1. WELCOME TO 6 TH LANGUAGE ARTS 2014-2015  Please take one of each handout at the front.  Your child wrote you a letter today  Please find your child’s letter and keep it.  Please feel free to check out your child’s work on the wall.

2. Tonight We’re Going To… AGENDA  Introduction  Course Description  Unit Overview  Routines, Procedures and Expectations  What can you do for your child’s success?  Exit-Ticket

3. Contact Information Cheryl Lee leech@bsd405.org 425-200-4232 This (and other) information is available on our class website: msleetyee6.weebly.com* *We will migrate to BrightSpace in the next few weeks. Your child will notify you of this change when it occurs.

4. Teaching Philosophy & Goal Education is… more than just ACADEMICS. Educational Goal: To empower students to shape their unique identities and roles in society by fostering their global and cultural awareness and understanding of this diverse world.

5. Teacher’s Biography  Born in Hong Kong, raised in Guam, USA  Fluent in Cantonese, Mandarin, Japanese, and of course, English.  Bachelor of Arts, Seattle University (2008)  Major: Communication Studies  Minors: Business Administration, Chinese  Full-time public school English teacher, Japan (2008-2011)  Rural countryside of Kyushu, southern island of Japan  Taught at 3 local middle schools  Taught prefecture-wide High School English summer programs  Master of Arts, Seattle University (2014)  Secondary Endorsements: English Language Arts English Language Learners Post-Bachelor’s Certificate in TESL

6. Course Description Springboard is a comprehensive program, framed by the skills and understandings identified by college faculty as needed for success in college-level work. In the sixth grade, the units focus on the concept of “change.” Students are introduced to the concept of change with essential questions about change posed at the beginning of each unit. These questions also serve as a frame of reference for their study of texts and life. Students connect their personal experience with change to the texts they read and write.

7. Course Description  In connection to the Springboard program, students will read novels, study vocabulary and grammar, and write in a variety of modes including expository, narrative, creative and reflective, and literary analysis.  Students will develop skills in critical reading, reflection, revision, collaboration, and oral communication. The primary goals of the course are to foster independent learning, encourage in-depth exploration of the content, and develop academic habits of mind.

8. Unit 1- Stories of Change Essential Questions: What are the elements of a personal narrative? How do effective readers think about their reading? What makes a good story? How can change be significant? Assessments: Writing a Personal Narrative Writing a Short Story Major Texts: Narratives, Short Stories, Informational Texts Academic Vocabulary: characterization, conflict, summary, setting, plot, dialogue, narrative, point of view, cause/effect, figurative language, sensory details, transitions, visualizing

9. Unit 2- The Power to Change Essential Questions: How can talking and working with others help analyze a novel? How do internal and external forces help people grow? Assessment: Writing an Expository Essay Responding to Literature (Analysis) Major Texts: Short Stories, Film, Drama, Poetry, Novel Excerpts, Fables Academic Vocabulary: reflection, compare-contrast, inference, prediction, communication, verbal/non-verbal, synthesis

10. Unit 3 – Changing Perspectives  Essential Questions: Why do we have controversy in society? How do we communicate in order to convince others?  Assessment:  Writing an argumentative letter  Researching & Debating a Controversy  Major Texts:  Various informational texts  Academic Vocabulary: Argument, claim, rebuttal, evidence, reasoning, thesis, symbolism, flashback, transitions/lead-ins

11. Unit 4 – The Final Act Essential Questions: How can one research shape one’s understanding of literary text? How is reading a text similar to and different from viewing and performing a text? Assessment: Researching Shakespeare Presenting Shakespeare  Major Texts: The Taming of the Shrew (Excerpts) Academic Vocabulary: collaborate, source, multimedia, bibliography, evaluate, synthesize, annotate

12. Academic LA Notebook  Students will study academic and personal vocabulary words that directly connect to the Embedded Assessments and texts in each unit of study.  Springboard sequences academic vocabulary words within instructional material to strategically and systematically build vocabulary.  The academic vocabulary words are introduced, reinforced and refined throughout the unit and/or year; progression toward mastery will be documented in each student’s notebook.  The notebook will include your child’s notes, activities, and reflections on key concepts as well.

13. Portfolios A portfolio is an important tool for organizing student work in Language Arts. It also provides direction as students revisit, revise, and reflect upon their work throughout the year. The student portfolios will be kept in the classroom for the entire year and then handed back to students at the end of the year.

14. Portfolios The purposes of the portfolio are:  To give students a specific place to feature their work and a means to share it with others.  To provide an organized, focused way for students to view progress throughout the year.  To allow students to reflect on the new skills and strategies they have learned.  To enable students to measure their growth as a reader, writer, speaker, and communicator.  To encourage students to revise pieces of work to incorporate new skills.

15. Academic Progress  Students and parents can check grades online through the PARENT INTERNET VIEWER link on Tyee’s home page.  Grades are updated after the assignment has been scored.*  At any time after school, students may come to tutorial to find out what assignments they are missing and where they stand academically. *May not be immediate…

16. Academic Progress Grades:  No score = Teacher has not yet entered a grade.  X = Assignment was excused; no impact on the grade.  Z = Assignment is missing; score of 50% until turned in.

17. Grading Policy All students should strive to maintain a minimum of 80% in Language Arts. The grading scale is: 100-93 A91-90 A- 89-87 B+86-83 B82-80 B- 79-77 C+76-73 C72-70 C- 69-67 D+ 66-63 D62-60 D- <50 F

18. Assignments  Formative Assignments: these types of assignments are frequently graded on effort and completion. They are designed to give the student and me information about progress towards learning a particular skill or content before we get to the final product. Grades for these types of assignments make up 40% of the final quarter grade.  Summative Assessments: these types of assignments are graded on accuracy and are designed to be measures of the level of achievement demonstrated on a particular task or skill. These could be things like final writing assignments, tests, or projects. Grades for these types of assignments make up 40% of the final quarter grade.  School Skills Assignments: these types of assignments measure crucial school skills necessary for success in middle school. They include time management (turning in assignments on-time) and daily work. Students earn a separate grade each quarter for time management. These types of assignments are worth 20% of the final quarter grade.

19. Late Assignments  Assignments NOT turned in on-time will be deducted 1/10 of a point from the grade for each late assignment.  For example: 14.9/15 – one day late  Work turned in late will not receive the same level of feedback as if it were turned in on-time.  So, late assignments don’t earn a low score just for being late – they lower the time management score (School Skills category) for the quarter. It is impossible to get an “A” in the class when assignments are habitually turned in late.  There are no “zeros” on assignments. An assignment not turned in will earn a “Z” (missing) and calculate as 50% credit (F grade). Students will not get a higher score until the work is completed and turned in.  If a student is disappointed by the level of achievement shown on a summative assessment, he/she can attend tutorial to devise a plan of action. This might mean redoing or further revising the work to show deeper understanding.

20. Academic Rationale I am interested in the degree to which learning is demonstrated, therefore points will not be deducted for late work. Timeliness on all assignments for each quarter is factored into a separate time management score (School Skills Category). This way, grades on individual assignments more accurately show a student’s level of understanding.

21. Handouts  Syllabus  How to help your child build JOY in the writing process  10 “Apps” for Parents

22. Exit Ticket On the Post-It Note…  Your child’s first + last name  Your name + valid email (or phone number if you prefer)  I used to think….  Now I think…