Research Presentation Project

Slides:

Slide 1 is your chance to hook us into your presentation.
Slide 2 is what you already know about your topic
Slide 3 is what you want to know about your topic
Slide 4 is what you used to find out about your topic
Slide 5 is what you learned about your topic

Rubric

How To/Tutorial Topics

Look through these topics. If there are any you'd like to add, bring your ideas to class tomorrow.

Choose the topic you could contribute best to for creating a tutorial.

3/4

5/6

Story Writing - Conflict

We started our story writing unit by deciding on a theme. Then we figured out 3-5 stories we could tell that illustrate that theme.

Now, you need to decide on which one story you're going to tell to illustrate your theme, and figure out an example of each of the three types of conflict we studied today:

• person to person
• person to nature
• person to self

See you tomorrow!

Mr. G

Story Writing - Theme

What is a theme? An explanation from Cliffs Notes.

More info on theme.

Some examples of themes:

•    jealousy
•    making friends
•    fear
•    sibling relationships
•    success/accomplishment
•    failure
•    change
•    romance
•    power
•    arrogance
•    overcoming hardships
•    love
•    courage
•    death
•    being ordinary
•    acceptance
•    relationships
•    moving on
•    trickery
•    family
•    injustice
•    wealth
•    sacrifice

•    growing up

Your homework is to bring in our theme and 3-5 stories from your life that go with that theme.

Poetry Party

Here is a link to the Poetry Party assignment.

We've been studying the different literary aspects of poetry the last few weeks. The Poetry Party gives students a chance to apply the skills they've learned on a poem that means something to them.

Post any questions you have in the comments.

January 29, 2010

Check in with me after each item on the list:

• Find a poem and save it do your Diigo account
• Leave five constructive comments on other blogs
• Use the comments4kids box on the right
• Leave five constructive comments on our blog for other students
• Respond to comments on your posts

Remember to check in with me after you finish each item.

Poetry Links

You can use the poetry books in our classroom to find a poem for our Poetry Party. If you find one you like, you may type up a copy.

Here are some poetry links to explore. Find your poem and save it to your Diigo account.

http://www.poets.org/

http://www.gigglepoetry.com/

http://www.poetryfoundation.org/

http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poetrymagazine/index.html

http://www.poetry4kids.com/

http://poetry.eserver.org/

http://www.kidzone.ws/poetry/haiku.htm

http://www.apples4theteacher.com/holidays/spring/kids-poems-rhymes/

http://www.apples4theteacher.com/holidays/christmas/poems-rhymes/

http://www.apples4theteacher.com/poetry.html

http://www.poetryteachers.com/poetryfun/poetfun.html

Along with these, you can use a search engine to find poems. 

Snow Day Resources

I don't know how many of you will check our blog today on your day off, but I'd like to get some conversation going.

A few questions for you:

• Any big snow day plans? It's not really a day for sledding. I don't even know if sixth graders go sledding. If you think you're too old to go sledding, shame on you.
• What projects can you get a head start on? You can use these links to start researching your Egypt projects for Social Studies. You can also use these links to search and build background knowledge.
  
• If you want to play some brain games, you can use Mr. Kaechele's Delicious Links. I'm also starting to get a list going.
• We will be doing 3 for 3 peer revising tomorrow on your opinion essays. Today would be a great day to have your parents or siblings check out your essay. Pull them in with your title. Bring up some schema with your introduction. Make sure your reasons are not restated opinions and that your facts are facts. Your conclusion should have a call to action. What do you want us to do after reading your essay? Go see the movie, buy a PS3 or change the world!? Here is the link to the rubric.

I'll be around the computer most of the day, so feel free to post any questions or comments you have. 

-Mr. G

Opinion Essay

The rubric for the opinion essay will aid in turning your outline or graphic organizer into an essay. Have your parents look over your essay and compare it to the rubric. Discuss each point with them.

If an outline is your style, you can use this one.

Here are some sample essays that may guide you. They are the essays we read through in class.

If you have questions over the weekend, send me an email or leave me a voicemail with the Google Voice gadget in the sidebar.

Book Clubs Videos

The Great Grammar Fair

Students are currently working on their Great Grammar Fair booths. For an explanation of the assignment, see this link and/or ask your student.

"Charles" Vocabulary Wordles

Students picked out the vocabulary from the short story "Charles" today. We then combined them and created these Wordles.

3/4 Block:

5/6 Block:

Blogging Reflections

Visit this page for today's assignment. Complete the reflection on a separate sheet of paper.

Reflection

Practice Interview

Take a look at the practice interview to get an idea of what the pacing of your interview may be like.

Don't forget: your interviews need to be done by Monday!

Historical Interview Projects [Overview]

These are the student/parent-friendly plans for the Historical Interview Projects:

Link

If you have any questions about them, feel free to email me or leave a comment on the post.

Peer review process for I_LA_D

• Revise with THREE peers
  
• Answer these for them:
• 5W's + H
  
• Who, what, when, where, why, and how?
  
• Favorite part
  
• Unanswered questions the reader has.
  

Students need to turn in three index cards their peers have used to review their rough draft before they can blog a final draft.

For example: Johnny has Scotty review his essay. Scotty answers the questions above on an index card. Scotty gives that index card to Johnny. Johnny needs to do this twice more to fulfill the assignment.

Block 5/6 International Verb Like a Noun Day Rubric

5_6_I_LA_D_Rubric

Block 3/4 International Verb Like a Noun Day Rubric

3_4_I_LA_D_Rubric

Sequence Wordle 5/6

Sequence Wordle 3/4