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6th Grade

Welcome to Sixth Grade

 

March: What is Grade 6 Studying?

ELA: 

This month in ELA, students are wrapping up Module 3, Unit 1, where they have been building background knowledge about Native American boarding schools. Using our anchor text, Two Roads by Joseph Bruchac, along with supplementary texts, photographs, and historical artifacts, students have analyzed multiple perspectives on this complex and important period in history. Throughout the unit, students practiced identifying and explaining an author’s point of view, analyzing how language shapes meaning and tone, and examining how text structure supports an author’s purpose. As part of their assessments, students integrated evidence from the novel with their interpretations of related photographs and analyzed how language use and character development contribute to a deeper understanding of the historical context.

In the coming weeks, we will begin Module 3, Unit 2, which continues our study of Two Roads and shifts focus to how characters respond to challenges. Students will closely examine Cal’s experiences at the Native American Industrial School, analyzing how his character develops over time and identifying emerging themes in the novel. They will study the author’s craft, including word choice, figurative language, and sentence structure, to better understand how meaning is conveyed. The unit culminates in assessments in which students write a narrative letter from a character’s perspective and respond to text-dependent questions that analyze language use and character growth. Through this work, students continue strengthening their analytical reading, evidence-based writing, and understanding of how literature reflects historical realities.

 

Illustrative Math:

Math:

In this unit, students learn about negative numbers and how to represent and compare them in real-world contexts like temperature and elevation. Students develop understanding of key concepts including positive and negative numbers, absolute value, and opposites—recognizing that absolute value represents a number's distance from zero on the number line. They write and graph simple inequalities in one variable on a number line, understanding that some inequalities have infinitely many solutions and that a circle or disk indicates whether a given point is excluded or included. Students extend their earlier work with the coordinate plane to plot and interpret points with signed rational number coordinates in all four quadrants, using coordinates to calculate distances between points. Finally, students deepen their understanding of factors and multiples by finding the greatest common factor and least common multiple of two whole numbers and applying these concepts to solve real-world problems.

Students Will Be Able To:

  • Interpret and compare signed numbers in real-world contexts (temperature, elevation) using a number line, inequality symbols, and absolute value
  • Write and graph inequalities in one variable on a number line, representing solutions with open or closed circles and understanding infinitely many solutions
  • Plot and interpret points with signed rational coordinates in all four quadrants of the coordinate plane and calculate distances between points
  • Find and apply greatest common factors (GCF) and least common multiples (LCM) to solve real-world problems with two whole numbers
  • Distinguish between magnitude and order by comparing absolute values versus comparing actual signed numbers

Science:  

In the Ocean, Atmosphere, and Climate unit, students investigate how ocean currents behave and what effect they have on the climate of different locations around the world, specifically the air temperature of various locations. Energy flow from the sun is what drives this story. The sun transfers energy unevenly across Earth, with the most energy transferred at the equator and the least transferred at the poles. This energy from the sun is the main factor in what determines the air temperature of a place. Winds push the ocean surface, which contributes to the behavior of ocean currents. As surface ocean currents move around Earth—warm water is carried away from the equator and cold water is carried away from the poles—they gradually exchange energy with the atmosphere of the regions they pass. This results in the warming or cooling of the air affecting the overall temperature and climate of a region. When changes in the atmosphere or oceans occur that affect the patterns of these ocean currents, the effects can be felt around the world.

In the role of climatologists, students investigate changes in air temperature in Christchurch, New Zealand during El Niño years. This serves as the anchor phenomenon that students will investigate throughout the unit. Students are called upon by the New Zealand Farm Council, who have noticed a climate change that has affected their crops. During El Niño years, the air temperature is cooler than usual. Students are tasked with explaining what causes the change in air temperature. By analyzing temperature fluctuations caused by changes in wind and surface ocean currents that occur during El Niño years, students learn about the relationship between atmosphere and ocean and its effects on regional climate/temperature patterns.

Social Studies: 

This month in 6th Grade Social Studies, students are continuing their exploration of comparative world religions, building a deeper understanding of belief systems, cultural traditions, and the ways religion has shaped societies across time and place. Through thoughtful discussion and analysis, students are strengthening their ability to compare key ideas, practices, and historical impacts. In addition, we are beginning an exciting new unit on comparative classical civilizations, with a special focus on Ancient China. Students will study the Qin and Han dynasties and their lasting contributions that continue to influence the world today. We look forward to a month filled with critical thinking, meaningful conversations, and engaging historical inquiry.