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Middle School: Sixth Grade Curriculum
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Big QuestionWhat is the World Made of?
Arts
An important skill taught in our program is viewing the world from many different perspectives. Arts courses encourage students to develop an aesthetic sense, to express themselves in new and unique ways, and to explore their own creativity. Students select courses from a wide variety of visual arts, music and theatre classes. Options include Drawing and Painting, Graphic Design, Documentary Film Making, Choir, Improvisation, Acting, Stage Craft and more.
Historical Thinking 1
Students learn to think and work like historians. The year starts with geography to give students a concrete, visual record of regions studied and to focus on how geographical features affect world civilizations. The class investigates cultures in Ancient Egypt, Ancient Greece, Ancient Rome, and Ancient China. Students find connections between cultures of different places and time periods. Units are often tied to readings and study in Literary Thinking 1. Students read primary and secondary documents for meaning and point of view. They use different media to develop and convey their thinking: essays, charts, maps, debates, conversations, and presentations.
Literary Thinking 1
Students build an understanding of point of view, theme, narrative patterns, and the effects of language on readers. Readings include classics such as, Tom Sawyer, poems, folktales, myths from around the world, and contemporary fiction. Students learn to make predictions and inferences as they read and to cultivate good habits of annotation. Oral presentations, dramatic storytelling, and radio broadcasting are highlighted. Students write to develop and expand their ideas and practice letter writing, creative writing, and formal essays. They also develop skills in grammar, usage, mechanics, and vocabulary.
Mathematical Thinking 1 or 2
Students learn to think and work like mathematicians. Hands-on activities and practical problems show how numbers and patterns work and form a solid basis for advanced mathematical reasoning and logic. Topics include numbers and operations, algebraic variables and patterns, 2D and 3D shapes and relationships, ratio and proportion, linear relationships, and probability. Students practice using numbers to solve problems and writing to explain solutions. All of our students take the same series of engaging and challenging math courses. We meet differing needs and abilities by placing students at an apporpriate level in that series. Some of our sixth graders will enroll in Mathematical Thinking 1 and some Mathematical Thinking 2.
Physical Education
Physical education encourages students to push their limits, work as a team, accept wins and losses and live a healthful life. Courses emphasize lifelong fitness.
Scientific Thinking 1
Students learn to think and work like scientists. Topics connect with math and history and include geology, tectonic movement, weather, marine ecosystems, and environmental studies, Students are introduced to scientific (hypothetical and deductive) methods of reasoning to explain phenomena through observation, hypothesis, prediction, and carefully planned experiments.
Spanish 1
All students study Spanish in grades 5-9. Students focus on grammar, vocabulary acquisition, reading, writing, listening, and speaking. Goals are to increase skills over the course of the year and to lay a foundation for rapid advancement to written and spoken proficiency. We nurture a Spanish-speaking community that starts in the classroom and extends beyond it.
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