May 1, 2017 We are demonstrating our knowledge on the CAASPP testing this week. M-Th are the Language Arts and Math assessments, and Friday morning will be the make up/finish day.
We are well into our last unit of 6th grade, an integrated unit with Humanities, Morality and Mythology. Students will explore how storytelling both influences and is influenced by current cultural values. We are looking forward to working between both subjects to explore myths and write our own.
Transformation (Esperanza Rising)
March 6, 2017 We started our new unit, Transformation, today. Students will be studying our statement of inquiry, "Change happens over time and is affected by connections between people and places." We will be reading Esperanza Rising and studying her change over time. In addition, we will be exploring poetry and literary devices (such as symbolism, figurative language, and theme). We will also be discussing the working conditions of field workers in California (past and present) and scratch the surface of the Mexican Revolution to better understand some events in Esperanza Rising.
Please use the guide below to catch up on reading missed if you are absent (or if parents want to keep up with, or check in on, our reading):
4/5 - Esperanza Rising Final and "I Am" Poem Summative
4/3-4/4 - Finish Esperanza Rising
3/28 - "Los Aguacates" y "Los Esparragos" -2 prompt response questions in Classroom, quiz Friday
3/27 - "Las Papas" (half of chapter - pg.158-172)
3/20 - "Las Almendras" y "Las Ciruelas" -prompt response in Classroom
3/15 - "Los Cebollas" -quiz in classroom tomorrow
3/14 - "Los Melones" -prompt response in Classroom
3/13 - "Las Guayabas" -prompt response in class
3/9 - "Los Higos" -prompt response in Classroom
3/7 - pg. 1-22 ("1924" and "Las Uvas") - quiz in Classroom
Memories Matter (The Giver)
January 6, 2017 We began reading The Giver today in class. I will do my best to update the chapters read in class (and assigned for homework) to help students keep caught up if they're absent. But, if it's not updated, please contact a friend or email!
1/27 - Finished the book (please catch up by MONDAY, 1/30, if you were absent) 1/17 - Ch 9-10 (finish reading for homework)
ch. 9 prompt: How does Jonas' assignment set him "apart" from his friends and his community?
ch. 10- copy bullet pointed questions only
Today we learned about the Community’s attitude toward memory in The Giver, and we read that The Giver believes memory is an important part of gaining wisdom and shaping the future.
Do you believe you need to know about the past in order to be wise?
Do you think knowing the past can be valuable in shaping the future?
Use examples from the book, your life, other stories, the news, or history to explain and support your beliefs. 1/11 - Ch 6-8 1/9 - Ch 3-5
ch. 4 prompt: What does life seem like at the House of the Old? Use details to support your ideas, 3-5 sentences
ch. 5 prompt: On Pg. 38 Jonas says, “Always better, less rude, to talk about things that are the same.” What do you think about this? Do you think it could be a positive way to live? Do you think there are downsides? Also see page 20,4-6 sentences
1/6 - Ch 1-2
Inside Out and Back Again
Oct. 11 We have begun our unit, Finding Home. During this unit students will study the current refugee crisis, focusing on Syria with an understanding that there are refugees from many other countries as well. Students will close read non-fiction articles from Newsela, NPR, and PBS as well as watch some videos with information from CCN Student News. Students will explore this complex international topic at an age appropriate level. Students will read information from multiple perspectives and will come to their own argument for possible next steps as people, as a nation, and as a global community. Please share age appropriate facts and information with your children at home so that you may continue the discussion there.
In addition to our work with the current refugee crisis, we will be reading Inside Out and Back Again, by Thanhha Lai. This is an historical fiction text written from the perspective of a young girl, and it is written in prose. It is the simply written, but incredibly complex story of Ha's travel from Vietnam to the US as a Vietnam refugee. Students will explore the refugee experience through the perspective of Ha.
We will begin the story on Monday, 10/17. We will finish Inside Out and Back Again on Monday, 11/14. Students will complete a comprehension assessment and a unit summative assessment during the week of 11/14-11/18.
Out of My Mind
Sept. 30 - Non-Fiction Connection to Out of My Mind Today, students will close read a text (reading more than 1x for different purposes) describing the experience of a child with cerebral palsy in a mainstreamed educational environment. The first time students read through the article, they will be identifying the main idea and important details. The second time through they will be making connections between Miles' experience and Melody's experience.
UNIT SUMMATIVE - we will begin our Power of Language Summative on Monday, 10/3. Students will work on this in class only, but I wanted you to be aware of what students were being asked to do. Please feel free to look over the directions and rubrics.
We will begin INSIDE OUT AND BACK AGAIN on 10/11 - please be sure your student comes with a copy of the book by then. I will have books for students to borrow if they are unable to get their own.
If you are absent, look below for chapters/pages missed.
8/30 pg 1-11
9/2 pg 11-26 (end of ch. 4)
9/6 Ch. 5-6
9/7 Ch. 7-8
9/9 Ch. 9
9/12 Ch. 10-12
9/13 Ch. 13
9/14 Ch. 14
9/16 Ch. 15
9/19 Ch. 16-18
9/20 Ch. 19-22
9/21 Ch. 23-24
9/23 Ch. 25-26
9/26 Ch. 27-28
9/27 Ch. 29-31
9/28 Finished book
Sept. 13, 2016 Students have taken three reading quizzes to check in on their independent reading of Out of My Mind. These formative assessments, along with the Response to Reading prompts, class/partner discussions, and annotations, help me get a sense of each student's understanding of the text, major events, character motivations, author's purpose, and analysis. Two of the quizzes have been entered into Aeries.
WRITER'S WORKSHOP Students are two weeks into their first Writer's Workshop. This is a time each week where students spend time working through the writing process (brainstorm, plan (with a graphic organizer), draft, revise, & edit) on a topic of their choice within a focused writing style/genre. September's Writer's Workshop is focused on the 3 Point Paragraph; a structured paragraph used in the MYP to write analysis or argumentative essays. Please encourage your child to take you to their Language and Literature Classroom to show you the project directions, rubrics, and how their writing is going so far. But remember, this is an IN CLASS only writing assignment.
Aug. 29, 2016
We kicked off our unit, The Power of Language today. Students explored the different ways we communicate and use language. Here are some important parts of our IB unit planner:
Key Concept: Communication - an exchange of information; conveying information or meaning
Related Concepts: Point of View & Self Expression
Approaches to Learning Skills: Organization & Communication
We began reading Out of My Mind on Tuesday, 8/30. Please ask your student what they're thinking about the book, the main character, Melody, how the author's style compares to other books they've read, or just their general impression. I do encourage you to read along at home so you can have meaningful discussions along with us.
Class Reading The following literature has been purposefully selected to enhance our IB units and develop students' understanding of how language is used and interpreted to develop understanding.