th
6 GRADE
LITERACY
Reading

Selects and reads text at an independent level (just-right books)

Reads fluently (phrasing, intonation, smoothness, pace, rate, expression)

Applies meaning (context clues, background knowledge), knowledge of
English language (sentence structure and grammar), and visual information
(phonics, knowledge of word parts)

Restates and summarizes main ideas and significant facts

Makes inferences and personal connections, draws conclusions about events,
characters, setting, theme, mood, and voice

Reads silently for information, pleasure, and insight for a sustained period of
time

Forms and supports opinions about text based on evidence from the text and
personal experience

Combines information from a variety of resources to make meaning

Reads a variety of genres
Writing:

Selects topics and creates a plan for a piece of writing

Stays on a selected topic

Writes with organization, expressive language, appropriate content, and
descriptive vocabulary

Uses periods, question marks, exclamation points, quotation marks, commas,
apostrophes, and hyphens

Uses and varies sentence structure while recognizing and eliminating run on
sentences and sentence fragments

Identifies and demonstrates correct use of parts of speech: proper nouns,
common nouns, action verbs, adjective and adverbs

Revises content to make meaning clear

Edits for appropriate capitalization, punctuation, spelling, and grammar
Spelling:

Uses conventional spelling
Oral Language:

Speaks clearly and audibly using correct oral language structures

Participates purposefully and appropriately in group discussions

Gives oral presentations for various purposes using eye contact, proper pace,
adequate volume, and clear pronunciation
MATHEMATICS
CONCEPTS:
Number and Operations:

Understands the relationships among numbers to millions; identifies the factors and
multiples of 1,000 and 10,000

Compares one or two place decimals to fractions

Understands and identifies percents, fractions, and decimals as different ways to
represent the same number
Basic Facts:

Demonstrates mastery of basic facts in addition, subtraction, multiplication, and
division
Operations:

Demonstrates fluency with multiple methods/strategies for computing from among
estimation, paper and pencil, calculator, mental math, models or representations

Demonstrates ability to understand and uses the standard algorithm as one of the
ways to solve given multi-digit addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division
problems

Adds and subtracts fractions including mixed numbers with like and unlike
denominators
Patterns, Relations, and Algebra:

Understands patterns, relations, and functions

Uses symbols and variables to solve algebraic equations

Represent real situations and mathematical relationships with concrete models,
tables, graphs, and rules
Geometry/Measurement:

Identifies, describes (orally and in writing), compares, classifies and
constructs quadrilaterals and triangles (equilateral, right, isosceles, scalene)

Identifies, estimates, measures, and produces angles to the nearest degree
with a protractor and straight edge, and uses appropriately the terms right
angle, obtuse angle, acute angle, and straight angle

Uses appropriate tools and language to communicate measurement
information to others

Explores measurement units in U.S. Standard and Metric systems of measure

Applies the concepts of perimeter, area, and volume to the solution of
problems. Apply formulas where appropriate

Predicts, describes, and performs transformations on two-dimensional shapes
(translations, rotations, reflections)

Identifies lines of symmetry

Determines if two shapes are congruent

Identifies relationships among points, lines, and planes

Identifies the concepts of intersecting, perpendicular, and parallel lines

Identifies polygons based on their properties

Identifies 3-dimensional shapes

Identifies, measures, and describes circles and the relationships of the radius,
diameter, circumference, and area

Finds volumes and surface areas of rectangular prisms

Finds the sums of the angles in simple polygons
PROBLEM SOLVING:
Reasoning:

Solves multi-step problems that are increasingly complex

Interprets the problem and expresses mathematical thinking through drawing,
writing, and talking

Makes use of prior solutions and strategies in new problems

Explains and applies a rule for a pattern when solving problems and
predicting outcomes

Develops their own appropriate problems using real world information and
demonstrates a clear understanding of a given strategy
Data Analysis and Probability:
1




Identifies the median, mode, mean, and range of a group of numbers
Identifies and finds examples of real world uses of statistics and probability
Uses probability to make decisions in games and solving problems
Expresses probability as a fraction/ratio and explains (orally or in writing)
what it represents in the context given

Determines an appropriate format for reporting data in a given situation

Constructs data analysis tools (graphs, tables, diagrams, charts) as a means of
better understanding the data and communicating what has been found
SOCIAL STUDIES
World Geography:
Students will explore the regions and countries of Africa, Asia, Oceania,
Antarctica, Europe, South America, and Russia using the “Five Themes of
Geography” (Locations, Place, Movement, Interaction of Humans in their
Environment, Region)

Defines and locates the major physical features of these regions using map
and globe skills

Identifies and locates countries and major cities within these regions

Interprets geographic information from graphs (i.e. climagraphs), charts, or
from different kinds of map projections (i.e. topographic, landform, political,
populations, climate maps) and print and electronic resources

Explains and analyzes how absolute and relative location, climate, physical
features, natural resources, population have influenced settlement and
economies of these regions
SCIENCE
LIFE SCIENCE:
Ecosystems/Ecology:

Gives examples of ways in which organisms interact and have different
functions within an ecosystem that enable the ecosystem to survive

Explains the roles and relationships among producers, consumers and
decomposers in the process of energy transfer in a food web

Explains how dead plants and animals are broken down by other living
organisms and how this process contributes to the system

Recognizes that producers use the energy from the sunlight in a process called
photosynthesis

Identifies ways in which ecosystems have changed throughout geologic time
in response to physical conditions, interactions among organisms, and
humans
PHYSICAL SCIENCE:
Atoms and Molecules:
Concepts:

Recognizes that there are more than 100 elements that combine in a multitude
of ways to produce compounds that make up all the living and non- living
things we encounter

Differentiates between an atom and a molecule

Gives basic examples of elements and compounds
EARTH AND SPACE SCIENCE:

Differentiates between weight and mass
th

Recognizes that gravity is a force that pulls all things on and near the earth
toward the center of the earth

Understands that gravity plays a major role in the formation of the planets,
stars and solar system and in determining their motions

Describes lunar and solar eclipses, and tides

Compares and contrasts properties and conditions of objects in the solar
system

Explains how the tilt of the earth and its revolution around the sun causes the
seasons

Recognizes that the universe contains many billions of galaxies and that each
galaxy contains many billions of stars

Describes the layers of the earth

Describes how the movement of the earth’s crustal plates causes both slow
and rapid changes
ART

Utilizes line for observational and figure drawing using gesture and contour
techniques

Applies rules of perspective in drawing architectural forms

Demonstrates an understanding of positive and negative

Incorporates previously learned shape concepts to create more complex
organizations

Learns to use color monochromatically

Creates complex visual expressions using complimentary colors

Learns to use advanced clay techniques to create a sculptural form

Employs rhythm and movement to create a dynamic composition.

Applies one-point perspective to landscape drawing
HEALTH
Knows what to do to stay healthy:

Identifies methods of health promotion and illness prevention (nutrition, drug
awareness, etc.)

Recognizes responsible safety practices

Identifies positive environmental health practices

Interprets accurately general health concepts related to risk areas such as
implications of high fat diet, lack of exercise, taking safety precautions, etc.

Reports on general health concepts accurately in selected health risk areas
such as eating disorders, body images, adolescent feelings, etc.
Identifies body systems and how they function:

Describes how different body parts and systems work together

Knows that individual differences among people occur during growth and
development
Makes healthy decisions:

Differentiates between positive and negative behaviors.

Demonstrates basic refusal skills

Identifies the effects of internal and external factors that impact health such as
media, family values, etc.

Applies a decision-making model to a personal health choice such as joining a
club, seeking counseling, diet, drugs and alcohol, etc.

6 GRADE
Compares health risk information from a variety of sources and judges their
validity
PHYSICAL EDUCATION

Demonstrates striking, dribbling, throwing, catching in dynamic small sided
games situations

Uses skills and combinations of skills in the actual performance situations,
such as applying accuracy, force, and follow-through when projecting objects

Understands the basic offensive and defensive strategies of games

Demonstrates skills for participation in non-traditional or cooperative games
and sports

Continues to assume responsibility for their own safety and the safety of
others

Begins to match different types of physical activities to health-related fitness
components

Chooses to follow safe practices while participating in moderate to vigorous
physical activity in a variety of school and non-school settings

Demonstrates the ability to participate with and show respect for persons of
similar and different skill levels
MUSIC

Notates within the full range of the grand staff

Uses six elements (melody, rhythm, harmony, form, tone color, dynamics)
when composing and performing

Conceptualizes, plans, edits, and completes a composition project

Critiques composition using appropriate music terminology

Discusses the plots of operas such as: La Perichole, Faust, Rigoletto, The
Barber of Servile
SPANISH
Review and practice of previous year’s vocabulary and grammar. Welcomes and
Goodbyes. How to describe a person. Likes and Dislikes. Subject Pronouns.
Conjugation of regular verbs in present tense (ar, er, ir ending verbs). Cultures of
the Spanish speaking countries in South America.

Demonstrates an ability to use the topics studied in everyday class situations

Answers simple questions about self and asks questions to get information
from others

Develops word knowledge and participates in class

Stays focused on studied topics

Recalls main parts of written materials of topics studied in class such as;
masculine, feminine, singular, plural, subject, subject pronouns, regular verbs
in present tense, and the irregular verbs “gustar” and “ser”

Gives written and oral presentations about topics studied in class

Gives examples of contributions from own culture to the culture of the
Hispanic speaking countries being studied
Revised March 5, 2008
2
GRADE SIX
LEARNING GOALS
Hopedale Public Schools are…