Editing and Revision IAB - 19 December and 20 December 2019

Today's Goal:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.6.1
Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.6.2
Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.6.3
Use knowledge of language and its conventions when writing, speaking, reading, or listening.



The Plan:

1. Read!
2. IAB Practice - Editing and Revision
3. This I Believe Personal Brainstorm (On Google Classroom)

Reminders/Homework:

• Read! (You will be expected to write another book review (yes a SECOND one) for a book you finish between December and January. We will complete this the week of January 13. Make sure you're reading a novel!)
• Make sure you have FOUR December ELA Journal entries complete (3 December to 18 December)
• Complete This I Believe Personal Brainstorm on Google Classroom
• Due when you return from break
• No Red Ink "Capitalization and Conjunctions"
• due Friday, 10 January 2019
• Bring back any books of Ms. Black's that you aren't reading anymore.

IAB Practice - Editing and Revision

Today you'll be doing some CAASPP Practice questions just like we did when we came back from break.

The goal today is for you to learn how to use the testing interface, and for you to practice experiencing these types of questions, and to maybe pick up some skills.

The deal today is that you are expected and encouraged to work with your table. You have to complete your own answers, but you get to help each other get them right. Talk about the questions, interrogate the text, and see if you can all do even better than you might expect.

In order to do this, you'll need an ID card from Ms. Black and you'll have to log into the testing window.


This I Believe Personal Brainstorm

This document on Google Classroom asks you to think about important moments in your life, just like Dylan thought about and shared an important moment in his life and what it taught him.

You have part of today and all of winter break to work on this document. The reason you have such a long time is because I know the questions are not easy, and I want you to have time to talk to your family and friends and really take time to reflect upon the answers. Sometimes a loved one can help remind us of things that we learned or challenges we faced that we might have forgotten about. 

It has a few parts. Please take some time to read through it today and begin working on the parts you can.

"The Bird Who Broke Through the Window" and Personal Moments - 17 December and 18 December 2019

Today's Goal:

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.6.4
Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative, connotative, and technical meanings.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.6.5
Analyze how a particular sentence, paragraph, chapter, or section fits into the overall structure of a text and contributes to the development of the ideas.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.6.6
Determine an author's point of view or purpose in a text and explain how it is conveyed in the text.

The Plan:

1. Read
2. Read and annotate "The Bird Who Broke Through the Window" together
3. ELA Journal Questions (Here's Ms. Black's to Copy/Paste)
4. This I Believe Personal Brainstorm (On Google Classroom)

Reminders/Homework:

• READ!
• Make sure all ELA Journal Entries are completed thoughtfully.
• This I Believe Personal Brainstorm should be completed by the time you come back from Winter Break in January. Talk to your people, get ideas from family, and fill it in as thoughtfully as you can.
• Finish your Book Review if it is not already completed
• Typing.com Intermediate #9-12
• Due Friday, 19 December 4pm
• No Red Ink "Capitalization and Conjunctions"
• Due Friday, 10 January, 4pm

"The Bird Who Broke Through the Window"

We will read and annotate this together. I will give it to you on paper!

Purpose for Reading: What does Dylan believe and how did he come to believe it?

We will annotate in this way:

• Write our purpose for reading at the top
• number each paragraph
• Circle and define words we need definitions for
• highlight/underline key ideas in each passage and make note of why it's important

When we are done, there are three questions to copy and paste into your ELA journal!

You can copy and paste from Ms. Black's to include the date, but here are the questions:

1. Today we did some annotation. What does annotation mean? What kinds of things did we annotate together and why?
2. What does Dylan believe and what events in his life helped him to form this belief?
3. What is the significance of the title? Explain what it means and why it matters.

This I Believe Personal Brainstorm

This document on Google Classroom asks you to think about important moments in your life, just like Dylan thought about and shared an important moment in his life and what it taught him.

You have today and all of winter break to work on this document. The reason you have such a long time is because I know the questions are not easy, and I want you to have time to talk to your family and friends and really take time to reflect upon the answers. Sometimes a loved one can help remind us of things that we learned or challenges we faced that we might have forgotten about. 

It has a few parts. Please take some time to read through it today and begin working on the parts you can.

Values Sort - 13 December and 16 December 2019

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

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.6.1.C
Pose and respond to specific questions with elaboration and detail by making comments that contribute to the topic, text, or issue under discussion.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.6.1.D
Review the key ideas expressed and demonstrate understanding of multiple perspectives through reflection and paraphrasing.

The Plan:

1. LET'S READ (Skim the blog post, then read your book.)
2. Values Sort Activity 
3. Values Bracket
4. ELA Journal Questions - Copy and Paste from Ms. Black's

Reminders/Homework:

• READ!
• FINISH ELA JOURNAL REFLECTION QUESTIONS FROM TODAY.
• Finish your Book Review if it is not already completed
• No Red Ink "Choosing the Right Word"
• Due Friday, 13 December, 4pm
• Typing.com Intermediate #9-12
• Due Friday, 19 December 4pm
• No Red Ink "Capitalization and Conjunctions"
• Due Friday, 10 January, 4pm

Values Sort:

ELA Journal Questions - 

These are the questions. You can (and should) copy and paste from Ms. Black's ELA Journal.

1. What was your team's final decision? Do you agree with it? Why or why not?
2. How did it feel when a value you cared about was removed from the board? 
3. What strategies did you use in completing the activity? How did you make decisions as a team?
4. Were you ever persuaded to change your mind? Explain. 
5. Why do you think that everyone has different values? If we know that everyone has different values, how does that affect how we communicate and interact with each other?

IF ABSENT!
Do the following in your ELA Journal instead:

1. Visit a list of core values. Here is a pretty good one; it's very long.
2. Choose 5 Core Values that you find to be extremely important in your life.
3. Explain what each of these values are (define them) and why they matter to you. (That sounds like at least two sentences for each value to me)

"This I Believe" Introduction

Today's Goal:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.6.10
By the end of the year, read and comprehend literary nonfiction in the grades 6-8 text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range.

The Plan:

1. Read!
2. "This I Believe" Introduction - Assignment is accessible on Google Classroom
3. Ketchup Time

Reminders/Homework:

• READ!
• Finish your Book Review if it is not already completed
• No Red Ink "Choosing the Right Word"
• Due Friday, 13 December, 4pm
• Typing.com Intermediate #9-12
• Due Friday, 19 December 4pm
• No Red Ink "Capitalization and Conjunctions"
• Due Friday, 10 January, 4pm

"This I Believe" Introduction

"This I Believe is an international organization engaging people in writing and sharing essays describing the core values that guide their daily lives. Over 125,000 of these essays, written by people from all walks of life, have been archived here on our website, heard on public radio, chronicled through our books, and featured in weekly podcasts. The project is based on the popular 1950s radio series of the same name hosted by Edward R. Murrow." - from the website ThisIBelieve.org

We are going to be reading and analyzing the original introduction to this project, explained by Radio Host Edward R. Murrow.

You will be using a platform called Go Formative, but the assignment is assigned in Google Classroom, and it will take you to the appropriate place. You will be working with a partner, and you will need to read each section aloud to each other before answering the questions.

1. Open the assignment.
2. Read the title and byline and answer the first question.
3. Read the first section aloud to each other, then work together to answer the question that follows.
4. Work through the reading and the questions (there are 8 questions) together with your partner. You can work together but you must still complete the assignment on your own computer as well. 
5. Answer in complete sentences. Do not forget the RA strategy. Be specific and do not use personal pronouns unless the question specifically says you can.

 This is not an easy text. It is not meant to be. Ask questions, support each other, talk to the guest teacher, and see if together, you can figure out what difficult sentences mean. That's the task of being a careful reader. You are capable and you can do it.


Ketchup Time
When you finish, you have some time to make like a tomato and CATCH UP.

You have options, IN THIS EXACT ORDER. Do not move on to the next one until you are positive that the first is complete:

1. Finish your Book Review
2. Finish the No Red Ink Assignment "Choosing the Right Word" that is due this Friday
3. Revise your essay (there may or may not be comments, but all of your documents do have a rubric at the end of the document. Please go look at it. All students who want a revised score should make time to meet with Ms. Black for a few minutes at RAM or after school one day to go over some suggestions, though it is not required.)
4. Complete Typing.com Intermediate #1-8
5. NoRedInk "Capitalization and Conjunctions" Assignment.

Writing Your Own Book Review - 9 December and 10 December 2019

Today's Goal: 
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.6.4
Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.

The Plan:

1. Read
2. Genre Notes (In your Independent Reading Notebook)
3. Book Reviews!

Reminders/Homework:

• Read for at least 20 minute each day. More is better.
• Finish your Book Review on Google Classroom
• No Red Ink "Choosing the Right Word" Assignment
• Due Friday, 13 December, 4pm
• Typing.com Intermediate #9-12
• Due Friday, 19 December, 4pm

Genre Notes

In your "Independent Reading Notebook" where you track your books, you will find a tab at the bottom that says "Genre Notes." 

Today we will discuss and take notes on the last three genres/categories on our chart:

1. Autobiography/Biography/Memoir
2. Nonfiction
3. Poetry

You have no ELA Journal Questions for these today.

Book Reviews!

You will find your own personal copy of this document in Google Classroom. 

It has:

• a space for you to write your book review
• a list of ideas we made last class, plus some others that other classes thought of
• links to book reviews

You get to let out all your feelings and opinions right now. Just keep in mind that you must write about a book you have on your independent reading list that you have finished in the past few weeks. 

You must also be detailed. Do not leave out ideas and say "you'll just have to read it to find out." You can talk about what you thought about very specific details and share those specific details. This is fine. Maybe just avoid major plot spoilers, but if you put a spoiler warning at the top, then it's fair game. 

You may not write your book review about Hatchet.

Reviewing Book Reviews - 5 December and 6 December 2019

Today's Goal:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.6.9
Compare and contrast texts in different forms or genres (e.g., stories and poems; historical novels and fantasy stories) in terms of their approaches to similar themes and topics.

In addition: Analyze book reviews to prepare to write a book review in class tomorrow by identifying the necessary elements required for the task.

The Plan:

1. Read
2. Genre Notes (In your Independent Reading Notebook)
3. Genre Reflection Questions 2 (in your ELA Journal; you'll need to copy and paste the questions from Ms. Black's)
4. Book Review Analysis

Reminders/Homework:

• Read for at least 20 minute each day. More is better.
• Bring in a book you have finished in the last month or so. If you can't, you won't be in trouble, but it will help. You will be working to write a book review next class. 
• Typing.com Intermediate #5-8
• Due Friday, 6 December, 4pm
• No Red Ink "Choosing the Right Word" Assignment
• Due Friday, 13 December, 4pm
• Typing.com Intermediate #9-12
• Due Friday, 19 December, 4pm

Genre Notes

In your "Independent Reading Notebook" where you track your books, you will find a tab at the bottom that says "Genre Notes." 

Today we will discuss and take notes on three MORE genres/categories:

1. Fantasy
2. Science-Fiction
3. Graphic Novels

In your ELA Journal, you'll answer these two questions in complete sentences and thorough answers with details:

1. Is Star Wars a fantasy or sci-fi universe? Defend your answer using details from the story. (If you haven’t seen Star Wars, share one fantasy and one sci-fi movie or tv show and how you know. Be specific and use details from the story.)
2. What is your favorite graphic novel or series? Why? How do the images help tell the story?

Book Reviews

Today you will review a selection of book reviews to learn about their important elements

Your job: Read the book review that is assigned to you and make a list of everything that you notice that the writer DID in their book review. What makes it a good book review? What's significant about this piece of writing? What important pieces of information did the write include (and not include) about the book?

Group One Click Here

Group Two Click Here

Group Three Click Here

Group Four Click Here

Group Five Click Here

Group Six Click Here

Reading Literary Texts IAB Practice and Genre Notes - 3 December and 4 December 2019

Today's Goal: 
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.6.9
Compare and contrast texts in different forms or genres (e.g., stories and poems; historical novels and fantasy stories

The Plan:

1. You'll need your Independent Reading Notebook AND your ELA Journal open. Feel free to go copy and paste the questions from Ms. Black's ELA Journal into yours.
2. Read
3. Genre Notes 
4. IAB Practice - Reading Literary Texts

Reminders/Homework:

• Read for at least 20 minutes each day. More is preferable.
• Get access to a book that you have finished in the last month or so. Put it in your backpack because we'll be using it in a couple days.
• Typing.com Intermediate #5-8 
  • Due Friday, 6 December 4pm
• No Red Ink "Choosing the Right Word" Assignment
• Due Friday 13 December 4pm
• Typing.com Intermediate #9-12 
• Due Friday, 19 December 4pm

Genre Notes

In your "Independent Reading Notebook" where you track your books, you will find a tab at the bottom that says "Genre Notes."

Today we will discuss three genres:

1. Realistic Fiction
2. Historical Fiction
3. "Traditional" Literature, sometimes called "Classics" (Here's a list of some)

In your reading notebook, we'll take some notes together. Then, in your ELA Journal, you'll copy and paste and answer the following questions:

1. Hatchet is a realistic fiction novel. Why would Hatchet also be considered a “classic” novel or “traditional literature”?
2. What is one realistic fiction book you have read this year. What makes it a realistic fiction novel? Please explain using details from the story.
3. Have you read a historical fiction novel this year? If so, share a little bit about it and what makes it a historical fiction novel. If you haven’t, explore a little bit and share one that you might be interested in reading and why.

IAB Practice - Reading Literary Texts

Honestly, we're going to figure this out together, but today you'll be doing some practice CAASPP questions. You'll be doing a set of questions about a piece of fiction/literature reading, as that's what we've been practicing while reading Hatchet. 

The goal today is for you to learn how to use the testing interface, and for you to practice experiencing these types of questions.

The deal today is that you are expected and encouraged to work with your table. You have to complete your own answers, but you get to help each other get them right. Talk about the questions, interrogate the text, and see if you can all do even better than you might expect.

In order to do this, you'll need an ID card from Ms. Black and you'll have to log out of your computer to log into the testing window.