Welcome to Sixth Grade!
In Sixth Grade, students analyze complex texts, write research papers, and refine grammar and vocabulary. They learn to articulate their ideas in greater depth and express themselves artistically. Students study ancient world history, astronomy, ecosystems, climates, and mental health. They also apply mathematical concepts such as ratios, algebra, geometry, and statistics to solve real-world problems.
Parent Resources
USBE Sixth Grade Standards
Computer Science:
Students will recognize issues of bias and accessibility in technology and learn to protect personal data from security threats. They will also design algorithms, create programs using meaningful variables, and utilize multiple methods to organize and present data.
English Language Arts:
Students will cite textual evidence to support their analyses. They will compose pieces in many writing styles, conduct research, and present their claims and findings.
Fine Arts:
Students will use intentional choices to enhance their performances/creations. They will connect art to personal experiences, identify the connections between art and the contexts in which they were created, and create and analyze detailed pieces.
Health Education:
Students will learn to set goals, understand personal boundaries, and make healthy decisions. Students will explore mental and emotional health, safety, substance abuse prevention, nutrition, and human development. They will also learn to evaluate their habits and seek help when needed for physical and emotional well-being.
Library:
Students will analyze how media messages are crafted, create their own media products, and practice strong digital citizenship. They will refine their research, evaluation, and synthesis skills using a variety of sources and formats, present their findings, and reflect on the quality of their process and products.
Mathematics:
Students will apply and use operations with rational numbers, understand ratio concepts and apply proportional reasoning, simplify expressions, solve equations, and represent and analyze relationships.
Physical Education:
Students develop friendships, reduce stress, and demonstrate movement-skills competencies using small group games such as basketball, volleyball, speedball, and flag football. They will use equipment and facilities responsibly, develop fitness plans, and engage in positive self-talk.
Science:
Students will model the Solar System, explore the effects of energy on matter, analyze Earth’s weather patterns and climates, and investigate stability and change in Earth’s ecosystems.
Social Studies:
Students will learn about ancient civilizations, including their cultures, governments, and societal contributions. They will also explore the impact of geography on early human societies.
IDEAS FOR HOME-TO-SCHOOL CONNECTIONS
English Language Arts:
- Talk with your child about what is in the news, what is happening at school, or what is happening at your workplace.
- Encourage good study habits, including goal setting and completing assignments on time. Encourage them to ask for help when needed.
Fine Arts:
- Organize a friend group to meet for arts activities or experiences.
- Take children to live dance, music, and theatre productions.
Health Education:
- Discuss together the importance of seeking help for mental health concerns and, when necessary, seek help for others experiencing mental health issues, suicidal thoughts, or behaviors.
- Set nutrition and physical activity goals to improve or maintain the health of each family member.
Mathematics:
- Encourage your student to take mathematical risks. Find value in the learning process by honoring the logic in student thinking even when the answer is incorrect.
- Encourage a growth mindset by understanding that all students have unlimited mathematical potential and that mathematical achievement involves working hard and taking risks.
Physical Education:
- Stress the importance of using fitness equipment safely and respecting recreational facilities such as parks and playgrounds. Reinforce positive fitness behaviors.
- Describe how physical activity has reduced personal stress and promoted healthy friendships.
Science:
- Watch a weather forecast. How does the meteorologist describe the movement of different air masses? How does this predicted movement affect the forecasted weather?
- Research different interactions among organisms, such as competition, predation, and mutualism. Where do you see examples of these relationships in organisms in your neighborhood?
Social Studies:
- Engage your child in conversations about current events. Encourage them to explore the connection between modern issues and historical contexts.
- Create a neighborhood "civilization fair” with other students and families. Work together to research and create displays, models, or even costumes representing different aspects of ancient cultures, such as the Egyptians, Romans, or Mayans. Students can then present their findings to family members, showcasing inventions, daily life, or significant historical events.