Our Last Class

Congratulations, you have completed 6th Grade Language Arts class!

You have all done a fantastic job in this class, and I have truly enjoyed teaching you.

Below you will find a poem I created, as a reflection on our year in Language Arts class.

Our Year in Language Arts

by Mrs. Wright

6^th Grade Language Arts has come to a close,

Where this year went, nobody knows.

Let me explain, in a few lines or so,

How much we learned, and how we all did grow!

We started out with writing prompts on our very first day,

Each one of you had something to share, and a whole lot to say!

We then went with grammar studies, those tricky parts of speech,

I taught you how to write full sentences; how fun they were to teach!

Daily Oral Language was both beloved and detested,

That it helped you learn cannot be contested.

Our blog proved helpful and was used most every class,

And we loved Colby’s dance moves during our Aerobic blast!

Holiday stories were an experience in fiction writing.

Owen shared a story of Santa and Joe the cat fighting.

You learned how to create a complete paragraph,

Amidst the intros and conclusions, we had a hearty laugh.

Persuasive writing began with the dogs and cats debate.

Mrs. Wilson taught a mini lesson, despite what Garrett had to state!

Credible sources are something we know to be true.

Monica shared the knowledge on cellphones in school that she knew.

I do indeed hope we all have some fond memories of our year,

Memories of triumphs, challenges, and reasons to cheer.

I have enjoyed teaching each one of you in turn,

And please come back from vacation, with even more to learn!

Keynote: Step 5 of the Persuasive Writing Process

Persuasion Writing Keynote Requirements

Please include the following in your Keynote/Powerpoint:

• Title Page

• Claim Statement, or perhaps your entire Introductory Paragraph

• At least one of your strongest Supporting Topics with details

• Concluding Statement or perhaps your entire Concluding Paragraph

• At least two photos pertinent to your writing

• Sources Cited Page

Due Dates

Persuasive Writing: 

Final Draft Due June 5th

Keynote Due June 11th

Presentation June 11-12th

Language Arts Class Reflection: Tagxedo-Style

Tagxedo is a website in which you can type in a list of words into a word cloud. 

My reflection for our class started as a list of words, and became this word cloud:

Your assignment is to create a written reflection of your year in 6th grade Language Arts. You will then  create your own Tagxedo!

Your word clouds will take the shape of your choosing, and then I will post them here!

Colby's Tagxedo Reflection

Monica's Tagxedo Reflection

Owen's Tagxedo Reflection

Garrett's Tagxedo Reflection

Persuasive Writing: The Five-Step Writing Process

Congratulations! You have made it to day five of Persuasive Writing! Hip hip, hooray! If you are reading this, I have decided that you are ready to get down with the writing process!

Go on, pat yourself on the back!






------But guess what, you have already begun this wonderful process!------

It started with an idea, that turned into an outline, that can now be formulated into a web or graphic organizer.




Here are the steps of the writing process:

1. PREWRITING- Think
  X  Brainstorm- What do you want to do a persuasive writing piece on?

  X  Outline- Generate a brief outline on your claim, your three sub-topics and details for each.

  X  Research your topic. Use at least two credible sources.

  X  Web/Graphic Organizer: For this step you will fill in a graphic organizer using the information from your outline and research.




2. DRAFTING- Write
  X   Put the information into your own words. Share your voice!

  X   Construct complete sentences and form them into paragraphs. Remember, a paragraph is three-five sentences in length.

  X   Read your writing to yourself, at least one time out loud and one time silently.



3. REVISING- Make it Better
  X   Read it to yourself again.

  X   Make sure that you have complete sentences. Check for capital letters for the beginning of sentences and for proper nouns. Did you use the correct punctuation, especially at the ends of your sentences? Did you indent for each new sub-topic/paragraph?

  X   Add or take out parts as needed. Is your paper at least one page long?

  X   How is the flow? Does your paper flow smoothly, using at least one transition per paragraph?



4. PROOFREADING- Make it Correct

  X   Read it to yourself again.

  X   Peer Edit: Remember this? Fill out a peer edit sheet, on your own writing, and then have a peer read your paper and do the same.

  X   Read it to yourself again. Make all of the changes your peer has suggested, that make sense to you; ask questions.

  X   Did you read it again? Does it represent you, and your strong view on your topic? Will it persuade your reader?

  X   Re-type all changes that you have decided need to be made, and you will have your finished product!

5. PUBLISHING-Share the finished product

  X   Read it to the class.

  X   Create a Keynote/Powerpoint slideshow of your paper. Make it at least 3 slides in length, including the Sources page.

  X   Add photos that help illustrate your writing.

  X   Say in a loud voice, "I did it! I finished my persuasive writing and slideshow! Hip, hip, HOORAY!"

Persuasive Writing Topics: Credible Sources

What is a Credible Source?

Anyone can put information on the Internet, and it is not always credible. The credibility of a source refers to how reliable the information is. Is the information based off of facts and research or is it from an individuals own opinions and experiences?

Books and library databases are great credible resources to use. Books have gone through many evaluation processes before being published.

There are some specific things one should look for when deciding whether or not a site is credible.

Look for these things:

Home Page: This should contain more information about the credibility of the information, before you look any further into the source.

• Author: Who is the author or organization? If there is no author, where did the information come from?

• Sponsor: Who is the sponsor, the person that owns the site? Is it a credible group or organization?
• Date: How recent was the website published, and edited?
• What type of site is it?
• Is it a blog? Avoid it!
• Is it a wiki? Watch out!
• Is it an Internet database? Proceed!
• Is it an online periodical or print publication? Do it UP!

• The URL Address and its significance: Domain Names
• .gov -This is derived from "government,"  is used by the United States government, and is the most strongly regulated.
• .com - This is an abbreviation for "commercial," meaning that websites use this type of domain for a business or commercial nature.
• .edu -This stands for education, and represents an educational institution.
• .org -This site is represented by an organization, like: environmental organizations, charities, associations, schools, etc.
• .net -This comes from the word "network" and is typically used for organizations involved in networking technologies, like internet service providers.

My sources: myself and my college degree and http://www.ivcc.edu/stylebooks/stylebook6.aspx?id=14724

Payment for Grades

http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1871528,00.html

http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-good-life/201004/paying-students-good-grades

http://responsibility-project.libertymutual.com/articles/what-are-good-grades-worth-?src=keyword_s=ggl_K=paying%20children%20for%20grades_C=Education_G=GoodGradesWorth_Pay_M=b&K_CLICKID=006ad6f4-c118-34a9-0b32-00006e75282f#fbid=NHwuX-725K2&src=keyword_s


Unhealthy Food

http://www.webmd.com/diet/features/junk-food-facts


Cell Phones in School

http://www.pbs.org/mediashift/2011/08/why-schools-should-stop-banning-cell-phones-and-use-them-for-learning241.html

Persuasive Writing: Lesson Two

Our next writing assignment will be a persuasive essay. With this writing piece your goal will be to get the reader to agree with you. We will begin this unit with a short, independent lesson from the Scholastic website. Click the link below to explore this lesson!

Persuasion Mini-Lesson: (Click on mini-lesson 2)

To begin the writing process you will start by brainstorming topics that you care about. Here is a list of some topics you could choose from:

● Should students be allowed to have cell phones in school?

● Should kids get paid for good grades?

● Should schools serve french-fries and other fried foods to students at lunch?

● Can video games be educational?

● Should students be able to listen to MP3 players on headphones during study hall?

● Should unhealthy fast food products be sold with a warning label?

● Should school athletes have to be on the honor roll to play in games?

● Are students being given too much homework?

● Should girls be allowed to play on boys’ sports teams?

Topics from: Mrs. Wright and http://www.custom-essay-writing.net/persuasive-essay-topics.html