Welcome to the Washington Middle School 6th Grade
Language Arts & Social Studies Page!
April - End of the Year
**Washington Middle School's homework policy has changed as of 2019. Students are expected to complete small assignments in an online program called, No Red Ink, each night for credit. These assignments are designed to only take approximately 5 minutes each. Students also have additional time in homerooms each morning to complete this work. It is worth 15% of their overall grade. Should you have any questions, please visit our main Washington Middle School page for more information.**
**See Below for Important End of the Year Dates.**
Voices of Adversity
In the last unit module of the year, students will be launching into a Reader's Workshop and finding independent reading books that will not only spark their imaginations, but also provide a platform to answer textual evidence, theme/main idea, character development and/or plot questions. We will be going more in depth to cover how to select the "just right" book, what to expect from different genres, using the five finger rule and having formative book conversations.
We will also be learning how to conduct a short research from reliable sources to contribute to a research paper. Students will be studying areas such as environmental issues, bullying and its effects on society or nutrition and it's effects on the body. Students work in expert groups (research teams) to use multiple informational sources to research that topic. As a final performance task, students use their research to write an essay to inform about one important “rule to live by” supported with facts, definitions, concrete details, quotations, and examples.
Finally, students will be taking their ILEARN Assessments during this quarter unit. We will be providing a week long review prior to the assessment to refresh the year's standards and preparing them with good test taking strategies.
ELA Learning Targets:
Targets that are assessed in this unit:
6.RL.2.1 Cite textual evidence to support analysis of what a text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
6.RN.2.1 Cite textual evidence to support analysis of what a text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.
6.RL.3.1 Analyze how a particular sentence, chapter, scene, or stanza fits into the overall structure of a work of literature and contributes to the development of the theme, characterization, setting, or plot.
6.RN.3.2 Analyze how a particular sentence, paragraph, chapter, or section fits into the overall structure of a text and contributes to the development of the ideas.
6.W.5 Conduct short research assignments and tasks to build knowledge about the research process and the topic under study.
● Formulate a research question (e.g., In what ways did Madame Walker influence Indiana society?).
● Gather relevant information from multiple sources, and annotate sources.
● Assess the credibility of each source.
● Quote or paraphrase the information and conclusions of others.
● Avoid plagiarism and provide basic bibliographic information for sources.
● Present information, choosing from a variety of formats
Targets that are reviewed but not assessed this unit:
6.RL.1 Read a variety of literature within a range of complexity appropriate for grades 6-8. By the end of grade 6, students interact with texts proficiently and independently at the low end of the range and with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range.
6.RL.4.1 Compare and contrast the experience of reading a story, play, or poem with listening to or viewing an audio, video, or live version of the text, including contrasting what they “see” and “hear” when reading the text with what they perceive when they listen or watch.
6.RL.4.2 Compare and contrast works of literature in different forms or genres (e.g., stories and poems; historical novels and fantasy stories) in terms of their approaches to similar themes and topics
SL.1
Listen actively and adjust the use of spoken language (e.g.,conventions, style, vocabulary) to communicate effectively with a variety of audiences and for different purposes
SL.2: DISCUSSION AND COLLABORATION (Standards SL.2.1, SL.2.2, SL.2.3, SL.2.4, SL.2.5)
Refine and apply reciprocal communication skills by participating in a range of collaborative discussions.
SL.3: COMPREHENSION (SL3.1, SL3.2)
Refine and apply active listening and interpretation skills using various strategies.
SL.4 PRESENTATION OF KNOWLEDGE AND IDEAS (SL.4.1, SL.4.2)
Refine and apply speaking skills to communicate ideas effectively in a variety of situations.
ELA Assessments:
April - May Assessment:
Students will conduct a short research paper for a grade.
Important End of the Year Dates:
ILEARN Dates:
April 5th: ILEARN Practice Test (2 Hour Delay)April 29th - May 3rd: ILEARN Testing (2 Hour Delay all five days)May 6th: ILEARN 6th Grade Science Only (Regular schedule - 6th grade tests in first period blocks)
Field Trip Dates:May 10th: Holiday World for Citizenship (6th Grade Homeroom winner only)May 15th: 6th Grade - New Harmony Field Trip
Social Studies Unit 3
Virtual Make Up Day Assignment #1 (For Wednesday, January 30th) Due: Tuesday, Feb. 12th
Students have been assigned their virtual lessons on their Google Classroom, where they will turn their work in. A copy of that lesson can be found here: docs.google.com/document/d/1YCFFZThJymCLchM6v7My75bAveuQqBe8eXQYHJqi6GY/edit
In Unit 2 of 6th Grade Social Studies students will study the rise and fall of Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome. Students are assessed with a Key Terms Vocabulary Quiz towards the beginning of the unit to prepare them for reading articles independently as well as taking guided notes during focused instruction. At the beginning of each unit, students receive a packet full of guided notes that they take in class, worksheets/activities that they will work in groups or pairs to complete in class, and some independently read articles. Every Monday and Friday the class watches CNN 10 (student news) at the beginning of the period - please contact Miss Carnes or Mr. Eickhoff if you have concerns about this and would prefer your child opt of out watching CNN. (Link - www.cnn.com/cnn10)
It is preferred that students leave packets in the classroom every day (this cuts down on lost packets), but please contact one of us if you would like your child to bring his/her packet home so that you may see the progress being made in class.
Weekly homework is now assigned school-wide and counts towards 15% of the overall grade in each class. Social Studies homework is assigned on Newsela - students can use Homeroom to work on homework as well as the after-school program, Penny Lane to get extra help.
SS Learning Targets:
Target 6.1.1: I can summarize the rise of ancient Rome
Target 6.1.4: I can identify the development and organizations of political, cultural, and social systems in ancient Rome.
Target 6.1.1: I can summarize the fall of ancient Rome.
Target 6.1.1: I can summarize the cultural achievements of ancient civilizations in ancient Rome.
SS Assessments:
Ancient Greece Assessment - January 7
Ancient Rome Assessment - February 11
Announcements:
Students will be given opportunities in class to re-take any assessments which they did not achieve proficiency on. Any student who does not put forth effort for re-takes in class will be assigned Penny Lane after school tutoring time to practice skills and raise their proficiency levels!
Resources to help your child
RDS parent access:
http://rdsteach.evsc.k12.in.us/rdsparentaccess/
Newsela:
https://newsela.com/signin
NoRedInk:
www.noredink.com
Contact Us by calling WMS at 435-8888
or by Email:
Reanna.Rowe@evsck12.com
Cari.Carnes@evsck12.com
Jessica.Rehkopf@evsck12.com
Jordan.Eickhoff@evsck12.com
6th Grade ELA Honors with Mrs. Tharp - Look at 7th Grade Weebly
