Overview
Humanities Curriculum: In Middle School, English and History are taught as one course in a flexible double-period. The subjects are well suited for integration, as the critical thinking skills required for the study of history are tied to the expressive language skills developed through reading and writing. In addition, the literature read is, in general, thematically related to the historical units studied, providing further context and scope for both subjects.
Math Curriculum: The goals of the Middle School Mathematics program are to foster a positive mathematical disposition, to enable students to feel mathematically empowered, and to prepare them, both in skills and in confidence, for their high school mathematics studies. To this end, the sixth, seventh and eighth grade mathematics classes provide students with the opportunity to solidify basic arithmetic skills, to develop problem solving and critical thinking skills, to learn to clearly convey information both verbally and in writing, to make real-world mathematical connections, and to develop a spirit of inquiry in the study of mathematics.
Science Curriculum: Middle School Science is a laboratory-based curriculum that begins with an introduction to methods of scientific investigation, safe use of lab equipment, and accuracy and precision in scientific measurement. Within the scope of the Science curriculum for each year, students move from learning to follow a laboratory procedure to being able ultimately to formulate a hypothesis and design their own experiments. Sixth grade Science focuses on life sciences; seventh grade is a full year of chemistry; and eighth grade is a full year of physics.
Curriculum by Grade and Subject
6th Grade
6th Grade English
In sixth grade, we read from a variety of genres, including novels, short stories, and poetry. Students are taught to discern conceptual meaning in a text by formulating, discussing, and writing about questions relating to character, narrative, and theme. Students are required to read books beyond those assigned for school, to foster greater reading appreciation. Throughout the year, students engage in a number of different creative assignments, including brief character sketches, exercises in descriptive language, and different poetic forms. We also continue to develop expository essay writing skills. Students hone their analytical skills and focus on developing arguments, composing thesis statements and topic sentences, and providing evidence for their claims. Finally, grammar and vocabulary are taught through the context of students' writing as well as in specific lessons.
6th Grade History
The beginning of Middle School brings students to the beginning of history, to investigate how the first civilizations arose and how we know about those ancient societies today. In studying ancient Mesopotamia, Egypt, the Far East, ancient Greece, and the Roman Republic, students examine people's daily lives, art and culture, social structure, and economy and government. Students explore these societies through ancient epics, law codes, religious beliefs, philosophical teachings, textbook readings and geographic studies, and by engaging in debates, projects, and dramatic simulations. We also focus on the interactions between civilizations, the ways in which they build on each other's progress, the reasons for the rise and fall of each, and, ultimately, the connection between our own times and those we study. In the process, students develop skills in critical thinking, oratory, research, cooperative work, and test preparation.
6th Grade Math
The sixth grade mathematics course provides review, reinforcement, and expansion of the basic operations introduced in the lower grades while continuing to explore the breadth and depth of a variety of mathematical topics. It is expected that incoming sixth graders will have a solid foundation in all operations with whole numbers. From that base, the sixth grade curriculum focuses on number theory and operations with fractions and decimals, working with positive and negative numbers, solving simple variable equations, ratio, proportion, percent, and geometry (including geometric measurement). Sixth grade students augment their studies by researching the historical contributions to mathematical development from different peoples and cultures.
6th Grade Science
Life Science
The overall goal of sixth-grade Science is to introduce students to the methods of performing and then recording scientific investigation. Life Science Laboratory reports are to be written in such a way that they may be read as findings or statements of discoveries in the format of higher- level scientific work. Experiments during the beginning of the course teach students to hypothesize, observe, measure, infer, and calculate. Results from these experiments are presented in tables and graphs, with the metric system used throughout the course. The study of life science begins with an analysis of the characteristics that distinguish the living from the non-living world and an investigation into the cell as the basic unit of life. Building on the study of cellular structure and function, students explore the tissues, organs, and systems that make up living organisms and compare these in organisms within all five kingdoms. The course also includes topics in evolution, biodiversity, and ecology.
