and summarizing, without plagiarizing.

Listening, Speaking, Viewing and Exchanging Ideas

6 standards
6.3.1.1
Trade ideas in storytelling and group work that consider Dakota, Anishinaabe and other views, collaborating live or at different times and mediating group decisions.
6.3.1.2
Ask and answer questions in a discussion, both ones prepared ahead and ones sparked by classmates' comments, showing preparation.
6.3.1.3
Adjust speaking, writing or other communication based on helpful feedback from oneself and from others.
6.3.2.1
Speak with precise words and clear structure in many forms, including online and in person, adapting to the audience and situation, like a video call with a teacher.
6.3.3.1
Present claims and findings in a logical order with relevant facts and details that support the main idea, in varied formats, communicating ethically and safely.
6.3.3.2
Alone or in a group, create and share an informative multimedia project, like a short video, picking tools that fit the task and audience and minding one's digital footprint.

The official Minnesota documents

The plain-English lines on this page are EMStudio's own explanations of Minnesota's standards, not the official wording, which Minnesota Department of Education publishes in the documents above. Codes and strand names identify each standard.