Human Growth & Development Portfolio

Please answer all worksheets in packet, and complete the week-long Healthy Kids packet as well. It is due no later than Friday, March 26, 2010.

Science Fair Projects

Each student must complete a Science Fair Project worth 250 points for the backboard, exhibits, and portfolio. The oral presentation of the project to the class is an additional 50 points.

This year, Mister Roach has relaxed the requirement that the Science Fair Project had to fall within Earth Science. Students may explore something they are wondering about; however, please avoid copying a previous Science Fair project by others.

California STAR Testing

The STAR tests are scheduled in the windows from May 3, 2010 through May 18, 2010.

Speech Contest: PEACE, What It Means To Me

[YES! Everyone must write a speech; it is Sixth Grade Standards.]

2009 – 2010 EVERGREEN SPEECH CONTEST

TOPIC:     Peace, What It Means to Me
TIMELINE:    __December – preparation, see attached information and materials
__January 5–16 – Classroom practice and contests
__January 21 – Grade-level finals, see below
__February 3 – District Speech Contest at Chaboya Middle School

Dear Fourth through Sixth Grade Students:

The Evergreen School District’s annual Speech Contest will take place on February 3 at Chaboya Middle School. This year’s topic, “Peace – What It Means to Me”, is an exciting one because the concept of peace is meaningful and different for everyone. Student speeches will characterize what peace means to you in either a global, local, family or personal context and describe why peace is essential in the world or community you live in.

Speech limit for fourth and fifth grade students is 300 words and sixth graders are limited to a speech of 400 words. No props, costumes, or microphones will be used. Students will be judged based on a fifty-point scale:

Content            20 points
Vocabulary/Structure    10 points
Expression/Projection    10 points
Poise/Body Movement    10 points

Each school is allowed one finalist and one alternate for each grade level. The following timeline will be used:

December – January 21    Preparation of student speeches and                                 classroom speech presentations
January 21            Norwood Creek Grade-level Contests
January 25 – February 2    Finalist practice for District contest
February 3            District Speech Contest, Chaboya Middle
School

Good Luck!

Sincerely,

Mister Roach

Student-Parent-Teacher Confereces

Since students are becoming the independent learners who manage their learning activities, it is vital that each student create and lead the agenda for the conference. In this way, we reinforce for the student their growing role of personal responsibility for their learning. If the student is unable to attend the scheduled conference, please reschedule.

Persuasive Essay Standards

Writing a persuasive essay may seem simple on the surface; however, simple does not mean easy. Nevertheless, every study in our class has the ability to master the writing skill of persuasion. Applying and practicing the formula will assist in mastering an end product that passes.

As in most essays, the persuasive essay fits the five paragraph model very well, in 3 parts: 1) introduction, 2) body, and 3) conclusion. The introduction and conclusion are solid paragraphs with specific functions. The body develops the main ‘PRO’ and ‘CON’ elements, with the ‘PRO’ side supporting the thesis introduced at the end of the first paragraph, and reviewed as the the first sentence of the concluding paragaph.

Writing Skills: Sixth Grade Proficiency

In preparing for the Sixth Grade Writing Proficiency, we are working towards developing a wide range of skills:

• Writing process

1. pre-planning, planning and
2. writing first draft, every-other-line
3. revising (using BLUE ink traditionally) by using powerful words, feeling words, adding transitions, creating sentence variety, building tight paragraphs (working on ‘foggy writing’), etc.
4. editing (typically using RED ink) by removing redundant words, checking grammar, word usage, punctuation, and spelling. [Re-write the much-revised and edited work, every-other-line, for the next 'draft', and then read it aloud to yourself or someone else.]
5. publishing the final copy after it has been polished and perfected many times.

• Planning a Story or Narrative must include descriptions of the characters and setting(s), a series of rising actions leading to the climax of the plot, with resolution of the conflict or problem in the falling action. Avoid writing “The End” or any equivalent redundant expression.
• Planning for an essay must include:

1. Introduction paragraph that starts with a ‘hook’, leading information that introduces each main idea paragaph, a strong thesis sentence, and a transition to the first main idea paragraph.
2. Main Idea Number 1 paragraph should have a clear topic sentence, a couple of supporting ideas, and extensive details that support the main idea. Anecdotes are welcome as well as statistical facts. Of course, using transition words is important!
3. Main Idea Number 2 should build on the thesis of the introductory paragraph with another main idea, supporting ideas, and details.
4. Main Idea Number 3 should also support the thesis of the essay. Supporting ideas, and details are essential; transitions are imperative.
5. A Conclusion is one option for the final paragraph; a Summary is the other option. The easiest is probably the summary, since it is a restatement of the main thesis, and the three main ideas with a concluding sentence. In a conclusion, the thesis is restated, with the position clearly restated, and the acknowledging of opposing positions.

Math Benchmark & Review Portfolio

We are reviewing for the Sixth Grade Math Proficiency, which will be given next week. All review materials, quizzes, tests, and practice benchmarks are to be assembled into a portfolio with a table of contents. (Glossary is optional)

Please study Math every day, since moving information from first-exposure into working memory and then into long-term memory is best acomplished by regular study  and review, over several days. That allows the brain to process the information during REM sleep time for recall.

One very important strategy: get a good night’s sleep every night, especially the night before a test!

Mister Roach

Walter Roach

(Log in at http://no.schoolloop.com to see grades)

Missing portfolios – Late Work

Several students have missed turning in portfolios of assignments for several chapters in various subjects. As a reminder, a portfolio (and its accompanying checkbric) are due for each chapter. Since it is a learning process, Mister Roach allows students to turn in late work for a modest penalty in points (10%) during the first trimester. The late work cutoff is November 4, 2009.

All portfolios of assignments span at least one week, and most of them are 2 weeks of work or more. Not turning it in causes a ‘ZERO’ in the grade book, which is a very low grade! In case a reminder is needed, portfolios have been assigned to date for:

• Reading: “Hatchet”
• Reading: “Passage to Freedom”
• Reading: “Climb or Die”
• Math6: Chapter 1, Lessons 1-6 – Algebra & Functions
• Math6: Chapter 1, Lessons 7-9 – Algebra Expressions, Equations, Properties
• Math6: Chapter 2 – Integers
• History: Chapter 1 – Tools of History
• History: Chapter 2 -
• Science: Chapter 6 – Plate Tectonics
• Science: Chapter 7 – Earthquake

Any of these that were graded and returned incomplete for just a few points may be re-submitted. Any that are missing may be completed and turned in. The absolute cut-off for late work acceptance is November 4, 2009.