5/6 Grade Reading & Writing (Elementary)
September 3rd- November 19th, 2025 2 hrs per class, once weekly
This class is typically for students in 5th-6th grade, often ages 10-12.
This fun, engaging story is set in the Rocky Mountain National park. As the story begins, we meet Jake Evans and his family at the beginning of their two month summer vacation. Before Jake’s grandfather died, he was on the trail of a centuries-old mystery. He has entrusted that mystery to Jake, leaving behind a set of hidden codes, riddles, maps, and other clues that lead Jake and his friends on a scavenger hunt into the heart of Colorado’s wild and rugged Rocky Mountain National Park. Through twists and turns, the mystery unfolds while Jake, Amber, and Wes along with their parents learn about survival skills, natural history, integrity, character, and friendship.
For writing, the first semester will equip students to gather and organize their ideas, and then write them into simple sentences that they will be able to edit and revise to improve for a full 11-sentence expanded paragraph. Students will explore parts of speech as well as other applicable grammar elements. They will also learn the art of discussion and exploration through our 4-step writing process, all focused on literary response writing.
Skills Needed to Succeed in this Class
Elementary Writing Foundations - prerequisite for this class for all new students
Able to read books independently and develop study skills such as annotating and charting while reading
Uses the computer to complete writing assignments
Listens carefully and follows instructions
Has learned how to write a correct basic paragraph (as taught in our Primary Reading and Writing class)
Willing to receive affirmation as well as correction on homework in order to grow as a writer
Able to complete 2.5 to 3.5 hours of homework weekly
Skilled Learned in this Class
Working towards mastery of TWJ basic writing steps and strategies for writing an expanded paragraph including brainstorming, outlining, writing a rough draft, rewriting for a final draft
Creating quality expanded paragraphs with well developed “chunks”
Providing specific examples from the novel to support assertions
Explaining examples with insightful commentary
Increased development of quality rewriting in the following ways:
○ Improving word choice through active verbs, concrete nouns, and well-placed adjectives and adverbs
○ Using sentence variety and transitional words and phrases
○ Learning to include complex punctuation in writing
Other Class Details
12 weeks
Class meets for 2 hours per week.
Maximum class size 20 students.
Supplies: pencil, paper, class novel (see Study Book), TWJ Elementary Writing Foundations Handbook
Gmail account to access Google Classroom and communicate with instructor
