Sixth Grade Curriculum Night

1. Sixth Grade Curriculum Night 8/20/2012 Mr. Caccavale Mr. Gooding Mr. O’Connell Mrs. Stafford

2. Common Core Standards • Top down approach • Focus is on depth of knowledge and understanding • Scaffolding of concepts from grade to grade • 47 states on board

3. Continuous Classroom Improvement (CCI) • Focus on specific learning outcomes • Students take part in creating mission statements, analyzing data, and setting goals • Progress monitored throughout the year and tracked on graphs displayed in room • Plan Do  Study Act

4. Reading with Mr. Caccavale Plot Setting Character Development Vocabulary Comprehension “Digging” into the text

5. Reading • Common Core Standards – • dig deep (explain, evaluate, defend, analyze, …) • look at writer’s technique • focus on various genres including non-fiction • Develop strong readers with a solid skill base to understand and retain literature • Focus literary elements – plot, character development, theme, point of view, etc…

6. Reading cont. • Materials • Harcourt – McCall-Crabbs • Jr. Great Books – Reading A-Z • literature studies • Reading Logs – 20 pages per night for total of 400 pages per month • Classes work fits their needs • Interactive Student Notebooks (ISN) • Class library – open to all sixth graders • book orders help fill shelves • donations of books or money to purchase books are welcomed

7. Science with Mrs. Stafford

8. This class uses FOSS (Full Option Science System) as the basis for study. FOSS is aligned with Arizona State Standards and was developed through rich collaboration of scientists, educational researchers, curriculum developers, assessment specialists, teachers, administrators, community members, and parents. Students learn by doing science. FOSS engages students to construct an understanding through investigations and analyses, using lab equipment, readings, and interactive technology.

9. Year at a Glance2 Units Water & Weather : energy transfer, air pressure, and water cycle(AugDec) Diversity of Life: use microscopes to study organisms, including cell and life functions (Jan- May) 9 Topics per Unit Each topic has 1-3 parts, each part taking 1-2 days to complete

10. Water and Weather Investigation 1: What is Weather Investigation 2: Where’s the Air Investigation 3: Seasons and Sun Investigation 4:Heat Transfer Investigation 5: Convection Investigation 6:Water in the Air Investigation 7: The Water Planet Investigation 8: Air Pressure and Wind Investigation 9: Weather and Climate

11. Diversity of Life Investigation 1: What is Life Investigation 2: Introduction to the Microscope Investigation 3: Microscopic Life Investigation 4: The Cell Investigation 5: Seeds of Life Investigation 6: Transpiration Investigation 7: Plant Reproduction Investigation 8: Snails and Roaches Investigation 9: Kingdoms of Life

12. During Each Topic 1-2 hands-on student investigations “labs” Science Interactive Student Notebook (ISN) – must be kept in binder Power Point – outlines entire topic, notes taken from this– Will be posted to website after majority of content covered 1 reading per topic in resource book Video clip(s) Quiz (at conclusion of topic) No NOTES allowed on quiz– Students USE notes in ISN TO STUDY 

13. Grading Grades posted regularly Not every assignment/activity is for a grade Breakdown 25% Labs 35% ISN checks which includes class work and homework 40% Quizzes/Tests

14. Other Information: • Cooperative groups (change each quarter) 4-5 kids per group • Website very helpful  • Homework • Power Points • Helpful websites • ISN Table of Contents

15. Science Fair • 4th Quarter • Demonstration of Scientific Process using Scientific Method • Experimentation done at home with time in class to work on other components • Science Fair will be sometime in May

16. Sixth Grade Writing Curriculum Using the Common Core Standards

17. Common Core: 3 Types of Writing • Argument: To persuade, bring about some action on reader’s part, or ask reader to accept a certain point of view; includes a claim, reasoning and evidence • Informative/Explanatory Writing: To clarify or increase readers’ knowledge or understanding of a subject • Narrative: To convey experiences, either real or imaginary, in order to inform, instruct, persuade, or entertain Writing priorities change as one moves up the grades

18. Common Core cont. • Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and • Shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes, and audiences. • Use technology to compose and publish documents • Speaking and Listening and Language • Use of Writing Process

19. The Writing Process Prewriting - Using strategies to generate, plan, and organize ideas for specific purposes. Drafting - The use of prewriting activities to create a first draft containing necessary elements for a specific purpose. Revising - Evaluating and refining the rough draft for clarity and effectiveness. “Ask: Does this draft say what you want it to say?” Editing - Proofreading and correcting the draft for conventions. Publishing - Formatting and presenting a final product for the intended audience.

20. Writing Components While we will still teach and develop the six traits of Ideas and Content, Organization, Voice, Word Choice, Sentence Fluency, and Conventions, this year students will receive a single score of 1 – 6 on a writing matrix that combines the individual traits.

21. Writing Projects There will be one big assessment per quarter: Personal Narrative, Informative/Explanatory, Persuasive (Argument/Claim), Narrative of student’s choice Other projects/ units: six traits, friendly letter, functional (directions/ how to), author’s craft, organizational structures, poetry, literary response, and more!

22. Write from the Beginning • Writing program introduced last year. • Helps writers with the pre-writing step in the writing process. • Use of Thinking Maps to organize ideas before starting a piece. • A skill-based program.

23. Language Daily Language Review (DLR) Monday-Thursday DLR quiz on Friday (on clickers) Demonstrate a command of conventions Focus on use of pronouns Figurative Languange Vocabulary

24. Social Studies with Mr. O’Connell

25. Civilizations to be studied Ancient Mesopotamia Ancient Egypt Ancient Greece Ancient China Ancient Rome And more…

26. Projects Three projects will be created during the year Allow students to dig deeper into a topic Designed to meet Common Core standards Can be done individually, or in pairs

27. Interactive Student Notebooks Used for chapter notes Creative outlet Excellent study guide

28. Sixth Grade Math Mr. Gooding Hello!

29. Important Things to Know • Curriculum—”Math Connects” —more problem solving based • Website-  glenco.com (One site has it all!) • Common Core! Shared Standards between states in the United States • Common Core! Philosophy for math…go for a deeper understanding of the concepts rather than teaching numerous standards with little depth

30. Different Approach for Teaching • Students will be given immediate feedback as they are working—”Stecking”...a.k.a. Stamp Checking • Students who need additional help are called back to meet as a small group • Most work should be completed in class • Students will be taught to self-monitor their homework at home (odd answers are in the back of the book)

31. Math Grade Weighting • 5% Foldables • 20% Homework • 25% Daily Quizzes • 50% Tests

32. Clicker!

33. Clickers in use!

34. Clicker Results Analyzed!

35. Community Boards and Consensus!

36. More Consensus work!

37. Class-work and Stecking!

38. Small Group Session during Class-work!

39. Clickers, Community Boards, Consensus, Stecking, and Small Group…..Machine!

40. Grades Grades based on tests, quizzes, class work, and projects Tests will be completed after each chapter Two to four quizzes per chapter

41. Other • Schedule: TBD • Homework 45-60 min. • Weekly Folders • Newsletters: http://ls6thgrade.weebly.com/index.html • Websites • PTA