Language Arts for January 25-31 ,2011/LaBarbera

Language Arts for January 25-31, 2011/LaBarbera/6-1

1. Due: Persuasive composition #1/School on Saturday?
First typed draft is due this week.
Final typed draft with revisions is due Monday, January 31.

2. Two reading projects are due January 25. Presentation will take place through the week in class.
3. The novel exam for a historical fiction novel is due Jan. 27.
Please ask your child to return Where the Red Fern Grows to the red cart in class, to the school library, or to the Oak Park Library , as needed.
4. A 10-16 line free verse poem reflecting the character, setting, or plot of the book the student is reading at home ( 30 minutes per night) is due
Jan. 25. Many students are writing beautiful poems.
5. During the week of January 25-Jan. 31 students will read self selected novels. We will move to a new genre, but continue to read excellent historical fiction novels .
The mystery unit .... new genre..... will include novel reading , solving mini-mysteries, reading short mystery stories, and writing a short mystery.
Stay tuned.
Novel choice: Agatha Christie--And Then There Were None.... or.. The Westing Game.... or... Shakespeare's Secrets....
More information to follow.

Coming Up.....Reading Homework ......
1. Reading responses for February.... Read a realistic fiction novel or mystery. You are expected to read 30 minutes per day/night.
a) Due February 7-----( Five paragraphs).. Follow the rubric for reading .
"Pretend an anonymous billionaire wants to give $500,000 to one of the characters in the book you are reading. Which character would you select as the beneficiary? How or why might the gift change the character's life as well as the book's outcome?"
b) Due February 14-----(Five paragraphs).. Follow the rubric for reading.
Describe changes that occur in the story. Describe at least 3 changes and what caused the changes to occur. What were the effects? Do you identify with any of these changes? How ?
c) Due February 22 ( Five paragraphs).... Explain why the title is appropriate for the book you are reading. What does it tell us about the author's purpose? Include how you relate to the title . How are YOU connected to the action in the novel? ( Use the reading rubric.)
ISATs are Feb. 28---March 11 .

Note: In class we will be covering figurative language : similes, metaphors, onomatopoeia, personnification, and others. Poetry Collections 1-6 are in the Literature textbook. Refer to pearsonsuccess.net for online textbooks.
In class we will be covering the parts of speech integrated in a second writing project. A prompt will be selected by the student who will plan, write, and confer a first written draft . To be announced.
Homework will be announced.
In class we will cover "expanding vocabulary."
Within our poetry units we will focus on the definitions of the following: crude,soprano, stubby, precious, thrives, sour, pleasant, billowing, accusers, plunging, ravenous, cavernous, rancor, horrid, inedible, miniscule, deem, amid, beseech, dismal, sympathize .
( For a head start... you will be assigned definitions, part of speech, and using the words in the correct context of a sentence......Due date TBA)


Other: Replenish pens, pencils, spiral notebook. For the research paper that will begin in March you will need notecards, a spiral , a clear folder, and computer access. Gather your supplies sooner than later.
We will: Select a topic from science, health, history, sports, the arts, nature, and /or the environment. A thesis will be formulated. Students will receive guidance for this project from our teacher-librarian, Ms. Nelson in the school media center.