Sixth Grade Curriculum
Sixth Grade is the culminating year for the students of the Academy. The rigorous curriculum continues stressing academic preparedness, time management and leadership skills. Sixth Grade affords the students unique opportunities to build upon the solid foundation initiated in the earlier grades. Sixth graders adopt Pillars: Respect, Responsibility, Leadership, and Scholarship at the beginning of the year to set the tone as the School’s leaders. Students and teachers look to the sixth grade consistently throughout the year to be positive role models for each other and their younger schoolmates. The Pillars guide the students as their teachers prepare them for admittance to several prestigious Catholic and private middle schools, as well as for entrance into the Boston Public Exam Schools.
Sixth Grade is also a very distinctive year, where the students’ academic experience is complemented by activities unique to our grade, such as the sixth grade musical, Mime Crucifixion, school newspaper, and officer positions in Student Council. By the time graduation arrives, the students are ready to move on to the next phase of their education. They have been well prepared and leave Mount Alvernia Academy armed with strong academic skills, leadership ability, creative minds and a strong foundation in their Catholic faith.
The Old Testament is the main focus of the sixth grade Religion classes. Students study the story of God’s people as recorded in the Old Testament and the fulfillment of God’s covenant in and through Jesus Christ. Students are given opportunities for prayer and reflections. Each Friday the children study the Readings and the Gospel for Sunday’s Liturgy. This preparation helps them to participate more fully in the Eucharistic celebration.
The sixth grade Language Arts program consists of literature, English, vocabulary, and writing. Our curriculum focuses on the importance of reading, writing and speaking well. Students acquire an appreciation of various literary genres through the use of a literature anthology, periodicals and Newbery Award and Honor books. Thinking and writing critically, as well as for pleasure, is fostered through essays, journals and creative writing. Through vocabulary study and the Writing Process, students learn to refine and expand their use of language. Opportunities for independent work, class discussion, oral presentations, and collaborative experience exist in both reading and English. Time management skills are cultivated through the utilization of a language arts class work and homework assignments’ calendar. A sixth grader leaves Mount Alvernia Academy confident and well prepared for the challenges of the next academic level.
Students learn, understand, solve, and compute Math concepts and problems on a sixth grade level. Since our school ends in grade six, students work hard to prepare for grade seven. In class, problems that may be on entrance exams are emphasized in the first half of the school year and practiced throughout the year. Pre- algebra and algebra is introduced. Grade six concepts include:
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number sense and relationships
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operations, order of operations
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probability and statistics
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graphing
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fraction/decimal concepts
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integers
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expressions and equations
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ratio, proportion, percent
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measurement and geometry
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patterns
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consumer math
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discount, commission
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square root
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elapsed time
Grade Six Social Studies focuses on world geography. In their study of world geography the students understand and use the Five Themes of Geography, integrating this knowledge into all aspects of the Social Studies curriculum They explore history and cultures of ancient civilizations, while understanding their influence on and connections to civilizations that followed them. Students are also exposed to modern cultures of these same civilizations. Through the study of geography, students refine their map skills while studying the geographic characteristics of the various continents. They connect geographical characteristics to the past and present history of the areas explored. Study skills, reading and critical thinking skills, chart and graph skills are further developed throughout the program. Text book instruction is heavily complemented by collaborative work, class discussions, and varied projects, based both on the curriculum and students’ particular interests and learning styles.
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