CURRICULUM

Children develop in a natural sequence of growth, moving through similar, predictable stages of development. We must be careful, however, not to expect all children to move at the same pace. Children are unique individuals and will pass through the developmental stages at their own rates. Generally, children ages 10 to 15, in grades six through eight, are similar in the ways they learn. They tend to learn best by doing, experiencing and using their senses. They often require concrete models and have a need to make relevant associations between what they learn and their everyday lives. These adolescents tend to display the following characteristics:

• Uneven physical growth

• Rapid brain growth

• Restlessness and periods of fatigue

• Metabolic and hormonal fluctuation

• Periods of high energy or lethargy

• Underdeveloped sense of time and space

• Short attention span

• Need for relevance in learning

• Response to choices

• Varied ability levels

• Varied interests

• Inquisitiveness

• Concrete thinking

• Orientation to the present

• Fluctuating emotions

• High level of anxiety

• Extreme sensitivity

• Ambivalence

• Rebelliousness

• Erratic, impulsive behavior

• Excitability

• Fluctuating moods

• Extreme self-consciousness

• Desire for independence

• Sensitivity to peer pressure

• Criticism toward self and others

• Social or reclusive behavior

• Constantly changing interests, needs and priorities

• Need to focus on role models

• Need to be accepted

The religious and family life education program for St. Patrick School offers students a curriculum that intentionally strives from one grade level to the next to build on the cognitive foundations established in the previous years’ programs. Its content serves to inspire and to inform a way of life. These expectations fall under thematic headings that convey the essential philosophical underpinnings of the entire program.

1. Demonstrate the ability to read and reflect on scripture and its meaning for life today

2. Demonstrate a basic understanding of the history of the church

3. Demonstrate an understanding that we are drawn to God who, in creating us, has placed a desire for happiness in our hearts

4. Demonstrate a basic understanding and appreciation of doctrine and dogma found in the Creedal Statements

5. Demonstrate a basic understanding and appreciation of the Trinity as the central mystery of the Christian faith

6. Demonstrate knowledge of the Church as people of God, body of Christ and community of faith

7. Demonstrate an understanding of the sacraments as important moments in the life of the community, with an emphasis on the Eucharist

8. Demonstrate an understanding that the Eucharistic Liturgy (the Mass) is the communal celebration of the Paschal Mystery in which each is called to full and active participation

9. Demonstrate a knowledge of and ability to participate in the Catholic tradition of prayer

10. Demonstrate an understanding of moral teaching, and an ability to make good moral decisions and act in a responsible, Christian manner

11. Demonstrate comprehension of seven key principles of Catholic social teaching and have the ability to apply them to personal and societal situations:

• The life and dignity of the human person

• The call to family, community, and participation

• The rights and responsibilities of the human person

• Option for the poor and vulnerable

• The dignity of work and the rights of workers

• Solidarity of the human family

• Care for God’s creation: The Reproductive System

 

Our 6^th program also includes a Peace Education series for teachers and students to become, in their living and their thinking, truly non-violent, just, and peaceful persons. The Peace Education Foundation philosophy embraces the physical, emotional, intellectual, ethical and social growth of children within a framework deeply rooted in traditional values of trust, fairness, cooperation and non-violence. The program is organized according to five main concepts: building community, pro-social skills anger management, conflict, and social responsibility. The lessons provide adolescents with the opportunity to experience higher-order thinking, explore critical reflection, and challenge attitudes about self and others in a safe and caring learning community. Respect and peace are developed through the implementation of the Rules for Fighting Fair.

• Read narrative and expository text aloud with grade-appropriate fluency and accuracy and with appropriate pacing, intonation and expression

• Identify and interpret figurative language and words with multiple meanings

• Recognize the origins and meanings of frequently used foreign words in English and use these words accurately in speaking and writing

• Monitor expository text for unknown words by using word, sentence, and paragraph clues to determine meaning

• Read and understand narrative and expository text (social studies, science, etc.) appropriate to sixth grade

• Connect and clarify main ideas by identifying their relationships to other sources and related topics

• Clarify an understanding of texts by creating outlines, logical notes, summaries, or reports

• Determine the adequacy and appropriateness of the evidence for an author’s conclusions

• Read and respond to historically or culturally significant works of literature that reflect and

enhance their studies of history and social science

• Analyze the effects of the qualities of character on the plot and resolution of the conflict

• Analyze the influence of setting on the problem at its resolution

• Define how tone or meaning is conveyed in poetry through word choice,

• Figurative language, sentence structure, line length, punctuation, rhythm, repetition, and rhyme

• Identify and analyze features of themes conveyed through characters, actions, and images

• Explain the effects of common literary devices (e.g., imagery, metaphor, symbolism) in a

variety of fictional and non-fictional texts

• Write clear, coherent, and focused paragraphs containing introductions, supporting evidence and conclusions. Emphasis on development of "voice," close observation, and use of colorful language

• Create narrative compositions

• Create expository compositions

• Write research reports

• Write responses to literature

• Write persuasive compositions

• Revise writing to improve the organization and consistency of ideas

• Write with a command of standard English conventions (e.g., sentence structure, grammar,

punctuation, capitalization, and spelling)

• Compose documents with appropriate formatting by using word processing skills and principals of design

•Asses writing using Six Traits methods

• Deliver focused, coherent presentations that convey ideas clearly and relate to the background and interests of the audience

• Evaluate the content of oral communication

• Relate the speaker’s verbal communication to the nonverbal message

• Identify the tone, mood, and emotion conveyed in the oral communication

• Restate and execute multiple-step instructions and directions

• Select a focus, an organizational structure, and a point of view, matching the purpose, message, and occasion to the audience

• Support opinions with detailed evidence and with visual or media displays that use appropriate technology

• Deliver narrative and informative presentations

• Deliver oral responses to literature

• Deliver persuasive presentations

• Deliver presentations on problems and solution

Students increase their facility with the four basic arithmetic operations applied to fractions and decimals and learn to add and subtract positive and negative numbers. They know and use common measuring units to determine length and area and know and use formulas to determine the volume of simple geometric figures. Students know the concept of angle measurement and use a protractor and compass to solve problems. They use grids, table, graphs, and charts to record and analyze data.

• Compute with very large and very small numbers, positive integers, decimals, and fractions and understand the relationship between decimals, fractions, and percents.

• They understand the relative magnitude of numbers

• Perform calculations and solve problems involving addition, subtraction, and simple multiplication and division of fractions and decimals

• Use variables in simple expressions, compute the value of the expression for specific values of the variable, and plot and interpret the results

• Understand and compute the volumes and areas of simple objects

• Identify, describe, and classify the properties of, and the relationships between, plane and solid geometric figures

• Display, analyze, compare, and interpret different data sets, including data sets of different sizes

• Make decisions about how to approach problems

• Use strategies, skills, and concepts in finding solutions

• Move beyond a particular problem by generalizing to other situations

The sixth grade science curriculum focuses on earth science. It is designed to introduce students to the vocabulary and central concepts of earth science (through text) while allowing them to investigate and observe aspects of earth science.

• Plate tectonics explains important features of the Earth’s surface and major geologic events.

• Topography is reshaped by weathering of rock and soil and by the transportation and deposition of sediment.

• Heat moves in a predictable flow from warmer objects to cooler objects until all objects are at the same temperature.

• Many phenomena on the Earth’s surface are affected by the transfer of energy through radiation and convection currents.

                    • Scientific progress is made by asking meaningful questions and conducting careful investigations.

 

History/Social Studies

Students in grade six expand their understanding of history by studying the people and events that ushered in the dawn of the major Western and non-Western ancient civilizations. Geography is of special significance in the development of the human story. Continued emphasis is placed on the everyday lives, problems, and accomplishments of people, their role in developing social, economic, and political structures, as well as in establishing and spreading ideas that helped transform the world forever. Students develop higher levels of critical thinking skills by considering why civilizations developed where and when they did, why they became dominant, and why they declined. Students analyze the interactions among various cultures, emphasizing their enduring contributions and the link, despite time, between the contemporary and ancient worlds.

• Describe what is known through archaeological studies of the early physical and cultural development of human kind from the Paleolithic era to the agricultural revolution

• Analyze the geographic, political, economic, religious, and social structures of the early civilizations of Mesopotamia, Egypt, and Kush

• Analyze the geographic, political, economic, religious, and social structures of the Ancient Hebrews

• Analyze the geographic, political, economic, religious, and social structures of the early civilizations of Ancient Greece, India, China and Rome

• Analyze examples of conflict and cooperation among ancient societies

• Analyze and explain how the ancient civilizations met the needs and wants of citizens

• Students use Microsoft Word to generate various text-based projects for class.

• Students will review how to create a simple document, insert a graphic, save, re-edit, spell-check, format, cut and past from other documents and other applications.

• Students may use Power Point, iMovie to create a number of multimedia presentations, combing text, graphics, music, and sounds.

• The students will create a simple web page design. They will insert text, graphics, and hot links to other sites.

• Students will use the Internet to research information for various class projects. They will use lab time along with clear search goals and sites to find simple information pertaining to a topic the teacher introduces to the class.

• Students will create simple spreadsheets.