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Page Last Updated Nov 04, 2010
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KNOX MIDDLE SCHOOL CATAWBA TEAM Mrs. Hales 6th Grade Language Arts & Social Studies Thank you for visiting my web page. Please feel free to contact me via email or call 704-633-2922 ext. 510 Monday - Thursday our students have homework, we ask our students to write their homework assignments in their agendas . If they are not sure what was assigned, you may call our homework hotline; 704-633-2922 ext. 510 READ READ READ We encourage all our students to read for 25-30 minutes each night. This month's "Book It" challenge is to complete a reading log for three weeks. Students may read anything that interests them; chapter books, magazines, newspapers . . .We visit the library as a class on Thursdays. Scholastic book orders will go home monthly. This is an inexpensive way to build a great home library for your child. It is important that your child is reading chapter books between 5th and 7th grade reading levels. Every student is asked to have a personal reading book with them in their book bags to read when they are finished their classwork. BOOK ORDERS ARE DUE WEDNESDAY 11/17/10 2nd Quarter - HAPPY HOLIDAYS! Second quarter we will be studying literary terms, reading skills, literary genres, writing, grammar, and vocabulary. Grammar Focus Subject/Predicate, Nouns & Pronouns, Verbs, Noun & Verb agreement, Fragments and Run-on Sentences Tuesdays and Thursdays are usually our grammar days, please look for worksheets from our grammar workbooks for homework on these two days every week. Vocabulary Word Parts: prefixes, base words, and suffixes We are starting a new program; "Words at Work", a great vocabulary builder so look for vocabulary activities coming home each week with your student. Weekly spelling words and Tic-Tac-Toe boards will go home every Monday. Students are to choose three activities - three in a row, any combo of three activities are due Friday. Have fun while you learn new words! Reading Strategies: Making Connections, Predicting, Characterization, and Visualizing Literature Literary Focus: author's purpose, audience, characterization, theme, setting, plot, point of view, main idea, compare/contrast, interpretation, summarizing, sequence, cause/effect, mood, tone and style. Biography: Matthew Henson at the Top of the World Class Novel:Bridge to Terabithia, by Katherine Patterson - finishing this book and writing an essay on friendship. Once we're finished with this book we'll start The Best Christmas Pageant by Barbara Robinson and we'll go see the play in December. Look for information coming home on this field trip. Freak the Mighty, by Phil Brick (LEAD class) The Whipping Boy, by Sid Fleischman (Social Studies class) Expressing ourselves in Writing Friendship essay on the story, Bridge to Terabithia WE'RE LOVING LIFE ON STUDY ISLAND! Student may log into Study Island from any computer; at school, home or the public library. I have many assignments listed to help our students practice skills we learn in class. Larry Bell's 12 Powerful Words: Please use these words in conversations at home with your child. These words challenge our students to think on a high level. Many of our questions that we are asked to answer on standardize tests use these words. It is hard to answer a question in any subject if you do not know what the question means or is asking. NEW 12 POWERFUL WORDS FOR MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS: VERIFY - show me why it's right NOT - no way/ no how JUSTIFY - prove it (give reasons) DISTINGUISH - all the ways they are different AUTHOR'S PURPOSE - why was it written (PIE) CONCLUSION - what was it all about DEMONSTRATE - take me through the steps / show me how CLASSIFY - put in the right group EVIDENCE - things that prove it DETERMINE - figure it out PERSUADE - make me believe it CHARACTERISTICS- list things about it / tell me all about it Everyone should know these words, our elementary schools are doing a great job w/these! TRACE: List in Steps ANALYZE: Break Apart INFER: Read between the Lines EVALUATE: Judge FORMULATE: Create DESCRIBE: Tell all about SUPPORT: Back up with Details EXPLAIN: Tell How SUMMARIZE: Give the Short Version COMPARE: All the ways they are Alike CONTRAST: All the ways they are Different PREDICT: What will Happen Next READING STRATEGIES: As your child can tell you I believe in "Actively Reading" which I ask all my students to do. I want them to use a pen or pencil - not a highlighter and bookmark the text. CIRCLE important words: names, dates, bold and italic print. UNDERLINE supporting details, why did you circle that word? In the margins SUMMARIZE (text message yourself) the main idea of each paragraph. What makes students better readers???? Good Readers do the following: 1. Make a CONNECTION with what you are reading Text to Self, Text to World, Text to Text 2. Ask yourself QUESTIONS about what you are reading - before you read, while you're reading and after you finish a section. 3. Make PREDICTIONS, draw conclusions and make inferences - think about the details that are provided in the reading passage. Use these details to figure out or understand information that is not explained. I think _______________ is going to happen. 4. VISUALIZE, imagine what you are reading in your mind. I can see _____________. The image I have in my mind is ______________. As I read, I picture __________________ the taste, smell, feel, sound. 5. SUMMARIZE what you read: Sequence: __________, ___________, and then _____________ happened Cause and Effect: Cause=Why something happens. Effect=the result Comparing and Contrast: Compare=Same, Contract=Different Fact & Opinion: Fact=A statement that can be proved. Opinions cannot be verified. Identifying Author's Purpose: Why do people write? for PIE = Persuade, Inform, Entertain Identifying Author's Tone: Positive, negative or neutral Story elements: Setting, Plot, Themes, Characters Interpreting Figurative Language: Similes, Metaphors, Idioms FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS: My child tells me, "I don't have any homework." Homework should always be in the student's agenda, for my class and all core classes. Each week I try to send home the following homework to reinforce the skills and lessons taught in class: reading comprehension practice, vocabulary skill building activity, grammar worksheet and a monthly "Book It" reading challenge. Is there anything I can do to help my child? Be active in your child's education by checking their homework and classwork papers. Read with them, enjoy reading with them every night for 30 minutes. Is there anything they need for class? GERM-X, TISSUES . . . pencils, notebook paper, pencil top erasers If you have any questions and need to contact me, please send an email. |
