Chapter TWO

NOTE: You are all making a mess of stickies on my floor. I cannot afford to buy you all stickies when you are wasting them. Use them appropriately or I will not be able to provide you with any. They should not be on my floor or crumpled up and thrown or ANYTHING OF THE SORT.

Unit Goal: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.6.2
Determine a theme or central idea of a text and how it is conveyed through particular details; provide a summary of the text distinct from personal opinions or judgments.

Today's Goal: Read Chapter Two. Continue working on looking for moments that relate to the topics we are investigating while we read.

The Plan:

1. Read (Independent Reading)
2. Read (Ch. 2, Homeless Bird)
3. Google Form with a Partner
4. Work on Context Clues or Achieve or Independent Reading with whatever time we have left

Reading Chapter TWO

You are expected to place at least two stickies for every chapter.
Do not put a sticky on the page unless you label it:
*Home/Family
*Perseverance
*Dreams, Hopes, and Plans
*Gender
*something else super important that you don't want to forget?

Driving Questions for Reading

• Home and Family
• How does Koly understand the definition of family?
  What role does Family play in Koly’s life?
• Perseverance
• In what ways are characters expected to overcome hardship? How do they achieve this?
• Dreams, Hopes, and Plans
• How do Koly's hopes, dreams, and plans change over the course of the novel? What does she wish for in the beginning, middle, and end?
• Gender
• How is Koly’s life affected by gender roles and expectations?

Reminders/Homework:

• ESSAYS WILL BE FINISHED SCORING TODAY. NOTICE THE GIANT COFFEE MS. BLACK HAS. PLEASE DON'T ASK ME ABOUT THE SCORES. <3
• Context Clues Practice in Google Classroom
• Two Achieve Articles Due Friday night, March 2, by midnight
• One Teacher Choice: "My World in Words"
• One Student Choice
• Are you reading each night? You need to. TOMORROW IS ALL DAY READING. BRING COMFY THINGS.

Context Clues and Chapter One

Today's Goal: CONTEXT CLUES (after reading chapter 1)

The Plan:

1. Read (Independent Reading) - probably only for five minutes. It will be short today.
2. Driving Questions and Reading
3. Practice with Context Clues (SEE GOOGLE CLASSROOM)

TO Recap:

• While you read, put at least one more sticky in the book and label which topic it relates (see below)
• Go to Google Classroom to work on Context Clues work. You make work with people, but you are responsible for your own.
• DON'T JUST GOOGLE THE WORD
• This is due tomorrow. You will not have time tomorrow to work on it, so if you don't finish, it's homework.

Driving Questions for Reading

• Home and Family
• How does Koly understand the definition of family?
  What role does Family play in Koly’s life?
• Perseverance
• In what ways are characters expected to overcome hardship? How do they achieve this?
• Dreams, Hopes, and Plans
• How do Koly's hopes, dreams, and plans change over the course of the novel? What does she wish for in the beginning, middle, and end?
• Gender
• How is Koly’s life affected by gender roles and expectations?

Reading Chapter One

As we read this in class, you will have access to sticky notes. Whenever you see a character say or do something that relates to one of the topics and questions above, I want you to write which topic it is and stick it on the page.

You are expected to place at least two stickies for every chapter.
Do not put a sticky on the page unless you label it:
*Home/Family
*Perseverance
*Dreams, Hopes, and Plans
*Gender

Reminders/Homework:

• Context Clues Practice in Google Classroom
• Two Achieve Articles Due Friday night, March 2, by midnight
• One Teacher Choice: "My World in Words"
• One Student Choice
• Are you reading each night? You need to.
• I am almost done scoring your essays. Grades should be up on Wednesday.

Homeless Bird - Chapter One

Today's Goal: Begin Reading Homeless Bird.

The Plan:

1. Read (Independent Reading)
2. Important Concepts to Review before Reading
3. Driving Questions and Reading

Driving Questions for Reading

• Home and Family
• How does Koly understand the definition of family?
  What role does Family play in Koly’s life?
• Perseverance
• In what ways are characters expected to overcome hardship? How do they achieve this?
• Dreams, Hopes, and Plans
• How do Koly's hopes, dreams, and plans change over the course of the novel? What does she wish for in the beginning, middle, and end?
• Gender
• How is Koly’s life affected by gender roles and expectations?

Reading Chapter One

As we read this in class, you will have access to sticky notes. Whenever you see a character say or do something that relates to one of the topics and questions above, I want you to write which topic it is and stick it on the page.

You are expected to place at least two stickies for every chapter.
Do not put a sticky on the page unless you label it:
*Home/Family
*Perseverance
*Dreams, Hopes, and Plans
*Gender

I'm not sure how far we will get today, but be forewarned: I will not be here tomorrow. You will have directions in video form like last time, and you'll be reading more of Homeless Bird. I have a meeting to go to with all the sixth grade English teachers in the district.

Reminders/Homework:

• Two Achieve Articles Due Friday night, March 2, by midnight
• One Teacher Choice: "My World in Words"
• One Student Choice
• Are you reading each night? You need to.
• I am almost done scoring your essays. Grades should be up on Wednesday.

Homeless Bird Pre-Reading

Today's Goal: Homeless Bird pre-reading activities

The Plan:

1. Read
2. Introduction to Homeless Bird with videos about India using this Prezi
3. As we watch, fill out THIS FORM.
4. Themes - what's your opinion? (I will give you some statements that we'll discuss)

Reminders/Homework:

• Achieve due by midnight Friday.
• Teacher Choice: "Theater by Candlelight"
• One student choice.
• READ!
• Check your email for rubric scores for This I Believe. If you have not received an email about it, it has not been scored. I'm working on it!
• If you got your rubric scores back and you make changes, you MUST submit a rescore request, or I won't see your changes.
• If you haven't gotten your rubric scores, that means you should probably finish it if you haven't.
• Record your personal narrative and submit on Google Classroom

Lit(erature) Thursdays #3 (of 6)

Today's Goal: Get social with your independent reading

IMPORTANT NOTE: Remember, you must read and finish two independent reading books before March 15. That's three weeks from now, which means you should be starting your second book, soon!

The Plan:

1. Lit Thursday
2. Lit Thursday FlipGrid

Keep in mind the following Lit Thursday expectations:

• Engage in Flipgrid once each week with or without a partner (total of at least 4 videos, on four DIFFERENT weeks, but probably more)
• Read two books (and make a book cover notecard when you FINISH it)
• Do one of the creative activities
• March 1, 2018, will be our all day reading extravaganza. Bring pillows and blankets and get ready to read.

Reminders/Homework:

• Check your email for rubric scores for This I Believe. If you have not received an email about it, it has not been scored. I'm working on it!
• If you got your rubric scores back and you make changes, you MUST submit a rescore request, or I won't see your changes.
• If you haven't gotten your rubric scores, that means you should probably finish it if you haven't.
• Record your essay and submit on google classroom (See Tuesday/Wednesday's posts for directions)
• Read!
• Achieve due by midnight Friday.
• Teacher Choice: "Theater by Candlelight"
• One student choice.

Recording a Radio Show (Day 2. Final day in class)

Today's Goal:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.6.6
Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.6.6
Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks, demonstrating command of formal English when indicated or appropriate. (See grade 6 Language standards 1 and 3 for specific expectations.)

The Plan:

1. Read
2. Fill out this form for Ms. Black. She needs some data
3. Radio Show: recording and publishing your work

BEFORE YOU MAY RECORD:

1. Your essay must be complete. If you haven't finished your essay, you can't do this step, and you need to work on that. 
2. Read your "This I Believe" essay OUT LOUD to three different people. 
3. While you read you BOTH should be looking at the essay being read on the computer screen. 
4. WHEN you find confusing parts, fix it together. If Ms. Black has scored yours and left you comments, fix these, too. They are there to help you.
5. The listener must sign the sheet of paper that Ms. Black gives you to prove that you have read it to them.
6. After you turn in your sheet of paper, you may move to the next step: "How to Record."

HOW TO RECORD YOUR THIS I BELIEVE RADIO SPOT

1. Open Twisted Wave
2. Click "Sign in" and then the big red button that says "Sign in with Google"
3. Once you sign in, click "New" and then "empty file."
4. A new window will pop up. At the top it will say "(Untitled)." Click on it and change the name to be THE NAME OF YOUR PODCAST by YOUR NAME
   ex: Learning to Communicate by Alyssa Black
5. Record! You do this by pressing the red circle button. Start by saying "Hello, my name is _____ and my personal narrative is entitled ________________. (Then start reading)
6. If you mess up, start over.
7. If you mess up again, start over again. It will be okay.
8. If you find that there is an error or issue that is confusing in your essay, stop and fix it.
9. If you listen to it and there's a LOT of noise going on in the background, you need to redo it. You need to record this in a quiet space. This is really important.
10. Once you are done, click "File" then "Send to Google Drive. It will then be living in your Google Drive!
11. Submit it on Google Classroom! You do this by attaching the file to the assignment. If you don't attach the file, I won't get it! Then you're done! Great work!

Reminders/Homework:

• Check your email for rubric scores for This I Believe. If you have not received an email about it, it has not been scored. I'm working on it!
• If you got your rubric scores back and you make changes, you MUST submit a rescore request, or I won't see your changes.
• If you haven't gotten your rubric scores, that means you should probably finish it if you haven't.
• Record your essay and submit on google classroom

• Read!!
• Achieve due by midnight Friday.
• Teacher Choice: "Theater by Candlelight"
• One student choice.

Recording a Radio Show

Today's Goal:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.6.6
Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.6.6
Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks, demonstrating command of formal English when indicated or appropriate. (See grade 6 Language standards 1 and 3 for specific expectations.)

The Plan:

1. Read
2. Radio Show: recording and publishing your work

BEFORE YOU MAY RECORD:

1. Your essay must be complete. If you haven't finished your essay, you can't do this step, and you need to work on that. 
2. Read your "This I Believe" essay OUT LOUD to three different people. 
3. While you read you BOTH should be looking at the essay being read on the computer screen. 
4. WHEN you find confusing parts, fix it together. If Ms. Black has scored yours and left you comments, fix these, too. They are there to help you.
5. The listener must sign the sheet of paper that Ms. Black gives you to prove that you have read it to them.
6. After you turn in your sheet of paper, you may move to the next step: "How to Record."

HOW TO RECORD YOUR THIS I BELIEVE RADIO SPOT

1. Open Twisted Wave
2. Click "Sign in" and then the big red button that says "Sign in with Google"
3. Once you sign in, click "New" and then "empty file."
4. A new window will pop up. At the top it will say "(Untitled)." Click on it and change the name to be THE NAME OF YOUR PODCAST by YOUR NAME
   ex: Learning to Communicate by Alyssa Black
5. Record! You do this by pressing the red circle button. Start by saying "Hello, my name is _____ and my personal narrative is entitled ________________. (Then start reading)
6. If you mess up, start over.
7. If you mess up again, start over again. It will be okay.
8. If you find that there is an error or issue that is confusing in your essay, stop and fix it.
9. Once you are done, click "File" then "Send to Google Drive. It will then be living in your Google Drive!
10. Submit it on Google Classroom! You do this by attaching the file to the assignment. If you don't attach the file, I won't get it! Then you're done! Great work!

Reminders/Homework:

• Check your email for rubric scores for This I Believe. If you have not received an email about it, it has not been scored. I'm working on it!
• If you got your rubric scores back and you make changes, you MUST submit a rescore request, or I won't see your changes.
• If you haven't gotten your rubric scores, that means you should probably finish it if you haven't.
• Read!!
• Achieve due by midnight Friday.
• Teacher Choice: "Theater by Candlelight"
• One student choice.

Lit(erature) Thursdays #2 (out of 6)

Today's Goal: Get social with your independent reading

The Plan:

1. Ms. Lavery - California Young Readers Program (CYRP)
2. Lit Thursday
3. Lit Thursday FlipGrid

Keep in mind the following Lit Thursday expectations:

• Engage in Flipgrid once each week with or without a partner (total of at least 4 videos, but probably more)
• Read two books (and make a book cover notecard when you FINISH it)
• Do one of the creative activities
• March 1, 2018, will be our all day reading extravaganza. Bring pillows and blankets and get ready to read.

Reminders/Homework:

• Do your Achieves DUE TONIGHT NOT TOMORROW.
• Go participate in a discussion on FlipGrid

Last Writing Station and Final Edits

Today's Goal: Rotate through your LAST writing stations aimed at helping you focus on one aspect of your personal narrative and make improvements. 

The Plan:

1. Writing Stations - visit your last one
2. Watch this video about formatting your document. I WILL NOT SCORE YOUR ESSAY IF YOU HAVE NOT DONE THIS. (I also posted the video below)
3. Get your personal narrative ready to be scored. You do not have to turn it in anywhere. 

NOTE: For station TWO, Sensory Details, watch this video instead of the video on your stations doc. (and no, I don't have gummy worms. Sorry)

FORMATTING:

Reminders/Homework:

• Work on your Personal Narrative at home. You'll need to spend time on it. Work until you're proud of it. DUE WEDNESDAY BY MIDNIGHT.
• Achieve due by midnight THURSDAY evening. We don't have school on Friday.
• Teacher Choice: "Tunnel To Turkey"
• One student choice.
• Use the tools you learned/reviewed today at your stations to continue revising your personal narrative. DON'T IGNORE IT. You hopefully learned something today. If you don't apply that learning, you're going to have a hard time next week!

Personal Narrative Writing Stations: Day 3

I love you, and you still have a due date.
Don't forget about it.

Today's Goal: Rotate through THREE writing stations aimed at helping you focus on one aspect of your personal narrative and make improvements. 

The Plan:

1. You need to have two things open:
   **your This I Believe Final document (This is the one that you transferred your draft to.)
   **the new document I sent you in Google Classroom called "This I Believe Stations"
2. Writing Stations - You'll go to three stations today for 15 minutes each. You will have one station left for tomorrow, and the rest of the time will be spent making final revisions.

NOTE: For station TWO, Sensory Details, watch this video instead of the video on your stations doc. (and no, I don't have gummy worms. Sorry)

Reminders/Homework:

• Work on your Personal Narrative at home. You'll need to spend time on it. Work until you're proud of it. DUE WEDNESDAY BY MIDNIGHT.
• Achieve due by midnight THURSDAY evening. We don't have school on Friday.
• Teacher Choice: "Tunnel To Turkey"
• One student choice.
• Use the tools you learned/reviewed today at your stations to continue revising your personal narrative. DON'T IGNORE IT. You hopefully learned something today. If you don't apply that learning, you're going to have a hard time next week!

Writing Stations Day 2

Today's Goal: Rotate through two writing stations aimed at helping you focus on one aspect of your personal narrative and make improvements. 

The Plan:

1. You need to have two things open:
   **your This I Believe Final document (This is the one that you transferred your draft to.)
   **the new document I sent you in Google Classroom called "This I Believe Stations"
2. Writing Stations - You'll go to two stations today for 15 minutes each. We will get through 8 stations between today and Tuesday. 
3. Go to the library to check out our next class novel (We'll start it next week, and I'm going to keep the books in the classroom until then.) - If you're absent, you will need to stop by the library this week to check it out.

NOTE: For station TWO, Sensory Details, watch this video instead of the video on your stations doc.

Reminders/Homework:

• Work on your Personal Narrative at home. You'll need to spend time on it. Work until you're proud of it.
• Achieve due by midnight THURSDAY evening. We don't have school on Friday.
• Teacher Choice: "Tunnel To Turkey"
• One student choice.
• Use the tools you learned/reviewed today at your stations to continue revising your personal narrative. DON'T IGNORE IT. You hopefully learned something today. If you don't apply that learning, you're going to have a hard time next week!

Writing Stations

Today's Goal: Rotate through two writing stations aimed at helping you focus on one aspect of your personal narrative and make improvements. 

The Plan:

1. You need to have two things open:
   **your This I Believe Final document (This is the one that you transferred your draft to.)
   **the new document I sent you in Google Classroom called "This I Believe Stations"
2. Read
3. Writing Stations - You'll go to two stations today for 15 minutes each. We will get through 8 stations between today and Tuesday. 

Reminders/Homework:

• Achieves are due by midnight tonight
• Use the tools you learned/reviewed today at your stations to continue revising your personal narrative. DON'T IGNORE IT. You hopefully learned something today. If you don't apply that learning, you're going to have a hard time next week!

Lit(erature) Thursdays #1

Today's Goal: Get social with our independent reading

The Plan:

1. Lit Thursday
2. Lit Thursday FlipGrid
3. Lit Thursday Check-Out Form

Reminders/Homework:

• Do your Achieves
• Go participate in a discussion on FlipGrid

Writing Groups

Today's Goal: Writing groups for your personal narratives

The Plan:

1. Read
2. This I Believe Rubric
3. Writing Groups

Writing Groups: 

• Sharing your writing with a group will help you improve your writing and learn what a reader might think while reading your work. 
• Follow the procedures in the chart or on THIS PAGE with your group. 

After Writing Groups:

Work on your essay with the advice your group just gave you.

Reminders/Homework:

• Two Achieve Articles Due Friday night, February 9, by midnight
• One Teacher Choice: "Two Paws Up for Red Paw"
• One Student Choice
• Read. Don't just read at school when class starts. You won't achieve our reading goals.

Finish your draft!

Today's Goal: Finish your first draft using the strategies we've been practicing together

The Plan:

1. Read
2. Work on This I Believe Personal Narrative Essay
3. Read or Work on Achieve if you finish

Directions:
The guest teacher will play this video for you after your independent reading time


ONE OTHER THING I MISSED:
When you go back to revisit the slides from yesterday to find inspiration, you will find some slides that I have not shown you yet about your hook or introduction (Slides 18, 19, 20). Visit them. Read them. Use them to reflect on your own hook.

Don't start your essay with a question. That's all I ask. Please and thank you.

In Summary:

1. Find the new document I sent you and copy/paste your draft into it.
2. Finish your draft and then use your "showing" skills and your "questioning" skills to make it better
3. Revisit the first couple sentences of your narrative. Can you make your hook stronger?
4. Achieve
5. Read

Reminders/Homework:

• Two Achieve Articles Due Friday night, February 9, by midnight
• One Teacher Choice: "Two Paws Up for Red Paw"
• One Student Choice
• Are you reading each night? If not, start now.

Asking the Right Questions

Today's Goal: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.6.3.B
Use narrative techniques, such as dialogue, pacing, and description, to develop experiences, events, and/or characters.

The Plan:

1. Read
2. Asking Questions - what is missing from your narrative?
3. Application to YOUR personal narrative (on your "This I Believe" Part 2 Document)

We're using the same PPT slides today.
Here is a list of action verbs that may be helpful to you!



Reminders/Homework:

• Two Achieve Articles Due Friday night, February 9, by midnight
• One Teacher Choice: "Two Paws Up for Red Paw"
• One Student Choice
• Are you reading each night? If not, start now.

Showing vs. Telling

Today's Goal: CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.6.3.B
Use narrative techniques, such as dialogue, pacing, and description, to develop experiences, events, and/or characters.
The Plan:

1. Read
2. Showing vs. Telling
3. Writing Activity
4. Application to YOUR personal narrative (if time)

Showing vs. Telling
Here is a list of action verbs that may be helpful to you!



Reminders/Homework:

• Two Achieve Articles Due Friday night, February 2, by midnight
• One Teacher Choice: "Make Some Noise!"
• One Student Choice
• See if you can make sure you have a complete draft in your "Part 2" document this weekend so that we can work on improvements when we return on Monday!
• Are you reading each night? If not, start now.

Reading Day! (And writing, if you need to do that)

Today's Goal: Update Ms. Black on your reading. Finish writing your first draft of your personal narrative if you need to do that.

The Plan:

1. Read
2. Reading Update!
3. Continue working on Outline - tomorrow we're going to do an activity 

Reminders/Homework:

• Two Achieve Articles Due Friday February 2, by midnight
• One Teacher Choice: "Make Some Noise!"
• One Student Choice
• Are you reading each night? If not, get moving.