6th Grade Magnet
Common Core English 6*
Students in this course are required to analyze, identify, define, explain and critique various texts. In the response to literature unit, students are introduced to various multicultural literary genres. Besides being taught as a separate unit, vocabulary is also integrated with literature. This course also focuses on the writing process and students will write narrative, expository, persuasive, and descriptive texts such as folk tales, myths, essays, letters and reports. Aligned to Common Core and California State Standards.
Ancient Civilizations & Geography*
Students begin with a study of geography and its affects on the development of civilization and culture. Their adventure into the past starts with an archaeological study of early humankind since the Paleolithic era and continues through the major ancient civilizations of Mesopotamia, Egypt, India, China, Greece and Rome. Students analyze and interpret the literature, art, music architecture and religion of the various culture studies. Special emphasis is given to thinking like a historian, research and writing.
Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS)
Aligned to the new Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), this course studies various aspects of the changing Earth, including geology, geological history, fossil evidence, rocks and minerals, the Earth’s crust, erosion, plate tectonics, continental drift, earthquakes, volcanoes, mountain building, use of natural resources, ecology, weather, climate and the atmosphere. Students research how various parts of the world have suffered from natural disasters and how a global effort is made when disasters occur. Students evaluate global environmental issues and research and write position papers on conservation of our world’s energy and natural resources.
Common Core Math 6
Aligned to the Common Core and California State Standards, this class focuses on accurately computing and solving problems using the four arithmetic operations with whole numbers, fractions, decimals, and positive and negative integers. Students demonstrate their understanding of mean, median, and mode of data sets and how to calculate the range through various projects. Using real world situations, students learn to work with ratios and proportions, and compute percentages such as tax, tips and interest. Students are also introduced to the concept of pi and the formulas for the circumference of a circle, the area of a circle and other geometric shapes.
*Honors level classes are available in these courses to Magnet students who qualify. Students are tested in math before entering sixth grade. The school considers elementary grades and test scores in making placements in honors classes.
Electives
The list of electives is under the Parent tab. Electives are selected based on the student's schedule and which cohort (Highly Accelerated Math, Honors or Regular Classes, etc.) they are a part of. At the end of the sixth grade, students are provide a Google form to select their top three choices for the next school year. Based on their choices, the counselors will do their best to accommodate those selections.