6th Grade Block
History & Language Arts
Ms. Lyons
D-31
Welcome
• Please fill out a parent information sheet:
• Please take one of each:
 School Site Council ballot (yellow)
 Parent information form
 Block presentation is available at the bottom of
my website homepage
• We’ll begin shortly.
Background
• 25th year in the teaching profession
• 6th Grade Language Arts
• B.S.- San Diego State University
• M.A. –St. Mary’s College
• Ed.D. at University of San Francisco
 Officially Dr. Lyons
6th Grade Transition
• Procedural
 What does each teacher require?
 How do I organize my materials so I know what’s
happening for each class?
 How do I arrange my time to meet all the
demands in my life?
• Social
 New friends, cliques, differing levels of maturity
• Academic
 Grading system point-based
 Less one-on-one support
 More need to be independent learners
Support the Transition
• Check teacher websites weekly
• Make sure child writes homework in organizer
• Initial organizer
• Help your child make weekly plans to attend to
their tasks
• Clean out backpack/binder weekly
• Acknowledge students’ positive efforts for selfcontrol, self-management, and independence
• Use a timer to keep focus during homework
time
Harvest Park Character Ed.
• Compassion
• Honesty
• Respect
• Responsibility
• Integrity-Academic Integrity
• Self-discipline
Academic Integrity
• Students’ work must be their own
 Over-helping from tutors on writing assignments
• Pressure to be perfect
 Cheating on homework/quizzes/tests
• Mistakes are part of learning
• Bragging & Comparing
Professional Mission
Inspire inquiry
Encourage risk-taking
Facilitate independent learning
skills
Develop depth of thought
Celebrate students’ unique gifts
Nurture social skills & friendships
Educational Philosophy
Parents & teachers are partners
Utilize multiple modalities for learning
Honor individual strengths
Explicit instruction
Assessment drives instruction
Deliver instruction in concert with
BRAIN-MEMORY learning theory
Differentiated Curriculum
 Acceleration/Compacting
 Testing out of material, independent work, selfpaced
 Depth
 Develop expertise & learn a subject in great
detail
 Novelty
 Student centered, interest-based, exhibit creative
products demonstrating learning
 Critical Thinking Skills:
 Open-ended assignment, higher level of Bloom’s
Taxonomy
Differentiated Instruction
 Bloom’s Taxonomy
 Knowledge—recall, listing, defining
 Comprehension—summarizing,
 Application—use knowledge in new situation
 Analysis—compare/contrast/ infer/deduct
 Synthesis—create novel ideas from prior
knowledge
 Evaluation—judge & defend judgment
 Habits of mind
 Self-motivation
 Self-regulation
 Independence
 Reflection
Curriculum
 Common Core State Standards
 Pleasanton Unified School District Course of
Study
Technology
• Google PUSD accounts
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Google Classroom
Google Presentation
Google Docs
Google Drawing
Google MyMaps
• BYOD-Bring your own device: Chromebooks,
laptops, tablets with Chrome added
 12 Chromebooks
• Study Island
 On-line standards assessment &
remediation
 Will start in 2-3 weeks
Social Studies
• Utilize GRAPES as overarching theme
 Geography
 Religion
 Achievement
 Political Structure
 Economic Structure
 Social Structure
Social Studies Topics
• Mesopotamia
• Egypt/Kush
• Ancient Israelites
• Ancient India
• Ancient China
• Ancient Greece
• Ancient Rome
Learning Objectives
• For each unit, your child will receive
 A list of objectives & vocabulary words that
will be used to write test questions
 A table of contents
 Weekly review of instruction matched to
instructional objectives
 Homework based on answering questions on
study guides
 Review games two days before tests
 Study Strategies instruction and reflection
 Differentiated projects that highlight interest
areas
Social Studies-Continued
Class work
 Reading for information
 Textbook
 Handouts
 Digital research
 Demonstrate Comprehension
 Artistic-posters, models, diagrams, digital displays
 Verbally-skits, role-play, imposter interviews, debates,
simulations
 Written-research reports, essays, articles, poetry,
 Grading
 Daily preview/review
 Unit packets—TOC, notes, handouts, unit reflection
 Quizzes & tests
 Daily work- completeness, accuracy
 50% test/quizzes/50% class work/homework
 Text
 Ancient Civilizations
Reading
General Topics-Literature
Plot elements
Characterization
Theme
Literary Devices
Poetry
 General Topics-Non-Fiction
 Main idea & details
 Citing evidence to support analysis
 How events & ideas are developed in non-fiction
Reading
Literature Reading
 The Boy in the Painted Cave
 The Cay
Where the Red Fern Grows
 Literature Anthology- Holt
Book Club: free choice—2nd semester
 Informational Texts
 Scope magazine articles
 Various articles connected to content
 Informational text from Holt Literature Anthology
Reading continued
Class work-Gradual Release of Responsibility
 Thinking aloud-Read aloud
 Shared response-Shared text
 Independent reading response/Conferencing
Homework
 Reading logs-practice reading strategy
 Literary Analysis Preparing for discussions & Socratic seminars
Grading
 Project Rubric score
 Comprehension Assessments
 Response Journals/reading logs/book projects
 20 Book Challenge/Book Clubs
Writing
Main focus-Essay with text-based
responses & analysis-(2+ per genre)
Autobiographical Narrative—1st quarter
Response to Literature-2nd & 3rd quarter
Argumentative Research Reports-3rd & 4th
quarter
 Writer’s Workshop
Analyze Mentor Texts
Mini-lesson
Independent practice/conferring/reteaching
Pre-writing, drafting, revising, editing
Publishing
Spelling/Vocabulary
 Guiding Questions
 What are the origins of English words?
 What are the structural elements of words?
 How can you learn the meaning of new words?
 What are the levels of “understanding” a word?
 How does word knowledge impact your
understanding of the curriculum?
 Learning Material
 10 vocabulary words
Text: Vocabulary for Achievement
 Weekly homework menu—on website
 Weekly quiz on Friday
Grammar
 Guiding Questions
 How are different parts of speech formed?
 How does knowledge of POS impact writing?
 How does punctuation or lack of it impact
writing?
 What dictates which words are capitalized?
 Assessments
 Monthly grammar pre-assessments & quizzes
Compact out if score 90% higher on preassessments
 Drill & practice work—2 homework
assignments/week
 Text: Holt Handbook & No Red Ink Website
 Apply skill in writing & editing
Language Arts Grading
15% Spelling
10% assessments & 5% assignments
15% Grammar
10% assessments & 5% assignments
35% Reading
20% assessments, 10% assignments, 5%
20 Book Challenge
35% Writing
 not weighted
Assessments
Based on evidence of mastering
the state standards:
Projects/Writing/ AssignmentsRubric descriptors correlate to grades
Skills practice- percentage scores
Tests
fill-in, multiple choice-percentage score
essay response-rubric scores
Homework
 Homework is assigned every Monday & is due
the following Wednesday or Friday
 Spelling/vocabulary- 2 assignments a week
 Grammar- 2 times a week
 Reading or Writing ~ 1 or 2 assignments a week
 20 Book Challenge Reading
 History ~ 2 assignments a week
 Tutorial, homework time, & make up days
 Mondays-Thursday at lunch
Late Work
 Missing Work
 Student will fill out a missing work form & bring it
home to have it signed. If not returned the next
day, the student will email/call home when work
is not turned in on a due date
 Extenuating circumstance-note/phone call
 Late work accepted only during the first
semester
 the day after it’s due for 50% credit
Grades
• Updated bi-weekly on Q-Zangle
• Can use your own code to access your child’s
grades as often as you’d like
Absent/Late Work
 Absences
 Retrieve work from weekly file
 Have one week to turn in work
Discipline Policy
Rules
Consequences
1. Arrive to class on
1. Warning
time.
2. Follow procedures
and directions.
3. Begin work
immediately.
4. Focus attention on
person speaking.
5.Treat others with
kindness & respect
2. Think Sheet
3. Miss Break
4. Home Contact
5. Office Referral
Communication
 Website
 Update on Fridays
 Post homework on website weekly
Instructional objectives
Project descriptions, due dates
Upcoming school events
 Phone calls
Share success and concerns
Check in
 Notes & email
 Communicate progress
Share successes
Contact information
E-mail
Preferred means of communication
 elyons@pleasantonusd.net
Web page:
Link from Harvest Park site
http://teachersites.schoolworld.com/
webpages/ELyons/
LET’S HAVE A FABULOUS YEAR!!!
• Time of transition
• Change takes time for some kids
• Challenge is its own reward
• We are a team 