PK–12 Essential Standards and Benchmarks

Kahua Standards and Benchmarks

PK-12 essential standards and benchmarks for Hawaiian-focused education.

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Grade 6 - English / LA

In addition to HFCS ‘Āina-based Learning Competencies (click to view), the PK-12 English Language Arts (E/LA) kahua is grounded in the belief that the purpose of reading and writing is constructing meaning. Reading allows the reader to construct meaning based on the writing by an author and writing allows the writer to construct meaning to convey to a reader.

  • ELA.6.1Gather manaʻo about moʻokūʻauhau and kūlana through nīnauele (interviews) and oral histories.
  • ELA.6.2Use ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi inoa ‘āina (traditional place names, mauka/makai) to understand various traditions/histories of a place and to understand my place in different spaces.
  • ELA.6.3Demonstrate appropriate lawena when engaging in different cultural protocols (i.e. welcoming, entering, gathering, planting, mahalo, kamaʻāina/malihini) in a variety of settings (i.e. in and out of school).
  • ELA.6.4Contribute to community wellness by practicing ola pono (i.e. ʻai pono, laʻau lapaʻau, māla, hoʻoponopono) and building the capacity to connect with ʻāina.
  • ELA.6.5Ground our thoughts and actions in kānaka historical and contemporary best practices (i.e. resource management, conservation) and educate others.

  • ELA.6.6Formulate and ask thoughtful questions in one-on-one, small-group, and large-group situations that help clarify thoughts and improve discussions.
  • ELA.6.7Choose to use tools to develop and expand ideas for exploration, research, and writing (e.g., thinking maps, webs, diagrams, outlines, flow charts).

  • ELA.6.8In presentations, use a formal style and an instructional tone to establish credibility and heighten audience understanding.
  • ELA.6.9In group work, use language that enhances open communication in order to build cohesion, reach consensus, make appropriate decisions, agree on responsibilities, etc.

  • I.Reading Comprehension
    • ELA.6.10Read multiple texts to explore issues of cultural and environmental importance and impact, using both print and online sources.
      • a.Ask yourself questions before, during, and after reading to think more deeply about what is being read and its significance.
      • b.Develop a research question and read further to acquire more specific information to answer the question.
      • c.Identify important information from texts and record this content in own words to show understanding of text and to aid in retaining key information and critical ideas.
  • II.Writing Process
    • ELA.6.11Use the steps of the writing process (planning, drafting, revising, editing, publishing, sharing) to communicate ideas related to academic work and personal life, with a focus on:
      • a.choosing a format for sharing that is best suited to the audience and purpose of the written work, such as to tell a story, inform, or persuade;
      • b.using visual information to enhance written work (illustrations with captions, maps with legends, graphs, diagrams);
      • c.the writing traits of voice and conventions (while continuing to build on ideas/content, word choice, organization, and sentence fluency);
      • d.identifying reputable sources of information (e.g., ʻike kupuna, family, community, text sources) using parenthetical citations and creating a reference list with appropriate detail.
    • ELA.6.12Write to report results of research within and across curriculum areas.
      • a.Choose some aspect of a research topic of cultural or environmental importance and impact to write about.
      • b.Determine purpose for writing and identify intended audience.
      • c.Develop a thesis statement based on intended purpose and audience, and in light of information acquired from research conducted.
      • d.Summarize text information from a single source.
      • e.Synthesize text information from multiple sources into a coherent whole, while recognizing outlying information or information with differing viewpoints and putting it into context.
      • f.Draft and revise based on notetaking, avoiding copying any text directly except for short quotations as needed to enhance the content of the report.
      • g.State a clear conclusion from research, linking back to research question and data.
      • h.Use graphics to report and summarize data concisely.
      • i.Create a reference list to give credit to sources of information and link back to parenthetical citations in the body of the report.
    • ELA.6.13Produce different types of persuasive/argumentative writing (developing an argument that seeks to convince readers or listeners to agree with the writer and even act on the argument).
      • a.Examples of persuasive writing forms: letter to someone in charge to ask for something; newspaper editorial advocating for a point of view; persuasive essay for classmates, whole school, or wider audience; book review with critique; proposal for something wanted; advertisement.
      • b.A persuasive writing format may be used to report results of research, depending on the purpose of the writing piece.
  • III.Language & Vocabulary Development
    • ELA.6.14Use technical vocabulary learned from wide reading and research in own writing and in formal presentations.
    • ELA.6.15Adjust oral and written language use for a given audience, purpose, and situation, moving between formal (e.g., standard English, use of technical terminology, definitions of ‘Olelo Hawai’i vocabulary when needed) and informal speech (e.g., pidgin) appropriately.