6th Grade
Module 1: “A House Divided”
In this module students will learn that a firm foundation is essential if a structure is meant to stand against time and turmoil. They will study the blueprints to some of our nation’s most iconic structures, and consider how this metaphorically compares to the importance of our nation overcoming potentially devastating differences in the mid-nineteenth century. They will study how the disagreement over slavery led to the War. Students will use this premise to learn the importance of strong sentence and paragraph structure, and how building upon these essential writing skills enables one to become a more proficient communicator. Students will study the Novel “promises to the Dead’ and discuss the struggles the protagonist experiences. Finally, students will combine what they have learned to work collaboratively to design and construct a functional birdhouse that can be hung on the HCC grounds. Leading into Module 2 we will be learning about “Point of view” in preparation of the four types of essays we will be writing this year. Informative/explanatory, Compare and Contrast, Persuasive and Narrative.
Module 2: “HorsePower”
Students will study how the start of the 20th century brought about significant changes in politics, transportation, and relations with other countries around the world (including the KKK, prohibition, flappers etc.). They will consider how humans and animals adapted to these alterations, while making significant sacrifices in the name of progress. While reading the classic novel, ‘War Horse’, students will take a deep dive into specifically studying heroes, both human and animal. Students will make their own war medal for a hero they’ve researched as well as designing and making a 3-D model of trench warfare using chocolate cake as the medium.
Module 3: “Break the Code”
In this module, students will be encouraged to ask questions, consider evidence, and form theories as they read the highly acclaimed WW2 novel, ‘Code Talkers’. They will sharpen their detective skills while considering the causes of the Great Depression and the Dust Bowl, and will investigate how the social, political, and historical impacts of the era lead America into a second World War. They will learn about the Holocaust and the Tragedies of the war with Japan, including the Atom bomb. Finally, like any good mystery novel, the module will conclude with lessons learned, resilience demonstrated, and hope restored for a brighter future. Students will write a narrative children’s book about a time traveler to demonstrate their knowledge of these time periods.
Module 4: “The Way I See It”
In this module students will be challenged to look at situations from multiple perspectives. As they study events that occurred in the second half of the twentieth century, they will consider how opinions are shaped by perspective, and what kinds of things determine point of view. Students will also learn to turn opinions into claims and will write argumentative essays that are supported with strong, relevant evidence. Students will study the civil rights movements, the cold war, as well as the space race. We will cover such conflicts as the Korean and Vietnam war as well as the JFK assaination. Students will put on a murder mystery skit in the classroom becoming some of the famous people surrounding the mystery such as Jackie Kennedy and Marilyn Monroe. Students are encouraged to dress up for their role if they wish too. Students will read the novel “Ruby Lee and Me”. Students will be writing a persuasive essay convincing their peers that they really know what happened to Amelia Airhart.
Module 5: “Retro Tech”
In this module students will accelerate into the late 20th century by reading the novel “Eleven” and enjoying the cultural changes of the 80’s and 90’s. We will have an 80’s dress up and dance party and show off all our groovy moves! These decades had some of the fastest technological and cultural changes that the United States had ever seen. Students will be researching and reflecting on how far we have come as a nation.
