Mr. McGinnis' 5th, 6th, and 7th Reading Class
Dear parents, guardians, and students, I would like to introduce myself. My name is Mr. McGinnis. I have many years of experience as a Social Studies, ELA, ESL, and Reading instructor. Presently, I am in my third year at SMA, and I look forward to a very productive year for everyone! pr
§I graduated from a traditional teaching college and have taught in parochial, private, public, and charter schools in the USA and overseas.
§5th Grade: Our first anchor text of the year is “The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe” by C.S. Lewis. The first of a series of novels set primarily in war-torn England and the imaginary Land of Narnia. I chose this novel because of its rich fantasy and Christian religious motifs. Our students will enjoy its unfolding narrative and become more academically and religiously enriched by reading this delightful book. Our second text will be “Hatchet,” by Gary Paulsen
6th Grade: Our first featured text will be the “Witch of Black Bird Pond,” by Elizabeth Speare.
Our second anchor text of the year is “The Giver” by Lois Lowery. It is the first of a series of novels set primarily in a grim, dystopian future where society controls every aspect of an individual's life from birth to death. I chose this novel because of its treatment and themes that may or may not foreshadow our future. I hope students enjoy its unfolding narrative and become enriched by reading this meaningful and topical novel.
§ 7th grade: Our first anchor text of the year is “The Outsiders.” It is a coming-of-age novel by S.E. Hinton. The book details the conflict between two rival gangs divided by their socioeconomic status: the working-class ‘Greasers’ and the upper-middle-class ‘Socs.’ The story is told in first-person perspective by a teenage protagonist and takes place in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in 1965.
§Our next text is ”The Call of the Wild,” By Jack London.
§In tandem with our primary texts, each grade level will also learn fictional elements such as plot, setting, character, point-of-view, theme, and tone. Each of these broad elements has many possible subcategories, and we will learn about them together. We will also learn about nonfictional components such as setting, descriptive imagery, figurative language, plot, and character.
Developing reading, grammar, and specific writing skills for designers and scholars will be critical to our success for lifelong learning.
§We will also use online blended learning programs such as Lexia, Power Out, CORE5, and other programs utilized through student IPADS. The primary use of these technologies, along with Google Classroom for updates, instructional materials, and testing, will help individual students at every skill and grade level to become proficient and master the necessary skills and knowledge base that will serve each student long after his or her time at St. Matthew the Apostle School.
