Book Recommendations: Winter Break

Don't get me wrong: I have teenagers myself. I'm not naive enough to think your kids are going to spend the majority of their break working on extra math practice, doing engaging science projects, and reading books upon books upon books. However, I do hope that the tv or video games will be turned off on occasion...and after they get back in from getting some exercise and fresh air, they might pick up a book and read for a while.

Well, the holiday season is for hopes and dreams anyway.

Here are a few books your kiddos might enjoy over winter break.



Fish In a Tree by Lynda Mullaly Hunt
Appropriate for ages 10 and above

This book is going to become a frequent read-aloud in classrooms from 5th through 7th grade, I can just tell. It's the Wonder of 2015.

Ally has been smart enough to fool a lot of smart people. Every time she lands in a new school, she is able to hide her inability to read by creating clever yet disruptive distractions. 

Her new teacher, Mr. Daniels, sees the bright, creative kid underneath the trouble maker. With his help, Ally learns that dyslexia is nothing to be ashamed of. She discovers that there is a lot more to her - and to everyone - than a label, and that great minds don't always think alike.






Milkweed by Jerry Spinelli
Appropriate for ages 11 and above

We're going to have a Holocaust survivor speak to our classes in January (more info & permission slip to come), so this book might be the perfect "easing in" to the events of World War II. This is one of the more "tame" Holocaust fictional tellings, and if your child has read The Boy in the Striped Pajamas (and they probably have), then this one is appropriate.


He's a boy called Jew. Gypsy. Stopthief. Runt. Happy. Fast. Filthy Son of Abraham. He's a boy who lives on the streets of Warsaw. He's a boy who steals food for himself and the other orphans. He's a boy who wants to be a Nazi some day, with tall shiny jackboots and a gleaming Eagle hat of his own. Until the day that suddenly makes him change his mind. And when the trains come to empty the Jews from the ghetto of the damned, he's a boy who realizes it's safest of all to be nobody.



Goodbye Stranger by Rebecca Stead
Appropriate for ages 11 and above

A compassionate novel about the problems with social media. This book reflects the discussion we had the week before break with Westminster Police Detective Adams from the Internet Crimes Against Children division.

Bridge is an accident survivor who's wondering why she's still alive. Emily has new curves and an almost-boyfriend who wants a certain kind of picture. Tabitha sees through everybody's games - or so she tells the world. The three girls are best friends with one rule: no fighting. Can it get them through seventh grade? 

 
Brady vs. Manning: The Untold Story of the Rivalry that Transformed the NFL by Gary Myers
Appropriate for ages 12 and above

If our compare/contrast unit is any indication, this will be a popular book for my students who love loudly arguing passionately debating about sports.

A chronicle of the illustrious careers of Tom Brady and Peyton Manning, two of the most successful quarterbacks in NFL history. Brady vs. Manning traces their special rivalry, highlighting their dramatic match-ups and focusing on their mutual respect.







Book Scavenger by Jennifer Chambliss Bertman
Appropriate for ages 10 and above

Engaging and thought-provoking - great for reluctant readers and fans of 39 Clues.

For twelve-year-old Emily, the best thing about moving to San Francisco is that its the home of her literary idol: Garrison Griswold, creator of the online sensation Book Scavenger (a game where books are hidden in cities all over the country and clues to find them are revealed through puzzles). 

After Griswold is attacked, Emily and her new friend James discover an odd book, which they come to believe is from Griswold himself, and might contain the only copy of his mysterious new game. Racing against time, Emily and James rush from clue to clue, desperate to figure out the secret at the heart of Griswold's new game before those who attacked Griswold come after them, too. 




Star Wars Jedi Academy (Series) by Jeffrey Brown
Appropriate for ages 8 and above

This series of books is about a Jedi Padawan in middle school and is perfect if your kiddo loved(s) Diary of a Wimpy Kid.

Book 1: Jedi Acaedmy
Book 2: Return of the Padawan
Book 3: The Phantom Bully

Each book is the account of one year at the Jedi Academy. Roan has to navigate what all other middle schoolers do: making friends, first crushes, bullies, and school dances. He also has to learn to use the Force and fly a spacecraft.

Winter Break: December 18-January 4

See you on Tuesday, January 5, 2016!

Internet Safety

Today your students attended a presentation by the Westminster Police Department and its Internet Crimes Against Children division (ICAC). Detective Adams discussed the realities of predators on the internet, the real dangers and consequences of cyberbullying, and most importantly, how to keep yourself safe on social media. Please review this presentation with your child and reiterate that it was not meant to scare them, but to help them understand how easy it is to get swept up in internet drama that can turn very serious very quickly.

Did you know...?

...taking, sending, and receiving inappropriate, sexual images of children (those under 18 years of age) are all federal crimes

...if you receive an inappropriate image and don't report it and/or delete it off your phone, you can be brought up on charges of possessing child pornography

...the best person to contact regarding an activity you aren't sure is appropriate is your parent, Officer DeHerrera (our school SRO), or a counselor

...the worst person to contact regarding an activity you aren't sure is appropriate is your friend or anyone under the age of 18

...32% of kids hide their browsing history from their parents; 27% of tweens put a fake age in their online profiles; 28% of tweens have had a stranger contact them through their online profile

...predators hang out on social networking sites, gaming systems, and chat sites to find their victims

...cyberbullying is now a crime in Colorado (Kiana's Law)

Questions about this presentation can be directed to administration or counseling. 

Compare and Contrast Book vs. Movie

Today in Language Arts, students worked toward their compare and contrast analysis standard by reading a chapter of The Fault In Our Stars and watching the movie clip of the same scene. Students were completely engaged in this lesson and ideas about the differences between book and movie were hotly debated. We love seeing our kiddos get passionate about any topic, and even more so recognizing and sympathizing with the struggle and heartache that people with terminal illnesses go through.

I encourage you to discuss today's lesson in Language Arts with your child. Here is the video clip we showed and a PDF of the chapter that was analyzed.

Rewriting Perspective

During these final two days of Unit 2 (Thursday Nov. 5 and Friday Nov. 6), we are re-writing a scene from our group novels to change the perspective of one or more characters. Students really enjoyed all of the discussion and group work we did in this unit with their novel groups! Please ask your student about their brainstorm today and how they are going to rewrite a scene in their novel. This is a unique and challenging task and I look forward to reading their creative work. You can see the rubric for this writing assignment here. 

Redacted Poems

Your kiddos did a great job analyzing mood and tone in their novels. Here are some superb examples of the redacted poems that they created from pages of their novels.

 

 

Redacted Poetry to Analyze Mood and Tone

Students are working on a cool project tomorrow. They chose a section of their reading group novel they would like me to copy for them. Tomorrow, they will use these sections of text to create a redacted poem: where they select certain words, phrases, or sentences to create a poem that mirrors the mood of their novel. This is a graded assignment, and you can see the rubric here.

See some examples below, and make sure to come back; I will post our own creations here when we finish!

 
  

Upcoming Standards Focus

We have been working steadily on practicing for upcoming assessments!

We are using our reading groups to discuss how the author is introducing the main character in our novels. Last Thursday 10/8, students practiced this discussion in their reading groups. This Thursday 10/15, they will use the same format to be assessed on these standards:

RL6.3 Students will be able to describe how a particular story's plot unfolds as well as how the character respond or change.

RL6.1 Students will be able to cite textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.

In addition to the group discussion assessment, students have been being continuously monitored for their preparation for reading groups to achieve proficiency at these standards:

SL6.1a Students will come to discussions prepared, having read or studied required material; explicitly draw on that preparation by referring to evidence on the topic, text, or issue to probe and reflect on ideas under discussion.

SL6.1b Students will be able to follow rules for collegial discussions, set specific goals and deadlines, and define individual roles as needed. 

We are also using nonfiction text articles to explore what techniques authors use to introduce key ideas in nonfiction text. Students have learned 7 different techniques that authors commonly use and have been hard at work practicing how to identify them and analyze how it helps them understand the text. Working with nonfiction is very different than working with fiction and requires a different type of practice for what seems like a similar skill. Next Thursday 10/22, they will be assessed on these standards:

RI6.3 Students will be able to use key ideas to analyze in detail how an individual, event, or idea is introduced, illustrated, and elaborated in a nonfiction text.

RI6.3 Students will be able to cite textual evidence to support analysis of nonfiction text.

Students have had plenty of practice time in class for all of these skills. 

Reading Group Novels

Today, your child should be coming home with a reading group novel that we will be using daily for our second unit: Authors as Mentors, and our current concept: Perception.

Students self-selected these novels in class based on interest, Lexile level, and readability for their current reading level. Additionally, students met with their reading groups to set weekly reading goals and expectations. 

Some expectations include, but are not limited to:

• nightly reading of novel (ONLY IF daily goal is not met in class)
• achieving the weekly reading goal set by the group; but NOT reading beyond
• reading with their notebook next to them to jot down thuoghts, quotes, and interesting parts to discuss at with the group at the next meeting
• using thinkmarks (teaching in class on Friday) and sticky notes to mark interesting pages to discuss
• selecting evidence from the text to support thinking
• thoughtfully and respectfully agreeing/disagreeing with other members of the group
• being an active member of the group by listening and adding to the conversation when possible
• being an independent, responsible member of the group to ultimately make the group function as a whole

Following these expectations is necessary for success on assessment grades that will be taken through discussion groups (both participation AND preparation will be assessed) and constructed responses that require the student to analyze the author's craft. Please see the What Are We Studying? tab for the rubrics and standards being assessed in this unit. 

Here is a video of what a successful reading group should look like: 

Watch a Small Group Conversation to See Students Tracing a Theme Across and Within Bud, Not Buddy and Tiger Rising (3-5) from TC Reading and Writing Project on Vimeo.

Unit 2: Perception

Today students wrapped up Unit 1 with another assessment on finding theme, this time in non-fiction text. Through all of the practice we did in this unit for writing constructed responses and examining a text for specific, relevant evidence, I think students are off to a great start with 6th grade expectations for quality and effort! I appreciate all of their focus and hard work!

Our next unit is focused on the concept of perception; particularly how we see ourselves versus how others see us, and eventually moving into how and why we perceive others in the way that we do. Please help your student with the homework that will be coming home as we start off the unit; it is important for them to gather data about their perception of self and others so that we can use it as a jumping off point as we start thinking about our essential questions. 

Visit the "What Are We Studying?" page for a complete outline of the unit, including all of the standards we will be assessing in the next 6 weeks.

Close Reading for Theme: Assessment

This week, we worked finding the theme of fiction texts using the skill of close reading.  Students have had multiple opportunities to read a text, analyze, discuss and write about the theme of the text to prepare for Friday's assessment.

Below are the standards we are working very hard to address in class this week and next:

RI, RL 6.2 Use key ideas and details to determine a theme or central idea of a text and how it is conveyed through particular details.

We ALWAYS, ALWAYS require textual evidence, and grade it on this standard:

RI, RL 6.1 Cite textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text. 

RI = "reading informational" non-fiction

RL = "reading literature" fiction

Anchor chart from class on close reading

Anchor chart from class on theme

Anchor chart on how to write a constructed response

Anchor chart from class on a model constructed response

One Pager (FIRST ASSESSMENT!)

On Thursday and Friday, students will complete their first assessment.  They will work on the standard, (CCSS SL6.1) engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions with diverse partners on grade 6 topics, texts, and issues, building on others' ideas and expressing their own clearly.  

The task is to interview a peer, focusing on clarifying questions and getting more information. 

On Thursday, students will take the information collected from the interview and create a One Pager about their peer.  The hope is that the responses from their partner are detailed enough to create an image of the answer given. Students will then have Friday to complete their One Pager.

Students are invited to come to work on them in the pod during their lunch on Thursday or Friday to avoid homework over the weekend.

Examples are found below, along with expectations and rubric. 

Expectations and examples

Rubric

Technology

The past few days, we have been orienting ourselves with resources that will help us be successful throughout the year. Students:

• Received their adams12.org email and created a password
• Logged into Infinite Campus and our classroom website
• Checked the Zephyr Core Homework Page
• Created a folder in Google Drive and shared it with Mrs. Peoples
• Explored the functionality of Google Drive and its apps

Please see the Helpful Links page for links to these sites and to the power points that we used with the instructions in how to access some of this information. It is crucial that students access Infinite Campus at least once a week to keep track of how they are doing in each class. 

Letter to My 8th Grade Self

Letter to My 8th Grade Self will be assigned Friday, Sept. 4 and is due Tuesday, Sept. 8. Students must include at least three paragraphs in their letter. The first paragraph must describe what life is like now that they've settled into middle school. The second paragraph should include goals for themselves in 8th grade, reasons behind the goals, and how they're going to accomplish them. The third paragraph must include the impact of the growth mindset on them so far, and how they plan to use it in the future.

Goal setting is one of our standards for 6th grade. Be sure your goals are realistic, timely, attainable, and able to be measured (so you know if you've reached your goal)!

Please see an example 8th grade letter here. Be sure to use this letter to know how to format your letter correctly. You will get your letter back in 8th grade. Put effort into this letter so it can be a time of enjoyment when you read what life was like as a 6th grader!

Growth Mindset

Have you ever thought what it means to fail? Society paints failure in a negative light, but that's only true if we don't learn from our failures and try again.   

This week in Language Arts, we are working with the idea of a growth mindset. We are exploring what a growth mindset is and how to go from a fixed to growth mindset.  We are discussing the importance of accepting that failure is a part of life and what to do when things don't go the way we hope/expect.  

The purpose of learning about the growth mindset is to show that learning goes outside the four walls of school and if we don't accept that we fail on a daily basis, we will never be true lifelong learners.  Knowing what to do when we have failed is a large part of the developmental process, and being able to make changes to avoid continuous failures is a skill that we will practice throughout the year.
It is my job as your child's teacher to be their coach, not critic.  It's my promise to help navigate failures and come out on the other end as a well-rounded individual. 

I have included the videos we watched with this lesson.  They are moving and meaningful.  Please take a moment to enjoy these with your child.

Other resources:
Encouraging Growth Mindset: A Principal's Blog
The story of Amy Van Dyken: Paralyzed Olympian 

Welcome to the 2015-26 School Year

Welcome STORM students! I am very excited for this school year! Bookmark this website so you can keep up to date on everything that is happening in our classroom. It will be a great resource for you to not only know what we are doing, but to find links to important documents, assignment information, and due dates.

Middle school has a reputation for being tough on children socially and not important academically. This could not be further from the truth. These are important years for your children to grow socially and create academic habits that will set them up for success in high school.

Through my Language Arts class, I make it my mission to combine learning and growing in literacy with expanding students' social awareness and thinking about things on a global scale. We will explore overarching concepts such as maturity, perception, self-awareness, personal accountability, and recognizing struggle in self and others. We use these concepts to expand ourselves as readers and writers while thinking beyond ourselves.

I encourage you to work with me this year to make it a successful and enjoyable experience for your child. Let's get after it! GO STORM!

Book Recommendations: Classics

For fans of Holes

The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton (1967)

Appropriate for ages 12 and above

The murder of a “Soc” by a “Greaser” gets under Ponyboy’s skin, causing his divided world to crumble and teaching him that pain feels the same no matter which side your’e on.

For fans of The Fault In Our Stars

Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Patterson (1977)

Appropriate for age 9 and above

Unlikely friends Jess and Leslie become inseparable. Together, they create Terabithia, a magical kingdom in the woods where the two of them reign as king and queen, and their imaginations are the only limits.

For fans of The Boy in the Striped Pajamas

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee (1960)

Appropriate for age 12 and above

Compassionate, dramatic, and deeply moving, To Kill a Mockingbird takes readers to the roots of human behavior, to innocence and experience, kindness and cruelty, love and hatred, humor and pathos.

For fans of Hatchet

Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell (1960)

Appropriate for age 10 and above 

Karana is the Indian Girl who lived alone for years on the Island of the Blue Dolphins. Hers is not only an unusual story of survival, but also a tale of natural beauty and personal discovery.

For fans of Harry Potter

A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle (1962)

Appropriate for age 9 and above

Meg’s father had been experimenting with this fifth dimension of time travel when he suddenly and mysteriously disappeared. Now the time has come for Meg, her friend Calvin, and Charles Wallace to rescue him. But can they outwit the forces of evil they will encounter on their heart-stopping journey through space? 

For fans of Good Omens

The Princess Bride by William Goldman (1973)

Appropriate for age 10 and above

This is a tale of a handsome farm boy who, aided by a drunken swordsman and a gentle giant, rescues a beautiful princess named Buttercup. But the twist is in the telling.

For fans of Tuck Everlasting

The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett (1911)

Appropriate for age 11 and above

Mary Lennox discovers the arched doorway into an overgrown garden and soon begins transforming it into a thing of beauty, unaware that she is changing, too. 

For fans of Percy Jackson

20,000 Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne (1870)

Appropriate for age 12 and above 

In the year 1866, ships of several nations spot a mysterious sea monster, which some suggest to be a giant narwhal. The United States government assembles an expedition in New York City to find and destroy the monster.

For fans of Peter Pan

Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson (1883)

Appropriate for age 10 and above

While going through the possessions of a deceased guest who owed them money, an innkeeper and her son find a treasure map that leads them across the Spanish Main to a notorious pirate’s treasure. This classic novel introduced the world to the dreaded Long John Silver.

Summer Reading Recommendations

I find that the more I read, the more I want to read. I also believe that there are too many great books to waste your time reading something you're not interested in (unless it's for school). Hopefully this list will help get kiddos reading over the summer.

I would also suggest they join a reading list group like Shelfari or Goodreads. These sites help you keep track of what you read, and, more importantly, will recommend books based on what you read and rate.

For fans of Percy Jackson:

The Eighth Day by Dianne K. Salerni
When Jax wakes up to a world without any people in it, he assumes it's the zombie apocalypse. But when he runs into his eighteen-year-old guardian, Riley Pendare, he learns that he's really in the eighth day - an extra day sandwiched between Wednesday and Thursday. Some people - like Jax and Riley - are Transitioners; able to live in all eight days, while others, including Evangeline, the elusive teenage girl who's been hiding in the house next door, exist only on this special day.

For fans of Fablehaven:

Dreamwood by Heather Mackey
Lucy Darrington has no choice but to run away from boarding school. Her father, an expert on the supernatural, has been away for too long while doing research in the Saarthe. But upon arriving, she learns her father is missing: rumor has it he's gone in search of dreamwood, a rare tree with magical properties.

For fans of When You Reach Me:

The Fourteenth Goldfish by Jennifer L. Holm
Eleven-year-old Ellie has never liked change. She misses fifth grade. She misses her old best friend. She even misses her dearly departed goldfish. Then one day, a strange boy shows up. He's bossy. He's cranky. And weirdly enough...he's a lot like Ellie's grandfather, a scientist who's always been slightly obsessed with immortality. Could this pimply boy really be Grandpa Melvin? Has he finally found the secret to eternal youth?

For fans of The Hunger Games:

Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard
The poverty stricken Reds are commoners, living under the rule of the Silvers, elite warriors with god-like powers. To Mare Barrow, a 17-year-old Red girl from The Stilts, it looks like nothing ever will change. Mare finds herself working in the Silver Palace, at the center of those she hates the most. She quickly discovers that, despite her Red blood, she possesses a deadly power of her own. One that threatens to destroy Silver control.

For fans of Counting by 7s:

Rain Reign by Ann M. Martin
Rose Howard has Asperger's syndrome, and an obsession with homonyms (even her name is a homonym). She gave her dog Rain a name with two homonyms (Reign, Rein), which, according to Rose's rule of homonyms, is very special.

For fans of Wonder:

Absolutely Almost by Lisa Graff
Albie has never been the smartest kid in his class. He has never been the tallest. Or the best at gym. Or the greatest artist. Or the most musical. In fact, Albie has a long list of the things he's not very good at. But then Albie gets a new babysitter, Calista, who helps him figure out all of the things he is good at and how he can take pride in himself.

For fans of Harry Potter:

A Snicker of Magic by Natalie Lloyd
Midnight Gulch used to be a magical place, a town where people could sign up thunderstorms and dance up sunflowers. But that was long ago, before a curse drove the magic away. Twelve-year-old Felicity knows all about things like that; her nomadic mother is cursed with a wandering heart.





CHECK BACK OVER THE SUMMER FOR MORE RECOMMENDATIONS! 

Summer Reading Challenges

Encourage your children to read this summer by enrolling them in these challenges! I will be taking part as well, and would be happy to exchange emails with kiddos during the summer to discuss what we're reading!

Enrollment link: https://www.curriculet.com/enroll/2QXC

Enrollment token: 2QXC

Enrollment link: http://www.scholastic.com/ups/campaigns/src-2015

Also, continue to check back for book recommendations! 

Why we reflect

Did you know reflection is the most important part of the learning process? Harvard Business School
did a study and found that people who reflect on their work perform significantly better in all tasks than those that do not.

This week, we will be reflecting on all of our units and the concepts we learned about this year. We will revisit our essential questions and discuss how each unit links together.

Chat about the following list of concepts and essential questions with your child. I've attached a great list of 40 reflection questions to help spur conversation.

Unit 1: Who Am I as a Learner?

• What makes a community?
• What is my role in the success or failure of a group?
• How do I persevere when things get tough?
• Why is it important to give evidence for my ideas?

 

Unit 2: Perception

• How do I see myself?
• How/Why is my perception of myself different from how others see me?
• What shapes my ideas about people?
• What shapes people's ideas about me?

 

Unit 3: Struggle

• What does struggle mean to me?
• How do others interpret/perceive their own struggles?
• What impact does struggle have on people's character?
• How do I define struggle?

 

Unit 4: Personal Accountability

• What motivates me?
• How do the actions of others impact me?
• How do my actions impact others?
• What is worth fighting for?

 

Unit 5: Looking Beyond Myself

• How do we know what is true?
• How do we make meaning of our world?
• Why is it important even if it's not important to me?

 

Unit 6: Maturity

• How do the choices I make as an adolescent affect how I am as a person later?
• How do the choices I make today affect how others see me currently and in the future?
• What impact can I have on my own life and on others around me?
• How can I contribute to society? 

 

40 Reflection Questions for Students