📘 Welcome to 6th Grade at UES – Curriculum Highlights
Sixth grade is a bridge year at Upper Elementary School, designed to prepare students for the structure and expectations of middle school. With a focus on independence, advocacy, and rigorous academics, students gain the skills needed to successfully transition into a schedule with multiple teachers and increased responsibility.
🧑🏫 Instructional Structure
Students are departmentalized across three core teachers:
This model mirrors a middle school experience, helping students practice organization, time management, and self-advocacy before transitioning to a full middle school schedule with six or more teachers.
🎯 Key Focus Areas
✏️ Writing Across the Curriculum
Writing is a central focus in 6th grade, not just in ELA, but across all subject areas. Students are expected to:
-
Respond to text-based questions with evidence
-
Write in various formats including argumentative, informative, and narrative pieces
-
Use subject-specific vocabulary in content-area writing (e.g., science reports, historical analysis, math reasoning)
The ability to clearly communicate thinking in writing is critical for success in all disciplines and is a major preparation step for middle school expectations.
📚 English Language Arts (ELA)
Aligned with Achieve the Core’s literacy shifts, students in 6th grade will:
-
Read and analyze complex texts from literature, historical documents, and nonfiction
-
Make inferences, identify themes, and determine author’s purpose
-
Use textual evidence to support claims in both discussion and writing
-
Expand academic vocabulary across content areas
Students are held to high standards of both comprehension and analysis in fiction and nonfiction texts.
➕ Math
The 6th grade math curriculum dives deeper into concepts introduced in elementary school and lays the foundation for Pre-Algebra. Core areas include:
-
Ratios and proportional reasoning
-
Division of fractions and decimals
-
Introduction to algebraic expressions and equations
A strong emphasis is placed on mathematical reasoning and justifying solutions in writing—an essential skill that crosses over into ELA and science instruction.
🌍 Science & Social Studies
Taught by the same teacher to provide integrated learning opportunities, these subjects encourage critical thinking, research, and inquiry:
Students complete cross-curricular projects and practice writing, analysis, and evidence-based reasoning in both subjects.
🧠 Executive Function & Advocacy
Sixth grade students are coached in:
-
Time management and study skills
-
Organization and planning using planners, digital tools such as Google Classroom, and routines
-
Advocating for their own needs: asking for help, checking assignments, and monitoring progress