6th Grade

Sixth grade is a year for many great new experiences as students move into middle school and become more equipped for service in God’s world. Students enjoy being in a new hallway, having bigger lockers, switching classes, learning science through labs and experiments, using computers more often, and having more freedom and responsibility. Other highlights of the year include the spiritual retreat, the three-day service project, a week of exploration activities, talent show, sport teams, class trips, and the World Fair project.

From time to time we will include photo albums here for you to view:

• 1st Science Lab - Marshmallow Towers
• Penny Droplets Lab
• 6th Grade Service Project
• 6A Measuring Volume Lab

Course specific information and content can be found on moodle. You will need your (or your child's) school username and password.

Specific Curriculum Focuses:

Sixth grade is a year of learning and learning how to learn. In addition to the academic subject areas, the sixth grade focuses on developing study skills, learning methods, organization, and prioritizing tasks and assignments. We also spend a week understanding the young Christian adolescent, namely the intellectual capability, physical/social/emotional growth, and spiritual development.

In science students enjoy learning proper lab procedures and important science processes that will provide for successful science investigation throughout life. Other fun topics include studying the periodic table, atomic structure, acids and bases, Newton’s Laws, Simple Machines, Magnetism, electricity, light and sound. “Tell them and they will forget, show them and they will remember, involve them and they will understand.”

In math while we do follow the order and structure of our textbook fairly close, much of the material we cover in class is supplemented with classroom handouts and activities gathered from a wide variety of sources. These supplements are meant to provide a real-life application and meaning to our math curriculum. You will also see that your child will have opportunities to stretch themselves by working on brain teasers or “Logic Problems.”

King Tutankhamen, Hanging Gardens of Babylon, Julius Caesar, Alexander the Great, the Great Pyramid, Christianity, Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam, the Middle Ages, the Reformation, the Renaissance, and the Age of Exploration are just a few of the many topics we study in 6th grade history. This class focuses on Ancient History and how ancient civilizations developed and survived thousands of years ago. We will also look for connections between what we are studying to stories in the Bible and to current events.

Language Arts

Language is a gift from God. The study of language arts embraces listening, speaking, reading, writing, spelling, and grammar. In sixth grade the students will develop an appreciation for literature and language through several novels and short stories, research and writing, spelling and speaking, as well as a review of sentence structure and the parts of speech. Students thoroughly enjoy the interdisciplinary World Fair project which includes creative, comparative, informative, and persuasive writing pieces.

Band, Orchestra and Choir are all offered during 6th grade. The study of music further enhances the development of the brain. Learning an instrument uses unique parts of the brain that have been shown to enhance learning skills in other areas. During band and orchestra we work through method books and additional music resources. During choir we sing a huge variety of songs, study different types of music, watch and learn the music from at least one musical, continue to build theory skills and also do at least two performances during the year.

Physical Education is offered two times a week for 45 minutes each. In 6th grade our focus is on learning the rules of the different sports and activities that we play throughout the year. We teach these sports and activities to show the students different ways that help us to keep active and healthy for life. A few extra experiences in 6th grade PE include the Super Snow bowl, where we play a grade wide football tournament outside in the month of January. This is always a little cold but a lot of fun! We also participate in a grade wide spring track meet. Here, the students choose their own events and we travel to Grand Rapids Christian one afternoon to hold our track meet. This is a little warmer than the Super Snow Bowl and just as much fun!

Extra Curricular:

• Intramurals: An opportunity for students to participate in fun team-building activities during noon hour.
• 6th Grade Sports (basketball, volleyball, track, swimming, golf, soccer, ski club)
• Science Olympiad
• Spelling/Geography Bee