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• Sixth Grade

• Library

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Updated: 6/10/2008

The foundation of 6^th grade Reading/Writing instruction is quality children’s literature.  Students will read and reflect on many books independently and with classmates.  Students will continue using previously introduced skills such as distinguishing between fiction and nonfiction, understanding theme as a story element, reading information to answer questions, using reference materials, reading and understanding words with prefixes and suffixes, and making oral presentations.  New skills introduced include the analysis of styles and language structures that exist in stories and finding words with opposite meanings within the context of a passage.  The Accelerated Reader program used in the middle schools is also utilized.  Students read books from selected lists and are tested on their comprehension of the material.  On a weekly basis, students also share their reading expertise with younger students through the Reading Buddy program.

Students write often in all curriculum areas and study the craft of respected authors.  Students use the writing process (pre-write, first draft, revise and edit, final draft, and publish/share).  They also study literary devices (simile, metaphor, alliteration, idioms, irony, and hyperbole) in writing.  Each student will also write for a variety of purposes, including self-expression.  Example writing projects include letters, poems, journals, narratives, persuasive paragraphs, a research paper, and an autobiography.  Grammar lessons include identification and use of compound sentences, correct use of irregular verbs, correct use of apostrophes, and subject-verb agreement.  New skills introduced include identification of phrases, clauses and direct/indirect objects in written work.

Mathematics instruction is based on each student’s needs and abilities.  Pretests are used to determine students’ working abilities.  As students master skills, they are tested and move on to the next skill set.  Manipulatives are used to supplement the mathematics text.  Students apply the four step problem solving process (understand, plan, solve, and look back), use a variety of strategies to solve problems, estimate to predict results and evaluate answers, use tables, charts and graphs, convert mixed numbers and improper fractions, use inequality symbols to complete number sentences, add and subtract fractions, explore units of measure for length, weight, etc., use coordinate grid systems and explore probability.  Students will also use scientific notation, relate common fractions to decimals and percents, and use the order of operations.

The Science curriculum is enhanced through the use of “hands-on” projects.  Students use the scientific method (hypothesis, observation or experimentation, measurement of results, and conclusion), examine how natural phenomena and human interaction can alter the environment, and explore force and its effects on objects.  New concepts and skills include plate tectonics, earthquakes, and volcanoes, the components of a living cell, the concept of speed (change/position/time), the properties of force and motion, and the nature of matter.

The Social Studies curriculum focuses on the history of ancient world cultures.  Students recognize and compare common factors among different cultures, locate and label geographical entities (continents, countries, rivers, mountain ranges, gulfs and seas) on a map, explore how climate affects human migration and settlement, and look at the interaction between humans and the environment.  Each student will prepare a research report on a self-selected social studies topic. New skills and concepts introduced include the major regions of the ancient era, the structure of the Greek city-states, the transformation of Rome from republic to empire, the characteristics of types of governments, the definition of civilization, the skills of ancient peoples, and the development of written communication in ancient Egypt.

The Religion curriculum used is the Boise Diocese curriculum, Christ Our Life.  The 6^th grade program focuses on the study of the Old Testament.  The students also participate in weekly school masses.