The Sixth Grade

Our 6th grade program is designed to help students transition from their elementary school experiences into thinking and working as more independent learners. The overarching concept thread throughout the 6th grade is the understanding of cultures, dealing with conflicts and applying this knowledge to real life situations. Students learn note-taking skills, management of workload, and study strategies, which enable them to organize and process new information. Hands-on learning and interdisciplinary activities are central to the 6th grade experience, which incorporates numerous field trips and guest speakers to reinforce classroom work. Students are encouraged to express themselves and to engage in frequent student-centered discussions.

Language Arts 6

In 6th grade Language Arts, literature selections introduce students to a variety of cultures. Using the novels as a basis, learning activities and discussions focus on exploring and understanding cultural differences. The mechanics of writing and grammar are integrated throughout the year, along with vocabulary, and students collaborate in reading groups, present group projects, and begin to develop oral presentation skills. Exciting projects include designing book covers, making newspapers, skits and books, and even creating songs. The Writing Workshop introduces students to journal writing, the different types of writing, and poetry. The Language Arts curriculum closely mirrors the Social Studies curriculum in that the students discover and explore different cultures in each class.

Faculty:
Amy Kolman

Social Studies 6

In the Social Studies class students embark on a journey back to ancient times. During this era, beginning with a study of Early Man, students create a presentation on hominid groups. In Mesopotamia they learn all about the beginning of agriculture and create their own farming village. Moving forward, students discover what life was like as an Ancient Egyptian. Students take on the character of important figures in ancient China and India, and learn about the development of Judaism in the Middle East. While in ancient Greece, students also read Greek myths and learn about the marvels from this time period. Finally, the students end their journey in the land of ancient Rome, to explore one of the greatest civilizations in world history. Lunch at a Greek restaurant, and a visit to The Princeton Art Museum to view ancient artifacts enables students to experience firsthand what they have studied.

Faculty:
Amy Kolman

Science 6

The sixth grade science program integrates fun with learning. Students begin the year with an investigation of our earth’s different biomes. Classes and labs are conducted both inside and outside the classroom, including a tree identification project utilizing our 43 acre campus. The biomes unit concludes with a discovery of the many habitats, organisms and surfaces of the ocean. A visit to the aquarium in Camden provides a real world experience, and the Science Expo showcases student knowledge for family and friends. Students move to the earth’s interior, creating a 3-D model display. Different types of volcanoes are investigated and then constructed by students as an introduction to the natural disasters unit, which also examines the results of continental drift and seafloor spreading. A trip to explore a real cave enhances the study of geology. The year concludes with a study of our weather and climate and how global issues affect us all today.

Faculty:
Kathryn Tirrell

Mathematics 6

The sixth grade Mathematics program integrates an array of activities to create an engaging and hands-on learning experience. In the classroom, students will often work with partners and in small groups to allow them to develop skills in cooperating with each other in activities and sharing their individual learning strategies. Students begin the year learning to compare and contrast two numbers with Venn Diagrams that use both greatest common and least common factors and multiples. They also model number patterns and factor pairs. Students create and label fraction strips for a better understanding of the different parts of a whole and then explore how this is important in the real world. An important aspect of the math program is active participation in activities that allow students to experience real world applications of the topics they study, such as dividing portions of food for a class party to model the use of fractions. The study of fractions extends further into decimals and percents. Students are also introduced to the concept of probability, which they explore together as they gather, organize and display data to represent real life situations.

Faculty:
Kathryn Tirrell

Foreign Language

In the Middle School foreign language program, language comes to life as students begin to explore new cultures and the excitement of communicating in a non-native language. The approach is communicative, with balance between the four skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing, and our goal for each student is an enjoyment and appreciation of the language they choose for study.

Introductory French

We begin our journey into the French speaking world by developing the tools we need for basic communication. Speaking and understanding are emphasized at first, through daily conversation activities in which students use greetings and pose and answer questions. Projects such as interviewing parents to create a family tree, designing a class calendar and developing a plan for a new restaurant integrate new vocabulary into a realistic experience. Student collaboration in pairs and small groups fosters confidence and comfort as we build beginning speaking skills. The writing process is introduced in steps, from sentences to multi-paragraph compositions which incorporate new material acquired in class.

Faculty:
Patricia McKenna

Introductory Spanish

This is the novice level or first year Spanish class, where students are naturally interested, enthusiastic and engaged with practice each day. Students rapidly become accustomed to hearing and using the Spanish language in class. A variety of methods are used in addition to the textbook materials, including games, rhyme, song and dance, role play and puppetry. Craft projects such as Day of the Dead cutouts, and visitors from the local Hispanic community reinforce both vocabulary and cultural themes.

Faculty:
Stella Greenbaum

Study Strategies

All sixth grade students take the Study Strategies course for one marking period during the year, and it is a unique element of our program. Taught by one of our Learning Specialists, the class aids transitioning students in developing study habits and learning strategies to improve academic achievement and to gain skills and knowledge that will help them to become more effective learners.

Faculty:
Diane Fisher