Summer Reading Challenge!

Did you know??  Students who do not read over the summer tend to lose, on average, three months worth of learning??  

See below on how to help "The Summer Slide!"  

Help students get ready for their best and most magical summer ever and stop the summer slide with the Scholastic Summer Reading Challenge. Now is a good time to stock your classroom library with popular titles for readers at all levels. PreK-K Summer Reading Challenge Book List  Grades 1-2 Summer Reading Challenge Book List Grades 3-5 Summer Reading Challenge Book List  Grades 6-8 Summer Reading Challenge Book List Grades 9-12 Summer Reading Challenge Book List Bridge the Summer Reading Gap 5 Prompts for the Teacher-Student Reading Conference 7 Tips for Effective Book Talks

Making a Difference

Today we began our "Making a Difference" research project.  Students will spend the week researching an individual that has made a positive impact on our world (current or past).  Students will research how the individual has made a difference, how they inspire others, background information about the individual, and more!

Towards the end of the week, students will put together their research into a Google presentation.

Project Resources
Project Requirements 
Example "Make a Difference" Project 

Zack Rago from Chasing Coral

Zack is a Pomona High School graduate and a Colorado kid through and through. He graciously came to visit us and chat about Chasing Coral, the Netflix documentary he helped create, and answered all of our questions about coral reefs.

Unit 6: Making a Difference

This week, we are beginning Unit 6: Inquiry into Arguments: Integrating Media.  The overarching concept for this unit is Making a Difference.  Over the course of the unit we will focus on individuals that have made a positive impact on society, influencing other individuals to make a change in their own lives.

Today, we started watching the documentary, "Chasing Coral," which can be found on Netflix.  The documentary focuses on ocean conservation and the team of scuba divers and scientists that are working to inform us about the loss of coral in our oceans, so that we can begin to make changes in order to save the the coral that remains.




More information about "Chasing Coral" can be found here!

Next Monday, Zack Rago, one of the "Chasing Coral" scuba divers, will be coming to present to the 6th grade about his involvement in this project!

Natural Disaster Brochure

Brochure Research

Today we began research for our upcoming project, where we will be creating a Natural Disaster Brochure as part of Unit 5: Examining Differing Approaches.  This week, students began to explore non-fiction text features, which they will use to guide their research and the creation of their brochures.  In the beginning of class students were asked to choose a broad topic on disasters and three subtopics that they will be researching for their informative/explanatory brochure.  Some of the topics that were chosen, include:

Tornado

Wild Fire

Blizzard

Flood

Earthquakes

Students will spend three days, in class, researching their subtopics, looking for facts and information that they will later transfer into their brochure.  Students created a note catcher in their Language Arts notebooks where they will be recording their research and sources. They should not have to research at home if they are working in class.

Brochure Rubric (click here)

Non-Fiction Text Features:

** We discussed several other features in class as well!

Example completed brochure (click here)

Important Dates:  

Research COMPLETE for all classes:: End of class Wednesday, April 11.

Brochure  COMPLETE for all classes: End of class Friday, April 13.

RACE review

RACE Review

Restate, Answer, Cite, Explain! This is the BEST way to answer short constructed response questions. We reviewed this skill and discussed the importance of using our own knowledge for analysis. Feel free to review any of these skills using the review posted below!

RACE Review 

Compare/Contrast

RL6.7 and RL6.9 assess the skill of comparing and contrasting literature in text form (such as books) and literature in video form (such as movies). Here are the resources we used to practice this skill for the past couple of weeks. The assessment on this skill is Monday and Tuesday, March 12-13. Rubric

Hyperdoc -- Books vs. Movies Exploration

Mentor text:  The Giver // The BFG

Example annotating + notes -- 1, 2, 3

Example Venn Diagram

Practice text: Chapter 18 The Fault In Our Stars //  Movie Clip

Fault In Our Stars Analysis Guide

Example annotating

Book to Movie thinking stems

Short Constructed Response examples:

• Exceeds the standard
• Meets the standard
• Approaches the standard
• Does Not Meet the standard

Students will be analyzing a new book chapter and movie clip for their assessment on March 12 and 13. Please encourage them to use the resources above to work on these skills!  Rubric

Narrative Expression Project

Students wrote a narrative earlier this year and are now getting a chance to hone those skills, and use a creative way to express a theme in a "story" format of their choice. We will be creating a Narrative Expression Project this week. Please see this document for the project guidelines, examples, and the rubric. Students will only need to work on this at home if they do not meet goals during class time. Completed projects are due at the end of class Friday,  February 23, 2018.  

Narrative Expression Project

Author's Craft and POV

Over the past couple of weeks, students have been exploring Author’s Point of View and Author’s Perspective in preparation for our next assessment on Tuesday, February 13. Please see the resources below that we have been using in class, including the practice test and analysis of student answers. This practice test (taken Friday, Feb. 9 and analyzed on Monday, Feb. 12) mirrors the actual assessment in many ways. If students use these resources to review and study, they will be more likely to show proficiency in this skill.

Point of View in Literature Exploration

Students completed this document over a few days in order to determine, explore, practice, and analyze author point of view and perspective. Basic point of view cheat sheet -- but keep in mind: 6th grade standards require students to know points of view, and also analyze how points of view and perspective are developed.

The Curse of the Poisoned Pretzel

As a class, we read and analyzed this story in order to determine how authors present point of view in short stories. This story was used as an anchor text throughout our practice of this skill in order to deeply understand the author’s craft. Notes + Annotations Page 1, 2, 3

The Curse of the Poisoned Pretzel Practice Test

Completing this practice test gives us an idea of the types of questions that will be on our assessment when we analyze a different story. As a class, we will analyze the data of our practice test to see the questions the majority of us struggled on, and discuss why the correct answers were what they were. Participating in this practice test and analysis is imperative in performing strongly on the assessment itself.

Skills/standards being assessed:

• RL6.5 I can analyze how a particular sentence, chapter, or scene fits into the overall structure of a text and contributes to the development of the theme, setting, or plot.
• RL6.6 I can explain how an author develops the point of view of the narrator or speaker in a text.

Rubric

Students have chosen a controversial topic and will begin
researching and writing arguments. Please see below for ALL of
the resources that are available to the students in class as they
write, mini lessons we will be having, and sample completed
argumentative essays done by their peers.

This essay will close out the unit and be the final graded piece of learning evidence for Unit 3.

Students have following goals and deadlines in class. If
working during class, students should have had no trouble keeping
up with these deadlines and will not have to work at home. However, students
who have not used their class time wisely may be behind.

Wednesday, January 17: Students choose their topic, create their argument statement,
and write their three claims.

Thursday, January 18: Students check the "research-ability" of their claims.

Friday, January 19: Students begin researching their claims.

Tuesday, January 23: Students complete their research and outline their essay.

Wednesday, January 24: Students write the introduction and first paragraph of
their five paragraph essay.

Thursday, January 25: Students write the body of their five paragraph essay.

Friday, January 26: Students write the conclusion of their five paragraph essay,
peer review, and make final revisions.

Lessons and resources available to students:

Argument crafting checklist with due dates

What are the parts of an argument (review)

How to write an argument statement (review)

What makes a good introduction

The structure of a five paragraph essay + transition suggestions

How to set up your Google Doc and how to cite sources!

Rubric

Student Model: Proficient Examples

These have been posted in class for students to reference. They were written last year and received a proficient (3) grade on this assignment.

EXAMPLE 1

EXAMPLE 2

Tracing and Evaluating Arguments

The Power of Arguments

Last week, we began discussing "The Power of Arguments."

Parts of an Argument (Notes from Class)

• We reviewed how to find claims, reasons, and evidence in order to determine if the author is for or against an argument.
• We discussed the power of an argument, based on the information presented and the evidence used, using the structures taught in class.

Practicing Tracing and Evaluating Arguments

• Students practiced tracing and evaluating arguments, using the following articles:
• The Debate about Homework (with answer sheet)
• Self-Driving Cars (PRO) (CON)
• Answer Sheet

STUDENTS WILL BE ASSESSED ON TRACING AND EVALUATING ARGUMENTS ON THURSDAY, 1/18. (RUBRIC)

   

Example student argumentative essays
Student 1
Student 2
Student 3

Holiday Book Recommendations

Holiday Book Recommendations

From my classroom to your home, have a wonderful holiday season and warm wishes in 2018!

	When Santa Fell to Earth by Cornelia Funke (Ages 8-12, GL 3-7) Scared by a storm, Twinklestar, the least reliable reindeer, bolts - causing Santa and his sleigh to crash-land. Although Santa has dropped into a friendly neighborhood, he's not safe: Jeremiah Goblynch, the ruthless new leader of the Council of Yuleland, is determined to put an end to children's wishes and turn the holiday season into his own personal moneymaking scheme.
	The Girl Who Saved Christmas by Matt Haig (Ages 8-12, GL 3-7) Amelia Wishart was the first child ever to receive a Christmas present. It was her Christmas spirit that gave Santa the extra boost of magic he needed to make his first trip around the world. But now Amelia is in trouble. When her mother falls ill, she is sent to the workhouse to toil under cruel Mr. Creeper. For a whole year, Amelia scrubs the floors and eats watery gruel, without a whiff of kindness to keep her going. It’s not long before her hope begins to drain away. Meanwhile, up at the North Pole, magic levels dip dangerously low as Christmas approaches, and Santa knows that something is gravely wrong. With the help of his trusty reindeer, a curious cat, and Charles Dickens, he sets out to find Amelia, the only girl who might be able to save Christmas. But first Amelia must learn to believe again. . . .
	A Boy Called Christmas by Matt Haig (Ages 8-12, GL 3-7) Eleven-year-old Nikolas—nicknamed “Christmas”—has received only one toy in his life: a doll carved out of a turnip. But he’s happy with his turnip doll, because it came from his parents, who love him. Then one day his father goes missing, and Nikolas must travel to the North Pole to save him. Along the way, Nikolas befriends a surly reindeer, bests a troublesome troll, and discovers a hidden world of enchantment in the frozen village of Elfhelm. But the elves of Elfhelm have troubles of their own: Christmas spirit and goodwill are at an all-time low, and Nikolas may be the only person who can fix things—if only he can reach his father before it’s too late. . . .
	Kringle by Tony Abbott (Ages 8-12, GL 3-7) Unlike the traditional Santa Claus myth, KRINGLE is a coming-of-age story about an orphan who becomes a force for good in a dark and violent time. It is a tale of fantasy, of goblins, elves, and flying reindeer -- and of a boy from the humblest beginnings who fulfills his destiny. Our tale begins in 500 A.D., when goblins kidnapped human children and set them to work in underground mines. Kringle is one such child.... until he discovers his mission - to free children from enslavement. His legend lives on today, as he travels the earth every Christmas Eve to quell the goblins once more.
	Jingle (Swindle #8) by Gordon Korman (Ages 8-12, GL 3-7) Griffin Bing and his friends are NOT happy. Instead of going away for winter break, they've been signed up to volunteer at a local Christmas extravaganza...as elves. It's not easy being an elf. But it's nothing compared to being blamed when a prized Christmas possession is stolen from right under your nose. It's time for these elves to get off the shelf and track down a Christmas thief!
	Odd and the Frost Giants by Neil Gaiman (Ages 8-12, GL 3-6) Odd, a young Viking boy, is left fatherless following a raid, and in his icy, ancient world there is no mercy for an unlucky soul with a crushed foot and no one to protect him. Fleeing to the woods, Odd stumbles upon and releases a trapped bear…and then Odd's destiny begins to change. The eagle, bear, and fox Odd encounters are Norse gods, trapped in animal form by the evil frost giant who has conquered Asgard, the city of the gods. Now our hero must reclaim Thor's hammer, outwit the frost giants and release the gods…