Textbook: Holt Literature and Language Arts and Holt Handbook

CLASS SYLLABUS Mrs. Binning

Language Arts

 Textbook: Holt Literature and Language Arts and Holt Handbook  Vocabulary: Students will learn ten vocabulary words each Monday. Throughout the week, practice activities will be completed in class, students should study 10 minutes Monday – Thursday at home, and a quiz will be given on Friday.  Grammar: Daily, the first 10 minutes in class will be spent completing a grammar lesson. Students must be on time and on task to earn a 100% grammar score.  Writing: The traits of “Ideas and Content”, “Organization”, and “Conventions” will be emphasized throughout the year. Incorporating text evidence into writing is a new skill that will be frequently practiced. Students will write three process papers (narrative, informative, and argumentative). Final drafts of process papers must be in MLA format.  Reading comprehension: Understanding and mastery of the academic vocabulary of literary elements and devices learned in each chapter of our literature anthology will be emphasized. Recognizing text structures and patterns will also be focused upon to deepen comprehension of text. The biggest new idea in 6th grade is determining themes in literature.  Novels Read in Class: o Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis o Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech o The Watsons go to Birmingham, 1963 by Christopher Paul Curtis o The Giver by Lois Lowry

Social Studies

 Textbook: Holt Ancient Civilizations. Comprehension and organization of expository text is emphasized through daily in-class assignments.  Six Themes of focus for each culture: geography, economics, politics, religion, society & culture, and science & technology.  Ancient world cultures studied: Early Humans, Mesopotamia, Egypt, Kush, India, China, Hebrews, Greece, and Rome.  Notebook: Note taking in outline format supports understanding of content in expository text. Entries help students learn the skills of note taking and critical thinking, and reinforce content-area standards. Notebooks are due at the end of each unit, and time should be taken at home to ensure all entries are neat and complete. 40 Book Challenge: Students will spend 15 to 30 minutes in class daily reading independently. To make sure students can use every spare minute in class reading, they should always have with them their independent reading book(s). We will visit the TBMS Library regularly! During sixth grade, students are required to read forty books in different genres: • Poetry anthologies-4 • Traditional Literature-4 • Realistic fiction-5 • Historical fiction-4 • Fantasy-4 • Science fiction-2 • Mystery-2 • Informational-4 • Biography, autobiography, memoir-2 • Chapter-book choice-9 Students will also write two to four Reader Response journal entries each month, focusing on how a literary element applies to their independent reading book.

Grading

 Grades will be comprised of in-class and homework assignments, quizzes, unit tests, Agenda checks, progress report returns, and class projects. Every assignment is worth a specified amount of points, and the grades are based on the total number of points accumulated in a grading period.  Grades are determined as: 100-90 % = A; 89-80 % = B; 79-70 % = C; 69-60 % = D; 59 % and below = F.  Missing work will greatly affect grades, so students are responsible for completing all work missed due to any absence.  Late work is NOT accepted, unless due to an excused absence (students are granted extra time equal to the time of the excused absence).  Parents and students should check TeacherEase (online grades) on a weekly (or more frequent) basis to keep informed of student grades and progress in all classes. There is a link to the gradebook on my class website. Absences

 Consistent attendance is essential for academic success; every day we advance through the Common Core Standards (check the TBMS website for a link to all content area standards) in both Language Arts and Social Studies.  Students who are absent should or look up the daily classwork and homework assignments on Mrs. Binning’s website under “Assignment Calendar” and “Student Resources”. Or, students should call a friend to find out what was completed in class and what should be completed as homework. Students are required to complete all work missed when absent (prior to returning to class is preferable, so students do not fall further behind).

Discipline  My classroom climate is one of respect, teamwork, and learning. It is a safe place to try new ideas, express opinions, make mistakes, and be accepted.  My “Keys to Success” set the atmosphere for learning, and are as follows: optimism, perseverance, and responsibility.  In addition to the “Keys to Success”, I expect all students to follow the guidelines for behavior set forth in the TBMS Student Handbook.  I expect students to take an active part in their education through positive classroom participation, following through on assignments at home, communicating directly with parents at home, and communicating directly with teachers at school.  Students are held accountable for negative classroom behavior. After the 2nd warning students will be given a - Detention + complete an Apology Statement for their Behavior  Non-participation in class and/or grade-level activities, and calling home to discuss it with a parent.