SUPPLY LIST
I would like for each student to come prepared each day with the following:
- A two inch three ring binder with PLENTY of paper (to be shared with social studies)
- Dividers for your binder (5; see below for organization)
- 2 folders with holes so they can be inserted into your binder; also, please try to have folders that are not see-through/clear
- a composition notebook
- Pencils and/or pens (whatever your preference to write with) as well as a red pen for editing
- highlighters
- post it notes
Please also be sure to always come prepared with whatever text we are reading as a class as well.
For those interested in helping contribute to the class supply needs, here is a link to my Amazon Wish List.
How to Organize Your Notebook for Ms. Puritis’s Class
Part of your class supply list is having a three ring binder, as well as dividers. You should have your notebook with you every day and have paper to write on every day! This is how your notebook should be divided:
Section 1: CLASSROOM DOCUMENTS: This is where your syllabus, reading list, etc. should go.
Section 2- CURRENT ASSIGNMENTS: Place the current instructions to long term/short term projects and assessments in this section for easy access.
Section 3- BELL WORK: We will begin every class with a form of Bell Work. Be sure to date your work each day and keep it in order in this section of your notebook.
Section 4- READING: Any notes or assignments we do regarding the reading of short stories, novels, plays, poems, etc will go into this section of your notebook.
Section 5- GRADED ASSESSMENTS: Any quizzes, tests, daily work, etc. that has been graded should be put in this section in chronological order.
Class Description:
This language arts class is designed to build on your previous knowledge and increase communications skills through reading, writing, speaking, and the study of the English language. Our primary focus in language arts class will be mastery of different writing styles, demonstration of the rules of grammar, and the ability to understand and connect to messages and themes from our readings. We will read a variety of fiction and non-fiction including novels, short stories, dramas, poetry, and essays. We will often make connections to what we are reading in our writing exercises. Writing assignments will include timed responses, essays, critiques, and creative pieces. Vocabulary, spelling, and grammar will be graded through our writing assignments, but we will also work on these areas through workbooks(Vocabulary Workshop) and bell work. Because we are a community of learners, please also expect to work periodically in group situations and to present information to your peers in groups or individually. Please understand that at-home reading is expected and is a component of our course. You should be reading every night. |
At the End of This Course, Students Should:
- Analyze how chapters of a book, scenes of a play, or stanzas of a poem fit into the overall structure of the piece and contribute to the development of ideas or themes.- Evaluate the argument and specific claims in written materials or a speech, and distinguish claims that are supported by reasons and evidence. - Write arguments that provide clear reasons and relevant evidence. - Write brief essays that examine a topic, have a clear focus, and include relevant facts and details. - Conduct short research projects to answer a question. Draw on several sources, and sharpen the focus based on the research findings. - Review and paraphrase key ideas and multiple perspectives of a speaker. - Recognize variations from standard English in his or her own and others’ writing and speaking, and use this knowledge to improve language use. - Begin to determine the correct meaning of a word based on the context in which it is used (primarily through Vocabulary Workshop). |
Assigned Reading and Book Summaries
Aside from numerous short stories and independent reading books, we will read the following novels together as a class in 2020-2021: Wonder by RJ Palacio; I Will Always Write Back by Caitlin Alifirenka, Martin Ganda, and Liz Welch; The Outsiders by SE Hinton; The Giver by Lois Lowry; and The Odyssey.
WAAS has a copy of each text for the students to borrow, but I do encourage each student and their family to consider buying their own copy of the books. It is so much easier to be a strong, active reader when you are able to mark in the book. This tremendously aids in building reading comprehension skills. Additionally, students will read some of the these books again in high school and college. Having your own copy is not mandatory, just suggested. Keep in mind, though, that if you use WAAS's copy, you must take care of it, or you will have to replace it.
These reading selections will ask us to take a good look at our culture (past and present) and at our selves. I stand by my choice in selecting all of the novels, short stories, poems, and/or plays that we will read this year, but if you are honestly uncomfortable reading a text, please come to me immediately so that we can rectify the situation. I am including a brief summary of the texts listed above for families to have an understanding of what we will be gaining through reading and studying these texts. I know we can learn a great deal from these novels, but it is important that you feel comfortable reading them in order to open to learning from them, so please do not hesitate to contact me should you not feel at ease. Another text will be assigned to you, and you will be in no way penalized.
Aside from numerous short stories and independent reading books, we will read the following novels together as a class in 2020-2021: Wonder by RJ Palacio; I Will Always Write Back by Caitlin Alifirenka, Martin Ganda, and Liz Welch; The Outsiders by SE Hinton; The Giver by Lois Lowry; and The Odyssey.
WAAS has a copy of each text for the students to borrow, but I do encourage each student and their family to consider buying their own copy of the books. It is so much easier to be a strong, active reader when you are able to mark in the book. This tremendously aids in building reading comprehension skills. Additionally, students will read some of the these books again in high school and college. Having your own copy is not mandatory, just suggested. Keep in mind, though, that if you use WAAS's copy, you must take care of it, or you will have to replace it.
These reading selections will ask us to take a good look at our culture (past and present) and at our selves. I stand by my choice in selecting all of the novels, short stories, poems, and/or plays that we will read this year, but if you are honestly uncomfortable reading a text, please come to me immediately so that we can rectify the situation. I am including a brief summary of the texts listed above for families to have an understanding of what we will be gaining through reading and studying these texts. I know we can learn a great deal from these novels, but it is important that you feel comfortable reading them in order to open to learning from them, so please do not hesitate to contact me should you not feel at ease. Another text will be assigned to you, and you will be in no way penalized.
Brief summary of I Will Always Write Back: It started as an assignment. Everyone in Caitlin's class wrote to an unknown student somewhere in a distant place. All the other kids picked countries like France or Germany, but when Caitlin saw Zimbabwe written on the board, it sounded like the most exotic place she had ever heard of--so she chose it.
Martin was lucky to even receive a pen pal letter. There were only ten letters, and forty kids in his class. But he was the top student, so he got the first one. That letter was the beginning of a correspondence that spanned six years and changed two lives.In this compelling dual memoir, Caitlin and Martin recount how they became best friends --and better people--through letters. Their story will inspire readers to look beyond their own lives and wonder about the world at large and their place in it. (Summary from Goodreads.com) Brief summary of The Outsiders: This novel is set in the 1960s and describes the conflict between two teenaged gangs, the Socs and the Greasers, or more appropriately described as the haves and the have nots. Pony Boy Curtis is the main character, and despite the fact that he spends most of the novel fighting against the Socs, he also realizes that the two groups have a lot more in common than they would prefer to admit. |
Brief summary of The Giver: To be read either as a stand alone novel or part of a series, The Giver is a dystopian look at the choices we make in life, or the choices we allowed to be made for us.It questions family, emotions, and life overall.
Brief summary of Wonder: August Pullman has been homeschooled his entire life due to some complicated health issues related to a dramatic cranio-facial abnormality and the necessary surgeries and recovery time. August is now ten, and his parents are beginning to think about the big-picture of his life. Auggie can't just exist in his home and doctor's offices, he needs to learn how to exist in the world where, unfortunately, people are not always accepting of differences. Brief summary of The Odyssey : Fresh from his triumphs in the Trojan War, Odysseus, King of Ithaca, wants nothing more than to return home to his family. Instead, he offends the sea god, Poseidon, who dooms him to years of shipwreck and wandering. Battling man-eating monsters, violent storms, and the supernatural seductions of sirens and sorceresses, Odysseus will need all his strength and cunning—and a little help from Mount Olympus—to make his way home and seize his kingdom from the schemers who seek to wed his queen and usurp his throne. (summary from Amazon.com) |
Long Term Projects, Midterm, and Final
Students will work on an interactive grammar notebook throughout the year. Each week we will add to it, and students need to follow instructions and neatly maintain the notebook as it will be graded each quarter.
Also, each quarter you will be expected to read a grade appropriate book of your choosing, though sometimes genre will be selected for you. Upon reading completion, you will receive a different assessment/project for each quarter.
Also, each quarter you will be expected to read a grade appropriate book of your choosing, though sometimes genre will be selected for you. Upon reading completion, you will receive a different assessment/project for each quarter.
Documents for Class
6th_grade_ela_2021-22_syllabus.pdf | |
File Size: | 279 kb |
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1st_day_handouts_ela.pdf | |
File Size: | 345 kb |
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steps_to_an_mla_formatting_and_heading.docx | |
File Size: | 117 kb |
File Type: | docx |
what_is_plagiarism_and_how_can_i_avoid_it.docx | |
File Size: | 299 kb |
File Type: | docx |
how_to_make_sure_your_work_sets_the_right_tone.pdf | |
File Size: | 534 kb |
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student_requirements_for_recommendation_for_placement_into_english_2.docx | |
File Size: | 12 kb |
File Type: | docx |