Lincoln's 6th Grade Handbook

Dear 5th Grade Families,

We are so excited to work with you and your children next year! We know how important the transition from elementary school to middle school is and we look forward to partnering with you to make it as smooth as possible for each child. As a team, we are committed to supporting students by spending time reviewing middle school information with students during the first few weeks, helping students learn how to track assignments and keep materials organized, and communicating with families as needed. In this book, you will find a copy of our homework policy for all 6th grade classes as well as a brief description of each of our classes.

Sincerely,
The 6th Grade Team

6TH GRADE RESOURCES & FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

TECHNOLOGY

TEACHER COMMUNICATION

ELA - READING WITH MRS. GAMMIE

Hello Friends!
I am so excited to meet you in person come September.
I wanted to give you a little preview of what to expect in ELA.
This year We will focus on characters through our Deep Study of Character Unit.
In this unit we will grow what you learned in grade five around the
elements of fiction. I always like to start with
short stories to teach each of the elements:
character, setting, plot, conflict, point of view and theme.
We will take a close look at the characters and think about what makes them likeable and/or unlikeable. We will also look at the importance of setting to the story, after all, a character has to have a place to “act”!
We will read whole class novels as well as book club books to further explore and discuss characters, setting, and themes.
I am always excited about our
Nonfiction Unit because I get to work with Mrs. Traub. In this unit we explore Text Features and Structure while reading about the many fascinating aspects of the ocean!
A culminating project is poetry writing around your favorite sea creature!

WRITING WITH MR. STEIN

Welcome to 6th Grade! In writing workshop this year, we have the opportunity to sharpen our writing skills while also learning more about ourselves and the world around us. In this class we will focus on each step of the writing process. You will publish at least three finished pieces of work including a personal narrative, a literary essay, and a research project. We will also write poetry, do creative writing activities, and practice viewing the world through the lens of a writer.

In addition to creative and fictional writing, we will also use this class to practice math, science, and history writing as well. Don’t be surprised to find your other teachers working with us in the writing room throughout the year!

A Typical Day in Writing Class:
Mini-Lesson (10 min.)
Mr. Stein teaches a writing skill or strategy.
Independent Writing/conferring (35 min.)
Everybody writes while Mr. Stein meets with individuals or small groups.
Share (5 min.)
Writers share a small part of their work from the day.

FRENCH WITH MME PINEAULT

J'adore parler français!

You will begin to develop language skills to interact with others in French, both here in Brookline and beyond, as well as learn about the rich traditions and diverse perspectives of other cultures. We have a variety of opportunities to develop your ability to understand and communicate in French!

We meet three times a week in 6th grade and our class is in French. Don't worry! I use many strategies to help you understand. You will use as much French as you can every day and you will also be able to show me your understanding in different ways! We look at images from around the world, listen to music, share our opinions and preferences, and create stories together.

We will learn to share information about daily aspects of your life -- from school, to family, friends and pets, to daily activities and more.

I can't wait to meet you and start our French journey together! :)

SPANISH - Profe Collins

In 6th grade Spanish class you will continue to develop your language skills to interact with others in Spanish, as well as learn about the rich traditions and diverse perspectives of other cultures. You will have a variety of opportunities to develop your ability to understand and to communicate in Spanish!

We meet three times a week in 6th grade and our class is in Spanish. Don't worry! I use many strategies to help you understand. You will use as much Spanish as you can every day and you will be able to show me your understanding in many different ways!

In Spanish class, you will see images from around the world, listen to music, share opinions and preferences, communicate about yourself, ask questions to learn more about others, read, listen to and create stories. Every step of the way we will help each other communicate and understand.

We will have a lot of fun!

MATH WITH MR. FITZGERALD

Hi everyone! I want to welcome you to 6th grade math. We're going to work hard but we're also going to have a lot of fun. You'll get to practice how math is related to things all around you. We'll investigate the connection between math and space exploration, math in sports, shopping, designing your bedroom and many more real life situations. I love to watch my students develop as problem solvers. You'll get to practice your math skills in our classroom AND outside our classroom when we do our math and science stations and our math and writing stations.

A butcher is 6 feet tall and wears size 10 shoes. What does he weigh?

We will begin the school year by reviewing some of the concepts and skills you worked on in 5th grade. After that we will work together to learn about the topics below.

+The Number System (multiplying and dividing fractions), decimal operations
+ Ratios and Unit Rates
+ Expressions and Equations
+ Geometry (Surface area and volume)
+ Data and Statistics

SCIENCE WITH MRS. TRAUB

6th grade science focuses on developing scientific skills while exploring the world around and within us. The first half of the year we focus on the world of water and during the second half we will do a study of life from unicellular bacteria to the human body!

Properties of Water: Develop observation, measurement, and investigation skills through a study of the properties of water.
Water on Earth: Expand knowledge of the water cycle and explore the global environmental issues related to water
Aquatic Ecosystems: Study aquatic ecosystems to learn about resource availability, food chains, food webs and organism relationships.
The Ocean: Study the living and nonliving factors in the zones of the ocean and participate in nonfiction book clubs to learn more about ocean exploration and technology.
Cells: Learn the similarities and differences between animal, plant and bacterial cells including organelles and their functions and how cells obtain energy.
Body Systems: How do body systems work together to support life?

I am SO excited to meet the new 6th Graders!