6th Grade

ENGLISH 6A

In this course, students will read and analyze informational texts. These texts take many different forms, including biographies, personal accounts of events, instructional documents, film reviews, and persuasive letters. The course’s reading selections demonstrate ways to understand explicit and implicit information, central ideas, and key details, and claims and arguments, among other ideas and concepts. Over the course, students will read the novel The Road by Jack London. They will also examine informational texts to better their understanding of the science behind sunsets, the lives of several important historical figures, the history of the Olympics, and the process of flotation used by archaeologists, among other topics.

ENGLISH 6B

In this course, students will focus on learning reading skills based on literary texts. The texts come from several genres and include a novel, excerpts from novels, short stories, poems, and plays. The course’s reading selections demonstrate ways to understand explicit and implicit information, theme, characters, plot, poetic techniques, and figurative language, among other ideas and concepts. Students will read the entire novel, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum, and read a portion of it in almost every lesson throughout the course. They will read excerpts from the novels Little Women and The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, and stories and plays about challenging situations, getting caught doing something wrong, finding something unexpected, and why the crocodile has a wide mouth. Additionally, students will read poems from famous poets, such as Robert Louis Stevenson, Robert Frost, and Carl Sandburg, to name a few. Students will also watch several videos of famous poems being read aloud.

MATH 6A

In this course, students will build on previously learned concepts like adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing. They will deepen their knowledge of arithmetic with fractions and work with decimals and negative numbers. They will apply these new skills to help solve real-world problems using statistics, ratios, unit conversions, and geometry, as well as expand their ability to write and evaluate expressions, including ones involving new concepts like variables and exponents. Students will also begin working with equations and learn what it means to solve them.

MATH 6B

In this course, students will build on previously learned concepts, like positive and negative integers and fractions, to learn about rational numbers and how to compare them. They will find the distance between points, both on the number line and in the coordinate plane, and then solve geometry problems involving these concepts. They will study the relationships between variables and how to represent them in different ways. They will learn about ratios and unit rates, and then use them to solve real-world problems. Students will also work with data and discover different ways to display data and how to describe data mathematically.

SCIENCE 6A

This course focuses mainly on plants and animals. The course begins with an introduction to cells. The course then continues with the hierarchy of organization through a discussion of tissues, organs, and organ systems. Once students have learned what makes up organisms, they will look at the interactions between them. The course will also cover the growth of plants and animals and what factors affect their growth. Students will then track the life cycles of plants and animals and find out how they reproduce.

SCIENCE 6B

Second Semester: This semester begins with an introduction to energy and matter, as well as different types of energy and energy transformations. Students focus on natural cycles, the effect of the sun on ocean and air currents, and different types of pollution and the effects of greenhouse gases on the Earth’s climate. This semester uses many creative and interactive assets, including virtual labs and review games, to immerse students in a 21st-century online learning environment.

SOCIAL STUDIES 6A

Sixth grade students will study the beginning of early civilizations through the Gupta dynasty. Students will study the geographical, social, economic, and political foundations for early civilizations progressing through the Gupta dynasty. They will analyze the shift from nomadic societies to agricultural societies. Students will study the development of civilizations, including the areas of Mesopotamia, Egypt, Ancient Israel, and India. The study of these civilizations will include the impact of geography, early history, cultural development, and economic change. The geographic focus will include the study of physical and political features, economic development and resources, and migration patterns. This class will conclude with the Gupta dynasty.

SOCIAL STUDIES 6B

Second Semester: Students explore the geographic, political, economic, and cultural development of ancient Greece, Rome, and China. The course examines the birth and spread of Judaism, Christianity, Taoism, and Confucianism. Students apply historical thinking skills to understand implications of ancient literature, art, and philosophy on later Western culture.

In addition to our core curriculum, Career Exploration will be integrated throughout the program. Students will investigate the world of work and relate careers to their own interests, skills, and abilities.  Students will begin to build their own personal development, as well as habits of success.  Students will focus on building a sense of identity and purpose.  Middle school students should be prepared to determine a career pathway or program of study as they matriculate into High School.

List of Possible Elective Courses:

• Career Exploration
• Coding 
• Game Design
• Business Information
• Tech Apps
• Critical Thinking