Sixth Grade Curriculum

While preparing our middle school students for high school, the Saint Rose School Community ensures that students’ individual talents are supported, their spirituality deepened, and their commitment to service increased as they become more aware of their community responsibility.

This balance of personal growth and achievement, aimed at citizenship in Heaven and engaged here as part of a socially responsible community, provides our students the tools they need to lead meaningful lives in accord with their potential.

Our teaching staff at this level is departmentalized and offers students a traditional middle school experience. The departmental model provides instruction by teachers who are experts in their fields. Students begin each day with their homeroom teacher and then with the whole school community at morning prayers. After prayer, they move to different classrooms for instruction in specific subject areas along with special areas classes including: Physical Education, Art, Band/Music Appreciation, Spanish, and Computer class. All classes are taught by certified teachers.

Our middle school students become leaders in our community. The 6th, 7th, and 8th graders are paired with Kindergarten, first grade, and second grade students as a part of our “Prayer Partner” program. They accompany our youngest students to weekly Mass and other events, in addition to being a friendly face and source of support on campus. The Student Council, National Junior Honor Society, Ambassador Program, Social Justice opportunities, school play, athletics, and a whole host of after school clubs allow our students to explore leadership and expand friendships, consistent with their strengths and interests. Our alumni tell us that they feel very prepared for the entire High School experience--in the classroom, on the athletic fields, at other extracurriculars, and socially. We host an annual alumni reunion each Christmas season and usually have about 50 or so young people join us in our Christmas assembly with music and caroling as a Saint Rose community.

Religion

  • 6th Grade Textbook: Word of Life Series by Augustine Institute
  • 6th Grade focuses on Jesus Christ as the fullness of God’s Divine Revelation through a careful reading of key scriptural texts from the Old and New Testaments
  • Special activities: Weekly adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, confession opportunities

English

  • Textbook: Prentice Hall’s Literature: Timeless Voices, Timeless Themes – Copper (6) Bronze (7) and Silver (8)
  • Sadlier-Oxford Vocabulary Workshop Level A (6) B (7) Level C (8)
  • Literature-based curriculum
  • CommonLit
  • Readworks - Digital Reading Comprehension Skill building (6)
  • Novel studies focusing on literary analysis and literary elements
  • Emphasis on reading for detail and deeper meaning
  • Selections of poetry and dramas call for vibrant student participation and attentive, discerning writing; students enjoy parsing through Shakespeare and other notable authors’ works
  • Grammar Textbook Voyages in English
  • Writing styles used in high school (Organization)
  • RACES, RAPS, and TELCon Writing Process Taught
  • Focus on Textual Analysis and Evidence-Based Essay Writing
  • The writing process (prewriting, drafting, revising, editing, and publishing)
  • Writing applications (analytical, persuasive, expository and narrative, descriptive, poetry, letters)
  • Utilizes Google Classroom for digital assignment submission, essay writing, teacher feedback
  • Escape Room Lessons to encourage cross curricular learning
  • Socratic Seminar

Social Studies

  • 6th Grade Textbook: All Ye Lands: Origins of the World Cultures with accompanying workbook.
  • Other outside sources include maps, Secret of the Mummies, Greek mythology research, and Roman innovations research.
  • 6th Grade Topics include: Ancient Mesopotamia, Egypt and Kush, Ancient India, Early China, The Israelites, Ancient Greeks, and Rome
  • Special activities:
    • Vocabulary building,
    • Art projects such as Hieroglyphic art and writing our names in Chinese pictograph.
    • Veterans Day events
    • International Food Day

Mathematics

  • Maneuvering the Middle Curriculum
  • Use concrete pictures and bar models to introduce mathematical concepts. Pictorial representations help students move from concrete to abstract thinking.
  • This leads to a deeper understanding of abstract math.
  • Math is made authentic through real-world applications.
  • 6th Grade textbook: Packets will be sent home for each unit.
  • Understanding factors and multiples, positive and negative numbers on a number line, multiplying and dividing fractions and decimals, ratios, rates, and percents
  • Simplify and evaluate algebraic expressions, solve simple one-step equations, graphing points on a coordinate plane, and finding the distance between two points
  • Area of polygons, circumference and area of a circle, and surface area and volume of solids
  • Measures of central tendency are used to summarize data

Science

  • Textbook: Prentice Hall Science Explorer(6/7/8)
  • Introduce (6) and develop (7/8) the scientific process
  • Observations, data collection and generating hypothesis (7/8)
  • Learn how to utilize reliable sources (6/7/8)
  • Participate in Science Olympiad competitions (6/7/8)
  • Focus on Earth Science
  • Build and test bottle rockets
  • Distinguishing between the rock types and identifying rocks vs. minerals
  • Explain the relationship between the layers of the Earth, plate tectonics and geological events such as earthquakes and volcanoes
  • Study human activity and give examples of activities that are harmful or beneficial to the environment.
  • Study how the earth and life has changed over geologic time using fossils
  • Analyze data and make predictions about the weather
  • Explain the relationship of the sun, moon and the earth in relationship to tides, eclipses, and seasons