Thursday, December 21, 2017

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.

Wednesday, December 20, 2017

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!

Tuesday, December 19, 2017

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.

Monday, December 18, 2017

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

Friday, December 15, 2017

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!

Thursday, December 14, 2017

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.

Wednesday, December 13, 2017

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.

Tuesday, December 12, 2017

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!

Monday, December 11, 2017

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.)

Thursday, December 7, 2017

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)

    Wednesday, December 6, 2017

    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)

    Tuesday, December 5, 2017

    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)

    Monday, December 4, 2017

    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
    4. Today we are examining STRUCTURE.
    5. 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)

    Friday, December 1, 2017

    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)