"You must learn to look at the world twice. First you must bring your eyes together in front so you can see the steam rising from an anthill in the sunshine on a cool morning. Nothing should escape your notice. But you must learn to look again, with your eyes at the very edge of what is visible. Now you must see dimly if you wish to see things that are dim-visions.; mist, and cloud people... animals which hurry past you in the dark. You must learn to look at the world twice if you wish to see all that there is to see." - Black Elk.
Mr. Thomas R. Allison
Lake Weir Middle School
Course Syllabus: 6th Grade Language Arts
Class Website: www.starfleettraining.com
E- mail to: allisont@marion.k12.fl.us
Planning Period: ____
Please E- mail me or call the school if you wish to have a parent conference.
Note: A computer and computer access IS NOT necessary to be successful in this class, but it does make your life much easier.
Students are required to arrive in class each day, on time and prepared to work with a notebook, lined paper, blue or black (ONLY) pen, and proper attitude for learning.
1st Semester Only
(2nd semester will be given out in January)
This "syllabus" is a rough outline of what we will cover each week in class.
Please remember that we meet M,T,W for regular classes and Th, F for "block" classes. Missing a "block day" is like missing (2) two regular class days. Some of the activities on "block" days cannot be made up and alternative assignments will need to be completed.
As stated, this is a rough guide to what we will be doing. It is impossible to predict the actual day to day events of the class due to the variables such as school related events, student comprehension, etc. If you plan to be or are absent, check as soon as possible with your "study buddy" to get class notes, assignments, etc. If your study buddy cannot help you, check our class website. If you cannot get the information there, E-mail me or ask. You will have the specified amount of time listed in your student handbook to make up work.
Resources used: Holt, Elements of Literature, Introductory Course with student materials. Available online or on Cd-Rom, or textbook.
Holt, Elements of Language, Introductory Course with student materials. Available online or on Cd-Rom, or textbook.
Each day we will do bell ringers, journal entries and other daily activities that are not noted here, but do go into computing your grade.
- Week 1: 8/18/08- 8/22/08
- Introductions and discussion of rules and procedures
- Group activity, "How to use the textbooks"
- Set up gradebook and online textbooks, and testing sites- issue passwords
- Discuss weekly format- when things will happen in class.
- How to use the school planner
- "A Brief History of the English Language"
- Common usage errors 1- is/are
- Reading sample test
- Writing sample test
- Grammar sample test
- Assign week 1 vocabulary (Context: The Humpback: A Whale of a Singer)
- Torrential, repose, burly, narrator, exotic, scampered, foolhardy, fend, audible, blase', indifferent, murmured, loped, definite, deny, descendant, doubtful, majority, navigator, reliable, symbol, twilight, vivid
- Week 1 quiz (Friday)
- Week 2: 8/25/08- 8/29/08
- Art Appreciation
- Common usage errors 2 -than/then
- Grammar lesson 1- The sentence; sentence or fragment. ( Chapter 10 in book)
- Writing lesson 1 - The writing process- prewriting (pages 9-15 in book)
- Literature lesson 1- Myths, Folktales, and Fairy Tales (Chapter 8 in literature book)
- Spelling Lesson 1- Rule 1+ exceptions: Monosyllables ending in f,l, or s, immediately preceded by a single vowel, usually double the final letter.
- Assign week 2 vocabulary (Context: amazing nature; Chinese dragons)
- drenching, saturated, gridlocks, jabbered, jostled, muster, lingering, panhandler, rustle, scuffle, astonish, conference, innumerable, interview, journalism, legend, quote, session, summarize, unexpectedly
- Reading Comprehension/Free Read (Check the reading center and PRINT your name in the folder of your reading choice.
- Week 2 test (Friday)
- Week 3: 9/1/08- 9/5/08
- No School Monday
- Art Appreciation
- Common usage errors 3- who/who's/whom
- Grammar lesson 2 - The sentence; subject (Chapter 10 in book)
- Writing lesson 2- Narration/Description- Sharing our stories. (Chapter 1 in book)
- Literature lesson 2- Myths, Folktales, and Fairy Tales cont. (Chapter 8 in literature book)
- Spelling lesson 2- Rule 2+ exceptions: Monosyllables ending in any other consonant than f, l or s, preceded by a single vowel, do not double the final letter.
- Assign week 3 vocabulary (Context: amazing nature; earthquakes
- skulking, rubble, awry, catastrophe, balk, stench, decompose, curdle, congeal, pungent, rancid, horrid, giddy, chiding, folly, strides, prototype, combustion, indignant, crucial, exasperate
- Week 3 quiz
- Week 4: 9/8/08- 9/12/08
- No School Monday
- Art Appreciation
- Common usage errors 4- I/me/my/mine
- Grammar lesson 3- The sentence; predicate. ( Chapter 10 in book)
- Writing lesson 3- Narration/Description- Sharing our stories. (Chapter 1 in book)
- Portfolio assignment- narration, writing your autobiography.
- Literature lesson 3- Myths, Folktales, and Fairy Tales (Chapter 8 in literature book) Participate! Tell us your cultural story
- Spelling Lesson 3- Rule 3+ exceptions: Monosyllables ending with the sound of k, and in which the c follows the vowel, usually take the letter k after the c.
- Assign week 4 vocabulary (Context: amazing nature; There they go again, animal migrations)
- Melodrama, intrigued, celestial, analysis, nautical, quaint, gibberish, rivalry, scarce, exorbitant, invariably, vantage, collapse, collide, complex, disastrous, fatal, foundation, incident, nuisance, predict, rash.
- Reading Comprehension/Free Read (Check the reading center and PRINT your name in the folder of your reading choice. MEDIA Center if available)
- Week 4 test (Friday)
- Week 5: 9/15/08- 9/19/08
- Early Release Wednesday
- Art Appreciation
- Common usage errors 5- connotation/denotation
- Grammar Lesson 4- The sentence, compound subjects, compound verbs (Chapter 10 in book)
- Writing lesson 4- Reporting the News (chapter 2 in book)
- Literature lesson 4- Explaining our world: fact and fiction (Chapter 7 in literature book)
- Spelling lesson 4- rule 4+exceptions: Words of more than one syllable ending in -ic or -iac, that is, ending in the sound of k, do not, with the exception of der/rick, assume the letter k.
- Assign week 5 vocabulary (Context: amazing nature; lava alert at Hawaii's Kilauea volcano)
- peddlers, hoopla, confound, mystify, bewilder, parched, tarpaulin, laden, provisions, edible, caution, congratulate, dread, error, generation, gratitude, heroic, involve, previous, separation.
- Computer applications 1- Using a word processor efficiently
- Week 5 quiz
- Week 6: 9/22/08- 9/26/08
- Art Appreciation
- Common usage errors 6- can/ can't/ is/ isn't/ will/won't/ain't
- Grammar Lesson 5- The parts of speech, nouns. (Chapter 11 in book)
- Writing lesson 5- Reporting the News (chapter 2 in book)
- writing a news article
- Literature lesson 5- Explaining our world: fact and fiction (Chapter 7 in literature book)
- Spelling lesson 5- rule 5+exceptions: Words of more than one syllable, in which c, in the ending, does not come after the vowels -i or -ia, terminate in -ck.
- Assign week 6 vocabulary (Context: amazing nature; going batty- a look at the only true flying mammal)
- multilingual, bloated, shrill, retrospect, shard, sidled, penicillin, prudent, interval, cackle, diabolical, dread, abdomen, commotion, competition, escort, flexible, foe, hoist, maximum, mobile, paralysis.
- Computer applications 1- Using a word processor efficiently
- Week 6 test
- Week 7: 9/29/08- 10/3/08
- Mr. Allison Absent Wednesday
- Art Appreciation
- Common usage errors 7-
- Grammar Lesson 6- The parts of speech, pronouns. (Chapter 11 in book)
- Writing lesson 6 - Reporting the News (chapter 2 in book)
- writing a script
- Literature lesson 6- Onstage! (Chapter 6 in literature book)
- Spelling lesson 6- rule 6+exceptions: In forming derivatives from words ending in -c, the letter k is inserted before suffixes beginning with -e, -I, or -y to prevent the -c from sounding like an -s.
- Assign week 7 vocabulary (Context: amazing nature; horses: galloping through history)
- spectacle, swooned, regal, grandeur, embroidered, mirth, testy, vex, dismay, prim, abhor, dainty, discomfort, discourage, earnest, inhale, linger, regulate, requirement, vacuum, vault.
- Computer applications 2- Using Creation Station Software (Computer lab if available)
- Week 7 quiz
- Week 8: 10/6/08- 10/10/08
- Art Appreciation
- Common usage errors 8-
- Grammar Lesson 7- The parts of speech, pronouns. (Chapter 11 in book)
- Writing lesson 7 - Reporting the News (chapter 2 in book)
- Portfolio assignment: make a class newspaper or film a news program
- Literature lesson 7- Onstage! (Chapter 6 in literature book)
- Play- Our Town ( script to be handed out)
- Spelling lesson 7- rule 7+exceptions: The final consonant of a monosyllable (h and x excepted), or of any word accented on the last syllable, if preceded by a single vowel, is doubled before a suffix beginning with a vowel.
- Assign week 8 vocabulary (Context: amazing nature; Texas dinosaurs)
- swaggered, glean, opulent, ostentatious, pretentious, atmosphere, tentacles, mane, hideous, homely, stammered, timid, acquire, conceal, disguise, gasp, hibernate, imitate, imposter, portion, reference, terminal.
- Computer applications 2- Review using a word processor- editing a document
- Week 8 test
- Week 9: 10/13/08- 10/17/08
- All Make up work is due 10/14/08!
- Art Appreciation
- Common usage errors 9-
- Grammar Lesson 8- The parts of speech, adjectives. (Chapter 11 in book)
- Writing lesson 8 - Reporting the News (chapter 2 in book)
- Portfolio assignment: make a class newspaper or film a news program (week 2)
- Literature lesson 8- Onstage! (Chapter 6 in literature book)
- Play- Our Town (1st read through)
- Spelling lesson 8- rule 8+exceptions: The final consonant of any word, if not immediately preceded by a single vowel, or not under the accent, remains single upon the addition of a suffix.
- Assign week 9 vocabulary (Context: amazing nature; Texas weird weather, El nino)
- curtsy, abide, comely, frock, acquisition, accumulate, amass, clarify, condescend, presume, inquiry, bombard, bureau, lunar, particle, pharmacy, pierce, receipt, resign, static, surgery.
- Computer applications 2- Review using a word processor- editing a document
- Week 9 quiz
- Week 10: 10/20/08- 10/24/08
- No School Friday
- Art Appreciation
- Common usage errors 10-
- Grammar Lesson 9- The parts of speech, Verbs. (Chapter 12 in book)
- Writing lesson 9 - Reporting the News (chapter 2 in book)
- Portfolio assignment: make a class newspaper or film a news program (week 3)
- Literature lesson 9- Onstage! (Chapter 6 in literature book)
- Play- Our Town ( choose roles, tasks)
- Acting 101
- Spelling lesson 9- rule 9+exceptions: Words ending in a double consonant usually retain both letters upon receiving a suffix.
- Assign week 10 vocabulary (Context: amazing nature; Mark Twain's mighty Mississippi)
- precision, trajectory, rout, disposition, obstinate, spite, impose, coaxed, exudes, hoarse, vehement, defiance, flagging, stamina, sway, conviction, flammable, gossip, jeopardy, license, pry, ransom, stray, suspicion, toll.
- Week 10 test
- Week 11: 10/27/08- 10/31/08
- Early Release Wednesday
- Art Appreciation
- Common usage errors 11-
- Grammar Lesson 10- The parts of speech, verbs. (Chapter 12 in book)
- Writing lesson 10 - Explaining how (chapter 3 in book)
- Literature lesson 10- Machine Mania: people and technology (Chapter 3 in literature book)
- Continue play- Our Town ( Practice, work on tasks)
- Spelling lesson 10- rule 10+exceptions: Words ending in silent -e commonly drop the -e upon taking a suffix beginning with a vowel.
- Assign week 11 vocabulary (Context: people and places; checking out chimps with Jane Goodall)
- duplicity, corroborate, stereotype, petulant, hype, persistent, dawned, impediment, ponder, analyze, career, debate, document, essential, identical, offspring, publicity, reaction, thorough.
- Week 11 quiz
- Week 12: 11/3/08- 11/7/08
- Art Appreciation
- Common usage errors 12-
- Grammar Lesson 11- The parts of speech, adverbs. (Chapter 12 in book)
- Writing lesson 11 - Explaining How, making predictions (chapter 3 in book)
- Literature lesson 11- Machine Mania: people and technology (Chapter 3 in literature book)
- All summer in a day by Ray Bradbury
- Continue play- Our Town ( practice work on tasks)
- Spelling lesson 11- rule 11+exceptions: Words ending with silent -e, retain the -e before a suffix beginning with a consonant.
- Assign week 12 vocabulary (Context: people and places; looking for Green Gables: Anne's Prince Edward Island.)
- pit, formidable, cunning, deception, ally, imperious, peevishly, livid, minute, palpable, tantrum, inordinate, biography, destination, determination, generous, notion, profession, respectable, routine, scholar, self- confidence.
- Week 12 test
- Week 13: 11/10/08- 11/14/08
- Early release Wednesday
- Art Appreciation
- Common usage errors 13-
- Grammar Lesson 12- The parts of speech, adverbs. (Chapter 12 in book)
- Writing lesson 12 - Explaining How, writing a how to paper (chapter 3 in book)
- Portfolio assignment- Choose your how to.
- Literature lesson 11- Machine Mania: people and technology (Chapter 3 in literature book)
- Continue play- Our Town ( practice work on tasks)
- Spelling lesson 12- rule 12+exceptions: Words ending with -y, preceded by a consonant, on receiving a suffix, commonly change the -y to an -i.
- Assign week 13 vocabulary (Context: people and places; if you like peanut butter, thank George Washington Carver)
- predicament, flotsam, galleon, schooner, volleys, prevail, inlet, bearing, figurehead, buccaneer, ruddy, ruffian, ceremony, conduct, consent, fragrant, ignite, interrupt, management, plead, quarantine, scheme..
- Week 13 quiz
- Week 14: 11/17/08- 11/21/08
- Art Appreciation
- Common usage errors 14-
- Grammar Lesson 13- The parts of speech, prepositions. (Chapter 12 in book)
- Writing lesson 13 - Explaining How, Planning a how to paper (chapter 3 in book)
- Using Inspiration software
- Designing a flow chart
- Literature lesson 13- Machine Mania: people and technology (Chapter 3 in literature book)
- Continue play- Our Town ( dress rehearsal)
- Spelling lesson 13- rule 13+exceptions: The final -y when preceded by a vowel, or when coming before a suffix beginning with the letter -i, remains unchanged.
- Assign week 14 vocabulary (Context: people and places; just where did the Red Fern grow? Appalachia...
- desperado, mangy, doleful, besiege, blockade, armada, scourge, utmost, perpetrator, heist, architect, betray, desperate, district, eternal, glimpse, realm, sacrifice, victim, victorious.
- Week 14 test
- Week 15: 11/24/08- 11/25/08
- This week is Thanksgiving Holiday.
- Homework! R.A.F.T Your ROLE is a Doctor, your AUDIENCE is the family about to have Thanksgiving dinner, your FORMAT is a doctor's note, and your TOPIC is why the Thanksgiving day turkey cannot participate in Thanksgiving dinner.( Due upon return)
- Continue play- Our Town ( dress rehearsal)
- Assign week 15 vocabulary (Context: people and places; from tipis to igloos- how American Indians adapted to the land.)
- ruse, rascal, garrison, regiment, concede, teeming, wistful, yearning, abundant, barrier, descriptive, desirable, establish, flourish, possess, prehistoric, survey, terrain.
- Week 15 quiz
- Week 16: 12/1/08- 12/5/08
- Early release Wednesday
- Art Appreciation
- Common usage errors 15-
- Grammar Lesson 14- The parts of speech, prepositions. (Chapter 12 in book)
- Writing lesson 14 - Explaining How, Planning a how to paper (chapter 3 in book)
- Final draft of How to paper or create a YouTube how to video
- Literature lesson 14- Machine Mania: people and technology (Chapter 3 in literature book)
- Continue play- Our Town ( dress rehearsal)
- Spelling lesson 14- rule 14+exceptions: Words ending in -f or -fe commonly change the -f into -v upon receiving a suffix beginning with a vowel.
- Assign week 16 vocabulary (Context: people and places; Kipling's "Just So" stories, myths of nature)
- cache, replenish, bungalow, thatch, verandah, vista, connoisseur, adage, pact, transgression, dramatic, extraordinary, feat, inaccurate, irregular, leisure, numerous, satisfy, vicinity.
- Week 16 test
- Week 17: 12/8/08- 12/12/08
- Art Appreciation
- Common usage errors 16-
- Grammar Lesson 15- The parts of speech, conjunctions and interjections. (Chapter 12 in book)
- Writing lesson 15 - Using BookSmart software (computer lab if available)
- organize portfolio items
- Literature lesson 15- Onstage! (Chapter 5 in literature book)
- Continue play- Our Town (final rehearsal)
- Spelling lesson 15- rule 15+exceptions: Nouns ending in a sound that will unite with -s, form the plural by adding -s only; in other cases, the plural is regularly formed by adding -es.
- Assign week 17 vocabulary (Context: people and places; the Vikings, adventuring to North America)
- incinerate, cinders, nigh, adjacent, deployed, muskets, bellowing, midst, flabbergasted, scrawny, lout, ambitious, envy, exclaim, heir, honorable, oath, portrait, reign, wardrobe, yacht.
- Week 17 quiz
- Week 18: 12/15/08- 12/18/08
- This week begins winter break on the 19th(Friday)
- Art Appreciation
- Common usage errors 17-
- Grammar Lesson 16- review all lessons. (Chapters 10, 11, & 12 in book)
- Writing lesson 16 - review all lessons. (chapter 1, 2, & 3 in book)
- Literature lesson 16- Performance
- Play- Our Town
- Spelling lesson 7- Review rules 1 through 15
- Assign week 18 vocabulary (Context: people and places; desert mysteries)
- hobbled, reeled, dispersed, daunted, gnashed, expletives, repugnant, ricocheted, arid, counterfeit, investment, knapsack, luxurious, ornamental, relate, request, solitary, transparent.
- Week 18 test
- Week 19: 1/5/09- 1/9/09
- All make up work is due 1/7/09!
- Art Appreciation
- Common usage errors - (Review for midterm exams)
- Grammar Lesson - (Review for midterm exams)
- Writing lesson - (Review for midterm exams)
- Literature lesson - (Review for midterm exams)
- Spelling lesson 7- (Review for midterm exams)
- Vocabulary Review- lessons 1-18
- Week 20: 1/12/09- 1/16/09
- No school Thursday or Friday
- Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday will be mid term exams. Midterm will contain one piece of art, common usage errors, grammar, writing prompts, vocabulary, spelling, and selections from readings. Students can take the exam at home online, or take it in class. If students decide to take the exam from home, they MUST have reading material for the three days. Students WILL NOT be permitted to sit in class with nothing to do.
Continued on Semester 2 Syllabus