Welcome to Semester 2 of 5th/6th Grade English/Language Arts! This class covers writing, reading, and vocabulary with a dash of speaking, and listening.  

CLASS STRUCTURE:
We will meet twice a week. 

Mondays we will cover reading.  The first week of class, we will do introductions, discuss procedures for submitting work, get to know each other, and learn some background about our first book. The rest of the semester, Mondays will be book discussion days. We will cover reading comprehension, vocabulary, and story elements. It is important that the learners have read the assigned chapters or stories prior to class each week (beginning in the 2nd week).

We will cover writing on Wednesday or Thursday (depending on the class schedule you select). This will include direct instruction with discussion and guided practice. A homework assignment will be assigned that will be due the following Wednesday/Thursday. This homework is where a lot of the learning will take place because it gives the learner an opportunity to put into practice the skills they are learning. On the due date of writing assignments, learners will have the opportunity to share their work if they would like.

HOMEWORK
Starting in week 2, a reading assignment will be due each Monday, and a writing assignment will be due each Wednesday. I will give private, detailed, personal feedback on all writing. My goal is to meet your learner where they are and help them bring their writing up to the next level through practice, encouragement, engagement, and constructive feedback.

DIFFERENTIATED INSTRUCTION
The class is designed to be appropriate for 5th or 6th grade.  I will adapt my instruction to best suit the learners enrolled. I will differentiate instruction to the extent possible, so that each learner is challenged just the right amount. 

OVERVIEW OF TOPICS COVERED
Semester 2 covers the following writing topics: summary, response to literature, persuasive essay, narrative essay, informative research report.  It also includes reading comprehension, some vocabulary, and story elements (plot, characters, setting, etc.) Reading will take place outside of class, and we will discuss the assigned chapters each week. We will read the following books:

Sign of the Beaver by Elizabeth George Speare
Twelve year old Matt is left alone in the Maine wilderness in the 1700s while his father goes to fetch the rest of the family and bring them to their newly built cabin. 

Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library by Christopher Grabenstein
A group of kids are taking on the ultimate escape room challenge, using clues, books, and games to compete and cooperate to escape from Mr. Lemoncello's ostentatious new library.

Front Desk by Kelly Yang
Fifth grader Mia Tang and her parents live in and manage a motel. Mia faces discrimination based on her race and socio-economic status, but she perseveres--and makes some good friends in the process.

WEEKLY TOPICS TO BE COVERED
Each Monday we will discuss the week's reading assignment, and each Wednesday/Thursday, we will briefly review the homework and then move onto a new writing lesson. Please see the syllabus for a breakdown of each week's lessons.

NOTE REGARDING HOLIDAYS
This class will be off for spring break the week of April 14-20. All other lessons will take place as scheduled including on any holidays. If you choose not to attend class because of a holiday, I will make the class recording available to you to watch at your convenience.