2006 - 2007 Humanities
Ms. Arch
5th & 6th Grades

Dear Parents, Families, and Friends,

Hello! My name is Kate Arch and I am your child’s teacher for Humanities at Salt Lake Arts Academy. This letter is sent to inform you of the Humanities format for the current school year.

Writing - Writing is a very important form of communication. This year your student will have high writing expectations. We will write in all genres. Rough, revised and final drafts will be expected.  Editing will be stressed. You will see great growth in this area for your student. It is an exciting experience for them as they see themselves develop into writers.

Reading - Literature will cover all genres including but not limited to science fiction, historical fiction, non-fiction, fantasy, and primary sources.
            We will be reading from the following list:
                        When Zachary Beaver Came to Town
                        Stargirl
                        Maniac Magee
                        The Giver
                        Canterbury Tales
            *The list is subject to change depending on the various needs and reading levels of each                         child. Students may receive an individualized reading list of books they are required to                         read.

Art - The Arts are layered throughout our curriculum. Your child will have many opportunities to experience the arts. Visual arts will be both creative and structured. Rubrics will be developed by the students to help facilitate their growth and learning (a rubric is education lingo for a tool to measure). Instruction will include elements and principles of art as well as many creative strategies.

History - This year our focus will be the three R's Renaissance, Reformation, and Revolution. We will be covering the time periods of 1300's through 1790's.  As with our school theme of “Pushing Past Barriers” our class will delve into the personal, cultural, physical, ideological, and political boundaries that existed during time period and the discoveries that were made there in.

A. FORMAT

The integration of Social Studies and Language Arts is met through the following:

            1. Tests: weekly conventions, vocabulary, and spelling.
           
            2. Daily Oral Language (D.O.L.) Conventions (rules of grammar) will be learned each day                     and kept in a spiral notebook, graded daily and applied to the course score.

            3. Novels: We will be reading about this year’s theme. Each student will focus on reading                       strategies. There is an activity that is corrected daily, kept in the same spiral as D.O.L.,                  and applied to the course grade.

            4. Reading logs: due every Thursday. Students will be required to write or draw about               what they  read. Reading logs should account for five hours of reading when turned in on                         Thursday.

            5. Portfolio: three ring binder containing writing pieces and work from course. This is                 graded by the student weekly.

            7. Writing pieces: students will be writing daily. Writing will be kept in the          student’s                       portfolio.

            8. Art projects and activities for Social Studies. As we learn about his year’s theme your                        child will take part in the human experience. This is done with the intent for your child to               connect their world to the world of the past.

            9. Physical Education is also a part of our Humanities block this year. We will be focusing                      on learning about our physical fitness and needs as well as athletics.

            10.  Social skill: students will be learning one social skill each week. Students  will be                 completing a weekly worksheet on a social skill. Each worksheet is assigned on Monday                   and due Wednesday.

B. SUPPLIES

Needed supplies:
            *one three ring binder with three or more dividers (portfolio)
            *one five subject spiral notebook (D.O.L., Reading, and Vocabulary)
            *one box of kleenex tissues OR one roll of paper towels
            *post-it notes medium size
            *college ruled lined paper
            *many, many pencils
            *one manilla folder (assignment calendar and homework)
            *one subject spiral (reading log)
Suggested supplies (Not required):
            *colored pencils
            *tape
            *markers
            *pens
            *water colors

C. WHAT TO EXPECT

Communication is vital to having a successful learning experience. Be expecting your child to share with you each Monday:
            *weekly newsletter
            *monthly newsletter (given the first week of a month)
            *weekly assignment calendar
            *weekly vocabulary list
            *weekly social skill worksheet (5/6th grades only)
             (This info. is also displayed on our class web site, http://my.uen.org/97287.)

            1. Homework - your child will have homework every day, Monday through       Thursday.                     Weekday homework consists of vocabulary, reading, spelling, and any class work not                   completed during the school day. Weekend homework consists of doing one reading log. If a       student does not complete their class work, they will have writing and/or project                            homework to do over weekends.

            2. Grading - students are graded by percentages during the terms. Grades with details                about assignments are posted in the classroom every Monday. Grading for term report                   cards will be based on the school’s one to five rubric as posted in the school handbook.
           
            3. Progress Updates - if a child is falling behind (five or more missing assignments) you               will receive an e-mail. If your child is missing a large number of assignments, a progress               report will be sent home and you will also receive an e-mail. Please note that grades will                be available on-line to students and parents. You will receive an e-mail with more details                the first term of school.

D. CLASSROOM DISCIPLINE

Merit System -- 5/6th Grade - This is the third school year I have used this system in the classroom. Students like the system because it is fair. I like it because it prevents poor behavior choices from interfering with student learning.

Each student begins their Humanities two hour block with 10 points. If poor behavior choices are made, I will state the poor behavior choice to the student and take away points. If the student wishes to dispute the point loss, instead of arguing and interrupting class, the student will sit at a designated chair and wait for me to discuss the situation. Typically, students wait only a few minutes. This encourages respectful conversations with teachers and also increases instructional time I have with students.

At the end of the two hour block, if a student has kept enough of their points (6 out of 10), they receive a merit . If a student did not keep enough points, they do not receive a merit. If a child does not earn a merit for two days, the student is on level one of the Salt Lake Arts Academy student discipline procedure (located in student handbook and discussed in class with me the first week of school).

At the end of each term, a percentage is drawn from the number of days a student is at school and received a merit. If the student has 85% or higher, they will be part of a class party which the students have the opportunity to plan. There will be three parties in the school year. I hope all students make good behavior choices so they can enjoy each party. This classroom management system is simple and works great with the 5th and 6th grade age group.

E. CORE OBJECTIVES

Students will meet or exceed the following objectives through out the school year. We will use many learning strategies and activities to meet the following:

Language Arts State Core
5th & 6th - Standard 1, Objectives 1 - 2: Develop language through listening and speaking.
5th& 6th  - Standards 2 - 4: Develop an understanding of phonological and phonemic awareness. Develop an understanding of how printed language works. Use phonics and other strategies to decode and spell unfamiliar words while reading and writing.
5th & 6th - Standard 5, Objectives 1 - 2: Read aloud grade level text with appropriate speed and accuracy. Read aloud grade level text effortlessly with clarity.
5th & 6th - Standard 6, Objectives 1 - 3: Learn new words though listening and reading. Use multiple resources to learn new words by relating them to known words and/or concepts. Use structural analysis and context clues to determine word meaning.
5th & 6th - Standard 7, Objectives 1 - 3: Identify purpose of text. Apply strategies to comprehend text. Recognize and use features of narrative and informational text.
5th & 6th - Standard 8, Objectives 1 - 6: Prepare to write by gathering and organizing information and writing. Compose a written draft. Revise by elaborating and clarifying a written draft. Edit written draft for conventions. Use fluent and legible handwriting to communicate. Write in different forms and genres.

Social Studies State Core
5th - Standard 1, Objective 1: Generate reasons for exploration and settlement of new world.
5th - Standard 4, Objective 1: Analyze the role of American Indians, explorers, and leaders in the development of the New World.
5th - Standard 9, Objective 1: Analyze how physical features affected the expansion of North America.
6th - Standard 2, Objective 1: Trace historical events of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance.
6th - Standard 5, Objectives 1 - 3: Describe life under the feudal system. Explore the impact of inventions and new knowledge leading to and during the Renaissance. Examine social and economical issues of Europe from 1700 - 1900.
6th - Standard 8, Objective 1: Analyze the influence of geographic features in determining country borders.