Our 6th Grade Course Catalog

 

School-Wide Approach to Learning Criteria

Mastery of skills is informed by the approach a student takes to mastery.  Therefore, we value approach criteria as an essential aspect of being a learner.  These will appear on each student’s report card in conjunction with an evaluation of how a boy is performing with specific content standards.

 

Criteria	Consistently	Sometimes	Having Difficulty	Improving
Completes assignments on time
Stays engaged and attentive during class and activities
Contributes constructively to group work
Confronts challenges with openness and desire to learn
Seeks clarification and asks questions
Uses mistakes and feedback to improve work
Demonstrates attention to detail in his work
Takes responsibility for actions and relationships
Keeps belongings and work organized

 

Art - Explorations in Creativity

 

Our program encourages our boys to explore the nature of their own creativity and self-expression.  In weekly classes, boys collaborate and share ideas and materials, and learn to appreciate one another’s perspective and creativity. Each boy engages creative and critical inquiry, integrating academic study into his creative practice. The units are designed to support each boy in the healthy development of his identity, his self-awareness, and his self-confidence as he explores his creative self-expression.

 

Arts and crafts projects may include: Jewelry-making, basketry, comic book art, clay, recycled crafts, printmaking, paper-making, textile arts, doll-making, felting, computer arts, puppetry, functional gourd embellishment, leather arts, scientific drawing, and more.

 

Capoeira

 

Capoeira is an Afro-Brazilian martial art. It is a rhythm-based form of combat with deep-seated roots in African cultures.  Music is an integral part of its practice and its movements of attack and defense are dance-like in execution. Through dedication and rigorous training, self-discovery is achieved as Capoeira increases strength, flexibility and endurance. Over time, the words “limitation” and “I can’t” begin to fade from the boys’ way of thinking regardless of their age or prior athletic experience. In class we create a positive atmosphere of community and support each boy’s self-expression. 

 

Choir - Raising Our Voices!

 

This class is designed to help our boys discover, learn about and rejoice in the power of their individual and collective voices.  We will explore the power of song to make positive change in ourselves and in our community through music of various cultures, body percussion and Gullah stick pounding.  There will also be opportunity for group discussion involving the influence of pop music and the use of music and sound in the media. My musical philosophy: 'A SONG CAN HOLD YOU UP WHEN THERE SEEMS TO BE NO GROUND BENEATH YOU.'

 

Physical Education, Health & Wellness

 

Our physical education program provides a range of activities that support and encourage physical fitness, teamwork, spirit, sportsmanship, and fun. We encourage each boy to develop a strong sense of himself and his skills, to demonstrate respect for self and others, and to do his best.  We provide opportunities for boys to actively engage the school and the larger community by practicing excellence in sportsmanship.  The framework for the program reflects the California State standards for physical education.

 

Yoga

 

This class focuses on Iyengar yoga and mindfulness meditation. Our yoga poses (taught in English and, when possible, Sanskrit) center on correct alignment, while building flexibility, strength, and endurance. Our meditation practice allows us to identify thoughts and feelings without reacting to them or becoming identified by them.  Together, yoga and meditation offer tools for self-regulation, stress reduction, mind-body awareness, community building, and cognitive development.  Each class session offers an opportunity to experience challenge and success and helps to create an optimistic learning environment for the boys.

 

English Language Arts

 

Course Description

The primary goal of the sixth grade English Language Arts (ELA) program is designed to develop skilled, effective communicators.  To this end, each boy will learn, practice, and apply the skills and strategies that accomplished readers, writers, and speakers use.

 

Reading: Through a combination of leveled guided reading, small interest-group reading, literature circles, and independent reading, the boys will develop their comprehension and inference skills, while making personal connections to literature. They will learn how to share their opinions, ideas, and connections through discussions and through writing.  Together, we will identify and analyze the influence of characterization, theme, setting, and plot development on the stories we read.

 

Writing:  The Writer’s Workshop approach will be used to teach writing conventions and process.  The boys will receive direct instruction in style, structure, and grammar, while also having opportunities for creative self-expression. Ongoing planning, drafting, revising, editing, and publishing will help the boys understand and value the process of writing, while also developing their skills at communicating with clarity, purpose, and care across the different genres (narrative, expository, persuasive, etc.).

 

Speaking: Oral language is an integral part of effective communication. Each boy will develop his ability to speak clearly and with intention through both discussions (small-group and whole-group) and presentations.

 

Learning Objectives

•       Enjoy, appreciate, and evaluate language in all its forms

•       Listen, read, view (observe), and think critically

•       Write and speak effectively in a wide variety of formal and informal styles

•       Choose and apply appropriate reading strategies in order to analyze and evaluate written texts

•       Pre-write, draft, revise, edit, publish, and reflect as a means to more effective writing

 

 

Textbook & Other Resources

•       Reading: Literature-based, consisting of grade-level novels, poems, short stories, textbooks, and other resources

•       Writing: Institute for Excellence in Writing: Structure and Style (I.E.W.) program, Writer’s Workshop approach

•       Spelling: Words Their Way

 

6th Grade English Language Arts Scope & Sequence

Trimester I August 31 – November 18	Trimester II November 28 – March 9	Trimester III March 12 – June 8
Reading ·  Reading strategies ·  Fix-up strategies ·  Literature circles ·  Read alouds ·  Guided reading   Narrative Writing · Note making and outlines · Summarizing · Writing process structure and style · Paragraphs in stories · Descriptive writing	Reading · Story components and analysis ·  Reading strategies ·  Comprehension constructors ·  Guided reading     Expository Writing · Developing writing structure and style · Researching and reporting · Note taking, paraphrasing · Using multiple resources · Documenting resources	Reading · Literature circles ·  Independent reading strategies and comprehension constructors ·  Student choice     Persuasive Writing · Essay writing · Developing writing structure and style · Using multiple resources · Documenting resources
Grammar, Vocabulary, Spelling, Speaking, Listening, Technology

 

 

Mathematics

 

Course Description

The sixth grade math program is hands-on and instruction is inquiry-based. The program is designed to develop and support the boys’ ability to collaborate, to solve problems creatively,  and to discover and understand their strengths and challenges. Boys will learn to narrate their understanding and develop a foundation in numeracy necessary to progress to more advanced levels of mathematics.

 

Learning Objectives

Our primary objective is to develop and support student understanding of themselves as mathematicians. The program is designed to guide them to apply this understanding in relevant ways, to express their understanding in a variety of ways, and to ignite a life-long love of mathematics. Each unit project has explicit learning objectives and is organized to support self-navigation through what they need to do and learn.

 

 

Classroom set-up

In order to anticipate the ever-changing landscape of math education and the global economy, the boys will be challenged to apply their toolbox of math skills to novel and “real-world situations”. These applications will take the shape of projects big and small, utilizing elements from the worlds of technology and design.  Evidence of mastery in a concept will be demonstrated in the unit projects that each boy completes, in the written work in his notebook, and through formative and summative assessments. 

 

Textbook & Other Resources

We use a textbook in class to allow boys to explore, review and anticipate future concepts; these textbooks will not be taken home. 

 

Homework

A boy should not spend more than 15 minutes on a problem if they are working on it steadily.  If a boy is feeling challenged, he should write (in complete sentences) why he thinks he is stuck, then move on.  He should not spend more than 30 minutes on an entire assignment unless he is LOVING it.

 

6th Grade Math Scope & Sequence

Trimester I September 6  – November 18	Trimester II November 28 – March 9	Trimester III March 12 – June 8
Unit l •  Number sense and structures •  Math as a language •  Parts of a whole   Unit ll •  Visual math •  Plane and polygon figures •  Visual proportions	Unit lll •  Applications of geometric principles •  Problem solving and creation   Unit IV •  Above and below •  Integers •  Expressions	Unit V •  The unknown •  Variables •  Equations   Unit VI •  Inequalities and the coordinate plane

 

 

Ancient History

 

Course Description

Geography, culture, leadership, government, language, trade, and legacy will be the foci of the sixth grade’s study of the Ancient World. Students will delve deeply into the civilizations that originated in Canaan, Egypt, India, China, Greece, and Rome. Through a conceptually organized social studies curriculum, sixth graders will be able to extend their studies beyond the Ancient World to a greater understanding of the world in which they currently live. In addition to our concept-based, experiential learning program and field trips, literature selections will assist and deepen our comprehension of each unit’s particular concept. The fundamentals and intricacies of geography, time management, solid research and citation, historical accuracy, writing, and public speaking will be cultivated this year.

 

 

Learning Objectives

•  Define the concepts of geography, resources, religion, belief, leadership, expression, trade, expansion and legacy

•  Apply the concepts of geography, resources, religion, belief, leadership, expression, trade, expansion and legacy to:

•   ancient Egypt, Canaan, India, China, Greece and Rome

•   any geographic local at any point in history

•  Locate Egypt, Israel, India, China, Greece and Italy on a globe or map

 

Textbook & Other Resources

We use the History Alive Ancient Civilizations text. The students will have their own online account to access the History Alive online text and multimedia tools.

 

6th Grade Ancient History Scope & Sequence

Trimester I September 6  – November 18	Trimester II November 28 – March 9	Trimester III March 12 – June 8
•  Early Humans • Mesopotamia	•  Egypt •  Israelites •  Ancient India	•  Ancient China •  Ancient Greece •  Ancient Rome

 

 

 

Earth Science

 

Course Description

The sixth grade earth science course is hands-on and inquiry-based.  The program encourages the boys to think critically, to solve problems creatively and collaboratively, and to demonstrate their skills and understanding of earth science concepts.  The course is designed to provide boys an integrated program. Geology, astronomy, oceanography, meteorology, resources and human impact are just some of the concepts boys will investigate. The Nature of Science, Technology, Art, Literacy and Math are integral parts of the EBSB science curricula.

 

Learning Objectives

The best way for boys to learn science is to actively engage science. Students will collaborate through investigation and inquiry.  The boys will learn to use the scientific process of problem-identification, problem-solving, and developing questions that have measurable outcomes. Boys will create hypotheses, navigate procedures, test predictions, and analyze data to support their growth as scientists.

 

Textbook & Other Resources

We use an Earth Science textbook along with the Lawrence Hall of Science’s Great Explorations in Math and Science (GEMS) units.  Textbooks will not be taken home. However, there is an online version of Prentice Hall Earth Science that boys can access at anytime.

 

6th Grade Science Scope & Sequence

Trimester I September 6 – November 18	Trimester II November 28 – March 9	Trimester III March 12 – June 8
•  Intro to Earth Science •  Earth’s structures •  Earthquakes	•  Volcanoes •  Weathering soil •  Erosion and deposition	•  Atmosphere, weather, climate •  Introduction to ecology •  Energy transfer •  Interactions in communities/biomes

 

 

Spanish

 

Course Description

The sixth grade Spanish curriculum is interactive and communication-centered, more learning by ear than by memorization. Students learn by listening, speaking, practicing, and repetition,  the way they would a first language.  The course is designed to provide students with the fundamental principles of communication in Spanish, the ability to carry out basic conversations, an understanding of the nature of language, and an awareness of other cultures in the Spanish-speaking world.

 

Learning Objectives

Thoughtful participation and risk-taking are highly encouraged, allowing boys to explore Spanish and understand their own process of studying a foreign language. Our primary objectives are to give students the tools and confidence they need to speak a new language and to support the development of cultural awareness, and the regional relevance and significance of the Spanish language.  The classroom environment is highly interactive--boys are learning to speak and listen, as well as read and write.  How well boys have memorized rules of grammar or conjugation is important but secondary to their ability to communicate effectively with peers and other Spanish speakers. 

 

Homework

The goal of all Spanish homework assignments is for the boys to practice and/or apply what we are learning in class. Regularly, this involves speaking or explaining something to a parent or family member.  Students should spend no more than 25 minutes on their Spanish homework. The only written Spanish homework students will receive is completing an in-class assignment.  A majority of Spanish homework will be verbal practice and the review of concepts.

 

6th Grade Spanish Scope and Sequence

Trimester I September 6 – November 18	Trimester II November 28 – March 9	Trimester III March 12 – June 8
•  Greetings and introductions •  Numbers and alphabet •  Schedules, dates, and time •  Expressing feelings •  Describing self and others	•  Meals, food, and restaurants •  Likes and dislikes •  Family & cultural traditions •  Clothing and shopping •  Places, events, and travel •  Household items and chores	•  Sports and physical health •  Parts of the body •  Emails and phone calls •  Preterite tense •  Daily routines •  Vacation & leisure activities

 

NATIONAL STANDARDS FOR FOREIGN LANGUAGE EDUCATION:

Statement of Philosophy

Language and communication are at the heart of the human experience. The United States must educate students who are linguistically and culturally equipped to communicate successfully in a pluralistic American society and abroad. This imperative envisions a future in which ALL students will develop and maintain proficiency in English and at least one other language, modern or classical. Children who come to school from non-English backgrounds should also have opportunities to develop further proficiencies in their first language.

 

COMMUNICATION

Communicate in Languages Other Than English

•  1.1: Students engage in conversations, provide and obtain information, express feelings and emotions, and exchange opinions

•  1.2: Students understand and interpret written and spoken language on a variety of topics

•  1.3: Students present information, concepts, and ideas to an audience of listeners or readers on a variety of topics

 

CULTURES

Gain Knowledge and Understanding of Other Cultures

•  2.1: Students demonstrate an understanding of the relationship between the practices and perspectives of the culture studied

•  2.2: Students demonstrate an understanding of the relationship between the products and perspectives of the culture studied

 

CONNECTIONS

Connect with Other Disciplines and Acquire Information

•  3.1: Students reinforce and further their knowledge of other disciplines through the foreign language

•  3.2: Students acquire information and recognize the distinctive viewpoints that are only available through the foreign language and its cultures

 

COMPARISONS

Develop Insight into the Nature of Language and Culture

•  4.1: Students demonstrate understanding of the nature of language through comparisons of the language studied and their own

•  4.2: Students demonstrate understanding of the concept of culture through comparisons of the cultures studied and their own

 

COMMUNITIES

Participate in Multilingual Communities at Home & Around the World

•  5.1: Students use the language both within and beyond the school setting

•  5.2: Students show evidence of becoming life-long learners by using the language for personal enjoyment and enrichment

 

 

The Work

 

Course Description   

Grounded in skill development, this course emphasizes the responsibility to utilize self-knowing (SELF), to build practical skills (WORK), to connect WORK to academics (PREP), and to develop the understanding of how one’s focus and building of capacity can positively affect one’s ability to build (LIFE).  This course develops skills in appropriate use of tools, project management, and an understanding of craftsmanship.  Projects will include, but are not limited to, the designing and building of one’s own toolbox, cutting board, and toy, as well as designing and developing a personal school e-portfolio and a 6^th grade play. 

 

Learning Objectives

This course strives to make learning and knowing more tangible by engaging the whole person within a project-based, hands-on learning curriculum that is rigorous and fun with clear expectations and educational purpose. It embraces all learning styles and approaches to problems through its multiple modalities and utilization of all parts of the brain, body, and life experience.

 

EBSB Work aims to achieve these goals through the application of and connections among Prep courses: social science, math, English, world language, and science.  An EBSB student becomes fully engaged with his learning when he is able to apply his passions, skills, and life experiences with his shared world.

The goal of Work is to build confidence through practice, patience, and purpose.  The Work encompasses empathy, design, building, problem indentification and solving, collaboration, and service-learning.

 

Some Learning Objective include:

•   Develop Social skills in: Collaboration, stewardship of a shared space, self-respect and respect of others, and self-discipline in a potentially dangerous environment

•   Develop Practical skills in: Project management, ability to draw connections between Prep classes and the world, problem finding and solving techniques, research of a topic/ process

•   Develop Creative Skills in: idea generation, design thinking, observation/inquiry, and growth through failure

•   Develop Building Skills in: making and reading plans, measuring, basic wood/metal working tools and techniques, and craftsmanship

•   Develop Technology Skills in: email etiquette and understanding of school communication and documentation systems, proper care of school equipment, and communication of learning goals and milestones through an interactive e-portfolio

•   Develop Speaking and Presenting Skills: voice control and development and body control and expression

Textbook & Other Resources

All materials are supplied by the school unless otherwise noted. 

 

6^th Grade Work Scope & Sequence

Trimester I September 6  – November 18	Trimester II November 28 – March 9	Trimester III March 12 – June 8
•  School hardware and software training •  Communication and documentation systems •  E-portfolio creation and development •  Basic hand and power tool demonstration and practice •  Prototyping •  Toolbox design and construction	•  Voice control and development •  Body control and movement •  Project management •  Working independently to practice growth through mistakes (cutting board)	•  6th grade spring production •  Stagecraft •  Basic electric, carpentry