Welcome to the 2023-2024 School Year and my class!  

On this website you will find information about my classroom, the classes I support (Math, Social Studies and ELA) the supplies you will need for this year, homework, and parent information.  This school year, we are going to do amazing things!  We work in the Reading and Writing Workshop model of instruction. There is more information on the workshop model on the Parent Page.  :-) 

This year we will cover most of these units:

Social Justice Unit

Students will discuss the definitions of justice, injustice and social justice while exploring texts that demonstrate these terms.  Some of the texts that students will explore are: Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry, Stella By Starlight, Port Chicago, March, Inside Out and Back Again, Refugee, Loving Vs. Virginia. 

Personal Narrative Unit

Students will be asked to write a narrative explaining and reflecting on a personal experience. Writing skills that will be explored are: writing with purpose, painting a picture for the reader, framing a life lesson or theme within the text.

Non-Fiction

Students will read multiple books on various non-fiction topics such as: history, sports, math, famous people, animals, science, etc. Students will accumulate knowledge on these topics and even expand their current knowledge. Some of the books that may be explored are: Extreme Skiing, Dogs and Cats, African American History Civil War, Causes of the Civil War, Finding the Titanic, For Liberty, Abe Lincoln Goes to Washington, Nature’s Green Umbrella, Planet Earth/ Inside Out. 

Research

Students will be introduced to MLA formatting, plagiarism, in-text citations, and works cited pages. Most importantly, by the end of the unit students will understand how to avoid plagiarism. We will continue to develop research skills, explore electronic as well as print sources, and learn how to explore students' interests by obtaining facts on a topic. 

Argument and Debate

Students will become familiar with the elements of the argumentative essay. Students will also engage in debates on various topics. We will explore ways to research both sides of an argument, students will learn how to draw meaningful conclusions based on facts. Ultimately, a well crafted argumentative essay will be crafted.

Dystopian Literature

Students will become familiar with characteristics of dystopian literature, learn about the controls often present in dystopian literature and immerse themselves in various dystopian literature options. Some texts that will be explored: Hunger Games, Divergent, Harrison Bergeron, Uglies, and many more. 

Poetry (If we have time at the end of the year)

Students will analyze and assess several types of poems. Some of the poems in this unit will directly link back to the units we have done this year.