Mrs. Davis
6th Grade Language Arts
Pelican Team
Fletcher Middle School
Mrs. Davis
6th Grade Language Arts
Pelican Team
Fletcher Middle School
HAVE YOU HEARD THE EXCITING NEWS? Parents now have access to their child's grades via the Internet. Simply stop by the main office for your password. It's as simple as that! (Note: I have been busy grading "center assignments". Periods 1-5 have been recorded...unless your child turned in the work late. Periods 6 & 7 should be online no later than Wednesday evening. Thank you!)
LANGUAGE ARTS WEEKLY OVERVIEW FOR NOVEMBER 16-20:
HOMEWORK: Final copies of the the news story are due on Friday; Continue reading at home for at least 20-30 minutes each night. Log your books and get a parent's signature.
IMPORTANT NEWS FOR PARENTS:
Tuesday: Continue working on the news story about a character from a nursery rhyme. Finish the final draft by Thursday night because it is due on Friday. Wednesday/Thursday: Progress Monitoring Assessment #3 (an FCAT-style diagnostic assessment) Friday: Sharing news stories with the class; students will share their news stories with classmates.
*Have you dropped by the front office to pick up your special "log-in" information to access your child's grades in every classroom? This
is a great way to "stay on top of your child's learning/assignments".
*IMPORTANT PARENT INFORMATION NIGHT: Tuesday, November 17 @6p.m. in the cafeteria
*Special field trip permission slips went home to students whom met or exceeded the 1st quarter reading goal by the due date; approximately 35 students were eligible. Mrs. Goldman, along with another team, will take our eligible students to the Alhambra Dinner Theater on Dec. 9 to see A Christmas Carole. Seats are limited so please return permission slip and money in an envelope marked: "Alhambra Field Trip" along with your child's name.
Monday: Students will begin working on their news story about a character from a nursery rhyme. (See textbook page 883; note: Students will receive textbook log-in information this week.)
LANGUAGE ARTS WEEKLY OVERVIEW FOR NOVEMBER 9-13:
Homework: Students should read a minimum of 20 minutes each night. Record information about your book/magazine on your book log when you finish reading the entire book or magazine. Have your parents sign the log.
Monday: Students will be taking an FCAT-prep assessment in the computer lab.
Tuesday: Copy the weekly overview. Students will receive the results of their timed-essay. Students will compare the scores they received from Mrs. Davis and their peers. (Book checkout for next book report: if possible)
Wednesday: VETERAN'S DAY HOLIDAY- NO SCHOOL!
Thursday/Friday: Students will learn about the requirements for a news article. Students will read sample news articles and then write a news article based upon a familiar nursery rhyme.
LANGUAGE ARTS WEEKLY OVERVIEW FOR NOVEMBER 2-6:
HOMEWORK: Students should read a minimum of 20 minutes each night. (Parents please encourage this.)
Monday: Students will finish their short stories and/or plot charts (Substitute today)
Tuesday: ML Literature Book- "SuperCrocs" (Read story).
*Before reading: Students will create a chart listing "Imaginary" and
"Real" monsters. They will also create a "Summarizing" chart to
help with summarizing the sections of this nonfiction text. This is
a strategy that could be used with their science and world history
texts.
*Guided Reading of SuperCrocs, pp. 848-852.
Wednesday: ML Literature Book:
*After Reading: Comprehension questions 1-3 and Critical Analysis
questions 4-6.
Thursday: Students will look at sample anchor papers from previous FCAT Writes. Students will determine how they think the paper should have been scored and then hear the real results. The purpose of this is so that students can "see" what a score at each level looks like so they can accurately determine "where they are" and "where they need to be". Also, this will help students in Friday's peer response assignment.
Friday: Students will score a partner's writing paper and give feedback. Students will note their own strengths and weaknesses. Then they will locate a "Help Packet" in the area they need the most support: Focus, Support, Organization, or Conventions.
LANGUAGE ARTS WEEKLY OVERVIEW FOR OCTOBER 26-30
Monday: No School (Teacher Work day)
Tuesday: Organize portfolios and create goal sheets for 2nd quarter. Homework: Complete the "Plot Chart" on p. 5 of your Sourcebook.
Wednesday: Taking a closer look at short stories. Today students will listen to a short story that I wrote and work with small groups to determine the setting, main characters, conflict, and climax of the story. Then students will receive a "Short Story Planning Sheet". We will review all of the traits that a short story must have.
Homework: Complete the planning sheet.
Thursday: Duval Co. Timed-Writing Assessment #2; students will have the entire class period to write their essays.
Friday: Students will use their short story planning sheet and begin writing a short story of their own with characters, setting, an interesting plot (with a conflict and climax), sensory details, etc. Short stories are due on Monday.
Homework: Finish your short story over the weekend.
LANGUAGE ARTS WEEKLY OVERVIEW FOR OCTOBER 19-23
Monday-Friday:
This week students will rotate through 5 center activities that correlate with the classroom novel we are reading. The centers focus on the elements of fiction as well as fun Response to Literature activities such as creating unique art pieces. Students should complete the appropriate tiered activity and then complete a self-evaluation piece. This work will be the first grade for 2nd quarter.
IMPORTANT:
Signed book/magazine logs are due on Wednesday for a homework grade. That will be the last assignment/grade for 1st quarter.
Did your child turn in a 9 Weeks' Exam Project? Remember the project was 15% of your child's grade should not be an option.
Did you know that I offered an extra credit assignment to all of my students? Approximately 15 students took advantage in order improve their language arts grade.
Wednesday is "Wear Pink Day" (for "Breast Cancer Awareness" month)
LANGUAGE ARTS WEEKLY OVERVIEW FOR OCTOBER 12-16:
Monday: Today I will introduce the "9 Weeks' Exam Project" to students (That's
right...a project instead of an exam for language arts exam.) Students will have
every night this week to work on the project, but it is due on Friday (the date
scheduled for written language arts exams or projects).
NOTE: I have tried several times to post the directions and rubric for the project on this page, but the program won't allow me to do so. Please visit www.new.schoolnotes.com to see the directions and rubric. Your child will also receive a copy of the instructions on Monday.
Tuesday & Wednesday:
*Mini-lessons: Elements of Fiction (See Sourcebook.)
*Shared Reading of Novel
*Work on Plot charts from last week; the plot charts will be placed in the
students' portfolios after we finish reading the novel.
Thursday: Duval County's P.M.A. #2 (Progress Monitoring Assessment- a diagnostic test)
Friday: "9 Weeks' Exam Projects" are due today!!! Students will have the opportunity to share their projects with the class.
LANGUAGE ARTS WEEKLY OVERVIEW FOR OCTOBER 5- 9:
Monday/Tuesday: Students will be on the Challenger Field Trip. The students who
stay behind will work on Grade Recovery and/or reading for their book log that is
due on October 21. I will print out a current progress report so that students may
see what assignments are missing.
Wednesday: Mini-lesson- Author's Purpose; Work Period: Students will read 2-3
chapters from the class novel and complete chapter maps.
Thursday and Friday: Mini-lesson: Plot Development; Work Period: Shared
reading of the classroom novel; students will begin working on the plot chart
that will be placed in their portfolios after we finish reading the novel. Also,
students will draw chapter maps for the chapters read in class.
LANGUAGE ARTS WEEKLY OVERVIEW FOR SEPTEMBER 28-OCTOBER 2:
MONDAY-FRIDAY: Students will be reading STARGIRL by Jerry Spinelli or HOLES by Louis Sachar (Periods 1-5 will read STARGIRL and Periods 6 & 7 will read HOLES). Students will participate in class discussions and activities such as drawing the setting, illustrating characters, and answering questions related to the chapters. The amount of material covered daily will vary, depending upon the class.
*Note: On Monday, I will collect the final drafts of the essay.
HOMEWORK: Students should read 20 minutes or more each night. Also, if students had "missing" assignments on the progress report, they should make up the work ASAP. Thanks!
LANGUAGE ARTS WEEKLY OVERVIEW FOR SEPTEMBER 21-25:
MONDAY:Opening: Students will copy the weekly assignments into their planners. The teacher will distribute portfolios and check the roll.
Learning Activities:
1. Mini-lesson: Similes- 1. PowerPoint Lesson 2. Simile City: A. Ask for 2 volunteers to participate in the play. B. Have students put the handout in their Sourcebooks, and underline examples of similes using a highlighter or marker.
2. Ask students to take out their essays. Tell them that in order to score a 4, 5, or 6 on the FCAT-writing rubric they have to show "freshness of expression" and include "adequate vocabulary". Explain that similes will help them do this. Have
each student insert at least 3 similes into their papers. Have them highlight or underline the similes. Tell them that at the end of the work period, they will be invited to share some of their original similes.
3. Author's Chair: Invite students to share their similes. The audience is encouraged to give the reader feedback about his or her similes.
4. Closing: Have students place the work in their portfolios so they will have the work for Tuesday's class.
HOMEWORK: Cereal Box Book Report due tomorrow. Follow the rubric I gave you a few weeks ago. Remember: Front (the title of your cereal...must relate to the book & an illustration); Back (create a game that relates to your book: word search, maze, etc.); Side Panel 1: Summary of the book; this must be your own words); Side Panel 2: List of characters and the setting (time/place of the story); Inside: a prize that relates to your book. The project must be neat. It may be computer-generated or by hand.
TUESDAY:Warm-up: Students should put a "box" around the main idea of every paragraph of their essay.
Learning Activities:
1. Explain that it is important to have someone else read our papers to make certain that our thoughts are clear. Tell students that they will read at least one other person's essay today and give that person constructive feedback. Explain
that they will be using a "Revising Checklist" and that if something is unclear, they should use the "white space" to writetheir comments.
2. Give each student a "Revising Checklist". Have each student exchange papers with a partner. Read the paper and then complete the checklist.
3. Give the essay, along with the checklist, back to the writer. See if the writer has any questions about your comments.
4. Explain to students that they have the opportunity to make corrections to their papers.
5. Tell students that they should rewrite or top the final drafts of the essay. Tell them that their final papers will be due on Monday, September 28.
HOMEWORK: Cereal Box Book Report- due tomorrow!
WEDNESDAY: Early Dismissal
Due to the short class periods, students will simply be invited to share their Cereal Box Book Report and then complete an "editing sheet" checklist for their essay.
Homework: Final Draft of the essay is due on Monday, Sept. 23.
THURSDAY: Introduction of the 6th Grade Reading Tournament and Introduction of the Spinelli book study
HOMEWORK: Final draft of the essay is due on Monday (Sept. 23).
FRIDAY: Media Center Scavenger Hunt
HOMEWORK: Final draft of the essay is due on Monday!!!
MONDAY:
*
Copy the weekly overview.
* Students will receive their scores from the baseline writing assessment (not a grade in the grade book).
* I will show students a strategy for organizing their paragraphs called "Topic/Tell-Tell-Tell/Thinky Pinky" in which they use their hand print to create paragraphs with adequate to ample support.
* Students will use the above strategy to re-write their body paragraphs as well as their opening and closing paragraphs.
* Sharing in the Author's Chair
TUESDAY:
*Duval County Progress Monitoring Assessment #1 (This is a reading assessment with 20 questions used for diagnostic purposes.) Students will take the assessment using a special ScanTron.
WEDNESDAY:
*Vocabulary Word of the Day
* We will review the "Topic/Tell-Tell-Tell/Thinky Pinky" strategy from Monday. Then students will use the "5 hands" they created to rewrite their papers. They will "skip lines" in order to add more information from the rest of the Writer's Workshop lessons pertaining to this paper.
THURSDAY:
*Vocabulary Word of the Day
*Mini-lesson: Boring vs. Engaging Paragraphs- Students will learn how to create engaging paragraphs to excite the reader.
*Students will look at their 5 paragraphs and use the strategies taught in the mini-lesson to alter their paragraphs.
*Sharing in the Author's Chair
FRIDAY:
*Vocabulary Word of the Day
*Mini-lesson: Adding Vivid language- Students will learn how to use a thesaurus and how to add similes to enhance their writing.
* Students will find at least 5 stronger words in the thesaurus and add at least 2 similes to their writing.
*Sharing in the author's chair
LANGUAGE ARTS WEEKLY OVERVIEW FOR SEPTEMBER 7-SEPTEMBER 11:
MONDAY: NO SCHOOL- Labor Day Holiday
TUESDAY: Media Center Orientation- Our media specialist, Mrs. Foster, will visit our classroom today and complete the media center orientation with you. Opening: Copy the weekly overview.
WEDNESDAY: Read-aloud: The King's Equal; Students will complete a "foldable" that includes the title, main characters, setting, author's purpose, and a summary of the book.
THURSDAY: The Miracle Worker (Part I)- Students will view part I of The Miracle Worker and take notes via a graphic organizer.
FRIDAY: The Miracle Worker (Part II)- Students will finish viewing The Miracle Worker and complete the graphic organizer for the film.
HOMEWORK FOR THE WEEK: Read for at least 20 minutes each night. When you finish reading a book, record the book on your book log. Book logs will be collected at the end of Week 8 for a homework grade; students are expected to read 1,050 pages for 1st quarter. Remember, in addition to books, students may read magazines and comics.
Your "Cereal Box Book Report" (must be on a book--not a magazine) is due on September 23. Follow the directions I gave you.
LANGUAGE ARTS WEEKLY OVERVIEW FOR AUGUST 31-SEPTEMBER 4:
MONDAY:
*Copy the weekly overview
*Hinky-Pinkies: A fun introduction to writing poems
TUESDAY: OPEN HOUSE TONIGHT: 6:15 p.m.-8:15 p.m. Please join us!
*Warm-up: Getting to know your teacher
*Explanation of the Sourcebook; distribute Sourcebook Table of Contents
*Word Intervention Strategy: A strategy to teach words in context
*Introduce 2 new vocabulary words; students will determine word meanings by using the Word Intervention Strategy.
WEDNESDAY and THURSDAY:
*Warm-up: Vocabulary
*Share/discuss anchor papers for short and extended response with students.
*Students will read "Eleven" and a poem. Next they will complete an extended response for their portfolio.
FRIDAY:
*Warm-up: Fun activity
*Library check-out
*Explanation of book report project--a cereal box book report.
LANGUAGE ARTS WEEKLY OVERVIEW FOR AUGUST 24-28
MONDAY:
*Welcome
*Introduction of CHAMP's, our behavioral system
*Distribute School Supply List.
*Read-aloud book: Perky Pelican
Homework: Bring supplies to Wednesday's class.
TUESDAY:
*Class Expectations
*Explanation of Weekly Overview and Warm-up Activities
*Distribute and discuss the course syllabus
*Hands-on yarn activity: Celebrating our Strengths
Homework: Bring supplies to tomorrow's class.
WEDNESDAY: Bring supplies to class.
*Organize binders and portfolios
*Read-aloud: A teenager's version of Romeo and Juliet
*Note: If time permits, distribute and explain the "25 Book Log".
THURSDAY:
DUVAL COUNTY TIMED-WRITING BASELINE ASSESSMENT
FRIDAY:
*Student Interest Inventory (PORTFOLIO ITEM #1)
*Student BINGO Activity
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RESEARCH CLASS WEEKLY OVERVIEW:
This week students will begin working on a unit about nouns. They will learn how to identify nouns (including common and proper nouns).
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SUPERINTENDENT'S 25-Book Challenge:
Students are expected to read 25 book equivalents each year. A book equivalent is equal to 150 pages. That means in the course of a year, students should read 3,750 pages. Within the next week, students will receive a Reading Log to record books that they've read. Books they read over the summer may be added to the list. Please do not allow your child to count books that they read before the beginning of the summer. After your child completes a book, please initial that he or she read the book. Have your son or daughter summarize the book or explain why he or she liked the book.
In my experience, I have found that some students prefer to read magazines instead of books. That is perfectly acceptable (unless it is a required "book" report). My goal is to inspire a love of reading. If your child does not really like to read, then encourage them to choose something they love and read about it. For example, your son or daughter may love surfing, skating, horses, etc. Have them read a book or magazine about those topics. The more students read independently, the better they will become at reading.
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