Sixth Grade
A Year of Emerging Identity, Clarity, and New Understanding
As puberty approaches, sixth graders begin to experience new physical, emotional, and social changes. Their reasoning becomes more objective and analytical, and they seek a balance between growing individuality and a strong desire to belong. This stage marks an important step into early adolescence.
Our sixth grade curriculum meets this development with studies that emphasize clarity, structure, and universal laws. Astronomy, geometry, geology, business math, physics, and the Roman Empire all illuminate patterns, principles, and cause-and-effect relationships. These subjects speak to the sixth grader’s emerging sense of justice, fairness, and order during a time of significant inner and outer transformation.
Sixth Grade Curriculum
Core Academic Subjects
Your sixth grader will learn:
- Language Arts: Research and expository writing, business writing, speech and drama
- Literature: Roman mythology and Arthurian legends
- Mathematics: Business math in preparation for algebra and geometry
- Science: Physics, astronomy, and geology
- History: Roman and medieval history
- Geography: Global geography
Specialty Subjects
Subject classes are an important aspect of Waldorf education in grades 1-8, providing unique opportunities for holistic learning and the cultivation of various skills. Sixth Grade Subject classes include:
- Art: Charcoal drawing, painting, clay modeling
- Choir: Curriculum description coming soon
- Cyber Civics: Responsibility in community, cyberbullying, standing up for others, thinking before posting
- Handwork: Hand sewing a stuffed animal
- Physical Education: Circus arts including juggling, balance skills, acrobatics, gymnastics and team sports including volleyball, soccer, and basketball
- Spanish: Formal grammar, dictation, comprehensive reading, individualized dialogue, and expanded vocabulary, reading, spelling practice, poems and songs
- String Ensemble: Greater leadership is asked of students as more demanding music draws direct and indirect threads to the classroom curriculum; understanding of musical architecture, history, context, call for justice and awareness; shifting beyond the neck positions, two octave scales and arpeggios; integration of vibrato
- Woodwork: Curriculum description coming soon
Outdoor Experiences
Starting in 5th grade, students typically take two class trips per year; one in the fall and one in the spring. The purpose of class trips and outdoor education is to deepen the curriculum and broaden the students’ educational experiences.
Overnight trips provide students with a unique opportunity to bond as a group, and foster a deeper connection with the natural world. Our trips are designed to promote teamwork and self-reliance, and to cultivate environmental stewardship and community through time together and hands-on experiences.
Festivals and Events
Our students enjoy a lively calendar of festivals and events throughout the school year that celebrate the rhythm of the seasons, honor one another’s cultures and traditions, and strengthen our community.
Learn more
Cyber Civics
Independence with friendships and social exploration naturally includes conversations around social media and digital technology. Students will begin their instruction in digital citizenship and media literacy during this pivotal year.
Year-by-Year Curriculum
Every aspect of our curriculum is carefully designed to match your child’s stages of development. Browse through our year-by-year curriculum to see how we evolve to meet the needs of your child over time.
Sample Daily Schedule
- Movement and Games (P.E.)
- Main Lesson
- Snack & Recess
- Cyber Civics
- Lunch & Recess
- Spanish
- Math
- Closing
High School and Beyond
“Among the students coming to our high school from over 115 grade schools, those from CLWS often stand out in the crowd.”
–Enrollment Director of an Independent High School in Minneapolis
Area high schools tell us that our graduates are more than prepared for the challenges of high school and bring an ability to engage with teachers in a true give-and-take format that is unprecedented among their peers.
Meet Our Teachers
Jeremy Anderson
Woodworking Teacher
Neela Bettaglio
Educational Support Teacher
Maya Dunn
Movement and Games Teacher
Johanna Garcia
Pedagogical Chair and Cyber Civics Teacher
Liz Kelley
Handwork Teacher
Alicia Kuri Alamillo
Spanish Teacher (Grades 5-8)
Peter Lawton
Sixth Grade Teacher
Rebecca Merblum
Ensemble Teacher
