Curriculum Overview

Sixth graders are on the cusp of adolescence when they experience that childhood is left behind and enter a new phase of life. They experience a new feeling of weight and gravity in their bodies, which affect them emotionally and physically. They are awakened to strong feelings and the ability to self-reflect, and often seek rules and connection to bring order to their new experiences of the world. They have an increased interest in social relationships, too.

Hence, the curriculum and teaching transform significantly from sixth grade onwards to support and nurture these new conceptual capacities. The themes are chosen expressly to assist both their inner and outer pursuits.

Our Sixth Graders will learn:

• Language Arts: advanced grammar, composition, exposition, narration, description, biographies, outlining, spelling and dictation, vocabulary and recitation.

• Mathematics: pre-algebra, formal geometric drawing, business mathematics, percentage, formulas, and graphs

• Science: continue botany, physics – acoustics, optics, heat and cold, electricity and magnetism, geology and astronomy

• Geography: world geography – cultural and physical

• History: Roman, Medieval and Islamic

• Chinese: continue formal grammar, regular verbs and possessive adjectives, dialogue and expanded vocabulary, reading and spelling practice, poems and songs, narrative composition writing

• Physical Education: team sports and social dancing

• Handwork: woodwork – convex and concave shapes, hand-sewn doll

• Art: drawing, painting and clay modelling

• Music: recorder, music theory, plain chant and Gregorian chant