This year a small group of 8th grade students on the Leadership team will be traveling to Camp Algonquin this weekend for the annual MLI conference.
Basically, the Mid-Level Institute, or MLI, is an opportunity for middle school students with leadership potential, to gain new skills and knowledge to become a leader in their school and community, live a healthy lifestyle, and encourage others to stay drug free. Oh, and of course, it is sponsored by Family Service.
As participants, youth will take part in large and small group activities, which include attending presentations, participating in workshops and a teams course, having small group discussions, singing songs, playing games, and enjoying the Prevention Fun Fair. Some of the ideas that will be introduced during these activities will include challenging stereotypes, decision-making, being a leader, and healthy living.
MLI also provides a chance for students to make new friends from all over the county. Their weekend will be spent in an overnight camp setting, sleeping in a cabin and eating camp food. They will be very busy having fun and learning many new things. Even though participants are pretty tired at the end of the weekend from doing all of these great things, they find it to be very enjoyable!
Monday, October 19, 2009
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
New Reading Report Project
Greeting Card Project
Directions:Think about the characters in your novel. Imagine that one character is sending a card to another character. What kind of card would they character send and why?
Choices of cards: Birthday, Sympathy, Thank You, Get Well, Friendship, Anniversary, Retirement, New Baby, Valentine's Day, Miss You
Task: There are TWO parts to this project.
1. Create a card to one character in your novel to another character.
2. On a separate sheet of paper, include the following:
The title and date of publication
In one paragraph, explain why you created the card you did.
In one paragraph, explain the importance of this choice and how the novel would be different if the card had actually been sent.
Directions:Think about the characters in your novel. Imagine that one character is sending a card to another character. What kind of card would they character send and why?
Choices of cards: Birthday, Sympathy, Thank You, Get Well, Friendship, Anniversary, Retirement, New Baby, Valentine's Day, Miss You
Task: There are TWO parts to this project.
1. Create a card to one character in your novel to another character.
2. On a separate sheet of paper, include the following:
The title and date of publication
In one paragraph, explain why you created the card you did.
In one paragraph, explain the importance of this choice and how the novel would be different if the card had actually been sent.
Friday, October 2, 2009
Narrative Writing in LA
The sixth grade students have been working on writing narrative compositions. Here are the parts we are looking for:
Narrative Composition: Story Telling
Essential Ingredients:
Setting (time and place)
Situation (background)
Characters (main and supporting)
Initial incident (starts the conflict)
Conflict (problem)
Plotline (actual rising action/events)
Climax (resolution of the conflict)
Impact (effect of the solution on characters
or situation of the story)
Narrative Composition: Story Telling
Essential Ingredients:
Setting (time and place)
Situation (background)
Characters (main and supporting)
Initial incident (starts the conflict)
Conflict (problem)
Plotline (actual rising action/events)
Climax (resolution of the conflict)
Impact (effect of the solution on characters
or situation of the story)
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Character Counts Club!
This week Character Counts Club started at Lakeview. Here is some information on the club.
The Club is designed to allow the students to participate in character building activities, teach positive character traits, and help out the school and community. Any sixth, seventh, or eighth grade student is invited to join as long as they attend the Tuesday morning meeting (7:30). During that time we meet to discuss any upcoming events.
The main component of the Character Counts Club is our field trips to Prairie View and Elizabeth Ide. When the Club visits these schools, we enter the classroom or perform assemblies encouraging positive character traits. We will take these small field trips three times during the school year. Your son or daughter will miss part of the school day for the field trip and be responsible for the missed work.
The Club is designed to allow the students to participate in character building activities, teach positive character traits, and help out the school and community. Any sixth, seventh, or eighth grade student is invited to join as long as they attend the Tuesday morning meeting (7:30). During that time we meet to discuss any upcoming events.
The main component of the Character Counts Club is our field trips to Prairie View and Elizabeth Ide. When the Club visits these schools, we enter the classroom or perform assemblies encouraging positive character traits. We will take these small field trips three times during the school year. Your son or daughter will miss part of the school day for the field trip and be responsible for the missed work.
Thursday, September 17, 2009
New Novel in Reading
The 6th Grade Reading students were introduced to a new novel this week. We will be reading this novel together in class over the next couple of weeks. The students will be focusing on different vocabulary techniques (using context clues, writing new words in compound/complex sentences, and stating synonyms or antonyms). We will also continue to discuss different comprehension activities and practice the reading extended response format.
This is a synopsis of the novel:
Taking Sides is about a teen that lived in the barrio and then moved to the tree-lined streets of the suburb. Since the move he still has many friends in his old neighborhood but he also has made some new ones in his new school. He is still very loyal to his old school basketball team but he plays on the team from the suburbs. When he looks at the game schedule for the year he notices that he will have to play against his old team for the league championship. Still being torn between to schools and teams he is worried about how he can play his best while he is still very loyal to the team he will be playing. To find out how he plays against his old team and who wins the game you will need to read Taking Sides by Gary Soto.
This is a synopsis of the novel:
Taking Sides is about a teen that lived in the barrio and then moved to the tree-lined streets of the suburb. Since the move he still has many friends in his old neighborhood but he also has made some new ones in his new school. He is still very loyal to his old school basketball team but he plays on the team from the suburbs. When he looks at the game schedule for the year he notices that he will have to play against his old team for the league championship. Still being torn between to schools and teams he is worried about how he can play his best while he is still very loyal to the team he will be playing. To find out how he plays against his old team and who wins the game you will need to read Taking Sides by Gary Soto.
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Reading Response Chart
Well we are two weeks into your first book report project. All sixth graders have received their temporary library card and have checked out a book to read independently. While reading, the students should be completing a Reading Response Journal in place of a formal book report. We have practiced using the chart in Reading class while reading a short story together. After reading a section in their book, the students should record the pages read, write a short summary, and a response. Below is the explanation of what we are looking for in the students' responses.
Response: (choose one for each summary/section)
1. a prediction of what will happen next
2. a question about something you don't understand
3. a reaction to something a character did or said
4. an opinion about what you liked, disliked, or found interesting
Response: (choose one for each summary/section)
1. a prediction of what will happen next
2. a question about something you don't understand
3. a reaction to something a character did or said
4. an opinion about what you liked, disliked, or found interesting
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Smiley Face Tricks
This week in LA, we introduced a way to make the students' writing come alive!
After learning about different tricks, students have been writing paragraphs using two different prompts; Write about a superhero power you would like to have, and discuss a most embarrassing moment. Students were asked to write a story using differnt "Smiley Face Tricks" to make thier writng more interesting and fun!
The following are the tricks presented in class:
1. Hyphenated Modifiers – describing a noun, pronoun, verb, or adjective with a series of words “glued” together with hyphens
Example: The teacher shot the class a I-know-this-test-is-going-to-stump-you-all look, as she passed out the quiz.
2. Magic Three – three groups of words, separated by commas. Each group has its own modifiers. Make sure ALL verbs are in the same tense!
Example: I was scared! My palms became sticky and wet, my back tingled with fear, and my body began to feel weak and cold.
3. Figurative Language – using comparisons can “spice up” our writing
1. Simile: a comparison using like or as
2. Metaphor: a comparison of two seemly unlike things (not using like or as)
3. Personification: giving human qualities to something inhuman
4. Hyperbole: using an exaggeration that is not totally true, but exaggerates the truth
Example: She was as embarrassed as a kid tripping on the first day of school. She nearly died when the the desk walked right in front of her.
After learning about different tricks, students have been writing paragraphs using two different prompts; Write about a superhero power you would like to have, and discuss a most embarrassing moment. Students were asked to write a story using differnt "Smiley Face Tricks" to make thier writng more interesting and fun!
The following are the tricks presented in class:
1. Hyphenated Modifiers – describing a noun, pronoun, verb, or adjective with a series of words “glued” together with hyphens
Example: The teacher shot the class a I-know-this-test-is-going-to-stump-you-all look, as she passed out the quiz.
2. Magic Three – three groups of words, separated by commas. Each group has its own modifiers. Make sure ALL verbs are in the same tense!
Example: I was scared! My palms became sticky and wet, my back tingled with fear, and my body began to feel weak and cold.
3. Figurative Language – using comparisons can “spice up” our writing
1. Simile: a comparison using like or as
2. Metaphor: a comparison of two seemly unlike things (not using like or as)
3. Personification: giving human qualities to something inhuman
4. Hyperbole: using an exaggeration that is not totally true, but exaggerates the truth
Example: She was as embarrassed as a kid tripping on the first day of school. She nearly died when the the desk walked right in front of her.
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