Title: Silver Hawks Soar to Success!
1Silver Hawks Soar to Success!
- Teacher Web site http//bvms.tvusd.k12.ca.us/KMc
donald/index.htm - Grades, Assignment Calendar, Models, Rubrics,
etc. - Phone 294-6600x3613
- BVMS Web site Go to Grades or Staff websites
- See Grading Scale and Rubrics for Work Habits
and citizenship.
2Assessment for Learning
- Only assessments/tests count for a grade.
- In LA, Writing Assignments collected receive
- 3 means received on time, completed.
- 0 or blank means no work received
- 2 in LA means writing is received late
- No late practice work recorded in SS.
- It takes 1-2 weeks to enter all LA essay
scores,but you can see immediately if it was
handed in or not with this number system.
3 Pinnacle Grading
- See BVMS web site and click on Grades.
- Put in students ID and M/F for male/female.
- Screen will show overall grades, but must click
on left drop-down menu for each class report to
see progress. - Comments by assignments or narratives explaining
an assignment are important. - These comments do not show up in email.
4Set up Pinnacle E-mail
- Pinnacle will ask you about emailing grade
reports to you. - Set the filter for whatever you want.
- Can set for it to email every time a grade drops
to 70 in any class. - Comments will not show in email.
5Language Arts
- Grade 6 has more standards than the other middle
school grades. - Areas are reading to include vocabulary,
- writing, spelling, and grammar.
- Language Arts has 48 minutes only versus several
hours in elementary school. - Homework is crucial nightly.
-
6Language Arts Reading
- Vocabulary 6th Grade Focus Roots List, shades of
meaning, and usage activities with context clues - 240 Words 6th Grade Kids Need to Know,
- or word analysis of student monitored words
from their reading, and class-wide core novel
words - Million Word Log keeps track of reading minutes.
- Weekly Reading Logs or Novel Packets stress
- reading standards for Grade 6.
- See LA Sem1 in my web site for details.
7Reading Assessments
- Million Word Log
- Biography/Autobiography Poster Essay
Non-fiction - Main Idea 6th Grade Mini-Assessment to prepare
for summarizing - Summarizing skills practiced in Cornell Notes for
SS - Reading analysis of literature using Reading Logs
or - Novel Packets covering specific reading
standards. Examples are - Book in a Bag Project exploring Story Elements
and Theme - Reading Logs analyzing effects of setting,
character conflict and effects
8Structures and Features of Informational Texts
and Materials
- Textbooks, reference materials, historical
documents - Biographies, diaries, journals, speeches
- Magazine and news articles
- Websites
- Internet features
- Brochures
- Applications
- How-to-Directions
9Spelling and GrammarSee LA 1-2 Semester under
Language Skills
- Spelling Know basic rules. See web.
- Grammar for Sentence Structure
- Most Frequently misspelled and confused words.
(accept, except, effect, affect, - their, theyre, there)
- Sentence Variety
- Write using simple, compound, and complex
sentences.
10Forms of Writing
- Explanatory explains ideas compares-contrasts,
relates news story, responds to a piece of
literature, explains how-to, and more. - Summary explains in brief exactly what author
wrote. No personal views or interpretation. - Persuasion/Argument pushes an opinion, ie.,
Letter to Editor or Business Letter of Complaint - Narrative tells a story
- Johns eyes immediately met the hard, bright
lights hanging directly above him. He soon
realized he hurt all over. . . -
11Writing Assessment
- On-Task Writing in class for all drafts
- Best Writing is handed in attached to prior
drafts, rubric, and model. - To let you know writing received on time, I will
show a 3yes, 2late, or 0not recd - Actual rubric score and points for grade are
recorded much later and returned with teacher
feedback. Revisions encouraged. - All graded Writing is returned to Portfolio.
12Reflecting on Writing
- Portfolios hold the Best Writings with 5 point
rubric scoring guides attached. - Opportunity to reflect on outcomes by studying
Proof-reading marks and comments - Revision is necessary for any student receiving a
3 or less when announced. - The revision must be attached to original
- and the rubric.
13Writing Projects
- Argument/Persuasion District Writing Prompt by
late November. - -Biography project with essay reading
non-fiction - Explanatory/expository essays as needed in LA
and SS - Literary Response District Writing Prompt in 2nd
Semester - Poetry with theme and tone (An ode)
- Explanatory Essay required
- Research techniques stressed in Social Studies
Small project - note taking skills, cited sources using
bibliography format - Technology Standards format word docs., note
taking - research databases, use electronic text
Used in SS research -
14LA District Assessments
- First Semester
- Argument/Persuasive Writing in late November.
(not sure) - District Language Arts Assessment in December
before the Semester 1 ends. - Second Semester
- Explanatory Writing Prompt in April?
- District Language Arts Assessment in May
15Social Studies
- Ancient Civilizations
- Focus Understand what makes up a
civilization Acquire knowledge of ancient
civilizations and analyze the effects of
geography on how they lived. - Knowledge of terms essential as a foundation
- Comprehension through outlines, Cornell notes,
summing up - Critical Thinking Questions
- Analysis of Cause and Effect, decisions,
leadership - Evaluation of Problems and Solutions
- Synthesize understanding by writing a
Research PaperAcquire skills for researching in
a library using computer databases, books,
references, and their textbook.
16What is Ancient History?
- It concerns the distant past, from the earliest
humans through the first great civilizations. - Prehistory (Before written records)
-
B.C. / A.D.
Prehistoric time Paleo and Neolithic
Ancient History civilizations
17Chapter Terms
- Students define all the red, blue, and italic
terms for a chapter on a Hide-and-Study Paper. - archeologist artifact
- historian prehistoric
- geographer ritual
- social scientists Ancient History
18Define civilization? on a Hide and Study Paper
- Civilizations have a stable food supply to feed a
large population. Organized systems of managing
food distribution became necessary. This led to
systems of counting, writing to keep records,
laws, social levels, job specialization, and
more. - Ex. cities, trading, technology
19Cornell Notes
- Reading strategies practiced
- Summing up paragraphs
- Total Chapter summary
Main Ideas Supporting Details
20Headings and Bullets Notes
- Students will learn how to do these notes as the
year progresses, and learn to create their own
notes. Resulthigher quiz scores - Heading Difficulties of Environment of
Mesopotamia - Food shortages in hills
- Uncontrolled water supply
- Must maintain irrigation systems
- Attacks from neighbors
-
21Keep it together! Use Folder
- Questions of the Day
- Hide-and Study Paper with defined terms and a
quick-draw icon for each - Chapter Notes
- Geography Challenges/Maps
- ISN-Interactive Student Notebook
- All are organized in a paper folder with
fasteners and handed in on Chapter Test day for
credit - 3 all completed
- 1 incomplete- affects understanding
- No late work for practice recorded
-
22Time Periods and Civilizationsfor First Semester
- Earliest hominids to 70,000 BCE hunters and
gatherers Hominids to Homo Sapiens - 12,000-9000 BCE Last Ice Age Neolithic Age
and beginning of Agriculture - 3500-2000 BCE Start civilizations with writing
Mesopotamia, Egypt, and Kush - Permanent sheltersCharacteristics of
civilizations - 2500-1700 BCE Indus River Valley
-
23Go Beyond
- Differentiation/enrichment in place of the usual
- Chapter work. Must Achieve A 3 times on SS
tests to do. Must come to beginning meeting at
start of a unit. Cannot come into mid-Unit. - Deeper exploration encouraged through the GO
Beyond Club that meets at lunch as announced. - Independent approach to SS Standards
- Open to all students
- Some Go Beyond assignments explained and
offered to all students. Will be posted on
calendar and in Planners under Saturday.
24Projects and ResearchMust use research process
for Grade 6 in Semester 2
Sparta Athens
25History Alive!
- Purpose to create historical memory.
-
- Active learning involving the seven multiple
intelligences visual-spatial, linguistic,
deductive reasoning, body-kinesthetic, musical,
inter and intrapersonal. - Cooperative partnering and grouping for
discussion and investigating ideas. - Spiraling curriculum leading students through a
process of discovery from knowledge to analysis
to synthesis and - evaluation.
-
Please see the S.S. TCI Parent Letter on website.
26Caring Classroom 613
- Care for the Code of Conduct
- -Respect for Self
- Do my best
- Positive Participation
- -Respect for Others
- Concern for all
- -Respect for School
- Care to follow rules
27Goal for LA and SS
- To prepare your student for success in Grade 7
through mastery of 6th Grade Standards. - To build responsibility and confidence in
- by increasing their ability to communicate.
28Class Theme Go Beyond
- Class Mission ABC
- Achieve strong academic skills.
- Study for assessments.
- Build self responsibility.
- Planner/Notebook.
- Care to contribute as a citizen using the Code of
Conduct -
- Class Rule Be a
- Brain
- Be ready to learn.
- Respect everyones right
- to learn.
- Area cleaned. All materials returned.
- Independent learner follow directions/start!
- Never end noisy. Need
- class closing to know
- what was learned.
29End of Presentation for LA/SS
- Please follow grades on Pinnacle.
- See teacher comments
- Be sure student comes for tutoring and/or make
ups during DEAR in timely manner when absent.
- Communication is key. Please email or phone if
any problems occur that I must know. - Thank you!
- Kathie McDonald
30Writing Skills Elective-Gd.7
- Purpose to take students through the writing
process in order to produce clear coherent
writing using powerful vocabulary and
description. - To give students an appreciation for writing in
all areas of life. - To encourage editing and revisions
31Writing Warm-Ups
- Designed to practice Language Skills.
- See LA web pages for these skills with
- practice we use throughout the year.
- Practice with Quick writes using different forms
of writing narrative, explanatory, argument,
descriptive, summary - Quick writes count and Mini-quizzes
32Models
- Imitating Grammar of the Greats!
- A light kindled in the sky, a blaze of
- yellow fire behind dark barriers.
- J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings
- Application Combine the sentence to create one
in the same order of sentence parts as the model - A noise erupted
- The noise erupted in the forest.
- The noise was a screech.
- The screech was of angry ravens.
- The ravens were in decaying trees.
33Imitation
- A noise erupted from the forest, a screech of
angry ravens in decaying trees. - Model There, his black robes rippling in a cold
breeze, stood Severus Snapes. - J.K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Chamber of
Secrets - Ex. Upside down, his loose change falling from
his pants pocket, dangled Devon.
34Sharing
- Students share their writing pieces, help each
other learn, and become more confident in their
approach to writing. - Only words of encouragement
- Only constructive criticism
- Read-alouds
- Word Processing stressed for revision
35Reading leads to Writing
- Choose a song and point out poetic elements and
figurative language - Famous lines from the sublime!
- Beginning famous story lines and continue
writing to describe setting and conflict - Ad Analysis for Persuasive techniques
- literary devices
36Advice for young people!
- The most important thing is to read as much as
you can, like I did. It will give you an
understanding of what makes a good writing, and
it will enlarge your vocabulary. And its a lot
of fun! J.K. Rowling - When it comes to language, nothing is more
satisfying than to write a good sentence.
Barbara Tuchman
37Testimonials
- This class helped me in my test scores and in my
Language Arts class. - I never knew there was so much to writing and it
was in so many places. - When I entered this class, I thought it would be
boring, then I started learning new ideas and
views from everyone. Mrs. McDonald is the bomb.
38Forms of Writing
- Narrative 5 Paragraph EssayAutobiographical
account of one event - District Writing Prompt in early December
- Persuasive Essay
- Poetry
- Descriptive Paragraph
39Be a Winner!
- Write down assignments in class.
- Internet check Pinnacle for grades.
- Need to check Planner/HW Calendar
- Need to set email for automatic info. on grade
- Explain to your parents what you are doing
- in school.
- Review daily work for tests and due dates.