Language Arts
Welcome to Grade 6 Language Arts!
June 7-11
Students completed their persuasive paper by editing their work (peer and teacher) before handing it in. Topics were selected by students and approved by myself. Interested in how persuasive your child was? Ask them to show you their paper.
Our last unit is creating a podcast. Again, students are allowed to choose their own topic (approved by me) to talk about in various styles: conversation, debate, or narrative. I'm looking forward to listening to these next week!
May 31- June 4
This week, students are learning how to write a persuasive paper with the goal of writing their own to show what they have learned at the end of the unit. Since this is new to students, topics and skills we are developing include how to write different hooks, creating a summary and connecting the hook and summary, identifying parts of an introduction paragraph to writing their own intro, introducing evidence and how to find the right evidence to support your claim. We will end this week working on the introduction and body paragraph before moving on to writing our own paper next week.
May 3-7
In LA this week, students wrote a research paper outline about three significant events in the year they were born. We began with brainstorming different events in a graphic organizer, moved to keeping track of the websites we would use for quotes and which sites are appropriate in a research paper, then to crafting the claim. We also focused on how to write a hook and conclusion. It was interesting reading through the many events students were writing about in their paper!
May 17-28
What will next week look like for LA online?
Lessons and activities will target literacy devices such as characterization, foreshadowing and flashback, mood, theme, and irony.
April 26-30
Students did very well wrapping up their novel study. Final projects were completed, time was given to conference with each student to give feedback on their assignment(s), and a celebration with a fun escape room. Something I noticed with several students is to establish the habit of reading through the directions before submitting assignments. Taking the extra time to review the requirements will ensure it is completed and showing their best work. I did appreciate the honesty in their reflections and attention to the stories of the characters. You are always welcome to read through their assignments!
Next week, we will be learning how to write a research paper about the year they were born. A fun dinner conversation would be to look up the top highlights from the year you and some of your other family members were born!
April 19-23
This week we completed reading our novel Harbor Me. We finished it off with mini-lessons on theme, comparing and contrasting characters, and symbols. I introduced the final project, which will be due next Friday. Students are asked to choose from a variety of methods to demonstrate their understanding. Examples include a letter to the author, an illustrated timeline of the story, an analytical or journal response, or a movie trailer. Class time will be given to complete their assignment, and I reminded students that as long as they use their time wisely, they will be able to show me their best work. As always, students can show me their rough draft and I can tell them what they did well or give them suggestions on what to improve. I'm really looking forward to seeing and reading what everyone came up with!
March 15- April 16
Students continued working through our novel study. Mini-lessons included figurative language, conflict analysis, flashbacks, and tone and mood with the focus on why authors use these in their writing. Students did very well identifying similes and metaphors, and also the different types of conflicts the main characters are facing.
We took a break from our book to do a quick check-in on their writing. The narrative paragraph I asked them to write allowed students to write about a topic of their choice (a special vacation, a memorable birthday, a significant conversation with someone, etc.) that included a lead, dialogue, one simile and one metaphor, at least three adjectives, at least two adverbs, three examples of strong vocabulary, one transition word/phrase, and a powerful ending. Feel free to ask your child to show you what they wrote. There were some great examples.
Our goal is to complete our novel study by the end of the month and get ready for our next unit.
March 8-12
Grade 6's have been working diligently through our novel study. Our focus this week was on the different types of conflict (self, person/group, nature, and society) and where we see examples of these four types in our novel.
We are beginning to see the themes of race, injustice, and freedom. One of the chapter questions this week asks students if they have seen or heard of instances of injustice in their community. I think the first step is being aware of different injustices around us, whether it is in our community, province, country, or world. We will be discussing examples we see in the news (past and present) this next week, so feel free to bring it up and have a discussion with your family around the dinner table. Maybe you have examples of injustice from your life you want to share.
I'm reminded of the scripture in Micah 6:8 He has told you, what is good and what the Lord requires from you: to do justice, embrace faithful love, and walk humbly with your God.
March 1-5
Students have continued to develop their vocabulary and critical thinking skills through our novel study. The Grade 6's did so well on their latest vocabulary quiz- well done! We have one more quiz before deepening their skills in other areas such as motif and theme, point of view, setting, conflict, tone and mood, etc.
We read in our novel where the title comes from: Harbor Me. The teacher asks the students, “If the worst thing in the world happened, would I help protect someone else? Would I let myself be a harbor for someone who needs it?" It is a great discussion to ask at the dinner table. If you knew someone who needed help, would you step in and step up? Would you be a safeplace for someone who needs it? What does our Christian worldview say about this?
Our final vocabulary quiz will be next week. Students are also working through chapter questions to check for understanding.
Have a wonderful weekend!
February 22-26
In LA, students have continued to read, reflect, and discuss our novel Harbor Me. We are looking at developing our vocabulary with weekly quizzes and answering chapter questions to check for understanding. Questions begin with factual questions such as "what was the chapter about?", then move to inferential questions that can be answered through an analysis of specific events, then to more challenging questions that are open-ended raised by ideas in the novel. This approach provides an opportunity for students to master the basic ideas of a text so they can apply this understanding to conversations about complex historical events or deeper abstract concepts. I would highly recommend asking your child levelled questions about the book they are reading outside of our novel study.
February 8-12
The Grade 6's have completed their research looking into the Statue of Liberty for our novel study. While we were studying the symbolism of the statue, it made me wonder if there was a similar monument in Canada that represented hope and opportunity for immigrants beginning a new life here. A wonderful dinner table discussion would be to share any stories of your family immigrating to Canada. Was it easy or difficult to leave? What was the journey like? How did it feel to call Canada home? Students also used their imagination in a journal entry from the Statue of Liberty's perspective witnessing immigrants sailing to Ellis Island to start their lives in America or from an immigrants perspective as they see the Statue of Liberty for the first time. There were some very touching responses- great job!
We began reading Chapters 1-4 in our novel Harbor Me and will pick-up where we left off after the break.
Have a wonderful Family Day and a well deserved break!
February 1- 5
Students finished their email etiquette mini unit this week. Great work!
We began our next big unit: a novel study looking at Harbor Me by Jacqueline Woodson. The book explores the relationships between six middle school students. Taken from these six students point of view on major issues, these kids meet each Friday to chat in the ARTT room. Through sharing and reflection, friendships are forged and understanding develops as they harbor one another through storms like identity, deportation, racial profiling and family concerns. This book is beautiful, relevant, and honest. I am really looking forward to this unit! Students have made predictions about what the book is about and I introduced the vocabulary for the first few chapters. A quiz on the ten terms and definitions (matching) will be on Tuesday.
January 25- 28
This week, students presented their Spoken Word assignment. It takes a lot of courage to stand up in front of your classmates and I am so proud of how well they did. I reflected on the assignment and while giving students a voice is important, I cannot give what they already own. It is already there. What I can give is an ear. When I listen, I can honor my students voices.
We took time to learn about email etiquette before moving to our next big unit. Students learned about the basics of writing a proper email and even wrote an email with as many mistakes in it as they could! My hope is students feel comfortable emailing their teachers if they have any questions or concerns. Their final assignment, writing a proper email to a teacher, will be due next week.
January 18-22
Students have been working hard to complete their Spoken Word assignment. We are working on our speaking and presenting skills, giving students an opportunity to find their voice, and show their understanding of the many figurative language devices we have learned. Each students is expected to present their poem to the class or by video recording on Tuesday. Many have volunteered to share and I am really looking forward to hearing what they have to say! Ask your child to share their poem with you- it is a great way to practice speaking in front of people and you get to hear what is important to them.
January 11-15
This week we began our Poetry Unit by looking at figurative language. Students really understood the different devices poets use and even created their own examples. We ended the week brainstorming ideas for our final project: a Poetry Slam. As a class, we listened to different examples and discussed what we noticed, liked and disliked. Hopefully this sparked some creative ideas! A great dinner discussion as a family would be to talk about what each of you is passionate about. God gave each of us a voice and it is valuable to share what is important to them!
January 4-8
Welcome back! It was great to see everyone, but I'm looking forward to being face-to-face again.
This week, students developed their inference skills. Using explicit and implied information, students were able to guess the dream destination from the clues provided. It is not always easy to guess what the author is implying, so it was a mini-lesson we worked on this week. Students also had a chance to read a poem, "Casey at the Bat", analyze it for figurative language, and answer a few questions about the message or theme.
December 14-18
The Grade 6's completed their Graphic novel unit by handing in their final project before the Christmas break. They all did a fantastic job and I am so impressed by their creativity and hard work.
We will be starting mini units in the new year while online learning from January 4-8.
Although your Christmas might look different this year, may the message be the same: Jesus came to earth to bring us hope, love, peace, and joy. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
December 7- 11
Students continued working on their story outline and had to submit it for approval by the end of this week. Everyone completed their outline and have started creating their graphic novel. We went over what we learned this unit and how we can show this in our final project. A checklist was created and students are working hard to complete the assignment before the Christmas break. Some students are choosing to create it on the computer while others are drawing it by hand. Ask your child what their story is about or to see their project so far. With some Language Arts classes used for Christmas activities, we have about six classes left before we hand it in on December 18th.
November 30- December 4
We continued analyzing and learning about the elements of a graphic novel such as gutters, panels, and frames and demonstrated our understanding of each on a smaller scale with comic strips. We have a very creative Grade 6 class! I challenged students to make a comic without using any words or dialogue- it was a great way to get them to focus on showing not telling.
The Grade 6's also learned what is included in the Hero's Journey and Fantasy genre. We know so many stories that use the Hero's Journey. Our goal this week was to choose which genre we will be writing so we can begin brainstorming and creating our plot outline on Monday.
November 23- 27
In Language Arts, we began our next unit where we will be creating our very own graphic novel. Students have been learning the elements of a graphic novel and have practiced writing their own comic strip. We had a blast coming up with our own story lines!
We started with our essential question: What are graphic novels and how are they valuable? We brainstormed together, compared classic novels to their graphic novel adaptation, and read studies about how graphic novels develop literacy skills. Do you think graphic novels have value, blend creative storytelling, and dynamic illustrations or are they a less complex, less sophisticated form of reading material? This would be a great conversation at the dinner table.
Students will learn about how to write different story lines before creating their very own graphic novel before Christmas break.
November 16- 19
We have finished our Global Read Aloud novel Prairie Lotus and have spent some time completing our final project. Students should be ready to hand in their Digital Notebook on Monday.
Our class discussed the danger of a single story. The author Linda Sue Park wrote Hanna's story "as an attempt at a painful reconciliation." She challenges the Little House on the Prairie books by Laura Ingalls Wilder describing a family living on a farm, but what or who's story was missing? The history of westward expansion is often presented in a positive light, without the full truth of the injustices done to the Indigenous peoples of North America and their devastating effects. The true history of racism, whether outright hostility from strangers or thoughtless microaggressions closer to home. Linda writes, "To ignore [these] stories is an incalculable loss, because learning their truths makes us stronger and more capable of facing the challenges in our community." She challenges us to ask, "is our vision any clearer than that of our forebears?"
My hope is that students have come away with a few major points after reading this novel: 1) Is there a story that is missing? Who's voice is not represented?; 2) How do you break down barriers of fear or prejudice?; 3) What small thing can you do to help others?
Our class will finish the unit off with an escape room on Monday, then move on to our next unit: Graphic Novels.
November 2-5
This week, we have continued reading and discussing our novel Prairie Lotus. Hanna continues to experience racism and prejudice by her classmates and the rest of the town and we hear about her struggles with this. A few of our discussions questions this week included whether the advice that “there were times when it was useful—crucial—to hide her thoughts” (87)? Do you agree with this advice? Is it helpful or harmful? In response to Hanna being treated unfairly, she thinks “Maybe I have to learn not to let them hurt me. No. It’s not my fault. It’s theirs” (p.167). Hanna goes back and forth between blaming herself for feeling hurt and recognizing that others are being unfair and unkind. What is within her control when people treat her unkindly? What responsibilities do Hanna and those who are rude to her have in these situations?
I have enjoyed speaking with many of you during Parent Teacher Conferences. Please know you are welcome to contact me at any time. Have a wonderful fall break!
October 26-30
We have continued reading our novel Prairie Lotus. We learned how Hanna's name has significance and shared if our name had special meaning. It was wonderful to hear how students were named after family members or that each members initials are the same. Students also had a chance to share where they were born and where they've lived.
We also discussed how words have power. In this novel, the author Linda Sue Park includes a word that was used during this time of history (the 1800s) to insult or degrade people of Chinese descent. I will not be repeating this word as it is used to hurt and should never be said out loud. We talked about how we need to listen and take guidance from those who belong to the groups against whom specific hurt was levied to guide our practice in dealing with these types of issues.
A great discussion question for the family around the dinner table is whether you agree with Hanna when she thinks, “The world was so often unfair, and she couldn’t do a single thing about most of that unfairness” (pg81)? If you disagree, what things do you suggest can be done when you believe that something is unfair?
October 19-23
This week, students have been digging deep into the background of our novel, Prairie Lotus.
As we read over the next few weeks, I ask that you talk with your child about the book, the topics covered, and their feelings towards it. Asking them about prejudice, racism, differences between America in the 1800s and now, changing families, friendships, and questions they have would generate rich discussions at home as we will also be having them in class.
October 13-16
The Grade 6's have completed their newspaper article this week. Congratulations! I am very impressed with how well they did and hope they learned the process of writing an article.
On Thursday, we began our next unit: Novel Study. This is in conjunction with the Global Read Aloud of 2020. The committee chose Prairie Lotus by Linda Sue Park. Here is a brief description of what the novel is about:
Prairie Lotus is a book about a girl determined to fit in and realize her dreams: getting an education, becoming a dressmaker in her father’s shop, and making at least one friend. Hanna, a half-Asian girl in a small town in America’s heartland, lives in 1880. Hanna’s adjustment to her new surroundings, and the townspeople’s prejudice against Asians, is at the heart of the story. Narrated by Hanna, the novel has poignant moments yet sparkles with humor, introducing a captivating heroine whose wry, observant voice will resonate with readers.
We haven't started reading the novel quite yet, but have been digging deep into the background of the novel. Topics such as the push to leave China, the draw of America, the life and challenges of the Chinese in the United States, the reservation system, and the biases and boycotts of the Chinese will be explored.
October 5-9
Students continued writing their draft and spent time editing and peer editing their newspaper article. I was very impressed with how thorough the students were in editing and being kind in their compliments and suggestions to each other- well done! As students move towards the final touches of their newspaper this next week, they have the opportunity to showcase some creativity with advertisements, letters to the editor, or comic strips.
Happy Thanksgiving to you and your family! May your blessings outnumber the autumn leaves.
September 28- October 2
The Grade 6's began planning and researching for their newspaper article this week. Topics students chose from included Orange Shirt Day, Terry Fox Run, and reporting about the beginning of the school year (COVID restrictions). We learned how to add a quote with the correct format and punctuation and discussed how to get a quote for our own article. Some students were really excited to get as many perspectives as they could!
The following week we will be writing our draft, self, peer, and teacher editing. Drafts should be completed by the end of the day on Monday, October 5th, to be ready for edits on Tuesday.
September 22-25
This week we continued to develop our newspaper article writing skills. Students edited and revised their work and even had the opportunity to write a "wrong" news article to see if their classmates can correctly identify what was wrong or missing.
Students also learned about tone in writing. How can you tell if you are in trouble? If my mom or dad used my full name, I knew I was in deep trouble. Why is learning tone in writing important? As writers, we are responsible for conveying a particular message. It also gives shape and life to a story. Students were given a topic and asked to write a sentence in a certain tone: sarcastic, joyful, embarrassed, etc. The students really enjoyed this lesson!
September 14- 18
This week we continued to analyze how newspaper articles are laid out. Students then had their first opportunity to write their own news article with the research provided. They chose topics such as a python escaping the Calgary Zoo, a jewelry heist, or a missing dog. This article will be our mentor text as we review the writing process. Once we have mastered this, students will be moving on to researching information to write their own newspaper article. If you are looking for ways to extend their learning, you can pick up a newspaper and go through the articles with your child. Ask you child what the article included (background information, a quote, interesting facts, etc.) and what was missing or what they would add.
On Wednesday we had our first Library class with Mrs. Willms! Students should now have a book with them to read at school. Mrs. Willms is an amazing resource and will help students find their next favorite book.
September 2- 11
Welcome back! To start the year off, students took on the role of a potential home-buyer and imagined they had come across a perfect description and picture of their dream home in a real estate magazine. They will identify strong vocabulary and transform boring sentences into descriptive phrases. This assignment allowed me to see a sample of their writing and where their strengths and weaknesses are. There are very creative writers in this class. You are welcome to ask to see their work!
We began our Newspaper Unit this past week. Students will learn how to plan, organize, and analyze newspaper articles before writing their very own. From writing headlines and introductions to learning how to add quotes and identifying bias and opinion.
This unit is posted in Google Classroom for students to follow along whether they are in class or at home.
This year we will look at how you can understand the people around you and how they understand you. Grade 6 students move from understanding and communicating to drawing conclusions about things and trying to convince others. They learn to think for themselves, revise their ideas and dig to find answers to questions that challenge them.
There are six main units we will be covering this year. Each unit will continue to develop their reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills. The units are as follows:
1) Newspaper
2) Global Read Aloud
3) Graphic Novel
4) Short Story
5) Novel Study
6) Informative writing
I do expect students to be reading at home and have a book with them at school. Their book can be borrowed from our school library or brought from home.
Looking forward to an amazing year!
Mrs. Carpenter