Message to all classes...

Changes coming for fall...
As your teacher over this year, I have tried to prepare you for life outside the classroom and hopefully given you some life skills and "real world" application as well. One lesson you will need to learn in life is flexibility. We may not always like the changes that are thrown our way, but we learn to deal with them, hopefully gracefully. It is with a heavy heart that I say I will not be teaching most of you next year, but be assured that you are in expert hands. As I understand it I will be teaching 8th grade "regular" classes and welcome the opportunity to grow and learn the new Common Core standards that all ELA will be using this year. You may still use all resources on the sites I've given you. All the summer work you did (hopefully the reading) will not be wasted. Good luck as we approach the new year and continue to grow and learn all we can. You will be better for it and you have made me a better teacher having taught you.
With gratitude,
Ms. M., your "Captain"

Amazing resources for summer...

Want to do some summer reading online? Join us in our online bookclub...go to
masoncreekpc.blogspot.com for directions on how to read from Follett books or our online bookclub at bookglutton.com 

...and don't forget your online grammar book with interactive writing topics! my.hrw.com 
You will need your username/password that you used this year to access it.

Questions? Email: tracymcneill@att.net

Have a great, restful summer...read some good books and have some great stories for your narrative writing when we come back ;)

-Ms. M.

6th grade: ELEVEN

You will be reading the short story, "Eleven," by Sandra Cisneros. In addition to your in class reading you will complete a journal and other writings related to the story. Start brainstorming your childhood memories...are there things you do now that remind you of when you were younger? Also, you need to be practicing Odyssey, OAS, and CRCT review at home nightly. Don't tell mom and dad that you do not have homework! 7 CLASS DAYS UNTIL TESTING...and...you are going to ROCK it!!!
- Ms. M.

6th grade: 1/25/12

STANDARD: ELA6LSV1; ELA6W2
DEBATE/RESEARCH
EQ: How can I use facts and emotional appeal to support my position statement and help me construct support?
Warm up: Get in small debate groups based on student survey
Lesson: Constructing support- work with your group (those on the SAME side of the issue) and find facts, statistics, or examples to back up your argument; Complete CONSTRUCTING SUPPORT sheet from last week.
Time allowing- Work on projects
HOMEWORK: Project due FRIDAY 1/27

THURSDAY: 1/26/12- COMPUTER LAB- upstairs
Type your "mock" writing about cameras in the classroom; EDIT/revise and PRINT a copy

Welcome Back!!!

Are you ready to R.U.M.B.L.E.? We will be beginning a new unit on persuasive writing this nine weeks. We will review your final and conventions that you still need to master for your next CDA (end of the month) and the CRCT (begins in April the Tuesday you return from Spring Break). You will have a writing assessment on January 18th that will be given in homeroom, but I will be scoring those using the rubric we have been using all year (ideas, organization, style, conventions). I will be showing you some sample essays and also posting new ones in the hall to show you what a 2,3,4, and 5 essay look like. Also, we will be having our class spelling bee on Tuesday with the winner representing our class going to the school bee next Friday, so brush up on your spelling rules!  For some sample word lists you might try the following websites: http://www.npusc.k12.in.us/Spelling%20Bee/index.html
http://www.spellingbee.com/
http://www.myspellit.com/
http://grammar.yourdictionary.com/spelling-and-word-lists/misspelled.html
http://www.ehow.com/how_8253546_prepare-6th-grade-spelling-bee.html
http://www.spellingcity.com/taking-a-spelling-test.html?listId=5383834
GOOD LUCK!!!

Monday January 9, 2012
STANDARD: ELA6W2 (Writing- persuasive genre)
EQ: What are the main types of propaganda? How is propaganda persuasive?
Warm up: notes on propanda (assessment prompt 1)
Lesson: propaganda types
Summary: compare/contrast types of propaganda using commercials and print ads as examples
Homework: bring in a magazine, newspaper, or online ad to class