Language Arts
By the end of sixth grade, Dorset students will use pre-writing, drafting, revising, editing, and critiquing skills to produce final drafts of written products listed below. This class encourages the appreciation of the written word through guided writing, spelling, and grammar. The nine (9) VSRI Reading Strategies will be implemented throughout the curriculum.
Writing Workshop
Individual Writing Requirement
Grammar
By the end of 6th grade, Dorset students will be able to use a variety of reading strategies in response to grade/age appropriate reading materials. They will be able to read for meaing by understanding the key elements of fiction and going beyond recalling the plot when responding to literature. Through multiple mediums, this class encourages the appreciation of the story through imagination and revelation.
Whole Class Novels – direct instruction, class discussion, oral reading, vocabulary work, essays and multiple choice tests
Independent Reading Requirement
Daybook of Critical Reading and Writing
Science
Students this
year will be learning about science and the scientific method with multiple
approaches. Science class combines hands-on activities, group work,
discussion, textbook work, and demonstrations to learn new topics. The
textbook is Prentice Hall Science Explorer. We will be doing activities
that teach them how to ask a scientific question, make an appropriate
hypothesis, plan an experiment, conduct an experiment, take data, represent
that data in different forms and correctly analyzetheir data. They should then be able to apply their findings to related
situations. The students will also be working on their group social skills like
the ability to communicate, leadership abilities, building of trust and
conflict resolution. We will be working on these skills informally and
formally throughout the year. Topics covered in 6th grade are listed
below:
Measuring and
describing matter
States of matter,
changes between
Simple chemical
reactions
Heat energy
Static
electricity and electricity
Magnetism and
electromagnetism
Forces and motion
Light and sound
Life Science
Natural selection
Fertilization and
human development
Earth and
Space Science
Plate tectonics
and the rock cycle
Size, distance,
and orbits in the solar system
The water cycle
Social Studies
Upon completion of Grade 6, Dorset students will have
sequenced historical eras from the Stone Age (2,000,000 – 8,000 B.C.) through
the fall of the
a.
Geography and History
b.
Prehistory
c.
Beginnings of Civilization
2. The
d.
Babylonia and
e.
f.
Mediterranean Civilizations
g.
Judaism
3. Ancient
h. Geography of the
i.
The Culture of the Ancient Egyptians
j.
The Cultures of
4. Ancient
k.
Indus and
l.
The Beginnings of Hinduism/Buddhism
5. Ancient
m.
The Geography of
n.
Confucius and His Teachings
o.
Achievements of Ancient
6. Ancient
p.
Greek Religion, Philosophy and Literature
q.
r.
The Spread of Greek Culture
7. Ancient
s.
The
t.
The
u.
Birth of Christianity
v.
The Fall of
Weekly quizzes will be given for each Section in the Chapters. Chapter tests will be given upon completion of each Chapter. Both individual and group projects will be assigned for classwork during each Chapter.
Math
The mathematics content that sixth grade students will study throughout the year is as follows:
Students will leave the sixth grad with the ability to:
Physical Education
Social Development
Physical Development
Fitness tests assessed from past year
Muscle contractions
Muscle strengthening
Muscle flexibility
Soccer
Flag football
Volleyball
Circus and juggling
Basketball
Floor hockey
Combat tames (gatorballs)
Cleanliness and minor first aid
Softball
Wiffleball
Speedball
Golf
Reassessed fitness from current year
Orienteering
Track and field
Team games
Art
The art program will consist of a spiraling curriculum. Each lesson/project will build on the previous one. It will reflect the Vermont Standards and be based on the elements and principles of design, incorporating art history, aesthetics and art criticism with projects appropriate to each grade level. A wide variety of media and techniques will be used. All activities will be structured to accommodate different learning styles and paces. Art education will be available for all students.
The art program includes content from the four foundational art disciplines known as Discipline Based Art Education:
Assessments will be conducted on a regular basis. Assessments will be teacher assessments in the form of grades, mid-term reports, report cards and oral critique. In addition, sixth graders will be completing self-assessment forms at the end of each project. By the end of the school year students should be able to demonstrate understanding of:
In addition to this, the sixth graders will be expected to write a two-page research paper on an artist and emulate that artist’s style in an original work of art.
Technology
In sixth grade the emphasis is on using information tools to research, organize, analyze and present information, often in collaboration with other classes.
Basic Operations
Information Tools
Social/Ethical Use and Practices
Research
Problem Solving
Sample Activities
Library Media Program
In the Library Media Program the two main focuses are to encourage the students to have a love for reading and to teach them to be information literate. To be information literate means to be able to access, evaluate and use information efficiently and effectively. The Library Media Program operates on a flexible schedule. This allows the library media specialist to collaborate with the classroom teachers so that these skills are taught as the students need to use them for their classroom assignments instead of in isolation.
Research Skills
The students will:
Life-Long Reading
The students will:
Technology skills
The students will:
Appropriate Use of Resources
The student will: