Write out a list that contains important events for your sixth grade students. Include the dates of the events next to the event name. Include state test administration dates and any school holidays in the list. Note the number of class days in the year and how many days you will have with your sixth grade students.
Make a list of important themes and lessons you plan to cover. Divide up you lessons according to your school calendar. For example, if you are teaching English, you might plan to cover vocabulary development, specific writing styles like narrative and expository and literary comprehension and analysis, which are skills that are focused on in the 6th grade. Look at what you plan to cover and compare it to your state's education schedule. Consider what you will be teaching as you near your state's test administration dates.
Combine the first list with the second list. Create a single list that contains both items from each and assign a date for each item. The dates can be tentative. Consider including a range of dates for theme lessons that will take several weeks. Include all the lessons that you plan to cover in your action plan and be specific. If you are having problems creating your list, answer questions like: "What will my students learn this semester in my class?" or "What do I plan to teach my 6th graders?"