Today in 6A!
ENGLISH: Today students wrote their Unit 4 Vocabulary/Chapter 8 Grammar test. Results of this should be available by Tuesday.
RELIGION: Another test... Session 8: God leads His people
SOCIAL STUDIES: Students engaged in partner reading, this time taking on the personas of the "overly excited professor" and the "extremely eager student". In this way students made use of exaggerated voices and expressions to help convey their understanding, while reading through the sections (#3, p.76-80). Students were assigned questions 1-4, if they did not finish, it is home work. Students are also asked to brainstorm a phrase/quote/saying/meaningful word that they would like to apply to our Monday activity.
Friday, October 26, 2018
Thursday, October 25, 2018
Today in 6A & 6B
ENGLISH: Today was a review day for our English test tomorrow. The test will cover Unit 4 vocabulary and Chapter 8 grammar. We will not be testing verbals so, when studying, please avoid sections 8.5. Students are guided toward sections A & C of the chapter review as well as 8.1 Ex.2, 8.2 Ex. 1&2, 8.3 Ex.2, and 8.4 Ex. 1 in order to best prepare for the grammar section. Students should also study their word lists.
RELIGION: Today we reviewed our section on Moses, the Exodus and the 10 Commandments in preparation for our open-book test tomorrow.
LITERATURE: Student were guided through a pre-writing technique where they capture the details for a scenario into a graphic organizer and then write their composition from that preparation. today we wrote about our experiences with animals (either domesticated or wild).
SOCIAL STUDIES: In exploring a new lesson about the development of writing, we learned how to talk with the text. Previously, much of our experience in learning has been a passive experience. This new way of front-loading questions in order to create a two-way dialogue with the text, changes the dynamic and makes the reader a more active participant in their learning. Additionally, the information absorbed tends to carry more purpose, further helping root the information in their long term memory.
MATH (8:00 class) pg 96 16-24 (9:00 class) pg 111 1-4 + 8-11
SCIENCE pg 92 1-3
ENGLISH: Today was a review day for our English test tomorrow. The test will cover Unit 4 vocabulary and Chapter 8 grammar. We will not be testing verbals so, when studying, please avoid sections 8.5. Students are guided toward sections A & C of the chapter review as well as 8.1 Ex.2, 8.2 Ex. 1&2, 8.3 Ex.2, and 8.4 Ex. 1 in order to best prepare for the grammar section. Students should also study their word lists.
RELIGION: Today we reviewed our section on Moses, the Exodus and the 10 Commandments in preparation for our open-book test tomorrow.
LITERATURE: Student were guided through a pre-writing technique where they capture the details for a scenario into a graphic organizer and then write their composition from that preparation. today we wrote about our experiences with animals (either domesticated or wild).
SOCIAL STUDIES: In exploring a new lesson about the development of writing, we learned how to talk with the text. Previously, much of our experience in learning has been a passive experience. This new way of front-loading questions in order to create a two-way dialogue with the text, changes the dynamic and makes the reader a more active participant in their learning. Additionally, the information absorbed tends to carry more purpose, further helping root the information in their long term memory.
MATH (8:00 class) pg 96 16-24 (9:00 class) pg 111 1-4 + 8-11
SCIENCE pg 92 1-3
Wednesday, October 24, 2018
Today in 6A!
ENGLISH: The last section of our Grammar unit discusses Verbals. While I think it is important to review this material and understand how they function in a sentence, testing on verbals would be quite difficult and would likely serve to blunt the scores on this week's test. Therefore Verbals will not be tested in this week's grammar and vocabulary test.
RELIGION: Students today rewrote the 10 commandments in their own words. Then, while looking at the originals and their own interpretations, developed slogans for a campaign that would advertise a chosen commandment. This was a fun activity that helped us think of these laws in different ways.
SOCIAL STUDIES: Today we took a break from our regular lessons to participate in the school's Geography Bee. At this level, all students participated in a oral test to select our 6th grade candidates for the school-wide Bee. From 6A, Matteo Medlin will represent, and from 6B, Ava Boyd. The results from the Bee are not counted as part of their grade, however success at the each level does result in greater recognition and eventually scholarships. Best of luck to Matteo and Ava!
ENGLISH: The last section of our Grammar unit discusses Verbals. While I think it is important to review this material and understand how they function in a sentence, testing on verbals would be quite difficult and would likely serve to blunt the scores on this week's test. Therefore Verbals will not be tested in this week's grammar and vocabulary test.
RELIGION: Students today rewrote the 10 commandments in their own words. Then, while looking at the originals and their own interpretations, developed slogans for a campaign that would advertise a chosen commandment. This was a fun activity that helped us think of these laws in different ways.
SOCIAL STUDIES: Today we took a break from our regular lessons to participate in the school's Geography Bee. At this level, all students participated in a oral test to select our 6th grade candidates for the school-wide Bee. From 6A, Matteo Medlin will represent, and from 6B, Ava Boyd. The results from the Bee are not counted as part of their grade, however success at the each level does result in greater recognition and eventually scholarships. Best of luck to Matteo and Ava!
Tuesday, October 23, 2018
Today in 6A & 6B
ENGLISH: Continuing with our exploration of Verbs, we studied irregular verbs and verb tenses. I drew a diagram of the interaction of various verbs to create such tenses. Each of these concepts adds a layer of complexity to the behavior of verbs in a sentence and it is essential that students be able to recognize this behavior and identify it properly. This will help them better understand their own writing.
LITERATURE: Students retold the story of "The Market Square Dog" from the perspective of the police officer. This change in viewpoint helps students to better appreciate how different characters behave. Similarly, this exercise assists students in appreciating the various perspectives in our own classroom.
RELIGION: Today's lesson followed Moses and the Hebrew people as they fled Egypt, their 40 years of wandering the desert and how Moses came to receive the 10 commandments.
SOCIAL STUDIES: Students completed their presentations about Sumerian Gods today and we summed up the "why" behind this exercise.
*****Tomorrow all students will be participating in our Geography Bee oral exam (does not count toward student grades) to see who will represent the 6th grade at the school-wide Geography Bee. Success at the school level will advance a student to the regional Bee, the State Bee, etc.*****
MATH (8:00 class) pg 100 1-9 + AC math (9:00 class) pg 106 1-22
SCIENCE pg 81 1-4
ENGLISH: Continuing with our exploration of Verbs, we studied irregular verbs and verb tenses. I drew a diagram of the interaction of various verbs to create such tenses. Each of these concepts adds a layer of complexity to the behavior of verbs in a sentence and it is essential that students be able to recognize this behavior and identify it properly. This will help them better understand their own writing.
LITERATURE: Students retold the story of "The Market Square Dog" from the perspective of the police officer. This change in viewpoint helps students to better appreciate how different characters behave. Similarly, this exercise assists students in appreciating the various perspectives in our own classroom.
RELIGION: Today's lesson followed Moses and the Hebrew people as they fled Egypt, their 40 years of wandering the desert and how Moses came to receive the 10 commandments.
SOCIAL STUDIES: Students completed their presentations about Sumerian Gods today and we summed up the "why" behind this exercise.
*****Tomorrow all students will be participating in our Geography Bee oral exam (does not count toward student grades) to see who will represent the 6th grade at the school-wide Geography Bee. Success at the school level will advance a student to the regional Bee, the State Bee, etc.*****
MATH (8:00 class) pg 100 1-9 + AC math (9:00 class) pg 106 1-22
SCIENCE pg 81 1-4
Today in 6A!
ENGLISH: We start a new grammar unit this week; Verbs. Today students reviewed what a basic verb is as well as the 4 different forms of verbs (present, present participle, past, and past participle). There is no homework but additional practice is available on the www.grammarforwriting.com website. The unit/chapter test will be this Friday.
LITERATURE: We read a new short story and practiced our predictions, this time breaking down the specific clues and personal experiences that aid us in making our predictions.
RELIGION: Today students primed the session with discussing a trip they went on recently and identifying a few roadblocks or unexpected challenges along that journey. We then equated this to the many interruptions to our faith journey.
SOCIAL STUDIES: Last week students were assigned a Sumerian God to research and build a presentation for. Here is where we presented this work.
ENGLISH: We start a new grammar unit this week; Verbs. Today students reviewed what a basic verb is as well as the 4 different forms of verbs (present, present participle, past, and past participle). There is no homework but additional practice is available on the www.grammarforwriting.com website. The unit/chapter test will be this Friday.
LITERATURE: We read a new short story and practiced our predictions, this time breaking down the specific clues and personal experiences that aid us in making our predictions.
RELIGION: Today students primed the session with discussing a trip they went on recently and identifying a few roadblocks or unexpected challenges along that journey. We then equated this to the many interruptions to our faith journey.
SOCIAL STUDIES: Last week students were assigned a Sumerian God to research and build a presentation for. Here is where we presented this work.
Thursday, October 18, 2018
Today in 6A!
RELIGION: Today was a review session for tomorrow's open-book test on Passover and the Eucharist.
ENGLISH: Today was all about drilling our vocabulary terms. We began with flashcards, demanding the definitions for given words. The we did a rapid-paced quiz to practice the terms. Finally, I read sentences aloud to the class and requested they fill in the blanks with the appropriate vocabulary term. This series of exercises helps students experience the usage of their terms in different contexts.
LITERATURE: To wrap up our short story "Stray", students were asked to develop a poster to help locate a missing pet. After students made their posters and submitted them, we showed a few and judged whether, based on the design, it would be likely or unlikely that this sign would help locate the missing pet.
SOCIAL STUDIES: Students were given their assignment that will span the next several classes. Students chose a Sumerian God to research. They will create a slideshow presentation that illustrates the significance of that God within Sumerian culture. the details of this assignment are posted on Google Classroom, where students will submit their slides prior to the start of Monday. They will have class time tomorrow to work on their research/presentation, but what is not completed in class, will be weekend homework.
MATH (8:00 class) pgs 90-91 1-21 (9:00 class) WS 2-5 & 2-6
SCIENCE Chapter 2 Test Tomorrow
RELIGION: Today was a review session for tomorrow's open-book test on Passover and the Eucharist.
ENGLISH: Today was all about drilling our vocabulary terms. We began with flashcards, demanding the definitions for given words. The we did a rapid-paced quiz to practice the terms. Finally, I read sentences aloud to the class and requested they fill in the blanks with the appropriate vocabulary term. This series of exercises helps students experience the usage of their terms in different contexts.
LITERATURE: To wrap up our short story "Stray", students were asked to develop a poster to help locate a missing pet. After students made their posters and submitted them, we showed a few and judged whether, based on the design, it would be likely or unlikely that this sign would help locate the missing pet.
SOCIAL STUDIES: Students were given their assignment that will span the next several classes. Students chose a Sumerian God to research. They will create a slideshow presentation that illustrates the significance of that God within Sumerian culture. the details of this assignment are posted on Google Classroom, where students will submit their slides prior to the start of Monday. They will have class time tomorrow to work on their research/presentation, but what is not completed in class, will be weekend homework.
MATH (8:00 class) pgs 90-91 1-21 (9:00 class) WS 2-5 & 2-6
SCIENCE Chapter 2 Test Tomorrow
Wednesday, October 17, 2018
Today in 6A & 6B
ENGLISH: After reviewing our flashcards (without our word lists) students practiced identifying sentence errors. Here it is crucial that students understand that, while getting the correct answer is helpful, knowing why it is correct and how to fix it is the key. We then practiced our Antonyms and Synonyms for our vocabulary words.
RELIGION: Today we continued with our look at Passover and the Eucharist as celebrations of difficult events for our ancestors. Students wrote about traditions in their own families and the ways in which they celebrate.
SOCIAL STUDIES: After taking up the homework, students conducted some research on the ancient Sumerian King Ur-Nammu. With this information, students will write either an obituary or eulogy that recounts the achievements and significance of this king's life. As an added challenge, some students may want to assume a personal relationship with the deceased king. The voice that they choose to employ should reflect that relationship. This is due prior to the start of class tomorrow on Google Classroom.
MATH (8:00 class) WS 2-3 (9:00 class) pg 91 4-30
SCIENCE Chp 2 Test on Friday
ENGLISH: After reviewing our flashcards (without our word lists) students practiced identifying sentence errors. Here it is crucial that students understand that, while getting the correct answer is helpful, knowing why it is correct and how to fix it is the key. We then practiced our Antonyms and Synonyms for our vocabulary words.
RELIGION: Today we continued with our look at Passover and the Eucharist as celebrations of difficult events for our ancestors. Students wrote about traditions in their own families and the ways in which they celebrate.
SOCIAL STUDIES: After taking up the homework, students conducted some research on the ancient Sumerian King Ur-Nammu. With this information, students will write either an obituary or eulogy that recounts the achievements and significance of this king's life. As an added challenge, some students may want to assume a personal relationship with the deceased king. The voice that they choose to employ should reflect that relationship. This is due prior to the start of class tomorrow on Google Classroom.
MATH (8:00 class) WS 2-3 (9:00 class) pg 91 4-30
SCIENCE Chp 2 Test on Friday
Tuesday, October 16, 2018
Today in 6A!
ENGLISH: We started today with our flash cards, asking the word from a given definition. We then practiced our vocabulary in context and did some passage based reading from the Sadlier website. Grades for the Unit 3 Vocabulary and Chapter 7 Grammar are now posted and I am pleased to announce that nearly all students saw a tremendous lift in their scores from this test. Consequently, students wrote short reflections on their studying process to capture what was different about this period from the last few. I gained a lot of great feedback from the students about what they liked and what they didn't like about the test which should inform me on future testing as well.
LITERATURE: In keeping with our short story "Stray" we looked at the literary analysis skills for mapping the plot of a given story. The example I drew for students was similar to what is shown on page 22 of their text, with a few differences, however the 6 key features of a plot are consistent. Students then worked on questions 1-5 on page 28. If this wasn't completed in class, it is homework.
SOCIAL STUDIES: In today's lesson we took a specific look at the Sumerian people, their accomplishments as well as their social structure, the emergence of Kings and the role of priests in daily life. Students were assigned questions 1-6 on page 75 for home work.
RELIGION: In lieu of classwork today, students participated in a prayer walk on the field at the end of the day.
ENGLISH: We started today with our flash cards, asking the word from a given definition. We then practiced our vocabulary in context and did some passage based reading from the Sadlier website. Grades for the Unit 3 Vocabulary and Chapter 7 Grammar are now posted and I am pleased to announce that nearly all students saw a tremendous lift in their scores from this test. Consequently, students wrote short reflections on their studying process to capture what was different about this period from the last few. I gained a lot of great feedback from the students about what they liked and what they didn't like about the test which should inform me on future testing as well.
LITERATURE: In keeping with our short story "Stray" we looked at the literary analysis skills for mapping the plot of a given story. The example I drew for students was similar to what is shown on page 22 of their text, with a few differences, however the 6 key features of a plot are consistent. Students then worked on questions 1-5 on page 28. If this wasn't completed in class, it is homework.
SOCIAL STUDIES: In today's lesson we took a specific look at the Sumerian people, their accomplishments as well as their social structure, the emergence of Kings and the role of priests in daily life. Students were assigned questions 1-6 on page 75 for home work.
RELIGION: In lieu of classwork today, students participated in a prayer walk on the field at the end of the day.
Monday, October 15, 2018
Today in 6A & 6B
ENGLISH:Today we started our Unit 4 iWords which asks us to establish definitions and associations for each of our 20 words.
LITERATURE: Today we read the short story "Stray" from our literatrue textbooks. We worked on establishing predictions and examining how our life experiences help to color what inferences and predictions we are prone to making. This exercise was helpful for students to apply some higher order thinking skills but to also, subtly, review different perspectives on a given issue.
RELIGION: We begin a new session today by looking at Passover and the Eucharist as celebrations within the church and how these events are in-memorium of some tragic events. Students shared some of their own family traditions that might not jive with the way others in society celebrate. For example: In my family, New Years Eve isn't quite as big a deal as New Years Day. We usually have a large family party on New Years Day while our NYE is more subdued. Additionally, we eat foods that hearken back to a poorer time in our ancestor's lives.
SOCIAL STUDIES: We continue with our exploration of the Fertile Crescent and ask, how it was that geography encouraged the rise and growth of civilization? Students were asked to compile 3 pieces of evidence that suggest geography's role in this and to explain their reasoning. This was due at the end of class on Google Classroom.
MATH (8:00) pg 85-86 1-17 odds (9:00) WS 2-3 & 2-4
SCIENCE pg 71 1-4
ENGLISH:Today we started our Unit 4 iWords which asks us to establish definitions and associations for each of our 20 words.
LITERATURE: Today we read the short story "Stray" from our literatrue textbooks. We worked on establishing predictions and examining how our life experiences help to color what inferences and predictions we are prone to making. This exercise was helpful for students to apply some higher order thinking skills but to also, subtly, review different perspectives on a given issue.
RELIGION: We begin a new session today by looking at Passover and the Eucharist as celebrations within the church and how these events are in-memorium of some tragic events. Students shared some of their own family traditions that might not jive with the way others in society celebrate. For example: In my family, New Years Eve isn't quite as big a deal as New Years Day. We usually have a large family party on New Years Day while our NYE is more subdued. Additionally, we eat foods that hearken back to a poorer time in our ancestor's lives.
SOCIAL STUDIES: We continue with our exploration of the Fertile Crescent and ask, how it was that geography encouraged the rise and growth of civilization? Students were asked to compile 3 pieces of evidence that suggest geography's role in this and to explain their reasoning. This was due at the end of class on Google Classroom.
MATH (8:00) pg 85-86 1-17 odds (9:00) WS 2-3 & 2-4
SCIENCE pg 71 1-4
Friday, October 12, 2018
Today in 6A!
ENGLISH: Students wrote their Unit 3 Vocabulary and Chapter 7 Grammar test today. Based on student reactions, I think we have found our zone. I believe I am preparing a fair assessment and students are offered great opportunities to communicate what they know and to what degree.
RELIGION: Students write an open-book test for Session 6.
SOCIAL STUDIES: Taking a look again at our new Chapter on ancient Mesopotamia, students were instructed on Cornell notes, this time for a written text. While I am not imposing this as THE note taking strategy, I offer it to students as one of many possible strategies that will help them in the years to come to be better organized. Additionally, I explained the importance of developing a short-hand note taking style. There are ample opportunities for people to apply this skill in the real world as well as academia and I impress the serious importance of being able to take notes that make sense to each individual student. It takes time to get comfortable with any style and to each their own. Students were assigned questions 1-7 on page 70. If they did not finish it in class, it is homework.
ENGLISH: Students wrote their Unit 3 Vocabulary and Chapter 7 Grammar test today. Based on student reactions, I think we have found our zone. I believe I am preparing a fair assessment and students are offered great opportunities to communicate what they know and to what degree.
RELIGION: Students write an open-book test for Session 6.
SOCIAL STUDIES: Taking a look again at our new Chapter on ancient Mesopotamia, students were instructed on Cornell notes, this time for a written text. While I am not imposing this as THE note taking strategy, I offer it to students as one of many possible strategies that will help them in the years to come to be better organized. Additionally, I explained the importance of developing a short-hand note taking style. There are ample opportunities for people to apply this skill in the real world as well as academia and I impress the serious importance of being able to take notes that make sense to each individual student. It takes time to get comfortable with any style and to each their own. Students were assigned questions 1-7 on page 70. If they did not finish it in class, it is homework.
Thursday, October 11, 2018
Today in 6A & 6B
ENGLISH: After discussing the Pronoun Agreement with the students, we began reviewing the concepts and vocabulary terms that will be on tomorrow's test. At this point, students have written 2 unit/chapter tests for English and should have a strong understanding of what preparation methods of theirs have been successful and which ones have not. While I haven't assigned any specific review as homework, I have guided students to specific review materials that will help them with tomorrow assessment.
LITERATURE: Today we built on our concepts of developing inferences to creating characterizations. This means selecting a character and reviewing the text for all mentions of this character, by the narrator, by other characters, or by the character them self. It is reviewing these comments, thoughts and actions that we can begin to establish what "type" of character this is, with the idea being that someone who hasn't read the story should be able to get a good vision of our character strictly from our description.
RELIGION: Today's review session will prepare students for their open-book test tomorrow.
SOCIAL STUDIES: We began today's session with a short video that summarizes what we learned about early civilizations and adds details about ancient Mesopotamia. As we move to study this region over the coming weeks, this video served the purpose of attaching new information to old and previewing some of the details we plan to uncover. Students were provided with a note-taking style that I have found helpful in the past called Cornell Notes. This style provides an organized framework for student notes and questions about the text, any text! The use of Cornell Notes is not restricted to videos but can be used in any informational format. We then used partner reading to learn about the region known as "The Fertile Crescent."
MATH (8:00 class) WS 2-1 + pg 73 10-25 (9:00 class) pg 80 1-33 + AC Math
SCIENCE pg 47 1-4
ENGLISH: After discussing the Pronoun Agreement with the students, we began reviewing the concepts and vocabulary terms that will be on tomorrow's test. At this point, students have written 2 unit/chapter tests for English and should have a strong understanding of what preparation methods of theirs have been successful and which ones have not. While I haven't assigned any specific review as homework, I have guided students to specific review materials that will help them with tomorrow assessment.
LITERATURE: Today we built on our concepts of developing inferences to creating characterizations. This means selecting a character and reviewing the text for all mentions of this character, by the narrator, by other characters, or by the character them self. It is reviewing these comments, thoughts and actions that we can begin to establish what "type" of character this is, with the idea being that someone who hasn't read the story should be able to get a good vision of our character strictly from our description.
RELIGION: Today's review session will prepare students for their open-book test tomorrow.
SOCIAL STUDIES: We began today's session with a short video that summarizes what we learned about early civilizations and adds details about ancient Mesopotamia. As we move to study this region over the coming weeks, this video served the purpose of attaching new information to old and previewing some of the details we plan to uncover. Students were provided with a note-taking style that I have found helpful in the past called Cornell Notes. This style provides an organized framework for student notes and questions about the text, any text! The use of Cornell Notes is not restricted to videos but can be used in any informational format. We then used partner reading to learn about the region known as "The Fertile Crescent."
MATH (8:00 class) WS 2-1 + pg 73 10-25 (9:00 class) pg 80 1-33 + AC Math
SCIENCE pg 47 1-4
Wednesday, October 10, 2018
Today in 6A and 6B
ENGLISH: Continuing our grammar week, we built on yesterday's session and the lessons from last unit as we find pronouns to replace subjects and direct objects. It is a tough lesson, especially if a student is struggling with the concept of direct objects to begin with. The easiest way to remember is that the Subject is what the sentence is about and the Direct Object is what receives the action of the sentence. When replacing these terms with pronouns you get the work we did today. I encourage all students to review the www.grammarforwriting.com worksheets in Chapter 7.
RELIGION: Today we looked at the relationship between Jacob and Esau, the two sons of Isaac and grandsons of Abraham. These two very competitive brothers bickered and fought, largely over their inheritance. Jacob tricked his brother into giving over his birthright. Later Jacob was tricked into marrying a different woman. These scenarios allow us to examine our own actions in moments of frustration and offense.
SOCIAL STUDIES: Students wrote their Chapter 2 test today covering the three lessons from this chapter.
MATH: (8:00 class) pg. 73 #1-9 + Accelerated Math (9:00 class) W.S 2-3/1-10 + Accelerated Math
ENGLISH: Continuing our grammar week, we built on yesterday's session and the lessons from last unit as we find pronouns to replace subjects and direct objects. It is a tough lesson, especially if a student is struggling with the concept of direct objects to begin with. The easiest way to remember is that the Subject is what the sentence is about and the Direct Object is what receives the action of the sentence. When replacing these terms with pronouns you get the work we did today. I encourage all students to review the www.grammarforwriting.com worksheets in Chapter 7.
RELIGION: Today we looked at the relationship between Jacob and Esau, the two sons of Isaac and grandsons of Abraham. These two very competitive brothers bickered and fought, largely over their inheritance. Jacob tricked his brother into giving over his birthright. Later Jacob was tricked into marrying a different woman. These scenarios allow us to examine our own actions in moments of frustration and offense.
SOCIAL STUDIES: Students wrote their Chapter 2 test today covering the three lessons from this chapter.
MATH: (8:00 class) pg. 73 #1-9 + Accelerated Math (9:00 class) W.S 2-3/1-10 + Accelerated Math
Tuesday, October 9, 2018
Today in 6A & 6B
ENGLISH: Today we started our shortened week with our Grammar unit; we are studying Nouns and Pronouns, which is largely review for almost all students. There will be a Vocabulary and Grammar test this coming Friday. Results from last week's make-up grammar quiz show a vast improvement in understanding of the concepts and the grades are posted now on Sycamore. Students will get their tests back tomorrow.
LITERATURE: In 6A we continued with our short story examination of Dragon Dragon where we practiced making inferences. Students needed to piece together intel from the text along with what they know about certain types of actions and make a judgement or conclusion about a certain character. For example: Inference = the King is a coward. Evidence = He has a problem with a dragon. He looks around for someone else to deal with the dragon rather than solving the problem himself. He offers a significant reward for this prize. Conclusion = The king is afraid to deal with the dragon himself, avoids the problem at all costs despite being the leader, therefore he is a coward.
RELIGION: We learned about Fr. John Newmann today.
SOCIAL STUDIES: Today was a review period for our chapter test tomorrow. Again, I guided students to the sections they should study to do well on the test, but this is not an all-encompassing guide for success. Some students want to employ their own methods, and this is encouraged. Quizlet is allowed for studying. Re-reading the chapter is encouraged (roughly 20 pages). The test will have a true/false section. A chapter vocabulary section, and a written section regarding the 7 shared characteristics of civilizations (hint: the chapter only covers one).
MATH (8:00 class) pg 58-59 1-20 (9:00 class) pg 76 11-30
ENGLISH: Today we started our shortened week with our Grammar unit; we are studying Nouns and Pronouns, which is largely review for almost all students. There will be a Vocabulary and Grammar test this coming Friday. Results from last week's make-up grammar quiz show a vast improvement in understanding of the concepts and the grades are posted now on Sycamore. Students will get their tests back tomorrow.
LITERATURE: In 6A we continued with our short story examination of Dragon Dragon where we practiced making inferences. Students needed to piece together intel from the text along with what they know about certain types of actions and make a judgement or conclusion about a certain character. For example: Inference = the King is a coward. Evidence = He has a problem with a dragon. He looks around for someone else to deal with the dragon rather than solving the problem himself. He offers a significant reward for this prize. Conclusion = The king is afraid to deal with the dragon himself, avoids the problem at all costs despite being the leader, therefore he is a coward.
RELIGION: We learned about Fr. John Newmann today.
SOCIAL STUDIES: Today was a review period for our chapter test tomorrow. Again, I guided students to the sections they should study to do well on the test, but this is not an all-encompassing guide for success. Some students want to employ their own methods, and this is encouraged. Quizlet is allowed for studying. Re-reading the chapter is encouraged (roughly 20 pages). The test will have a true/false section. A chapter vocabulary section, and a written section regarding the 7 shared characteristics of civilizations (hint: the chapter only covers one).
MATH (8:00 class) pg 58-59 1-20 (9:00 class) pg 76 11-30
Friday, October 5, 2018
Today in 6A
ENGLISH: Today we started each class with the make-up grammar quiz, focusing on Subjects, Predicates and Direct Objects. We then drilled our flash cards as I provided the word and asked students to supply the definition. Many of our words have multiple definitions, so it is important to understand each's connotations. We then practiced free writing in a Write Around activity. Students had 3 minutes to write a story of their choosing. They then passed their work to another student to continue the story. This is repeated 3-4 times. When students finally get to see where their story went, it has vastly changed.
RELIGION: Our session test was issued today.
AR READING/MATH: While students are free to work on homework and their reading/math goals, I got a lot of questions today about our Literature assignment (6A). Students seem to be a little stuck on what sort of voice to employ. Students should shy away from simply retelling the story, but rather should focus on the impressions the story left on them. A sample opening sentence would be:
"In John Gardner's short story, "Dragon Dragon," an unnamed young hero is pitted against a fierce and bold dragon."
In my opening line I have introduced the title, author, main characters and conflict of the story. This gives me a launch point for my summary and analysis. Why do I describe the dragon as "bold" and "fierce?" How is it that this young boy was set against a dragon? What is the setting? Why do I think this? What evidence informs this idea I have?
In writing this piece, students should be reflecting on the story and asking how they feel about certain details, and why they feel that way. Answering those questions repeatedly for different examples will lead them to a strong plot summary.
!!!!!ITS FESTIVAL WEEKEND!!!!!
ENGLISH: Today we started each class with the make-up grammar quiz, focusing on Subjects, Predicates and Direct Objects. We then drilled our flash cards as I provided the word and asked students to supply the definition. Many of our words have multiple definitions, so it is important to understand each's connotations. We then practiced free writing in a Write Around activity. Students had 3 minutes to write a story of their choosing. They then passed their work to another student to continue the story. This is repeated 3-4 times. When students finally get to see where their story went, it has vastly changed.
RELIGION: Our session test was issued today.
AR READING/MATH: While students are free to work on homework and their reading/math goals, I got a lot of questions today about our Literature assignment (6A). Students seem to be a little stuck on what sort of voice to employ. Students should shy away from simply retelling the story, but rather should focus on the impressions the story left on them. A sample opening sentence would be:
"In John Gardner's short story, "Dragon Dragon," an unnamed young hero is pitted against a fierce and bold dragon."
In my opening line I have introduced the title, author, main characters and conflict of the story. This gives me a launch point for my summary and analysis. Why do I describe the dragon as "bold" and "fierce?" How is it that this young boy was set against a dragon? What is the setting? Why do I think this? What evidence informs this idea I have?
In writing this piece, students should be reflecting on the story and asking how they feel about certain details, and why they feel that way. Answering those questions repeatedly for different examples will lead them to a strong plot summary.
!!!!!ITS FESTIVAL WEEKEND!!!!!
Thursday, October 4, 2018
Today in 6A & 6B
ENGLISH: Continuing with our vocabulary, we now use flash cards without our word lists demanding the word from the definition. We then practiced identifying sentence errors. For this exercise, it is essential that students understand WHY a sentence is incorrect, not just that it is or isn't correct. We then watched a short section of a video that describes how a direct object interacts with a subject and verb. This should help students prepare for tomorrow's make up quiz.
LITERATURE: In 6A we listened to an audio recording from our texts for the story "Dragon Dragon". Students were assigned a writing composition that requires them to summarize the plot of the story. The details of this graded assignment are posted on Google Classroom and are due next Literature class (Tuesday).
RELIGION: Today was our session review for tomorrow's test about Ordinary Time in the Catholic Church.
SOCIAL STUDIES: Today we took the patterns we explored for the shared features of early civilizations and applied them to our exploration into the Maya people. I ask a lot of inference questions, demanding that students read between the lines and make connections to things we have already seen. For example: How might the location of the Mayan temples in the city's center, reflect on the role of religion in their society? This is an example of the type of thinking that students are being guided towards. For homework: p. 51 #1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7 will help students root these concepts in their memory. Our next Chapter test will be this upcoming Wednesday.
MATH (8:00 class) pg 64 1-33 all Chapter 1 Test Tomorrow (9:00 class) Accelerated Math
SCIENCE pg 59 1-3
ENGLISH: Continuing with our vocabulary, we now use flash cards without our word lists demanding the word from the definition. We then practiced identifying sentence errors. For this exercise, it is essential that students understand WHY a sentence is incorrect, not just that it is or isn't correct. We then watched a short section of a video that describes how a direct object interacts with a subject and verb. This should help students prepare for tomorrow's make up quiz.
LITERATURE: In 6A we listened to an audio recording from our texts for the story "Dragon Dragon". Students were assigned a writing composition that requires them to summarize the plot of the story. The details of this graded assignment are posted on Google Classroom and are due next Literature class (Tuesday).
RELIGION: Today was our session review for tomorrow's test about Ordinary Time in the Catholic Church.
SOCIAL STUDIES: Today we took the patterns we explored for the shared features of early civilizations and applied them to our exploration into the Maya people. I ask a lot of inference questions, demanding that students read between the lines and make connections to things we have already seen. For example: How might the location of the Mayan temples in the city's center, reflect on the role of religion in their society? This is an example of the type of thinking that students are being guided towards. For homework: p. 51 #1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7 will help students root these concepts in their memory. Our next Chapter test will be this upcoming Wednesday.
MATH (8:00 class) pg 64 1-33 all Chapter 1 Test Tomorrow (9:00 class) Accelerated Math
SCIENCE pg 59 1-3
Wednesday, October 3, 2018
Today in 6A & 6B
ENGLISH: Today we worked on some of our vocabulary repetition by using flash cards. Students kept their word lists in front of them as they were presented with definitions and had to guess the words. We worked on our passage-based reading and then reviewed Subjects and Predicates via the Khan Academy website. You can find the video and practice questions at this website here: https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/grammar/syntax-sentences-and-clauses/subjects-and-predicates/v/subjects-and-predicates-syntax-khan-academy
RELIGION: We continued our lesson on Ordinary time and discussed both "evangelists" as well as symbols within the church. Students chose a symbol that was most meaningful to them and explained why.
SOCIAL STUDIES: We completed our Jigsaw activity today as students took what they learned in their small group study and taught their peers. The 6 graphic organizers that students now have will serve as the foundation of our historical units moving forward the rest of the year.
MATH (8:00 class) Ws 1-8 + questions from the board Chp 1 test Friday (9:00 class) WS 2-1 & 2-2
SCIENCE Chp 2 worksheets
ENGLISH: Today we worked on some of our vocabulary repetition by using flash cards. Students kept their word lists in front of them as they were presented with definitions and had to guess the words. We worked on our passage-based reading and then reviewed Subjects and Predicates via the Khan Academy website. You can find the video and practice questions at this website here: https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/grammar/syntax-sentences-and-clauses/subjects-and-predicates/v/subjects-and-predicates-syntax-khan-academy
RELIGION: We continued our lesson on Ordinary time and discussed both "evangelists" as well as symbols within the church. Students chose a symbol that was most meaningful to them and explained why.
SOCIAL STUDIES: We completed our Jigsaw activity today as students took what they learned in their small group study and taught their peers. The 6 graphic organizers that students now have will serve as the foundation of our historical units moving forward the rest of the year.
MATH (8:00 class) Ws 1-8 + questions from the board Chp 1 test Friday (9:00 class) WS 2-1 & 2-2
SCIENCE Chp 2 worksheets
Tuesday, October 2, 2018
Today in 6A!
ENGLISH: Results from yesterday's English test were not as favorable as I had hoped. Across the board students communicated a strong misunderstanding for subjects, predicates and direct objects. I've decided to OMIT these sections from the test and students will write a short make-up quiz this Friday after some remedial instruction. I understand that these are some pretty abstract subjects and that my test was asking quite a lot from my students, that is entirely on me. We will do better this Friday. We started our Unit 3 Vocabulary today studying our iWords and creating associations.
LITERATURE: Today we (6A) collected the "Crash" comic strips and students presented their work to the class. Additionally we took time to celebrate each others' work, creating a "positive vibes only" environment.
RELIGION: Today we started our Unit 1 Session 5 lesson that explores Ordinary Time in the Catholic Church and what that means.
SOCIAL STUDIES: In conjunction with our work yesterday, students today created groups where they would share what they learned out their civilization with their group members. Here students become the teachers themselves. They downloaded a lot of information yesterday and distilled it into a graphic organizer. Today they taught their peers. We will continue with this tomorrow.
ENGLISH: Results from yesterday's English test were not as favorable as I had hoped. Across the board students communicated a strong misunderstanding for subjects, predicates and direct objects. I've decided to OMIT these sections from the test and students will write a short make-up quiz this Friday after some remedial instruction. I understand that these are some pretty abstract subjects and that my test was asking quite a lot from my students, that is entirely on me. We will do better this Friday. We started our Unit 3 Vocabulary today studying our iWords and creating associations.
LITERATURE: Today we (6A) collected the "Crash" comic strips and students presented their work to the class. Additionally we took time to celebrate each others' work, creating a "positive vibes only" environment.
RELIGION: Today we started our Unit 1 Session 5 lesson that explores Ordinary Time in the Catholic Church and what that means.
SOCIAL STUDIES: In conjunction with our work yesterday, students today created groups where they would share what they learned out their civilization with their group members. Here students become the teachers themselves. They downloaded a lot of information yesterday and distilled it into a graphic organizer. Today they taught their peers. We will continue with this tomorrow.
Monday, October 1, 2018
Today in 6A and 6B
ENGLISH: Today we had our Unit 2 vocabulary and Chapter 6 grammar test. It was a long period and all students finished early, meaning they had extra time to read their AR books, work on their comic strips, or do some AR math.
LITERATURE: Today was a working period for the comic strips. In 6A these are due tomorrow and expectations are high for quality. Early glimpses at student work show some impressive artwork. 6B will be submitting their work on Wednesday.
RELIGION: Students wrote their Unit 1, Session 4 quizzes today.
SOCIAL STUDIES: To reinforce our learning about early civilizations and their shared features, students broke off into small groups where their filled out graphic organizers regarding the 7 shared features of early civilizations. Each of these groups will become experts on their assigned civilization while tomorrow they will share their knowledge with some slightly larger groups. If this work was not completed in class, it is homework. It is essential that all students complete this work for tomorrow's lesson to work.
MATH: Homework: 8:00 class pg. 47-48 #1-32 + 44-49, 9:00 class pg. 67 #1-39
SCIENCE: Homework: pg. 51 #1-3
ENGLISH: Today we had our Unit 2 vocabulary and Chapter 6 grammar test. It was a long period and all students finished early, meaning they had extra time to read their AR books, work on their comic strips, or do some AR math.
LITERATURE: Today was a working period for the comic strips. In 6A these are due tomorrow and expectations are high for quality. Early glimpses at student work show some impressive artwork. 6B will be submitting their work on Wednesday.
RELIGION: Students wrote their Unit 1, Session 4 quizzes today.
SOCIAL STUDIES: To reinforce our learning about early civilizations and their shared features, students broke off into small groups where their filled out graphic organizers regarding the 7 shared features of early civilizations. Each of these groups will become experts on their assigned civilization while tomorrow they will share their knowledge with some slightly larger groups. If this work was not completed in class, it is homework. It is essential that all students complete this work for tomorrow's lesson to work.
MATH: Homework: 8:00 class pg. 47-48 #1-32 + 44-49, 9:00 class pg. 67 #1-39
SCIENCE: Homework: pg. 51 #1-3
Thursday, September 27, 2018
Today in 6A & 6B
RELIGION: Today we postponed our scheduled session test in lieu of a grade-wide discussion regarding bullying harassment and inappropriate behavior of a sexual nature. Due to an incident involving some of our students, our administrators decided it necessary to discuss the consequences of such inappropriate behavior. Mr. Gray and Mr. VanRuyven explained this information to all 6th grade boys while Dr. O'Bannion lead our girls in this discussion. The instructional information can be found on the following website: https://kidshealth.org/en/teens/harassment.html
Our Religion Test will be issued Monday.
ENGLISH: Today was our chapter review of our grammar week. Because we are away at the La Brea Tar Pits tomorrow, this test will be on Monday. This chapter review was not assigned as homework, however, students are well aware of their performance on the first test and will each need to make a decision on what level of preparation will be necessary for them to be ready for Monday's test. The test will include the grammar lessons from this week in addition to last weeks vocabulary words. I encourage all students to make use of our online materials for both sections.
LITERATURE: Students continued work on their comic strips for Crash. They will have one more in-class session to work on these pieces when they will be turned in Tuesday (6A) or Wednesday (6B).
SOCIAL STUDIES: Due to today's earthquake drill, we held our Social Studies class together to outline the details of tomorrow's field trip. Students are aware that they need to pack a sack lunch, that they are to be in proper uniform, that they will not be bringing their cell phones, as well as the detailed timeline of our trip (as detailed as anyone can get when driving into LA traffic). We are all super jazzed for the day tomorrow.
MATH (8:00 class) WS 1-6 & 1-7 (9:00 class) accelerated Math
RELIGION: Today we postponed our scheduled session test in lieu of a grade-wide discussion regarding bullying harassment and inappropriate behavior of a sexual nature. Due to an incident involving some of our students, our administrators decided it necessary to discuss the consequences of such inappropriate behavior. Mr. Gray and Mr. VanRuyven explained this information to all 6th grade boys while Dr. O'Bannion lead our girls in this discussion. The instructional information can be found on the following website: https://kidshealth.org/en/teens/harassment.html
Our Religion Test will be issued Monday.
ENGLISH: Today was our chapter review of our grammar week. Because we are away at the La Brea Tar Pits tomorrow, this test will be on Monday. This chapter review was not assigned as homework, however, students are well aware of their performance on the first test and will each need to make a decision on what level of preparation will be necessary for them to be ready for Monday's test. The test will include the grammar lessons from this week in addition to last weeks vocabulary words. I encourage all students to make use of our online materials for both sections.
LITERATURE: Students continued work on their comic strips for Crash. They will have one more in-class session to work on these pieces when they will be turned in Tuesday (6A) or Wednesday (6B).
SOCIAL STUDIES: Due to today's earthquake drill, we held our Social Studies class together to outline the details of tomorrow's field trip. Students are aware that they need to pack a sack lunch, that they are to be in proper uniform, that they will not be bringing their cell phones, as well as the detailed timeline of our trip (as detailed as anyone can get when driving into LA traffic). We are all super jazzed for the day tomorrow.
MATH (8:00 class) WS 1-6 & 1-7 (9:00 class) accelerated Math
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