Grade 6
At Tesseract School, our student-centered program is designed to help each individual develop his or her unique talents in a safe and supportive environment. To individualize instruction, class size is kept small. Instruction is hands-on, cooperative and interdisciplinary. This multi-sensory, integrated approach to learning allows middle school students to make their own connections and process and remember information in a way uniquely meaningful to them.
In sixth grade, students study literature and build knowledge and skills in grammar, vocabulary and spelling, as well as formal writing, creative writing and poetry utilizing the Six Traits of Writing. Literary selections in language arts reflect the themes for the Spanish, social studies and science curriculum, such as “The Call of The Wild,” a novel revolving around severe weather conditions, which are explored in sixth-grade science.
In math, students’ studies include algebra, geometry, probability and data analysis in addition to problem solving, reasoning and proof. The four unifying concepts of proportional reasoning are utilized throughout the curriculum to help students make connections and build mathematical skills. In science, severe weather, water, River City, renewable resources and energy are explored. Students learn to apply the scientific method, formulate research questions, and critically analyze and evaluate data.
Sixth-grade social studies class focuses on history, geography, economics and current events through theory-based instruction and hands-on learning activities, such as participation in BizTown. From BizTown to the renaissance, Medieval Night is another hands-on learning experience enjoyed in the sixth grade. Integrating curriculum from social studies, language arts and science to the arts and public speaking, students dress in authentic costumes and turn the campus into a medieval village, reciting theories, performing scenes and reading poetry for peers, family, faculty and staff.
The arts, library, athletics, service learning, peer mediation, advisory, field trips and the annual interstate class trip further enrich students’ sixth-grade experience, with technology integrated throughout to support each subject’s curriculum.
As important as our academic curriculum is our social curriculum, Developmental Designs for Middle School (DDMS). Knowing each student individually, recognizing and celebrating each other’s similarities and differences, and understanding and maintaining clear parameters for acceptable behavior, we create a culture of respect and reflective social interaction with students, educators and the rest of the community.
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