Lesson Plans and Reading Goals

It's hard to believe the trimester is half over! Conferences will be held at the Middle School on November 8 & 13 from 4:00- 6:30.  We hope to see you there. 

READING GOALS
All students have set their own reading goals.  They each considered how many books they read last year, and I challenged them to increase that number this year.  They have several documents in their language arts binders pertaining to their reading goals and levels, including a reading log which they are supposed to fill out for every book they read.  Please check on this once and a while to help your child stay on task. 

I have told the students that I expect them to read a minimum of twenty minutes a night as homework.  This amount of time coincides with reading research that says that twenty minutes a day is the minimum time required to maintain reading levels.  Additionally, the more a person reads, the higher their reading level.  Students with higher reading levels do better in ALL academic subjects including math, science and the arts.  One of the best things parents can do to help their children be successful in school is to encourage them to read.  Read out loud together, ask your child about what they are reading, set aside quiet hours for reading, model reading in front of your child, and go to the library or book store together.  It all helps!

LESSON PLANS
Because I am teaching two different classes this year, I attempted to post lesson plans in a separate section of the blog.  That did not work. (Probably due more to my lack of expertise than to the blog site itself.)  Any way, from this point on, lesson plans will be located at the bottom of my posts.  I will list each class separately.  I will not list daily plans as these often change based on how well the students progress through the previous day's lesson.  I will, instead, post the general standards and concepts we will be working on for that week.  I will also post any deadlines for summative assessments.  Since there is often a several hour turn around time from when I post the blog until it reaches your email inbox, I will not post nightly homework on the blog.  I do post it in the classroom and give students time each day to fill out their planners.  I suggest parents check the planner daily to see if there is homework in addition to the nightly reading expectation.

Lesson Plans for the Week of October 29

 Grade 6
The sixth graders have been busy learning a new vocabulary program, working on our reading goals, and learning about the parts of an argumentative paragraph.  This week we are focusing primarily on the content vocabulary related to argumentative writing, and on what makes a strong claim. 

Grade 7
The seventh graders  have been busy learning a new vocabulary program and working on their reading goals.  In addition, they have been working on collaboration.  We just started working on identifying credible sources and giving credit to our sources. 

Instructions for Vocabulary for Success

This year Sparta Middle School has started a new 6-8 Vocabulary program called Vocabulary for Success. This program uses research-proven methods to teach students vocabulary necessary for career and school success.  We will cover 21 lessons of ten words each over the course of the school year.  We are still "playing" with the program to find just the right schedule, but essentially it includes a new list of words on a Monday, interactive classroom activities and homework followed by a multiple choice test.

One of the most important aspects of this program is the access students have to online resources.  Each student has an account at  http://www.sadlier-oxford.com/vocabulary/vocabularyforsuccess.cfm  To log on, students first choose their level (A for 6th grade, B for 7th grade), then choose "student" user.  Their user name is their student number and the password is "Sparta".  There are videos, games, practice tests and a dictionary.  The first test is Friday, October 5 over Unit 1, lesson 1.  

In addition to the vocabulary work, we continue to review and practice the QAR (Question-Answer Relationship) reading/testing skills.  Students are also working on their personal reading goals, however limited access to the library, especially for our 6th graders is making this difficult for the kids.  They are being troopers, but any help you can give them in getting books is very much appreciated!

The Spartan Value of the month for October is Pride.  I am encouraging students to learn both the Sparta fight song and the Star Spangled Banner as one way to show their pride in their school and country.

Lastly, this week is Spirit Week.  Sparta Middle School participates with dress-up days, Paint the Town, and marching in the parade.  The dress-up days are:  Monday - sports day, Tuesday - country western day, Wednesday - career/professional day, Thursday - 80s day, and Friday- blue and white Sparta spirit wear.