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Sixth Grade
EnglishStudents in English 6 read literature from a variety of genres, all organized around the theme of "Understanding Diverse Perspectives." Texts include Walk Two Moons, Tuck Everlasting, Boy, Knots in my Yo-Yo String, The Diary of Anne Frank, Roll of Thunder Hear My Cry, and The Hound of the Baskervilles, as well as selected memoirs, short stories and poetry. Throughout the year students explore questions like: What makes people behave the way they do? Can time and place affect the way a person thinks and behaves? Vocabulary, grammar, spelling, and reading comprehension skills are further honed through weekly lessons in Vocabulary and Composition through Pleasurable Reading. Grammar and mechanical skills are taught through mini lessons and writing assignments. As students are introduced to English as a discipline, they discover what it means to be a part of a literary community. Writing skills are developed through a variety of creative and expository writing culminating in the composition of a five paragraph essay. Students read an outside reading book each trimester and participate in a book club designed to simultaneously strengthen their understanding of texts and preserve a love of reading. English 6 classes are divided into Honors and Level 1 groups based on performance and teacher recommendation.
Back to Top MathStudents are sectioned into one of three math groups in sixth grade: Regular, Honors and Honors Accelerated. Below are the corresponding course descriptions. Pre-Algebra
This course is designed to teach, solidify, and expand basic skills and number sense that are the foundation for Pre-Algebra. The pace provides time for student/teacher interaction, nurtures student confidence, and provides students opportunities for success as they move from arithmetic to algebra. Time built in for review and reinforcement is a critical part of the design. Topics include: Patterns, Ratio/Proportion/Percent, Powers and Roots, Measurement and Estimation, Number Theory, Data Analysis and Statistics, Signed Numbers, Simplifying Expressions, Using Variables, Solving Equations, Plane and Solid Geometry. Pre-Algebra Honors
This comprehensive course requires previous mastery of many pre-algebra skills. It is designed to give students a strong background in basic mathematical concepts and skills in order to provide a firm foundation for algebra. The topics are the same as those included in the general course, but they are covered in greater depth and at a faster pace. Basic arithmetic and algebraic skills are woven into the corresponding geometry topics, and emphasis is placed on reading and communicating with mathematics in real world applications. Scientific calculators are required. Topics include: Patterns, Ratio/Proportion/Percent, Powers and Roots, Measurement and Estimation including Scientific Notation, Number Theory, Probability, Data Analysis and Statistics, Signed Numbers, Simplifying Expressions, Using Variables, Solving Equations, Plane and Solid Geometry. Algebra I Honors Accelerated The Pre-Algebra/Algebra I Honors Accelerated course begins the year with topics that reinforce students’ pre-algebra skills and introduce algebra. Subject matter begins with the order of operations, the distributive property, solving equations in one variable, using equations in one variable to solve applied problems, and making scatter plots. Occasional activities allow students to make graphs and equations that reflect data they collect, and then to analyze that data. By the end of the course, students will have covered linear and absolute inequalities, systems of equations and begin basic work with polynomials. Along the way, students learn to use their graphing calculators to perform linear and exponential regressions, create a recursive routine, and find finite differences for data. Problems of the Week are given out regularly to challenge students to solve more complex and multi-step problems. Write-ups for these problems emphasize understanding the question, developing and executing sound problem-solving procedures, and communicating clearly. At the conclusion of this course, students have a mastery over the first half of Algebra I and are prepared to finish it in seventh grade. Back to Top ScienceThe Environmental Science (ESI) curriculum is designed to expose students to concepts involving all of the earth's systems, how the earth affects humans, and how humans in turn affect the earth. Students explore important topics such as energy, water, climate, and agriculture, learning more about ways in which, through their daily actions, humans impact their environment, and how we can move towards a sustainable society. In addition, students explore the local environment, including local farms, water treatment facilities, the Charles River, and Mount Monadnock, all places where humans and the earth influence one another. A wide variety of equipment is used in and out of the lab, including digital data acquisition devices, and learning through exploration is emphasized. Social StudiesCivilizations, the sixth grade social study course, combines a study of geography and culture. Through an in-depth study of Africa, the Middle East, East Asia, and the Americas, students will understand how human beings create, understand, modify, and adapt their cultures. Beginning with a solid grounding in geography and moving toward an understanding of the major traits of culture, students will examine each region through a careful lens and will develop an appreciation and respect for cultures different from their own. Sixth graders are grounded in skills as well as content, with an emphasis on reading comprehension, writing, listening, speaking, studying/organizing, and working in a group.
Back to Top LanguagesFrench
In sixth grade, French students continue to build on the skills acquired in earlier French classes. The pace of the work is accelerated and students increase their fluency with the language. Knowledge of grammar, vocabulary and verbs expands to include irregular verbs in the present and first phase of past tenses. Projects are an important part of this course, along with a variety of activities and resources.
Latin
The sixth grade Latin course serves as the first half of a traditional Latin I curriculum. Students utilize Ecce Romani IA and the corresponding workbook throughout the year. The students undertake an intensive study of the parts of speech and their connection with the English equivalents. Noun cases, verb tenses and increasingly complex sentence structures are introduced. The students also refine translation skills through the chapter stories and supplemental passages. In addition to language study, students explore the Roman family, a Roman villa, Pompeii, slavery, Roman religion and the beginnings of an empire. Topics introduced in sixth grade will be further developed and refined in seventh grade Latin.
Spanish
The sixth grade Spanish class is an introductory course, stressing listening, speaking, reading and writing. Students gain a solid basic grammar base on which to build in future years of study. Additionally, the many-faceted aspects of Spanish-speaking cultures, a vital part of the entire Spanish program, are introduced.
Back to Top Project Challenge Teamwork is the focus during the first few months of sixth grade as students - new and returning - learn and improve behavioral skills in preparation for the numerous projects and responsibilities for which the sixth grade is responsible. Communication skills, decision-making models, collaborative planning techniques, ways of giving and receiving feedback, and ways of reflecting on process are some of the course objectives. Activities selected require groups of students to plan and work cooperatively to accomplish tasks. Back to Top TechnologyThe goal for the future will continue to be the integration of technology into the community according to the Mission Statement of Meadowbrook : individualization of student learning, continuation of a broad and challenging curriculum, the promotion of self-confidence, independence and unhampered learning .
Currently most of the software used at Meadowbrook comes under the heading of tools. When applying our strict criteria there are very few non-tool commercial packages that are appropriate for our curriculum. For classroom use, faculty employ document processing, graphics programs, research CD's, interactive books on CD-ROM, typing tutors, Terrapin Logo, student controlled simulations, some drill and practice programs, programs designed to teach a specific concept, mathematical tools, laser disks, presentation programs, and the Internet. Every classroom in the School is connected to the Internet through a T1 line.
Both wireless and wired networking are used extensively, allowing students more flexibility in their use of technology. Smartboards and projectors in the classrooms provide faculty with state-of-the-art tools to help deliver efficient and effective instruction. More sophisticated video, audio, science and graphic tools are available to students for use in the creation of projects and presentations. Back to Top Academic ElectivesIn addition to the traditional courses taken by Meadowbrook students, they are also given a weekly opportunity to choose a more focused class in a specific area of interest. The classes are offered by Middle School teachers, and include elective programs such as developing the school's yearbook, writing for the school newspaper, studying solar energy and competing in the Junior Solar Sprint, competing as a member of the Math Counts team, acting and directing Shakespearean Shorts, and producing slideshows and films for school assemblies.
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