6 Blue Language Artists…
WHAT YA READING?
There are so many great books out there just waiting and wanting to be read! Share with your peers some of the great books that you recommend.
You will use the Doc to share the book/s you’re reading and/or look for a good book that is recommended by your peers/friends to read next. Click here to enter.
Check out these video interviews of your favorite authors (listed alphabetically) at Reading Rockets click here
Book Club for Kids – Writers on Writing. Click here for several interviews with some of our favorite authors.
Click here for Where the Mountain Meets the Moon author Grace Lin’s TedTalk about books as windows and mirrors.
Kwame Alexander interview from Reading Rockets… Check out the segment on doing research for writing fiction – click here.
Katherine Applegate interview on Reading Rockets – click here.
Hear her speak about writing The One and Only Ivan.
R.J. Palacio, author of Wonder, talks about her inspiration and writing process in these NPR interviews – click here and here
Tim Green interview at Kids Scoop News – click here
Kate DiCamillo interview on Reading Rockets – click here.
Jacqueline Woodson interview on Reading Rockets – click here.
Margaret Petersen Haddix interview from Reading Rockets… Check out the segment on doing research for writing fiction click here
Click on the author’s name below to read or listen to interviews at AuthorHour.com:
Tony Abbott Kate DiCamillo Bruce Coville John Flanagan Christopher Paolini
Michael Northrop a Sports Illustrated Kids writer, talks about his latest book called Plunked, about a 12-year-old baseball player named Jack Mogens — and his life both on and off the field. Click here for this NPR interview
Jeff Kinney, author of the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series answers kid-reader’s questions in a NPR interview – click here
Ray Bradbury’s tips for young authors click here
Amar’e Stoudemire — the captain of the New York Knicks, a six-time NBA All-Star and a man who can definitely dunk a basketball talks about writing for middle school readers and his series called STAT in this NPR interview – click here
Click on the nonfiction links below to read about interesting, important, and current issues/topics:
Scholastic SCOPE Magazine – click here and/or use student sign in classroom password = 6bluela
Click on the Past Issues tab to search archives.
NEWSELA is a nonfiction resource of articles on a variety of topics and current events. Once you choose an article, you can select the text written in your Lexile range. Sign in with your Google account.
Junior Scholastic Magazine – click here and/or use the student sign in classroom password =
Scholastic Science World Magazine – click here and/or use student sign in classroom password =
Once you log in, click on the current issue. Then you read the current issue and/or search the archives.
KidsDiscover News Wrap – Look on the blog for weekly news wraps to keep yourself current with what’s going on in the world.
KidsDiscover Quick Reads Archive has a collection of current nonfiction articles that are free and printable.
KidsDiscover Infographics Archive has a collection of infographics on a variety of nonfiction topics.
Saxe Library Media Center collection of online databases. Use your Google Docs log in to access passcodes if working from home.
Saxe Library Media Center Virtual Research Room includes a collection of links to World Book Online for you to explore various nonfiction topics.
Nonfiction text selections by Scholastic
Popular Nonfiction Books for 6th Graders by Goodreads
Please use the links and resources below to find ‘just right’ books for your independent reading at home and school.
Saxe Library Media Center Homepage
Saxe 6th Grade Battle of the Books titles: Read BIG!
Grade 6 Battle of the Books Titles (with links to synopses)
Saxe Grade 6 Recommended Reading List
Saxe Recommended Reading Lists for Grades 5-8
The New Canaan Library’s book recommendations for middle school kids
6 Blue Language Artists are Authors of Interesting & Important Informational Texts
Over the course of several weeks, students read and researched a topic of their choice. Then, they worked through the writing process to write an article that would be both ‘interesting and important’ for an audience of their peers and greater community.
Active reading, curiosity, and personal interest led students to research and explore topics and questions that are important to us ALL. Now YOU can read for yourself!
Create a Word Cloud
that expresses YOUR true character.
Try out these *sites:
ABCya! Word Clouds for Kids http://www.abcya.com/word_clouds.htm
Wordle http://www.wordle.net/
Tagxedo – Word Clouds with Style http://www.tagxedo.com/
*Depending on the computer or iPad you are using, you may have technical difficulties with any one of the sites and/or may need to upgrade your apps/programs to make it work. Please ask a parent for help or try a different site.
*Each site has its own directions and tools, so be sure to read the directions carefully. You want to utilize all the cool options.
Still, you will click CREATE on each site to get started and you will copy and paste from your list into the box.
Once you’ve created your Word Cloud save it by taking a screen shot or capturing it with a snipping tool.
Then, ‘save as’ a JPG or PNG (image) file to your computer desktop or Google Drive. That way you can insert it (image) into a Google Doc. and color print at home or school.