Sixth Grade

Students in 6th grade are involved in a more advanced study of English grammar. Students continue to enhance their reading comprehension and writing skills.

Students are challenged to demonstrate mastery of mathematical knowledge through applied problems and critical thinking. Students in 6th grade utilize the Singapore Math in Focus curriculum. Some concepts covered in 6th grade include:

• Relating fractions and decimals
• Predication and probability
• Data and statistics
• Ratio, proportion, and percent
• Percent applications concerning finding rates, discounts, sale prices, and sales tax
• Addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division, with whole numbers, decimals, and fractions
• Geometrical characteristics of lines, angles, parallel lines, and the angle measures of polygons
• Units of mass
• Perimeter and area of quadrilaterals and triangles

Heritage uses the Veritas History program in 6th grade and builds upon what students learned in lower school. Sixth-grade students cover the Middle Ages, Renaissance, and Reformation periods. 

Heritage uses biographies as well as “living” books covering the lives of historical figures. This enables students to become familiar with the lives of men and women during the time periods being studied.

Students in 6th grade study the following topics:

• Geology, oceanography, and meteorology
• Rock cycle, plate tectonics, and oceanic and atmospheric circulation. This is connected to observable details about the Earth and its system.

In sixth grade, students analyze major events in Roman history and discover how the past shapes the present. Meanwhile, students are also learning about past tense verbs for the first time, including the imperfect, perfect, and pluperfect tenses. Sixth-grade students prepare for and participate in the National Latin Exam.

Sixth-grade students are exposed to classical musicians and their works. Students are taught to listen and to hear discriminately to begin to understand musical ideas. They also learn to sing, as accurately as possible, and to develop a working knowledge of musical notation.

Students master the elements of art and begin to explore the principles of design – rhythm, pattern, unity, variety, movement, balance, and emphasis. The period studied in Art aligns with the periods studied in History. In sixth grade, students study Byzantine, Romanesque, and Gothic artwork.

The goal of Physical Education is to prepare students for a lifetime of healthy living while training them in activities that will inspire as well as equip them to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Heritage believes that athletic and physical training, in which students regularly participate, will produce lifelong results by strengthening their bodies, minds, and character through discipline, skills acquisition, consistent practice, self-control, and teamwork.

Study skills and technology skills are an intentional part of the sixth-grade weekly schedule. Study skills coursework involves executive functioning skills, time management, and organizational skills. 

Students learn keyboarding and digital citizenship during their first semester of sixth grade. Second semester, students learn the following skills:

• Gmail – Email etiquette
• Google Drive – How to organize folders and assignments
• Google Docs – Creating and editing documents
• Google Slides – Creating presentations
• Google Classroom – How to submit assignments

Weekly Chapel is planned and implemented to inspire students to learn the joy and importance of worship. Chapel takes place every Friday morning for students in middle and high school. Parents and guests are encouraged to participate.

Heritage students attend churches representing a wide variety of worship styles, from liturgical to traditional to contemporary. Chapel aims to enable students to become better worshippers no matter what their families’ denomination or style of worship may be.

The Chapel experience is a fundamental and distinctive part of Heritage education. Its purpose is to provide the spiritual overtone that should guide students’ decision-making in their daily lives.

• Spelling Bees
• Math Olympics
• Creative Writing Contests
• Art Festivals
• ERB Standardized Testing
• The National Latin Exam

Heritage offers various clubs that complement the core curriculum of the school and allow students to pursue increased understanding and competency in a variety of interests. Club offerings include a yearbook, speech and debate, and theater.

Students in 6th grade select a specific service project that they will complete during the school year and present as a project report to their classmates in the spring.

The Bible curriculum in 6th grade utilizes the “Walking with God and His People” series distributed through Christian Schools International.

In sixth grade, students will draw connections between the Old and New Testament through their review and study of Jesus’ ministry, death, resurrection, and ascension.