Sixth grade students are increasing their awareness of the environment and ecology. They will focus their studies on geology, and geophysics, including plate tectonics, earth structure, topography and energy. Ecology and resource management are also emphasized. Students also participate in meaningful investigations and experiments in earth sciences.

Sixth grade mathematics is a transition between arithmetic and algebra. By the end of sixth grade students will have mastered the four arithmetic operations, and will apply their knowledge to a variety of problems. They will be able to collect data and display it in a variety of ways.  They will also begin to use letters for numbers to represent an unknown part of an expression, and will solve one-step linear equations.

At Krouzian-Zekarian-Vasbouragan Armenian School, the Armenian Studies program is designed to teach, promote, and perpetuate the wealth of the Armenian language and culture. The Armenian Language Arts and Armenian History curriculum are developed by the Prelacy Board of Regents.

Students have the opportunity and privilege to read classical Armenian literature from western and eastern poets and authors. Through these works, they analyze different themes and current events. Vocabulary is taken from the passages read. Students learn about different genres of literature.

Grammar is taught and revised through various styles of writing. Students write about different topics. Students use technology for their research projects and presentations.
Students attend and participate in various lectures organized by the Armenian department. They also take part in workshops given by visiting guests.

The Armenian History is focused mainly on the origins of the Armenian people until the Ardashesian kingdom. Besides the history book provided by the Prelacy Board of Regents, students learn about Armenian holidays and current events, and special traditions. Students also participate in Armenian assemblies and Hanteses.

While we will deal somewhat with current events, the focus of our class is ancient history.  We will begin with early hominids, and explore archeological methods and pre-historic developments of significance, including the emergence of language, tool-making, taming fire. We will proceed to the early civilizations of Mespotamia, and follow the development of cultures throughout the world, including Babylon,Sumeria, Egypt, Kush, Africa in general, the Americas, including Olmec, Toltec and Mayan cultures, China, India, Isreal, Greece,  Macedonia, Persia, Rome, Byzantium and ending with the influence of early Christianity.

Among goals for the course are that students should learn the relationship between geography, climate and culture, that they should understand and respect differences in cultural and religious views, see patterns between cultures in the development of ideas, the attempts of people to live a good life, the relative status of women and children and the relationship of ancient cultures to each other and to our own.

We will read several novels parallel to studying different literary elements and techniques (such as characterization, plot, theme, setting, figurative language, allusion etc.). The planned novels are John Steinbeck’s The Red Pony, Julius Lester’s The Pharaoh’s Daughter (a novel to tie in their studies of ancient Egypt), Grace Lin’s fantasy, Where the Mountain Meets the Moon, and Lois Lowry’s science fiction novel, The Giver (the books are subject to change). In addition to the novel units, students will have an opportunity to experience working with a variety of genres including; short story, poetry, drama, and non-fiction.  Students will continue to develop higher-level thinking skills as they interpret and evaluate additional materials such as newspapers, magazines, and multimedia. Students will use various reading strategies in an effort to make connections (text to text, reader to text, text to world, etc) and improve their comprehension.

In sixth grade, the student becomes a fluent writer. Through the development of writing territories (personal experiences/seeds for writing) the students begin to recognize and develop a sense of who they are as writers. While students will be given opportunity to pull from their personal territories, they will also be given a focus for which they need to develop in their writing. Students in the sixth grade will be able to describe something in detail, as well as successfully tell a sequential story.  They will be given plenty of opportunity to practice the organization and development of essays. Students will have the opportunity to write fiction, memoir, poetry, and expository and come to understand the different elements in each. Sixth graders continue to learn techniques for improving a piece of writing, reworking the text to clarify meaning, bring life and color to their writing, and to correct writing errors.