Helping 6th grade English students master technical text structures
“Analyze the structure an author uses to organize a text, including how the major sections contribute to the whole and to an understanding of the topic.” That is the official word on CA.ELA.RST.6-8.5, and it sounds heavy, but it really just asks our... read more
Teaching 6th Grade Science with Newton’s Third Law and Collisions
The most common mistake students make when we first talk about forces is assuming that the bigger object in a collision feels less impact than the smaller one. They look at a truck hitting a bicycle and assume the truck barely felt a thing, while the bike took the... read more
Teaching 6th grade Mathematics with Understanding Data Distributions
When we look at Understanding Data Distributions, we see a lesson that asks students to be capable of “giving quantitative measures of center (median and/or mean) and variability (interquartile range and/or mean absolute deviation), as well as describing any... read more
Teaching 6th Grade Mathematics with Variables and Equations
Teaching algebra at the 6th grade level requires careful scaffolding. This lesson helps students make the transition from simple arithmetic to functional algebraic thinking using variables and equations.Transitioning to algebraic thinking in 6th gradeBy the time... read more