Language Arts for November 15-22,2010/LaBarbera

Language Arts for November 15-22,2010/LaBarbera

Homework:
Nightly reading is a requirement. Students must read books from the cart in the classroom ( at grade level or slightly above.) Books for responses must not be books that were read one or two years ago.
Due November 22--Complete the Independent Reading Guide sheet as it applies to your novel reading this week. The sheet is numbered 178-179.
Students who have not completed reading the novel, HOOT,must complete it in school and at home.
Students who have submitted work late through the first trimester will have some reading work assigned through the five day break. A reading response will be due Monday , Nov. 29 . I will inform students individually.
Travel Brochure----( Other forms of writing, Illinois Goal). The student will create a travel brochure, per the template provided. The brochure should cover an adventure trip. Share the geography, equipment, supplies, itinerary(schedule), forms of transportation, communication, and include pictures. First draft due December 8. Final typed draft is due December 13. Use the project rubric for evaluation.

Flash Drive--Bring your flash drive to class on Monday, November 22. We are going to use the computers in the media center . We will save our work.

Vocabulary Review--Before the trimester ends , we will review all prefixes and suffixes that were covered since September.

Short Story--- We have been reading our Literature text for vocabulary, sentence fluency, comprehension, and accuracy. A rubric for short story evaluation has been used to revise a sample writing piece and bring it to a higher scoring level. Several graphic organizers will be used to construct a short adventure story as our next writing project. Students will read, hear, and write short stories. This work will begin at the end of the first trimester; the first written drafts will be counted in the second trimester.
Persuasive Writing---As the second trimester begins, we will be working on preliminary activities for persuasive writing. Grammar and parts of speech will be incorporated in all of the writing projects. I have placed some assignments in pearsonsuccess.net.

November 8-15, 2010/Language Arts/LaBarbera/6-1

November 8-15,2010/Language Arts/ LaBarbera/6-1

Homework:
Due: November 15
---Read 20-30 minutes nightly in self selected novel, or complete reading HOOT at home if it is not finished in class.
All: Write a 2 paragraph minimum reaction to what you have read through the week. If you could eliminate characters or a sequence of action from
the novel you are reading, would it become a "short story?"

--Vocabulary list for this week:
Suffix---able-- able to be:
acceptable, detachable, honorable, imaginable, laughable , portable, refundable,
renewable, repairable, washable. Learn the spelling and definitions. Note the meaning of the suffix.Write a sentence for each vocabulary word. Study . Work and post test .... November 15. Monday.

Travel brochure project:
This will be started in class and completed independently as homework.
Due December 13.
Create a travel brochure for an exciting adventure. Include the location, equipment, supplies, clothing, and expenses = total cost. Plan an adventure you would like to experience. For example. It can be as basic as flying to a city with a skateboard park... to a daring adventure of mountain climbing or hiking. Plan the day by day schedule of activities and calculate the cost. We will work on this in class to get a head start.

Up and coming; We will be working on short stories and persuasive compositions in class.
Grammar lessons will continue as well as " expanding vocabulary." The first trimester ends November 29. Report cards will be distributed within the first two weeks of December.

Language Arts for Nov. 1-8,2010

Language Arts for November 1-8,2010/6-1/LaBarbera

Homework:
1. Due Nov. 8---Reading response. Compare the setting of the novel you are currently reading with where you live. Compare city/rural/suburban/other settings with Oak Park.
Compare transportation and communication. Answer this question: How does the setting of the story affect the action ? If the story took place in Oak Park, how would the characters react?

2. Study for November 3 Compound Sentence Test. Students will be given a paragraph to revise . They will combine related sentences.
Example: They couldn't think of anything better to do. They decided to bake cookies.
They couldn't think of anything better to do, so they baked cookies .
(Use commas and conjunctions.)

3. Work on 3 HOOT projects due November 12. A rubric for excellence will be distributed in class. Projects will be presented in cooperative groups.
4. The novel exam on HOOT is scheduled for November 15, but students who have completed the book may take the test in class this week .

Up and Coming:
---New writing projects. Start pre-writing ( thinking, listing, webbing, clustering ideas.).....
Short adventure story, travel brochure, persuasive composition writing.
--Grammar---prefixes, suffixes, synonyms, antonyms, subject/predicate.
--Vocabulary----Study HOOT vocabulary, words with suffix "less", as in motionless, helpless. We will cover Grammar and Writing text page 670 and 671.

Language Arts for October 25-29, 2010/LaBarbera

Language Arts for October 25-29,2010/LaBarbera

Homework announcements:
1. Complete reading HOOT in class by November 3.
Vocabulary work is due Monday, October 25. ie... definitions for 18 words in Chapters 10-14.
We worked on this in class. ( The work will be checked , recorded, and returned to students to save for the novel exam which will be November 15.)
***The novel exam will cover the setting, characters, and plot of the novel , HOOT. Vocabulary definitions will be included.
2. A reading response is due Monday, October 25. ( The sheet was distributed on October 18.) The response should be a minimum of three paragraphs, reflecting nightly reading.
Homework:
For November 1, the students will be assigned a Venn Diagram reading response. The students will be given a template of a Venn Diagram. As nightly reading occurs, the task is to write words and phrases that describe one of the characters in the story ( Major or minor character). Fill in the area of the diagram where you and the character share personality traits. Submit a half page paper typed which explains what you and the character have in common. Due Monday.... November. 1.
3. Three to five reading projects ( differentiated) have been assigned for the novel HOOT. Ask your child if he/she has 1 , 3 , or 5 projects due.
The student has the list of selections. He/she will select at least three of the options . The projects should be typed, labelled, creative, and presented in class on time. There is a rubric for an outstanding project. The date of presentation for the projects is November 12. Cooperative groups will share their work . Culminating activities include discussions, project presentations, and novel exam.

4. The first typed drafts of narrative composition 2 are due Monday, October 25. Most final typed drafts are due Friday, October 29 , but due to class interruption / power outage ...Class period 8/9 final drafts are due November 2.

Note: Thank you to everyone who participated in the student-led portfolio conferences. Please submit a conference evaluation form to the main office .
If you would like another appointment, please let me know. We will continue to communicate through e-mail, phone, blog, and in -person appointments.

Language Arts/LaBarbera for October 18-25,2010

Language Arts/ LaBarbera/for October 18-25,2010

Homework .... so far.
1. A literature response is due Monday, October 25. The student must read one novel through the week , or 30 minutes per night. The prompt to the response is as follows:
Explain why the title of the novel you are reading is appropriate for the story. If YOU could suggest different titles for the novel, what would they be? Explain why your suggestions would be appropriate.
Remember: You are reading one novel for at least 30 minutes per night. The response should reflect careful thinking. The length of the response should reflect nightly reading. As you read the novel, consider the characters, setting, and plot of the story. These story elements will impact title suggestions. If you need help with this work , contact the teacher early in the week . Do not put off this work to the end of the week.

2. The second narrative composition is in progress ; we are writing it in school. After conferencing, the student will revise and add specific details. Many students are enjoying writing personal narrative compositions. The written draft of narrative two will be completed this week.Several students have had their drafts approved to a first typed copy. This will require a second conference in class.
The final typed draft is due
Friday, October 29.

Up and Coming: Adventure story writing, grammar instruction, Literature text, HOOT projects , and persuasive writing. Stay tuned.

Language Arts/LaBarbera for October 12-15,2010

Language Arts for October 12-15,2010/LaBarbera/6-1


October 12-15, 2010
Homework:Extended Response: Students will be assigned one extended response that reflects the four point rubric. Four paragraphs will accumulate through 30 minutes of nightly reading . The neatly typed (or handwritten on looseleaf paper in dark ink) project is due Monday, October 18.
( Students should be reading one novel through the week. If a novel is completed, indicate how you are responding to each of the four response questions. ie. State the title of the book , pages covered, and note you are answering the first, second, third, or fourth response choice. )

Narrative Composition #2: We will have mini skill lessons covering organization of a narrative that describes an experience. The paper will be written in sequential order, reflecting emotion or connection to the experience. During this week , students will pre-write ideas in their spiral notebooks . The graphic organizer will be completed in class. Our Grammar and Writing , chapter two, covers sentence and paragraph construction..Students may review the chapter material online at http://pearsonsuccess.net.

(Today we began sentence combining. Combine subjects, verbs, or objects, to create a new sentence that includes the key information from two shorter sentences. ) We will have a quiz on this topic this Friday, October 15.
Pages 28-30 of the text will be reviewed .

For pre-writing homework , students will be assigned to write lists, clusters, and webs .
Drafting will include organization of the paper, paragraphs, and the 6+1 traits:
( ideas, organization, word choice, sentence fluency, voice, conventions, and presentation.)
Differentiation: Several students will work on the narrative as well as the upcoming adventure story . This offers a student the opportunity for achievement at his/her pace and level of challenge.

Realistic fiction : Students are reading the novel, HOOT , in class . A differentiated project list will be distributed. One project will be completed in class. Two-three projects will be assigned . Due date to be announced.

Dell Laptops--All of the Language Arts classes have used the laptops to explore and complete activities for the Pearson Literature text as well as the Grammar and Writing text book. Activities will be posted for students to complete on home computers.

Portfolio conference letters which confirm your appointment time will be sent home next week. Email notes may support the reminder.

Portfolio conference day is Thursday , October 21.

Language Arts/October 4-8,2010/LaBarbera

Language Arts/ October 4-8, 2010/LaBarbera


Homework : 1. Vocabulary-- Complete writing the definitions of vocabulary from the novel, HOOT The 10 definitions are due Tuesday, October 5.
2. Ten spelling sentences for prefix words ---uni... and bi--- are due Tuesday, October 5.
3. Students have been assigned 2 (two) reading extended responses due Tuesday, October 12.
Refer to the four choices and the four point rubric. A level of depth is expected in an extended response. Read the rubric. Details are shared through experiences, analysis, and connection with the section that has been read. Students are expected to read novels they did not read in a previous grade, ie. Students should actually read a new novel for 30 minutes and write a response. The students should not write about books they read a year ago.
4. Writing Process----- All of the drafts have been checked for completion. The student is responsible for typing the draft to a final copy. Submit the plan, the written rough draft , and the typed final copy by Friday, October 8. ( Students who have been absent receive an extension to October 12.). The narrative rubric will accompany the paper with a grade. Following the 6 + 1 traits of writing: organization, sentence fluency, ideas, voice, conventions, presentation--- the paper will receive a grade and a rubric score.

5. A prefix assignment was placed on the Pearson website. Several students have completed it. We will have Dell Laptops in our classroom this week. I will guide students to find the assignment pages and grammar practice sections.
6. Up and Coming: Differentiated writing projects. Students will have varied prompts and timelines. The goal is to provide appropriate challenge for all students.
Other notes: The quality of work that is submitted is important. Students are expected to use dark ink or type final drafts . The heading is :
First and last name of the student.
Language Arts ( class period)
Date:
This information is placed on the left side of the paper on the lines.
Reading responses require the titles of the books that are read.
Students must proofread their work for correct grammar, spelling, capitalization, and punctuation.
--The research on swans is due October 12...( location, food, predators, survival rate, life span)
A midterm progress report will be issued October 14.
Please check Power School as grades are entered regularly.