6th Grade

The 6th grade year at University School of Milwaukee is one that is filled with personal growth and learning through challenge. We create a safe place for students to explore problem solving with a growth mindset. From our annual Empty Bowls service project—in which students create clay bowls in art classes to help raise awareness and money for food insecurity issues—to our overnight winter retreat at Camp Timber-lee in East Troy, we work toward building community.

In addition, there is a strong emphasis on the cultivation of ethical leadership skills in 6th grade. In English Language Arts classes and advising groups, students participate in activities and readings that prompt them to think about the kind of leaders they are and want to become. In our core academic classes, we use instructional styles that meet the needs of all learners. We encourage self-advocacy so that students are able to develop personal responsibility.

6th Grade Curriculum

The 6th grade curriculum in USM’s Middle School focuses heavily on inquiry-based learning, direct instruction, workshops, gamification, and simulations.

Subject-area outcomes are an important part of how our curriculum is developed and how our students are evaluated. The following list of courses provides an overview of each academic area of study. An asterisk (*) indicates a performance elective. All 6th grade students choose one performance elective for the school year.

English Language Arts

Middle School students sit in a circle to discuss a book they are reading.

English Language Arts in 6th grade continues to utilize the workshop approach to language arts. Reading and writing are taught hand-in-hand, with a specific emphasis on critical thinking, multiple perspectives, and empathy. The course stresses the use of reading comprehension strategies to construct meaning from whatever texts students encounter. In addition to shared reading experiences with class books, students select their own titles, pursuing their personal reading interests, and further establish themselves as lifelong readers. Students are also immersed in comprehensive units on several genres of writing, studying mentor or model texts, engaging in a variety of activities, and then choosing which assignments they would like to develop through the writing process. Students continue to focus on the development of ideas, organization, word choice, sentence fluency, conventions, and voice as they write for a variety of audiences and purposes. Furthermore, students participate in peer review and one-on-one conferences with their teachers and learn how to incorporate feedback and revise their work.

Mathematics

This class is designed to provide the basis for a smooth transition from arithmetic to algebra and geometry. Students are led from the concrete to the abstract through meaningful mathematical experiences. Skills that have been taught previously are reviewed, reinforced, and extended. New topics are introduced and studied in depth. Topics included in the curriculum are decimals, fractions, percentages, circles, area and perimeter, geometry, algebraic expressions, integers, ratios and proportions, graphs, number sense, logic, and problem-solving. Students make an interactive notebook throughout the school year, as writing across the curriculum continues to be emphasized. Extension activities and projects help students to see the practical use of mathematics in real-life situations. Weekly challenges and extensions are offered to all students.

Science

A group of girls watch a robot they built drive around a course.

In 6th grade, science is an exploratory, interactive adventure into life, earth, and physical science, as well as robotics. With an emphasis on collaborative learning and inquiry-based problem solving, students examine how both big and little questions drive scientific discovery and how scientific events and innovations shape our world. Students will also have a chance to flex their engineering and design skills throughout the course. Topics include the vast expanse of geologic time; the changing surface of the Earth; the motion and forces of roller coasters; and the minuscule world of microbes and epidemiology.

World History

In this survey of world history, students focus their study by looking at empires spanning from Mesopotamia to the Age of Discovery. The goal of the course is to give students a framework to understand historical events through the story of rising civilizations to the crumbling of centuries-old empires. The scope of the course explores both Western and non-Western empires. The study of these empires includes their beliefs, laws, and government; achievements; special people; and trade and economy. The focus of the class is not geared toward memorizing dates, places, and names, but rather an ongoing discussion of change and continuity over the centuries.

World Languages

Students pose for a photo in a photo frame during the Global Enrichment Festival.

Building on the skills learned in 5th grade, students participate in simple, direct conversations about a wider range of topics. They are able to answer simple, direct questions and can begin to formulate their own questions without a prompt. They move toward, but do not yet master, creating language by combining previous knowledge with new material to express original thoughts. Culture, reading, and writing also continue to play important parts in both the 6th grade French and Spanish curricula.

Art

A girl smiles while holding the mask she made in art class.

The curriculum includes instruction in aesthetics, art history, art criticism, and art production. Goals include conceptual understanding, understanding the content of art, valuing creative behavior, self-exploration, and craftsmanship. Exploring, learning, and applying both the elements and principles of art are emphasized. A working vocabulary about the tools, materials, and art-making processes is established and reinforced. Students are expected to maintain a working art binder that includes assignments, notes, preliminary sketches, critiques, and reflections. As students proceed through the Middle School grades, expectations and skills are further refined appropriately from grade to grade.

Band*

Band is designed to expose students to the joy of music through the performance of brass, woodwind, or percussion instruments. Students learn the technique and tone production of the instrument they choose to study, as well as music-reading skills and the basic elements of playing in an ensemble, as they study music from a variety of genres in the band repertoire. Students also have the opportunity to participate in the Wisconsin School Music Association’s (WSMA) Solo and Ensemble Festival. Students are expected to practice their instruments regularly and take private or group lessons in addition to attending band rehearsal.

Chorus*

Chorus students develop their musical skill, vocal technique, expressive performance, and creative thinking, as they also develop a lifelong appreciation of singing and the ability to sing. Students study the basic techniques of healthy singing, further develop their music literacy, study music theory and history, and explore their personal connection to the musical repertoire. Music includes Western repertoire from the Medieval to current times as well as music of many different world genres and styles. All chorus students are invited to participate in various choral extracurricular offerings throughout the year, including special events on campus as well as regional and state choral festivals.

Orchestra*

In Middle School, Orchestra continues to offer students great variety and challenge in musical performance. Students will continue the advanced development of instrumental technique, music reading and comprehension skills, independent musicianship, and critical thinking skills, and perform orchestral literature of different genres and cultures. Students will also begin to study basic music theory, composition, and music history. Consistent individual practice is expected of all orchestra students. The orchestra performs two regular concerts. All orchestra students are required to take private or group lessons in addition to attending orchestra rehearsals.

Theatre

Students sing a song during %22Matilda, The Musical%22.

In 6th grade, students continue to develop the skills explored in 5th grade. Students move from ensemble work to individual performance while continuing to delve into the four facets of theatre. Public speaking and performing, storytelling, scriptwriting, monologue work, and improvisation help students build their ability to speak expressively and effectively. Other aspects of the course include characterization, intentionality with direction and movement, and the continuing development of playwriting skills.

Physical Education & Health

Physical activity is critical to the development and maintenance of good health. The goal of physical education is to develop physically-educated individuals who have the knowledge, skills, and confidence to enjoy a lifetime of healthful physical activity. Students participate in Physical Education classes four out of eight days for 70 minutes. This is a year of increased development in skill acquisition. Through cooperation and the integration of fitness components into daily lessons, students enhance individual fitness levels and develop sport-specific skills while working together. Units consist of lead-up games that enable the students to develop age-appropriate skills. Topics covered include fitness activities, cooperative activities, individual sports, team sports, outdoor recreation, and ice skating. Students participate in warm-up activities and learn techniques to assist in their improvement in skill level. The fitness center may be used during fitness days. Cardiovascular endurance, abdominal endurance, upper and lower body strength, and flexibility are the focus. Fitness education and health meet once a cycle for one semester in 6th grade. The course is a combination of laboratory, lecture, and discussion. Students are instructed in the area of wellness which includes health, mental health, and social health. Each grade has a skill focus for health, and in the 6th grade, it is on understanding influences and how they affect us as well as managing oneself. Included in instruction is gaining an understanding of mindfulness and how we can gain control over our thoughts.

Library

The Middle School library skills program is designed to familiarize students with the library, which is a model for other libraries. In 6th grade, students receive library instruction on an as-needed basis, either one-on-one or with class groups. The program strives to promote knowledge and appreciation of literature by building and expanding interest in books and reading, and to teach skills needed for effective use of the library for information, research, study, and leisure reading activities. The use of databases, and reference materials is also covered. The skill of how to select and evaluate information is stressed on a continual basis. Research and study skills are reinforced and reviewed.

Advising

Through a comprehensive advising program, the Middle School aims to develop students socially, academically, and emotionally with an emphasis on responsibility and growth. Some of the areas covered are goal setting, accepting and following rules, decision making, study skills, peer relations, understanding differences, conflict resolution, stereotypes, creative thinking, and values. In addition to following this curriculum, advisees meet individually with their advisors throughout the school year to discuss academic performance. The advisor maintains regular contact with parents through parent-teacher conferences and phone calls. The advisor also maintains regular contact with other teachers of each advisee regarding the academic, behavioral, and social adjustment of each student.

Special Events and Activities

One of the signature projects in 6th grade is the annual Comic Con event, a major disciplinary project that combines art, theatre, and creative writing. Students write and perform original monologues and skits dressed as the imaginary superheroes they have created as drawings and as part of graphic novel pages that focus on body proportion, costume design, and composition. Another highlight for 6th graders is the two-day, overnight retreat at Camp Timber-lee in East Troy, which offers students a unique bonding and community-building experience. Along with 5th graders, 6th grade students also enjoy an annual WinterFest, where they take time away from the regular class schedule to play board games, skate in the school's Uihlein Ice Arena, sled, build snow forts, and more.

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