6th Grade Electives

6th Grade Exploratory Wheel Highlights:

  • Each class is one quarter (approx.10 weeks)
  • Exploratory Wheel classes rotate each quarter to a different class
  • The four classes are Music, Art, Drama, and Exploring Tech 
  • This is a year-long course in which students rotate each quarter from Music to Art to Drama to Exploring Technology

Music:

Students enrolled in exploratory music will learn fundamental musicianship skills (music appreciation, note-reading, composition) including learning selected instruments and the art of performance. Students will have the opportunity to engage by playing drums, percussion instruments, ukulele, and singing.  

Art:

Learn how to draw like Picasso. Awesome artists are not born, they are taught! This art quarter is based on Betty Edward’s book/class Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain. Using this method, students learn to draw through careful, controlled observation. Drawing is a basic skill that is fundamental for all students. Watercolor techniques, design and composition, and famous paintings will also be studied. On Fun Fridays or Fun Day Mondays, it is Animation Academy or Art Jeopardy game time!

Drama:

The drama quarter focuses on the many facets of theatre. Students participate in a variety of performances and audience experiences. Through ensemble and individual performance, students learn about pantomime, improvisation, acting choices, scene work, monologues, vocal expression, and play production. Appropriate and critical viewing skills are emphasized throughout the quarter.

Exploring Tech:

In this class, (S)cience, (T)echnology, (E)ngineering and (M)ath or STEM principles all come together as we explore solutions to real-life problems affecting different types of animals. Students will work in groups to learn the basics of engineering design to identify problems and construct solutions. Some of the possible topics we will cover are Thermodynamics and Heat Transfer, Solar Energy, Force and Motion, Circuits, Capacitors, Computer-Aided Design, and Electrical Generation and Transformations. We’ll also add the A for Arts in STEAM by learning how to use different types of computer programs and websites to creatively present our ideas and solutions.