6 th . Grade Language Arts and the Library

1. 6th. Grade Language Arts and the Library “Guess Who is Coming to Dinner?” A collaborative project

2. The Historical, the Rich and the Famous! TASK • In the classroom, students previewed authors, historical figures, and famous personalities of the contemporary world. • In the library, students self-selected a biography or autobiography using the on-line catalog and previewed the work prior to checking it out. • Completed projects are displayed in the library to encourage independent reading.

3. Project Bio - Lunch Bag After carefully reading the text, students illustrated their lunch bas with symbols about their person’s • Goals • Personal Traits • Past/Current Achievements • Area of Influence • Opinion-based Factual Information

4. Standards Language Arts in the 6th. Grade The student is expected to: 110.22.11 (A) offer observations, make connections, react, speculate, interpret, and raise questions in response to texts (4-8); (C) support responses by referring to relevant aspects of text and his/her own experiences (4-8); and (D) connect, compare, and contrast ideas, themes, and issues across text (4-8). Library and Technology in the 6th. Grade The student applies instruction received in developing research and evaluation skills [during library lessons] and is expected to: 126.8.8 (B) use electronic tools and research skills to build a knowledge base regarding a topic, task, or assignment. 126.12.4 (A) use strategies to locate and acquire desired information on LANs and WANs, including the Internet, intranet, and collaborative software; and (B) apply appropriate electronic search strategies in the acquisition of information including keyword and Boolean search strategies

5. Robert Frost The Life of America’s Poet by Sara McIntosh B FRO • Received the Gold Medal for Poetry in 1936 • Read his poem at the Presidential Inauguration in 1961. • Awarded numerous Pulitzer Awards. • Recognized as “America’s Poet. Find this and other books in the Biography Section – Alphabetized by last name and look it up online at http://destiny.nisdtx.org

6. Leonardo da Vinci by Kathleen Krull B LEO • Dreamed of being an inventor. • Overcame learning difficulties. • Was fascinated by human anatomy. • Implemented the technique of “sketching out” before painting. Find this and other books in the Biography Section – Alphabetized by name and look it up online at http://destiny.nisdtx.org

7. Christopher ColumbusFamous Explorer by Mary Dodson Wade B COL • His dream was to sail around the world. • His father wanted him to be a tailor. • His son, Diego, followed in his footsteps. • Searching for a new route to Asia, he stumbled upon what it is now known as the Americas. Find this and other books in the Biography Section – Alphabetized by last name and look it up online at http://destiny.nisdtx.org

8. Princes Diana A Photographic Story of a Life by Joanne Mattern B DIA • Member of an old British family. • Had a Royal Wedding. • Her work as an Ambassador for the Cure of Aids is known around the globe. • Died tragically. Find this and other books in the Biography Section – Alphabetized by name and look it up online at http://destiny.nisdtx.org

9. Celia Cruz, Queen of Salsaby Veronica Chambers B CRU • Born in Cuba. • Began singing in High School. • Her father wanted her to become a teacher and he encourage her to study. • Studied in Cuba’s “National Music Conservatory.” • Sang with the immortal “Sonora Matancera.” • Left a legacy in Salsa for generations to come. Find this and other books in the Biography Section – Alphabetized by name and look it up online at http://destiny.nisdtx.org

10. Commentary Princess Diana Your work exhibits originality and creativity and the rhyming couplets depict happy events in her life. In the future, don’t be afraid to include tragic events of famous personalities. Her legacy as an advocate for research to cure AIDS is well known and her children are still carrying out her passion. Ms. Voutos

11. Commentary Robert Frost I am glad you selected an excerpt of a poem to illustrate your person. The couplets reflect his great passion for education and nature. For future work, watch your spelling carefully. This will help you improve the quality of your work and searching for relevant information.

12. Commentary Christopher Columbus Your clues are well crafted and interesting. Who knew that his father wanted him to be a tailor? The map used for illustration reflects the “known” world in the 15th. Century and it added a creative detail to your lunchbag. You may like to search for the exact model of his original vessel, “The Santa Maria” on Encyclopedia Britannica online (http://school.eb.com)

13. Commentary Leonardo da Vinci Da Vinci’s accomplishments are well defined in your artwork. I was impressed by the selection of the “Last Supper” as his “unfinished.” Your use of transposing the letters to depict his “dyslexia” was both interesting and witty. An American counterpart that you may wish to research is Benjamin Franklin.

14. Commentary Celia Cruz – Queen of Salsa I was glad to see that you used a “fictional” text based on a biography as your source. The information you obtained was relevant and gives the readers a basic understanding of who Celia Cruz was. For an alternate search, you may want to try, R&B singer, Ella Fitzgerald, from the same time period.

15. Evaluate! Rubric Catalog Search