Today we wrote the introduction and conclusion paragraphs for our essays. Below is the example I wrote as a model for you. Please do not copy my words, but use it as inspiration and a guide to the format you should follow.

Open Book Comprehension Test Monday, March 12th

• “The Good Deed” comprehension
• Your chosen theme project story comprehension
• Prefix, suffix, root words
• Making Connections
• Theme
• Poetry – rhyme scheme, verses, stanzas, refrains, types of poems

Homework

• Introduction and Conclusion Paragraphs  – Rough draft MUST be complete by MONDAY!
• Personal Narrative – this was due weeks ago and I am still missing several! Get this to me by March 29th or it’s a zero! (36 summative points)
• 60 minutes reading chapter book (over the course of the week!)
• One-Pager #5 & #6– due March 29th

Introduction:

1. Introduce the topic of theme in an interesting way
2. Give background information about your story AND your chosen poem
3. Make your claim

Conclusion:

1. Restate your claim in a new way
2. Remind the reader about the similar theme and the different themes you talked about
3. Explain why these themes are important to learn

In case you lost your rough draft planning page: Compare and Contrast Rough Draft Planning Sheet

The stories were posted on Monday’s blog post in case you need them. Here are the poem choices: Compare and Contrast Essay Poems

We took our Compare and Contrast planning page and turned our ideas into body paragraphs for the rough draft of our Compare and Contrast essay.  If body paragraphs 1-3 were not completed in class, it was homework. Most students finished. THE INTRODUCTION AND CONCLUSION IS NOT HOMEWORK!! We also began learning the Greek and Latin roots “Hydr-” and “Bio-”

In case you lost your rough draft planning page: Compare and Contrast Rough Draft Planning Sheet

The stories were posted on Monday’s blog post in case you need them. Here are the poem choices: Compare and Contrast Essay Poems

Extra Credit Opportunity:   Read your Personal Narrative aloud TONIGHT at Math and Literacy Night 6:00-7:30 pm for 5 points summative! Sign up is FULL! Please be on time during your time slot!  

Hope to see you all at Math and Literacy Night tonight! The book fair will be open!

Homework

• Body Paragraphs 1-3 for Compare and Contrast Essay – DUE FIRST THING TOMORROW
• Personal Narrative – this was due weeks ago and I am still missing several! Get this to me by March 29th or it’s a zero! (36 summative points)
• 60 minutes reading chapter book (over the course of the week!)
• One-Pager #5 & #6– due March 29th

Today we analyzed 4 poem choices for their themes. Once we agreed on common themes across the poems, each student picked one that they will compare and contrast with the story they did their project on. Students created a Venn Diagram or Double Bubble Map to capture evidence to support their similar and different themes.  If this was not completed in class it is homework due at the beginning of class! The stories were posted on Monday’s blog post. Here are the poem choices: Compare and Contrast Essay Poems

Compare and contrast examples:

Conferences:  Spring conferences are structured differently than Fall conferences.  We have invited the families of students that we really need to talk to about academic progress. If you did not receive a phone call from us, we do not need to see you concerning your student. If your student has been earning A’s and B’s in their classes, it is not necessary for you to attend this time around. That being said all are welcome to attend conferences but keep in mind these will be one-on-one private conferences which take more time and require more patience. We apologize for the wait in advance! Conferences end at 6:30 pm, please arrive by 6:00 pm if you need to speak to all of your student’s teachers.

Extra Credit Opportunity:   Read your Personal Narrative aloud at Math and Literacy Night TOMORROW 6:00-7:30 pm for 5 points summative! Sign up is FULL! Please be on time during your time slot!

Homework

• Compare and Contrast your poem choice with your project story choice
• Personal Narrative – this was due weeks ago and I am still missing several! Get this to me by March 29th or it’s a zero!
• 60 minutes reading chapter book (over the course of the week!)
• One-Pager #5 & #6– due March 29th

We went to the book fair and then spent the remainder of class presenting our Theme Projects.

Conferences Tomorrow:  Spring conferences are structured differently than Fall conferences.  We have invited the families of students that we really need to talk to about academic progress. If you did not receive a phone call from us, we do not need to see you concerning your student. If your student has been earning A’s and B’s in their classes, it is not necessary for you to attend this time around. That being said all are welcome to attend conferences but keep in mind these will be one-on-one private conferences which take more time and require more patience. We apologize for the wait in advance! Conferences end at 6:30 pm, please arrive by 6:00 pm if you need to speak to all of your student’s teachers.

Extra Credit Opportunity:   Read your Personal Narrative aloud at Math and Literacy Night 6:00-7:30 pm for 5 points summative! Sign up is outside of my room, THERE ARE VERY FEW SPOTS LEFT!

Homework

• Personal Narrative – this was due weeks ago and I am still missing several! Get this to me by March 29th or it’s a zero!
• 60 minutes reading chapter book (over the course of the week!)
• One-Pager #5 & #6– due March 29th

We continued working on our Theme Projects today. Any projects not finished by the end of class are homework. This is due tomorrow when class begins!

“Jeremiah’s Song” – https://sparkersclass.weebly.com/uploads/1/9/5/6/19568499/jeremiahs_song_story_text.pdf 

“Lob’s Girl” – https://nmsgilmore.weebly.com/uploads/2/2/7/5/2275624/lobs_girl.pdf

“The Dog of Pompeii” – https://my.ccsd.net/userdocs/documents/y3iY4r6dY3JjYVat.pdf

“Scout’s Honor” –  https://www.midwayisd.org/cms/lib/TX01000662/Centricity/Domain/900/Scouts%20Honor-Student.pdf

Extra Credit Opportunity:   Read your Personal Narrative aloud at Math and Literacy Night 6:00-7:30 pm for 5 points summative! Sign up is outside of my room, spaces are limited!

We are visiting the Book Fair tomorrow in between project presentation! This is the only day we will be able to visit the Book Fair this week so bring your money! The Book Fair will be going on during Math and Literacy Night as well!

Homework

• Personal Narrative – this was due weeks ago and I am still missing several! Get this to me by March 29th or it’s a zero!
• 60 minutes reading chapter book (over the course of the week!)
• One-Pager #5 & #6– due March 29th

Due to the snow day, projects are now due Tuesday. You will be given class time Monday to work on them, if you don’t believe that is enough time please work on some of it over the weekend.

Enjoy your day off!

Today we began a project centered around theme. Each student chose a story to read based on their interest level and then split up into small groups. They will read and analyze the story’s theme, then create a Google Slide presentation with specific requirements. This project is due on Monday, March 5th! They will have all class tomorrow to work on this, if they do not finish it will be homework over the weekend.

Extra Credit Opportunity:   Read your Personal Narrative aloud at Math and Literacy Night 6:00-7:30 pm for 5 points summative! Sign up is outside of my room, spaces are limited!

Homework

• 60 minutes reading chapter book (over the course of the week!)
• One-Pager #5 – due March 29th

We continued learning about theme today. We first wrote a Theme CER paragraph about the poem “Message from a Caterpillar” together as a class as a model for the Theme CER paragraph they wrote at the end of class. We read the fable “Ant and Grasshopper” and discussed the theme of the story with a partner first, then talked about it as a class. Using our whole-class CER paragraph as a guide, we then wrote a Theme CER constructed response about the story “Ant and Grasshopper”.  This was homework if it was not completed in class. Below are some resources for those that did not finish in time.

Homework

• “Ant and Grasshopper” Theme CER paragraph – due TOMORROW
• 60 minutes reading chapter book (over the course of the week!)
• One-Pager #5 – due March 29th

Whole Class Theme CER example (click to enlarge):

Evidence sentence starters anchor chart from classroom (click to enlarge):

How to properly cite evidence from a text (click to enlarge):

Today we went to the library and began learning about theme through poetry. We will continue with this learning tomorrow. We ended class by working on a suffix practice sheet. This is homework if it wasn’t completed during Daily 5 time.

Homework

• Suffix practice page – due tomorrow at beginning of class
• 60 minutes reading chapter book (over the course of the week!)
• One-Pager #5 – due March 29th

Today we began to review types of poetry and briefly touched on Affixes due to time constraints (prefix, root word, suffix). We will continue this learning tomorrow.  One-Pager #5 was also handed out and reviewed today.

Have a great evening!

Spirit Week:   Tomorrow= Spirit Day (6th graders wear Blue!) & Spirit Day Assessmbly

Homework

• 60 minutes reading chapter book (over the course of the week!)
• One-Pager #5 – due March 29th
• MobyMax Language Lessons – Due February 26th
  • Root Words and Endings
  • Prefixes
  • Affixes and Roots #1
  • Affixes and Roots #2

Happy Valentine’s Day!

Today we continued with the District Post-Argumentative Writing Assessment. This assessment is to determine growth in writing skills from the Pre-Assessment we took the first few weeks of school. Makeups will be determined at teacher’s discretion.

Have a great evening!

Spirit Week:   Tomorrow= Slippers and Hat Day

Friday = Spirit Day (6th graders wear blue!)

Homework

• 60 minutes reading chapter book (over the course of the week!)
• MobyMax Language Lessons – Due February 26th
  • Root Words and Endings
  • Prefixes
  • Affixes and Roots #1
  • Affixes and Roots #2

Today we began the District Post-Argumentative Writing Assessment. This assessment is to determine growth in writing skills from the Pre-Assessment we took the first few weeks of school. We will finish this tomorrow in class.

Have a great evening!

Spirit Week:   Tomorrow is Twin Day!

Thursday = Slippers and Hat Day

Friday = Spirit Day (6th graders wear blue!)

Homework

• 60 minutes reading chapter book (over the course of the week!)
• MobyMax Language Lessons – Due February 26th
  • Root Words and Endings
  • Prefixes
  • Affixes and Roots #1
  • Affixes and Roots #2

We continued reading and discussing the short story “The Good Deed” by Marion Dane Bauer in order to make connections with that story.  We also wrote a CER response about the connections we made with the story and why we made those connections.

Have a great evening!

Homework

• 60 minutes reading chapter book (over the course of the week!)
• MobyMax Language Lessons – Due February 26th
  • Root Words and Endings
  • Prefixes
  • Affixes and Roots #1
  • Affixes and Roots #2

Today we reviewed the three types of connections a reader can make while reading a text. We applied it with a previous story and the book Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs by Judi Barrett. We then began reading and discussing the short story “The Good Deed” by Marion Dane Bauer in order to make connections with that story.

MOBYMAX LESSONS ARE DUE TOMORROW BY 3:00PM NO MATTER WHAT HAPPENS WITH THE WEATHER!! 

Have a great evening!

Homework

• 60 minutes reading chapter book (over the course of the week!)
• MobyMax Language Lessons – Due TOMORROW
  • Conjunctions
  • Correlative Conjunctions
  • Prepositions
  • Prepositional Phrases
  • Comparative and Superlative Adverbs
  • Relative Pronouns and Adverbs
  • Figurative Language
  • Idioms

Personal Narratives were due today. Please turn them in ASAP if you forgot or were absent. Today we analyzed the character Clark Kent for the character traits he exemplifies on the show “Smallville”. We wrote a CER constructed response about the character trait he showed us the most. MOBYMAX LESSONS ARE DUE FRIDAY! 

Have a great evening!

Homework

• 60 minutes reading chapter book (over the course of the week!) – One-Pager #5 coming soon
• MobyMax Language Lessons – Due Friday, February 9th
  • Conjunctions
  • Correlative Conjunctions
  • Prepositions
  • Prepositional Phrases
  • Comparative and Superlative Adverbs
  • Relative Pronouns and Adverbs
  • Figurative Language
  • Idioms