Assessment

In sixth grade, we administer several state and district level assessments in reading and math to aid teachers’ understanding of your child’s strengths and needs in order to design instruction accordingly. Students participate in AIMSWeb Reading Curriculum-Based Measurement, where they are asked to read grade-level passages to assess their accuracy. The AIMSWeb Math Concepts and Applications assessment focuses on mathematical concepts and how to apply different strategies to problem-solve. MAP testing, aligned to the Illinois Learning Standards, assesses students in both reading and mathematics and is an adaptive test given in the winter and spring.

The Illinois State Board of Education requires the district to administer the Illinois Assessment of Readiness (IAR) assessment in the spring, which is built to evaluate students on the Illinois Learning Standards and measures whether students are on track to be successful in college and their careers. All students are tested in English Language Arts and Mathematics. The State Board of Education also requires the district to administer required fitness testing (FitnessGram) in the fall and spring as part of the physical education program. This assessment measures health-related fitness for youth through multiple tests measuring aerobic capacity, muscular strength and endurance, and flexibility.

Fine Arts

All students will experience all 6 disciplines (Art, Communication Media Arts, Digital Arts & Design, Drama, Music, and STEM) by the end of year. Each hexter lasts about 6 weeks in order for students to experience all creative arts disciplines. Students in grades 5-8 also have the opportunity to join band. The band program offers students the chance to participate in a variety of ensembles that perform a wide range of music.

Literacy

Reading

Reading instruction in sixth grade includes the following:

• Direct, explicit instruction in the strategies and skills of proficient reading
• Opportunities to talk in response to texts
• Study of multiple genres (e.g., stories and poems; historical novels and fantasy stories)
• Reading informational books and building a knowledge base and academic vocabulary through information reading
• Assessment-based instruction including feedback that is tailored to students specific strengths and needs
• Reading of increasingly complex texts
• Access to books that allow students to have a high volume of high-success reading

Our sixth grade classrooms utilize McDougal Littell Literature and teacher selected novels for reading instruction.

Writing

Sixth grade classrooms utilize The Writers’ Express (WEX) for writing instruction.  The following are the three writing units:  Response to Nonfiction, Response to Fiction, and Personal Narrative. Students progress in skills and development within these key areas of writing.

The Writers’ Express curriculum tracks each student’s progress through the carefully selected sequence of skills, using a cycle of daily, low-stakes practice assessments with targeted, authentic feedback.  This method allows students to work at their own pace, moving back and forth between technical skills and expressive abilities to develop distinctive writing voices with The WEX® Method.

Math

6th Grade Math

Big Ideas Math

The Big Ideas Math program, written by Ron Larson and Laurie Boswell, utilizes a research-based, balanced instructional approach that includes both discovery learning and scaffolded lessons.  Big Ideas Math® is dedicated to the balanced approach to instruction. Activities and Explorations involve student-directed discovery learning, allowing students to develop conceptual understanding. The discovery learning is followed by scaffolded instruction, giving students the opportunity to utilize clear, precise mathematics language and structure.

Curriculum Resource: Big Ideas

6th Grade Common Core

ISBN: 9781608404490

6th Grade Coursework

Chapter 1: Numerical Expressions and Factors

Chapter 2: Fractions and Decimals

Chapter 3: Algebraic Expressions and Properties

Chapter 5: Ratios and Rates

Chapter 6: Integers and the Coordinate Plane

Chapter 7: Equations and Inequalities

Chapter 4: Areas of Polygons

Chapter 8: Surface Area and Volume

Chapter 9: Statistical Measures

Chapter 10: Data Displays

6th Grade Advanced Math

Big Ideas Math

The Big Ideas Math program, written by Ron Larson and Laurie Boswell, utilizes a research-based, balanced instructional approach that includes both discovery learning and scaffolded lessons.  Big Ideas Math® is dedicated to the balanced approach to instruction. Activities and Explorations involve student-directed discovery learning, allowing students to develop conceptual understanding. The discovery learning is followed by scaffolded instruction, giving students the opportunity to utilize clear, precise mathematics language and structure.

Curriculum Resource: Big Ideas

Pre-Algebra

ISBN: 9781608405053

Pre-Algebra Coursework

Chapter 1: Integers

Chapter 2: Rational Numbers

Chapter 3: Expressions and Equations

Chapter 4: Inequalities

Chapter 5: Rations and Proportions

Chapter 6: Percents

Chapter 10: Probability and Statistics

Chapter 12: Angles and Triangles

Chapter 15: Volume and Similar Solids

Chapter 14: Real Numbers and the Pythagorean Theorem

Chapter 11: Transformations

Physical Education

Middle school students attend Physical Education classes every day in order to further develop their movement skills, teamwork, and physical fitness. During one quarter each year, middle school students join a Health class that incorporates physical activity but has a larger focus on nutrition, drug and alcohol awareness, personal and social responsibility, and self-management skills.

Science

STCMS: Science and Technology Concepts Middle School (STCMS) begins with students exploring phenomena, moves them towards planning investigations and designing solutions to real world issues. This curriculum will engage students in authentic science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) experiences through hands-on learning, science notebooking and a deep dive into content.  As students explore the various aspects of science, STCMS will prepare them to be the next generation of scientifically literate citizens.

Ecosystems and Their Interactions:  Have you ever seen a school of fish swim through the water? Have you ever watched a rabbit nibble on plants? Have you ever added fertilizer to a garden? Every day as we live our lives, we are exposed to the many ways that organisms interact with both the living and nonliving components of ecosystems.  Join us as we gather evidence and make predictions about ecosystems and their interactions!

Matter and Its Interactions: Matter is everywhere! But what is it made of? How can we separate it? How can we change it? Understanding matter and predicting its behavior can help us engineer solutions to everyday problems.  From thin sheets of gold to gels made from seaweed—join us as we develop models and construct explanations about matter and its interactions!

Space Systems Exploration: Students of all ages have an innate curiosity about our solar system and the broader universe. Space Systems Exploration taps into this curiosity by helping students clarify what they already know about space. Then, starting with the Sun-Earth-Moon system, it challenges them to perform a series of investigations through which they extend and enrich this knowledge.   

Social Studies

The middle grades provide a bridge between the elementary and high school experiences. Therefore, standards focus on the developmental need of middle grade students: to cultivate the critical thinking skills used by social scientists through the inquiry process. The disciplinary concepts of civics, economics, geography, and history are integrated within the curriculum.

Foundational to the social studies curriculum is the textbook and auxiliary resources that help support both teachers and students. TCI’s History Alive! programs transform middle school social studies into a multi-faceted learning experience.  TCI lessons start with an Essential Question, and incorporate graphic notetaking, groupwork, and hands on discovery.  Students are the center of instruction that taps a variety of learning styles, allowing students of all abilities to learn and succeed.

Unit 1: Early Humans and the Rise of Civilization

Unit 2: Ancient Egypt and The Middle East

Unit 3: Ancient India

Unit 4: Ancient China

Unit 5: Ancient Greece

Unit 6: Ancient Rome

Unit 7: Europe During Medieval Times

Unit 8: Islam in Medieval Times

Unit 9: Europe’s Renaissance and Reformation 

World Language

Introductory – Sixth Grade

Unit 1:  Global Citizenship: Who am I?

Students will begin by exploring who they are, where they live, their nationality and heritage. They will then become a citizen of the world in preparation for traveling and living abroad. They will consider the advantages of knowing more than one language and identify where their new language is spoken. They will learn to introduce themselves and to meet others using their new language and will be able to exchange personal information such as emails and phone numbers. They will be able to talk about their age and give the date of their birthday to new acquaintances. They will talk about likes and dislikes related to school and compare/contrast what they want to do.  

Unit 2:  Who am I?: How do I identify myself?

Students will begin to consider who they are as they describe themselves and others by physical appearance and personality traits by the things that they like and don’t like to do.  They will consider how someone can be stereotyped by such traits. They will also learn to name and describe pets and will consider how pets are also stereotyped in familiar expressions.  They will also discuss pets they have, like and prefer. Finally, they will discuss their schedules and typical daily activities and will be able to make plans with others.

Unit 3: Family and Friendship: Why are family and friendship important? How do family and friends celebrate?

Students will learn to talk about their relationships and will be able to say why family and friendship is important. They will be able to describe the physical and personal characteristics of their family and friends and will learn about families around the world. They will talk about their personal space and possessions and will make simple comparisons to the possessions of others in different parts of the world. Finally, they will consider how their family and friends and others celebrate.

Unit 4:  Vacation Time: How do I begin to explore another place and culture?

Students will consider a variety of summer experiences and decide what makes for a great vacation destination.  They will pick an ideal vacation destination where the target language is spoken and create a packing list for that destination. They will comment on where they are going and what they are doing there. Then, they will work with others to plan all that they are going do while they are on vacation.