Grade 6 Social Studies: how to help at home
What your child learns in Grade 6 social studies in the BC Curriculum, and simple things to try at home.
The Big Ideas this year
- Economic self-interest can be a significant cause of conflict among peoples and governments.
- Complex global problems require international cooperation to make difficult choices for the future.
- Systems of government vary in their respect for human rights and freedoms.
- Media sources can both positively and negatively affect our understanding of important events and issues.
Easy ways to practise social studies at home
- Follow a current event together and ask who is affected and why people see it differently.
- Build a timeline of a family event or a historical topic they are studying.
- Use an atlas or online map to trace a trade or travel route.
- Ask “Whose voice is missing from this story?” when reading about the past.
What each unit covers
Map Skills
Reading latitude and longitude on a grid and in a table, telling which hemispheres a place is in, and knowing the continents, oceans and key lines like the equator and prime meridian.
Cities & Migration
Push and pull factors, immigrants, refugees and internal migrants, how and why cities grow, and the challenges of rapid urbanization, with a short reading and a population table.
Global Challenges
Poverty and inequality, global environmental problems, and how individuals, governments, NGOs and the UN work together, including the Montreal Protocol as a cooperation success story.
Governments & Rights
Democracy, constitutional monarchy, dictatorship and other systems; how Canada's government works; and rights in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Canadian Charter.
Trade & Globalization
Imports and exports, market, command, traditional and mixed economies, supply and demand, tariffs and trade disputes, and the benefits and costs of globalization, presented from several points of view.
Media Literacy
Telling fact from opinion, spotting bias and loaded language, judging whether a source is reliable, and recognizing misinformation, clickbait and ads, plus how media can both help and harm understanding.
What the report card levels look like at home
- Emerging
- Just getting started with this idea. Short, regular practice with lots of support helps most.
- Developing
- Understands parts of it and is building confidence. Keep practising the tricky parts.
- Proficient
- Has it! Mixed review now and then keeps it strong.
- Extending
- Applies it confidently, even in new or harder situations. Try challenge mode and real-life problems.
Your child’s teacher decides the level on the report card. Read the BC report card guide.
Common questions
How can I help my Grade 6 child with social studies?
Follow a current event together and ask who is affected and why people see it differently. Build a timeline of a family event or a historical topic they are studying. Keep sessions short, about 10 to 15 minutes, and stop on a success.
What does my child learn in Grade 6 social studies in BC?
The BC Curriculum Grade 6 social studies units include map skills, cities & migration, global challenges, governments & rights, trade & globalization, media literacy.
Free printable Grade 6 social studies practice sheet
Questions from every unit, with an answer key.