Literature/Composition:

The purpose of Lit/Comp is to enhance the appreciation and understanding of literature and to enable students to respond thoughtfully and articulately to written works. Students will learn to develop careful reading skills and form solid arguments based on classic texts, while reviewing basic literary concepts and new vocabulary. The curriculum includes a thorough review of English grammar, composition, and spelling, concentrating on the parts of speech and how they work together to create clear, well-written sentences and paragraphs.

U.S. History:

In History, we will read, discuss, and write about various significant documents and events to experience first-hand and to internalize the story of people through place and time. Over the course of this year, we will renew and deepen our understanding of the history of the United States from the colonial period to the Twenty-First Century. We will study the origins of our nation and the values upon which it was founded. We will attain a thorough and profound knowledge of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. We will seek to understand the crises our nation has faced throughout its relatively brief existence, and how the United States has overcome and responded to these challenges. Overall, we will explore the critical ideas, events, and people that have shaped the United States throughout the past 250 years.

Mathematics:

Math Fundamentals lays the foundation for all subsequent mathematical topics.  Students will become more fluent in the language of mathematics, and will develop the habits necessary for success in future math classes.  Students will become proficient in the basic operations of addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division of whole numbers, integers, fractions, decimals, and percentages.  They will be able to apply these operations in real-world problem solving, geometry, data analysis, probability, and solving linear equations.

Throughout the course, students will work on problems that are aimed at developing their competency with numbers (particularly fractions) while pushing their problem-solving abilities to a higher level. Like all disciplines, mathematical exploration is the pursuit of truth. The mathematician is a professional “proof writer.” A formal mathematical system builds upon first principles (“postulates” or “axioms”) and definitions. From there, the mathematician makes conjectures about mathematical truths and proceeds to offer step-by-step logical proofs for these conjectures. In Pre-Algebra, these proofs are mostly about the nature of real numbers with an emphasis on their properties. Above all, students should develop their appreciation for the “Verum, Pulchrum, Bonum” (Truth, Beauty, Goodness) in mathematics.

Music:

Through participation in a fine arts course each of their years at the academy (including music, studio art, poetry, and drama), students will learn the language of these art forms and be given the opportunity to participate in their practice – to participate in the process of creating beauty. The sixth-grade introductory course assumes no prior training in music and focuses on music literacy through ear training and accurately vocalizing rhythm and tonal patterns, vocal performance, and music history by way of listening and learning to discuss great works. On voice (instrument), students will experience performance through an accessible, yet historical, repertoire in which they will apply the above music literacy skills. In the area of music history and listening, this course will include an overview of historical periods in music.

Studio Art:

The 6th grade art curriculum introduces students to the fundamentals of drawing and composition. We will explore, point, line, shape, value, and form. They will also explore principles of design and color theory. Students will be using primarily drawing media to enhance their observational drawing skill level. Students will be introduced to great works of art from the western canon of art. Students will study these works in a manner focused primarily on understanding the work’s connection to the academic study of making art. These great works include representational and abstract works. Some of these pieces can be found at local museums so that you may take your child to see works they have studied in class.

Science:

The purpose of this course is two-fold: 1) to introduce students to science and some of its major fields - specifically physics, chemistry and biology - and 2) to lead them towards a deeper understanding of the methods by which scientists come to observe and understand the natural world.  As students begin to understand what the scientific method is and how it works in practice, they will be equipped with a cognitive toolkit which will allow them not only to understand how scientists explore the natural world, but also how to design and perform investigations of their own.

Latin I:

Latin I is meant to round out a student’s knowledge of basic Latin grammar.  Though the focus of the course is not on culture or mythology, Latin I students will learn about basic historical and cultural elements of ancient Rome through projects and class readings.  At the end of Latin I, students will have learned all indicative verb tenses, the three most common noun declensions, and a host of syntactical elements not to mention a strong core vocabulary based on particular readings and subjects.  Latin I is meant to prepare students for Latin II and Latin III, in which the subjunctive and syntax containing the subjunctive are covered in depth. Students will be using Latin novellas to reinforce previously learned grammar and aid in learning new concepts and vocabulary. The three required novellas (listed in Class Materials) were chosen for Latin I students with varying levels of mastery in the Latin language.

Physical Education:

At Great Hearts, we seek to cultivate within our students a love for that which is true, good, and beautiful. This pursuit of the transcendental naturally extends to the proper care and use of the physical body. A holistic approach to education addresses all elements of the human person: the intellectual, the emotional, and the physical. Through physical education, students have the opportunity to put virtue into practice while learning more about the inner-workings of the human body. Just as we train students’ minds and hearts through authentic engagement in content, we recognize the vital importance of training their bodies. Students improve their creative thinking skills, build on their understanding of the human anatomy, and increase their physical, mental, and social acuity through traditional and non- traditional sport activities. They will experience failure and success throughout the year as they participate in competitive play and work to set and meet personal goals in physical activity. These experiences allow them to develop the tools needed to navigate the mean between the vicious extremes of doubt and arrogance. Such tools are vital to human flourishing.

In Grade 6 P.E., students build upon the work done in previous years by participating in fitness routines, skill practice, and healthy competitive play. Additionally, students at this level are ready for more autonomy in navigating the social dynamics of competitive play. By allowing students to test their negotiation and conflict management skills, we provide them with the opportunity to explore the boundaries of social interactions while in a safe environment. This social give and take is a vital part of building healthy interdependence with others.