What your child learns in Grade 6 in Alberta
Grade 6 pushes towards more abstract thinking: integers, prime factorization, exponents and standard algorithms, with longer writing and more independent study. Social studies explores democracy. Grade 6 is also a year of Provincial Achievement Tests.
Grade 6 subjects in the Alberta Curriculum
Math
Big Ideas
- Number: Work with positive and negative whole numbers and decimals to thousandths, add and subtract integers, use prime factorization and powers, and multiply and divide decimals with standard algorithms.
- Fractions and ratios: Relate fractions to division, add and subtract fractions, multiply a fraction by a whole number, and use unit rates, equivalent ratios and percents.
- Algebra: Evaluate expressions with powers, use the commutative, associative and distributive properties, and solve one- and two-step equations.
13 units, including integers & decimals, adding and subtracting integers, factors & primes, powers and common factors.
English Language Arts
Big Ideas
- Listening and speaking: Offer relevant information and logical reasoning in group conversations.
- Reading: Analyze texts and their contexts to build understanding.
- Writing: Refine writing through creative and critical thinking so it reflects your own voice and skills.
11 units, including close reading, point of view, figurative language, connotation & tone.
Science
Big Ideas
- Matter: How can the particles of matter be influenced by heating or cooling?
- Energy (forces): In what ways can interactions between objects lead to physical change?
- Energy (resources): How are energy resources used, and what influences which ones people choose?
8 units, including particles and heat, measuring temperature, expanding, shrinking and freezing water, forces in interactions.
Social Studies
Big Ideas
- Democracy: history, principles and operation. A democracy is government by the people, with rights, rules and responsibilities.
- Principles of democracy: equality, majority rule with minority rights, the rule of law, and direct and representative democracy.
- Ancient Athens and the Roman Republic: two early ways of sharing power, and who was left out.
8 units, including principles of democracy, athens: direct democracy, the roman republic, haudenosaunee confederacy.
French Immersion
Big Ideas
- Listening and speaking in French grow every day when French is the language of learning.
- Reading French texts of many kinds builds comprehension and the habit of reading for meaning.
- Writing in French for a purpose and an audience uses the conventions of the language.
7 units, including imparfait ou passé composé?, racines et préfixes, les légendes, quand et où?.
Core French
Big Ideas
- Applications: using French to communicate in everyday situations, to explore and to have fun.
- Language competence: understanding and using the sounds, words, sentences and texts of French.
- Global citizenship: learning about Francophone communities in Alberta, Canada and the world, and about other cultures.
8 units, including letter patterns, question words, hobbies, giving reasons.
What to look for on the report card
Look for comments about organization, explaining reasoning in math and writing with evidence. The Provincial Achievement Tests are separate from the report card.
Alberta report cards describe learning with Beginning, Approaching, Meeting, Exceeding. See what each level means.
Grade 6 students also take the Provincial Achievement Tests (PATs) and screening. Read the PAT guide.
Competencies grow alongside subject learning in every grade. Read about competencies.
Ready for Grade 6?
Grade 6 builds on what your child practised in Grade 5. If a skill feels shaky, a few short practice sessions before or early in the year can help:
- Math: numbers to a million, decimals, add & subtract, multiply, divide
- English Language Arts: talking together, context clues, greek and latin roots, reading detectives, plot and conflict
- Science: solid, liquid, gas, measuring matter, changes of state, forces in flight, float or sink?
- Social Studies: where and when?, rise and fall, land and water, trade and taxes, rulers and society
- French Immersion: qui, que, où, dont, ne… plus, jamais, rien, les adverbes, la ponctuation, la bande dessinée
- Core French: salutations, sounds and accents, numbers 0 to 30, masculine, feminine, plural, likes and dislikes
Common questions
What do kids learn in Grade 6 in Alberta?
Grade 6 covers math, english language arts, science, social studies, french immersion, core french in the Alberta Curriculum. Grade 6 pushes towards more abstract thinking: integers, prime factorization, exponents and standard algorithms, with longer writing and more independent study. Social studies explores democracy. Grade 6 is also a year of Provincial Achievement Tests.
How is Grade 6 reported in Alberta?
Alberta report cards describe learning with Beginning, Approaching, Meeting, Exceeding. Students in Grade 6 also write the Provincial Achievement Tests (PATs) and screening, which is separate from the report card.
How can I help my Grade 6 child at home?
Short, regular practice works better than long sessions: 10 to 15 minutes a few times a week, on the skills your child's teacher flags. Read together, use math in real life, and praise effort.
Practise Grade 6 skills with Gradelings
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