Six Word Memoirs

Here are some Six Word Memoir reflections created after reading about the problem of homelessness in America...

"I didn't know what to write about at first, so I went online and saw a bunch of pictures of people tossing money at homeless people. And I thought 'That isn't what they need.'" -Nayan

 Homelessness: Don't Give Coins; Give Change

"After reading, I had a question. And I wanted the colors to represent stitches of people trying to cover up the problem." -Abby

 Why does homelessness make you less?

"No one wants to be pitied, but that's what happens to homeless people. But we read about how they made a community. The rainbow colors are to show what people want to see and the darker colors show the mess." -Alicia, Elizabeth, & Izzie

Homelessness: Pitied and seen as powerless

Monday January 25

Today is Mirror Monday! It's time to look back and reflect on our unit about Single-Gender Education. Complete the form by clicking this link.

If you are waiting for others to finish, this is a perfect time for some silent reading since the final call for Q2 Reading Logs is this Wednesday.

If everyone finishes, we will take a peek at the Revised Fiction Reading Log Template and Revised Nonfiction Reading Log Template. The Nonfiction Reading Log got a pretty big update, but the major change that is common to each is that you will being doing some work with new WoRdS you come across in your text!

Updates and Video Links

6th graders,

First, I want to remind you that this Wednesday is the last call for Quarter 2 Reading Logs. Anything submitted after Wednesday will count toward Quarter 3. And stay tuned for some revisions to the fiction and non-fiction templates. We'll be going over them in class and they will be posted on the blog.

Next, here are some of the videos we watched this week, at your request!

Here's the United States Postal Service video "Systems at Work"

Click HERE  (not the picture above) to watch the PBS/Frontline video "Poor Kids." 

And you can find National Geographic's story on "The New Face of Hunger" 

with THIS link (not the picture above).

Bananagrams Challenge!

Get excited 5th and 6th graders! The Bananagrams Challenge is here. On Wednesday January 20th the Lawn School Bananagrams Challenge will begin. Come test your skills and maybe you will be the Top Banana who gets to compete in an online challenge and maybe even a live event in Providence!

What is Bananagrams, you ask? Only one of the greatest word games in the jungle! It's an anagram game that will drive you bananas. Check out this video to see how to play...

Email me or come to my room to sign up. And stay tuned for a Bananagrams practice lunch!

Inequality is...

This week we wrapped up our letters and moved from discussing gender issues to other forms of inequality. We watched Mellody Hobson's TED Talk, "Color Blind, or Color Brave."

A student created this drawing to represent Hobson's ideas about the silence that comes with color blindness and the potential for meaningful conversation and progress with color bravery. 

We played Spent, a simulation that models the difficult choices that people who live in poverty must make each day.

And we created metaphors for inequality. Here are some samples from the classes. And here are some more!

Check out this image from NPR that depicts the burden that too many children must bear each day.