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 Humanities
Legends, Myths, & Hieroglyphs
We begin the year by posing the question, why bother studying history? At the same time we study the methods of archaeology and the lives of early humans in prehistoric times. Over the course of the year, students investigate some of the world’s earliest civilizations, including Mesopotamia and the civilizations of the Near East, Egypt, Kush, Greece, India, and China. Students explore these ancient societies by trying to understand what inspired people to come together as societies in the first place and participating in interactive tasks and simulations that help gain a better understanding of the world in which these societies lived. Throughout the year, students engage in hands-on group activities involving research, presentation, and artwork and building projects.
In conjunction with the study of early societies in our history curricula, students read novels set in fictional societies. Students closely examine what they read from both a literary and sociological perspective, enhancing their study of ancient civilizations in history. In the second semester we read an adapted version of the classic, The Odyssey, which ties in with the unit on Greece and serves to prepare the students for their reading of the Aeneid in seventh grade. Throughout the year, students engage in class readings and discussions as well as independent reading. A strong emphasis is placed on written expression and different types of writing. Students develop their analytical skills by writing short expository pieces and essays. They experiment with creative forms, such as metaphor, short story and poetry. Vocabulary and grammar are taught on a regular basis with a focus in parts of speech, punctuation, sentence structure, and spelling. Student’s grammatical skills are also strengthened in the context of their written work.
6th Grade Math
Experimenting, Exploring and Creating with Numbers
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 basis, 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).
6th Grade Science
Earth Science: Understanding Our Environment
The sixth-grade science curriculum emphasizes the study of earth sciences. As students investigate topics ranging from plate tectonics to ecology, they develop a strong foundation in scientific thinking and laboratory skills. Students practice asking meaningful questions and conducting careful investigations. The hands-on activities also help them to develop their data analysis skills and learn to write thoughtful conclusions. We practice our skills of observation as we identify changes in natural phenomena over time. Projects include contour and scale mapmaking; earthquake epicenter triangulation; hurricane tracking; fossil layer sequencing; and local environmental science research. Cooperative group work and hands-on activities and experiments are emphasized.
6th Grade Hebrew
The middle school draws students from both the Tehiyah lower school (who have an extensive Hebrew language background) and from outside the school (who may have very little Hebrew language experience). Due to the wide range of proficiency within each grade, Hebrew instruction is divided into three levels and the NETA curriculum is structured to meet all students’ needs appropriately and dynamically.
The NETA books have themes such as sports, time, freedom, travel, dreams, and leadership. At all levels, students encounter Jewish texts and traditions, Israeli culture and general world knowledge. The program uses all sorts of media to teach Hebrew including email, dialogues, midrash, poetry, Bible stories, skits, news, movies, photos, ads, and essays. Students are tested annually in all four language skills, and their progress is assessed and correlated with success indicators.
6th Grade Judaic Studies
Sixth-graders study the overall structure of the Tanakh (Bible). They begin with a study of the laws from the Torah between one person and another (such as lashon ha-ra) and laws between a person and G-d (such as kashrut). In addition to primary source material, students also use the text Making a Difference: Putting Jewish Spirituality into Action, One Mitzvah at a Time to explore these middot and mitzvot. A special unit centers on halakhah (Jewish law), and the various types of mitzvot linked to our study of Written Torah and Oral Torah (Mishnah and Gemara—together: the Talmud). Then students categorize a variety of mitzvot and behaviors in order to better understand how they fit within the framework of halakhah. Students develop a formal comparison of the Prophets (Moses, Samuel, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel) through study of selected chapters of the Bible. Students also study the Book of Esther (Megillat Ester) intensively.
In sixth grade, the original biblical text is read and studied as it relates to each holiday and students also study the holiday customs and traditions of Jews around the world. Many holiday-specific prayers are taught and students learn them in both the Ashkenazic and Sephardic styles. Additionally, sixth-grade students learn the Torah service and study the structure of the aliyot.
In the Jewish history curriculum, students study the decay of Israel under the Chashmona’im (Hasmoneans, or Maccabbees) in the Greek period; they also study the contributions of Rabbi Akiva and others under the Romans, and the development of Jewish law as it continued in Babylonia in the Rabbinic period. The primary text is Abba Eban’s My People.
