Welcome new 6th Graders!

I'm glad you found me! On the right are the links for the summer reading information. Check out some of my old posts for a sneak peek at what you might do in sixth grade Language Arts.

If you're stuck for a book, here are some helpful links.

• from the American Library Association
• from the Rhode Island Teen Book Award Nominees

Or, if you want to catch up on some news, Newsela is great for some quick articles. Sign up for a free account for full access to all their articles!

Email me at richer.brittany@jamestownschools.org if you have any questions. Can't wait to meet you all!

 

Final Weeks!

As we finish up the school year, we will be reflecting on what we learned and creating something unique to show it.

Specifically, we will be looking at fables from a variety of cultures and seeing what lessons are taught in each. StoryArts website has a giant list of fables to choose from.

After analyzing a few, you will create your own - and the lesson will be based on something you learned this year. It could be a fact that stuck with you, a concept that your finally understand, or a personal challenge that you overcame.

You will have choice in your final product: your fable could be in the form of a short story, a story board/comic, a puppet show, a skit, a rap, or a poem. If you have a better idea, you could share that with me too!

I can't wait to hear about your biggest learning and seeing how creatively you share it!

June 10 Update

Here is the link for the Word Biography project!

Also, as a reminder, all Quarter 4 Reading Logs are due Friday June 19!

5/15 Update

*6-1 and 6-3 your 5 (at least) pictures will be due next Wednesday. 6-2 your 5 (at least) pictures will be due next Thursday.*

6-1

We have explored how people abuse their power, so today we are going to explore how people have resisted that abuse in order to make positive change for the world.

Little Rock Nine
Greensboro Four
excerpt from Warriors Don't Cry, a memoir by Melba Pattillo Beals of the Little Rock Nine
Freedom Struggle: An Overview of some challenges faced by civil rights activists


6-3
I have provided many sources exploring both sides of digital citizenship. Now it is your turn to find a source on your own. Remember all of our work about credibility. You can start by searching the archives on websites like The New York Times, Wired (here's one about catching trolls on Twitter), and Newsela. Print out the article you find and complete a Text Analysis sheet.

Week of 5/11-5/15

**Keep taking those pictures! The due date will be pushed to some time next week!**

6-1
Many of you are curious about historical abuses of power. One of the most significant examples of abuse of power is genocide. Here is an overview of genocide (*warning: graphic images*) and a brief intro to the genocides of the last 150 years.

Sadly, America is not innocent from these atrocities. Here is information about Native American Removal and a video showing the Trail of Tears.

Later, we will read an excerpt from Yoshiko Uchida's autobiographical memoir The Invisible Thread to learn about the Japanese Internment during World War II. Here is George Takei's experience.


6-2
Last week, we began exploring respect/disrespect for animals. This week, we will transition to respect/disrespect for the environment. Here is an amazing speech about protecting the earth from Severn Cullis-Suzuki, who started the Environmental Children's Organization at the age of 9. We will learn about climate change, including watching a brief intro from Bill Nye the Science Guy.

A Student's Guide to Global Climate Change
Solar Bike Path in the Netherlands
Solar Array in South Korea
Eiffel Tower Wind Turbines
Human Footprint: Where Does Our Trash Go?



6-3
We have been exploring more of the dangers of living in a digital world, now let's see what Sugata Mitra has to say about his educational research in remote Indian villages. And what about toys that make kids smarter? Or a calculator that makes you better at math (hint - you have to enter an estimate in order to get an answer!)?

LAX 5/7

In LAX we have been looking at the representation of girls and women in media. Now, we will be looking at the messages that the media sends to boys and men. Here is a sampling...

commercial: Manmercials: 2015 Taco Bell 
commercial: Playstation 4 Perfect Day
commercial: Dove #realstrength
informational video: The Mask You Live In

Soon we will be looking at toys and the debate surrounding gendered marketing...

article: When Kids Play Across Gender Lines
article: The War on Pink
article: The Problem with Separate Toys for Girls and Boys
update: Amazon Drops Gendered Categories for Toys


And there are some questions about clothing choices...

video: You Can't Be a Princess
article: What's So Bad About a Boy Who Wants to Wear a Dress?

However, some creative people have been rethinking all of these stereotypes and put together the It Was Never a Dress campaign!

Photovoice!

As you know, each class is now embarking on their Photovoice research process. Here are some important links for some upcoming lessons.

6-1: Power
video: How to Understand Power
video: Brown Eyes, Blue Eyes
video: Color Blind or Color Brave

stats: The Data on Women Leaders

stats: Race in America: Tracking 50 Years of Demographic Trends

article: Where Poor Kids Grow Up Makes a Huge Difference
article: NAACP: Criminal Justice Fact Sheet

6-2: Respect
video:Elephant Attack

6-3: Digital Citizenship
video: What the Internet Is Doing to Our Brains
article: The Web Shatters Foucs: Rewires Brain