Year 6 Curriculum Guide
2023-24
OUR YEAR 6 TEACHING TEAM
Kate Mahon
Y6M Teacher & Y4-6 Lead Teacher
Grace Yung
Y6Y Teacher & Maths Lead Teacher
Joe Ozorio
Fiona Cao
Sherry Gao
Julie Xiao
Sean Taylor
Ho Mei Chau
Jacob Newbery
Nobel Gabasan
Jenny Tang
Susanna Lynam
Library Teacher & Specialist Lead Teacher
Kate Kam
LEARNING IN YEAR 6
PRIMARY YEARS PROGRAMME
Throughout the year, students will be guided through six Units of Inquiry of global significance, providing opportunities to broaden their learning by developing their conceptual understandings, strengthening their knowledge and skills across, between and beyond subject areas.
The following six Units of Inquiry will be explored throughout the year. Each unit is developed around a concept, a Central Idea and Lines of Inquiry.
PYP Exhibition
Who We Are: Transitions 過渡
An inquiry into:
- Physical, mental and social changes that occur during adolescence 青春期發生的身體、心理和社會變化
- Methods to support wellbeing during periods of change 在變化時期支持身心健康的方法
- Influences on personal identity during adolescence 青春期對個人身份的影響
Unit timing: All year
Where We Are in Place and Time: Big History 大歷史
An inquiry into:
- Origin stories 起源故事
- The evolution of life on Earth 地球生命的進化
- Why humans inquire into the past 為什麼人類要探究過去
Unit timing: Term One
How We Organise Ourselves: NGOs 非政府組織
An inquiry into:
- Sustainable Development Goals 可持續發展目標
- Case Study (NGOS in HK) 個案研究(香港的非政府組織)
- The United Nations 聯合國
Unit timing: Term Two
Sharing the Planet: Legacy 遺產 (PYPx)
An inquiry into:
- Own passions 自己的愛好
- Sharing passions with others 與他人分享興趣
- Bringing lasting change to the community 為社區帶來持久的改變
Unit timing: Term Three
How the World Works: Structures 結構
An inquiry into:
- The basic elements of engineering 工程的基本要素
- The connection between forces, shapes & materials 力、形狀和材料之間的聯繫
- How to build strong & stable simple structures 如何建造堅固而穩定的簡單結構
Unit timing: Term Two
How We Express Ourselves: Performance 表演
An inquiry into:
- The elements of drama 戲劇元素
- Collaborating with others during the creative process 在創作過程中與他人合作
- Audience awareness 觀眾意識
Unit timing: Term One
LANGUAGE
The development of language is fundamental to all areas of our learning programs. Language helps us communicate our thinking and understanding.
Language is socially constructed - it is dependent on social interactions and relationships. It permeates all subject areas. As such, we view all of our teachers and assistants to be language teachers.
English is our main language of instruction, with Chinese (Mandarin) taught as an additional language.
English
In Year 6, our reading program focuses on developing strategies needed to be an independent reader. Students are taught different comprehension strategies to understand what is written beyond the literal text. These are developed through a mixture of guiding reading, shared reading, read aloud and independent reading sessions.
Students will explore a range of text types: to entertain, to inform and to persuade. Specific writing skills will be developed around how to create a range of informative and persuasive texts.
Chinese
Chinese Foundation focuses on speaking, listening and social Chinese. Students read texts and environmental print and learn to write the most commonly occurring characters.
Chinese Language focuses on Chinese speaking, listening and the reading of longer texts. Students write their own longer pieces of writing.
MATHEMATICS
Mathematics is a global language of concepts and symbols through which we make sense of the world around us.
Mathematics is taught through three main stages:
- Constructing meaning and ideas about a mathematical concept through interactions with objects, discussions, experimentation and play;
- Transferring these ideas and understandings into symbols;
- Applying these ideas and understanding in real-life and hands-on problem solving activities.
Mathematics is taught through the strands of number, data, shape and space, measure and problem solving.
In Year 6 students will explore numbers to 10,000,000 and decimals to thousandths. They will explore the relationships between fractions, decimals and percentages. They will apply the column method for adding and subtraction decimals, as well as, multiplying whole numbers. They will learn short division and divisibility rules.
Students will explore the concept of space by using the Cartesian coordinate system. They will measure and classify angles, as well as, the properties of a circle. They will investigate the use of timetables.
OUTDOOR LEARNING
In Year 6, students will explore a range of land-based, freshwater and coastal environments. They will learn how to identify organisms in a local habitat. Students will also design and create original structures that encourage native fauna to visit the school.
PE and WELLBEING
Our PE program from Year 6 focuses on developing fitness and an understanding of four different types of games: target, net/wall, striking/fielding and invasion. Each unit focuses on developing appreciation for the game, different tactics that can be applied, how to make decisions within a game, how to apply a range of skills and performance.
Wellbeing is another central pillar of our school. Throughout our wellbeing program, our students explore relationships, identity and aspects of health (physical, social, emotional and spiritual). Our wellbeing program also teaches our students about child protection, anti-bullying and mindfulness strategies.
In Year 6, students will explore the complexity of own evolving identity, including the impact of media on self-concept and self-worth. They discuss how stereotyping and prejudice can lead to misconceptions. They will explore ways to manage the changes that come with with puberty. They will learn strategies in dealing with bullying, discrimination and harassment, including what to do as a bystander. Students will learn about nutrition, as well as, the importance of sleep, physical activity and mindfulness practices.
THE ARTS
In Music, Year 6 students will learn how to play the angklung and the ukulele. They will explore how to use digital tools to create music. They will read, write and apply a range of notation and time signatures.
In Visual Art, Year 6 students will be provided opportunities to use various artistic elements, techniques and materials appropriate for a concept, theme or subject matter. They will explore how culture, gender, age, time and place impact on how an audience interprets an artwork
In Drama, Year 6 students will perform devised and scripted drama. They will learn how to use props, costumes, instruments and technologies to enhance action, mood and atmosphere. They will be provided opportunities to apply a combination of voice, movement, situation, time, place and tension when developing own dramas.
In Dance, Year 6 students will practise a combination of fundamental movements to refine technical and expressive skills. They will be given opportunities to present their own dance ideas in performance for an intended audience.
SCIENCE and SOCIAL STUDIES
In Year 6, students will investigate the effects of forces on the shape, strength and stability when building structures. They will also explore the properties of materials during this process. They will inquire into the Big Bang theory, the evolution of the Earth and the Universe, and the pattern of movement of humans ‘out of Africa’ across other continents over time. Students will learn about the role of NGOs and charities and ways they can take sustainable action.
TECHNOLOGY
In Year 6, students will use a visual programming language to experiment with different ways of instructing a program or device to make choices and repeat instructions. They will learn about agreed ethical, social and technical protocols when online and how to use referencing conventions when using web-based information sources. They will experiment with camera angles as an effect when creating short films. Students will conduct tests to understand the properties of materials. They will explore the importance of form and function in design. They will test a range of materials, components, tools and equipment to determine the appropriate technologies needed to make products.
ICHK Kindergarten and Primary
Email: info@ichkhly.edu.hk
Website: www.ichkhly.edu.hk
Location: 3 Hong Lok Yuen 20th Street, Hong Lok Yuen, Hong Kong
Phone: +852 3955 3000
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ICHK.ICHKHongLokYuen/