Persuasive Compositions

The sixth graders have started writing Persuasive works.  Last week, the sixth graders wrote a paragraph choosing if expensive brands and labels are worth the high prices.  Below is a outline format we would like the students to follow when writing their Persuasive Composition.  The district writing rubrics can be found on the district website homepage.

Persuasive Composition Outline

I.            Hook: An opening sentence that attracts or “hooks” the reader’s attention

INTERPRET your hook (powerful statement, quote, or fact)

Background Information: What you may already know about the topic in favor of your argument.  Remind readers of the important information about your topic. 

Argument: Your THESIS STATEMENT – one clear sentence stating what your composition is about

II.   Reason 1: a REASON, BENEFIT, or an ADVANTAGE to support your argument. 

1.     Evidence 1: may consist of facts, examples, statistics, or real life experiences that supports your reason

l  Interpretation:  Explain and Extend

2.    Evidence 2: “same”

l  Interpretation:

3.    Evidence 3: “same”

l  Interpretation:

III.  Reason 2: a REASON, BENEFIT, or an ADVANTAGE to support your argument. 

1.     Evidence 1:may consist of facts, examples, statistics, or real life experiences that supports your reason

l  Interpretation:  Explain and Extend

2.    Evidence 2: “same”

l  Interpretation:

3.    Evidence 3: “same”

l  Interpretation:

IV.  Reason 3: a REASON, BENEFIT, or an ADVANTAGE to support your argument. 

1.     Evidence 1:may consist of facts, examples, statistics, or real life experiences that supports your reason

l  Interpretation:  Explain and Extend

2.    Evidence 2: “same”

l  Interpretation:

3.    Evidence 3: “same”

l  Interpretation:

V.       Argument: restatement of the argument

          Summarize Reasons:  restatement of the three reasons that support your argument

          Exit Sentence: a prediction, question, recommendation, or quotation.  Strongest     sentence.

Multiplying and Dividing Fractions

The sixth grade students will be taking the Fractions test on Multiplying and Dividing fractions on Tuesday.  Here are some of the notes on these two topics.

Multiplying Fractions
1.  Make all whole numbers and mixed number into fractions.
2.  Cross cancel if possible.
3.  Multiply the numerators.
4.  Multiply the denominators.
5.  Simplify in possible.

Dividing Fractions

1.  Make all whole numbers and mixed number into fractions.
2.  Leave first fraction alone, turn division into multiplication, take reciprocal of second fraction.
3.  Cross cancel if possible.
4.  Multiply the numerators.
5.  Multiply the denominators.
6.  Simplify in possible.

New Reading Project-Rebecca Caudill

On Monday, Ms. Hagensee ventured into the sixth grade Reading classroom to present the 2013 Rebecca Caudill nominees.  The sixth grade students will be choosing and reading 3 of the 20 nominations.  Students should be reading their first novel this week.  While reading, we encourage students to take notes on post-it and their reading project summary worksheet.  Along with taking the "Accelerated Reader" tests, the students will complete a project.  There are a total of five projects.  The sixth graders will choose only 3 projects, one for each novel.

The sixth grade projects include:
1.  A Timeline Poster
2.  Character Collage
3.  A Movie Trailer
4.  Top Five List (write about the top 5 Themes represented in the novel)
5.  Comic Strip

2013 Rebecca Caudill Nominees


Angleberger, Tom - The Strange Case of Origami Yoda
Baskin, Nora Raleigh - Anything but Typical
Draper, Sharon M. - Out of My Mind 
Falls, Kat - Dark Life 
Ferrari, Michael - Born to Fly 
Friend, Natasha - Bounce
Gaiman, Neil - The Graveyard Book 
Gephart, Donna - How to Survive Middle School 
Hawkins, Aaron - The Year Money Grew on Trees
Holm, Jennifer L. - Turtle in Paradise
LaFleur, Suzanne - Love, Aubrey
Lai, Thanhha - Inside Out & Back Again 
Meyer, Susan Lynn - Black Radishes 
Mulligan, Andy - Trash 
Perkins, Lynne Rae  - As Easy As Falling Off the Face of the Earth 
Rhodes, Jewell Parker  - Ninth Ward 
Senzai, N. H. -  Shooting Kabul 
Telgemeier, Raina  - Smile 
Wiles, Deborah  -  Countdown
Williams-Garcia, Rita   - One Crazy Summer 

Verbs Part II

Today, sixth grade students took a quiz on the first part of the Verbs Unit from the English textbook.  This week we will continue with the Verbs Unit and start part II.  In the second section of the Verbs unit, the students will eight different sections.

Lesson 6.  Simple Verb Tenses- students will identify and use verbs in the present, past and future tenses
Lesson 7.  Perfect Tenses-  students will identify and use principle parts of verbs and perfect tenses of verbs
Lesson 8:  regular and Irregular Verbs-  students will identify regular and irregular verbs, and will identify and use principle parts of some irregular verbs.
Lesson 9:  Subject-Verb Agreement- will use forms that agree in number with their subjects
Lesson 10: More Subject-Verb Agreement- use verb forms that agree with compound subjects joined by or, either/or, and neither/nor, and use verb forms that agree with the subjects in sentences beginning with here or there
Lesson 11: Contractions- identify contractions in sentences, and identify the words that make up a contraction
Lesson 12 & 13: Confusing Verbs-  students will correctly us sit, set; lie, lay; rise, raise; lend, borrow; let, leave; and teach, learn

Post-It Note Bookmark

The sixth grade students were presented with a "Post-It" Note Bookmark for their free choice fiction novel project.  The "Post-It" Note Bookmark will accompany their Accelerated Test for their complete grade on this project.  The following is a copy of what your child received today.  There are three turn in dates for the "Post-It" notes and a final date for the Accelerated Test, due 12/6.

Post-It Notes

Bookmark

Directions: Choose one of the following after each chapter or about 10 pages.  You must have at least 10 Post-It notes total, some may be used twice.

1.  Describe how the main character looks and acts.

2.  What is a prediction that you can make after learning about a character?

3.  Write two unanswered questions.

4.  What is the main problem so far in the novel?

5.  Write a 1-3 sentence summary of important events on the chapter or pages? 

6.  What does the title mean to you?

7.  Make any personal/media connection to the book?  Explain the connection.

8.  Describe a character’s actions.  Was it a good or bad choice?  Explain.

9.  Give an example in the book that made the main character happy, sad, or angry.

10. Which part of the book would you change?

Post-It Notes Checks
You must have at least 10 Post-It notes total some may be used twice.
Date	You Need
Monday 11/19	3 Post-It Notes ---------- /(6) 2 points each
Wednesday 11/28	3 additional  Post-It Notes ---------- /(6) 2 points each
Monday 12/3	4 additional  Post-It Notes ---------- /(8) 2 points each
Thursday 12/6	Final Accelerated Reader Test due

Divisibility Patterns

Divisibility Patterns will help sixth grade students in our upcoming Fractions units.  Practice these at home, they really work!  They are like little math tricks!

The following rules will help students determine if a number is divisible by 2, 3, 5, 6, 9, or 10.

A number is divisible by:

• 2 if the ones digit is divisible by 2 or even.
• 3 if the sum of the digits is divisible by 3.
• 5 if the ones digit is 0 or 5.
• 6 if the number is divisible by 2 and 3.
• 9 if the sum of digits is divisible by 8.
• 10 if the ones digit is 0.

Here is an example of the work students can do in their head to know what numbers work:

Is 1,120 divisible by 2, 3, 5, 6, 9, or 10?

• 2: YES, The ones digit 0 is divisible by 2.
• 3:  NO.  1 + 1 + 2 + = 4.  You can not divide 4 by 3.
• 5:  YES.  The ones digit is 0.
• 6:  NO. The number is divisible by 2, but not by 3.
• 9:  NO.  The sum of the digits is 4.  4 is not divisible by 9.
• 10:  YES.  The ones digit is 0.  

1,120 is divisible by 2, 5, and 10.  

 

Buckle Down Reading

Next week, the sixth graders will once again work within our Buckle Down workbooks to enhance their reading skills.

The first part of the week, the student will be concentrating on "Making Connections" to increase reading comprehension.  Later in the week, we will move on to "Author's Purpose" and using context clues to learn new vocabulary terms.