Grade 6

Summary of course content and activities:

Language Arts 6 includes five units with spelling, vocabulary, creative writing, and grammar activities throughout. The themes are:

• Anne of Green Gables
• Uncovering the Past
• Ecology
• Incident at Hawk’s Hill
• Poetry
• Music – Beyond the Notes

Philosophy statement for and/or behind teaching this course:

It is important for students to learn about and develop an appreciation for the communication ability that God has given us.  This encourages students to become effective communicators and discerning readers.  To accommodate a variety of learning styles, a variety of activities are provided.

Pre-requisite(s):

Language Arts 5 or equivalent

Materials and resources provided by NSA, purchased by student, and/or recommended:

Provided by NSA:

• Open Court Reading
• Anne of Green Gables
• Incident at Hawk’s Hill
• Language Power workbook
• ACSI Spelling Plus Workbook

Materials purchased or borrowed by student:

• Two novels of the students choice.

Forecasted amount of time required to complete each week's lesson:

Students should spend a minimum of 5 hrs per week on the language lessons and activities.

Major course goals:   

• Students will read four novels.  Two assigned and two of their own choice.
• Students will read a variety of short stories and poems.
• Students will complete a variety of writing activities.
• Students will work on a group of twenty spelling words each week.
• Students will complete a variety of grammar activities to learn about the forms and structures of language.

Description of student evaluations, quizzes, and tests.

Students are required to submit a variety of assignments for marking. These include digital activities, research projects, comprehension questions, writing assignments, vocabulary activities, spelling exercises, etc.

Assignments: 50%
Group Discussions 10%
Tests and quizzes 25%
Spelling Tests 15%

Students will be assessed as:

Excellent (in-depth, insightful, or exemplary skill)
Proficient (having met the outcomes of the assignment and demonstrating a strong understanding of the concepts and skills)
Satisfactory (demonstrating basic knowledge or having shown some effort to meet the outcomes of the assignment)
Beginning (incomplete understanding of the concepts and skills required for this outcome)

Summary of course content and activities:

This course consists of 36 lessons based on the Saxon 7/6 math textbook (a new course based on Alberta’s new math curriculum will be up and running in 2024).  There are 4 math lessons/week.  Students read through the lessons in the textbook and then watch the accompanying lesson on the CD.  They then complete the Practice questions for that lesson as well as the Practice Set questions for each lesson (these are review questions from multiple lessons that they have already studied).  Loom videos, provided by the NSA teacher, go over the assignment questions, so that students can review their work but have a teacher explain how to properly answer each question.  The only marked assessments are the Moodle tests, which are approximately every 2 weeks (17 exams and a final exam).

Philosophy Statement

Math 6 includes the study of the principles of mathematics.  Through the study of math, learners are given an opportunity to explore and understand the orderly and systematic world that God created.  They will become aware of the profound influence of math in their lives.  The Saxon method of mathematical learning is like a vortex, where outcomes are taught and then reviewed consistently throughout the school year; it doesn’t give students permission to forget what they’ve learned.  Relating the study of math to what the learners already know will help them see the practical side of mathematics and its relevance in daily situations.  Students learn math in relevant contexts and engage in meaningful activities.  Students are encouraged to appreciate mathematics as an endeavour that leads to practical impact on their own lives and on society as a whole.

Pre-requisite(s):

Math 5.

Materials and resources provided by NSA, purchased by student, and/or recommended:

• Saxon 7/6 Textbook.
• Saxon DIVE CD’s.
• Geometry Set.
• Scientific Calculator.
• PC computer (not an Apple, Chromebook, or iPad).
• DVD drive (internal or external).
• Printer, scanner, internet access.
• Microsoft Office (Word, PowerPoint). 
• Google Docs.

Forecasted Amount of Time:

4-6 hours per week.

Description of student evaluations, quizzes, and tests:

Exams – 100%

Summary of course content and activities:

Science 6 includes five units with hands-on activities.

• Air & Aerodynamics studies the properties of air and how they relate to movement
• Flight studies basic principles of natural and man-made flying objects
• Sky Science studies objects in the heavens, including stars, planets, and moons
• Evidence & Investigation studies the techniques forensic scientists use to gather evidence, including fingerprinting, chromatography, and tracks
• Trees & Forests studies the individual types of trees as well as their part in the forest ecosystem

Philosophy statement for and/or behind teaching this course:

It is important for students to learn about and develop an appreciation for the world that God has created. This encourages students to become good stewards of natural resources and provides them with an understanding of Godâs awesome design in the world. To accommodate a variety of learning styles, a variety of activities are provided, including opportunities for students to do hands-on activities and experiments.

Pre-requisite(s):

Science 5

Materials and resources provided by NSA, purchased by student, and/or recommended:

NO RESOURCES PROVIDED BY NSA

Purchased by student:

• A variety of household materials such as salt, sugar, food coloring, etc. (materials list will be provided)

Forecasted amount of time required to complete each week's lesson:

Students should spend a minimum of 3 hrs per week on science lessons and activities.

Description of student evaluations, quizzes, and tests:

Students are required to submit a variety of assignments for marking. These include research projects, experiment write-ups, crossword puzzles, unit tests, etc.

Summary of Course Content and Activities

Democracy: Action and Participation

• Historical Models of Democracy: Ancient Athens and the Iroquois Confederacy
• Citizens Participating in Decision Making

Grade 6 Social Studies students will examine historical models of democracy by studying the ancient Athens society as well as the Iroquois Confederacy. They will learn about current municipal and provincial governments and will recognize the unique role that each play. They will also be challenged to recognize the importance of active and responsible participation as the foundation of a democratic society. A Biblical worldview will be reinforced with each concept.

Philosophy statement for teaching this course

Grade 6 students will learn how the importance of active and responsible participation as the foundation of a democratic society.

Prerequisites

Students taking Social Studies 6 are presumed to have reached the acceptable standard or better in Social Studies 5.

Materials and Resources

Provided by NSA

• Textbook Taking Part in Our Democracy

Forecasted amount of time required to complete each week's lesson

The Social Studies 6 program will require approximately 45-60 minutes of work each day, which includes reading and assignment work. The weeks are divided into 4 days of work

Description of student evaluations, quizzes, and tests.

Course evaluation will be 70% daily assignments, and 30% tests and quizzes. Daily assignments will include comprehension questions, critical thinking questions, mapping, projects, research, group discussions, charting/graphing, and more. Tests will be completed using the on-line ExamView test format.

Summary of course content and activities:

Bible study is serious fun and students will use new techniques and learn basic skills in studying the Bible themselves.

Who should be taking this course? For whom is this course designed and intended?

The on-line course was designed specifically with grade six in mind, however, it can be used in a grade 5/6 split class or individual classes for grades 5 or 6.

Pre-requisite(s):

There is no pre-requisite for this course.

Materials and resources provided by NSA, purchased by student, and/or recommended:

• We alternate years. One year we use "God's Amazing Creation" to study Genesis 1-2 and "Digging up the Past" to study Genesis 3-11. And the next year we use   "Lord, Teach me to Pray"  and  "How to Study the Bible for kids"
• NIV Bible - provided to Grade 5 students only

Forecasted amount of time required to complete each week's lesson:

3 hours per week

Description of student evaluations, quizzes, and tests:

Assignments are 60% and memory work is 40%.

Summary of Course Content and Activities:

Physical Education and Wellness 6 (or PEW 6) is based on the new Alberta curriculum (2022).  PEW supports a strength-based focus that promotes the development of the whole individual and aims to nurture students in their pursuit of living healthy and active lifestyles.  Physical education improves the quality of life for individuals, families, and communities.  As students become physically literate, they develop the motivation, confidence, physical competence, and knowledge to value and take on the responsibility for engaging in a wide range of physical activities.  Wellness education promotes the vitality of individuals and communities and provides students with opportunities to learn about various aspects of health and wellbeing and to make informed decisions.  As students grow and develop, they access, comprehend, evaluate, communicate, and apply health and wellness-related information as a means of promoting, maintaining, and improving wellbeing in a variety of settings throughout their lifetimes.  Students who understand the importance of their wellbeing can make healthy living choices because they have developed essential knowledge and skills.

There are 9 units of study: Active Living and Motivation; Movement Skills Development; Developing Character; Personal Safety; Healthy Eating; Healthy Relationships; Decision Making; Human Reproduction (opt-in); and Financial Literacy.  There are also monthly physical activity logs to complete.

Please note that the Human Reproduction unit is an “opt-in” unit of study and requires parental approval before a student is allowed to take part in it.  Parents can contact the school to gain access to the course in order to view the unit’s contents.

On top of Alberta Education’s goals and outcomes, this course is designed to help students develop a godly understanding of who they are, from a biblical perspective, and to also learn how to take care of their bodies in a healthy manner, through eating well and daily physical activity.  Health and life skills involve learning about the habits, behaviours, interactions, and decisions related to healthy daily living and planning for the future.

There is an assignment at the end of each unit of study that relates back to the information taught in the lesson.  Also, there are formative assessments placed throughout the lessons, such as Group Discussions and Table Talks and Case Studies, that students think through to develop their understanding of the course material and have parents actively work with them to provide their practical input based on their own personal experiences.

Philosophy Statement:

God has created each person as unique individuals, with different bodies, minds, interests, personalities, families, etc.  Thankfully, we can be assured that God spent time thinking about and planning every part of us.  Psalm 139:13-16 says:

“For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.  I praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Your works are wonderful, I know that full well.  My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.  Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in Your book before one of them came to be.”

Learning to eat healthy foods and in moderation, along with daily physical activity, helps our bodies to be the best that they can be in order to serve the Lord.  Additionally, knowing what to think and how to think, through a proper grasp of who we are in relation to the God of the universe, helps us to organize our thought-life in a way that supports a biblical worldview.  This, then, benefits us as we learn to live and think rightly in a world that wants to pull us away from God.

Prerequisites:

It is highly recommended that students take PEW 5, but it is not required.

Materials:

• PC computer (not an Apple, Chromebook, or iPad), printer, scanner, internet access.

Forecasted Amount of Time:

At least 20 minutes/day for PE activity and 10 minutes/day for Wellness assignments.

Evaluation:

Unit Assignments (Wellness) – 50%

Monthly Activity Logs (PE) – 50%