Is Your Game Face On?

Gamers: Bumgarner, Hudson, and Cain

District Writing Assessment: Argument Essay  It may be Friday, but we're not slacking. Lace up your spikes, get your game face on, and let's start writing as a team! Today will be our last class day to work on our Argument Essays. I am available to help and answer any questions you may have. I've also placed two different transition word lists into each of your new Hapara Language Arts folders. Transitions help provide continuity between ideas and organization and structure to your writing. Use

them! Deadline: Your Argument Essay is due on Tuesday, May 12. Don't strike out! Hit a home run!

Homework  In addition to working on your Argument Essay, please make sure to do at least one more 30 minute session of silent reading at home. Record your reading on one of the digital reading logs available. Our weekly Google Form reading log is here and the Google Spreadsheet reading log can be found here. Deadline: I will be checking this week's reading log on Monday, May 11. You should have made, at the very least, three entries for the week.  

Introducing Hapara and Argument Writing

Introduction to Hapara  Good morning! We are going to learn about an exciting new technology program today that is going to make my life as a teacher and your lives as students so much easier. Turning in, organizing, and locating student digital work has been a major problem for many of us. Hapara is about to change all of that. Watch the brief video above to learn how it works.  

Google Drive/Hapara Assignment Management  Now that we understand a little about how Hapara works, we're going put the program to use within our own Google Drives. Open Google Drive now and follow along with Mr. McGinty as he shows you your new Hapara class folders, how to access new assignments, and how to move assignments from your old class folders to your new ones. If you need additional information about how to access, move, and share documents check out the link here. Mr. McGinty will also show you what he is able to see on his own screen and how Hapara is going to make his job as a teacher much more effective.  

District Writing Assessment: Argument Essay  We have examined the prompt, analyzed the supporting texts, discussed the issues involved, chosen our point of view, and started organizing our ideas by pre-writing. Now it's time to start writing the actual essay. Within your newly created Hapara Language Arts folders you will find three documents: (1.) The essay template you will use to write your essay. (2.) An Argument Essay Outline to help you structure your essay. (3.) And an Argument Essay Checklist to remind you of the elements you must include. You will have today and tomorrow to write your essay. You may begin now. Please let me know if you have any questions.   

Homework  (1.) Please work on your Argument Essay outside of class. (2.) 30 minutes of silent reading at home. Make sure to record your reading on one of the digital reading logs available. Our weekly Google Form reading log is here and the Google Spreadsheet reading log can be found here.
  

District Writing Assessment - Argument Writing

Video Warm-Up  Let's watch the short video above together as a class. How do the ideas about technology use presented in the video relate to the issues we are exploring in our Argument Essay assignment? 

Argument Essay - Pre-Writing  Now that we've read the source texts and explored the issues involved, it's time for us to take a clear stand and begin to develop our own ideas. Use the pre-writing document here to organize your own thinking and start developing your essay. 

District Writing Assessment - Argument Writing

Argument Writing: Analyzing Supporting Texts and Determining Our Position Today we will continue to analyze a series of supporting source texts related to the use of digital technology, which will guide us in thinking about the issues involved, help us take a clear position in the debate, and provide us with evidence to support our thinking. 

Task 1: Read and examine Source # 2 in small groups. Read Source # 2 together in small groups. Look for evidence that supports both sides of the debate and include it on your evidence notetaking guide, which you can still find here.  

Task 2: Read and examine Source # 3 independently. Read Source # 3 on your own. As you read, continue to look for evidence that support the two positions at stake in this debate. Write your evidence using the same evidence document.  

Task 3: Evaluate evidence and determine your position.  Your job now is to carefully examine and evaluate the evidence from both sides and come to a determination on where you stand on the issue. Should we shut down our screens for a week or not? Once you have decided on your position, you will write a clear statement on where you stand at the bottom of the evidence document you've been using. This statement may ultimately end up serving as the thesis statement for your Argument Essay.

Now that you've taken a position, tomorrow you will begin to organize your thinking, and start the process of writing your Argument essay.  

Homework  30 minutes of silent reading at home. Make sure to record your reading on one of the digital reading logs available. Our weekly Google Form reading log is here and the Google Spreadsheet reading log can be found here.

To Unplug or Not Unplug? (That is the question!)

Writing Warm-Up  What do you see as both the benefits and the problems with the use of technology and electronic media? How do computers, smart phones, Chromebooks, and services such as Google, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat help us? Additionally, what issues can arise from their use or overuse? Explain your initial thinking here.  

Argument Writing: Examining the Prompt and Supporting Texts  It's time for the District Writing Assessment! We will be writing Argument Essays in which we take a position on the use of electronic media. Today we will examine the prompt and begin to analyze a series of supporting source texts, which will guide us in thinking about the issues involved, help us take a clear position in the debate, and provide us with evidence to support our thinking. 

Task 1: Examine the prompt. I will provide you with a paper copy of the District Writing Assessment for Argument Writing packet. We will read the prompt together, review key vocabulary, and make sure we have a clear understanding of what we are being asked to do.  

Task 2: Read and examine Source # 1 together. As we read and re-read the text together as a class, we need to think about which side of the debate the evidence supports. You will take supporting evidence notes using the document here.  

Task 3: Read and examine Source # 2 in small groups. Read Source # 2 together in small groups. Look for evidence that supports both sides of the debate and include it on your evidence notetaking guide.  

Task 4: Read and examine Source # 3 independently. Read Source # 3 on your own. As you read, continue to look for evidence that support the two positions at stake in this debate. Write your evidence using the same evidence document.  

Tomorrow you will be tasked with reexamining the prompt, the source documents, and your gathered evidence, and determining exactly where you stand on this issue. Once you take a position, you will begin to organize your thinking, and start the process of writing your Argument essay.  

Happy (Friday)!

Warm Up: A.R. Check  Happy Friday! Today is the official half-way point of the 4th quarter. You should have achieved half of your Accelerated Reader goal by now. Have you? Let's check here. If you came up short, you need to recommit yourself to reading. How do you plan on making reading a bigger priority during these final weeks of 6th grade? How can I support you? Just to remind you, A.R. makes up a sizable percentage of your final Language Arts grade.  

Newsela: Nonfiction Reading Practice  Please visit Newsela and log in. Click on 'Binder' and locate the article entitled "In Afghanistan, childhood is often a full-time job." Make sure the reading level is set to 950L (Grade Level: 6). Read the article carefully and answer the questions. 

Digital Portfolio: Free Working Time  Today is your last day to work on your Digital Portfolio in class for a while. Use this time wisely. Many of you have spent a lot of time personalizing your page with cool themes, layouts, fonts, and images. As important as that is, remember, the main focus of your portfolio should be on the academic content. Have you included at least one digital assignment for each category of the template? Have you begun to explain, analyze, and reflect on these assignments? Today I plan on touching base with each of you about the status of your Google Site, so be prepared to share questions, concerns, and/or successes. 

Even though we will not be dedicating a lot class time to working on the Digital Portfolio after today, you should continue to work on it, fine-tuning the layout, adding new assignments, and analyzing and reflecting on your work. Final Deadline: Friday, May 16. 

Homework  30 minutes of silent reading at home. Make sure to record your reading on one of the digital reading logs available. Our weekly Google Form reading log is here and the Google Spreadsheet reading log can be found here.  Deadline: I will be checking this week's reading log on Monday, May 5. You should have made at the very least three entries for the week.   

Creating a Digital Portfolio (Adding and Managing Pages)

Creating a Digital Portfolio (Adding and Managing Pages)  The original Digital Portfolio template I provided you came loaded with a series of pre-built pages. As you continue to build and personalize your Google Site, however, you may decide that you want to add, delete, or edit these pages. Maybe there is another assignment or accomplishment category that you want to add or maybe there is one I originally included that you want to get rid of. Perhaps you simply want to change the name of a page or the order they appear on in the navigation section of your website. Today's mini-lesson will show you how to do all of this. We will stop the videos periodically to answer questions and let your practice and play on your own website. 

                                              How to Add Pages in Google Sites

How to Edit Navigation in Google Sites

Homework  (1.) Continue working on your Digital Portfolio. Deadline: Your completed Digital Portfolio must be completed by Friday, May 16. (2.)  30 minutes of silent reading at home.  Make sure to record your reading on one of the digital reading logs available. Our weekly Google Form reading log is here and the Google Spreadsheet reading log can be found here.