Sixth Grade Curriculum

Santan Elementary

Welcome to

Mrs. Portugal’s and Mrs. Bui’s Class

2013 – 2014

School Year

Pairing General Information

• Pairing is when two teachers “pair” up to teach the grade level content.

• Mrs. Portugal will be teaching reading and writing while Mrs. Bui will be teaching math and science/social studies.

• Students will spend about half the day with each teacher. They begin the first half of their day with their homeroom teacher and the second half of their day with the pairing partner.

English Language Arts

• Literature Studies

• Independent, partner reading and whole group reading

• Guided reading to meet individual needs

• Daily CAFÉ (Comprehension, Accuracy, Fluency and Expanded Vocabulary)

• One on One conferencing

Common Core State StandardsEnglish Language Arts • Elements of a plot and how a character

responds to it• Cite textual evidence from all types of text• Determine a theme or central idea• Determine the meaning of words and phrases

in text• Explain how an author develops a point of view• Analyze a particular point of view or cultural

experience• Compare and Contrast reading a story to

another version of the story• Compare and contrast texts in different forms

or genres • Elements of Non-Fiction: Text Structure• By the end of year, read and comprehend

literature, including stories, dramas and poems in grades 6-8 text complexity.

SpellingWords their way is an instructional approach to

teach phonics, vocabulary and spelling to improve

literacy skills.

Topics covered:• Words Their Way sorts specific to skill level.• Dictation Sentences

Students will be leveled for spelling this year and

switching classrooms for fifteen minutes each day.

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WritingWrite From the Beginning is a

developmental vertically aligned writing program for all

grades.Writing is modeled with focused mini

lessons intended for specific skills. Thinking maps

are used.

Genres of writing • Argumentative • Personal /Imaginative Narrative • Informative/Explanatory • Research Projects • Literature Response and Journal

writing

6+1 Writing Traits are integrated in writing.

Grammar

• Modeling through mini-lessons

• Daily grammar review

• Application in every day writing

MathematicsThe overall goal within the curricular area of mathematics is for students to have a not just a basic knowledge of each concept that they learn, but for them to apply it with a certain depth of knowledge. Due to this, students will be required to solve more detailed questions and problems.

• Visit the Arizona Department of Education or Chandler Unified School District website to see more about standards changes.

• Arizona Department of Education homepage• www.ade.state.az.us

• Chandler Unified School District homepage• ww2.chandler.k12.az.us

Math Common Core Standards

Topics covered in Sixth Grade:

•Rates, Ratios, and Percents•Dividing Fractions and All Decimal Operations•Integers and Exponents•Graphing and the Coordinate Plane•Expressions and Equations•Geometry and Measurement•Data Analysis/Statistics

World HistoryTopics Covered• Stone Age and Early Cultures• Mesopotamian Era • Greece • India• China• Egypt• Rome• The Dark Ages• The Renaissance

ScienceTopics Covered in Sixth Grade:

• Earth Process• Weather and Natural Disasters• Energy• Plant and Animal Cells• Inventors and Inventions• Science Fair

Field Trips and Events!How you can help is by volunteering at any of

our fundraisers, field trips or grade level events

this year. • Fundraisers- Grade level T-shirts, Grade

level calendar, Fall Carnival, and jingle jog.

• Tax Credit Donations. See form. • Field Trips and Events: - Youth Frontier

- Childsplay- SRP Bike Presentation (conserving energy)- Chariot Races (Optional)– Biosphere– Mesquite Pool– 6th grade dance

Anti-Bullying Rules

1.We will not bully others.2.We will try to help students who are bullied.3.We will try to include students who are left out.4.If we know that somebody is being bullied, we will tell and adult at school and at home.5.We will practice each pillar of character each day: Respect, Responsibility, Trustworthiness, Caring, Fairness, and Citizenship.

These rules will be recited after the pledge daily!

Homework

• This year homework will be assigned on a nightly basis. Anything that is not finished in class will be taken home and finished for homework. This really reinforces to the students the importance of using their class time wisely. When they use their time wisely, they will have less homework on a nightly basis however; the continuation of class work will not always be the student’s only homework. Students will be given math problems nightly that will allow them to practice the math concepts we have worked on that day.

• Students will have a reading goal of 30 books this school year. Read a minimum of 5 days a week consistently.

Agendas

• Students should write down what they are working on in class, as well as what they have for homework assignments each day.

• Parent signatures once a week and will be checked on Mondays.

• If a student has a missing assignment Mrs. Bui and Mrs. Portugal will initial and make note of it in their agenda that day.

Grades

• We will continue to use Infinite Campus as our grading system

• Pick up an instruction sheet for how to log in to the student portal before you leave.

Late Work Policy

• Any work that is turned in one day past the due date will automatically result in a 20% reduction in score. After that it will be a 50% reduction in score. We expect students to complete their work and turn it in, even if it is late, or it will result in a zero.

Website Registration

• Please go onto our school website and register. You will then be prompted to subscribe to specific teachers and other areas here at Santan. Please subscribe to our room and PTO.

http://www.mychandlerschools.org/santan

• The purpose is to receive notification for any updates along with newsletters.

Thank you for allowing me to be a part of your child’s life!

If you have any questions don’t hesitate to contact me via email at

Portugal.christine@cusd80.comBui.mary@cusd80.com

Sincerely, Christine Portugal and Mary Bui