Mrs. Martin’s 6th grade ELA class participated in the Global Read Aloud. This is where students and teachers across the globe read the same book for six weeks in hopes of using books to connect to others. This year, students read
Front Desk by Kelly Yang. Along with in-class activities, classes were able to connect with other sixth grade classrooms to discuss the book, play vocabulary games, and learn about other schools and cultures. CMS sixth graders connected with a class outside of Chicago, a class near Dallas, and a class in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Mrs. Martin's class has also Skyped with other authors, including Stacey McAnulty, who discussed her upcoming books. Some students are also participating in the #KidsNeedMentors program where they are paired with an author to do different activities. The class was paired with Barbara Dee, and had the opportunity to Skype with her to ask questions about what it's like to be an author.
Books students have read banner. Students write the books they've read on a Post- It.
CMS sixth grade ELA students are encouraged to read from their choice independent book each night. There are eight different genres students are required to read by the end of the year. At the end of the year, students add up the amount of pages they read during sixth grade and most students are at 3,000 pages or more. Students are encouraged to share what they read with their peers and classmates. Sometimes this is done during class discussions, but students are also encouraged to give Book Talks or book advertisements as presentations.
Books students have read banner. Students write the books they've read on a Post- It.