BIO (AKA Portrait) POEM |
The bio poem is a great way to reflect on who you are and what factors contribute to your identity formation, two guiding questions during unit one. Follow the poem frame and write your own. Remember to type and illustrate your poem. It's due on Friday, so why not get it done tonight so you don't have to worry about it tomorrow? On Friday, the class will participate in a "gallery walk" and will read and interact with the poems written by the members of our classroom community. This is a great time to learn about one another and build empathy. Although you will notice many differences between your poem and your classmates' poems, you'll find that you have more in common than you imagined.
Black Box by Nikki Grimes |
Black Box is a poem in the book Bronx Masquerade by Nikki Grimes. The speaker of the poem is a character named Devon who plays basketball, but feels like others use this fact to label him as a dumb jock. It's all about rejecting stereotypes and not letting others "put you in a box." It sparked a long discussion on identity, stereotypes, and how we've all put others in a box or have been put in a box at one time or another.
· What is this poem about? What does it mean?
· What jumped out at you? (Etc.)
· Figuratively speaking, what does it mean to put someone, or something, in a box?
· How does the speaker of the poem feel about boxes?
· Has anyone ever put you in a box? Explain.
· This poem is found in Nikki Grimes’s book Bronx Masquerade. What could have happened to this character before he wrote this poem?
· In your opinion, what is the theme of the poem?
· What jumped out at you? (Etc.)
· Figuratively speaking, what does it mean to put someone, or something, in a box?
· How does the speaker of the poem feel about boxes?
· Has anyone ever put you in a box? Explain.
· This poem is found in Nikki Grimes’s book Bronx Masquerade. What could have happened to this character before he wrote this poem?
· In your opinion, what is the theme of the poem?
"My Heart is in the Highlands" |
Annotation Symbols |
5 Parts of a StoryWe learn about the five elements of stories during unit one. Here's a Flocabulary RAP that will especially help those of you with musical intelligence remember what they are.
Plot- the series of events in a story Characters - the people or animals in a story Conflict - the problem in the story Theme - the message about life in the story Setting - the time and place (when and where) the story happens |
Five Parts of a Story RAP |
Analyzing "Greyling" to Find the 5 Parts of a Story |
Today we listened to Jane Yolen's short story "Greyling" about a fisherman and his wife who took in a selchie (seal in the water, human on land) to make their son. "Greyling" is set in Scotland, which Yolen discussed in her "My Heart is in the Highlands" speech. We jotted down notes while we listened to the story and I paused the audio tape several times to allow the students to record what they had heard and discuss their connections, predictions, and analysis of the story. Here's an example of what the "Greyling" 5 Parts of a Story" pages in your LA notebook should look like.
PLOT
Plot is the series of events in a story. Use the Powerpoint below to help you fill in the blanks in the plot notes.
BLOGGING
Overview: Students, you're using Weebly this year to create a learning portfolio and to blog about your 6th grade experience. There will be three mandatory blog posts for the first unit. If you would like to blog more, be my guest! There will be some projects throughout the year that I'll ask you to put in your portfolio, but your portfolio should reflect YOUR 6th grade experience and your interests. Be wise. Ask questions. Think twice before posting. Have fun!
Cool Examples of Blogs Created by KidsBlogging Tips and Tricks |
What's a blog?Video courtesy of
msm114. "Weebly Blog Page Tutorial." Youtube. Youtube, LLC. 2 October, 2013. Web. 11 September, 2014. Starting a Blog on WeeblyWhile a little dry, this video will teach you the basic features of blogging through Weebly. Definitely worth a watch if you're a newbie.
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Blog Assignments
Due 9/14 Comments Due 9/18 |
Due Date TBD Comments Due Date TBD |
Due Date TBD Comments Due Date TBD |
AUTOBIOGRAPHICAL NARRATIVE
Mentor Texts:
Published AuthorsInside Out by Francisco Jimenez
The Circuit by Francisco Jimenez- Jimenez shares a story of Names/Nombres by Julia Alvarez- Alvarez reflects on the many different versions of her name and what it meant to her identity as an immigrant. The All American Slurp by Lensey Namioka- Namioka's family struggles to fit in with their new American friends. Bad Boy by Walter Dean Myers (Pick one chapter from Myers' memoir.) Myers reflects on growing up in Harlem, having a speech impediment, and becoming an author. A Life of Crime by Peter Cherches - A Group of Kids in NY are conned into stealing from a candy store. Why Books are Dangerous by Neil Gaiman- The story starts on page 77 of this link. Gaiman reflects on what he's learned from books and how they've gotten him into trouble. Heartbeat by David Yoo- A boy who is called scrawny wears several layers to make it look like he's bulked up. |
Young Adult Authors - Student ExamplesNothing is Impossible - A story of a soccer tryout (Blog)
A Broken Dream - A young gymnast reflects on a painful injury. Gymnastics - A gymnast reflects back on how her character was formed through her sport. The Camp Freeze - Girl Scout Camporee experience. 6th Grade Example from 2013 Jump Rock - Overcoming a fear of heights and cliff jumping 6th Grade Example from 2013 Learning to Play Softball - Have you ever tried learning something new but realizing you totally overestimated yourself? Trust me, it’s frustrating... 6th Grade Example from 2013 Silent Winds - Surviving a Hurricane 6th Grade Example from 2013 When Deer Fly - What happens when deer think they can fly over cars? 6th Grade Example from 2013 |
Prewriting
Peer Editing |
Mini-lessons for Writing WorkshopRevision
MLA Format |