Week 18: May 20 - 24

Welcome to the final FULL week of 6th grade. We are almost done!!

Monday:  Today, the students completed a bell ringer activity, and anagram activity, and a worksheet activity.  See below for the details of each activity.

Tuesday:  Today, the students completed a bell ringer activity, and anagram activity, and a worksheet activity.  See below for the details of each activity.

Anagram for Tuesday:  SHINGLE
                                      HIS NAPS
                                      SHE NICE
                                      MANGER

Wednesday:  Today, the students completed a bell ringer activity, and anagram activity, and a critical thinking activity.  See below for the details of each activity.
NOTE:  I collected this week's bell ringer and anagram activities (for Monday - Wednesday).

Thursday: The students were instructed the complete the following reflection activity (see below) by writing their answers in complete sentences using all that they have learned about how to create an accurate written response.  Afterwards, we completed a memory activity and anagram activity.

Friday:  Today the students completed two anagram activities, a critical thinking puzzles worksheet (see below), and then I read them some riddles to see who could solve them.

This week's Bell Ringer Activities:

Monday: Correct the grammar.
1. us girls have began organizing a baseball team
2. should mary-lou and joan asked tonya go with us to the picnic'

Tuesday:  Correct the grammar.
1. she brang home the most funny video her could find
2. me and latrell has both read the southpaw a short story

Wednesday:  Correct the grammar.
1. you should of saw them folk singers from appleton wisconsin yesterday
2. it begun to pour the boys game was postponed until next week

Week 17: May 13 - 17

MONDAY:  This week we continue with upper grade testing which means morning holding periods for the 6th grade.  Due to the holding period, we had more 20 minute classes today during which the students completed a new bell ringer assignment (see below). I also collected Friday's homework assignment.

TUESDAY:  Due to feeling under the weather, I have a substitute assigned for today.  After completing today's bell ringer assignment (see below), the students were required to read the article entitled, "Should Plastic Straws Be Banned?" (see below) in the latest edition of Scholastic's Upfront Magazine.  After reading the article, the students were required to complete on a separate sheet of paper (see below for the proper setup of the response) their responses to the handout entitled 'Analyzing Author's Claims.' As always, students were required to write their responses by first restating the question and then answering the questions using grammatically correct sentences.  Once completed, this assignment should be kept in the student's binder under their "NEWS" tab.

WEDNESDAY:  Today, the students completed their bell ringer assignment (see below), I explained the homework assignment (see below), and then we went over the answers to the Critical Thinking Final Exam during the remainder of the class period.
Homework:  Due to some confusion created by yesterday's substitute teacher, Tuesday's classwork assignment is now due on Thursday.  I clarified the instructions for yesterday's assignment verbally and written as follows: 

THURSDAY:  Due to a bell schedule that was readjusted by administration mid-day, the students in my 6th and 7th period classes completed their bell ringer assignments for today and tomorrow.  I did not see the students in my 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th period classes today. 
As several students had not completed the assigned homework, I gave those students time in class to complete this assignment.  If they turned in by the end of class today, it will be counted as 1 day late.  If turned in tomorrow, it will be counted as 2 days late.  As always, after 2 days late, I do not accept late work.

FRIDAY: After lunch today, I saw my critical thinking students in the following periods: 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th.  Due to another day of shortened class periods, these students completed the bell ringers for Thursday and Friday (see below) during class.  I also collected the homework assignment which was given on Tuesday.  If turned in when I collected it today, no penalty was given.  If turned in anytime today after the time I collected it, it was considered 1 day late.  If any student from today's classes turns in this homework on Monday, it will be considered 2 days late.

This week's Bell Ringer assignments:

Monday:  Correct the grammar.
1. im gonna set in this chair and relax and then i will right in my journal
2. womans clothing is sold in that there section over their

Tuesday:  Correct the grammar.
1. no i hasnt spoke to any of them yet
2. she was more kind to me then she was to her sister

Wednesday:  Correct the grammar.
1. alice and delores have drived four hundred miles today and tomorrow theyll continue their journey
2. your bound to meet many people of french descent in new orleans louisiana

Thursday:  Correct the grammar.
1. tomorrow morning the sun will raise at 515 AM and we will rise the flag at 600 AM
2. i heard it through the grapevine a Magazine article describes grape production in california

Friday: Correct the grammar.
1. father and us have not took no old clothes to the thrift store
2. may emilio and me go to the movies

Week 16: May 6 - 10

Welcome to Week 16!

This week will consist mostly of District and State Testing.

MONDAY:  The students completed Day 2 (final day) of the Critical Thinking EOC.

TUESDAY:  The students spent their morning taking the FSA Math exam (section 1).  As a result, most classes experienced only 25 minutes of instruction in each class period.  During that time, the students completed bell ringers for Monday and Tuesday (see below).

Correct the Grammar:
Monday -
1. me and luisa like to go to the park to feed them pigeons
2. uncle oscar took i and karl on a tour of the uk last summer

Tuesday -
1. daren added too moths a butterfly and a ant to his collection
2. please lie this here booklet back on peytons desk

WEDNESDAY: Once again, the students spent their morning taking the FSA Math exam (sections 2 and 3).  As a result, most classes experienced only 20 minutes of instruction in each class period.  During that time, the students completed bell ringers for Wednesday and Thursday (see below).

Correct the Grammar:
Wednesday -
1. he shaked the can so hard said joan that it exploded when he opened it
2. mother has went to play tennis therefore we will eat without her

Thursday -
1. after ayeesha had leaved the Mail carrier brung a package for she
2. i was willing to pay the fine you was not

THURSDAY: This morning, the students spent their morning in a holding period while the upper grades tested. After the holding period, they went to lunch and then experienced another day of 20 minute classes during which they completed two more sets of bell ringers (see below).

Correct the Grammar:
Friday -
1. we read mean song a poem and a short story entitled the school play
2. whenever we goes hiking their is usually many things to see
3. she lets her purse laying on the couch to often
4. simple gifts are one of our favorite songs

FRIDAY:  This morning once again, the students spent their morning in a holding period while the upper grades tested. After the holding period, they went to lunch and then experienced another day of 20 minute classes during which they completed the following assignment:

Week 15: April 29 - May 3

MONDAY:  CRITICAL THINKING FINAL EXAM

No Bell Ringer and No Homework today!  :)

TUESDAY: While several students are having to makeup the Critical Thinking Final Exam today, I have a quiet activity for the remainder of the students to complete.  In preparation for the Critical Thinking EOC which will be administered in class this Friday and next Monday, we will be focusing on analyzing a recent news article from the UpFront Student Magazine (see below).

After reading the article entitled, "The Price of Admission," the students were required to write their answers (see instructions below) ON A SEPARATE SHEET OF PAPER to the questions under "Test Your Knowledge" that are written on a handout (see below).

HOMEWORK:  Complete this assignment (if not completed during class).

WEDNESDAY:  District FSA Reading Testing today left most all of my classes with only 20 minutes to meet.  This testing will continue tomorrow, leaving us with shortened class periods once again tomorrow.

THURSDAY: District FSA Reading Testing today left most all of my classes with only 20 minutes to meet.  During this time, my substitute (Mrs. Wilkins) had written 4 bell ringer sentences on the board, and all students were required to complete this bell ringer activity (see below).

However, 7th period was an hour-long class, and the students in 7th period also were required to complete a political cartoon analysis of the article they had read on Tuesday (which is copied above), "The Price of Admission."  The information needed to complete this assignment is shown below.

FRIDAY:  Critical Thinking EOC Testing today took the entire class period.  Students were notified that they have all class period today and Monday to complete the District Critical Thinking EOC test.

NO HOMEWORK was given.

Week 14: April 23 - 26

Welcome back from a wonderful 4-day weekend!

This week marks the beginning of week 14 of the 2nd semester.  As there are only 5 more weeks of school remaining, it is especially important to keep up with your grades on FOCUS to ensure that you are earning the grade that you want to earn for the 4th and final quarter of 6th grade.
REMINDER: FINAL EXAM NEXT MONDAY, APRIL 29.

MONDAY:  NO SCHOOL

TUESDAY:  Today in class we finished up our discussion of Lesson 18.  I walked the students through the important highlights of the remaining portion of this lesson as well as discussed the answers to the practice problems.  I posted an incomplete outline on the board as part of our discussion (see below).  I experienced several lively discussions in each class today as the students practiced making sound arguments and explanations for questions that I asked them today during class.
NO NEW HOMEWORK TODAY.

WEDNESDAY: After completing the bell ringer exercise, we jumped right in to Lesson 19: Critical Thinking for Exams.  As we learned from the text, critical thinking is needed for all types of tests, from tests given in 6th grade to the SAT and ACT tests to test given to screen potential employees.  To practice using critical thinking skills to answer test questions, this lesson provides many examples of questions to help students see and experience how critical thinking is needed to succeed at test-taking.  The students and I discussed the first couple of pages in this lesson, and then the students spent the remainder of the period working through the sample test questions.
HOMEWORK:  Complete all of the test questions in Lesson 19.

THURSDAY: Mrs. Wilkins was my substitute teacher today.  After working through the bell ringer assignment, Mrs. Wilkins went over the answers and how to get the answers to the practice test questions of Lesson 19.  Afterwards, she passed out the Critical Thinking Final Exam Review Questions (see below) and instructed the students to complete this handout as a step in the preparation process for Monday's final exam.
HOMEWORK: Complete all pages of the Critical Thinking Final Exam Review Questions handout.

FRIDAY: Today in class, I went over the answers to the Critical Thinking Final Exam Review Questions.  I also collected this week's bell ringer responses (Week 14). 
Homework:  STUDY FOR THE FINAL EXAM!!

Bell Ringers for this Week:

Tuesday:  Correct the grammar.
1. the oil from that there sinking tanker has began to spread over the entire coast
2. i and my brother enjoyed reading lost worlds a unusual Book

Wednesday:  Correct the grammar.
1. you're sister sat the alarm clock and your to make the bed
2. tell them boys that theyll learn how to set up tents cook dinner and sail boats on their vacation

Thursday:  Correct the grammar.
1. food prices have raised this year said mr ramirez
2. yes we will be meeting some welsh and irish people

Friday:  Correct the grammar.
1. while i am laying on the beach i might as well right a postcard
2. has she brung any Groceries home asked father

Week 13: April 15 - 18

This is a 4-day week (Monday - Thursday)
Please note: Critical Thinking FINAL EXAM has been moved to MONDAY, April 29.

MONDAY:  Today we began our study of "Making Judgment Calls."  To introduce this topic, the students worked in small groups to discuss a couple of questions which required them to make judgment calls.  After their small group discussions, we had a large class discussion about each of the questions to help the students begin to understand how often they make judgment calls each day.  Next, I wrote the following notes on the board which I discussed with the students:

Making Judgment Calls

1. WHAT IS A JUDGMENT?
     A decision, opinion, or conclusion about something or someone

2. IS JUDGING GOOD OR BAD?
      Judging is GOOD for Critical Thinking ("Evaluation")
      Judging is BAD for Mindfulness (requires being "Non-judgmental")
      Therefore, Judging is an example of a PARADOX (something seemingly contradictory)

3. WHAT IS A JUDGMENT CALL?
    When you behave based on a judgment you have made about something or someone

TUESDAY: After today's bell ringer exercise, I reviewed with the students the answers to yesterday's questions I wrote on the board.  Then, we continued our study by addressing the following question:
"What determines how we choose to behave?"
To answer this question, I showed the following video clip:  Thinking Fast and Slow
We discovered that we have two systems in our brain:

SYSTEM 1 ----------------------------------------------------SYSTEM 2
Impulsive                                                                         Thoughtful
Automatic                                                                        Deliberate
Intuitive                                                                           Calculating

* The relationship between these 2 systems in our brain determines how we behave.

To further understand how to make good judgment calls, the students began reading, annotating and answering the practice problems for Lesson 17: Making Judgment Calls.
Homework:  Finish reading, annotating and completing the practice problems for Lesson 17.

WEDNESDAY:  After completing the bell ringer, the students and I discussed what they annotated from last night's reading, and we went through the practice problems.  To complete this lesson, the students were given a worksheet (see below) to complete as their study guide for this lesson.
Homework: Complete the study guide for Lesson 17.

THURSDAY:  After going over the student responses to the questions on the Lesson 17 worksheet, we moved on to Lesson 18: Explanation or Argument? (see below). We read and discussed this lesson as well as the practice problems.  The students also worked to create an outline of this lesson.  Whatever was not finished during class was assigned as homework.
Homework: Finish reading, annotating and answering the practice problem, AND THEN complete the Lesson 18 outline.

This week's BELL RINGERS:

Monday:  Correct the grammar.
1. if your going to the Library please take home a copy of same song a poem for me
2. the twentieth century has brung forth many exciting discoveries as well as terrible disasters

Tuesday:  Correct the grammar.
1. please lie rafaels coat on the radiator to dry
2. yes i have wrote a thank-you note to amandas parents

Wednesday: Correct the grammar.
1. steve shaked joe awake and said lets get moms breakfast ready
2. becky rose her hand and said i have to many mistakes

Thursday: Correct the grammar.
1. if you give the kitten to carmen and i well see that its given a good home
2. the stingrays leopards pups and eagles will still play baseball however