Sixth Grade Curriculum

Like all Middle School students, sixth graders are issued a Chromebook for use throughout the school day. Students follow a bell schedule and change classrooms each period enabling them to work with teachers who are focused in a single area of study.

RELIGION
In sixth grade we explore the Old Testament beginning with the creation story and concluding with the prophets.  Students study Salvation History and work to understand and reflect on God’s divine plan. We also honor our early connection with Judaism by sharing a Seder meal and observing the holidays of Yom Kippur and Rosh Hashanah.

LANGUAGE ARTS 
Middle School Writing follows a Writer’s Workshop framework. Aligned with the Common Core Standards and the incorporation of the Chicago Archdiocese’s Beyond the Core Standards, all middle school students receive writing instruction and experience in argumentative, informational and narrative writing. Pointed mini-lessons, independent application of skills, peer conferences, and one-on-one teacher conferences are the components of each writing class. As students migrate from one grade level to the next their writing skills for planning, researching, organizing, producing and sharing their compositions advance. In doing so, students learn and implement strategies to manage time and independently work.

READING
Middle School Reading classes are aligned with the Common Core State Standards and the Archdiocese of Chicago Benchmarks. Students are challenged to engage with a variety of texts including novels, short stories, informational texts and poetry. Through close reading, class discussions and written assignments, the sixth graders focus on what the text states and work to draw connections. An emphasis is placed on citing text evidence and expanding and explaining quotations in relation to the question. Students practice reading and writing skills using iReady.

MATH
Big Ideas is our online math curriculum used in all sixth through eighth grade math classes. “Students master content through inductive reasoning opportunities, engaging activities that provide deeper understanding, concise stepped-out examples, rich thought-provoking exercises, and a continual building on what has been previously taught. Big Ideas Math delivers a unique and revolutionary curriculum providing a balanced instructional approach of discovery and direct instruction. This approach opens doors to abstract thought, reasoning, and inquiry as students persevere to answer the Essential Questions that drive instruction” (Big Ideas Learning, 2017).

SCIENCE
All Middle School students receive a high quality, rigorous science education at St. Luke School. Our curriculum reflects the three dimensions of the Next Generation Science Standards: Science and Engineering Practices, Crosscutting Concepts, and Disciplinary Core Ideas. Study in these areas provide opportunities for continual hands-on experimentation; the application of mathematics; and collaboration, communication, and creativity. In sixth grade, students explore Chemistry and selected topics in Physics and Life Science. As part of their study, students are expected to complete a detailed experiment, formal research paper, and formal write up in an area of Life Science as preparation for participation in the Science Fair in seventh grade.

SOCIAL STUDIES
Sixth graders are students of World History.  Beginning with Mesopotamia, the cradle of civilization,  we then move through the histories of Egypt, India, and Ancient China.  In the second trimester, we examine Ancient Greece and Rome.  Finally, students finish the year with studies of the Middle Ages, Islam, and the Reformation/ Renaissance.  

Please refer to the Specials/Fine Arts page to learn more about our sixth grade curriculum in the areas of Art, Music, Physical Education, Spanish, and Theology.