"No other age level (the middle school years) is of more importance to the future of individuals, and, literally to that of society, because these are the years when youngsters crystallize their beliefs about themselves and firm up their self-concepts, their philosophies of life and their values - the things that are the ultimate determinants of their behavior."
From Understanding and Appreciating the Wonder Years by John H. Lounsbury

HARFORD FRIENDS SCHOOL
CURRICULUM GRADE SIX

Growing Communities: The Building Blocks of Civilization

Humanities – 6: Ancient Civilizations: From Clans to Communities

Students engage themes of emergence, identity, actualization, and legacy in a study of ancient civilizations.

Social Science – 6
250 minutes per week, Pickard

Topics: River-based Civilizations (The Fertile Crescent, Ancient Egypt, The Indus and Ganges, Ancient China), Ancient Greece, Roman Empire, Europe in the Middle Ages, Native Americans of the Mid-Atlantic

Process: Five social science disciplines – history, geography, economics, political science, and socio-anthropology – are combined to examine underlying components of early civilizations and how they relate to our world today.  Students serve as archaeologists, historians, and anthropologists as they work to uncover the experiences of and lessons from ancient civilizations through an integrated study of the world’s earliest civilizations.

Texts: The World in Ancient Times (selected volumes), Oxford University Press; History Begins, Coupe and Scanlan (selected chapters); Enjoying Global History, Abraham & Pfeffer (selected chapters); Perspectives on the Past, Krieger, et al., D.C. Heath (selected chapters); Atlas of World Geography, Rand McNally.

English/language arts – 6                                                                                               250 minutes per week, Pickard

Topics: The English/language arts program follows the topics of the social science curriculum (see above) and includes readings such as: The Giver, Casting the Gods Adrift, and Inside the Walls of Troy.

Process: Techniques and standards of expository, narrative, descriptive writing, classical mythology, short stories, poetry (including Afro-American poetry), novels, fables, and legend interpretation will be incorporated into the program.

Texts: Vocabulary from Classical Roots, 5 & A; The Egypt Game, Snyder; Inside the Walls of Troy, McLaren; The Giver, Lois Lowry; Dar and the Spear Thrower, Cowley; Black Ships Before Troy, Sutcliff; A Bone from a Dry Sea, Dickinson; They Dance in the Sky, Monroe; Gods, Men & Monsters, Gibson; Writing and Grammar, Prentice Hall; A Pocket Style Manual, Hacker.

Technology – 6: Agriculture of the Deer Creek Watershed

Students engage the scientific process in a quantitative study of agriculture.

Science – 6
250 minutes per week, Derr

Topics:  Natural Resources – geology, landforms, states of matter, Earth history and the processes that shape a planet, soils, erosion, water bodies, climate, astronomy, flora, fauna.  Agriculture as an example of environmental issues – nutrients, crops, livestock, electricity and magnetism, machines, transportation, conservation, and fuel.

Process:  The Science-6 program will include a concentrated study of earth and space science, life science, chemistry, physics and environmental science as those disciplines apply to agriculture.  Entry points into the hands-on study of agriculture include comparisons between unmanaged and managed parts, processes and systems.  The course culminates with a student-development of an eco-friendly and profitable agri-business.  Student experience includes visits to local farms (beef cattle, crops, dairy production, solar energy, bio-fuel, soil study) and participation in an environmental action project at Eden Mill Nature Center.

Texts: AgriScience, 3^rd Edition, AgriScience & Technology Series, Interstate Publishers, Inc., 2003; Earth Science, Prentice Hall, 2003; Life Science, Prentice Hall, 2003; Physical Science, Prentice Hall, 2003.

Mathematics – 6
250 minutes per week, Derengowski

Topics: number theory, statistics, two-dimensional geometry, rational numbers, two-dimensional measurement, probability, special visualization and reasoning

Process; The Connected Mathematics Project II, a National Science Foundation (NSF)-funded and National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) approved middle school math curriculum, serves as the basis for the math program.  It will coordinate and, when possible, integrate with the Technology – 6 coordinating theme of “Agriculture” (see above) and will include hands-on, problem-solving approach to learning and developing mathematical and algebraic thinking skills.

Texts; Connected Mathematics Project II – Eight Unit Booklets (Prime Time; Shapes and Designs; Covering and Surrounding; Bits and Pieces I; Bits and Pieces II; Bits and Pieces III; How Likely Is It?; Data About Us)

Explorations – 6

Visual Arts – 6
90 minutes per week, Blue Dog Creative Arts (Hicks)

Topics: In sixth grade visual arts, Harford Friends School students will study art of ancient civilizations including Mesopotamia, Egypt, China, Greece, and Rome.

Process: The arts serve as the primary mode through which a culture carries its individual and collective images and ideas from one generation to another. Students will acquire the skills necessary to render objects in a realistic manner with special attention paid to the basic elements of art and design theory. They will have attained an appreciation for fine arts and explored projects that support and enhance their academic courses.

Computer Technology – 6 
90 minutes per week, IXI, Inc. (Parr)

Topics: introduction to keyboarding, internet navigation, internet research, Microsoft Office (Word), using the computer as an interdisciplinary tool

Process: Sixth grade computer technology students will use the interactive computer software, UltraKey 5.0 to learn basic typing skills and develop their words-per-minute and typing accuracy efficiency. Students will learn basic navigation skills for the OS X operating system, as well as how to most effectively utilize Microsoft Word as a word processing application. Conducting effective and efficient web research as well as learning how to assess the reliability and validity of web-based information will be critical aspects of the course.

Music – 6 (full year course)
90 minutes per week, Maryland Conservatory of Music (Farmer)

Topics: The music program will focus on music theory.  Students will gain fundamental understanding and application of rhythm, melody, and some aspects of harmony.  Simple meters, scales, and rhythmic patterns as evidenced in Pre-historic Man, Ancient Greece, The Roman Empire, and Medieval Europe along with original compositions that are guided by the abilities of the students in the class will be explored.

Process:  Studying the basics of musical notation and taking musical dictation as learned through basic music theory and composition will be a main vehicle for learning fundamentals.  Rehearsing excerpts, patterns, and compositions for potential presentation will also be a part of the program.

Texts:  Students will create notebooks with the lessons learned each week. The school’s laptop technology will be utilized to record and burn student portfolio compact discs. A basic theory text may be used after the start of the year.

Choir – 6 (required), 7 (half-year required, half-year elective), 8 (half-year required, half-year elective)
45 minutes per week, Maryland Conservatory of Music (Farmer)

Topics: Students will learn unison and two-part choral pieces.

Process: The Harford Friends School choir will perform annually at the holidays and in the spring at the Night of the Arts.

Spanish – 6
90 minutes per week, Fun with Foreign Language (Peyton)

Topics:  This program will teach the fundamentals of the Spanish language by immersing the student in the Spanish language and culture.  The curriculum will expose students to four aspects of the Spanish language:  basic phonetics, basic vocabulary, basic grammar, and Spanish culture.

Process: Classes, taught predominantly in Spanish, will include:  an introduction to the Spanish alphabet and each letter’s pronunciation, vocabulary building exercises, short student/teacher dialogues in Spanish, and discussions on Spanish culture. 

Texts: Students will have the opportunity to listen to level-appropriate stories in Spanish. 

Physical Education – 6/7/8 (A year)
90 minutes per week, Huxtable

Topics: Movement forms, movement concepts, physical activity, physical fitness, behavior, respect for others, understanding and valuing challenge

Process: Activities achieve National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE) standards. Group Games/Initiatives, Cooperative Problem-solving, Fitness Activities (plyometrics, pilates, warm-up and stretching), Individual Sports (golf, running, jump rope), Team Sports (flag football, ultimate Frisbee, soccer)