Welcome Sixth Graders
Religion:
The 6th Grade Religion curriculum focuses on how God’s people are challenged throughout history to follow the teachings of Jesus and His ancestors as seen in Hebrew and Christian scriptures. Our Religion program also includes the Family Life curriculum. Within the Family Life curriculum, the Safe Environment lesson is taught (Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People, Article 12), as required by the Diocese of San Jose Department of Education. The students also attend one morning Mass each week.
Language Arts:
Students use their knowledge of word origins and word relationships, as well as historical and literary context clues, to determine the meaning of specialized vocabulary and to understand the precise meaning of grade-level-appropriate words. Students read and understand grade-level-appropriate material. They describe and connect the essential ideas, arguments, and perspectives of the text by using their knowledge of text structure, organization, and purpose. In addition, by grade eight, students should have read one million words annually on their own, including a representation of grade-level-appropriate narrative and expository text such as contemporary literature or magazines. In grade six, students make progress toward this goal. Students read and respond to historically or culturally significant works of literature that reflect and enhance their studies of history and social science. They clarify the ideas and connect them to other literary works.
Students write clear, coherent, and focused essays. The writing exhibits students’ awareness of the audience and purpose. Essays contain formal introductions, supporting evidence, and conclusions. Students progress through the stages of the writing process as needed. Students write and speak with a command of standard English conventions appropriate to this grade level. Students deliver focused, coherent presentations that convey ideas clearly and relate to the background and interests of the audience. They evaluate the content of oral communication. Sixth grade students deliver well-organized formal presentations employing traditional rhetorical strategies. Student speaking demonstrates a command of standard American English language.
Math:
Sixth graders learn how to solve problems involving the four operations. They learn how to determine the least common multiple and the greatest common divisor of whole numbers. Work with fractions includes comparing and ordering positive and negative fractions, decimals and mixed numbers and their placement on a number line. In the area of algebra and functions, students will learn how to solve one-step linear equations with one variable and write and evaluate an algebraic expression using up to three variables. Students learn to apply the properties of numbers to evaluate expressions and justify each step in the process. In the area of geometry, students will practice identifying angles and use the properties of triangles to solve problems. Students will draw quadrilaterals from given information. Students will learn about the formulas for circles and use these formulas to calculate circumference and area. In the area of statistics, data analysis, and probability, students will compute the range, mean, median and mode of data sets. They will explore how additional data added to these sets may affect these computations and why a specific measure of central tendency provides the most useful information in a given context.
Science:
The focus of sixth grade is on earth science. Students explore how the effects of earthquakes, volcanoes, and plate tectonics have helped to shape the Earth as we know it today. Sixth graders study thermal energy and how heat moves in a predictable flow from warmer objects to cooler objects. The transfer of heat by conduction and convection is also explored. Students study the energy focusing on the sun, which is our major source of energy. In the Spring, junior high students participate in the school Science Fair. Students work individually on an original scientific experiment. The project will include a written report and all of the components of a scientific experiment. Projects allow students to experiment, form and re-form hypotheses, test hypotheses, make conclusions and most importantly, learn more about themselves and the world.
Social Studies:
Students in grade six expand their understanding of history by studying the people and events that ushered in the dawn of the major Western and non-Western ancient civilizations. Geography is of special significance in the development of the human story. Continued emphasis is placed on the everyday lives, problems, and accomplishments of people, their role in developing social, economic, and political structures, as well as in establishing and spreading ideas that helped transform the world forever. Students develop higher levels of critical thinking by considering why civilizations developed where and when they did, why they became dominant, and why they declined. Students analyze the interactions among the various cultures, emphasizing their enduring contributions and the link between the contemporary and ancient worlds.
Technology:
There is a ratio of one to one Chromebooks on which the sixth graders take notes, complete online homework assignments, assessments, and classroom projects. The teacher is able to view their work, monitor their progress, and communicate easily through these devices. Many assignments are completed collaboratively through the use of the Chromebooks, and because everything they do is online, students are able to access their work from any computer.
Art:
Students in Grades 4-8 receive 1 hour of Art instruction per week with an Art teacher. There is a weekly music class taught by the school music teacher and two annual music concerts.