District Argument Essay. It's the last day. YOU CAN DO IT.

Just so you know, I think I'm hilarious.
Don't forget, it's for the district. 

Today's Goal: Finish your argument essay. Do your best. Be your best. You're amazing. I believe in you.

The Plan:

1. Read
2. District Assessment

Prompt you're writing about:

Should our school participate in the national “Shut Down Your Screen Week”? Be sure to use evidence from the texts, as well as your own knowledge, to support and develop your thinking.

Reminders/Homework:

• Read your book!
• You have Two Achieve articles due TONIGHT.
• Teacher Choice: "No Boys Allowed?"
• Student Choice
• You have two independent reading books due January 15
• THIS MEANS YOU SHOULD BE ALMOST DONE WITH ONE OF THEM. Make sure you have books to read over break!
• There is no bonus credit over winter break. If you would like to raise your grade, find old assignments that you can edit and revise. Then submit Re-Score Requests. 
• ALL Re-Score Requests MUST be submitted on or before January 19 if you want to raise scores from this semester. After that, all assignments grades are permanent. You will not be able to revise for more credit after this date.

Argument Assessment Day 2

Today's Goal: Use your outline to begin writing your argument essay.

The Plan:

1. Read
2. District Assessment

Prompt you're writing about:

Should our school participate in the national “Shut Down Your Screen Week”? Be sure to use evidence from the texts, as well as your own knowledge, to support and develop your thinking.

Reminders/Homework:

• Read your book!
• You have Two Achieve articles due THURSDAY.
• Teacher Choice: "No Boys Allowed?"
• Student Choice
• You have two independent reading books due January 15
• THIS MEANS YOU SHOULD BE ALMOST DONE WITH ONE OF THEM. Make sure you have books to read over break!

Argument Assessment

Today's Goal: Read and take notes on the three articles presented. Prepare to write your essay.

The Plan:

1. Read
2. District Assessment

Prompt you're writing about:

Should our school participate in the national “Shut Down Your Screen Week”? Be sure to use evidence from the texts, as well as your own knowledge, to support and develop your thinking.

Reminders/Homework:

• Read your book!
• You have Two Achieve articles due THURSDAY.
• Teacher Choice: "No Boys Allowed?"
• Student Choice
• You have two independent reading books due January 15
• THIS MEANS YOU SHOULD BE ALMOST DONE WITH ONE OF THEM.

Do we use screens too much?

Today's Goal: District-wide assessments. You don't need computers!

The Plan:

1. Read!
2. Digital Citizenship Assessment
3. Deconstruct our argument prompt
4. Read articles related to the prompt

Argument Essay
All of the 6th graders will be doing this in-class essay. I, Ms. Black, need to see what you can do, and I need to be able to show others what you can do. You can do a lot and this is your time to show off to the people in charge.

You will get three texts to read, annotate, and take notes on. Be as detailed as you can today. It will make your life easier tomorrow. This will take us a few days to do, so DO NOT RUSH.

Prompt:

Should our school participate in the national “Shut Down Your Screen Week”? Be sure to use evidence from the texts, as well as your own knowledge, to support and develop your thinking.

Reminders/Homework:

• Read your book!
• You have Two Achieve articles due THURSDAY.
• Teacher Choice: "No Boys Allowed?"
• Student Choice
• You have two independent reading books due January 15

Egypt Day

Today we're participating in the Social Studies Egypt Day. 

Some of you may not see me at all today.

Have a wonderful weekend and I'll see you Monday!

Digital Citizenship: Scams and Schemes

Today's Goal: Learn about scams, schemes, and cyberbullying

Students will be able to: • understand what identity theft is and why it is important to guard against it. • learn to recognize strategies that scam artists use to access private information. • learn how to guard against phishing and identity theft.

Students will be able to ... • reflect on what it means to be brave and stand up for others offline and online. • learn to show empathy for those who have been cyberbullied. • generate multiple solutions for helping others when cyberbullying occurs.

The Plan:

1. Read
2. Phishing
3. Cyberbullying and Bystanders

Important Terms about Phishing:

Cyberbullying Activity

• You will complete this Google Form individually. You make talk it through with a partner, but you must complete your own form.
• Click here for the form

Reminders/Homework:

• READ!
• Then read some more.
• Also read.
• Reading is great. 
• Make sure your thought question is submitted.
• Also! Don't forget to read.

SOAPSTone

Today's Goal: Read closely to determine author's purpose and point of view.

The Plan:

1. READ your book!
2. Read a "This I Believe" essay with a partner using the "Say Something" Protocol
3. SOAPSTone with a partner.

Reminders/Homework:

• Thought Questions are due by Midnight on Thursday (leave the colors, but if you don't finish color-coding, that's okay.)
• No Achieve articles this week
• Read your independent reading books.

Color Coding for Paragraph Parts

Today's Goal: Identify elements of an effective argument by color coding your thought question paragraphs.

The Plan:

1. Read!
2. Sentence Composing (on Google Classroom)
3. Thought Question Color Coding
4. Revise and Edit your thought question before you turn it in. the FINAL due date is Thursday, December 14 by midnight.

Thought Question Editing

You will need to go to Google Classroom and press "Unsubmit" in order to complete this activity.

1. Trade computers with a partner
2. Your partner is going to highlight your paragraphs so that they look a lot like this one.
3. Edit and Revise your paragraphs. When you turn your final draft in, you should have at least three of each color highlight. If you're missing one, you know you've missed a step.
4. DOUBLE CHECK YOUR CAPITALS. PLEEEEEEEASE

Please note, unless you have a quote from the article, you do not have evidence.

Reminders/Homework:

• BRING INDEPENDENT READING BOOK
• Finish color coding and editing your thought question and turn it in. Make sure you have evidence, which means you got quotes from the article!

Values Sort: Which is the most important?

An example of one of many values that people hold

Today's Goal: Practice forming arguments out loud using academic language.

The Plan:

1. Read
2. Values Sort and Values Bracket - Finish what we started last Thursday!
3. Reflection (Google Classroom)

Values Bracket

You and your partner will get a paper bracket where you will list your top EIGHT values. Together, you will narrow down your list until you have only one remaining "winner"

Reflection

On Google Classroom, there is a document where you will answer the following questions in complete sentences:

1. What was your team's final decision? Do you agree with it? Why or why not?
2. If your top value was eliminated, how did you feel about it? (What was the value?)
3. What strategies did you use in completing the activity?
4. Were you ever persuaded to change your mind

Reminders/Homework:

• BRING YOUR INDEPENDENT READING BOOK TO CLASS.
• Fill out your values reflection on Google Classroom. Use complete sentences. BE DETAILED. (One sentence is not going to cut it.)
• Thought Question due in class tomorrow.
• This means that you show up to class tomorrow with it already completed.
• No Achieve Articles due this week. (If you're missing any, this doesn't apply to you.)

What are YOUR values?

Today's Goal: Identify and discuss what values are important to you

The Plan:

1. LET'S READ (Skim the blog post, then read your book.)
2. Values Sort Activity 
3. Values Bracket

Values Sort:

Values Bracket:

Once we make it to this part of the activity, you will need to access a set of Google Slides that are linked for you on Google Classroom. 

Achieve Contest:
Period 1 is currently winning this contest.
If you read this far, tell Ms. Black your favorite holiday.

Reminders/Homework:

• BRING YOUR BOOK TO CLASS.
• Thought Question due MONDAY. Yes, Monday. One week from now. December 11
• Two Achieve Articles due by midnight FRIDAY.
• one article of your choice.
• One article of Ms. Black's choice. 
• Title: "Will Amazon Change the World…Again?"
• Independent Reading: at least two books completed by January 15 (more if you are doing Ms. Black's Winter Reading Challenge)

Close Reading!

Today's Goal: Close reading of a text

The Plan:

1. Sentence Parts Practice (See below!)
2. "This I Believe" Introduction
3. No Red Ink/Achieve

Sentence Parts Practice
You will find this in Google Classroom. It's tricky today! You will be unscrambling a sentence.

This I Believe Introduction
On Google Classroom, there is a link to a website called "GoFormative." The assignment is called "Introduction to 'This I Believe."

You will need to remember what a metaphor is:

Achieve Contest:
Period 1 is currently winning this contest. By Friday, we have to have the most points on activities across the entire school, and at least 75% of you have to have done 8 Achieves with high activity scores in the past month.

You could win a class donut party (or something like it. We get to choose.)

Reminders/Homework:

• BRING YOUR BOOK TO CLASS.
• If you don't finish the 9 questions in class, please finish them tonight.
• Thought Question due MONDAY. Yes, Monday. One week from now. December 11
• Two Achieve Articles due by midnight FRIDAY.
• one article of your choice.
• One article of Ms. Black's choice. 
• Title: "Will Amazon Change the World…Again?"
• If you read this far, give Ms. Black a high five
• Independent Reading: at least two books completed by January 15 (more if you are doing Ms. Black's Winter Reading Challenge)

This I Believe - What is it?

Today's Goal: Close reading of a text

The Plan:

1. Sentence Parts Practice (See below!)
2. Achieve Contest
3. "This I Believe" Introduction (You won't finish this today, and that's okay!
4. No Red Ink

Sentence Parts Practice

Choose the meaningful chunking of the sentence:

1. When his father / who was old / and twisted with toil / gave / him the ownership of the / farm and seemed / content to creep away to / a corner and wait for / death, he / shrugged his shoulders and dismissed the old / man from his mind.

2. When his father / who was old / and twisted with toil / gave him the ownership / of the farm / and seemed content / to creep away / to a corner / and wait for death / he shrugged his shoulders / and dismissed the old man / from his mind.

Sherwood Anderson, Winesberg, Ohio

This I Believe Introduction
On Google Classroom, there is a link to a website called "GoFormative." The assignment is called "Introduction to 'This I Believe."

You will need to remember what a metaphor is:

Achieve Contest:
Period 1 is currently winning this contest. By Friday, we have to have the most points on activities across the entire school, and at least 75% of you have to have done 8 Achieves with high activity scores in the past month.

You could win a class donut party (or something like it. We get to choose)

Reminders/Homework:

• No Red Ink due TONIGHT by midnight.
• Thought Question due MONDAY. Yes, Monday. One week from now. December 11
• Two Achieve Articles due by midnight FRIDAY.
• one article of your choice.
• One article of Ms. Black's choice. 
• Title: "Will Amazon Change the World…Again?"
• Independent Reading: at least two books completed by January 15 (more if you are doing Ms. Black's Winter Reading Challenge)

Claim, Evidence, Reasoning

Today's Goal: Identify parts of an argument paragraph and apply it to your next thought question paragraph. Make claims, provide evidence, and give reasoning.

The Plan:

1. Identifying Sentence Parts (You'll do this with a partner)
   You need a writing utensil!! *colors are welcome*
   
2. Structure of a Paragraph
3. Thought Question



Today we are examining STRUCTURE.

4. No Red Ink

Reminders/Homework:

• Make sure Ms. Black has all of your assignments
• Thought Question due MONDAY. Yes, Monday. One week from now. December 11
• No Red Ink due Tuesday by midnight.
• Two Achieve Articles due by midnight FRIDAY.
• one article of your choice.
• One article of Ms. Black's choice. 
• Title: "Will Amazon Change the World…Again?"
• Independent Reading: at least two books completed by January 15 (more if you are doing Ms. Black's Winter Reading Challenge)

Writing Better Sentences

Today's Goal: Produce clear and coherent writing by investigating how writers use meaningful chunks to create sentences, ways to to appropriately email a teacher or supervisor in a way that maintains the relationship, and what words should be capitalized (or not).

The Plan:

1. Understanding Sentence Parts Practice
2. Emailing a teacher lesson
3. Capitalization Practice on No Red Ink (because you need it)
4. Read a book.

Understanding Sentence Parts

When you're a writer (which you are), you choose words and arrange them into sentences. We're going to embark on a quest to emulate (imitate) professional writers to make our sentences better! 

Some of the sentences are not easy, but when we break them down and look at them part by part, they become more clear. You can do the same when you are writing!

I am going to give you a piece of paper to do our first activity on our quest to become better writers.

Email Etiquette

Your assignment is on Slide 7. Send Ms. Black a professional email that is better than the example. To do this go to your Gmail (mail.google.com) and send it to her email (ablack@carlsbadusd.net). Then, next time you send ANY teacher an email, make sure you use this powerpoint to make sure you do it right. (Usually you can do this on School Loop, but for this assignment I need you to do it on gmail. You should be checking your Gmail anyway)

No Red Ink

• There is a new assignment for you on No Red Ink. 
• It's about Capitalizations and the words "they're," "their," and "there." 

Reminders/Homework:

• Send Ms. Black the email that is required above. 
• Finish No Red Ink Activity.
• End of grading period is today.
• Book Projects Due November 30! (If you want it counted for the progress report, they MUST be turned in IMMEDIATELY)
• Make revisions to your articles if needed. Resubmit on Google Classroom.
• Two Achieve Articles due by midnight FRIDAY.
• one article of your choice.
• One article of Ms. Black's choice. 
• Title: "Seeing Things in a New Way"
• Independent Reading: at least two books completed by January 15 (more if you are doing Ms. Black's Winter Reading Challenge)

Book Projects - last work day

Today's Goal: If necessary, make revisions to your article, then work on book projects! Share what you've read!

The Plan:

1. QUIZ (Click here and wait for directions silently).
2. Work on Book Projects or Article Revisions
3. Read a book if you have time!

Book Projects

• Independent Reading book projects are due TODAY
• You can find the instructions on Google Classroom or if you CLICK HERE.
• Digital submissions should be submitted on the Google Classroom assignment, which means you will need to press the "Add" button and click "Google Drive" to find the assignment(s) and attach them.
• Physical submissions will be handed directly to Ms. Black
• You can do both options, and if you really want to print something out and give it to me, you can do that, too.
• If you don't want a zero for this on your progress report, it MUST be submitted on or before Friday.

Reminders/Homework:

• Book Projects Due November 30! (If you want it counted for the progress report, they MUST be turned in!)
• NO THOUGHT QUESTION. There WILL be one next week.
• The secret word is Mesopotamia.
• Two Achieve Articles due by midnight FRIDAY.
• one article of your choice.
• One article of Ms. Black's choice. 
• Title: "Seeing Things in a New Way".
• Independent Reading: at least two books completed by January 15
• Make revisions to your articles if needed. Resubmit on Google Classroom.

Reading Challenges

Today's Goal: If necessary, make revisions to your article, then work on book projects! Share what you've read!

The Plan:

1. Open Socrative and join our class (The Room Name will be on the board)
2. Work on Book Projects or Article Revisions
3. Read a book if you have time!

Revisions for Articles:

• If you choose to make revisions to your article, you will need to make a copy of the one you shared with me. 
• Your revised article will be submitted on Google Classroom. 
• In order to get a revised score, you will need to make your revisions ON YOUR OWN. Revisions are to be done individually. 
• If you and your group only have a few things to do together, that's fine, but you will still need to make individual copies and submit them individually. 
• I will only give revised scores to students who have submitted their revisions on Google Classroom.
• There isn't really a due date for this, but if revisions aren't done by the end of the semester, they will not count.

Book Projects

• Independent Reading book projects are due November 30
• You can find the instructions on Google Classroom or if you CLICK HERE.
• Digital submissions should be submitted on the Google Classroom assignment
• Physical submissions will be handed directly to Ms. Black

Reminders/Homework:

• Book Projects Due November 30! (If you want it counted for the progress report, they MUST be turned in!)
• NO THOUGHT QUESTION. There WILL be one next week.
• Two Achieve Articles due by midnight FRIDAY.
• one article of your choice.
• One article of Ms. Black's choice. 
• Title: "Seeing Things in a New Way".
• Independent Reading: at least two books completed by January 15

Book Projects!

Today's Goal: If necessary, make revisions to your article,

Your Choices:
1. revisions to your article
2. work on book projects
3. read a book! (Get a new one if you don't have one)


Revisions for Articles:

• If you choose to make revisions to your article, you will need to make a copy of the one you shared with me. 
• Your revised article will be submitted on Google Classroom. 
• In order to get a revised score, you will need to make your revisions ON YOUR OWN. Revisions are to be done individually. 
• If you and your group only have a few things to do together, that's fine, but you will still need to make individual copies and submit them individually. 
• I will only give revised scores to students who have submitted their revisions on Google Classroom.

Book Projects

• Independent Reading book projects are due November 30
• You can find the instructions on Google Classroom or if you CLICK HERE.
• Digital submissions should be submitted on the Google Classroom assignment
• Physical submissions will be handed directly to Ms. Black

Reminders/Homework:

• NO THOUGHT QUESTION. There WILL be one next week.
• Two Achieve Articles due by midnight FRIDAY.
• one article of your choice.
• One article of Ms. Black's choice. 
• Title: "Seeing Things in a New Way".
• Independent Reading: at least two books completed by November 27 (THAT'S TODAY)
• Independent Reading book projects are due November 30

What are you Reading?

Today's Goal: Make a physical representation of a book that you have recently read.

The Plan:

1. I'm giving you Play-Doh. Don't make a mess or you'll never get to use it again.
2. Ms. Black will answer all the questions you have about your article scores
3. Ms. Black will answer all the questions you have about your book projects
4. Come prepared tomorrow to work on book projects or article revisions.

Play-Doh

1. Think about the most recent book you have read or are currently reading
2. Create an object with your Play-Doh that represents something important in your book
   Your only rule is that you can't make a person with your play-doh to represent the character. You can be more creative. I know it.
3. Make a FlipGrid Video explaining what book you read or are reading, what your object is, and what it represents in your story.
4. Be appropriate in your responses to your peers.

Revisions for Articles:

• If you choose to make revisions to your article, you will need to make a copy of the one you shared with me. 
• Your revised article will be submitted on Google Classroom. 
• In order to get a revised score, you will need to make your revisions ON YOUR OWN. Revisions are to be done individually. 
• If you and your group only have a few things to do together, that's fine, but you will still need to make individual copies and submit them individually. 
• I will only give revised scores to students who have submitted their revisions on Google Classroom.

Book Projects

• Independent Reading book projects are due November 30
• You can find the instructions on Google Classroom or if you CLICK HERE.
• Digital submissions should be submitted on the Google Classroom assignment
• Physical submissions will be handed directly to Ms. Black

Reminders/Homework:

• NO THOUGHT QUESTION. There WILL be one next week.
• Two Achieve Articles due by midnight FRIDAY.
• one article of your choice.
• One article of Ms. Black's choice. 
• Title: "Seeing Things in a New Way".
• Independent Reading: at least two books completed by November 27 (THAT'S TODAY)
• Independent Reading book projects are due November 30

A Final Product

The Plan: FINISH.

1. MODEL ARTICLE
2. WORK ON FINISHING YOUR ARTICLE
3. Communication Rubric - Rate yourself and your peers (This is the point where I will happily raise scores if you have proven to your team and yourself that you deserve it!

Screencasts I made for you that are on Google Classroom, too:

• How to get a legal photo to use in your work
• How to get yourself a template to use for your article
• How to make your Works Cited Page

BONUS POINT OPPORTUNITY OVER BREAK:

Complete two Achieve articles of your choice. Do all five steps and earn at LEAST 75% on two articles. If you complete this by Friday at midnight on November 24, I will award 10 bonus points. Some of you need this!

Reminders/Homework:

• WORK ON YOUR ARTICLE - DUE FRIDAY
• NO THOUGHT QUESTION. I want you to focus your energy on the current writing task and on getting great scores on your achieve articles.
• Two Achieve Articles due by midnight FRIDAY.
• one article of your choice.
• One article of Ms. Black's choice. 
• Title: "Keeping Watch: A Good Thing?"
• Independent Reading: at least two books completed by November 27 (that's like 20 pages every night)
• Independent Reading book projects are due November 30
• You can find the instructions on Google Classroom or if you CLICK HERE.

Work Day

Today's Goal: Visit your last station and KEEP. WRITING.

The Plan:

1. MODEL ARTICLE
2. Stations Activity: You will have a paper version of this document to work with
3. Work on any station you need to OR work on your writing to finalize your article. Don't forget: it's due TOMORROW (you'll have the whole period in class tomorrow to work as well)

Screencasts I made for you that are on Google Classroom, too:

• How to get a legal photo to use in your work
• How to get yourself a template to use for your article
• How to make your Works Cited Page

Reminders/Homework:

• WORK ON YOUR ARTICLE - DUE FRIDAY
• NO THOUGHT QUESTION. I want you to focus your energy on the current writing task and on getting great scores on your achieve articles.
• Two Achieve Articles due by midnight FRIDAY.
• one article of your choice.
• One article of Ms. Black's choice. 
• Title: "Keeping Watch: A Good Thing?"
• Independent Reading: at least two books completed by November 27 (that's like 20 pages every night)
• Independent Reading book projects are due November 30
• You can find the instructions on Google Classroom or if you CLICK HERE.

Stations Activity - Making your Article Better

It's a train STATION.
Get it?
I'm hilarious.

Today's Goal: Write at least one section of your article that incorporates evidence from your research.

The Plan:

1. Communication Rubric - Rate yourself and your peers
2. MODEL ARTICLE
3. Stations Activity: You will have a paper version of this document to work with

Screencasts I made for you that are on Google Classroom, too:

• How to get a legal photo to use in your work
• How to get yourself a template to use for your article
• How to make your Works Cited Page

Reminders/Homework:

• WORK ON YOUR ARTICLE - DUE FRIDAY
• NO THOUGHT QUESTION. I want you to focus your energy on the current writing task and on getting great scores on your achieve articles.
• Two Achieve Articles due by midnight FRIDAY.
• one article of your choice.
• One article of Ms. Black's choice. 
• Title: "Keeping Watch: A Good Thing?"
• Independent Reading: at least two books completed by November 27 (that's like 20 pages every night)
• Independent Reading book projects are due November 30
• You can find the instructions on Google Classroom or if you CLICK HERE.

Book Fair and Writing

Get all your talking done at the book fair because as
soon as we get back, you're going to work. Independently.

Today's Goal: Write at least one section of your article that incorporates evidence from your research.

The Plan:

1. BOOK FAIR!
2. MODEL ARTICLE
3. Writing Time - I have left you comments on EVERY SINGLE Writing Document. Please read those comments carefully. They are important.

IF YOU HAVE HURRICANE KATRINA, CLICK HERE.

Reminders/Homework:

• WRITE AT LEAST ONE SECTION. You need to come to class tomorrow with some paragraphs already written. Blank documents are not going to get you support that you need. If you want to make your writing better, you have to write something to make better! We'll be doing a bit of revision work on Tuesday to give you some pointers to make your writing better. If you don't have anything written, you won't be able to participate.
• NO THOUGHT QUESTION. I want you to focus your energy on the current writing task and on getting great scores on your achieve articles.
• Two Achieve Articles due by midnight FRIDAY.
• one article of your choice.
• One article of Ms. Black's choice. 
• Title: "Keeping Watch: A Good Thing?"
• Independent Reading: at least two books completed by November 27 (that's like 20 pages every night)
• Independent Reading book projects are due November 30
• You can find the instructions on Google Classroom or if you CLICK HERE.

Organizing and Writing

Today's Goal: Investigate methods of organization that writers use to write articles, and begin to create an organizational structure for YOUR article. Start writing!

The Plan:

1. Goal of the day
2. MODEL ARTICLE
3. Writing Time (I HAVE SENT YOU A NEW DOCUMENT IN DRIVE! It's called "Group ## - World Events Article Writing Doc)

The writing doc is where you do your writing. Later, you'll format it so that it is pretty and looks like the model article is starting to look, but for now, you need to do the writing part.

Next week, we will work on: adding photos, citations, and works cited pages.

IF YOU HAVE HURRICANE KATRINA, CLICK HERE.

Reminders/Homework:

• NO THOUGHT QUESTION. I want you to focus your energy on the current writing task and on getting great scores on your achieve articles. You're welcome.
• Two Achieve Articles due by midnight FRIDAY.
• one article of your choice.
• One article of Ms. Black's choice. 
• Title: "Share a Car in Paris"
• Independent Reading: at least two books completed by November 27 (that's like 20 pages every night)
• Independent Reading book projects are due November 30
• You can find the instructions on Google Classroom or if you CLICK HERE.