North Penn School District
Elementary
Curriculum Guide
A resource illustrating North Penn School District’s
curriculum in kindergarten through sixth grade
North Penn School District
Dream Big. Achieve Greatness.
(www.npenn.org)
Dear Families,
The elementary school years represent a fun and exciting time for children as they learn a new skill, solve
a new problem and grasp a new concept. This is also a time for students to develop close relationships
with peers and staff members. As goals are achieved each year from Kindergarten through sixth grade,
students become more confident in themselves and their abilities.
The elementary years are extremely important in that they set the foundation for the child’s academic
future. The first goal of the North Penn School District Strategic Plan is student achievement with the
primary focus of providing all students the opportunity to achieve at their highest level. With this in mind,
we continually review and revise our curriculum to reflect the changing world and the changing needs of
our students. If all children are to succeed, we need an academic program that challenges students and
teachers alike.
The North Penn School District realizes that learning is not only about books and tests; therefore, we
provide an educational experience that is also safe, nurturing and fun. In addition to this academic
curriculum guide, please remember that a multitude of extra-curricular activities are available to our
elementary school students that complement classroom work. This includes field trips, assembly
programs and student clubs.
As superintendent of the North Penn School District, I am extremely proud of the excellence found in the
th
students and staff members in all of our schools and classrooms, from kindergarten through 12 grade.
With the collaborative efforts between students, staff members and families early in a student’s academic
career, there is no doubt that the North Penn School District will continue its successes and become one
of the leading school districts in the state of Pennsylvania.
Sincerely,
Dr. Curtis R. Dietrich, Superintendent
English as a Secondary Language (ESL)
The ESL program is provided for all English Language Learners (ELLs) whose English language skills do
not equip them to succeed in the mainstream classroom.
All students, who fit in one of the categories below, will be considered to be an English Language Learner
(ELL) and will be evaluated for the ESL program:
 students who are born either outside or inside the US, whose native language is not English
 students born in countries where English is spoken, but it is significantly different from Standard
American English
 students from migrant families whose native language is not English and who use a language
other than English in their home and/or community
At registration, every parent is asked to complete a Home Language Survey, which is used to identify
potential ELLs. The information is used to determine the need for further screening and evaluation, which
will be done by a certified ESL teacher.
The primary goals of ESL are:
 to help ELLs develop English language proficiency needed to meet district and PA Academic
Standards.
 to prepare students to successfully and appropriately receive instruction in their mainstream
classes.
 to provide a supportive, nurturing, small- group setting to assist ELLs in adjusting to the US
school culture.
 to provide instruction that focuses on the language proficiency development in both academic and
social environments.
Students in the ESL program receive all instruction in English, although maintenance of the home
language and culture is encouraged. Instruction focuses on the communicative skills of listening,
speaking, reading and writing. Students may be scheduled for small-group instruction with the ESL
teacher or receive ESL support in the regular classroom. The program’s design and amount of time given
to the ELL are determined by the student’s level of language proficiency and the state guidelines. Criteria
for exiting the program, which is established by the state, is used to determine when students have
gained enough language proficiency to be assimilated back into the mainstream classroom. After exiting
the program the student’s progress is monitored for the next two years.
Gifted
North Penn’s gifted program seeks to support gifted students in maximizing their unique talents and
abilities through a varied approach. Students identified as gifted are supported through GIEPs (Gifted
Individualized Education Programs) where individualized goals and short-term learning outcomes are
specified. In addition to enrichment and extension activities in the general education classroom, students
may receive small group instruction from a gifted support teacher, or enroll in gifted seminars and
mentorships at the secondary level as determined by their GIEP teams.
North Penn strives to support gifted students in developing higher-level creative and critical thinking skills,
self-awareness and leadership skills and providing them with challenging and rich curriculum to reach
their academic potential.
A student may be considered mentally gifted if he or she has an IQ of 130 or higher, or when multiple
criteria strongly indicate gifted ability. A referral for a gifted multidisciplinary evaluation shall be made
when the student is suspected by teachers or parents/guardians of being gifted and requiring specially
designed instruction. A parent or teacher may request an evaluation to determine if a student is gifted and
in need of specially designed instruction by contacting the student’s guidance counselor.
Guidance
During the elementary school years a student will gradually develop his or her various abilities with the
assistance of our developmental guidance program. By sixth grade, the student will achieve the following
objectives:
Intellectual Development
* Develop the abilities of cooperation, consideration and respect which will allow the student to work
effectively in a group * Demonstrate personal responsibility for learning * Be able to follow through on a
plan for the completion of an assignment * Understand and use systematic problem solving techniques *
Develop the ability to question and challenge the ideas of others in an acceptable manner * Demonstrate
an awareness of career possibilities
Emotional Development
* Be able to set realistic personal goals * Learn to make decisions and accept their consequences ·
Accept his or her individual limitations and adjust to them * Feel comfortable in group situations as well as
alone
Social Development
* Learn empathy for others, positive social norms and specifically responsive behaviors * Participation in
large group situations * Increasingly expand his or her social contacts * Demonstrate a willingness to
meet new situations in secondary schools
Special Education
The special education program at North Penn is committed to assisting students in achieving their
maximum potential and facilitating independence through a highly individualized approach. An array of
special education services is available to meet the unique needs of students. (North Penn offers the
following services to students based on their IEPs (Individualized Education Plans):
* Learning Support
* Autistic Support
* Life Skills Support
* Emotional Support
* Hearing and Vision Support
* Speech and Language/Communication Support
* Multiple Disabilities Support
Related services such as speech and language, occupational, physical, vision, and hearing therapies, as
well as assistive devices are provided to eligible students as determined by their IEP teams.
A parent or teacher may request an evaluation to determine if a student has a disability and is in need of
specially designed instruction by contacting the student’s guidance counselor.
Kindergarten
Art
Kindergarten students will:
* Learn about and experience the elements of art and the principles of design * Understand the concept
of line, recognize and use simple shapes, recognize and distinguish between primary and secondary
colors, be introduced to texture, tactile surfaces, space and simple form * Learn about balance, contrast,
emphasis/focus, movement/rhythm, proportion/scale, repetition/pattern, unity and harmony * Be exposed
to and use a variety of materials
Health
Kindergarten students will:
Identify family members * Understand the stages of growth and development * Identify the five senses
and the corresponding body parts * Identify the difference between “junk foods” and “healthy foods” *
Identify the food groups in the food guide * Understand that medicine can be helpful and harmful *
Understand that proper hygiene can prevent the spread of germs * Identify healthy personal hygiene
practices * Identify health care workers * Identify possible health problems caused by environmental
factors * Identify health related signs and terminology * Identify and follow safety rules and procedures *
Participate in emergency drills and discuss appropriate responses * Learn refusal strategies
Language Arts
Kindergarten students will:
Recite own name, address, telephone number and birthday * Speak in complete sentences * Dictate
stories in sequence * Participate in drama activities * Follow oral directions * Begin to form manuscript
letters * Print own name * Write a sentence to match a picture
Library
Kindergarten students will:
Discern between author and illustrator * Listen to and look at a variety of Caldecott Award books * Listen
to books by various authors and illustrators * Locate fiction and non-fiction areas in the library *
Recognize the terms: title, spine, spine label, cover and page * Care for materials: carrying, storing,
turning pages, cleanliness, etc. * Develop appropriate library manners: listening, speaking, sitting, walking
and respecting others * Learn check-out and return procedures * Identify the title of a book * Learn
browsing procedures in the library
Please note: the library curriculum is currently being revised (as of 1-1-2012). Therefore, the information
listed above may differ slightly beginning in the 2012-2013 school year.
Math
Kindergarten students will:
Count objects * Recognize and write numbers in order * Participate in oral number stories * Estimate
simple amounts of objects and time * Explore number families * Use manipulative objects to add and
subtract * Demonstrate number stories * Use problem solving strategies * Identify the value of coins *
Compare sizes and weights of objects * Identify and use simple measuring tools * Sort and classify
objects * Recognize simple geometric shapes * Copy, extend and create patterns * Perform simple data
collection and graphing * Explore math concepts through literature
Music
Kindergarten students will:
Vocal and Instrumental Technique
* Perform using speaking/singing voice, match pitches and maintain steady tempo * Demonstrate proper
breathing, sing songs from diverse cultures and styles * Demonstrate proper posture, use and handling of
musical instruments, good tone production, appropriate dynamics, diction and phrasing * Identify melodic
direction and phrasing, and understand question and answer patterns of melodic and rhythmic phrases *
Read simple notation, identify common terms such as form, tone color, dynamics, melody, rhythm and
tempo * Identify examples of music and the role of musicians, demonstrate appropriate behavior for
various settings and genres of music and musical cultures * Listen to music representing genres and
styles from diverse cultures * Develop criteria for evaluating music using musical terminology
Please note: Band and strings are available for students at various grade levels. Please ask your child’s
music teacher for more information.
Physical Education
Kindergarten students will:
* Learn basic locomotor skills, movement, body and spatial awareness, balance, dodging, chasing,
fleeing, throwing and catching, dribbling with hands, kicking and punting, volleying and striking * Introduce
students to team building and adventure education concepts
Reading
Kindergarten students will:
Have a variety of opportunities to experience fiction stories and nonfiction text * Show an interest in books
* Understand that words carry meaning * Demonstrate understanding of book orientation * Develop left to
right sequence * Use one-to-one matching of spoken word to printed word * Recognize upper and
lowercase letters of the alphabet * Identify sounds in words * Recognize own name in print * Begin to
recognize high frequency words * Rhyme words * Listen to quality literature * Use prior knowledge to help
build meaning * Listen to predict outcomes in a story * Listen to predict words based on context * Retell a
story with a beginning, middle and end * Identify main ideas, relate events in a sequence and express
feelings about stories read aloud
Science:
Kindergarten science modular units include: The Five Senses, Ladybugs and Living Things and Paper
The students will:
Use the five senses to explore the natural world and to practice observation skills * Observe plants and
ladybugs as living things and learn basic needs of plants and animals * Sequence the life cycles of plants
and ladybugs * Use observations to develop a descriptive vocabulary * Use tools appropriately including
hand lenses, bug boxes, scooping devices, etc. * Understand and describe the properties of objects *
Explore the properties of paper * Use a technique to make a small piece of recycled paper and describe
the changes that occur throughout the process * Describe objects in the sky and the changes between
night and day * Develop basic science process skills
Social Studies
Kindergarten students will:
* Identify ways people and families are similar and different * Identify how families differ and are similar in
other cultures * Explain how and why people live similarly and differently in the country and the city * Give
examples of how families cooperate and work together * Recognize the need for fair rules and laws * Use
problem solving process to solve classroom problems * Identify a community worker and describe his/her
work * Explain why communities need the services of our community workers * Through historical stories,
compare people, objects and events of today and long ago * Describe characteristics of the plains,
mountains, forests and oceans * Give examples of ways that people can help keep their environment
clean * Use words related to location, direction and distance * Identify the state one lives in and find it on
a United States map * Understand that maps and globes represent Earth with a view from above and are
smaller in size * Identify the United States flag and the President as the leader of the United States *
Identify symbols of the United States
First Grade
Art
First grade students will:
* Learn about and experience the elements of art and the principles of design * Experiment with and learn
about various types of lines * Recognize geometric and free form shapes, be introduced to secondary
colors and neutral hues * Recognize that texture can been seen and felt, produce two and three
dimensional art using an entire space, develop simple forms, recognize visual balance in 2D and 3D art *
Use opposing elements to create contrast * Learn the three different ways to create a focal point * Learn
that elements can be used to create the illusion of movement * Learn the repetition of elements creates a
pattern and that using related elements creates harmony
Health
First grade students will:
Identify and describe changes in the human life cycle * Identify the function of bone and muscle * Provide
examples of each type of food group in the food guide * Define and describe drugs * Demonstrate
healthy habits and healthy personal hygiene practices * Identify the roles and responsibilities of health
care workers * Identify possible health related problems caused by environmental factors * Discriminate
between good & bad decisions * Identify and list safety rules for school and home * Participate in
emergency drills and discuss appropriate responses
Language Arts
First grade students will:
Listen for pleasure, to gather information and to respond to questions * Participate in guided discussions *
Share and express ideas * Expand listening and speaking vocabulary * Print correct letter forms in words
and sentences * Spell simple words and word patterns * Use word charts and picture dictionaries as
spelling aids * Use capital letters for names, I and first word in a sentence * Use period and question mark
correctly * Identify compound words and contractions * Express ideas in pictures or written form * Write
stories about pictures, personal experiences or drawings in a logical order * Approximate spelling *
Develop an understanding of naming words, describing words and action words
Library
First grade students will:
Select books independently * Listen to and look at a variety of Caldecott award books * Identify the
terms: author, title, illustrator * Check-out and return materials * Practice appropriate library manners:
listening, speaking, sitting, walking, respecting others * Recognize the genres of fiction, non-fiction and
poetry * Become familiar with the alphabetical arrangement of easy fiction books and numerical
arrangement of non-fiction books and their location in the library * Locate magazines in the library *
Recognize a book’s spine label for fiction and non-fiction (differentiate)
Please note: the library curriculum is currently being revised (as of 1-1-2012). Therefore, the information
listed above may differ slightly beginning in the 2012-2013 school year.
Mathmatics
First grade students will:
Use a number grid to count forward, backward and skip count * Count by twos, fives and tens with or
without a number grid * Write numbers in order through 100 * Compare pairs of numbers using the terms
more and less * Use and share problem solving strategies * Solve simple addition and subtraction
number problems * Know the addition and subtraction facts to five * Read, write and understand place
value for tens and ones up to 99 * Write an addition or subtraction model using +, - and = signs * Solve
2-digit addition and subtraction problems with manipulatives and/or number grid * Count sets of dimes,
nickels, and pennies (not quarters) up to $1.00 using cent notation * Identify fractional parts of regions
and set * Measure objects to the nearest inch and centimeter * Tell time to the half hour * Sort and
classify objects by attributes * Identify basic geometric shapes * Explore equivalent names for numbers *
Collect and analyze data from a simple graph
Music
First grade students will:
Vocal and Instrumental Technique
* Match pitches, identify melodic direction, maintain steady tempo, identify like and unlike phrases *
Demonstrate and practice correct posture and handling of instruments, proper breathing, appropriate
dynamics and phrasing, understand question and answer patterns of melodic and rhythmic phrases, and
improvise simple melodies and rhythmic/melodic ostinati * Read, compose and notate simple melodic
patterns and rhythmic/melodic ostinati and recognize musical symbols * Identify form, tone color,
dynamics, rhythm, melody and tempo * Identify the role of musicians and examples of music and
demonstrate appropriate behavior for various settings and genres of music and musical cultures * Listen
to music representing genres and styles from diverse cultures * Develop criteria for evaluating music
using musical terminology
Please note: Band and strings are available for students at various grade levels. Please ask your child’s
music teacher for more information.
Physical Education
First grade students will:
* Learn about basic locomotor skills, movement, body and spatial awareness, balance, dodging, chasing,
fleeing, throwing and catching, dribbling with hands, kicking and punting, volleying and striking * Introduce
students to team building and adventure education concepts
Reading
First grade students will:
Experience quality literature, fiction and non-fiction text * Read for understanding * Learn strategies to
gain meaning from reading * Learn strategies to self-correct when reading * Apply skills and strategies to
various forms of reading materials * Read fluently by observing punctuation marks in oral reading *
Recognize basic sight words * Recognize high-frequency words and new vocabulary * Use initial, medial
and final consonant sounds, consonant blends and vowel patterns to decode words * Predict words
based on letters and sounds * Use pictures and context clues to identify words * Predict outcomes for a
story * Retell the beginning, middle and end of a story * Find the main idea, the story details, the
sequence and the cause and effect of story events * Understand question words (who, what, when,
where, how and why) * Respond to questions based on reading material * Follow written directions *
Begin to develop critical reading skills * Begin to select materials for independent reading
Science
First grade science modular units include: Life Cycle of Butterflies, Weather and Solids and Liquids
The students will:
Increase use of basic process skills and develop inquiry skills * Generate group questions about objects
or events that can be answered through scientific investigations * Conduct simple experiments and draw
conclusions * Discover the nature of weather through observation and data collection * Identify
characteristics of weather and the effects they have on our daily lives * Identify weather patterns from
data charts including temperature, wind speed and precipitation * Observe and describe the properties of
solids and liquids * Sort solids into groups on the basis of their properties * Recognize that tests can be
performed to investigate properties of solids and liquids that cannot otherwise be observed * Identify
different sequential stages of a butterfly’s life cycle as egg, larva/caterpillar, chrysalis, and adult *
Describe basic needs of butterflies and determine how different parts of a butterfly work together to make
it function * Recognize that stars and constellations appear in the sky and observe their location among
other constellations
Social Studies
The students will:
* Identify reasons for rules and laws * Identify routines in daily life (home and school) * Identify examples
of the rights and responsibilities of citizenship * Identify components of culture (customs, traditions,
celebrations) and how they contribute to a community * Identify places and regions * Identify physical
features: continents, oceans; human features; country, state * Explain the need for laws in our community
* Explain key national holidays and their origins (e.g.: Independence Day, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day,
Veterans Day, Presidents’ Day) * Identify national symbols that instill a sense of patriotism in the United
States (e.g.: bald eagle, Washington Monument, Statue of Liberty) * Identify leaders in the state and
nation and describe their roles
Second Grade
Art
Second grade students will:
* Learn about and experience the elements of art and the principles of design * Create and characterize
the concept of line * Use shape to create depth and patterns * Discuss and recognize warm/cool and
light/dark colors * Recognize various surface textures * Identify space in regard to near/far and via
symmetrical composition, and work with 3-dimensional form * Use elements to create balance and
contrast, learn how to create a focal point * Express movement in art using one of the elements * Use two
or more objects to show scale * Use the repetition of two or more elements in a linear format * Create art
using one or more elements to produce a unified theme
Health
Second grade students will:
Describe how abilities and responsibilities change over time * Demonstrate healthy personal hygiene
practices * Identify the steps in a decision making model * Describe the negative effects caused by the
misuse of drugs * Describe the general function of organs and body systems * Identify the roles and
responsibilities of community and health care workers * Describe possible health related problems
caused by environmental factors * Identify good & bad decisions and provide alternatives * Demonstrate
appropriate responses to emergency situations * Identify appropriate ways to resolve conflicts
Language Arts
Second grade students will:
Follow a logical sequence when telling a story * Print with uniform size and spacing * Expand simple
sentences with descriptive words and phrases * Use periods after abbreviations and initials * Use
apostrophe in contractions and possessive singular * Use capitals in proper names, places and
organizations * Use correct subject – verb agreement * Write in complete sentences * Write invitations
and thank you notes * Use commas in dates, addresses, greeting and closing of friendly letters *
Recognize and write statements, questions, commands and exclamations * Write a simple story with
correct sequence * Use correct spelling words in written work * Use a dictionary for spelling and defining
words * Locate information about a topic
Library
Second grade students will:
Identify the purpose of the Caldecott Award * Study the genre areas of: poetry, biography, mystery, nonfiction, autobiography, folklore * Select books independently on reading level * Demonstrate check-out
and return procedures independently * Locate the biography section * Demonstrate appropriate library
manners: behavior, respect, book care and other procedures. *Recognize the purpose of the online
library catalog * Learn keyword, author, title and subject buttons on online catalog * Learn location,
purpose and use of index, table of contents and title page * Utilize book parts to assist in book selection
(i.e. cover, pages, spine) * Distinguish books according to alphabetical arrangement of easy, fiction and
numerical arrangement of non-fiction
Please note: the library curriculum is currently being revised (as of 1-1-2012). Therefore, the information
listed above may differ slightly beginning in the 2012-2013 school year.
Mathematics
Second grade students will:
Identify place value for ones, tens and hundreds * Identify and use problem solving strategies including
number patterns to solve addition and subtraction problems * Construct fact families for addition and
subtraction * Use various methods of computation to solve multi-digit addition and subtraction problems *
Use mental math to estimate, then add and subtract * Develop and use problem solving strategies to
solve multiplication and division problems * Construct multiplication and division fact families up to 9 x 5 *
Know addition and subtraction facts to 20 * Find the missing addends for any multiple of 10 up to 100 *
Estimate approximate costs and sums * Compare fractions using a visual model * Give the fraction name
for the shaded part of a collection * Use equivalent coins to show money amounts in different ways up to
$2.00 * Make change from values of a dollar or less * Tell time to five minute intervals * Measure to the
nearest inch and centimeter * Understand the concepts of area, perimeter and volume * Indicate degrees
Fahrenheit on a thermometer * Identify two and three-dimensional shapes by name * Identify symmetrical
figures * Identify, draw and label parallel and nonparallel line segments * Find equivalent names for
numbers * Determine the median, maximum, minimum and range of a data set using a bar graph * Plot
and interpret data on a bar graph
Music
Second grade students will:
Vocal and Instrumental Technique
* Match pitches * Identify melodic direction * Maintain steady tempo * Identify like and unlike phrases *
Demonstrate and practice correct posture and handling of instruments, proper breathing, appropriate
dynamics and phrasing * Understand question and answer patterns of melodic and rhythmic phrases, and
improvise simple melodies and rhythmic/melodic ostinati * Read, compose and notate simple melodic
patterns and rhythmic/melodic ostinati and recognize musical symbols * Identify form, tone color,
dynamics, rhythm, melody and tempo * Identify the role of musicians and examples of music, and
demonstrate appropriate behavior for various settings and genres of music and musical cultures * Listen
to music representing genres and styles from diverse cultures * Develop criteria for evaluating music
using musical terminology
Please note: Band and strings are available for students at various grade levels. Please ask your child’s
music teacher for more information.
Physical Education
Second grade students will:
* Learn about locomotor skills, fundamental movement skills including jumping, changing speed and
direction and manipulation of an object in time * Learn non-locomotor skills including bending, twisting,
turning, pushing, pulling, moving up and down and rolling skills * Body and spatial awareness, balance,
transfer of weight, shooting skills, dodging, chasing, fleeing, throwing, catching, kicking, punting,
volleying, striking * Emphasize team building, adventure education and physical fitness concepts
Reading
Second grade students will:
Expand comprehension strategies for gaining meaning from reading fiction and non-fiction * Use a table
of contents * Expand knowledge of consonant and vowel patterns * Use knowledge of reliable
syllabication patterns * Recognize root words and word endings * Acquire and use a reading vocabulary
* Use context clues to recognize meaning * Identify synonyms and antonyms * Read orally with good
expression and fluency * Skim to find information * Expand critical reading skills and strategies * Identify
elements of a story: characters, setting, problem, solution, events and conclusion * Identify point of view
from which a story is told * Distinguish between realism and fantasy * Summarize major ideas *
Participate in guided discussions * Read for pleasure for sustained periods of time
Science
Second grade science modular units include: Changes, Balance and Weighing, Soils and New Plants
The students will:
Recognize and use the elements of scientific inquiry to solve problems * Record investigation results on
record sheets, bar graphs, line plots, data tables and Venn diagrams and draw conclusions from the
information collected * Explore the weight and mass of objects through scientific investigations *
Understand the concept of balancing and weighing and conduct simple investigations to address
questions generated * Describe the change to objects caused by heat, cold, light or chemicals
* Demonstrate that a substance can change in appearance yet remain the same substance * Observe
and describe solids, liquids and gases by their properties including color, size, shape, odor, texture and
weight * Observe and illustrate evaporation and condensation * Perform simple tests to describe and
identify soil components * Identify environmental variables that affect plant growth and organisms
* Observe and identify changes in moon shapes * Understand plant life cycles and the inter-relationship
and interdependence of plants and insects * Examine and explain changes in plants by using time and
measurement * Determine how different parts of a living thing work together to make the organism
function * Explain why each of the four elements in a habitat is essential for survival
Social Studies
The students will:
* Identify ways a community can solve problems by following rules and voting * Compare and contrast
rural, urban, and suburban communities * Identify characteristics of good citizenship * Identify
contributions of historical figures who have influenced the community, state, and nation * Identify
locations on a map using a map key, symbols and cardinal directions * Locate states, our country and our
continent on a map and globe * Find locations on a map grid * Distinguish between producing and
consuming * Identify people who provide services to our community and how taxes pay for these services
* Compare and contrast the jobs of a mayor, governor and the President * Explain how citizens choose
then vote for a leader * Describe how national holidays are celebrated * Identify and explain the
significance of various community, state, national and world landmarks * Describe how science and
technology have changed communication and transportation * Identify how artifacts and inventions have
impacted ancient and modern society
Third Grade
Art
Third grade students will:
* Learn about and experience the elements of art and the principles of design * Use line to create a focal
point and to express emotion * Differentiate between geometric and free form shapes * Interpret
movement through shape repetition * List color families, mix neutral colors, use a variety of media to
express texture * Identify positive and negative space * Create 3D forms using additive and subtractive
processes * Recognize that dissimilar elements can create balance and use contrast to make a more
dramatic artistic statement * Use a focal point to create a theme in a work of art * Recognize that physical
movement and musical movement can be expressed in art * Use the repetition of two or more elements
to create art in a non-linear format * Learn that the opposite of harmony is discord
Health
Third grade students will:
Describe the changes that occur between childhood and adolescence * Describe the function of the body
systems * Explain the components of a healthy diet * Demonstrate an understanding of appropriate
strategies to resist drug misuse and abuse * Identify and define communicable and non-communicable
diseases * Identify health related products and services * Identify ways to reduce exposure to the
environmental factors that pose health related problems * Demonstrate and explain appropriate
responses to emergency situations * Apply knowledge of safety rules and procedures to various
situations
Language Arts
Third grade students will:
Rephrase an author’s information for an oral or written report * Use commas for items in a series * Use
apostrophe in possessive plurals * Use a colon when writing time * Use quotation marks in a direct
quotation * Apply rules for pronoun-antecedent agreement * Use context clues to spell homonyms * Write
structured paragraphs with a topic sentence and at least two supporting details * Write friendly letters *
Make the transition from manuscript to cursive writing * Distinguish helping verbs from main verbs *
Identify forms of verbs, adjectives, pronouns * Use reference books to gain information
Library
Third grade students will:
Extend knowledge of Caldecott Award books * Study the genre areas of: realistic fiction and fables
* Review the genres of poetry, non-fiction, biographies and mystery * Select books on appropriate level
* Work with classmates to solve information problems * Use resources and equipment responsibly
* Identify appropriate print resources based on need * Locate fiction and non-fiction books in the library by
call number * Use a printed resource to acquire information * Locate information in text/print * Perform a
directed online search when needed * Perform a keyword/subject, title, author and series search within
the catalog * Learn the importance of a bibliography * Learn selected online databases * Use correct
format when searching for person names * Use a table of contents and index * Differentiate between fact
and fiction books * Learn the use of reference materials, print and non print
Please note: the library curriculum is currently being revised (as of 1-1-2012). Therefore, the information
listed above may differ slightly beginning in the 2012-2013 school year.
Mathematics
Third grade students will:
Read, write and compare whole numbers up to seven digits * Read, write, compare and order decimals
up through thousandths * Identify and use problem solving strategies, including number patterns to solve
problems * Apply appropriate estimation strategies for sums and products * Use various methods of
computation to solve multi-digit addition, subtraction, multiplication and division problems * Recall all
multiplication facts through 10 * Solve word problems involving positive and negative numbers * Compare
and order fractions up to tenths * Count combinations of bills and coins and write the total in dollars-andcents notation * Tell and show times to the nearest minute * Find the area and perimeter of a polygon *
Estimate and measure line segments to the nearest 1/8 inch or centimeter * Calculate the volume of
rectangular prisms * Identify, draw and name line segments, lines, rays and angles * Identify and name 2D and 3-D shapes * Identify symmetric figures and draw lines of symmetry * Find equivalent names for
numbers * Understand and apply the language of probability * Compute the mean and median of a data
set
Music
Third grade students will:
Vocal and Instrumental Technique
* Maintain consistent tonality and steady beat/meter * Identify melodic direction and like/unlike phrases *
Match melodic pitch * Recognize phrasing and form * Improvise simple melodies and rhythmic/melodic
ostinati * Sing harmonically * Learn basic chord progressions * Read simple notation and notate *
Compose simple melodic and rhythmic patterns in various meters * Identify elements of music, various
form, tone color, instruments and their families * Identify the role of musicians and examples of music,
and demonstrate appropriate behavior for various settings and genres of music and musical cultures *
Develop criteria for evaluating music using musical terminology
Please note: Band and strings are available for students at various grade levels. Please ask your child’s
music teacher for more information.
Physical Education
Third grade students will:
* Learn locomotor skills, movement skills such as accelerating and decelerating, speed and force, and
jumping skills * Recognize spatial awareness and movement through force, flow and speed * Develop
concepts of balance, transfer of weight, dodging, chasing and fleeing, throwing and catching, shooting
skills, dribbling with hands, volleying, striking, kicking and punting * Emphasize team building, adventure
education and physical fitness concepts
Reading
Third grade students will:
Use phonics, word analysis skills and context clues to decode new words * Expand knowledge of prefixes
and suffixes * Recognize homophones and homographs * Read familiar materials fluently * Preview text
and identify purpose for reading * Make and confirm predictions * Recognize multiple meanings of words
* Identify and use new vocabulary appropriately * Identify topic sentences * Identify story theme *
Recognize character traits * Make generalizations * Recognize figurative language * Identify idiomatic
expressions * Use dictionary guide words * Use comprehension skills and strategies to read and
understand stories and text in the content areas * Use graphic organizers * Summarize ideas in text
Science
Third grade science modular units include: Chemical Tests, Structures of Life, Electric Circuits and Water
The students will:
Understand and use inquiry, language arts and problem solving skills to solve scientific problems * Utilize
computer skills in gathering data * Predict, observe, describe and record results of tests * Explore basic
chemical concepts, including properties and change of substances and systems * Observe and record the
different physical and chemical properties of common household chemicals * Describe properties of water
in liquid, solid and gaseous states * Explain and illustrate evaporation and condensation * Identify how the
environment provides for the needs of people * Develop proper laboratory techniques to ensure safety
and avoid contamination * Identify different types of circuit models * Apply appropriate simple modeling
tools and techniques to construct circuits * Apply the technological design process to solve a simple
problem * Identify energy forms and examples * Identify and apply models as tools for prediction and
insight * Observe and identify differences between planets using the Planetarium as a model * Generate
group questions about organisms that can be answered through scientific investigations * Determine how
different parts of a living thing work together to make the organism function * Describe how organisms
interact with nature to meet their needs for food and shelter
Social Studies
The students will:
* Describe different sized communities and explain how people operate within them to provide goods and
services and create interdependence * Compare and contrast the different components of cultures and
ethnicities and how they make a community a better place to live * Identify rules, laws and consequences
and their importance to a community * Identify and locate physical and human features and regions on
maps and globes (hemispheres, poles, continents, states, etc.) * Identify and use the components of a
map to locate places and create new maps * Compare and contrast types of settlements (cities, suburbs,
rural areas) * Use chronological thinking to create and interpret time lines * Explain the principles and
ideals of good citizenship (justice, equality, responsibility) * Analyze the operation of a system of laws and
their necessity in governing a community * Describe the structure of local community government and
how officials are chosen * List and explain the three branches of government * Identify and use directions
and components of a map to locate places * Explain the role of migration and immigration of people and
how it has affected the development of our nation
Fourth Grade
Art
Fourth grade students will:
* Learn about and experience the elements of art and the principles of design * Illustrate form and create
value with line * Reduce a simple object to simple shapes and recognize proportional relationships *
Emphasize mixing color to create tints and shades * Utilize color relationships of monochromatic, warm
and cool colors * Simulate and invent texture * Recognize positive and negative space in art and
perspectives of foreground, background and middleground * Address form in sculpture through additive
and subtractive processes * Use dissimilar elements to create balance * Use contrast to create mood or
feeling * Address subtleties in contrast of white, grey and black * Recognize that focal point of art can
change with the observer * Express visually rhythm or movement * Recognize that scale is a key factor in
perspective and that pattern creates details and texture * Recognize that discord attracts the observer’s
attention to a work of art
Health
Fourth grade students will:
*Explain the importance of having healthy relationships * Explain how families influence personal health
behaviors * Identify the unique strengths individuals bring to relationships * Explain the structure and
function of the body systems including the nervous system * Identify and explain common community
health problems * Generalize how individuals can address community and environmental issues * Explain
the interdependency among living things and their environment * Explain the structure and function of the
immune system * Identify communicable and non-communicable diseases and ways they can be avoided
* Evaluate decisions and recommend alternatives * Generalize several non-violent, positive behaviors for
resolving conflict * Extend knowledge of appropriate responses to emergencies * Explain and use safe
practices to reduce chance of injury * Assess personal safety habits * Develop personal safety goals and
identify the steps necessary for their accomplishment
Language Arts
Fourth grade students will:
* Identify run-on sentences and sentence fragments * Use commas for direct address and to separate
clauses of compound sentences * Use periods for initials, abbreviations and outline numerals * Underline
titles of books * Use quotation marks for titles of poems, short stories and other short works * Use the
steps writing process * Compose a multi-paragraph essay with appropriate organization * Write with a
focus and well developed content * Write a business letter * Use nouns, pronouns, verbs, adverbs and
adjectives in writing * Revise and edit written work * Give an oral book report * Plan and implement the
steps in giving a report * Use reference books to gain information * Use an index, a glossary and a
dictionary pronunciation key
Library
Fourth grade students will:
Review genre areas of historical fiction and fantasy * Review books that are Caldecott Award recipients *
Select books on appropriate level and/or interest * Recognize the Newbery and Coretta Scott King
Awards * Learn the terms copyright and plagiarism * Work with classmates to locate information * Use
equipment and materials responsibly * Learn criteria that will help to evaluate resources * Review
appropriate electronic resources * Learn of research methods such as the Big6 * Learn of specialized
research tools such as an atlas, almanac, biographical dictionary, etc. * Perform searches in catalog
including keyword, author, title, series, Webpath Express, call number and subject * Learn of citation
formatting
Please note: the library curriculum is currently being revised (as of 1-1-2012). Therefore, the information
listed above may differ slightly beginning in the 2012-2013 school year.
Mathematics
Fourth grade students will:
Know multiplication facts to 12 * Know and apply skills to name the values of digits to hundred millions *
Estimate sums and differences of multi-digit numbers * Add positive and negative integers (numbers) *
Solve multi-digit multiplication and division problems using traditional and alternative strategies *
Demonstrate, explain and write strategies for solving multiplication and division number stories * Solve
rate problems using rate tables * Rename fractions with denominators of 10 and 100 as decimals *
Identify equivalencies between 100ths - fractions, decimals and percents * Estimate the weight of objects
in ounces and grams * Express metric measures with decimals * Recall and apply formulas to find areas
of rectangles, parallelograms and triangles * Identify, draw and measure acute, right, obtuse, straight and
reflex angles * Name and locate points specified by ordered number pairs on a coordinate grid * Name,
draw and label line segments, lines, rays, angles, triangles and quadrangles * Identify and describe right
angles, parallel lines and line segments * Interpret open sentences by identifying the variable * Apply
parentheses to make true number sentences * Apply landmarks of maximum, minimum, median, mode
and range
Music
Fourth grade students will:
Vocal and Instrumental Technique
* Maintain consistent tonality and steady beat/meter * Identify melodic direction and like/unlike phrases *
Match melodic pitch * Recognize phrasing and form * Improvise simple melodies and rhythmic/melodic
ostinati * Sing harmonically * Learn basic chord progressions * Read simple notation and notate/compose
simple melodic and rhythmic patterns in various meters * Identify elements of music, various form, tone
color, instruments and their families * Respond to cues of a conductor * Rehearse music in two or more
parts * Identify the role of the audience * Identify the role of musicians and examples of music *
Demonstrate appropriate behavior for various settings and genres of music and musical cultures *
Develop criteria for evaluating music using musical terminology
Please note: Band and strings are available for students at various grade levels. Please ask your child’s
music teacher for more information.
Physical Education
Fourth grade students will:
* Learn about locomotor skills, movement skills such as accelerating and decelerating, speed and force,
and jumping skills * Recognize spatial awareness and movement through force, flow and speed *
Develop concepts of balance, transfer of weight, dodging, chasing and fleeing, throwing and catching,
shooting skills, dribbling with hands, volleying and striking, kicking, punting and dribbling * Emphasize
team building, adventure education and physical fitness concepts
Reading
Fourth grade students will:
Use decoding skills and strategies including phonics, syllabication, affixes context clues * Read familiar
materials aloud fluently and accurately * Use new vocabulary in content areas * Identify author’s purpose
* Draw conclusions and summarize * Infer theme, cause and effect * Identify humor * Distinguish between
major and minor characters * Use literary devices by distinguishing between metaphors and similes, literal
and figurative language, and identifying exaggeration and personification * Distinguish among myths,
folktale and fairytales * Distinguish between fiction and non-fiction selections * Read and interpret maps,
diagrams and bar graphs * Understand the use of italics, bold print and heading * Develop test-taking
skills * Use comprehension skills and strategies in all content areas
Science
Fourth grade science modular units include: Plant Growth; Sun, Moon, Stars; Investigating Ecosystems;
Land and Water
The students will:
* Use science process skills to plan and conduct an experiment in which variables are controlled *
Understand plant life cycles and the inter-relationship and interdependence of plants and insects *
Examine and explain changes in plants by using time and measurement * Determine how different parts
of a living thing work together to make the organism function * Use stream tables as a model to
investigate the interactions between water and land * Investigate how the flow of water and the slope of
the land affect erosion and deposition * Recognize soil as a composite of weathered materials and
organic matter at the earth’s surface * Explain how the water cycle, including the processes of
evaporation, condensation and precipitation and the passage of water over and through the land affect
the shape of the land * Investigate how humans can affect erosion and deposition in various ways,
including clearing the land, planting vegetation and building dams * Identify ecosystems as stable or
disturbed and recognize whether the causes of a disturbed ecosystem are natural or human-made *
Explain what happens to a living organism when its food supply, access to water, shelter or space is
changed * Illustrate through foods webs that organisms in an ecosystem have dependent and
interdependent relationships * Explain energy flow through a food web starting with the sun * Learn that
Earth rotates on its axis, causing day and night * Learn that the moon orbits the Earth * Observe and
record how the moon changes its phase in a regular pattern over four weeks
Social Studies
The students will:
* Use primary sources to acquire information about the land in Pennsylvania * Explain how the location of
resources has affected human and economic patterns in Pennsylvania and the ways the people adjust
their impact on the environment * Use a primary source to acquire information about life in early
Pennsylvania * Explain why Native Americans settled in Pennsylvania and the cultural contributions of
Native Americans to Pennsylvania history * Compare and contrast the European settlers and Native
American people who lived in what is now Pennsylvania * Identify contributions of individuals and groups
in Pennsylvania from the arrival of William Penn in 1682 until the 1800’s * Explain the basic principles and
ideals within the documents governing the new colony of Pennsylvania * Identify and explain the
importance of the Ohio River valley and why it caused conflict between the French and the British *
Identify and explain the effects of the French and Indian War on Pennsylvania * Explain the sequence of
events that led to conflict between Britain and its colonies * Explain the basic principles and ideals within
the documents of Pennsylvania and United States governments * Explain the importance of
Pennsylvania’s role in forming the government of the United States * Explain the events that led to and
the effects of the Civil War * Identify and explain the Underground Railroad, Emancipation Proclamation,
importance of the Battle of Gettysburg * Identify the contribution of Pennsylvania soldiers to the Union’s
victory at Gettysburg
Fifth Grade
Art
Fifth grade students will:
* Learn about and experience the elements of art and the principles of design * Create movement and
rhythm with line * Create the illusion of 3D space on a 2D surface with line * Use size and placement of
shapes to create a focal point * Recognize that warm colors advance and cool colors recede * Learn how
to use color theory to express moods and feelings * Use texture to create the illusion of realistic objects *
Use a one point perspective with a vanishing point * Use various processes to produce relief and free
standing sculpture * Use shades and tints to create the illusion of a 3D form on a 2D surface * Create
balance by using similar and dissimilar elements * Recognize that real balance is related to but different
from visual balance * Use elements to create subtle contrasts in art * Identify obvious and subtle focal
points to support the emotional response * Recognize that movement is not always portrayed through a
focal point * Use distortion of scale to create tension and mood * Employ pattern to visually illustrate or
actually create a tactile surface * Introduce discord in a work of art
Health
Fifth grade students will:
* Identify the physical and psychology changes of puberty * Explain ways to maintain healthy
relationships * Enhance interpersonal communication skills * Apply conflict resolution skills to family
situations * Explain the relationship between diet and good health * Explain the location and function of
the body systems including the reproductive system * Demonstrate an understanding of the appropriate
use of drugs and the effects of alcohol, tobacco and illegal drugs * Generalize the impact illegal drug use
has on society * Distinguish between accurate, reliable information and misinformation * Analyze the
messages in advertisements * Explain the importance of assuming personal responsibility for personal
health and safety * Develop, initiate, and evaluate a personal health goal * Explain the structure and
function of the immune system * Practice effective decision making
Language Arts
Fifth grade students will:
* Use the writing process to develop published writing * Use several sources to write an original report
with an introductory and closing paragraph * Write using the narrative, informational or persuasive mode *
Capitalize appropriate words in quoted materials * Apply rules for spelling in written work * Use commas
and quotation marks in quoted material and in written conversation * Use appropriate verbs in written
work * Identify main, helping and being verbs * Identify and use pronouns used after being verbs *
Develop focus, content, organization and style in written materials * Revise and edit written work * Give
oral report from notes
Library
Fifth grade students will:
Review the characteristics of a variety of genres * Choose Newbery and Coretta Scott King Award books
to read * Select books of interest * Work with classmates to locate and share information * Review cybersafety issues * Use equipment and materials responsibly * Search for periodicals using Power Library
databases * Search for information online * Learn strategies to broaden and narrow a search
* Understand evaluation criteria of online resources such as timeliness/relevancy, etc. * Use the Big6
process research method to complete an information project * Conduct keyword searches using a search
engine * Locate information using appropriate sources such as encyclopedias, periodicals, biographical
tools, almanacs, geographical tools, atlases and dictionaries * Perform the following searches in the
catalog: keyword, author, title, series, Webpath Express, call number and subject * Use Boolean
operators “and” and “or” * Use appropriate citation * Review issues regarding plagiarism and copyright
Please note: the library curriculum is currently being revised (as of 1-1-2012). Therefore, the information
listed above may differ slightly beginning in the 2012-2013 school year.
Mathematics
Fifth grade students will:
Identify place value in numbers to billions and thousandths * Round decimals to the nearest hundredth *
Identify all factors and prime factorization * Identify the greatest common factor and least common
multiple of two numbers * Compute the sum, difference, quotient and product of multi-digit whole number
and decimals * Convert between fractions, mixed numbers, decimals and percents * Add, subtract and
multiply fractions and mixed numbers with like and unlike denominators * Identify prime and composite
numbers * Understand how square numbers and their square roots are related * Rename numbers
written in exponential notation * Write and solve open sentences with variables for word problems * Know
and apply formulas to find the area, perimeter and volume of space figures and the area and
circumference of a circle * Estimate and measure different types of angles within two degrees and
determine measures based on relationships between angles * Understand and apply order of operations
to evaluate expressions and solve number sentences * Write algebraic expressions to describe situations
* Solve one and two-step pan balance problems * Solve and represent rate and ratio problems through
the use of formulas, graphs and tables *Identify the maximum, minimum, median, mode, range and mean
for a data set * Use tree diagrams to find all possible ways a sequence of choices can be made *
Compute the probability of outcomes when choices are equally likely
Music
Fifth grade students will:
Vocal and Instrumental Technique
* Maintain consistent tonality and steady beat/meter * Identify melodic direction and like/unlike phrases *
Match melodic pitch * Recognize phrasing and form * Improvise simple melodies and rhythmic/melodic
ostinati * Sing harmonically * Learn basic chord progressions · Read simple notation and notate/compose
simple melodic and rhythmic patterns in various meters * Rehearse songs in major/minor mode * Identify
elements of music, various form, tone color, instruments and their families * Respond to cues of a
conductor * Rehearse music in two or more parts * Identify the role of the audience * Identify the role of
musicians and examples of music * Demonstrate appropriate behavior for various settings and genres of
music and musical cultures * Develop criteria for evaluating music using musical terminology
Please note: Band and strings are available for students at various grade levels. Please ask your child’s
music teacher for more information.
Physical Education
Fifth grade students will:
* Learn about locomotor skills, running, leaping, and fundamental movements, and will use force, flow
and speed to transition between movements * Use pathways, levels and directions to build body and
spatial awareness skills, and develop concepts of transfer of weight, throwing and catching, shooting
skills, kicking, punting, dribbling, volleying and striking * Emphasize team building, adventure education
and physical fitness concepts
Reading
Fifth grade students will:
Predict outcomes based upon character traits, viewpoint, consequences of actions * Identify conflict in
plot development * Describe characters in terms of explicit and implicit character traits * Compare
characters in same and different selections * Critically analyze characters’ actions * Identify and use
vocabulary words * Recognize symbolism in literature * Interpret literary devices including figurative
language and alliteration * Locate information in text * Summarize information from fiction and non-fiction
text * Explore the origin of words * Demonstrate fluency in reading * Increase independent reading in all
subject areas
Science
Fifth grade science modular units include: Mixtures and Solutions, Microworlds, Motion and Design and
Investigating Weather Systems
The students will:
* Apply science process skills and technology design skills to plan and conduct simple experiments *
Design controlled experiments, recognize variables and manipulate variables * Demonstrate how to use
magnifiers, including hand lenses and microscopes to observe living and nonliving specimens *
Recognize that cells and organisms have particular structures that underlies their functions * Describe
how micro-organisms have structures that help them survive in specific environmental conditions *
Describe how all parts of weather systems are interconnected both locally and globally * Describe how
climate and extreme weather events influence people’s lives * Explain how local weather conditions, such
as temperature, wind direction and speed, precipitation, cloud cover and air pressure can be measured *
Describe a system as a group of related parts that work together to achieve a desired result * Observe
how an object moves and describe its motion and changes in motion * Design, build, test and modify
vehicles to meet design requirements * Record and compare distances a vehicle travels under various
conditions * Explore the solar system * Gain experience with the concepts of mixtures and solutions;
concentration and saturation; chemical reactions * Recognize that combining two or more substances
may make new materials with different properties * Use group problem-solving techniques to plan
investigations
Social Studies
The students will:
* Acquire information via the use of primary sources * Analyze how immigration helped to diversify the
population of the United States * Describe and compare the making of rules by direct democracy and by a
republican form of government * Locate and describe regions of the United States and their
interdependence * Describe the early Americans, their migration and the cause of their movement and
their way of life * Identify and explain how early American cultures adapted to the regions they inhabited
and their use of natural resources to exist * Compare and contrast the ancient civilizations and their
significant contributions * Identify and describe the way of life; including customs, artifacts and
ceremonies, of Native American groups in North America * Identify and explain the cultural and political
contributions of European and Asian explorers and individuals who contributed to the movement of
people * Describe the structure of a society in the new colonies established by European explorers and
the point of view of the members of these societies * Describe the accomplishments and contributions of
important colonial leaders * Explain the purpose of the initial beginnings of self-government and their
important legal documents * Compare and contrast life in the colonies to life today * Explain how conflict
impacts the sequence of events in the colonization of North America * Locate trade routes among
continents
Sixth Grade
Art
Sixth grade students will:
* Learn about and experience the elements of art and the principles of design * Use the qualities of line
and various drawing techniques to create textures and patterns * Develop and refine technique to show
depth on a 2D surface * Identify groups of related colors (natural, analogous) * Create an awareness of
textural surfaces * Explore one point perspective and positive and negative space * Form functional and
non-functional sculptures * Recognize that real balance is different from visual balance and apply real
balance to 3D art * Use contrast to create mood * Use focal point to create emotional response * Create
the illusion of movement in a work of art * Use distortion of scale to create an emotional response to art *
Recognize repetition of form can create a sculpture * Create a work of art using discord in a planned
fashion
Health
Sixth grade students will:
* Expand the knowledge of the physical and emotional changes associated with puberty * Explain how
the physical, emotional and social aspects of health interrelate during adolescence * Explain several
health benefits associated with physical activity, rest and a healthy diet * Explain ways to effectively
express feelings and opinions * Explain the role of self-concept and self-esteem in promoting wellness *
Analyze the impact of marketing and advertising techniques on food and fitness choices * Identify sources
of reliable health information and services * Develop, initiate, and evaluate a personal goal and a
personal health plan * Identify and demonstrate various strategies to resolve conflicts * Extend knowledge
of effective decision making and refusal skills * Demonstrate an understanding of safety procedures and
appropriate responses to emergency situations
Language Arts
Sixth grade students will:
Use the writing process to write in the narrative, information or persuasive mode as defined by the task *
Use a colon before a list as part of a complete sentence * Use a semicolon between clauses of a
compound sentence * Apply rules for subject and verb agreement * Use correct pronoun forms:
nominative, objective and possessive * Determine when and where to use adjectives and adverbs * Write
a five-paragraph composition with emphasis on introductory and concluding paragraphs * Continue to
develop focus, content, organization and style in written materials * Revise and edit written work * Write
content area reports using proper format for note cards, outline and bibliography * Give oral speeches on
assigned topics * Continue to develop time management and organizational study skills
Library
Sixth grade students will:
Review the characteristics of various genres, including science fiction * Recognize and choose Newbery
and Coretta Scott King Award books * Select books of interest * Work with classmates to solve
information problems * Understand cyber-safety issues * Develop strategies to broaden a search and
narrow a search using the Boolean operators “and” and “or” * Develop an awareness of other information
providers such as government agencies and public libraries * Determine and locate appropriate resources
in print and electronic format * Perform periodical searches using the Power Library databases
* Evaluate resources using established criteria, such as timeliness, etc.* Use the Big6 research process
to complete an information project * Cite resources in presentations using a structured format * Review
issues regarding copyright and plagiarism
Please note: the library curriculum is currently being revised (as of 1-1-2012). Therefore, the information
listed above may differ slightly beginning in the 2012-2013 school year.
Mathematics
Sixth frade students will:
Read, write and compare numbers from thousandths to trillions * Use exponential notation for large
numbers * Estimate products and multiply decimals * Estimate the quotient and divide a decimal by whole
numbers * Multiply by positive and negative powers of 10 * Compare and order a combination of positive
and negative integers, fractions, decimals and percents * Compare and order positive and negative
numbers * Rename numbers expressed by fractions, mixed numbers, decimals and percents *
Understand and apply the associative, commutative and distributive properties for addition and
multiplication * Add, subtract, multiply and divide positive and negative numbers * Calculate the degree
measure of each sector in a circle graph * Evaluate algebraic expressions * Use variables to describe
general patterns * Find equivalent names for numbers * Solve and graph solutions for inequalities * Write
and identify equivalent expressions and equivalent equations * Write and solve equations that represent
problem situations * Use formulas to solve problems * Simplify expressions and equations with
parentheses * Understand how increased number of trials affects experimental results * Represent rates
with formulas, tables and graphs * Collect data and construct and interpret a variety of types of graphs *
Interpret information on a spreadsheet * Plot ordered number pairs in four quadrants; use ordered
number pairs to name points in four quadrants * Calculate probability in simple situations * Understand
and use probability tree diagrams to solve problems
Music
Sixth grade students will:
Vocal and Instrumental Technique
* Maintain consistent tonality and steady beat/meter * Identify melodic direction and like/unlike phrases *
Match melodic pitch * Recognize phrasing and form, improvise simple melodies and rhythmic/melodic
ostinati * Sing harmonically * Learn basic chord progressions * Read simple notation and notate/compose
simple melodic and rhythmic patterns in various meters * Rehearse songs in major/minor mode * Identify
elements of music, various form, tone color, instruments and their families * Respond to cues of a
conductor * Rehearse music in two or more parts * Identify the role of the audience * Identify music in
SATB format * Identify the role of musicians and examples of music * Demonstrate appropriate behavior
for various settings and genres of music and musical cultures * Analyze music representing different
genres * Develop criteria for evaluating music using musical terminology
Please note: Band and strings are available for students at various grade levels. Please ask your child’s
music teacher for more information.
Physical Education
Sixth grade students will:
* Learn about locomotor skills, running, leaping, and fundamental movements, and use force, flow and
speed to transition between movements * Use pathways, levels and directions to build body and spatial
awareness skills, and develop concepts of transfer of weight, throwing and catching, shooting skills,
kicking, punting, dribbling, volleying and striking * Emphasize team building, adventure education and
physical fitness concepts
Reading
Sixth grade students will:
Identify and use key vocabulary in text * Infer meanings not explicitly stated * Describe viewpoints of
different characters * Understand use of literary techniques to build meaning * Identify major
characteristic of various kinds of literary selections * Analyze figurative language including personification,
simile, metaphor * Use word origins to determined meaning * Read and understand expository, narrative
and descriptive texts * Apply specific reading strategies in content area reading * Summarize information
* Understand the importance of reading as a lifetime skill
Science
Sixth grade science modular units include: Light, Measuring Time, Magnets and Motors and Solar Energy
The students will:
* Apply science process skills and technology design skills to plan and conduct simple experiments with
different variables * Use computer technology to generate data and to collect and record data* Identify
and describe different types of lenses and mirrors and their functions in real-life application * Identify
different patterns made with concave and convex lenses and mirrors and classify how light enters and
exits to create the results * Describe how using different types of lenses and mirrors can be used to solve
practical problems * Distinguish between a common scientific misconception and light theory * Explain the
importance of how the parts of a motor work together * Describe how magnetism and electricity can be
used to solve real-life problems * Describe the effect of changing a variable on a motor or electromagnet *
Make a simple motor from an electromagnet and rotating armature * Apply trouble-shooting strategies to
solve problems with timing devices * Describe fundamental science and technology concepts that could
solve practical problems * Define different types of problems related to timing devices * Demonstrate that
the accuracy of mechanical clocks is dependent on their design, the materials from which they are
constructed and their energy source * Demonstrate that mechanical devices can be constructed and used
to measure specific, consistent intervals of time * Design solar water heaters and passive solar space
heaters * Know that the sun is a major source of energy that emits wavelengths of visible light, infrared
and ultraviolet radiation * Become aware of the potential of solar energy, an inexhaustible source, as an
alternative energy source to fossil fuels, a nonrenewable source * Identify gravity as the force that keeps
planets in orbit around the sun and governs the rest of the movement of the solar system and the
universe * Illustrate how the positions of stars and constellations change in relation to the Earth during an
evening and from month to month * Identify changes and improvements in society as a result of the use
of solar energy
Social Studies
The students will learn:
The Beginnings of Human Society
Explain the connections between geography and history * Define and describe the essential components
of “civilization”
The Fertile Crescent
* Explain the contributions of the Fertile Crescent to modern western civilization * Explain the need for
government through analyzing problems and conflicts of each society
Ancient Egypt and Nubia
* Describe and locate land areas of Egypt and Nubia * Explain what life was like during ancient
Egyptian/Nubian times
Ancient India
* Describe and locate land areas of ancient India * Explain what life was like during ancient Indian times *
Understand the need for government through analyzing problems and conflicts of each society
Ancient China
* Describe and locate land areas of ancient China * Explain what life was like during ancient Chinese
times
The Rise and Glory of Ancient Greece
* Describe and locate land areas of ancient Greece * Explain what life was like during ancient Greek
times * Explain the contributions of ancient Greece to modern western civilization * Explain the need for
government through analyzing problems and conflicts of each society
The Rise and Glory of Ancient Rome
* Describe and locate land areas of ancient Rome * Explain what life was like during ancient Greek times
* Explain the contributions of ancient Rome to modern western civilization * Explain the need for
government through analyzing problems and conflicts of each society
Byzantine and Muslim Civilizations
* Describe and locate land areas of Arabian Peninsula * Explain the contributions of Arabian civilization to
modern western civilization
Ancient Africa
* Locate and describe the various land regions of Africa * Explain the contributions of ancient African
civilizations to modern western civilizations
Europe and the Middle Ages
* Explain the need for government through analyzing problems and conflicts of each society