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sixth Grade Curriculum Overview

 

Reading/Writing

St. Pius X offers two levels of language arts classes in middle school. Accelerated and grade level students in sixth grade develop writing, literary, and critical thinking skills using a variety of platforms. Voyages in English text and workbook provides instruction and practice in every area of grammar, usage, and mechanics, helping students build comprehensive skills for success on standardized tests and for developing essential lifelong skills beyond the classroom. The study of Latin and Greek roots, the Wordly Wise 3000 vocabulary program, and vocabulary within books and the broader curriculum support our word studies and language inquiries. Students are challenged to think critically about textual structure, audience, author's purpose, and genre through class discussion and literary analysis as they read texts together as a class as well as through independent reading. Students are required to complete three writing assessments: narrative, expository, and opinion. 

Math

Sixth grade math is taught at three ability levels. Level B follows the archdiocesan grade level standards for sixth grade. Level A follows the same guidelines in greater depth and at a faster pace. Sixth grade accelerated math covers algebraic thinking, decimals, data displays, fractions, integers, proportions, percents, basic geometry concepts, and measurements of solids. 

Science

Students spend the year preparing for a week at Outdoor School. Life science begins the year with the study of the nature of science coupled with an investigation of the characteristics of life. Mastery of the scientific method is expected. Students study the structure and function of cells with an emphasis on cell components. Furthermore, students study the function of cells surrounding the processes of mitosis and meiosis. After cell structure and function, students learn how cells interact to form organisms with varying levels of organizations. Students study the basic concept of genetics. Lastly, there is a focus on the causes of animal diversity and the concepts of evolution. 

Social Studies

The sixth graders will be studying early man during the Neolithic and Paleolithic ages. They will look at the earliest civilizations in Mesopotamia and make their way through Greek and Indo-American cultures. They will be looking at the effects of geography and how it can shape and change culture. In addition, they will look at the society, government and economic structure of civilizations. They will be using art, literature and technology to explore the cultures that have been long since gone.

Religion

Rooted in the Gospel of Jesus Christ as well as the teachings and traditions of the Roman Catholic Church, St. Pius X School seeks to foster in students' knowledge, respect and reverence for self, others, God, and God's creations. Students begin each day in prayer and pray throughout the day and Mass is celebrated weekly. The study of the Catholic faith is designed to inspire spirituality, critical thinking, prayer, compassion, and to live as Disciples of Christ.