Winter Break

Have a restful Winter Break. Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

Vocabulary Words for January 3-6
1. Assured

2. Bounded

3. Clutched

4. Gratitude

5. Irrelevant

6. Oral

7. Scoured

8. Sequence

9. Crazed

10. Ecstatic

11. Elated

12. Enthusiastic

13. Exuberant

14. Exultant

15. Irrepressible

16. Jubilant

17. Zealous

18. Euphoria

19. Hysteria

20. Apathy

December 8-20

Wow! We have a busy couple of weeks left before our winter break! Let's see...no spelling or European countries to learn the rest of this semester. We identified all of Western Europe, and have watched a video about parts of Eastern Europe. (I'm ready to go to Europe!). We have a guest speaker, Mrs. Michelle Mandry, coming to speak to us Friday. She lived in Germany for three years, and she is going to share her experience with us.

Tuesday is our Christmas program. Please come at 1:00, unless 9:30 is a better time for you. We will be in the gym the whole time during the 1:00 show.

Paul Schamburg is coming to speak with us on Thursday next week about tolerance and diversity.

Friday, the 16th we are watching the third grade play, then off to Princess Theaters to watch Alvin and the Chipmunks. Lunch at school between play and movies.

AR deadline is Monday, 19th. AR popcorn and movie that day.
Classroom Christmas parties at 12:30 on Tuesday the 20th. Please check the form to let us know what you plan to bring.

November 29-December 7

These are vocabulary words for this week. Spelling Choice Due Wednesday, Dec. 7. Spelling Test will also be Wednesday, Dec. 7.

1. Stricken
2. Donned
3. Segment
4. Insolently
5. Strident
6. Faint
7. Bulky
8. Tantalize
9. Hasty
10. Warily
11. Ignore
12. Brave
13. Conceal
14. Halt
15. Temporary
16. Avoid
17. Synonym
18. Antonym
19. Dialogue
20. Genre

This week we are finishing up our novel, Number the Stars. We plan to watch a documentary called Paper Clips, and have a guest speaker come talk about diversity, tolerance, and acceptance to end our unit on the Holocaust.
We will be reading some Norse Myths and some stories from the Storyworks Magazine in December.

November 21-22

A Reading Sheet called "Bonsai" was sent home today. Students are to read with an adult and answer questions. Due Tuesday.

Number the Stars Vocabulary Chapters 7-9

1. Assignment Due Tuesday: Use these words in written form. Choices could include, but not limited to, these options: 3 times each, spelling city activity, make up a story using the word, or create a crossword puzzle or word search.

2. Define each word on this page, using power point definitions given in class.



Deftly

Gnarled

Hearse

Relocate

Reluctantly

Ruefully

Specter

Splintery

Sulking

Urgency

Symbolism

Allusion

Simile

Personification

Cliffhanger

Number the Stars Vocabulary Words Chapters 1-6

Week of November 7-11
Flashback
Obstinate
Occupation
Sabotage
Impassive
Trousseau
Fiancé
Rationed
Haughtily
Analogy
Imperious
Imprinted
Submerged
Synagogue
Tension

October 31-November 4

Words for this week:
attain
barter
decline
mince
mutter
quench
redeem
testify
tremble
volley
Nazi
dictator
resistance
sabotage
Holocaust
tolerance
Denmark
Danes
Europe
relocation

Students will be reading/learning about World War II and the Holocaust. This week we are building our background information through reading stories, power point presentations and watching video footage. Very sad unit of study! I hope the students learn about tolerance through this unit.

October 24-28

Accomplishment
Condition
Genes
Intentionally
Terrorism
Ashamed
Fascinating
Inherited
Rehearsing
Traits
Island
Canyon
Peninsula
Isthmus
Volcano
Mountain
Plain
Plateau
Valley
Hill


Our Reading Goals include:
1. Identifying the main idea and supporting details
2. Compare how two texts approach a similar theme or topic
3. Make text to self and text to text connections
4. Identifying text features.
We will be reading an article about Bullying and Diversity from the Storyworks Magazine.

In Social Studies we will be learning about different landforms (those in spelling list) and preparing for our Veteran's Day Program.

October 17-21

Spelling and Vocabulary Words for October 17-21
Revolution
Solstice
Equinox
Orbit
Solar system
Abbot
Brazen
Camouflaged
Clutches
Conviction
Corrupt
Cunning
Ere
Forsooth
Friars
Hearken
Jest
Liege
Sovereign
Venison

Words in bold come from our “Robin Hood” story we will be reading this week. Notice some of them sound like Old English. We will be discussing the difference in modern and old English. Field trip to see the play Thursday!

Learning Goals in Reading:
1. Recognize the elements of a folktale.
2. Identify the main idea and supporting details
3. Comprehend events in a folktale, and place events in Chronological Order.
4. Compare the experience of watching a play to reading the story.
Social Studies Goals:
1. To describe how the Earth moves in space.
2. Explain why the Earth’s seasons change.
3. Practice map/geography skills.

October 10

Spelling Word List: (yes, only 6 words)

evacuation

ferocious

jolt

mandatory

rickety

wailing



*Be able to describe how an event affects a character and distinguish fact from opinion.



Social Studies:

We are finishing our unit on North America. Students should be able to label all the states and capitals on a US map. There are several websites and ipad/ipod apps out there that have practice activities for states and capitals.

September 30

Field Trip to the Quilt Museum Friday. Have a nice fall break!

Spelling and Vocabulary Words for September 26-30

TEST THURSDAY, September 29

absolute
regions
hemisphere
projection
meridian
grid
longitude
Robinson
hurricane
equator
coordinates
location
latitude
Geography
Mercator
relative

Students will also learn about the Southeastern States and Capitals. From Kentucky, over to Virginia, Washington, DC, and North Carolina, all the way south from Louisana to Florida. We will test Thursday over these states and capitals, and have a final states and capitals test the week we get back from Fall Break.

September 19-23

This week, we will be finalizing our novel unit with Where the Red Fern Grows. Students will be answering "constructed responses" and reading stories that have connections with the novel. Spelling words are:

contrast
attorney
architect
culprit
ancestor
client
peasants
personification
descendant
comrade
foreshadowing
climax
miser
conflict
resolution
compare
theme
personnel
realtor
population

In Social Studies, students are learning about the Robinson Projection Map and they will finish the Northeastern states, by learning the states and capitals of the Mid-Atlantic States:

Albany, New York
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Trenton, New Jersey
Annapolis, Maryland
Dover, Delaware

States and Capitals for this week

Augusta, Maine
Concord, New Hampshire
Montpelier, Vermont
Boston, Massachusetts
Providence, Rhode Island
Hartford, Connecticut

TEST THURSDAY!
No school Friday!

September 12-16

There will be NO SPELLING words this week! We are finishing Where the Red Fern Grows, and working on open/constructive responses about the book.
In Social Studies we are learning the Northeastern States and capitals. I will post exact states Monday. We will also be learning about exact and absolute location.
No school Friday!

September 6-9

Social Studies:
States and Capitals for The Great Lake States

Madison, Wisconsin
Springfield, Illinois
Indianapolis, Indiana
Columbus, Ohio
Lansing, Michigan

Map Skills: Climate Zones of the United States

Reading:
We will begin the last four chapters of Where the Red Fern Grows
Spelling Words:
wound
fatal
wonderful
petrified
sleet
legend
prayer
campground
challenge
beautiful
proud
unconscious
championship
receive
blizzard
miracle
peaceful
sacred
sprain
loyalty

Aug 29-Sept 2.

In Reading this week, we will read chapters 11-15 in the book, Where the Red Fern Grows. Students are recognizing figurative language in the book, such as personification, similes, metaphors, hyperboles, and idioms. Students are also analyzing how the author develops the point of view and the plot in the episodes of this story.

Spelling Words for this week:
drizzle, miracle, numb, tobacco, impossible, ghost, chores, accident, fault, graveyard, chill, oldest, luckiest, liquor, blood, campground, qualified, coffee, champion, and stubborn. Students will be given a three times each sheet and a cursive writing practice sheet for these words on Monday and Tuesday. Three times each due Wednesday, and cursive writing due on Thursday.

In Social Studies this week, students will learn about map grids and indexes, and seven of the Midwestern states and capitals:
Bismark, North Dakota
Pierre, South Dakota
Lincoln, Nebraska
Topeka, Kansas
St. Paul, Minnesota
Des Moines, Iowa
Jefferson City, Missouri

Reading and Social Studies

In Reading Class, we will be reading chapters 6-10 of Where the Red Fern Grows.
Spelling/Voc Words for Aug. 22-26. 3X Each due Wednesday, Spelling Test Friday:
welcome
puzzle
grief
strawberry
education
curious
metal
laughter
confidence
biggest
straight
lessons
season
lantern
approve
fearless
blister
solution
ugly
speech
In Social Studies, students will be learning about the Southwestern States and Capitals:
Pheonix, Arizona
Santa Fe, New Mexico
Austin, Texas
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Students should also be working on their research for the Ozarks, and the state of Oklahoma. They have the information sheet about that in their binders.

Reading and Social Studies August 15-19

In Social Studies this week the students will need to be able to fill in the US Map with these Western states and their capitals:
Juneau, Alaska
Sacramento, California
Denver, Colorado
Honolulu, Hawaii
Boise, Idaho
Helena, Montana
Carson City, Nevada
Salem, Oregon
Salt Lake City, Utah
Olympia, Washington
Cheyenne, Wyoming
We will also be identifying parallels, meridians, longitude and latitude on the globe.

In Reading, we will start the novel: Where the Red Fern Grows, by Wilson Rawls.
Spelling and Vocabulary Words from the novel:
hound
disease
territory
determination
school
stomach
dreams
nervous
courage
lawns
hunting
delicate
prowl
treasure
marshal
journey
sacrifice
kennel
railroad
outskirts
Test Friday, spelling choice due Tuesday, definitions due Thursday, Sentences due as we read in class.

Welcome Back to School!

I hope everyone had a great start to a great school year! Thursday and Friday we spent getting to know one another, discussing routines and procedures, and seeing how many states we can identify on a blank U.S. map. The students had a good time filling in their map using dice with a partner. (They will have to tell you how that worked!)

Notes about class:
We will be starting a unit in Reading class called "Where I Belong." The novel, Where the Red Fern Grows, will be the novel reading this nine weeks. Also, stories from the textbook and other sources will be read in class. The daily Reading homework will be to read each night for at least 20 minutes. Other times, there may be comprehension questions, or vocabulary/spelling assignments to complete.

In Social Studies, we will be learning about North America this nine weeks. By the end of the nine weeks, the students should be able to label the U.S. map with names of states and capitals for all 50 states, and identify the regions of the United States. We will also learn to use map/atlas skills each day.

I am looking forward to working with your child! Please feel free to contact me anytime if you ever have questions or concerns.

Vocabulary/Spelling Words for Aug. 8-12
fiction
nonfiction
sharecropper
acquire
drone
instinctively
savor
hesitantly
California
Sacramento
Washington
Olympia
Oregon
Salem
Pacific
Northwest
Alaska
Juneau
Hawaii
Honolulu

Testing April 25-May 12

We will be testing for the next few weeks. In class, we are reading a book called, The Slave Dancer, by Paula Fox. The following lists all events until the last day of school:

· 6th grade will plant the 6th grade class tree on Friday, April 29 at 11:30. Feel free to join us as we plant the tree!
· Loyal Leaders Trip to Brandon Springs April 29-30. Leaving at 1:00 Friday, return at 2:30 Saturday.
· Thursday, May 5th, PTO meeting and AR reading night from 5 p.m.- 7 p.m.
· CATS TESTING AND IOWA TESTING WINDOW April 25-May 13. Please avoid absences from school during testing!
· Rachel’s Challenge Rally May 16 at the GCHS Football Stadium
· No School Tuesday, May 17
· Good Faith Effort Field Trip May 18 to Kess Park

• 100 point club AR Pizza Party May 19

· Knight to Remember 6pm, Thursday, May 19. ALL SIXTH GRADE students need to attend!
· AR FIELD TRIP to the Sports Plex in Paducah on Friday, May 20. Lunch at Fazolis.
· Awards Day 1:00 on May 23—Last day of school for students

week of April 18

This week we will start the novel, The Slave Dancer, by Paula Fox, and review what we have learned and know about Reading. Testing starts the week of April 25. We will test Tues, Wed, and Thurs for two weeks in Reading and Math. The following week, May 9, students will take the IOWA test of basic skills in Reading, Language, and Math. Students need to meet their yearly AR goal of 78 points by May 18. The AR field trip to the Sports Plex and Fazoli's is May 20.

Week of March 21

Dippin' Dots forms and money due by Friday, March 25. They will be delivered April 1 @ 2:15.

Words for this week:
warily
destined
dominate
bearing
agony
trek
bondage
prosper

Week Of March 14

This week's words:
advantage
appropriate
competent
conscious
familiar
formal
legible
practical
tolerable
satisfied

March 2-11

This week we are reading folktales and informational texts. Students will recognize the use of text features and organizational patterns in non-fiction writing.

Vocabulary Words:

Text Features
Organizational Patterns
Compare and Contrast
Cause and Effect
Chronological Order
Sequence
Order of Importance
Problem and Solution
admire
determine
evaluate
exaggerate
hesitate
negotiate
prohibit
provoke
reserve
substitute
hyperbole

Feb. 21-25

Vocabulary/Spelling Words:
folktales
tone
point-of-view
author's purpose
troublesome
shuffle
burrow
custom
elders
twisted-mind

Monday: Introduction of Folktales
Reading "The Boy Who Lived with the Bears"

Tuesday: Tour GCMS

Wednesday/Thursday: Continuous Assessment in Reading

Friday: Review/Correct Continuous Assessments

In Class Feb. 7-11

There will be no vocabulary words this week. We are working on designing and painting our clay pots as an art activity related to the book we just finished, A Single Shard.

We will create an advertisment using the persuasive techniques we learned about at the beginning of this nine weeks.

Progress Reports need to be signed and sent back to school.

Field Trip to Carson Center on the 15th to see "We the People." Lunch at Fazoli's.

Coming up for the rest of this nine weeks: Continuous Assessments in Reading and Math, IOWA Test of Basic Skills PRACTICE, and reading folktales.

January 24-28 in Reading Class

We are continuing to read A Single Shard, by Linda Sue Park. Students have study guide questions to complete each day after reading.

We are also working on grammar skills, such as correct usage of subjects, verb, quotation marks, and contractions.

We received pen pal letters from a class in New York. We will write back to them ASAP!

Vocabulary Words:
A Single Shard Voc. Chapters 7-10

haranguing:
exulted:
plaintive:
intricate:
noxious:
remiss:
serenity:
frenetically:
decreed
endeavor
foraging
grimacing
impeccable
meager
progressively
trepidation
conflict
climax
resolution
theme

Please send a clay pot to school by Feb. 1!!!

January 10-14

We are starting the novel, A Single Shard this week. Students will complete vocabulary, comprehension, and writing activities about the book.

This week's spelling and vocabulary words:
A Single Shard Ch 1-2 vocabulary Novel-ties


1. arid
2. momentum
3. complied
4. oblivious
5. cowered
6. perusal
7. derision
8. precariously
9. impudence
10. prosperity

Literary terms:
11. Simile
12. Metaphor
13. Personification
14. Internal conflict
15. External conflict