Song Choices

1-2 Hour
Adam:  "Mockingbird"
Leah:  "Fight Song"
Savanna:  "Human"
Izzy:  "A Thousand Years"
Jacob:  "Firework"
Thomas:  "Piano Man"
Eden:  "Lemonade"
Abby G:  "Stronger"
Lexi:  "Lovely"
Thuey Jr:  "Breakaway" 
Lucy:  "Where is the Love"
Lydia:  "Immortals"
Ella:  "Wanted Dead or Alive"
Matt:  "Home"
Justice:  "Demons"
Bits:  "Dreamin'"
Taysen:  "See You Again"
Jeremiah:  "Monsters"
Lily G:  "Skyscraper" 
Kaylee:  "Lost Boy"
Brinley:  "Stressed Out"
Roo:  "I'm Proud to be an American"
Aaron:  "When the Love Runs Out"
Davis:  "Motivation"
Mabey:  "America"
Jordan:  "On Top of the World"
Jaxyn:  "Centuries"
Gracie:  "Falling Slowly"



5-6 Hour
Jaren: "Warriors"
Kyler R: "Live Like a Warrior"
Shaun:  "Find the Pieces"
Audrey:  "The Call"
Gage:  "Piano Man"
Sariah:  "Lost Boy"
Mia T:  "Just the Way You Are"
Ben:  "Stronger"
Kyler B:  "Roots"
Dallas:  "Lemonade"
Ava:  "Superman"
Dax:  "On Top of the World"
Jack:  "Adventure of a Lifetime"
Talia:  "Youth"
Mia H:  Middle of Starting Over"
Erica:  "Neverland"
Kylee:  "Fight Song"
Hailey:  "One Call Away"
Logan:  "Home"
Eva:  "What a Wonderful World"
Chels:  "One Call Away"

"The House"

The House
By Laurie Henry

As I entered the front door, the marble floor glistened before me. The entryway
opened to a grand staircase, which wound its way to the second level. My heels clicked
across the cold, white floor as I proceeded to the living room on my left. A giant fireplace
stretched across one end of the room. The impressive mantelpiece showcased a golden
egg and porcelain figurines. A painting of sunflowers hung on the center of the wall. The
white carpeting looked as if it had never been stepped on, and the entertainment center
sprawled across the back wall.
I turned around to face the dining room. A golden chandelier hung above a great
mahogany table. A bank of French doors opened to a wrap-around deck at the back of the
house. A lighted hutch contained crystal goblets and gold-edged dinnerware. Proceeding
down the hallway, I discovered a custom kitchen on my left, opposite the far end of the
dining room. The sleek counters were free of clutter. Cabinets hung on every inch of wall
space. A breakfast nook looked out over the back garden.
I soon retraced my steps to the entryway and ascended the stairs. A short hallway
welcomed me to the second level of the house. To my left and at the front of the house
was a small bedroom set up as a home office. The remainder of the upstairs consisted of a
master bedroom suite. Two walk-in closets flanked the entrance to the master bedroom.
No doubt, one closet was for him and the other one was for her. The matching bedroom
furniture consisted of two dressers and night stands on either side of a four-poster bed. A
wooden chest sat atop each dresser. A large bathroom sat off to the right side with double
sinks inside. A whirlpool tub and shower stall lined the far wall.
I slowly retreated and returned to the lower level and out the front door. I shall return
to this exquisite abode.

Newspaper Tool

Newspaper Tool

Poetry Day 3

Poetry Day 2

Write your own funny poem! :)

Poetry Day 1

How To Write Poetry

The Lorax

Read Aloud
Movie

COURAGE Day 2

1. Do courageous people and cowards have anything in common?  At your table, discuss the similarities between people who are brave and people who aren't.  Consider things like feelings, motivations, beliefs, fears, backgrounds, wealth, etc.

2. Does courage always require overt acts of bravery?  What are other ways of looking at courageous characters?  On a lined piece of paper, write a 2-3 paragraph monologue for a character who is unrecognized for the courage they show each day.  Really work to develop your character.  What do they do day after day?  Why is their courage going unrecognized?  What is the one thing they want more than anything else?  Are they happy or sad?

COURAGE Day 1

1. What is courage?  With a partner, quickly discuss the qualities of being courageous and being reckless.  How are they the same?  How are they different?

2. How do we memorialize courageous people and actions?  Look at the difference between the Lincoln Memorial and the Vietnam War Memorial.  What kind of symbolism do you see in each of these monuments?  How did the artist choose to represent each person/event differently, and why do you think they approached the memorials that way?

3. If someone were to make a memorial of an event in your life that required courage, what would you want it to be?  On a lined piece of paper, design your own memorial.  Make sure you say at the bottom what you're being honored for.

Newspaper Jobs

5-6 Hour

Hashtag          Entertainment          Sports          Comics          Weather          Photos
Hailey              Kyler B.                  Logan           Vee                Sariah            Lillie
Dax                  Hannah                   Kyler R.        Erica                                    Chels
                                                                            Shaun                                    Mia T.
                                                                             Cole

Obits              Design          Opinion       Front Page      Editor           Classifieds
Jack               Audrey         Dallas             Alyssa             Ava               Kylee
Silvester        Ben              Giffin               Eva               Talia               Jaren
                                                                   Gage              Mia H.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Newspaper #2

Hashtag          Entertainment          Sports          Comics          Weather          Photos
Vee                 Erica                        Jack             Logan             Lilly              Hannah
Kylee             Chels                       Griffin          Mia T                                   Sariah
Jaren              Hailey                      Dallas          Talia
                                                                            Ava

Obits              Design          Opinion       Front Page      Editor           Classifieds
Gage              Mia H           Kyler B        Ben                Dax                Cole
                      Kyler R         Silvester                             Eva                 Shaun
                                                                                       Audrey

Newspaper Jobs

1-2 Hour

Weather          Photos          Sports          Comics          Hashtag          Entertainment
Aaron              Jaxyn            Davis          Lydia             Savanna          Izzy
                        Mabey          Jordan         Ella                Taysen            Kaylee  
                                             Britain         Jacob             Eden               AbbyG
                                                                 Matt               Jeremiah

Obits              Design          Opinion       Front Page      Editor           Classifieds
Brinley           LilyG            Lucy            ThueJr             Gracie          Thomas*
Justice            Adam            Roo              Lexi*               Leah             Luis*

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1-2 Hour Newspaper #2

Weather         Photos         Sports          Comics           Hashtag           Entertainment
Lily G.           Adam         Thomas         Roo                Jordan             Jacob
                       Ella            Aaron            Eden                Davis             Lydia
                                          Matt              Luis               Izzy                 Brinley
                                                               Abby G.         Lexi

Obits             Design         Opinion        Front Page      Editor          Classifieds
Jeremiah       Lilly T.                               Lucy               Kaylee         Taysen
                     Mabey                                Jaxyn              Leah            Justice
                                                                                      Savanna         Britain           

Classroom Newspaper

A lot of work goes into writing a newspaper.  Because newspapers are so extensive, they are divided up into sections.  Some common parts of a newspaper include:
-Front page (breaking news)
          -Answers the question who, what, when, where, and why.
          -Is objective (absent of opinion or personal feeling.)
-Photos
          -A good photo tells a story without needing words.
-Opinion section
          -You should be able to express your opinion without hurting or belittling others.
          -A valuable opinion writer is well-versed in both sides of the argument.
-Weather
          -You better be a really good artist to tackle this one! 
-Comics
          -The comics section requires you to be a great artist AND have a funny joke to tell.
          -Rated "G."
-Sports
          -People want to read about a sports event as if they were there themselves.
          -This should be as accurate as possible.  An athlete is not going to appreciate his/her winning moves to be reported as less or more than what they were. 
-Design
          -A newspaper should be typed up and organized in a way that looks awesome.  It requires formatting skills and typing skills, and a good eye for details. 
-Classifieds
          -This is a super fun section of our newspaper if it is done in the right way.  Kids can advertise for things they want or things they have to offer.  Who knows?  You may end up getting a good deal!
-Obituaries
          -This section tells about people (or in your case, perhaps pets) who have passed away recently.
          -It would need to be handled in an EXTREMELY sensitive and tasteful way.
-Hashtag
          -#thatwasawkward  #worstdayever  #myweirdfriend
-Entertainment
          -Sudoku's, contests, upcoming movies, etc. 
-Editor
          -The editors are students who have EXCELLENT writing skills.  They should be able to catch and correct grammar, spelling, and other errors.
-Editor in Chief
          -That would be me, Mrs. K.  :)

The Rich Man and the Shoemaker

The Rich Man and the Shoemaker
by Jean de La Fontaine

Once upon a time there lived a poor but cheerful shoemaker. He was so happy he sang all day long. The children loved to stand around his window to listen to him. Next door to the shoemaker lived a rich man. He used to sit up all night to count his gold. In the morning he went to bed, but he could not sleep because of the sound of the shoemaker’s singing. One day he thought of a way of stopping the singing. He wrote a letter to the shoemaker asking him to come by. The shoemaker went at once, and to his surprise the rich man gave him a bag of gold. When he got home, the shoemaker opened the bag. He had never seen so much money before! He sat down at his bench and began, carefully, to count it. The children watched through the window. There was so much there that the shoemaker was afraid to let it out of his sight. So he took it to bed with him. But he could not sleep because he was worrying about it. So he got out of bed and went to hide it in the attic, but he was not sure if that was a good place. Very early in the morning he got up and brought his gold down from the attic. He had decided to hide it up the chimney instead. But after breakfast he thought it would be safer in the chicken house. So he hid it there. But he was still uneasy, and in a little while he dug a hole in the garden and buried his bag of gold in it. It was no use trying to work. He was too worried about the safety of his gold.
And as for singing, he was too miserable to sing a note. He could not sleep, or work, or sing—and, worst of all, the children no longer came to see him. At last the shoemaker felt so unhappy that he seized his bag of gold and ran next door to the rich man. “Please take back your gold,” he said. “Worrying about it is making me ill, and I have lost all my friends. I would rather be a poor shoemaker, as I was before.” And so the shoemaker was happy again and sang all day at his work.

Questioning Take-Away Notes

Evaluative vs. Interpretive
Interpretive and evaluative questions are closely related to each other. The easiest way to figure out which type of question it is, is by looking at the type of answer you get.

A question could be either evaluative or interpretive:

•  If the answer is supported by real life experiences, it is an evaluative answer.
•  If there are at least two different possible answers, and both of them can be supported by the story, then it is an interpretive answer.

What is a Discussion Group?

A discussion group consists of about five people, all contributing equally to a thoughtful conversation about a given text or video.  What kind of skills do you need in order to successfully participate in a group discussion?

-SL 6.1  I can effectively participate in different types of discussions with different people about 6th grade topics, texts, and issues.
-SL 6.1  I can build on others' ideas and express my own ideas clearly.
-SL 6.1A  I can come to discussions prepared to share my ideas because I have read or studied the required material.
-SL 6.1A  I can participate in discussions more effectively by using examples and evidence from the text to help me reflect on the ideas in the discussion.
-SL 6.1B  I can follow rules, set goals, meet deadlines and carry out my assigned role in shared discussions with peers.
-SL 6.1C  I can ask and answer questions using appropriate explanations or details that add to the discussion of a topic, text or issue.
-SL 6.1D  I can think through the ideas in a discussion and show that I understand different perspectives by sharing my thoughts and restating what others have said.
-SL 6.3  I can explain a speaker's arguments or claims and separate those that are supported by reasons and evidence from those that are not. 

ROLES
In our discussion groups, we will have different jobs that aid us in talking about our text.  
1.  Discussion Director:  this person DOES NOT contribute to the conversation.  We never hear their opinion on any subject.  Rather, they quietly guide the discussion and keep careful track of who talks and how often.  When necessary, they draw out students who are reluctant to share.
2.  Vocab Verifyer:  this person's task is to look up tricky words and, when the discussion begins, share those definitions with the group.
3.  Question Creator:  this person reads the text and creates a list of thoughtful questions to ask which will stimulate conversation.  If the discussion lags, the Discussion Director can call upon the Question Creator to reignite the talking.
4.  Record Reporter:  this person takes brief notes (AFTER the discussion) of the ideas exchanged during group time and then reports them to Mrs. K.  
5.  Grade Giver:  this person pays careful attention during the discussion to see that everyone completes their assigned job.  When the conversation is over, they will look over the Discussion Director's tally of student comments to make sure everyone participated equally.  They will give each student in their group a fair, honest grade and hand those grade-sheets to Mrs. K.

Valentine's Day Pass-Around

This pass-around is an opportunity for you to uplift someone else.  It's not a time for you to be funny, sarcastic, dismissive, or rude. Here are some tips on how to brighten someone's day with your words:

1. Be specific.
Memorable compliments are specific.  Don't be vague when you give a compliment.  Notice what it is that compelled you to want to give the compliment in the first place, and then articulate it to the person.

2. Acknowledge their character.
When complimenting an accomplishment, don't just acknowledge what the person did.  Acknowledge who they had to be in order to accomplish it.  In other words, what did it take for them to make it happen?  Point to a person's character traits, such as perseverance, kindness, thoughtfulness, loyalty, humor, calmness, creativity or courage.  For example, "It took a lot of courage for you to speak up like that" or "You are so creative.  I love the way you put together your outfit."

3. Be authentic.
If you don't really mean the compliment, don't give it. Everyone has some character strength or gift worthy of acknowledgment.  Make a habit of finding the good in others.  Sometimes you may be the only person to point it out.  And your authentic compliment will be an extraordinary gift for that person because they rarely hear something positive about themselves from others.

4. Express your appreciation.  
When complimenting someone about something they did that benefited you, be direct in your praise.  "It meant a lot to me that .." or "I appreciate you for ..", for example.  You might assume that the people in your life know you appreciate them, but don't leave them wondering.  Say so.

Toy Love Story

A Toy Love Story

Watch video once.  Then review these questions and watch the movie a second time, paying special attention to HOW the key events and emotions are revealed. 

After you watch this movie, answer each of the following questions in complete sentences:
1.  How do you know Robot likes Doll?
2.  How do you know they are falling in love?
3.  How do you know they become in engaged?
4.  How do you know they get married?
5.  How do you know they had a happy marriage?
6.  How do you know Doll was dying?
7.  How do you know the way in which Robot saved her life?

NY Times Article: "Being Dishonest About Ugliness"

Being Dishonest About Ugliness

Jet:  "Are You Gonna Be My Girl?"

How To Topics

1-2 Hour Topics

Logan: basketball spin
Adam: how to do tricks on the Diablo
Leah: how to do a back hand spring
Eden: how to ride a unicycle
Jacob: how to make walnut cookie dough
Lydia: how to draw an anime person
Hailey: how to make chocolate chip cookies
Lexi: how to paralyze a rabbit
Justice: how to make a fishtail bracelet
Jaren: how to make origami ninja stars
Britain: how to make a smoothie
Lily: how to do a fishtail braid
Thomas: the basics of drumming
Luis: how to juggle a soccer ball
Hannah: how to do an ariel
Kaylee: how to do a dutch braid
Jeremiah: how to make an origami sword
Abby G: how to make an origami box
Lilly: how to make an envelope
Abby: how to do a round-off
Davis: how to dunk a basketball
Mia: how to make a bowl out of chocolate
Erica: how to make a clay charm
Matt: how to make an origami dragon
Aaron: how to make an origami frog
Jaxyn: how to build a ball with magnaformers
Gracie:
Izzy: how to make a stress ball

5-6 Hour Topics

Eva:  how to bake chocolate chip cookies
Jordan:  how to juggle a soccer ball
Kylee:  how to make oobleck
Gage:  how to make silly putty
Dallas:  how to spin a basketball on your finger
Sariah:  how to care for rabbits
Sylvester:
Talia:  how to make a smoothie
Cole:
Lucy;  how to make sugar cookies
Brinley:  how to make tangle-free headphones
Kyler R:  how to play hockey
Dax:  how to play __________ on the ukulele
Taysen:  how to beat box
Ben:  how to throw a football
Lilly:
Griffin:  how to ripstick
Audrey:  how to sing
Mia:  how to do the butterfly stroke
Vee:  how to draw a bird
Ava:  how to do a serve in tennis
Chels:
Kyler B:  how to do a kandama
Mabey:  how to make a bowl out of chocolate
Shaun:  how to do a purler bead design
Ella:  how to draw a wolf
Jack:  how to make snicker doodles
Savanna:

How To Essay

Write a 2-3 paragraph essay explaining how to do something.  Tell about each stage of the process.  Choose a topic that is unique and interesting, and one that you could demonstrate to the class.

What's News with You?

What’s News with You?

            January 13^th will be a special day this year for the Kempton family.  Audrey, (alias “Squeaky” or “Peaches,”) the newest member of the Kempton clan, will be celebrating her first birthday. 

            “We’re not doing the big, themed party,” her mother, Jessica Kempton, says.  “Just a simple cake at our house with some family and friends.” 

            The birthday will mark one in a long list of milestones that Audrey has achieved.  Earlier this month, to her parent’s delight, she took her first steps.  Additionally, she has been completely weaned and now eats only “people food.”  Her mom and dad also gleefully report that she sleeps through the night like an angel. 

           “It’s been a great year,” Jessica Kempton concludes. “I can’t wait to celebrate the birth of my darling baby girl.”

Assignment requirements:  

-Must be at least one paragraph (5-7 sentences)

-Must answer the essential news questions: who what when where why

-Must include at least one quote (can be yourself!)

-Must sound "newsy" 

Diary Prompts

For when you're stumped.....

1. My favorite way to spend the day is...
2. One moment I'll never forget is...
3. Write a list of 30 things that make you smile.
4. The words I'd like to live by are...
5. I couldn't imagine living without...
6. I really wish others knew this about me...
7. Name something kind you've done for a friend recently.  Next, write about how you could do that same kindness for yourself.
8. Write about a time you enjoyed working at something.
9. Write about your crush.
10. Using 10 words, describe yourself.
11. What is bothering you lately?
12. What can you learn from your biggest mistake?
13. What is a question that you need answered?
14. What is something that you wish you had the guts to say?

Pronoun Practice

Test 1
Test 2
Test 3
Test 4
Test 5
Test 6