What are the new big concepts for your grade level this year?

• In math, students will be preparing for middle school math by working with negative numbers and learning about more complicated algebraic concepts.
• In science 6th graders learn about astronomy, weather and climate, chemistry, and energy. One exciting opportunity we have is to field test a new unit in astronomy.
• Social studies includes a focus on US history from colonization through the Civil War.
• In language arts, students will develop literacy skills through book clubs and using a critical lens to evaluate texts.

Do you have any exciting projects planned for the year?  If so, share a little bit about them.

• Our goal is to plan several field trips and visits from outside experts this year. Real-world experiences are engaging and will also help build relationships within our class.
• We also plan to use advanced academic curriculum and strategies to prepare our students for challenging coursework in middle school. One example is the Document-Based Questioning curriculum. In this experience, students will use a variety of primary and secondary source documents to answer an authentic question about history. This mirrors the work of real historians and will prepare students for the level of thinking required in middle school.

Our school is focusing on the Portrait Of a Graduate Communicator skill– how might your team teach/use this skill this year? 

• Students will practice their communication skills through mathematics strategy share and sense-making activities.
• In general, students share when asked to turn and talk, during book clubs, and through investigative projects.

What is your team most looking forward to this year?

• We are looking forward to building relationships with our students and families. As parents of school-aged children, we know the value of families in the educational equation. 6th grade is such a critical year in the transition to middle school and we are honored to share this journey with you.

Advice for families to help your student succeed in and outside of the classroom. 

• We encourage our students to read daily and practice their multiplication/division fact fluency.
• When students are reading, we suggest responses through conversation and writing about reading.
• Be sure to read the monthly newsletters for more suggestions, including great questions for table conversations!

We are looking forward to a great year! Thank you for your continued support.