Grade 6 LC Quarter Three Newsletter

Welcome to the second semester of Grade 6.

Here you will find brief overviews of the topics and themes that will be covered in the core classes this quarter. Should you have any specific questions, please feel free to contact the appropriate subject's teacher. General questions can be directed to the office or the team leads, Peter Gibson (pgibson@jisedu.or.id) or Ramu Indrasimhan (rindrasimhan@jisedu.or.id).

Please follow the JIS Middle School Social Media Accounts on Instagram and Twitter @msnaganaga.

English

The English students will begin this semester by continuing to independently read challenging books and complete entries in their Reader’s Notebooks. Our initial reading lessons will focus on strategies to better understand non-fiction texts, as the students will be reading non-fiction to develop ideas and gain information for their next two writing pieces. At the beginning of the semester, the students will look at ways writers craft their writing to persuade readers of their point of view. They will then create a persuasive writing piece encouraging their family to visit a specific travel destination. Once the persuasive writing piece is completed, our focus will switch to historical fiction. The students will read historical fiction and begin work on their own piece of historical fiction writing. This piece will most likely be completed in Quarter 4.

MATHEMATICS

What have we done in Math?

Our Ratios & Proportions Unit will culminate with students connecting their understanding of ratios and proportions to a coordinate plane.

Where are we heading next in Math?

After the semester break, we will be starting our Geometry Unit, where students learn how to use formulas to find the area of 2D objects, surface area, and the volume of 3D figures. Students will use Desmos, a computer-based program, to help them engage more actively and extend their understanding of these concepts to real-life situations. They will also use problem-solving and reasoning skills to complete hands-on activities to derive formulas for surface areas and volumes. Along with the exploration of formulae, students will increase their vocabulary of polygons and polyhedra, and common parts of those shapes. These experiences not only help students develop skills in reasoning but also in working as part of a group. This will be followed by our unit, Expressions and Equations.

How can parents help from home?

Since parental involvement is a common denominator in student success, make it a point to take a look at a percentage of their work a good fraction of the time! Ask questions, inquire why, be curious, and have your child reason and defend their understanding of concepts.

SCIENCE

In Quarter 3, students will be diving into the layers of the Earth and making their way to the inner core! We will be learning about the forces that shape the Earth’s surface and the processes underneath that cause this to happen. Students will perform investigations on ways that geological processes affect Earth’s ecosystems and the living things in them. We will analyze rocks and minerals to find evidence of these processes. Students will use identification charts to classify rocks and minerals and learn how rocks form through the rock cycle. You can help support your child at home in science by asking them to tell you about what they are learning and to teach it to you. Ask to see their Google Classroom and in-class investigations. Use this time to listen to what they are thinking and how they are putting their ideas together.

SOCIAL STUDIES

To better support our upcoming Sustainable Development unit, at the start of Q4, we will focus on frontloading information for students. This will allow them to reflect on their ESP learning experiences.

Learning Goals

Students will identify, research and analyze how select societies utilize resources to sustain the welfare of their communities. Students will explore the ways Indonesian farmers and the greater community currently implement environmentally sustainable practices. For the final project, students may offer possible solutions, changes or modifications for improving sustainable methods or simply compare/contrast their observations to other examples of commercial methods. They will also provide a detailed analysis of a particular aspect of their experience in the community.

Major Assessments

Students will create an analysis or proposal report for the development of rice plantations, permaculture, or composting currently occurring in the surrounding community of Yogyakarta.

Students’ learning will be directly linked to the ESP trip and their in class learning.

Each student will choose one of the following formats for their summative assessment after ESP:

Analysis

For example: Describe, explain and analyze the process of composting and the natural resources used. Explain how this is similar and different from commercially waste management and recycling programs.

Proposal

For example: Explain and describe current farming methods in Yogyakarta. Research and propose possible methods to make farming methods more sustainable.

How Can Parents Help From Home?

As students go through the process of researching specific environmental issues, please check in with them, discuss their findings, wonderings, and/or intended next steps, etc. Encouraging your child to reflect regularly upon their journey in learning will also be helpful.

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