Happy New Year! I hope everyone had a terrific holiday break and you are all rested and ready for the next year!
We have some exciting units coming up and, of course, the pre-EOG practice test. Doing reading homework from here on out is extremely important. Practice makes perfect and I have seen much improvement in comprehension and fluency in students that have been diligent with their homework. Please make sure your child is reading for 30 minutes (AT LEAST!!!) a day. After the break, we will finish up Out of the Dust, which was interrupted by the snow break. 6th grade will begin reading Milkweed by Jerry Spinelli in small groups and 5th grade will read and listen to a variety of novels on tape and work in small group literature circles. After the novel study both groups will learn about bias, propaganda, stereotypes and write a persuasive essay to a person or institution of choice. In February, we will have an in-depth study of Black History to include slave quilts and stories, the Harlem Renaissance, blues music and African-American poetry.


Theme Project and Essay #2: Due Jan. 3
Students should come armed with both their 2nd essay and project on Monday. We will have presentations for about 30 minutes daily until everyone has given theirs, students should be prepared to go on Monday, even though they may not present until later in the week. Points will be docked from students who are not prepared. Also, I will have students assessing their peers and part of their input will be used in grading. One of the curricular goals for 5th and 6th grade is to develop critical thinking skills and to understand when something is well-done and to develop the stance of a critic. Students will be given a rubric to score their peers which explains what they (and I) should look for in a good project.


The 2nd essay will be a little different because you really can't give much of an opinion about a non-fiction book! I think the easiest approach would be write about the three-five most interesting facts that he learned and why they think they are interesting and then finish with a few sentences of book review, was it appropriate for his/her age level? did it hold his/her interest? would he/she recommend it to others? etc... 1-2 typed pages, 12 point Times New Roman font, black ink. If you can't print it at home, bring it in on a flash drive and I'll print it at school.

Students still must make up the spelling test from the week before break, so we will just use the same words this week. Vocab test on Friday for all students.

See you all soon!

Dec. 20

The Spelling/Vocab for week of Dec. 20. Our test will be on Thursday of this week!!!!!
We will finish "Out of the Dust" this week.
Spelling/Vocabulary (all classes) Berner
Week of Dec. 12 Words from “Out of the Dust” p.149 to end of book
SPELLING TEST ON THURSDAY !!!!!!!! (1/2 day of Friday: Holiday Party!!!!)
fierceness
warped
scorched
migrants
sparse
sulking
horizon
frantic
descended
swarmed
desperation
yield
hoarding
sustain
scowled
mottled
flinch
nourish
confident
intentions

Week of December 5

It snowed over the weekend! Winter is just around the corner and, as usual, I am shocked at how quickly the school year rolls by. We are midway through the second quarter already. I guess it's true what they say, time flies when you're having fun and working hard!
All classes will continue with "Through the Dust" by Karen Hesse this week. Spelling/Vocab words will all be from the reading. Students seem to be enjoying the book. We will have a short quiz about every 50 pages.
Social Studies will continue reading and working from the book this week, moving through the American Revolution and the Constitution.

Vocabulary/Spelling (all classes)
Week of Dec. 6 Words from “Out of the Dust” to page 150
excavating
clinging
deformed
exhibit
benefit
suffocating
forsaken
cloaked
thrived
agony
bleary
withered
parched
chaos
pouted
prospects
desperate
straddled
smothered
reassuring