List of 7 items.

• English 6

  In our 6th grade English Language Arts class, students will explore the world of great literature, hone written expression skills, and build skills and proficiency in listening and speaking. Each unit of study will include interactive and thoughtfully sequenced work: vocabulary and grammar development, written expression, focused literary components, creative writing and poetry, interactive art, and technology projects, as well as public speaking presentations. Students will read novels, poetry, short stories, both fiction and non-fiction, and news and magazine articles. Students will learn to cite textual evidence, determine the theme and central ideas of bodies of writing, how plots unfold, and character development. Writing skills will improve throughout the year through drafting processes and peer editing. 

• Math 7

  We will be studying the Math 7 curriculum, but will leave space to review some sixth grade topics as needed. We will learn about proportional relationships, probability, operations with rational numbers, working with expressions and linear equations, scale drawings, working with two and three-dimensional shapes and much more. Students will develop a deeper sense of mathematical reasoning. They will make sense of problems and persevere in solving them, reason abstractly and quantitatively, construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others, and model with mathematics.  I am excited to help students explore, create and innovate with numbers, operations and reasoning, as they use mathematics as a tool for understanding and analyzing the world around us.

• Social Studies

  Students will analyze the past from Pre History through Medieval Times across the globe and connect it to the present. Using the acronym GRAPE, students learn about the geography, religion, achievements, politics, and economics of civilizations such as Ancient Egypt, Greece, and Rome - along with the Medieval Civilizations of the Inca and Aztecs as well as the Empires of Mali and Ghana. Students are equipped with the knowledge of how to use primary sources vs. secondary sources, the principles of causation, and CER (claim, evidence, reasoning) to write academic papers. Throughout the year, students present projects, collaborate with others, and participate in interactive activities like the Paleolithic Olympics. 

• Math 6

  We will warm up the school year using puzzles and games to expand our thinking both logically and numerically. 6th grade math capacities to be introduced and/or mastered in this course are: greatest common factor, connecting percents, decimals and fractions, rates and ratios, absolute value, variables, combining like terms, distributive property, order of operations, area and perimeter of 2-dimensional shapes, area models, surface area and volume of 3-dimensional shapes, probability, and single variable data representations.  These units will be taught through a variety of means including traditional skills practice, technological resources, interactive activities, and real-world applications within our science curriculum.

• Science 6

  The goal for this course is for students to leave with a lifelong curiosity about their natural world. Therefore, this course envelops many different topics within both life and physical science. Topics include scientific method; marine sciences; states of matter; density and buoyancy; atomic structure; astronomy; and current events within the scientific world. More topics will be introduced as the teacher familiarizes herself with the dynamics of the group and their individual interests. The hope is to continue to diversify the class curriculum in such a way that each student will discover a new interest and appreciation within the scientific field.

   

• Introduction to Spanish

  At SBMS we offer our 6th grade students a head start in Spanish one year ahead of the standard 7th grade start. We have found that it is effective and fun to start Spanish with natural learning; to learn as a child learns, through commands and total physical response. This is an engaging and safe way to start youngsters in language, in contrast with the grammar and rote learning required in later years. Movement and song are used weekly, which allows the 6th grader to play with language as a member of a safe group. Students master greetings, songs, conversation starters, counting, weather, colors, and more, while dancing, singing, and using cognitive games. This introduction to Spanish builds a solid foundation for the remainder of their time at SBMS.

• Life Skills

  The Santa Barbara Middle School Life Skills Program prepares and empowers our students to champion their individual futures. It provides them with the tools and knowledge necessary to cultivate their roles in our local and global communities and deepen their relationships with themselves and with others. Students will examine dilemmas, sort through choices and imagine alternatives. As students share their unique knowledge, thoughts, and life experiences, they will fulfill the roles of both teacher and learner. They will then continue the conversation at home, engaging in cross-generational discussions to deepen their understanding of the values and experiences of their families and the impact those values and experiences have on their lives.