6th Grade Curriculum

Students in 6^th grade are moving toward new horizons – this is the first year that they will be utilizing a locker for their belongings. Students will cycle between two teachers – one for language arts and social studies and one for math and science via teacher generated schedule. In reading, students will continue working in small groups for guided reading from a wide variety of genres, including historical fiction, folktales, myths, informational nonfiction, plays and poems. They will continue to build vocabulary, expand their comprehension skills, and continue mastering the art of interpreting text, characters, and situations to better understand their reading. They will be using Voyages in English to strengthen writing skills, word use, and language while writing for a purpose such as, description, persuasion, exclamation, clarification, and researching. In math, students will proceed to build on their math skills and master decimals, fractions, percent’s, geometry, algebra, areas of measurement and problem solving.

Students in social studies this year will study the ancient civilizations of Mesopotamia, Egypt, India, Greece, China and the ancient Americas, as well as the development of early humans. Students will study geography and geographic terms as a way to understand how and why civilizations developed. Students will identify the five themes of geography and will study a wide range of maps and graphs to better understand important patterns in the growth and decline of civilizations. They will complete hands-on projects, act out plays, and use technology to express their knowledge of these early civilizations.

In science, students will master their investigative skills and explore the fascinating world by examining life, physical and earth sciences through labs, inquiry and the science fair. As well, Students will continue to build and expand on their technology skills utilizing available software programs, search engines to surf the web, editing, creating, writing and drawing through Microsoft Word, Excel, and Power Point. Students will also continue the use of the desktops, laptops, video cameras, Promethean Boards, Document Cameras, and LCD projectors. Students will use design, publishing and presentation products such as Moviemaker and Photo story 3 to communicate concepts and ideas to specific audiences. They will continue to use keyboards and other input devices such as digital cameras, printers, scanners and microphones effectively.

Students have the opportunity to visit special classes throughout the week which consist of Spanish, Art, Music Appreciation, Computer Education, and Physical Education. All classes take field trips that are academically appropriate and enhance the education of our students. Teachers supplement the curriculum in a wealth of ways which is telling of their individuality and creativity. These supplemental activities heighten motivation and enrich the curriculum.

Reading

Decoding/Word Attack: Suffixes, unaccented syllables, recognize the origins and meanings of frequently used foreign words, utilize a variety of grammatical language, identify parts of speech in context, and utilize a variety of these parts of speech in speaking and writing.

Skills: Identify and interpret figurative language, theme, inferences, clarify the main idea, analyze the quality of characters, interpret reading selections, identify foreshadowing techniques, write about reading, react to reading selections, build vocabulary and identify and understand multiple genres of literature.

Strategies: monitor comprehension by adjusting reading rate, answering questions, analyze text that uses the compare/contrast organizational pattern, build fluency, tone, expression, and reading for a specific audience.

Math

Number Sense

Greatest Common Factor and Least Common Multiple
Percents
Comparing decimals, fractions, and mixed numbers
Apply and extend previous understandings of numbers to the system of rational numbers.

Operations

Associative, commutative, and distributive properties
Computing with whole numbers and decimals
Adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing fractions

Measurement

Measuring and classifying angles and triangles
Right angles
Precise measurement

Geometry

Identifying polygons and triangles
Circles
Parallel, perpendicular, and intersecting lines
Angle sums
Solve real world and mathematical problems involving area, surface area and volume

Algebra

Interpreting expressions and equations
Solving equations

Data Analysis and Probability

Analyzing and representing data
Measures of central tendency

Science

Variables

Use controlled experimentation to discover relationships demonstrating cause and effect.

Magnets and Motors

Students explore magnets, electromagnets and motors.

Weather and Water

Focus on Earth’s atmosphere, weather and water, including physics and chemistry understanding.

Mixtures and Solutions

Learn about the makeup of substances, and the changes of these substances.

Social Studies

Describe the geographic, political, economic, and social characteristics of ancient civilizations of the Stone Age and Mesopotamia and their contributions to later civilizations
Describe the geographic, political, economic, and social characteristics of the Early Civilizations in Africa
Describe the geographic, political, economic, and social characteristics of the Early Civilizations in Asia
Describe the geographic, political, economic, and social characteristics of the Early Civilizations in Europe
Describe the political, economic, social, and geographic characteristics of Medieval Europe
Describe the development of early civilizations in the Americas

Technology

Select and use tools such as word processing, spreadsheet, database consistent with the nature of the activity
Incorporate a presentation program, a desktop publishing program, or a graphics program to complete assignments in all content areas
Demonstrate good form and accuracy in keyboarding
Use online resources for the purpose of developing solutions or products for various audiences