Sixth Grade Adds Applied Studies
by Jean Brintnall
December 08, 2009
Games, apples, mummies, and magazines? What’s up with the 6th grade? Creating a schedule and curriculum that meets the needs of all students can be a daunting task for educators, but Hiawatha Middle School has implemented several changes this year in an effort to accomplish this task. In the sixth grade, a major change is the creation of an Applied Studies block.
Sixth grade students participate in P.E.
on an every other day basis during second hour. Students that elect
to take band, do so on the opposite days of their P.E. schedule.
Everyone had to get used to this being on a Red/Blue weekly
schedule this year. An additional change was that students not
enrolled in band were assigned to an Applied Studies group. These
groups are part of the school’s efforts to incorporate the MTSS
model of the State of Kansas. Students are grouped for instruction
based on needs indicated by testing. Tests used to make this
determination include the Kansas State Assessments, MAP (math and
reading), DAR (reading), and classroom tests. Groups may focus on
reading, math, or cross-curricular projects. Students in these
groups will be re-evaluated and then groups readjusted at least at
the end of every nine weeks if not more frequently.
Instruction during this time might look
different than more traditional classes. Games may be used to
reinforce critical thinking skills necessary to build reading or
math skills. Computer usage is another useful tool for targeting
specific reading and math skills. Cross-curricular studies this
nine-week period include determining the best salt to use for
mummification. (A mixture of Epsom salt and table salt produced the
best results on apples.)
Teachers are learning along with the students. This more targeted instruction involves finding new and innovative ways to teach essential skills. “The more we do this, the better we will become, but it is very new to us too at this point,” commented one teacher.
