Weekly Overview:  Week of Sept. 13-17

IMPORTANT: 

     Parents,

          Today (Friday, September 10), I sent home a current progress report with each student.  The two biggest concerns I have at this point are:  1) students not turning in work on time or not at all; 2) Behavior- a few students are being too social in class which negatively impacts the students and their peers.  I have already started making phone calls/sending home referrals.  Most students are following CHAMP’s and are being positive role models for their peers.  I truly appreciate their daily efforts. 

Monday: 

      Warm-up:  Copy the weekly overview into your planner.

      Class work:  Today we will review the 4 stories & 1 poem that we have read in Unit 1.  Students will determine which story/poem that they liked best and/or had the most connections.  They will choose one story or poem and then they will choose 1 character and predict what will happen next to that character.  Predictions must be supported with specific evidence from the story/poem.  Next, students will write a continuation of the story or poem that includes this prediction.  This is a portfolio piece.  The final product is due on Friday.

Tuesday:

     Warm-up:  Review for Thursday’s quiz on “Geraldine Moore the Poet”

      Class work:  Review the requirements for the portfolio entry that is due on Friday.  Students will use the work period to continue planning and drafting the

continuation of the story/poem.

      Homework:  Review for the quiz on “Geraldine Moore the Poet” (blue workbook); quiz on Thursday.

Wednesday: 

      Warm-up:  Review CHAMP’s procedures for a guest teacher.

      Class work:  Mrs. Foster, our media specialist, will provide media center orientation for students.

       Homework:  Review for the quiz on “Geraldine Moore the Poet” (blue workbook); quiz tomorrow.

Thursday:

     Warm-up:  Students will prepare to take the quiz on “Geraldine Moore the Poet”.  (Sharpen pencils, take out a cover sheet, etc.)

     Class work:  Quiz on “Geraldine Moore the Poet”  (After students finish the quiz, they may work on the continuation of the story/poem that is due tomorrow.)

     Homework:  Finish the continuation of your story/poem tonight.

Friday:

     Warm-up:  Author’s Chair- Sharing a few of the continuation stories that are due today.

     Class work: 

• Students will receive their timed-writing assessments.
• We will review the scores, rubric, and the prompt.
• We will begin working on improving the papers, by creating unique, graphic organizers in the shape of hands.  Students will begin the planning process.

UPCOMING PROJECT:  The Cereal Box Book Report (due on Sept. 23); this is 15% of your child’s 1^st quarter grade

    Students must read one of the 6^th Grade Reading Tournament Books (examples include but are not limited to Sharing Susan, Jaguar, Zach’s Lie, Absolutely Normal Chaos, Cabin 102, etc.)  Then they should take an empty cereal box (or a box similar in shape/size) and cover it with wrapping paper, a paper bag, printer paper, etc.  After they have covered the box, it is time to begin adding information.  Here is what your report/cereal box should contain:

• Front of the box:  A catchy, cereal-like title that represents your book  (i.e. if you read Sharing Susan, you might call your cereal “Suzy- O’s to sound like Cheerios) and an illustration (hand-drawn or computer generated)
• Back of the box:  A game that relates to your book (a maze, word search, crossword puzzle, etc.)
• A side panel:  A summary of your book that clearly shows you’ve read the book
• Another side panel:  Information about the main characters and the setting (time & place) of the book
• Extra Credit Opportunity:  For 5 bonus points that relates to your book to go inside the box

**Rubric:  All students have been given rubrics for assessment

Weekly Overview:  September 6-September 10, 2010

Monday, Sept. 6:  No School- Labor Day

Tuesday, Sept. 7:  Today students will take the Math Benchmark Assessment.  Due to the testing, students will not report to periods 1 & 6 (They will be testing via homeroom during those class times.)  Students in periods 3, 4, 5, & 7 will answer questions from the text about "Eleven" and "On Turning 10".

Wednesday, Sept. 8:  Today is early-dismissal; students will get out of school at 2:45.  Students will attend all classes, but they will be shorter in duration.   Students will need to bring their "blue workbooks" to class today.  We will be reading and discussing "Geraldine Moore the Poet".

Thursday, Sept. 9:  Benchmark Reading Testing- Today students will miss periods 1 & 6 for Benchmark testing.  Classes will read "Fighting is Never a Good Solution" from the literature book.

Friday, Sept. 10-  Read and discuss "Where Do You Stand?" from the literature book.  Students will make connections and predictions while reading the text. 

WEEKLY OVERVIEW:  August 30-September 3, 2010

Monday, Aug. 30:

    *Warm-up:      Copy Weekly Overview.

    *Mini-lesson:  Explanation of the Cereal Box Book Report Project that is due on

                            September 23, 2010; students will read one of the 6^th Grade

                            Reading Tournament books of their choice. After reading the

                            book, students will create a cereal box report based upon the book

                            that they read.  Specific directions and the rubric for the assign-

                            ment will be sent home today.  Directions and the rubric will also

                            be included on the website. (Look for this next week!)

    *Work Period:  We will be visiting the library to checkout one of the tournament

                              books.

    *Closing:  Students will have a few minutes to start enjoying their new books 

Tuesday, Aug. 31:  OPEN HOUSE TONIGHT (6:15-8:15; please report to the

                               cafeteria first.)

     *Baseline Writing Assessment (Expository) for Duval County:  Students will

       read the district-selected prompt and completely respond to the prompt. 

       Students will receive a score of 1-6 (based on the FCAT Writing Rubric), but

       the test does not count as a percentage grade in the grade book.  (The results

       will be listed in the OnCourse grade book for informational purposes, but the

       score carries 0% weight because this initial test is to assess “where students

       currently are”.)  In a few weeks, we will revise the tests.  Then the revised score

       will count as an actual grade.

Wednesday, Sept. 1:

     *Warm-up:  Distribute Portfolios; update the first portfolio entry on the cover

        Sheet—the Interest Inventory Survey you completed for homework last week.

     *Work Period:  Exploring Ideas in Literature (pp. 3-11)

     *Closing:  Exit Slip- One thing you learned today or one question you have

Thursday, Sept. 2: 

      *Warm-up:  Why do you think it’s important to be an active reader?  Why is it

         important to be able to express ideas in writing?

      *Work Period:  Read/discuss “Becoming an Active Reader” (pp. 12-15) and

        “Expressing Ideas in Writing” (pp. 16-19)

       *Closing:  Exit Slip (3-2-1):   3 Things You Learned/2 Things You Already

          Knew/1 Question You Have

Friday, Sept. 3:

       *Warm-up:  Essential Question- How can I become a stronger reader and

          writer?

       *Work Period:  Today you will listen to a short story (“Eleven”, pp. 182-189)

          and read a poem (“Eleven”, pp. 182-189)

        *Closing:  Exit Slip- How are the speakers in the short story and poem alike? 

          How are they different?