Bridge to Terabithia

On the Thursday, June 4, the 6th grade team will be showing the 2007 Walt Disney movie, Bridge to Terabithia. Below you will find a brief overview of the movie and a link to the Disney website where information about the movie is provided. If you do not want your child to participate in this activity, please contact any member of the 6th grade team.

Movie Overview:
Animation master Gabor Csupo directs his first live-action film in this adaptation of the novel The Bridge to Terabithia, by Katherine Paterson, whose son David co-wrote the screenplay and serves as a producer. Jess (Josh Hutcherson) is misunderstood. Despite Jess' talents as an artist, the school bullies pick on him, his father (Robert Patrick) belittles his dreams, and his four sisters invade his space in the family's cramped house. Jess' bleak world changes when Leslie (Annasophia Robb) moves into the house next door. Bright, creative and outspoken, Leslie also finds herself an outsider in their school. Soon the two are thick as thieves, spending their after school hours exploring the woods beyond their backyards and on the others side of a creek, which Leslie deems the kingdom of Terabithia. Here, they create their own magical world, complete with a Dark Master and his minions, dragonfly soldiers, giant trolls and a tree house fortress. In Terabithia, the two friends let their imaginations run wild and control their destiny, far away from school bullies and the pressures of adolescence.

http://disney.go.com/disneyvideos/liveaction/bridgetoterabithia/

The Home-stretch...

Now that the research is over, students are typing an outline that they'll use when they give their speech. Next on the agenda is creating a bibliography and PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE!

Important dates:
May 22nd- Brainstorm Prop and Visual Aid Ideas & Rehearse
May 26th -Rehearse, Outline & Bibliography Due
May 27th & 28th - Presentations

In reading, we've been comparing different forms of fiction including realistic, fantasy, and science in the Literature books.

Literature Circles Update

A few weeks ago, Miss Coppoletta & Mrs. Mixon started literature circles in the classroom.
Each student was put into a group and given a variety of tasks to complete while reading. These tasks require students to pay close attention while reading in order to highlight specific parts of the text. They are responsible for creating a discussion around these particular tasks during their group meetings.

When the groups meet to discuss the chapters, the tasks completed are used as a guide for their discussion. As we've seen recently, students are starting to have true, deep discussions about the text, rather than superficial responses to questions. For example, students are connecting personally, making inferences, and critiquing their novel studies.

We've asked the students to reflect on themselves as well as the group after each meeting. Overall, we've had very positive feedback on this process. We hope to implement literature circles in the beginning of next year with the new 6th graders.

Literature Circles

Literature circles are small temporary groups of students who read the same book. These groups meet on a regular, predictable schedule to discuss their reading. The discussion topics come from students, who use written or drawn notes and questions to guide both their reading and discussion. The aim of the meetings is to be an open, natural conversation about books, so personal connections, digressions, and open-ended questions are welcome! I will serve only as a facilitator, not a group member or instructor. Therefore, the success of the discussion is truly based on students preparation for and participation in the meetings. Students will be evaluated by my observation and a self-evaluation. When students have finished their books, they will share with the class themes, summaries, and highlights from their discussions in a creative way.

Ask your student about their experience thus far!

4th Period Reading...Interviews were a GREAT success!

An excited group after having completed our interviews!

Mrs. Mixon and I are so proud of our 4th period reading students and their delivery of the biography project. Students were required selected a peer-partner and person to study. Each pair read a different biography about the same person and took Cornell Notes to record important information. The different perspectives provided an abundance of information from which students turned into creative interviews – one student taking the role of the person discussed in their biography, while the other student became an interviewer. Overall, students demonstrated an ENORMOUS amount of knowledge and creativity in their interviews.

Thank you to all parents who joined the class and observed the presentations!

Compare & Contrast

Today, we finished our grammar unit on capitalization and punctuation. Next week we learn how to write a Compare-and-Contrast composition.

Here is a list of guidelines to remember when writing a compare-contrast composition:

- Choose two subjects you can compare and contrast easily.
- Write an engaging introduction that names your two subjects.
- Compare and contrast corresponding details for each subject.
- Select a method of organization, and stick to it from beginning to end.
- Use topic sentences to state the main idea of paragraphs.
- Use transitional words and phrases to compare and contrast.
- Write a conclusion that sums up your main ideas in a satisfying way.

Students with have freedom to select their own topic. When they complete their composition, students will present to the class. I am very excited to hear what students come up with.

Happy Saint Patrick's Day!

Fun Facts:

- The shamrock, a symbol of Ireland and registered trademark of the Republic of Ireland.


- The shamrock, which has three leaves, is often confused with the four-leaf clover. The four- leaf clover is an uncommon variation of the common three-leaf clover. Traditionally it is a common activity for children to look for these and it is considered good luck to find one

- The word shamrock comes from the Irish word seamróg or seamair óg, meaning "little clover".

- The tradition of wearing Shamrock on Saint Patrick's Day can be traced back to the early 1700s.

- For good luck, it's usually included in the bouquet of an Irish bride, and also in the boutonniere of the groom.

- In the 19th century it became a symbol of rebellion and began to be strongly associated with Irish identity. Apparently anyone wearing it risked death by hanging. People even ate the shamrock in times of famine.