General Assignments

"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit." --Aristotle

The following descriptions are of assignments that are regularly given. Students and families should check with both the instructions given at that time and Jumprope to see the results.

Nightly: Read Your Book: Students improve their reading when they engage with long narrative texts for a sustained period of time. In short, more reading of books leads to better reading skills. To that end, here are basic guidelines:

  • 20 minutes a night for homework.
  • We provide 20 to 30 minutes a day in class.
  • Students choose the book--independent choice and reading. We will also offer reading groups for those interested.
  • Every week a student should read 25,000 words. Reading Length and Renaissance Advanced Book Finder both have solid search engines that offer total words.
  • Keep on target, or talk to me about if your book is the right choice for you.

Reading Journal: In Class: Reading words on a page is good, but understanding, dissecting and applying what we read is our ultimate goal. For reading logs students will:

  • Record details of their book (title, author, pages, etc.) in MLA format (Focus: Variety, citations).
  • Record their pages read for the week (Focus: Stamina).
  • Respond to a prompt about what they have read (Focus: Evidence, Analysis).

These are done in-class. If the assignment is listed as “brief” it means we only do the first two parts. Here is a "how to" so students can get it right.

Unit Projects: In Class: A student directed project typically consisting of three parts:

  • Map: Including major features, a set number of nations and their capitals.
  • Textbook Reading Packet: A reading packet focusing on the important events of that unit (Revolution, Industrial Revolution, Imperialism, Reaction) typically in specific regions (South American, Europe, Asia and Africa). Students will read the passages, identify the most important information (Evidence, through underlining) and write an Analysis of their choices.
  • Annotated Bibliography: Students track the content of their sources and reflect on their value. It is not notes, but an accounting and reflection.

Parent-Student-Teacher Contract/Media Permission Slip: So that I can plan our curriculum, parents should take a look at the Media Permission Slip that was attached to the Wednesday Letter. Have a conversation as a family about concerns, write comments or simply sign and return. A grade is not based on getting permission, but for a student to have the conversation and reporting back so that we know where to take the class. You can also find it here.

PERMISSION SLIP: TOOLS AND PROJECT: As often as possible The 6 tries to tie team building and our curriculum to learning experiences that are student centered, project based, and that give kids a chance to practice real world problem solving. At the same time, we are trying to give the kids familiarity with many of the tools that were once commonly used by children at home, and sometimes at school. Although the kids are using these tools under supervised conditions, we want to give you the chance to share any concerns you might have about your child using a particular tool. If you have a concern, we can provide an alternate experience for your child, so please don’t hesitate to let us know. The Permission Slip your child will get tomorrow just lets us know you know and is your chance to share concerns. A hard copy as given to students Friday, but you can also access it here.