The Sixth Grade Program at St. Thomas More School

Curriculum Overview

The sixth grade curriculum is aligned with the Diocesan guidelines and Pennsylvania State Academic Standards.

Religion

The sixth grade religion curriculum consists of learning about the Old Testament. Students study the books of Genesis and Exodus at great length.They learn about the judges, the three kings, and the many prophets that prepared the way of the Lord.

Reading

The literature curriculum places emphasis on providing students with a firm background in good literature. The curriculum builds a strong foundation for future success and strong literacy skills.

Language Arts

The language arts curriculum places emphasis on grammar, usage, mechanics and using these to develop strong writing skills. Students use the writing process to complete narrative, descriptive, expository, and persuasive writing assignments. The spelling curriculum places emphasis on learning principles and patterns. We emphasize spelling as an important tool for writing which also plays a critical role in a student’s vocabulary development, reading comprehension, and fluency.

Math

The math curriculum reviews the operations of addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division of whole numbers and decimals. Percents are introduced and fractions and decimals are developed further. Focus on problem-solving strategies is emphasized throughout the entire year. Students in both fifth and sixth grade have an additional math program for two days a week. This additional program, Math II, provides and opportunity to develop greater skills and a deeper conceptual understanding of the fifth and sixth grade math topics.

Science

The science curriculum emphasizes the physical sciences. We learn about elements and the periodic table, electricity, light, and heat. We also work in the areas of earth and space science by studying the Earth’s interior, the Earth’s atmosphere, and the solar system.

Social Studies

The social studies curriculum places emphasis on world history. Much of our study focuses on Ancient Egypt, Greece, and Rome.

Sixth Grade Highlights

Every year, students visit the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia where they attend IMAX and planetarium programs that parallel the science curriculum.

Technology Highlights, Projects, and Special Events

In sixth grade, each student has access to a laptop at his/her desk during reading and language arts class. In addition, teachers use multimedia projectors and electronic whiteboards for PowerPoint presentations, student presentations, online interactive demonstrations and activities, as well as Discovery Education United Streaming video clips. Teachers also utilize activities and assessments provided through Compass Learning Educational Program to enhance learning in all curriculum areas. Finally, students use Academy of Math to help enrich, remediate, and maintain vital math skills.