Mulgrave School

Grade 6 Programme

2011-12

Nicola Ferguson 18th year at Mulgrave

two children: Jessica who is 18 years old and James is 13

has taught in England, Canada and Brunei Darussalam

Husband is a teacher in Coquitlam, in NSSAR

hobbies include painting, quilting and movies

International Baccalaureate

Primary Years Programme

The PYP aims to:

make meaningful connections between classroom learning and the world outside

provide high academic standards while promoting international understanding and responsible citizenship

facilitate opportunities for students to make discoveries about concepts that are relevant and engaging and to encourage them to always be inquirers

encourage students to take authentic action

The IB Student Profile

Students are:

Inquirers

Thinkers

Communicators

Risk-takers

Knowledgeable

Principled

Caring

Open-minded

Balanced

Reflective

Students show: • Curiosity

• Cooperation

• Creativity

• Independence

• Empathy

• Enthusiasm

• Appreciation

• Confidence

• Commitment

• Integrity

• Tolerance

• Respect

Units of Inquiry

Units of Inquiry are integrated, multidisciplinary units of study

understanding of important concepts, incorporate skills, knowledge and concepts from all subjects

promote positive action and internationalism.

several common UOI blocks (UOI 6)

UOI 6 is a time to meet and work together as a large group at different stages of our inquiries

What is Inquiry?

Concept driven

Technology will be integral to our inquiries

Based on teacher and student questions

Makes connections to students prior knowledge

Integrates relevant subjects and life experience

Leaves learners wanting more!

Programme of Inquiry How we express

ourselves

Where we are in

place and time

How the world

works

Sharing the planet Who we are How we organise

ourselves

An inquiry into the ways in

which we discover and express

ideas, feelings, nature, culture,

beliefs and values; the ways in

which we reflect on, extend and

enjoy our creativity; our

appreciation of the aesthetic.

An inquiry into orientation in

place and time; personal

histories; homes and journeys;

the discoveries, explorations

and migrations of humankind;

the relationships between and

the interconnectedness of

individuals and civilizations,

from local and global

perspectives.

An inquiry into the natural world

and its laws; the interaction

between the natural world

(physical and biological) and

human societies; how humans

use their understanding of

scientific principles; the impact

of scientific and technological

advances on society and on the

environment.

An inquiry into rights and

responsibilities in the struggle

to share finite resources with

other people and with living

things; communities and the

relationships within and

between them; access to equal

opportunities; peace and

conflict resolution.

An inquiry into the nature of the

self; beliefs and values;

personal, physical, mental,

social and spiritual health;

human relationships including

families, friends, communities,

and cultures; rights and

responsibilities; what it means

to be human.

An inquiry into the

interconnectedness of human-

made systems and

communities; the structure and

function of organizations;

societal decision-making;

economic activities and their

impact on humankind and the

environment.

Dates: 10 Sept. – 18 Oct. Dates: 22 Oct.-23 Nov. Dates: 3 Dec.- 25 Jan. Dates: 28 Jan.- 1 March Dates: 27 April - 3 May Dates: 6 May – 14 June

Subject focus: Math/Art,

Science

Central Idea:

Mathematical concepts are

represented through artistic

expression.

Key Concepts: form,

connection, perspective

Related Concepts: pattern,

shape, geometry

Lines of Inquiry:

The synthesis of

mathematics in

architecture and art

The way in which

shape, dimension and

point of view affect

aesthetics

How the elements and

principles of design

influence art

Subject focus: Language,

Social Studies, Arts

Central Idea:

Culture, history and personal

journeys can be expressed

through the arts and

literature

Key Concepts: causation,

perspective, reflection

Related Concepts: cultural

identity, personal perspective,

freedom

Lines of Inquiry:

the role of literature

and art in maintaining

cultural identity

cultural beliefs,

individual rights and

social responsibilities

reflected through

literature

personal interpretation

of art and literature

Subject focus: Science,

Social Studies

Central Idea:

Microscopic organisms have

an impact on living things.

Key Concepts: function,

connection, responsibility

Related Concepts: biology,

classification, organisms,

evolution

Lines of Inquiry:

humans classify to

understand living

organisms

the interdependency

of humans and micro-

organisms

the importance of

medical knowledge

and innovations

Exhibition

Subject focus: Science,

Social Studies

Central Idea:

To be determined by the

students

Key Concepts: form,

causation, change

Related Concepts:

Adaptability, sustainability,

technology

Lines of Inquiry: To be

determined by the students

Subject Focus: Language,

Social Studies, the Arts

Central Idea: Individuals are

responsible for their learning

Key Concepts: causation,

responsibility, reflection

Related Concepts: Identity,

Personal Perspectives,

Metacognition

Lines of Inquiry:

personal qualities and

factors that affect the

way we learn

cultural influences that

shape our

understandings

how metacognition

can help us take

responsibility for our

learning

Subject focus: Social Studies,

English, Math

Central Idea:

Interactions between

organisations, businesses

and individuals impact

humankind and the

environment.

Key Concepts: function,

connection, reflection

Related Concepts:

Interdependence, Impact

Lines of Inquiry:

how different factors

affect the choices and

decisions that

businesses make.

the involvement and

influence of politics in

the global market

the impact of

technology on

economies

Exhibition

completes the PYP, our 4th UOI, transdisciplinary theme - Sharing the Planet

synthesizes all of the essential elements - concepts, knowledge, skills,

attitudes and action, as well as the attributes of the learner profile

students reflect upon, celebrate and demonstrate all that they know and

understand of the PYP,

they share their learning with the whole school community.

students will participate in selecting a real-life issue, problem or passion to

conduct an open-ended comprehensive inquiry.

students will have the opportunity to work collaboratively, demonstrate

independence and be responsible for their own learning.

Mathematics We primarily use the Mathematics for

the International Student MYP 1

emphasis is on problem solving and

investigative activities

real problems, using a variety of methods.

technology will be incorporated where

there is a natural fit.

the programme supports the belief that

mathematics is best learned through

practical experience and discussion.

students explore concepts using a variety

of tools, materials and strategies

opportunities to demonstrate their

conceptual understanding by

communicating and modelling their

reasoning

Major topics covered this year will

include:

Number Systems

Operations with Whole Numbers

Number Properties

Fractions

Fraction Operations

Decimals

Operations with Decimals

Data Collection and Representation

Coordinates and Lines

Directed Numbers

Algebra

Patterns

Points, Lines and Angles

Polygons

Capacity

English Writing

Students will:

explore various forms of writing, and will be given

opportunities to write for different purposes

throughout the year.

write in response to literature

read the works of other writers

write their own poems, works of fiction and essays

learn how to organise and plan out pieces of writing

be encouraged and guided to discover and develop

their own written voice

Reading

Independent Reading: Students choose novels that are

of interest to them. Students are expected to read at

home and during silent reading time (ERIC) regularly.

Instructional Reading occurs in the classroom and at

home. This involves reading non-fiction textbooks to

gain information and researching and note-taking from

various reading materials.

Book studies/Literature Circles involve looking at

various pieces of literature on both a literal and

inferential level, as well as making connections. Book

studies are connected (where possible) to our Units of

Inquiry.

Class Novels are read and or/ listened to by whole

class to stimulate discussions and assignments.

Grammar and Spelling

Formal grammar lessons will be taught throughout the

year. There will be integration of grammar and spelling

skills into daily work. In grade 6, spelling is approached

through the lens of etymology and word roots.

Students are encouraged to discover how words have

evolved and how they are connected.

Students will:

explore words and their meanings and make use of

dictionaries and thesauruses

Explore various parts of speech

Learn to identify and make use of word roots

Be encouraged to have fun with words and recognise

their power and importance

Practise and reinforce individual spelling and grammar

skills through daily work

Physical Education Teachers: Ms. Straub, Mr. Gardiner & Mr. Thomson

All students in grade 6 will receive four P.E. classes per week.

The material covered in physical education classes is based upon the provincial curriculum and PYP requisites

In addition to class activities, students may join co curricular sports teams.

First term

soccer (boys only)

cross country (co-ed)

volleyball (girls only)

Second term

basketball (co-ed)

swimming (co-ed)

Third term

rugby (co-ed)

track and field (co-ed)

In physical education classes, the students are engaged in fitness activities working on improving their strength, flexibility and cardiovascular endurance. They participate in team sports (soccer, volleyball, basketball, and rugby), swimming, track and field, outdoor games (ultimate frisbee, California kickball) and in relays and races using various apparatus.

Through the activities, students develop and improve their gross and fine motor skills, enhance their athletic creativity, work with a partner or on teams, learn about fair play, and sportsmanship.

Music Instructor: Mr. McLean

•All students in grade 6 receive two weekly music class lessons, as part of the Mulgrave programme

of study.

•Material covered in the Comprehensive Music Courses is based upon the provincial and PYP

curricula, supplemented by the teacher’s individual expertise and training.

•All students perform in the two large Jr. School concerts:

•the G4-6 Winter Concert (set for Thursday, December 8th at 7:00 p.m.)

•the G4-6 Spring Concert (set for Thursday, May 30th at 7:00 p.m.)

•In addition to classroom music, students may join co-curricular music ensembles.

•Choir (in which various styles of song are studied, incorporating movement where

appropriate)

•Band (including a jazz band for grade 6 players with some experience)

Details are available from the ensemble directors, Mr. McLean or Mr. Steffens, respectively.

Basic classroom music activities are:

•Singing

•Instrumental Playing, including Alto Recorder (new to grade 6) and Barred Percussion (xylophones,

glockenspiels, metallophones)

•Music Listening/Appreciation

•Music Reading and Writing (within the selections being sung or played,as well as separate exercises)

Through the various activities, students are taught to develop their listening skills, their intellectual capacity

for music and musical literacy, their creative expression through music, and their appreciation of music. A

varied repertoire is used to create a comprehensive approach to musicianship. In this approach, the basic

elements of music education are incorporated: performance, analysis, listening, creativity and notation.

Grade 6 French The French programme focuses upon the concepts explored in the Units of Inquiry

that form the basis for student learning and discovery. Students develop their French language skills while communicating ideas that centre upon aspects of the themes they are concurrently studying. As IB learners, students strive to be inquirers, thinkers, communicators, risk-takers, and reflective. These attributes of the IB Learner Profile are continuously encouraged within the structure of the French programme.

Objectives:

To have fun, and to develop a love of learning French by:

Increasing listening, speaking, reading and writing skills through individual and collaborative projects;

Developing a good general knowledge and appreciation of French culture in Canada and the world;

Stimulating creative thinking as a way of understanding and communicating in a foreign language;

Expressing ideas in a variety of formats, including the use of technology and external resources.

Activities: Listening, speaking, reading and writing, activities, including discussions, individual and group presentations, reading activities, role plays, dialogues, grammar analysis, and UOI-based projects.

Homework:

Students will occasionally be asked to complete an assignment at home, or to memorise grammar points that have been introduced in class. Oral and written language will be monitored/ and practised together during French class time for maximum error correction.

Grade 6 Mandarin This is the second year that the Grade 6's will be studying Mandarin. Pinyin (Mandarin phonetic symbols) will be introduced at the beginning of the year. At a later stage, the students will be encouraged to read new pinyin on their own, as they work to develop good pronunciation and intonation. Ms. Wei will use a teaching resource she developed herself to assist the students to start communicating easily and efficiently. She has posted the book on her class page so that students and parents can use the resource out of class and so their homework.

Students will use their workbooks as supplementary material to review and reinforce the reading and writing skills. Chinese characters in the workbook are taught according to the character formation system. Once the children have a good grasp of radicals and simple characters, they will be able to analyze most of the compound characters they encounter, and to memorize new characters in a logical way.

Children at this age are motivated to learn vocabulary related to their environment. Therefore, the chosen topics in Mandarin are: shapes, colors, food, routine, family, etc. In the same time, students will learn related vocabulary and sentences to integrate into their units of inquiry so that they will be able to talk about what they learn in their UOI in Mandarin. That is usually their final assessment for each unit.

As part of Chinese language learning, legends, stories, history and cultural elements will be introduced as well.

Objectives:

To build confidence in learning Mandarin tones and characters

To develop good pronunciation and intonation

To increase awareness of Chinese culture and its significance

To stimulate creative thinking as a way of understanding a foreign language

To use technology to communicate with others

Activities: Practice tones with hand gestures, flash cards to recognise characters, reading, recital, writing, assignments, discussions, individual and group presentations, role plays, research

Homework:

DAILY: 15 MINS. (Revision of class activities, study of vocabulary/grammar/, reading, research, recital, etc.)

Daily Routines

Homework: homework may include math, spelling, reading or project work as needed. Homework will increase as the year progresses as we prepare the students for the additional workload of Middle School.

Student Agenda: should be signed each day by parents and teachers, is used to communicate, record homework and organise schedules. We have also implemented the use of the Microsoft Outlook Calendar to aid in student organisation.

Co-curricular Activities and balanced schedules: Many students have extremely busy schedules outside of school hours. We will do our best to help students manage their assignments, balance their workload and maintain a positive outlook about the programme.

Eating habits, breakfast in particular

Independence

Bed time!