September 30th 2015

Happy Genius Hour Day/Library Day!!!! When you come into class, put your stuff down on your desk, except for your library book and line up so we can head to the library!



When you come back...

* We will have a discussion on Inquiry Questions
* You will work on the Genius Hour #3 Sheet from Google Classroom (due by next Wednesday)



Homework: 
* Read for 30 minutes
* Genius Hour #3 sheet due next week, I will be conferencing with you on your inquiry questions throughout the week! 

September 29th 2015

Riddle: A word I know, six letters it contains, remove one letter, and twelve remains. What am I?


Happy Tuesday! Before you settle in make sure you have your chromebook, composition notebook (ISN), and your FTM copy. If you took one of my copies yesterday please make sure you bring it back! Please begin to independent read. I will continue conferencing with students on their research topics.

Schedule:
Independent Reading/Conferencing

Worktime:
1.  Finish FTM A.C.E. questions from yesterday!

2. Read chapters 5-7 of Freak the Mighty, stop before chapter 8!

Homework:
* Read for 30 minutes
*make sure you have purchased a copy of FTM!
* If you have not finished the A.C.E. questions it is homework!
* If you have not finished your research topic class #2 sheet in G.C. it is homework!

~Do not worry if you have not finished chapters 5-7 I will give class time on Thursday!~

September 28th 2015

Riddle: This old one runs forever, but never moves at all. He has not lungs nor throat, but still a mighty roaring call. What is it?


Happy Monday! I hope you all had a fantastic weekend! Before beginning independent reading, talk to your neighbor about what you did this weekend. Remember there are no library times this week because we will be going as a group on Wednesday. As you are reading, I will call you up to talk about your research proposal for Genius Hour! After reading we will then continue our discussion on A.C.E. with two questions related to chapters 1-4. 


Schedule:

Independent Reading

Brain Break!

Mini-Lesson: A.C.E.



Homework: Read for 30 minutes, make sure you have a copy of Freak the Mighty!

September 25th 2015

Riddle: No sooner spoken, then broken. What is it??


Happy Friday, Grizzlies! Make sure you have your composition notebook (ISN), Freak the Mighty book, and independent reading book! Please settle in and begin to read. I will send students down to the library after I take attendance. 

After independent reading you are going to write a "quick write" for the following prompt:

Remember the notes you took about items I brought into class that describes me? Today, you are going to use those notes to write a well constructed paragraph about what you think you know about me based on those items. If you need a refresher, they are on the table at the front.


When you are done, please finish reading Freak the Mighty chapters 2-4!


Homework: Read for 30 minutes each day! Also, make sure you have purchased your own copy of Freak the Mighty!

September 24th 2015

Daily Riddle: What kind of room has no doors or windows?

Happy Thursday. Please come in and begin to independent read. I will send those who signed up for the library down after I take attendance. Today we are going to learn about how to answer questions, cite from the text, and extend your thinking. I will model this for you using a question from chapter one. After the mini-lesson, you will then read chapters 2-4 on your own. 

Schedule: 

Independent Reading 

Mini Lesson: A.C.E/ Model of A.C.E.

Work time: Read chapter 2-4

Homework:

*Read for 30 minutes
*Make sure that I have your passion project week #2 turned in on Google Classroom!
*Finish chapters 2-4 if not done in class!

September 23rd 2015

Riddle: What is always coming but never arrives?

Genius Hour week two! Last week, you generated some ideas for your genius hour/passion project, this week you will refine those ideas, and think about your inquiry questions.

Independent Reading

Work-time: Week 2 Project Proposal sheet in Google Classroom

Exit Slip: What questions do you have about Genius Hour?


Homework: 30 minutes of reading, bring your copy of Freak the Mighty tomorrow!

September 22nd 2015

Happy Tuesday, Sixth Graders! We have a busy day! When you come into class, make sure you have your ISNs, independent reading book, and your Freak the Mighty copy. Before you begin independent reading, please put together your writing assessment, it should be in this order:
1. Rubric (with your name, date, and period)
2. Planning Page
3. Rough Draft
4. Polished Copy

Once you have put them together, I will come around, collect, and staple while you are independently reading. 

After independent reading, I will be reading aloud the first chapter of Freak the Mighty. I would like you to keep in mind these two questions. You will be answering these questions in your ISNs as a quick write. 

1. Do our opinions of ourselves affect what others think of us?
2. Do others' opinions of us affect how we feel about ourselves?

If you finish this early, you will then read chapters 2-4.

Schedule: 

1. Independent Reading
2. Read Aloud~Chapter One
3. Quick Write
4. Read chapters 2-4 on your own, if time allows.

Homework: 
Read for 30 minutes
If you have not already done so, buy a copy of Freak the Mighty

September 21st 2015

Daily Riddle: I'm tall when I'm young, and I'm short when I'm old, what am I?

Happy Monday/ Rockies' Pride Day! We are on an assembly schedule today:

1st Hour: 8:30-9:27 

2nd Hour: 9:31-10:25 

4th Hour: 10:29-10:55 

Lunch: 10:59-11:29

Assembly: 11:33-12:20 

4th Hour: 12:25-12:53 

5th Hour: 12:57-1:51 

Please begin independent reading, those who have signed up for the library may come up to my desk for a pass after we take attendance! You will have class time today to work on your assessment to the following prompt: 

Prompt:
After reading the mentor texts, "First Pen", and learning about Malala Yousafzai, use vivid details from your own life to write about a positive or negative memory that has inspired you to pursue something new. Be sure to include a beginning, middle, and end!

Remember, this is due tomorrow. You will turn in your Rubric, your planning sheet, your rough draft, and then your polished copy. Whatever you do not finish, take home tonight for homework!

Bring your copy of Freak the Mighty tomorrow!


Schedule: 

Independent Reading 

Brain Break 

Work time: Work on your assessment

September 18th 2015

Lame Joke Friday:
Did you hear about the fire at the circus?

Happy Friday! Your class was awesome this week, so you can sit wherever you want! Please get out your independent reading book. I will send kids to the library who signed up after I take attendance. I will also have a sign up sheet coming around, however, I am still waiting for more First Pen assessments so make sure you attach it, and then you can sign up. 


Make sure you have your classroom notes section of your ISN ready to go because we will be taking more notes related to "The Writing Process". You will then have the rest of class time to continue planning, writing your rough draft, editing, and revising your story for the polished copy. This assessment is due on Tuesday, so I STRONGLY suggest taking it home over the weekend. However, I will also give time in class on Monday.

Prompt:
After reading the mentor texts, "First Pen", and learning about Malala Yousafzai, use vivid details from your own life to write about a positive or negative memory that has inspired you to pursue something new. Be sure to include a beginning, middle, and end!


Schedule:

Independent Reading

Mini-Lesson: The Writing Process

Brain Break!

Work Time: Work on your assessment! 

Homework: Read for 30 minutes, optional to take your assessment home. 

September 17th 2015

Riddle: What is as big as you are but doesn't weigh anything?

Happy Thursday! When you come in please begin independent reading. If you have signed up for the library you may come to me for a pass AFTER I take attendance. You will have the entire class time today to plan and rough draft your writing assessment for the following prompt: 

After reading the mentor texts, "First Pen", and learning about Malala Yousafzai use vivid details from your own life to write about a positive or negative memory that has inspired you to pursue something new. Be sure to include a beginning, middle, and end!

You will have more time to edit and work on your polished copy tomorrow. The writing assessment is due on Tuesday. We will begin  Freak The Mighty on Monday!

I still have a few of you who have not turned in "First Pen", please make sure you attach your document to google classroom,  I will be grading them and putting them into the Infinite Campus gradebook soon. 

Schedule: 

Independent Reading

Mini Lesson: Prompt and Rubric Discusson

Brain Break

Work time: Plan and Rough Draft your essay

Homework: 

30 minutes of Independent Reading

Purchase Freak the Mighty if you have not already done so!

Writing Prompt is due Tuesday!

September 16th 2015

Welcome back! Happy Wednesday! Please begin independent reading, if you are signed up to go to the library, come to my desk and I will give you a pass! 

Today is our first Genius Hour Class! Yay!!!! I will be introducing Genius Hour, and during work time you will be generating your ideas for your first passion project of the year! 

Schedule:

Independent Reading

Mini-Lesson: Passion Project Introduction

Brain Break!!!

Work time: Generating Ideas worksheet

Homework: 30 minutes of independent reading. 

Reminders: Make sure you have completed your ISNs, attached "First Pen", and completed the Wild Reader Survey!

September 15th 2015

Riddle: I stand when I'm sitting, and jump when I'm walking. Who am I?


Welcome back! If you have signed up for a Tuesday library time, come to my desk and I will give the group the pass. For the rest of you, begin independent reading! Today we will have a little more time for our quick write from yesterday. If you still have items to complete (ISNs, facebook pages, First Pen, Wild Reader Survey) please make sure you do so! I am no longer giving class time to complete those assignments. My study session is today from 3:45-4:45. This would be the perfect time for you to finish work, ESPECIALLY your Interactive Student Notebooks! 

We are ending our unit: Who am I as a Learner this week!!!! To end the unit you will be answering the following prompt: After reading the mentor text, "First Pen", and learning about Malala Yousafzai, use vivid details from your own life to write about a positive or negative memory that has inspired you to pursue something new. Be sure to have a beginning, middle, and end!

Schedule:

Independent Reading

Quick Write: Think of something you learned that you now LOVE. Write about one “moment” where you felt inspired to find your greatness.

Mini Lesson: The Writing Process

Work Time: Begin the planning stage of your essay.

Homework: Read Malala's speech on Google Classroom to help give you more inspiration for your story. 

September 14th 2015

September 14th 2015

“The truth is… greatness is for all of us. This is not about lowering expectations. It’s about raising them for every last one of us. Because greatness is not in one special place. It is not in one special person. Greatness is wherever someone is trying to find it.”

Welcome back! I hope you all had a wonderful weekend. You will begin independent reading before we have a 10 minute catch-up time and our first quick write!

Schedule:

15 minutes independent reading

Catch-up time:

You are caught up if…

_ You have attached your “FIrst Pen” reading to Google Classroom

_ You have completed the Wild Reader Survey

_ You are caught up with your tracking sheet

Make sure you check all three items, after you have finished all three and checked in with me you can sign up for library time on our library sign up sheet at my desk!

Brain Break

Nike Video

Quick Write: Think of something you learned that you now LOVE. Write about one “moment” where you felt inspired to find your greatness.

Homework: 30 minutes of reading, and a typing game!

September 11th 2015

September 11th 2015

"Even the smallest act of service, the simplest act of kindness, is a way to honor those we lost, a way to reclaim that spirit of unity that followed 9/11"

- President Obama


Happy Friday! "First Pen" is due today! Before you begin independent reading, please make sure you have ATTACHED the document you worked on to your name on google classroom. I still have a lot of blank documents or no attachments on a lot of your names! Go through your google drive and search whatever you named your copy of the "First Pen" close reading. 

Today we are going to continue reading another article about Malala Yousafzai. We will also be comparing/contrasting her to Ralph Fletcher. 

Schedule: 

Independent Reading 

Excerpt of Malala Yousafzai's speech/ Compare and Contrast discussion

Brain Break

Work time: Venn Diagrams

With a partner: 
Compare and Contrast Malala's Speech and Ralph Fleming's First Pen
Some things to think about: 
  
Who is the narrator/speaker?
What is he/she writing/speaking about?
Do they have a message? What is it?
How did they find their passions? How did they figure out what they loved?

A link to her full speech is below:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1QdSEyD1l4aR-iXkXSBEl6WbS_kJvlYeGchFmrZ7paqA/edit

For Homework: Read at least 30 minutes a day, and complete Venn Diagram. Add 3 more to each section!


Reminders:
* Keep updating your 40 BC tracking sheet!
* Make sure I have your completed ISNs in your class hour bin!
* Make sure you have completed the Wild Reader survey!
* Make sure I have your facebook sheets!

Monday: I will let you know what you are missing! 

Have an awesome weekend!

September 10th 2015

Daily Riddle: I can run but I can't walk, I have a mouth but I can't talk, a head but I can't think, a bed but I can't sleep. Who/What am I?

Welcome back, I hope you all enjoyed library orientation. If you did not have time to check out a book, don't worry! In addition to our library time every three weeks, I will send small groups down throughout the week during independent reading. Many of you have already submitted to me your "First Pen" close reading questions, before you begin reading I would like you to make sure you have attached the document from your drive (should be in your First Name, Last name folders) in the section where it says "turn in". 


Today we are going to continue learning more about annotation as we begin to discuss an important activist, Malala Yousafzai. We will be discussing her and her contributions for the next few days. 

Schedule: 

Independent Reading 

Malala Yousafazai video

Brain Break!

Annotation Model mini lesson


Homework: Read 30 minutes, First Pen is due Friday!

Reminders:

* ISN journals, "facebook" sheets, and Wild Reader Survey need to be completed!

September 9th 2015

Daily Riddle: I can run but I can't walk, I have a mouth but I can't talk, a head but I can't think, a bed but I can't sleep. Who/What am I?

Happy Wednesday, Sixth Graders! The beginning of class is a little different today as we will be heading down to the library for Library Orientation!

 Today is also Annotation Day! Yay! I will be handing back to you the article " This Millionaire Athlete Lives on $60,000 a Year" You will do your best to annotate before we do our class discussion. Don't know what annotate means? Look it up, remember google is your friend! We will then have a mini-lesson on annotation. You should take notes in the class notes section of your journal! We will continue practicing annotation tomorrow, as well as using this scholarly habit for the rest of the year! 

Schedule

Library Orientation/Reading

Millionaire Athlete Pre-Assessment 

BRAIN BREAK

Mini Lesson


Homework: Read AT LEAST 30 minutes! Also, First Pen pre-assessment is due on Friday!

Reminders:

* Interactive Student Notebooks need to be completed!
* Wild Reader Survey was due Tuesday, make sure you have completed!
* Make sure I have your "Facebook" profile sheets!

September 8th 2015

You can hold it without using your hands or arms. What is it?

Welcome back, 6th graders! I hope you all had a wonderful long weekend. We have an exciting week ahead of us! Have a seat where you usually would sit, we will have new seating assignments this week! Today, we will be wrapping up the "First Pen" short story we read on Friday. You will continue our close reading on your own by answering questions. The "First Pen" short story with questions and a rubric is available in your google classroom. Please make a copy of it and then turn it in to Google Classroom. 


Schedule: 

*Independent Reading

* First Pen Pre-Assessment Directions

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1REZ58ZgxvESsm7CO2F9ADe1dNuLn85cyPlwMhv_ZgyE/edit

* BRAIN BREAK- Nose/Ear change! 

* Work on "First Pen" close reading


Reminders:  
*If you have not finished your ISNs those need to be completed and shown to me! We will be using them this week!
* Please make sure I have your Facebook sheets! 
*Wild Reader Survey is due TODAY!!

Homework: Read for 30 minutes, and if you have not finished the First Pen Pre-Assessment or the above reminders. 

September 4th 2015

"Learning is not a spectator sport."

-  Anonymous


Happy Friday, Sixth Graders! When you come in, please get out your independent reading books and READ! For those of you who have not finished MAPs testing you can do so during independent reading time. The login/password is up on the board. 

Today we will be reading a short story titled "First Pen". This will be up on our google classroom page. We will be having a short discussion after.

Today will also be a catch-up day! If you have not completed the following please do so during work time: 

* "Facebook" page
* ISN Notebooks- Don't forget you can look at my blog for directions!
   * decorating
   * Table of Contents
   * Tabs
* Google Classroom
   *Setting up a LA folder, including the folder you shared with me, if you have not shared, make sure to do so before you leave!
   * Tracking Copy- make a copy, put in your last name, first name folder!
   * Wild Reader Survey- Due Tuesday
  

Homework: Read for 30 minutes, complete the Wild Reader survey by Tuesday!

September 3rd 2015

Riddle: A cowboy rides into town on Friday, stays for three days, then leaves on Friday. How did he do it?


Welcome back! We have a busy day today. If you have finished MAPs testing, please begin independent reading time. If you have not completed MAPs testing, you may do that at this time. The log in/ password is up on the whiteboard. I will be coming around to help! 

After independent reading, we will have a discussion on genres. Next, we are going to begin Google Classroom, where you will find your tracking copy, a hand out on the 40 Book Challenge, and a wild reader survey!

Whatever we do not finish today, do not worry we will be having a catch-up day for part of the day tomorrow!!!

Schedule: 

Independent Reading/ Finish MAPs testing 

Genre Discussion

*What does genre mean?

* Why is it important for you to read different genres?

* Exploring different genres

Setting up Google Classroom

* In your drive make a Language Arts folder Last name, First name, Class Hour
Share with me!

*Receive classroom code from me

* Make a copy of the tracking sheet and the 40 book challenge to put in your Language Arts folder.

Homework: 

- Read for 30 Minutes

- Add to your tracking sheet (will also give time in class)

- Survey is due Tuesday!

September 1st and 2nd

September 1st and 2nd 


September 1st and 2nd students have been completing their MAPs reading assessment.

Homework: Read for 30 minutes!