We use this time to hone in on one particular writing skill with which we could use a little more time and focus. This Wednesday, sixth graders worked on identifying and creating the vital components of an argumentative paragraph. To begin, each student got a slip of paper with one or two sentences on it, which represented a critical piece of a paragraph - either a CLAIM, EVIDENCE, or REASONING. Then, students had to find the other components to their paragraph by moving around the room and conferencing with other students. Once they put together their completed paragraphs, they met with their peers who had the same type of component that they had. Those who had claims talked about the similarities between their claims, and same for evidence and reasoning. Lastly, they composed their own paragraphs complete with claims, evidence, and reasoning. Students did a great job digging a little deeper into questions like: What makes a strong argument? What makes a paragraph complete?
1.23 // If you would like to get our monthly student publication, The Monthly Mustang, return the subscription form with $3
1.26 // Student Council hot chocolate sale 7:40-8:00am
1.28 // Family mass at 10:30am and SMS Open House
1.29-2.2 // Catholic Schools Week
2.2 // Half day for students / Progress reports go home / Parent-teacher conferences (upon request)
Don't forget to comment with your favorite thing about St. Matthias in order to earn a ticket for your favorite Mustang Cup team! (1 pt. per student)