Language Arts - English (6th Grade)

Sixth grade English classes integrate reading, speaking, listening, writing, and viewing skills to encourage critical thinking and effective communication. Throughout the year, students will be exposed to a variety of texts and genres to expose them to different writing styles, as they find their own style and voice as a writer.

English 6 Accelerated Honors  

This course is recommended for advanced writers, critical thinkers, and those who have a passion for Language Arts. This class teaches foundational writing and grammatical skills and elements at an accelerated pace. 

English 6 Honors  

This course builds upon foundational and grammatical skills with some modeling and support. Students progress through the material at a continuous and challenging pace.

English 6 Grade Level  

This course focuses on foundational writing skills in conjunction with grammatical skills. Students are supported through additional modeling and scaffolded supports at a pace designed to meet the needs of the students in each group. 

Language Arts - Reading (6th Grade)

Reading Through Time 6 Honors

Sixth grade reading classes study a variety of texts and genres while providing strategies to support and sustain critical thinking in reading. Students delve into literary elements and work to build responses based on textual evidence. The Honors level accelerated pace and is designed for avid readers. 

Reading Through Time 6 Grade Level

Sixth grade reading classes study a variety of texts and genres while providing strategies to support and sustain critical thinking in reading. Students delve into literary elements and work to build responses based on textual evidence. The Grade Level course teaches the foundations of these skills a continuous pace. 

Reading Plus 6 - Intervention: Phonics

This course takes the place of another content area course.
Based on multiple data points, students will be enrolled in this class as an intervention to support the decoding and reading of words using the Just Words program and focusing on phonetical skills. 

Reading Plus 6 - Intervention: Comprehension

This course takes the place of another content area course.
Based on multiple data points, students will be enrolled in this class as an intervention to support comprehension of text. Students will be supported to by research based strategies taught by a reading specialist to improve comprehension across genres.

All sixth grade Math classes study content as outlined by the Pennsylvania Core Standards, Assessment Anchors and Eligible Content.  This includes: Positive & Negative Numbers and the Number Line, Fractions & Decimals, Ratios, Rates, Percent, Algebraic Expressions, Equations & Inequalities, The Coordinate Plane, Area of Polygons, Surface Area & Volume, Statistics, and Measures of Central Tendencies.

The specific data points that middle school principals will consider for placement into sixth grade math courses are as follows: teacher recommendation, historical and current PSSA performance in math, and fifth grade math grades. Furthermore, all students will take the Orleans Hanna Algebra Prognosis Test in the spring of their fifth grade year. Student scores on the Orleans Hanna Algebra Prognosis Test will not include points for self-reported grades in math, science, English or social studies. These results will serve as an additional data points for placement in 6th grade.  Principals may also consider additional data points that may be available for individual students.

Our building-based Multi-Tiered Support System (MTSS) team will communicate with families if students are identified as needing additional math support. 

Mathematics 6 Accelerated Honors 

This course is designed for students who have demonstrated the prerequisite skills needed to study math at a high level and a rigorous pace.  The curriculum is aligned to provide extensions and enrichment to focus on abstract and complex problem solving.

Mathematics 6 Honors 

This course provides students with experiences to further build the foundational concepts necessary for the higher study of math.  It is intended for students who are continuing the development of their abstract reasoning.  Exposure to higher-order problem solving is prevalent within the challenging pace of this course.

Mathematics 6 Grade Level 

This course focuses on abstract thinking and provides an introduction through concrete and numeric examples.  The transition to abstract problem solving occurs at a continuous pace with a focus on supporting a strong foundation of math knowledge.

Math Plus 6 - Intervention

This course replaces a 2 day Unified Arts class
Math Plus is designed to provide intense, formal math intervention. Students who are recommended to participate will be selected based on need as determined by multiple data. Math Plus is in addition to a student’s core math class.

The sixth grade science curriculum emphasizes and assesses the core ideas, science and engineering practices, and crosscutting concepts of the Pennsylvania STEELS standards. Using a phenomenon-based approach to learning, students explore the principles of life science while also investigating some earth & space science, physical science, and environmental science concepts and skills. Primary core ideas include the nature of science and investigation, cells and heredity, kingdoms of life, and environmental science. The course includes multidimensional laboratory activities, design thinking, and literacy strategies. Students have a variety of opportunities to explore ideas, develop scientific skills, and make connections to other disciplines and fields of study of the natural world. Through their course experiences, students actively pose questions and make observations, develop explanations and understanding of scientific concepts and processes, and prepare for future learning opportunities.

World Cultures and Geography 

In World Cultures & Geography, 6th grade students will study the world by studying the regions of North America, Latin America & the Caribbean, Africa, Asia, and Oceania.  Students will learn about the government, geography, and economic systems of our global societies, in accordance with the Pennsylvania State Standards.  In each region, students will engage in a historical analysis to understand our modern world. 

Unified Arts courses allow students to continue their study of some content areas, such as music, art, health & physical education from their elementary experience.  It is also an opportunity for students to explore new content areas, such as Computer Science, Family & Consumer Sciences, and Technology Education.  Students will have two periods of unified arts each day, rotating through the variety of courses offered.  

In elementary school, students rotated through their unified arts classes on a 4 day cycle, with art, health & physical education, library, and music meeting once per 4 day cycle.  Because of the wealth of offerings at the middle school, we expand our cycle into 6 days.  Most students will experience the same unified arts courses in 6th grade, with the only exceptions being the music options and any interventions designed to support student learning.  Below, you will see how the unified arts pair with each other to offer our students a robust and exciting exploration of the unified arts. 

Full Year Courses:

The following classes meet for 2 days out of the 6 day cycle for the entire year. 

• Music - Students have the option of selecting Band, Chorus, Orchestra or Classroom Music.
• Physical Education

Semester Courses:

The following classes meet for a semester.  A semester is half of one year, so these classes are scheduled for Marking Periods 1 & 2 or Marking Periods 3 & 4. 

• Art - This class will meet 4 days out of the 6 day cycle.
• Health - This class will meet every day out of the 6 day cycle. 

Quarter Courses:

The following classess will meet for a quarter, which is one marking period.  Each of these courses will meet for 2 days out of the 6 day cycle. 

• Computer Science Fundamentals
• Computer Science Applications
• Consumer Studies
• Food Science
• Introduction to Technology Engineering
• Robotics & Circuitry

Emphasizing techniques, tool use, care and safety in the art room, students learn the arts of different cultures through projects utilizing a variety of media. Vocabulary and writing exercises are included in lessons to reinforce new concepts. 

Computer Science Fundamentals (6th Grade)

Computer Science Fundamentals is the first in a series of computer science courses offered for middle school students. This sixth grade course introduces the concepts of computer science such as hardware, software and networking while teaching computer skills in word processing, multimedia and spreadsheets. Digital Citizenship topics are reviewed and practiced throughout the course.

Computer Science Applications (6th Grade)

Computer Science Applications is the second course for 6th grade students. Students build on skills from the first course and are introduced to basic concepts of computer programming through flowcharts, algorithms and applications of the coordinate plane.

Food Science

This course introduces students to wellness and healthy food choices as outlined by the principles of the USDA’s My Plate guidelines. Students explore the following content: laboratory and equipment safety, the science of food safety and food borne illness, accurate measuring techniques, chemical changes that occur during food preparation, healthy meal planning and lab procedure guidelines. Students participate in food experiments by applying these concepts. They critique their performance as members of a team.

Consumer Studies

Comprised of two interrelated units, students examine income and expenses in relation to their needs versus wants and use a decision-making model to manage resources. Through the examination of physical, emotional and social needs of the family, the young adolescent learns to distinguish needs and goals across the lifespan. They explore a variety of housing options to suit family structures. Using computer technology, students create a “dream room” involving a budget and purchasing strategies.

The Health Education Program is designed to motivate and encourage active student participation in developing life skills for optimal emotional, mental, physical, and social health. The curriculum is aligned with the Pennsylvania Academic Standards for Health, Safety & Physical Education and is delivered in a variety of teaching styles to optimize and accommodate student learning. A main goal of the program is for students to apply the knowledge gained to make healthy lifestyle decisions.

Band, Chorus, and String Orchesta all meet 2 days per 6-day cycle for the entire school year.

Students may register for ONE performing ensemble class (band, chorus, orchestra) OR they will be enrolled in Classroom Music.

Band

Students who play band instruments are given the opportunity to perform many styles of literature from classical to contemporary. The development of technical skills, musical knowledge and self discipline, as well as learning to work together as a unified organization, are important elements of the band program. 
Prerequisites: Essential technical skills on a band instrument as prescribed in the district band curriculum and approval by the band director.

Chorus

Each grade level practices and performs varied selections of choral literature while working toward developing tone, intonation, diction, blend, balance, and breathing techniques. Furthermore, students will continue to improve their music literacy, ear-training/audiation skills, and sight-reading abilities. Chorus is designed for students who have a high level of interest in singing and improving their vocal skills.

String Orchestra

Students who play string instruments are given the opportunity to perform many styles of string ensemble/orchestral literature ranging from baroque to jazz. Students develop their technique and their knowledge of scales and rhythms as well as their sensitivity to style and character of the music. As a community of people, members of the string orchestra learn to work together with self discipline toward a common goal: excellence in performance. 
Prerequisites: (1) essential technical skills on a violin, viola, cello or double bass and (2) approval by the elementary and middle school string directors.

Classroom Music 

All Classroom Music students study a variety of topics, including digital audio workstations (DAW), music theory, music history, instrumentation, composition, musical careers, recording, and the music industry. They actively participate in musical performance while learning about the basic elements of music through our keyboard lab and various musical technologies.

The Physical Education Program provides cognitive, affective and psychomotor learning opportunities aligned with the Pennsylvania Academic Standards for Health, Safety & Physical Education in order to gain a better appreciation, working knowledge and understanding of the importance of maintaining a healthy lifestyle through physical activity. Students engage in a wide variety of activities including team sports, cooperative games, personal fitness, lifetime pursuits, team building and indoor rock climbing. Classes are differentiated to meet all levels of ability and students are encouraged to optimize their participation by being prepared with a required uniform.

Introduction to Technology Engineering

Students are introduced to the engineering design process. Students learn how technologies are created, modified, and how they impact every day life. 

Robotics and Circuitry

Students learn to program robots to devise solutions to challenges based on real-world scenarios.  Students also explore circuitry concepts used in many electronic devices and products.