In 6th grade Math, the curriculum is designed to strengthen students' basic math skills in preparation for higher level math courses.
Trimester 1 gives an in-depth review of key concepts from lower school math - number sense, patterns and algebraic thinking; decimal operations; data and statistics; fractions and fraction operations.
Trimester 2 covers integers, equations, inequalities, and functions.
Trimester 3 covers ratio and proportion, percents, and basic geometry concepts* (*only if time permits).
The students embark on a more involved, inquiry-based learning experience to help them overcome any pre-existing math phobias and to see the real-life value and fun of math.
The emphasis is jointly on learning how to “do" math and striving to understand why it's done that way. A solid understanding of the math fundamentals are designed to prepare students for explorations in algebra, geometry, and beyond.
Week 2 Variables and Expressions
The 6th graders used their understanding of variables and expression to represent the number of connectors and straws used to build a geometric figure.
Fruit Loops Challenge
The 6th graders estimated the number of fruit loops for various colors in a bag and comparing their estimates to the actual value.
They created a double bar graph to compare their answers. This lesson is in connection to their lesson on Chapter 3: Appropriate Data Displays.
Math + Art Collaboration
In collaboration with 6th Grade Art class, the 6th graders demonstrates their basic measurement skills (using the 30 centimeter ruler) by constructing a scaled drawing using the grid method.
See video here of 6 West working on their Pooh bear grid drawing
Straw Building Activity
The 6th graders demonstrated their understanding on numeric patterns by building geometric structures using plastic straws.