The Sixth Grade Syllabus contains detailed daily lesson plans for Religion, Mathematics, Grammar, Editing, Spelling, Poetry, Science, History, Geography, Latin, Art and Music. It also contains a variety of teaching resources including Sixth Grade Subject Rubrics and Learning Objectives, suggested daily schedules, teaching tips, grading charts, a list of grade level appropriate literature correlated to the history, and a final test for the Latin text. We have provided below a sample of the first week from the syllabus along with a list of the books used in the syllabus.
In Religion we use St. Joseph’’s Baltimore Catechism, No. 2 to continue the study of Catholic doctrine. We also use the Gospel according to St. Mark and the Gospel according to St. Luke along with study questions for each chapter to facilitate discussion in the study of Sacred Scripture. In Mathematics we use Math 76 (Saxon) to develop facility in computation and understanding of mathematical principles. In Grammar we recommend either Voyages in English 6 with the Elementary Diagramming Worktext (Daly) or Easy Grammar, Grade 6 (Phillips) to continue the formal study of grammar which assumes a more central place in the curriculum this year along with literature, poetry and history all of which contribute to the formation of the intellect in a way that is appropriate at the end of the Grammatical stage. We begin the practice of Editing through either Editor in Chief Level 1 or The Great Editing Adventure, Vol. II. In Spelling we recommend continuing to use The Writing Road to Reading along with Starting a Spelling Notebook. In Poetry we continue to use The Harp and Laurel Wreath for selections of poetry to memorize. In Science we recommend Exploring the Building Blocks of Science 6, OR Balance Beam (Tops) and Pendulum (Tops) OR Magnetism (Tops) and Electricity (Tops). In History we begin The Old World and America which provides a springboard for the study of Egypt and other ancient civilizations through supplemental texts such as Pharaohs of Ancient Egypt and Pyramids. We also provide the student with a list of historical fiction, including works like God King: A Story in the Days of King Hezekiah, Mara, Daughter of the Nile, and The Hittite Warrior, to complement the study of history through literature. In Geography, which is correlated with history, we use The Penguin Historical Atlas of Ancient Egypt (Penguin) to let the student master the geography of Egypt and the Ancient World through extensive map work. In Latin we use Beginning Latin III or Fundamentals in Latin Grammar 1 to continue the formal study of Latin. In Art we use Calligraphy – First Steps Series (Marsh) to encourage the practical application while we use Art 7 for Young Catholics (Seton Press) for continued appreciation. In Music we use Alfred's Essentials of Music Theory along with classical music selections for music appreciation.
Current Edition: © 2019.
Online versions of the MODG syllabi are provided to enrolled families free of charge. Paper copies of the syllabi are also available for purchase from the MODG office, with a 30% discount for enrolled families.
| Day | Assignment |
|---|---|
| 1 | Read Lesson 1 of The Baltimore Catechism, #2. |
| 2 | Do the “Discussion Questions” on p. 11 orally. |
| 3 | Do the “True or False” and “Fill in the Blanks” exercises on p. 11 in writing. |
| 4 | Start working on memorizing the questions and answers for this chapter. (Note to parents: Follow the same procedure all year (for those who have used other Mother of Divine Grace syllabi, this procedure will be familiar) when introducing new questions and answers. First read the question and the answer while the student listens, then read the question again, and have your student try to answer it. If he can, great. If he can’t answer it, fine, just prompt him through it. Do it one more time, prompting him through it if necessary, and then go on to the next question. Resist the temptation to go over and over the new questions. Chances are good you will actually be setting up impediments to memorization by doing that. It is better, at least for the most part, to go over this information with the children orally. Though a sixth grade student can be given the text and told to memorize the questions and answers on his own, doing so will usually result in poorer memorization, and less comprehension, as well as in the loss of an opportunity to develop an important habit. One should keep in mind that the spoken word is closer to the concept than the written word. The written word is a sign of the spoken word, which is itself a sign of the concept in the soul. Grasping higher and more difficult concepts is easier when the instruction is given orally. Additionally, in our culture a great deal of instruction is given visually. Much of our teaching and learning is from what we read rather than from what we hear. In the memorization of these questions and answers our children have an opportunity to learn audially, in a context where the investment of time on the part of the teacher is minimal, but the results can have life-long importance. The information learned is important and the method whereby it is acquired is also formative.) |
| Day | Assignment |
|---|---|
| 1 | Lesson 1 |
| 2 | Lesson 2 |
| 3 | Lesson 3 |
| 4 | Lesson 4 |
| 5 | Lesson 5 |
| Day | Assignment |
|---|---|
| 1 | Lesson 1 |
| 2 | Lesson 2 |
| 3 | Lesson 3 |
| 4 | Lesson 4 |
| 5 | Lesson 5 |
| Day | Assignment |
|---|---|
| 1 | Lesson 1, Selection 1: Find the errors and mark them in your book. |
| 2 | Lesson 1, Selection 1: Write the selection correctly. |
| 3 | Lesson 1, Selection 1: Correct with your teacher. |
| Day | Assignment |
|---|---|
| 1 | First Story, Lesson 1 The same system should be followed each day:
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| 2 | Lesson 2 |
| 3 | Lesson 3 |
| Day | Assignment |
|---|---|
| 1 | Take the Pre-Assessment Test in the Easy Grammar Grade 6 Student Test Booklet. (T.E. pp.698-704) |
| 2 | We will begin with the Preposition Unit and will spend the first three weeks studying prepositions. Go over pp. 1-3 with your teacher, then do pp. 4-5. Make multiple copies of these pages as they will need to be done each week until the prepositions are known well. (T.E. pp. 1-9) |
| 3 | Go over p. 6 with your teacher. Do workbook pages 7-8. (T.E. pp. 11-15) |
| 4 | Do workbook pp. 9-10. Then go over Parts A and B on p. 11 with your teacher. Do pp. 12 and 13. (T.E. pp. 16-25) |
| Day | Assignment |
|---|---|
| 1 | Do Exercise 1 on p. 377. Do all but five of these orally and then do those five in writing. |
| 2 | Do Exercise 2 on pp. 378-379 orally. |
| 3 | Do Exercise 3 on pp. 379-381. Do all but 10 of these orally; then do the remaining ten in writing. |
| 4 | Do Exercises 4 and 5 orally. |
| 5 | Optional, take Quiz 1 online if you are in Teacher Services. |
| Day | Assignment |
|---|---|
| 1 | Introduce “The Charge of the Light Brigade” by Alfred Lord Tennyson. Work on the first stanza. The first day a poem is introduced, the teacher should read the whole poem, and then repeat the first stanza. Then each line of the first stanza should be said, with the student repeating it after the teacher. The teacher should then say the first two lines together and have the student repeat them, and do the same with the next two lines. Then say the whole stanza, and have the student try to repeat it. If he can’t repeat it yet, that’s fine. Just prompt him through it, and remember that there will be many other opportunities to work on it. |
| 2 | Work on the first stanza of “The Charge of the Light Brigade” by Alfred Lord Tennyson. The second day the same procedure is followed, though the whole poem doesn’t need to be read every day. The idea is to have the student hear the lines he is to memorize, and have him practice repeating what he hears. As soon as he knows the lines and doesn’t need the teacher’s help, he should be allowed to say them on his own. Until that point, however, he should be cheerfully prompted through the stanza. |
| 3 | Work on the first stanza of “The Charge of the Light Brigade” by Alfred Lord Tennyson. The third day the same procedure is followed, though the whole poem doesn’t need to be read every day. The idea is to have the student hear the lines he is to memorize, and have him practice repeating what he hears. As soon as he knows the lines and doesn’t need the teacher’s help, he should be allowed to say them on his own. Until that point, however, he should be cheerfully prompted through the stanza. |
| 4 | Work on the first stanza of “The Charge of the Light Brigade” by Alfred Lord Tennyson. On the fourth day, the student should be invited to recite as much of the poem as he knows at this point. |
| Day | Assignment |
|---|---|
| 1 | Follow the instructions for Day 1, p. 18. You will begin by reviewing the phonograms 1-26, except #25. These will all be familiar. |
| 2 | Do Day 2, p. 18 of Mari’s Spelling Guide. Work on phonograms 1-26 including #15. Reviewing p. 15 of the Guide can be helpful. |
| 3 | Do Day 3, p. 18. Review #1-26. Be sure to read the directions in Mari’s book. Mastery is acquired by practicing the phonograms “both ways”. You should be able to both say the sound from seeing the phonogram and write the phonogram from hearing the sound. |
| 4 | Do Day 4, p. 18. Review phonograms 1-26. Learn phonograms 27-31. Practice the selected phonograms. See Mari’s notes. |
| Day | Assignment |
|---|---|
| 1 | Read Introduction: Section 1.1 and 1.2. Answer the questions in your workbook. |
| 2 | Read Introduction: Section 1.3 and 1.4. Answer the questions in your workbook. |
| 3 | Read Introduction: Section 1.5 and 1.6. Answer the questions in your workbook. |
| 4 | Do the Review of Introduction — Chapter 1 in your workbook. |
| Day | Assignment |
|---|---|
| 1 | Review the teaching notes for Lesson 1 of the Balance Beam unit. |
| 2 | Do Lesson 1. |
| Day | Assignment |
|---|---|
| 1 | If you do not have a timeline already, now is the time to construct one. (Note: There is a list of relevant dates in the online syllabi resources: "6th Grade - Timeline for Ancient Egypt.pdf".) Timeline for History Here is a description of the notebook timeline we make. Take an artist's sketch book (which has blank pages) and draw a line across the top of each of 25 pages. If the line on each page stands for 200 years and is so numbered, 25 pages will cover the years from 3000 B.C. to 2000 A.D. If you have 50 pages, the line on each page could stand for 100 years. Don't start right out with the timeline, however. Use the first page for the seven days of creation, and the second page for the fall. Then on the third page note the flood. The fourth page should state "From the flood to 3000 B.C." On the next page, the fifth, begin writing the line at the top of the page. It goes from 3000 to 2800 B.C. in increments of 20 years (3000 80 60 40 20 2900 80 60 40 20 2800). The next page goes on from there. As I said, 25 pages from the beginning of the timeline will be the year 2000 AD. When the children read about an important person or event they put the information on their timeline. The year is noted on the line itself, either by a number, or a figure, and the information corresponding to the number or figure written down on the page under the line. Here is an example from my daughter's notebook: 500 20 40 60 80 600 20 40 60 80 700 (1) (2) (3) (1) St. Hermenegild was the son of King Levigild. He was originally an Arian but converted after marrying Ingonedes, who was a Catholic. His father was furious and after trying to turn Hermenegild back to Arianism for a long time, King Levigild finally had Hermenegild killed. (2) St. Isidore was the Bishop of Seville. He was a part of the council that chose Spain's new king when needed. He was a great fighter against heresy, and a wise councilor. He died April 4, 636. (3) In the 7th century Visigoths extended their rule over the entire Spanish peninsula. |
| 2 | Finish Timeline. |
| Day | Assignment |
|---|---|
| 1 | Lesson 1. Review the charts given in the first lesson. These should all be review. If you do not have flashcards for the vocabulary words, make flashcards for the first twenty. (There are seventy words here: you will make flashcards for them over the first four weeks.) If you do have flashcards from last year, just use those. Oral Drill: conjugate “regere” and “audire” in the present, imperfect, and future tenses. Do the Day 1 exercises. Practice vocabulary for ten minutes. Oral Drill Answer Key:
This text begins with a review of Beginning Latin 2. The student should be familiar with all the charts and vocabulary presented in the first lesson, even if some of them have slipped his memory. He is given the first four lessons to recommit these words/charts to memory and be able to apply the concepts in them. In Lesson 5, new concepts will be given. Note: Please take a moment to review the resources attached to this syllabus (these are found on the Family site - Syllabi tab; please click on "Resources" at the far right for each syllabus title). The PDF files found here are taken from the printed copy of the corresponding syllabus, if there is one. Some resources are generic to the grade level or subject and others are specific to the particular course. Answer Keys or Assignment overviews for the syllabus, if applicable, are only found via the parent log-in; the student log-in may access all other syllabus resources. Some of these resources will be assigned or referenced within the syllabus assignments. Others are here for support. |
| 2 | Lesson 1. Do the Day 2 exercises. Practice vocabulary for ten minutes. |
| 3 | Lesson 1. Do the Day 3 exercises. Practice vocabulary for ten minutes. |
| 4 | Lesson 1. Take Quiz 1. |
| Day | Assignment |
|---|---|
| 1 | Prior to beginning this course, determine what parts of the courses you will use. The student text is the only required element. However, the supplemental grammar worksheets are noted in the syllabus as they help solidify the English grammar in this course, as well as focus on mechanics. Lesson I. There are two additional aids to assist with Latin grammar. These are the vocabulary drill sheets and the translation guide. The translation guide is found at the back of the back of the student text and can be used to assist in exercises that require translation. This is helpful for students who did not use the Beginning Latin Series. The vocabulary drills (see resources) are a convenient way to review vocabulary. Pre-Tests are essentially a practice test, or study guide. There are two quiz forms. Form A is for younger students in Grades 6-7. Form B is for older students. Today look at Lesson I. Read the first lesson. |
| 2 | Lesson I. Do practice exercises. |
| 3 | Lesson I. Do additional exercises. |
| 4 | Lesson I. Do English Grammar Supplemental Worksheet I. Take Quiz I. If you are not comfortable taking the quiz today take the pre-test instead and then take the quiz tomorrow (Day 5) |
| Day | Assignment |
|---|---|
| 1 | Read the Introduction on pp. 7-11 and Ch. 1: All You Need to Get Started, p. 11. You might consider using chisel edged markers at first. Notice the Pre-ruled practice pages on p. 116. (Note: It’s nice to listen to Gregorian Chant while you do calligraphy.) Note: Please take a moment to review the resources attached to this syllabus (these are found on the Family site - Syllabi tab; please click on "Resources" at the far right for each syllabus title). The PDF files found here are taken from the printed copy of the corresponding syllabus, if there is one. Some resources are generic to the grade level or subject and others are specific to the particular course. Answer Keys or Assignment overviews for the syllabus, if applicable, are only found via the parent log-in; the student log-in may access all other syllabus resources. Some of these resources will be assigned or referenced within the syllabus assignments. Others are here for support. |
| Day | Assignment |
|---|---|
| 1 | The emphasis this year is on becoming well acquainted with a small number of great and easily accessible works of music as well as the sounds of instruments. A secondary goal will be to further the student’s understanding of music theory and basic music skills. Sixth Grade music builds upon the previous year. If you have not done Fifth Grade Music you may want to add in Lessons 1-5 of music theory to learn previous concepts (though some review is always provided each year). (If you would like to hear an excellent talk on the virtues of classical music, get Andrew Pudewa’s tape “Profound Effect of Music on Life”. His phone number is 800-856-5815.) The classical pieces assigned in the syllabus are favorites of my family. They can be found in a variety of places:
Listen to the "Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra" by Benjamin Brittain. |
| 2 | Continue listening to the "Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra" by Benjamin Brittain. |