Using Dialogue in Your Personal Narrative

Using Quotation Marks
1. Visit this site. Review the rules for using quotation marks, then try the practice.
2. Go to Edpuzzle. Review the song and take the short quiz.

Dialogue is a great way to bring the characters in your personal narrative to life. Notice how Joel and Honeygirl use dialogue.

"Two Little Siblings"

"Cake Laughs"

Punctuation marks will help your reader to understand your dialogue. Which punctuation marks will you use in your dialogue?

View the short video on how to correctly punctuate your dialogue.

Roots Quiz One

Good luck on your quiz! You may not use any "cheat sheets" or notes on this quiz.

If you are absent, you must take the quiz when you return from your absence.

Drafting Your Personal Narrative

  A. Setting: Create a setting using sensory detail The sensory details you use will help the reader walk into your story and experience the setting the same way you did. Here are just a few examples:

It was early in the morning. The air was fresh and cold. I had my basketball gear on and was getting ready for the game. I went inside the court and the court was all ready and the floor shiny. Then I went with my team. We practiced shooting for a while before the game started. We practiced our lay-ups, free throw shots, three pointers, and two pointers. Suddenly, the loud siren rang for the game to start.
--Nathanial (Period One)


The “Get Acquainted Area” of the Watsonville Animal Shelter is a small fenced yard littered with slobbered-on chew toys and tennis balls.  My ten-year-old daughter Andrea had been begging for a dog for the last several years.  So we found ourselves there, surrounded by the yapping and barking of a variety of mutts, all seeming to cry,“Pick me!  Pick me!”
--Ms. Rainey

B. Conflict: Has the conflict in your narrative been revealed? Try using dialogue and thought-shots as you reveal the problem.

The adoption coordinator came out and said, “You know, we have a real hard-luck case here, a dog that really needs a home.  He’s already been here for eight months… .”  Her voice trailed off, but I knew what she didn’t want to say in front of Andrea. I thought to myself, this is  a “problem dog,” and his days at the shelter, and on this earth, are numbered.

--Ms. Rainey

C. Characters:    If you haven't yet begun to develop characters, now is the time. You want your characters to have a living, breathing presence in your story.  Here are some ideas for bringing the characters to life:

• Name
• Age
• Physical appearance: hair, clothing, etc.
• Personality traits: shy, energetic, funny, etc. 
• Behaviors: what do they do and say?

One of my main characters is actually my dog. I want to show the reader what my dog was like: hyper, undisciplined, but very distinctive looking.

That dog ran in such fast circles around the little yard, it was hard to even get a good look at him. When he did finally stop, it was only so that he could growl at my husband. He was medium sized for a dog, with a brindle coat.  This means orange, brown, and black tiger stripes.  He had a white streak down his snout as clean as snow. He was long-legged and broad-chested like a typical boxer.  But unlike a boxer, he was covered by longish fur that stuck up like a hair brush.

--Ms. Rainey

How might you describe your human and/or animal characters? What do they look like? What do they say, think, and do?

1. Find the description you wrote about an important character in your narrative (or add a description now). Revise the description so that it is at least 35 words in length. Try using a showing sentence:

S/he is the kind of person who always...
S/he is the kind of person who would never...

Telling Sentence:
My cousin Janet is very shy.

Change to a Showing Sentence:
My cousin Janet is the kind of person who always turns red whenever the teacher calls on her.
My cousin Janet is the kind of person who would never go up to a boy and ask him his name.

Copy and paste that description on the Padlet Wall so that others can be inspired to write their own awesome description.

Ideas for Personal Narrative

Common Core Standards
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.7.3

Take some time to think about your personal narrative and what it might be about. Sports, celebrations, family, pets, life changing events are all excellent subjects for a personal narrative. 
Consider:
a time you laughed so hard;
a time you cried;
a time you were scared or nervous;
a time you felt proud or excited;  
a time you learned a life lesson;
a time you wanted something badly;
a conflict you had with another person;
a problem or challenge you faced.
Also consider, what do you want others to understand about you?

Remember, you personal narrative will be published on your Kidblog, so pick something you feel comfortable sharing with a wide audience.
Go to Google classroom and record some ideas in the comment  stream.

What is a Narrative?

What  are narratives and why are they important?

"Humans, of all creatures, have the gift of story, and the wisdom it brings."
     --Walter Dean Myers




Common Core Standards
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.7.3

From the time that humans first developed the ability to communicate, the sharing of narratives, or stories, has been an important way to impart the wisdom necessary to help us survive and thrive.

Prompt for Writing

     Narratives leave the reader with new wisdom about life. The sharing of narratives also helps us to develop empathy for each other. You will write a type of autobiographical narrative known as a personal narrative.  A personal narrative is a true story about an important time in someone's life or a major event that has special meaning to the author.  In your personal narrative, be sure to explain how the events occurred and use narrative techniques to bring the setting, characters and action to life for the reader. Effective techniques might include:

     Dialogue;
     Suspense;
     Specific action;
     Sensory detail.

      Your personal narrative should be 250-400 words in length. You will share this writing on your blog for other students to enjoy and appreciate.

Good writers read and carefully analyze the writing of others. They notice what they like specifically about the writing and think of how they might use that same technique in their own writing.
1. Listen to the teacher read aloud "Cake Laughs."
2.  Open the Model Personal Narratives in your Language Arts folder. Highlight three lines that you like from each narrative.

3.  Review the Narrative Technique chart in your folder. Copy and paste examples of each technique from any of the three models you have read.

     

Greek and Latin Roots

Common Core Standards
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.6.4.b

A root is a word part that has a specific meaning. From that root, many other words can grow!

Many words in English have grown from Greek and Latin roots. Knowing the meanings of roots can help you to figure out the meaning of new words.

View the short presentation:

Your homework for the next several weeks will be to learn the meanings of 4-6 new roots. You will complete a set of activities that will help you to learn the meaning of the roots. There will be a quiz each Friday on the roots that have been covered.

This homework will be completed on paper and turned in on Friday before the quiz. A "cheat-sheet" of definitions can be used for the homework. Please save the definitions in your binder. You will need them for the weekly packet. The cheat-sheet is also available on this blog under Student Resources: Greek and Latin Roots.
Please go to Edpuzzle. Sign up with the class code and Google:

aoqPBd

View the video and answer the questions about Greek and Latin roots.

Kidblog

Kidblog is a great way to share your writing with others. Today you will set up your account and post your "I am From" poem.
As you are soon to see, Kidblog has some new features that will make your posts really pop!

Please go to Kidblog and sign up with the class code:  r3rgg57 and Google.

1. Copy and paste your "I am From" poem. Select an image and background that enhances your ideas.

2. Go to Voki. Create an avatar for your blog. Screenshot your avatar using:

3. Follow the instructions for uploading your screenshot. 

4. Read the poems of others and make positive comments!

Newsela Sign-up

Please go to AR to take the STAR test.

When you have completed the test, please follow the directions below to get started on Newsela.

Newsela is a great way to stay caught up on important world events. It will also help to improve your nonfiction reading skills.

1. Please sign up for Newsela using your class code:
RSZXXM

2. Check your Newsela "binder" for any assignments.

Poem: I am From

Where are You From?

When getting to know someone new, we often ask them, "Where are you from?" But what does their answer really tell us about their life?

Using George Ella Lyon's poem as inspiration, write your own "I am from" poem. You may also view the poet's multimedia presentation of her poem.

George Ella Lyon's poem uses sensory details to describe the important people, places, and things that influenced her life.  In this student version of the poem, the focus is on certain challenges the poet has faced and his dream for the future.

1.  Use the I am From Poem scaffold as a guide to writing your own "I am from" poem. There are many other versions of the poem on Youtube if you need further inspiration. (Please use your earbuds when listening from your own Chromebook.)

Your poem will be shared with the class on your personal blog.                                                                 2.  Revise your "I am from" poem by adding sensory language that will bring the images to life in the mind of your reader. Please highlight your revisions so that the teacher can see the additions you made.

3.  Linecatcher: Please listen to a partner read their complete poem. With your partner, decide on a most
excellent line from the poem that includes a sensory detail. Copy that line. Tell who the author is.

Created with Padlet

Reflecting on Rules and Procedures

1.  Open the Class Syllabus.  Find the Classroom Rules.  Read the rules group share style.
2.  Open the Classroom Procedures on this blog.  Read the slides as a group. (Each person reads one slide.)
3.  Group leader only, open this: Reflecting on Rules and Procedures.  Make a copy, and share the copy with your group members "can edit." Work as a group to complete the "Please Do, Please Do Not" section based on what you learned about rules and procedures.
4. On your own, post a "Please do..." and "Please Do Not..." on the Padlet wall.

Created with Padlet

Created with Padlet

Collaborate on a Slide Presentation

Create a Collage for  a Shared Class Slide Presentation

Open the Class Collage Slides.
a.  Click on + to make a new slide.
a.  Start with your first and last name as the title of your slide.
c.  Research a famous quotation on Brainy Quotes that you find to be interesting or insightful. Copy and paste this quotation on your slide. Be sure to include the author of the quotation.
d. Fill the remaining space on your slide with at least five different images that represent your interests and/or what is important to you.


Be sure to follow procedures and etiquette for working on a shared document.

Welcome to 6th Grade Language Arts!

1.  Please bookmark this site.
1. Go to Google Classroom and use the code to sign up to this class. 
2. The class blog has information and links that can help you to be successful in the class. Use the class blog to complete Exploring the Blog.