Curriculum Overview

ENGLISH:  Teachers emphasize writing, grammar and punctuation, and studying classical literature and poetry. Students study Latin and Greek etymologies to aid in their understanding of spelling and to increase vocabulary. They learn precise word usage in writing and master all parts of speech. Literature is discussed in a Socratic seminar format. Works are analyzed by determining and discussing literary elements, including plot, theme, characterization, and motivation of characters. Students write an increasing amount of reaction papers and essays. Students read Stephen Crane The Red Badge of Courage, Mark Twain The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, H.G. Wells, and The Time Machine, among other books. Students regularly practice reading aloud and public speaking.

MATHEMATICS:  Sixth grade mathematics uses the Singapore national curriculum. Students divide a fraction by a fraction. Working word problems, students apply the arithmetic learned in previous years to the study of ratio, proportion, percentage, and average speed. The challenge and subtlety of these problems gradually increases until students work complex problems involving speed and problems in which the ratio changes. Using the unique device of Singapore bars, students graphically represent these problems and their solutions in a way that ties the concrete work of their earliest mathematics to the symbolic mathematics of years to come. In geometry, students study the triangle, various quadrilaterals, and the circle. They apply basic principles about vertical angles and parallel lines to find unknown angles in figures composed of triangles and quadrilaterals. After learning to compute the area and circumference of a circle, students figure out the areas of regions composed of sectors of circles and other plane figures; they determine the length of curves consisting of parts of several circles. Students learn to find the volume of a cuboid, then work many problems including those in which a fluid is displaced by an irregular solid, and those in which a container is being drained or filled at a certain rate. This year emphasizes problem solving and critical thinking developed through written work and lively class discussion.

SCIENCE:  Students study soil and rock formation, plant structures including the xylem and phloem, nutrition and the human body, constellations and star charts, the nature of solutions, combustion, and the interaction of humans and nature. All units include experiments that students help to design. After each experiment all students write up a formal lab report explaining their experiment and results. Students also design, conduct, and display their own experimental research for the Middle School Science Fair.

HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY:  Topics include important philosophies from the ancient world, the Enlightenment, the French Revolution, and Romanticism. An additional unit covers the Latin American independence movements occurring during this period. Students study the history of the United States during the periods from post-Civil War and immigration to industrialization and urbanization. They also study the great deserts of the world.

SPANISH:  The goal of the Spanish program is communicative competence in speaking, listening, reading, and writing. Spanish students are divided into two groups: beginning-to-intermediate and intermediate-to-advanced students. The focus of the beginning-to-intermediate class is on speaking and listening and reading and writing. Topics include greetings, discussing people and things in a classroom, numbers from one to 100, colors and shapes, animals, days of the week, months of the year, seasons and weather, places in the community, classes and school, likes and dislikes, time, and the family.

In the intermediate-to-advanced class, grammar advances to a more systematic approach in both speaking and writing. Topics include what and when we eat, activities and pastimes, sports, professions, getting to know people, giving and receiving directions, countries and nationalities, taking a trip, and traveling by airplane. Throughout the year, students are introduced to the various cultures and regions of the Spanish-speaking world. In addition, all grades participate in a special unit of cultural study that culminates in a school-wide event.

MUSIC:   Students receive small group lessons in piano, violin, or viola once a week and study more complex music theory and ear training. The program also includes ensemble playing. Theory and piano or strings studies and master classes prepare students for regular recitals and school concerts and musicals, as well as the graded examinations of the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music, London. Students also participate in the Middle School Choir, learning sight singing, proper singing technique, blending with other voices, and part singing. They attend the annual Madison Symphony Orchestra Fall Youth Concert. The students give a winter and spring concert, and also participate in a spring musical.

ART:  Projects for the year include a study of tessellations, still life painting, printmaking, ink drawings, the use of a ruler and T-square in drawing, and a bas-relief sculpture. The class works on a collaborative project that becomes a permanent part of the school’s décor. The year includes a section of art history. Students also take a field trip to the Art Institute of Chicago.

PHYSICAL EDUCATION:  The program is composed of six major areas: track and field, swimming, gymnastics and tumbling, water sports, martial arts, and team sports. Games and skill practices are used to build proficiency and teach strategy. Units include swimming, canoeing, tennis, cross-country, track and field (50- and 100- yard dashes, mile runs, discus, and javelin), volleyball, soccer, gymnastics, basketball, softball, sailing, tennis, and fitness conditioning. Students develop the confidence and motivation to participate in organized and individual physical activities. Leadership, teamwork, and good sportsmanship are taught. School- sponsored competitive sports include soccer, touch football, girl’s volleyball, boys and girls basketball, and track and field.