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Language Arts 6 (Period 5) Assignments

Instructor
Samantha Weiss
Terms
2017-18 Trimester 1
2017-18 Trimester 2
2017-18 Trimester 3
Department
Language Arts
Description
 This class will be interwoven with my Social Studies, period 6 class. In other words, you'll have me as your teacher for 2 hours in what is sometimes referred to as a Humanities Core. This is a great opportunity to learn Language Arts standards, in unison with our History/Social Science standards. We will be able to do lots of projects and in-depth studies that wouldn't be as easy for us if we saw each other for only 55 minutes/day. I'm so excited to write wonderful creative stories, and to research real events, both from current happenings and from the past. We will read some unforgettable literature this year, and we will hone our wordsmith skills. Language Arts and Social Studies are my two favorite subjects and I get to be your teacher for both! Yippee! I'm ecstatic about this!

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Assignment Calendar

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Past Assignments

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A collection of 6 original poems is due Friday!
 
Please follow publication guidelines.
 
 
 

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Dear LA 6 Students:
 
Please go to the following link and click on the green box to the right.
This will take you to practice tests for our up-coming end-of-year test.
 
The more familiar you are with the test, the more at ease you'll feel on the big day of it!
 
We will be testing in early May. You are all going to do great but a little practice will be a huge help!
 
Thanks so much for going to this site and taking a few minutes each night to learn the test environment and the types of questions you'll be asked!
 
 
-Ms. Weiss

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Academic Vocabulary Words are due this Friday: #67 to #85
 
Please write each word in a sentence that demonstrates you understand the meaning of the word!
 
No drawings are necessary this time!

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Persuasive Speech!
 
Students will choose a topic they feel strongly about. It needs to be a controversy. 
Students will research your controversy and decide which side you come out on.
Students will put together a moving speech to be delivered in front of the class. 
 
I am attaching note card directions. It really helps to have the note cards with you when you deliver the speech!
 
I am so excited to learn about different controversies and to hear your opinions about these controversies.
 
We will be discussing powerful techniques for delivering these moving rhetorical events to the class. 
 
Step 1 - Get topic approved by Ms. Weiss
Step 2 - Research your topic. Find multiple articles, books, and other media that discuss your topic. Take careful notes.
Step 3 - Choose which side of the controversy you come out on.
Step 4 - Make note cards to help guide a powerful speech explaining where you stand on the matter and why!
Step 5 - Deliver speech & turn in note cards. Speeches should be 3 to 6 minutes in length.
Step 6 - Have a visual to accompany your speech (Powerpoint or Poster is fine!)
 
Example: Should people eat meat? => Research => No (bc it is costly, unnecessary, unhealthy, pollutes the planet, animal rights) => Make my note cards following guidelines (see attached) => Make a poster =>Deliver speech & turn in my cards
 
 

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Reminder! Your notecards are due March 9! Please work on your notecards for your persuasive speech! You will need to work on this project at home. We will have very limited time in class...
 
 

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Academic vocabulary test #3 has been postponed for a record breaking 4th time!!! Yes, again I'm postponing the test because we have been working on other stuff. Sorry!  I will NOT postpone it a 5th time. :) Have a fabulous weekend. 
 
Great job today in the library working on your House of the Scorpion questions! You should be all caught up to where we are in the book which is Chapter 17 by Tuesday, March 6th.

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Non-fiction: Disaster in Space.
Next week, we will take a small break from House of the Scorpion to read this terrific non-fiction piece. Here is the text to preview and some think sheets to look over. 
 
 

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Please make sure you've finished questions for Chapters 4-5 by this Friday.
 
I've postponed the quiz on Academic Vocabulary List #3 (Words 47 to 66) until next week because we need to go over the words.
 
Please use each word in an original sentence by next Tuesday. Let's have the test a week from tomorrow, Thursday, February 15.
 
Several of you participated so well today in going over the literature questions and in our discussion about dehumanization. Special shout out to Eva N., Saif H., Kayla B., Sara M., Liam N., Cece M., and Tara. Excellent citizenship award for Yuki and Yura. Thanks for your help in the library today. 
 
Also, Charlotte and and Kayla S. : your presentation on your natural disaster was amazing! Same goes to Ry-ry and Lydia. Wow!
 
 

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Here are all the handouts for our skit on Hercules
 
The SCOPE website is http://scope.scholastic.com
 
 

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Please demonstrate knowledge of each of these 21 terms in a DDC format.
 

Alliteration

The repetition of consonant sounds in words that are close together (alliteration)

Allusion

References to features of a culture- for example, to literature and history- that writers expect their readers to recognize; writers often use references to ancient myths of Greece & Rome, and to the Bible as allusions (allusions)

Analogy

A comparison made between two things to show how they are alike (analogy)

Analyze

Break the subject (an object, event or, concept) down into parts, and explain various parts (analyze)

Anecdote

A brief story told to illustrate a point (anecdote)

Antonyms

Words that have the opposite or almost opposite meanings (antonyms)

Assonance

The repetition of vowel sounds other than in rhyme (assonance)

Atlas

A bound collection of maps (atlas)

Author

The writer of a literary word or document (author)

Autobiography

The author’s account of his or her own life (autobiography)

Cause

What makes something happen (cause)

Cause and effect

Means of organizing a written work that shows the reasons for and results of events (cause and effect)

Character

A person (sometimes an animal) in the story. While all characters are important, the main (or central) character, the protagonist, is most important to the reader (character)

Character traits

Aspects of a character’s personality; human qualities (character traits)

Characterization

Method by which a writer shows a character’s personality-revealed by the character’s actions, thoughts, words and by how others feel about him/her (what the character says, what the character does, and what other characters say or think about a character)  (Characterization)

Chronological order

Time order, or the order, from first to last, in which events happen (chronological order)

Climax

The turning point in a work of literature; the point at which the reader learns how things will turn out; reader’s interest and suspense is highest at this point (climax)

Coherence

Ideas stick together because they are arranged in an order that makes sense (coherence)

Comedy

A play that ends happily, in which the main character gets what he or she wants (example: Midsummer Night’s Dream) (comedy)

Complications

Events and details that add to the problems of the main characters (complications)

 

SEE TEMPLATE ATTACHED

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Please familiarize yourself with Accelerated Reader.
 

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Our HOLIDAY PARTY is this coming Thursday, December 14th. Our theme is When You Reach Me.
 
The following foods were mentioned in the novel: If you'd like to bring any of these items, please feel free. There are 29 kids in the class. However, you don't necessarily have to get enough for everyone. Since pretty much everyone brings some thing, there will be PLENTY to eat if you bring enough for 8-10 people.
 
Cheez Doodles
Strawberry Shaped Objects (SSO)
Swiss Miss Hot Coco
60% cacao chocolate
Pizza
Soda
Cherry Blow Pop
Tiny sausages
Mustard
Apple Cider
Cheese (American & Swiss)
Bit-O-Honeys
Hershey Kisses
Lettuce, Tomato, Onions
Swiss Cheese
Pickles
Sliced Turkey Sandwiches
Ham Sandwiches
Roast beef sandwiches
Salami 
Tuna salad
Meatballs\
Powdered Sugar Dough Balls
Mayonnaise
Fries
Grapes
Oreos
Lemonade
Bread
McDonalds
Rolls
Potato Chips
Animal Cookies
Water
Spaghetti
Chocolate Milk
Fritos
Tootsie Rolls

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This week we are in the library and we are working to conclude our second novel, When You Reach Me.  I'm so pleased that you enjoyed this novel!
 
Please try to finish question set 4 and 5 by Friday. Just let me know by Thursday if you need extended time!
 
And let's not forget our party next Thursday, the 14th. I'll be putting together a list of things to bring with our novel's theme in mind.
 
 

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This week we are working on our re-writes AT HOME for the personal narrative, "turning point" essay.
 
If you need to see me to discuss my comments on the first draft, then please see me at the beginning of class.
 
We are also working on When You Reach Me questions. We are starting set #4 this week. 
 
I'm moving this Essay grade to Trimester 2 just fyi.

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Dear Students,
 
By now you should have returned your Stargirl novel. And you should have checked out the new novel, When You Reach Me, from the library. 
 
We are working this week on the novel. At the beginning of Tuesday, we are on page 19! By Friday, please have the first page of the green packet questions completed!
 
Great job on the grammar webs! I will get those updated in aeries this week. I'm enjoying your Personal Narrative Essays tremendously and will get those back to you as soon as possible.
 
Sincerely,
 
Ms. Weiss

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Please finish Island of the Blue Dolphins questions in Edlio and the Hatchet First Read questions in Edlio. I will be checking those very soon in the computer!
 
They are due 10/31.

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Dear Class,
 
Thanks for getting me your re-writes on time! Those who forgot to attach the old version behind it can give it to me on Monday without penalty - no worries! It makes it a lot easier for me to evaluate your work when I see what tips I had given you... 
 
Here is a link to the extremely challenging memoir that we read today in class. I'm so proud of you all for trying to wrestle through the meaning of it all. It is very sad but very moving. You all did a great job.
 
 
The short stories that we are reading on StudySync are leading up to a culminating essay on "turning points" in our lives. Stay tuned!
 
-Ms. Weiss
 

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Character Analysis Rewrite is Due this Friday, October 20th.
 
Notes from today: A thesis is an answer to a question. The question that I've posed to you is,
what is Jerry Spinelli trying to tell his readers through the character of Stargirl? Your answer (and I gave you a big hint because I said you want to talk about how he wants people to be themselves... that weird is good, or to be independent thinkers...something to this effect) to the question is going to be your thesis statement. It must be in the introductory paragraph. Every body paragraph is trying to prove the message that Spinelli is trying to convey to his readers.
 
Your thesis is not to prove she is weird but rather, to prove how her distinct qualities help convey the message Spinelli wants his readers to come away from the book understanding.
 
I am attaching the Ridgecrest Writing Handbook. It has a lot of helpful hints but it also has the publication guidelines that most Language Arts teachers want.

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Some of you still owe me your Character Analysis Essay :-O It is now past due! Please get it to me ASAP.
 
This week we are working on the short story packet for the short story or excerpt from the novel Hatchet, by Gary Paulsen. 
 
We will also start to work on a PARTS OF SPEECH word web. These projects are on-going with very limited homework. I'm hoping to finish the Paulsen packet by Friday and the word web by Wednesday of next week!
 
Let's have a great rest of our week Sea Turtles (my affectionate name for my 6th graders)!

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We will be working on a character analysis of Stargirl for the second half of the book. Please see the prewriting activity attached. We will work to fill this in before writing our essays. We will be writing the essay in class and at home.
 
I am posting an example of an essay that we started to write together in class as an EXAMPLE. You still have to write your own essay :)
 

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Please read every night for at least 20 minutes until you finish Stargirl. We won't have time to read in class any longer. Many students have already finished.
 
Students should be working on their character analysis this week.
 
 

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 We will be reading Stargirl together and discussion questions will be assigned periodically. I expect these to be mostly classwork. However, sometimes, there may be a few questions assigned for homework. Students who have a device may work directly in their devices. Others may work in the composition notebook!

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All questions in complete sentences. I'll be checking this on Wednesday. Also, I'll post the other questions this weekend (for the second half of the book.)

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Classwork for Friday, September 15, 2017
1. We will start Unit 1 in StudySync together and look at the theme of Turning Points
2. We will also look to see how the unit is structured and how I'm going to be assigning these classwork assignments. Remember, homework is only classwork that you don't have time to complete by the due date. 
3. Have a fantastic weekend! I loved meeting your parents! <3

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See Homework that is due Thursday (yesterday's...) for instructions. Go to StudySync and do the Hurricane Harvey Blast.

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There is a blast due in StudySync. You will log in through your 
portal.pvpusd.net account
go to the red square: McGrawHill...
click on the yolk (yellow dot) 
click on the yolk (yellow dot)
You should come to your Language Arts Text Book Welcome Screen. If you can't get here then don't panic. On the next school day, at lunch, please go see Simon in the computer lab and he will help you to get a log in. I will give you extra time if you need it!
 
The blast: Read the information on the right and go to several links (there are three videos to watch!) Then you will respond to the prompt on the left, take the survey, and give a few students ratings on their prompt answer (their "blast"). That's it! Your homework for Friday is the same, just a different Blast, related to Hurricane Harvey!

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Make sure that you can log in to "Single Sign-On" portal with your 6 digit student ID number!
If you are having problems, then please go see Simon in the 505 Computer Lab at lunch. He will help you to get all squared away for the year.
 
Here is the link: https://portal.pvpusd.net

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 Here is a link to the video we watched today in class. This is the video we based our Journal Entry: The Global Village Assignment on.
 

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 Reflection: The Global Village
Here is the link: