Language Arts 6-3

Teacher Contact Information

We encourage communication with our students’ parents.  Please feel free to contact us any time.  Email is probably the best way to reach us quickly.

Ruth.Deaux@cobbk12.org

Ashley.Renz@cobbk12.org

770-819-2438  EXT.  491    for Mrs. Deaux        EXT. 238 for Mrs. Renz

Week of 1/23/12

We have finished our essays that were inspired by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.  Many of the essays are exemplary and we have decided to put several of the essays on our 6-3 bulliten board in honor of Black History Month which begins next week.

 

This week, the students continue to explore persuasive writing.  Today, they read an article in Scope Magazine persuading young athletes to avoid playing sports when they have experienced a head injury.  Tomorrow, the students will analyze the article to help them understand what makes the article persuasive. 

Later in the week, we will be splitting the class into two groups.  We will be putting The Big Bad Wolf (from the 3 Little Pigs story) on trial to determine if he is guilty or innocent.  Students will either be working with Ms. Renz for the prosecution, or with Ms. Deaux for the defense.  They will all be writing opening statements to persuade the jury of the wolf's guilt or innocence.  We are hoping to start the mock trial by the middle of next week.  The students are really looking forward to this activity!!

Week of 1/10/12

WELCOME BACK!!  We are so excited to start the second semester.  We have a lot of information to cover this 9 weeks, so we are going to hit the ground running!!

 

Today we are taking the 2nd installment of the SRI reading assessment.  We are hoping to see a rise in the scores since the first test we took in the fall.

 

For the rest of the week we have a special treat.  Ms. Gochman, the Media Center Specialist will be helping us introduce our next unit: Persuasive Writing.  We are going to be reading "The Three Little Pigs" from three different points of view.  Starting next week and in the weeks to come, we will be dividing the class up into the 'prosecution' and the 'defense' and we will put The Big Bad Wolf on trial.  We will also be learning about the different aspects of persuasive writing as we move along.

Week of 12/19/11

Only 4 more days to go until the Winter Break!!  We know everyone is excited!! 

We want to remind students about the Holiday Party on Thursday afternoon.  Behavior this week will be a factor in determining if a student will be invited to attend the party, so please remember the expectations of your teachers and the school.

In Language Arts this week, we will continue working on our projects (see entry 12/12/11).  We anticipate that the projects will take the full week.  Students may need to complete some of the work at home.  The project guidelines are available in the 12/12/11 entry on the blog.  Please contact Ms. Renz or Ms. Deaux if you have any trouble opening the attachments.

EQ for the week:  "How do I demonstrate effective literary analysis when reading historical fiction?" 

Students will be participating in the E-Folio Writing Assessment on Wednesday morning.  Students need to make sure they have a pen with blue or black ink with them on Wednesday.

Ms. Deaux and Ms. Renz would like to wish all of our students and their families a wonderful and relaxing break.  We will see everyone in the New Year!!

Week of 12/12/11

We are working on historical fiction this week and we will be completing a project.   We are reading "Christmas in the Big House, Christmas in the Quarters" on Monday and Tuesday.  The students will complete a 4 square to demonstrate their understanding of story elements and to work on vocabulary and sequencing skills. .  Students will then have the opportunity to choose two other activities from a Tic-Tac-Toe to complete.  There are links to both the 4 Square and the Tic-Tac-Toe below.  This project will have 3 components each of which will be a project grade (35%)

Essential Question for the week:  "How do I demonstrate effective literary analysis of historical fiction?

Download Christmas in the Big House 4 Square

Download Christmas in the Big House Tic Tac Toe

Please remember that Ms. Deaux and Ms. Renz encourage students to come in for tutoring on Tuesday and Thursday mornings  at 8:15.  Students just need a pass prior to the day they want to come in.

Alternative Project

Download Language Arts Cultural Comparison and Contrast Project

 

Week of 12/5/11

This week in Language Arts, we are continuing our work on the parts of speech.  Students will be learning to locate adverrbs in a sentence.  Students will also be able to tell what question the adverb answers, what word it modifies and whether that word being modified is a verb, adjective or another adverb.   Students will also learn how to choose correct adverbs to complete sentences or thoughts.  Toward the end of the week, students will review topic and closing sentences and supporting details.  Finally, we will introduce subject complements  (prdicate adjectives, predicate nouns, direct objects and indirect objects) and students will learn how to identify their functions.

This week's Essential Questions are:

Monday:  What are adverbs and what is their function?

Tuesday: What are adverbs and how do I use them effectively when I am writing?

Wednesday:  How do I identify topic sentences, supporting details and unrelated information in informational texts?

Thursday: How do I determine effective topic sentences, supporting details and concluding sentences.

Friday:  What are subject complements, and how do I determine their functions?

Welcome Back

Welcome Back.  We hope everyone had a relaxing, enjoyable and safe Thanksgiving Holiday.

Progress Reports go home Wednesday this week. 

This week in Language Arts, the students are learning about the different organizational structures that authors use when they write and the transition words that help to indicate the type of structure used.  The students are also working on verbs (helping and linking).

Next week we will begin working on adverbs and prepositions.  We will also be focused on writing and identifying effective sentences.  Students will need to begin to identify subjects and predicates when reading sentences.

Mid Nine Weeks

We are fast approaching progress report time.  Progress reports will be going home with the students the Wednesday after break (11/30/11), so be sure to watch for them.  If you have any questions at all about your child's performance in Language Arts, please contact either teacher (contact information at the top of this page.)

 

The students all seem very ready for their break next week!!  We are sending home a Language Arts Review packet for the students to complete over the break.  If the students will just do a little bit each day, the packet can be completed with no problems.  Shouldn't take them more than 15 minutes per day.  However, if they choose to wait until the last minute, it will probably take them a couple of hours or more.   The review packet will be due when the students return the Monday after break (11/28/11) and it will be counted as a project grade (35%)!!  Please help them to remember to do just a page or two each day.

When we return from Thanksgiving Break, we will be focusing on the different organizational structures authors use when writing.

Have a wonderful holiday everyone!!!      

NEW 9 Weeks

Whew!!  We made it through the first nine weeks! 

 

Next week is Conference Week.  Your child should have brought home a conference request form.  We hope to have 100% participation for conferences so please look for the form and remind the students to return the forms to their homeroom teachers.  Also, school will be out 2 hours early every day!

 

We will be taking the Benchmark tests this week in the academic core classes.  Students should get plenty of rest and be prepared to do their best.

Week 6

JUST A REMINDER: Progress Reports go home Wednesday afternoon.

 

NEW PROJECT ALERT!!!!  We are starting a new project this week.  Students will be exploring informational texts by reading about a disaster in history (ie: the Titanic, Chernobyl, the Challenger, etc.)  Students will then work on expository writing by reasearching the disaster and writing a first person account of the event.

Each student will be paired with another student to read about a pre-assigned disaster.  Together, they will work to compile necessary information to complete a 5 W's (who, what, when, where, why) chart, as well as a cause-and-effect graphic organizer relative to that incident.  Two days will be spent in the Media Center working on research skills as the students learn more about their assigned disaster.

Each student will then compose an individual first person account (as if eye-witnessing the event) either as a reporter, victim or agent of human error.  Students will describe the events- the horror, destruction, injuries and deaths- as well as the causes and lessons learned. 

Students will receive multiple grades at various stages of the assignment.  The grades are listed as follows: (The percentages indicate the overall percentages for the category of the assignment: see the syllabus for further explanation).

5Ws Graphic Organizer - Classwork (20%)

Cause & Effect Graphic Organizer - Classwork (20%)

Rough Draft Essay - Writing Project (35%)

Revised and Edited Rough Draft - Classwork (20%)

Final Draft - Writing Project (35%) AND Journal (25%)

 

DUE DATE: ALL ASPECTS OF PROJECT TO BE COMPLETED AND TURNED IN BY FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 30, 2011.

We are really excited about this project and we think the students will enjoy it.  Students will be provided ample time in class to complete the project as long as they use their time wisely.

Week 5

We can't believe we are already half way through the first nine weeks!! 

Progress Reports will go out next Wednesday (9/21/11).   Remember, you can sign up for Pinnacle access any day from 8:15 - 4:30 and on Thursday's until 6:30pm.  Please sign up so you can keep up with your student's grades

 

This week we will be working on identifying and using adjectives.  We will be encouraging and practicing using vivid words (adjectives) to enhance writing and make it more interesting.  We will also be finishing up with narratives by reviewing fiction vs. nonfiction and completing a plot diagram on a fictional story.  Students will also be using vivid words to create descriptive paragraphs.

For extention of skills that are being learned in the classroom, please encourage your student to check out the following websites:

Please click on the following links.

www.guia.com

Fun Brain

Gamequarium

Ginaotto.com

JC Schools

Global Classroom