Who are we?

Big Idea for CORE

This year we will be exploring the theme of identity in sixth grade. We will be repeatedly answering these questions throughout the course of the year. Answers will change as you change, as we change as a class and as your (and our) understanding of yourself becomes clearer. Who are you? How do you know who you are? How do you think others would define you?

The Project

Our goal this year in CORE is to analyze the works of a wide variety of authors including the works of you and your classmates. Before we can begin to analyze the works of others, we must first begin to understand who we are as individuals and as a class. In order to begin to understand who we are as a class, your first assignment is to find a way to share who you are with your classmates. Please pick the assignment you think most fits who you are as a person. All assignments must include the following pieces: No fewer than 7 pieces of (important birthdays dont count) information A written explanation of what youve included and why it has been included Clear connections between you and the assignment of your choice Answers to the Big Idea questions listed above Where youve been (what were you like as a young child) Who are you are now (friends, family, hobbies, etc.) What you hope to accomplish in sixth grade Where you hope to be 10 years from now This assignment sounds pretty easy so far, doesnt it? Mwahahahahaha. Just wait. There is one more, very important bit of information I have not yet shared. Think of your favorite subject. What is it? Why is it your favorite? What on earth can it possibly have to do with this assignment? Your assignment must be presented in one of the following formats (I am willing to discuss other options, but you MUST discuss this with me before you begin to work): Science o Periodic Table of You: Use elements from the periodic table to explain who you are. Today you are O, people need you like they need oxygen. Other days you are U(ranium) you want other people to stay away from you. o Design an Experiment: What is the purpose of your experiment? What steps must be taken? What variables are there? What is the desired result? Math o Graph or Chart: How much of your pie chart is about school? How much has to do with your family? o Infographic: Use numbers and pictures to show who you are (see me if youd like to see an example). 17% of your time is spent deciding what to wear to school. 53% of your time is spent texting with friends. 2% of your life was spent living in another city, neighborhood or house. History o Mapping: Create a map of your life so far. This might be a map of your family, neighborhood, or house. o Artifact Box: Find and/or create artifacts that explain who you are. o Annotated, Illustrated Timeline: Create a timeline of your life. This timeline must include explanations and pictures.

Language Arts o Song list: Create a song list that illustrates who you are. Are you a Sousa march? A country song? A ballad? Do you Never Say Never? o Book list: Create a list of books that explains who you are. When dealing with your siblings, you might be a book from the Warrior series. When at school, you are always wondering if the cafeteria staff might secretly be a Lunch Lady. Do you wish you went to school at Hogwarts? o Word list: Pick a list of words that show who you are. Some days you are splendiferous, other days you are simply happy. How can you pick words to get to the heart of who you are? o Part of speech: Which part(s) of speech describe(s) you? Are you more of a noun or a verb? Are you a combination of two or more parts of speech? Choose words that illustrate those parts of speech. Art o What pieces of art show who you are? Some days youre a little Monet, other days youre more Picasso. Maybe when youre at school you are a Rodin sculpture. Music o Create a band, orchestra or other musical group that illustrates your life. Are you a stringed instrument, a woodwind, a soprano? Maybe you are a rock band or a string quartet. Lunch o Create a menu that illustrates who you are. Are you a formal dinner, a picnic? Are you a buffet, a sit-down dinner? Maybe you are a day-long menu with a variety of meals.

This assignment is not easy. It will require a lot of thought to use one of these ideas to convey to others how you see yourself. You will be graded based on the rubric below. Beginner Required Information Project is missing a majority of the required information. Questions were not fully answered. Student does not make connections between events in his/her life and the assignment s/he chose. Student missed the connection between the essential questions and his/her project. Project requires major editing. Spelling, mechanics, and grammar errors distract from the meaning of the text. Improving Project is missing some of the required information. Questions are answered, but are mostly surface answers. Student makes few connections between events in his/her life and the assignment s/he chose. Student has shown some understanding of the connection between the essential questions and his/her project. Project requires moderate editing. Spelling, mechanics, and grammar errors are numerous, but do not distract from the meaning of the text. Proficient Project is missing little of the required information. Questions are answered and go slightly beyond the surface. Student makes connections between events in his/her life and the assignment s/he chose. Student has demonstrated understanding of the connection between the essential questions and his/her project. Project requires editing. Spelling, mechanics, and grammar errors do no distract from the meaning of the text. Expert Project contains all of the required information. Questions are answered and go beyond the surface. Student makes excellent connections between events in his/her life and the assignment s/he chose. Student has demonstrated superior understanding of the connection between the essential questions and his/her project. Project requires little to no editing. Grammar, mechanics, and spelling errors are few, if any.

Connections

Big Idea

Grammar & Mechanics