Grades 5 & 6 - Courses
Writing
Hillside’s grades 5th – 6th writing program fosters intellectual independence, creativity, and in-depth understanding of writing conventions and structure. The disciplines of writing, reading and grammar usage are integrated to support all aspects of our program.
In English classes, students learn to analyze literature and present their ideas in essay form as well as to write short stories and poetry.
The essay
While the essay writing process is teacher guided, students quickly learn to use diverse writing rubrics and are soon self and peer editing.
Students write 5 to 7 essays a year. The writing of each essay takes about a month (beyond the month students have been given to read their chosen novel). Each successive essay builds on what students have learned and incrementally allows for more freedom for the writer.
The ultimate goal is to free students to be as creative as they wish in content, while using accepted conventions in structures that clarify and enhance their work. Students are energized and enthused as they see their writing improve over time, and discover the beauty and force of their authentic voices.
Reading / Literature
The overall goal is to instill the love of reading. The literature program offers high quality, appealing, traditional and contemporary literature that can accommodate a range of instructional reading levels. The selections are organized by genre to encourage study of various types of literature. Study aids guide students into, through, and beyond the literature to a deeper understanding of what it means to be human. Twenty minutes are set aside each day as a quiet time for the teacher to read a book to the class.
Mathematics
Along with work in the text, students are involved in cooperative problem-solving activities, use of manipulatives, games and puzzles. Homework is for exploration and enrichment or for the purpose of completing work begun in class. We emphasize strategies for using math skills to solve problems. Math level is determined by student ability rather than by grade.
Students are encouraged to ask questions of each other’s work and not only learn from the teacher, but also from each other. They share and work as a community of mathematicians to build on their knowledge and understanding of mathematics.
Featured Topics:
Operations and whole numbers Operations with decimals and fractions
Place value Non-metric and metric geometry
Economics Ratio and proportions
Click HERE to see the mathematics program in action!
History
Curriculum for 5th and 6th grades alternates by year. One year begins with Early Man and moves through the Hellenistic Period; the next year begins with Alexander the Great and moves through the Italian Renaissance. As a part of the Humanities curriculum, there is also an intensive history unit on Tudor England to complement our Shakespeare studies. In addition to further polishing their writing abilities, students gain skills such as recognizing propaganda and ability to use the Cornell Notes for creating their study guides.
Science
In intermediate science we focus on the earth sciences, studying topics such as soil science, rocks and minerals, plate tectonics, weather, and astronomy. We learn about these topics through inquiry-based hands-on activities. We follow each activity with discussions and writing assignments that help the students to cement their learning and assign appropriate scientific terminology to the concepts that they explored during the activities. The students regularly practice identifying relevant scientific evidence and using that evidence to draw conclusions. We use the forest on campus to augment the curriculum and give the students a chance to design and carry out ecological research. A campus garden will also provide a wonderful supplement for our curriculum, providing a site for experiments and food production.
Arts
Emphasizes drawing and design skills. Students work with a variety of media drawn both from life and from imagination while learning the basics of composition and perspective. Various craft and three-dimensional media are explored such as weaving, papier mâché and clay.
Drama
Drama games, improvisation, writing and scene work enhance imagination, self-confidence and a sense of community throughout the year. In the winter, students present a fully staged production of a classic play.
Physical Education
Focuses on a cooperative, non-competitive approach. Hillside Student Community School offers a fencing club after school as a competitive sport open to the broader community.