Current Students - Sixth Grade

Our Neighbors to the North (and West)
By: Dylan Pardee

Both fifth and sixth grades have been busy working on Social Studies projects. The fifth grade had to design authentic Native American villages of the four main groups found in the U.S. Other classes have enjoyed checking out their handiwork.

Sixth graders are finishing their cereal box reports on a province or territory of Canada. Besides designing a front for the box, they had to import pictures, gather facts, design a game for the back of the “cereal” box, and create testimonials. Check out both projects in the front hall.

Finally, fourth, fifth, and sixth graders designed ornaments to add to our “Andy Warhol” Christmas tree, based on a print of his original painting. You can find this tree in the West Hall. Merry Christmas from the Split!

Class Curriculum:
Religion - The sixth grade religion curriculum focuses on the history of the Catholic Church. Beginning with the apostolic age and the age of persecution, students are introduced to the accomplishments of men and women of faith throughout the centuries. As well, the successes and difficulties that the Church has faced within and without is studied, but always with a view to help students face the challenges of our own time. Finally, we study the saints, seasons and special days of the Church calendar and learn various prayers of the Church. The sixth graders are leaders in several religious activities here at school such as: Leading the rosary, the Stations of the Cross and serving and reading at daily Mass.

Social Studies - This curriculum centers on the Western Hemisphere. The students study the geography, cultures, government structures and economics of Canada, Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean and South America. They continue their study of U.S. history from the end of the Revolutionary War up to the Industrial Revolution. Their year culminates in a week-long trip to Washinton D.C. to see our government at work and visit historical places in the D.C. area that were covered in history classes.

Spelling - Spelling is individualized using words from the Language Arts series as well as from individual work, spelling bee lists and various other resources.

Grammar - We use the grammar book from our Scott Foresman Language Arts program which covers parts of speech, punctuation and capitalization. Students are also exposed to a variety of grammatical pitfalls through a daily "Caught ya."

Writing - We use the Six Traits of Writing to give students a complete writing experience. Through this program they are introduced to many different types of writing. Other supplementary materials are used as well.

Reading - The Scott Foresman reading program exposes students to many different genre such as: Expository nonfiction, historical fiction, poetry, folklore, biographies, fiction and excellent children's literature. Skills are woven into the units to help students with comprehension, decoding words, spelling, vocabulary, writing and grammar. This reading series has a strong emphasis on science and social studies.

Handwriting - At this level there is no formal handwriting class, but work is expected to be in cursive (unless otherwise stated) and neat.

Art - Students are introduced to the seven areas of art: Line, shape, color, value, texture, form and space through various projects. They are also introduced to several key artists with some student projects modeled on the work of these people.

Spanish - Spanish is geared around a series of videos that strive to teach students basic Spanish vocabulary, simple sentences and the beginnings of verb conjugation. Other supplementary materials are also used, such as games and practice worksheets.

Math - Topics include the following:
- Statistics - Real World Use of Whole Numbers
- Connect Arithmetic to Algebra
- Decimals
- Measurement
- Patterns and Number Theory
- Addition and Subtraction of Fractions
- Multiplication and Division of Fractions
- Geometry of Polygons
- Integers and the Coordinate Plane
- Ratio, Proportion and Percent
- Solid and Measurement
- Probability

Science – Science instruction focuses on 4 main areas of study: Life Science, Physical Science, Earth Science, and the Human Body. Specific topics are given below.
Life Science: Structure and Heredity, Changing and Adaptation, Ecosystems and Biomes
Physical Science: Heat and Matter, Changes in Matter, Moving Object (Newton Laws), Light, Color and Sound
Earth Science: Technology and Weather, Earth Processes, The Universe, Resources and Conservation
Human Body: The Body’s Control Systems, Drugs and Your Body

Physical Education – Students participate in a variety of different games and activities including: Floor Hockey, Cage Ball, Four Square, Dodge ’em, Ball Handling Exercises, Tag Games, Parachute Games, Arm and Leg Muscle Building, Volleyball, Track and Field Events, Softball (whiffleball), Flag Football, Basketball, Kickball, Archery, Presidential Physical Fitness, Gymnastics (Floor Exercises), Badmitten

Technology – Technology topics include:
- Paint, Draw and Graphics
- Word Processing
- Information Systems
- Internet / Telecommunications
- Multimedia
- Electronic Presentations
- Spreadsheets