6th Grade

The 6th-grade students did a wonderful job creating a song with Mr. Nicky at our virtual assembly.  Lyrics are below!

3.9.26  This week we will continue our exploration of Ancient Greece. Today our students will participate in an exciting virtual assembly with Mr. Nicky, a history parody songwriter who helps bring historical topics to life through music. We use Mr. Nicky’s songs as an introduction to each major unit in class. Students listen closely to the lyrics, analyze the historical references, and discuss how the music connects to what we are learning.

As we continue through the week, students will learn about the roles of government, citizenship, and the military in Greek city-states. To help reinforce these concepts, we will play a fun “Iron Chef” style activity where students explore and compare different forms of government.

Students will also begin learning about the major city-states of Athens and Sparta, examining their differences in government, daily life, and values. As part of this activity, students will write “pen pal” style letters from the perspective of citizens in each city-state to better understand their contrasting cultures.

3.2.26 

Sixth-grade students have begun our new unit on Ancient Greece. We started by exploring Greece’s unique geography, including mountains, seas, and islands, and discussed how geography influenced settlement, trade, and cultural development.

To introduce the unit, students analyzed a new Mr. Nicky Ancient Greece song, using it as a source to identify key themes, vocabulary, and historical ideas about Greek civilization. Together, we practiced close listening and evidence-based discussion as students connected lyrics to what they were learning about the region.

We have also begun studying the earliest Greek civilizations — the Minoans and Mycenaeans. Students are learning how these cultures developed, interacted through trade and conflict, and contributed to later Greek society. We are focusing on key concepts such as maritime trade, palace-centered societies, and cultural diffusion.

In the coming lessons, students will continue exploring how geography and early civilizations shaped the foundations of Ancient Greece.

2.11.26  This week in 6th grade Social Studies, students participated in an interactive Ancient Egypt simulation game. Through a series of scenarios, they made decisions as if they were living in ancient Egyptian society. It was a great way to apply what we’ve learned, and the students had a lot of fun while thinking critically about geography, social structure, and daily life in Egypt.

We are now moving into our study of the Old, Middle, and New Kingdoms. Our goal is to wrap up Ancient Egypt next week (or shortly thereafter) before transitioning into our next unit on Ancient Greece.

A friendly reminder that the Sarcophagus Project is due on February 20. Please have your child check the rubric and project guidelines posted in Google Classroom to ensure they are meeting all requirements.

As always, please reach out with any questions!

2.3.26  

We are continuing our unit on Ancient Egypt, with a focus on mummies, sarcophagi, and daily life along the Nile. Students will be watching a video about King Tut and participating in an interactive simulation game that explores what life was like in Ancient Egypt.

Students have been assigned their Sarcophagus Project. All project details and expectations are posted in Google Classroom. At this time, the project is due Friday, February 20.

We have approximately 1.5 weeks remaining in our Ancient Egypt unit as we continue learning about the different Egyptian kingdoms. This unit will likely conclude with a unit test.

Our next unit will be Ancient Greece.

Please encourage students to check Google Classroom regularly for updates, materials, and due dates.

UPDATE:  

One of my New Year’s resolutions is to post daily updates in each class’s Google Classroom stream outlining the material we covered that day.

My goal is to provide students and families with a clear, consistent reference—especially if a student is absent due to illness, band activities, or other school obligations. These daily posts will help students quickly see what was covered in class and what they need to review or make up.

As always, please encourage your child to check Google Classroom regularly, as it will continue to be our central hub for class materials and updates.

Thank you for your continued support!

Best,

Ms. Breuder

1.21.26  Midterm grades will be posted in PowerSchool on Monday, January 26. Midterms are categorized as an Assessment of Learning and account for 20% of the overall course grade.

If your child did not perform as well as anticipated, this can be a valuable opportunity to reflect on study habits and discuss strategies they might try differently in the future. 

I will be reviewing midterm grades with students in class this week.

1.21.26  Grade 6 students will continue our discussion of Ancient Egyptian pharaohs this week and begin exploring social class in Ancient Egypt. Students will learn how Egyptian society was structured and how different groups contributed to daily life.

In the coming days, students will participate in an in-class simulation game to reinforce these concepts. 

Please begin looking for an empty shoebox, as it will be needed for an upcoming project that will be completed at home. More details will be shared soon.

1.12.26 Grade 6 students will be taking their midterm assessment this week. To help students review and feel confident, we will be playing a Kahoot review game in class.

For the remainder of the week, we will shift our focus to Ancient Egyptian pharaohs, examining their political and religious responsibilities as well as the qualities of effective leadership. Students will soon begin a creative project in which they will design a job announcement for a pharaoh vacancy. This assignment will require students to clearly explain the role of a pharaoh, including leadership duties, expectations, and responsibilities. It is important that students review the project rubric carefully to ensure all requirements are met.

Looking ahead, students will also be creating their own Egyptian sarcophagus as part of our Ancient Egypt unit. 

This will be an at-home project and will require an empty shoebox!!!

 More details and instructions will be shared soon—please feel free to start saving a shoebox if you have one available.

1.7.26

Sixth-grade students have begun our new Social Studies unit on Ancient Egypt. This week, our focus is on Egyptian geography and how features such as the Nile River and surrounding deserts shaped daily life, trade, and civilization.

Throughout this unit, students will complete several hands-on projects to deepen their understanding of Ancient Egyptian culture. One upcoming project will involve creating a model sarcophagus, and students will need an empty shoebox for this activity.

Please set aside an empty shoebox to send in with your child. More details, including project guidelines and due dates, will be shared soon.

Thank you for your continued support as we begin this exciting unit!

12.18.25  Please note the 6th Grade Social Studies Midterm is scheduled for Wednesday, January 14th.

12.12.25  FYI: Midterm study guides are posted in Google Classroom.

After reviewing the school calendar, I have decided not to administer the planned Chapter Test on Mesopotamia next week. Because students return from Christmas break and then move quickly into Midterm Exams beginning the week of January 12th, I am adjusting the assessment schedule to better support their learning and preparation.

Updated Plan:

• We will continue our study of the Mesopotamian Empires, including Neo-Babylon and Persia.

• Instead of one large chapter test, students will complete brief, quizzes to monitor understanding.

• If your child has already begun the Mesopotamia Chapter Test Study Guide, they should keep it — this material will be very helpful for midterm review.

I will share additional midterm review resources soon. Thank you for your support, and please feel free to reach out with any questions.

12.8.25  

Mesopotamia Test – Monday, December 15th

Dear students and families,

Our Mesopotamia Test will take place on Monday, December 15th. To help everyone stay organized, I have created a new section in Google Classroom titled “Mesopotamia Review Materials.” Inside this section, students will find:

• The study guide
  
  

• Two sets of slides (4.1 and 4.2)
  
  

• The hardcopy/ electronic Mesopotamia Empires packet
  
  

• The Doodle Notes Narrative Summary
  
  

• The Brisk AI Chatbot tool, which is overlayed on the slides for guided review and support
  
  

Students should also review all previous Mesopotamia quizzes to check their understanding and identify areas they may still need to study.

Please note: We will still be learning some new material this week, so students should continue to stay engaged, take notes, and ask questions.

Thank you for your support at home as we prepare for the test!

12.3.25   Our 6th graders are working through our Mesopotamian Empires and Civilizations unit, studying the Akkadians, Babylonians, Assyrians, Neo-Babylonians, Hittites, and Phoenicians. Students are learning about key developments such as law codes, military innovations, trade networks, and advancements in writing and technology.

We anticipate a test toward the end of next week, and we will share the exact date as we get closer and wrap up the final lessons. Students will review vocabulary, guided readings, and notes in class to prepare. Thank you for your continued support at home as they build strong study habits!

11.19.25  This week, students explored daily life in Ancient Mesopotamia. They participated in a hands-on simulation game where they took on the roles of early city-state leaders—balancing their surplus of food and money with their authority and influence. The kids really seemed to enjoy the challenge and strategy involved.

Students also created their own cuneiform tablets to represent early forms of writing. These will be coming home next week.

Next week, we’ll continue our study by examining additional Mesopotamian achievements before moving into the major Mesopotamian empires. Throughout the unit, students may have occasional pop quizzes to check for understanding and reinforce the material taught over several days.

As always, thank you for your support at home!

11.10.25 This week, students are digging into life in Mesopotamia, the world’s first civilization! We’ve explored the geography of the region and how it shaped daily life along the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers. Next, students will examine Mesopotamian religion, study real artifacts from the period, and learn about the structure of their government and society. 

11.6.25  Students did very well on their recent unit test! I’ll return and review the tests in class once all absent students have had a chance to make them up.

We are now beginning Chapter 4: Ancient Mesopotamia. Students will be using the online textbook as supplemental material for this unit. All information, assignments, and links are posted in Google Classroom.

I’ve asked all students to try logging in from home to ensure there are no technical difficulties accessing the online textbook or class materials.

10.29.25 Stone Age Comic Book Update

Students have completed their Stone Age Comic Book project, and grades are currently being entered in PowerSchool. You may see a score of “0” for your child at this time — please note that, in most cases, this is only a temporary placeholder. I am currently experiencing technical issues accessing some students’ digital work and have already asked those students to come see me on Monday so I can verify or retrieve their submissions.

This does not necessarily mean your child did not complete the assignment.
It simply indicates that I need to review their work in person to accurately update their grade.

Thank you for your patience as I work through this technical issue, and please encourage your student to see me if they have not already done so.

10.22.25  Due to the school’s new academic grading system, all students are now required to complete a unit test at the end of each major content area. This ensures that students are assessed on overall understanding, not just individual assignments.

📌 For 6th Grade, the upcoming unit test will be on Tuesday, November 4th.   I have posted a Unit Study Guide in Google Classroom.   

• Introduction to Social Studies

• Social Studies Skills & Processes

• The Stone Age

• The GRAPES of Civilization framework

• TBD:  Mesopotamia
  
  

This assessment will help measure students’ mastery of key concepts and skills from our first units of study. A study guide  will be provided in advance to support student preparation.

Thank you for your continued support at home!

10.20.25  Students are creating a comic book that illustrates the transition from the Paleolithic Age to the Neolithic Age, focusing on how early humans changed through new tools, farming, and permanent settlements.

Students have been given a graphic organizer to guide their planning, and they have ample classroom resources to support their research and accuracy. They will have class time on Monday and Tuesday to work on the project. Any remaining work must be completed at home, and the final comic book is tentatively due on Friday.

Please remind your child to carefully compare each page of their comic to the rubric’s criteria. The rubric clearly outlines what is required for full credit, including accurate historical content, clear comparisons between the two eras, and creative presentation.

Students may complete their comic using StoryBoardThat, Canva, or Google Slides.

10.15.2025  Students should be prepared for a possible Pop Quiz this Friday on Chapter 3.

10.08.25  This week, students are diving into Early Humans (the Stone Age) and the Agricultural Revolution. We are focusing on how humans lived during the Stone Age, the major changes that came with farming, and the vocabulary that helps us understand this important transition in history.

Looking ahead to next week, students will put their learning into action by creating a comic book project. The assignment will challenge them to show the transformation from hunting and gathering to farming communities in a creative and visual way.

 10.1.25   Students Chapter 1 Test will be on Monday, October 6th.  It is multiple choice and will cover the following topics:

• Primary vs. Secondary Sources

• Calendars

• Time:  BC, AD, CE, and CE

• Archaeology, Anthropology, Paleontology

• Artifacts

9.30.25  We are wrapping up Chapter 1.  Students should be prepared for an upcoming multiple choice test on the following topics:

• Primary vs. Secondary Sources

• Calendars

• Time:  BC, AD, CE, and CE

• Archaeology, Anthropology, Paleontology

• Artifacts

I will let students know the date ASAP.

9.16.25  We recently took a deep dive into what social studies is and its many components. Students have been practicing skills such as analyzing perspective, point of view, bias, reliable vs. unreliable sources, and fact vs. opinion. Next, we will be discussing primary and secondary sources. A quiz will be announced soon (date TBD). 

Welcome, 

I’m so glad you’re here. This website will be our main hub for communication throughout the year in Social Studies. Here you’ll find updates about what we’re learning in class, important announcements, resources, and reminders. My hope is that this space helps keep you connected to your child’s learning journey and makes it easy for us to stay in touch. 

This year 6th grade students will be learning about Ancient Civilizations.  Students will have access to an online textbook.

Please note that due to the AOB's Social Studies curriculum change, both 5th & 6th grade students this year will be learning about Ancient Civilizations. 

Back to School Night Slides 

Homework Connection

Homework Connection is offered for both Elementary students (Gr 1-4) and Middle School students (Gr 5-8). Students may work on homework with the help of teachers on duty, if needed. A snack is provided. Interest forms are being sent home with students. If you are interested in Friday sessions, please indicate this on the form.

• Download the form for Gr 1-4 HERE. Questions about Elementary Homework Connection? Email Mrs. Bennett or Mrs. Meyer.

• Download the form for Gr 5-8 HERE. Questions about Middle School Homework Connection? Email Ms. Westfall.