A comprehensive, academically rigorous journey through the ancient world, designed to support your child's crucial cognitive transition from concrete to abstract thinking
This curriculum continues our eclectic, "best-of" approach, empowering you as a parent-educator to be a thoughtful curator of premier resources rather than being locked into a single "boxed" curriculum that may excel in one area but fall short in others.
Core Knowledge History and Geography (CKHG) - Free, sequential units carefully curated from different grade levels to create the perfect chronological journey through the Eastern Hemisphere
Essentials in Writing Level 6 - Systematically builds the writing skills necessary for middle school, with emphasis on argument, research, and multi-paragraph compositions
Math with Confidence Grade 6 - A clear, hands-on approach to ratios, negative numbers, equations, and the foundations of algebraic thinking
Core Knowledge Science (CKSci) Grade 6 - Inquiry-based, phenomenon-driven units aligned with NGSS, covering thermal energy, cells, plate tectonics, and weather systems
A journey through the Eastern Hemisphere, exploring the foundational "blueprints" in governance, philosophy, technology, and social structure that shaped human history
Weeks 1-9 • September - November
Explore humanity's first efforts to control the physical world, from the Neolithic Revolution to the great river valley civilizations of Mesopotamia and Egypt.
Weeks 10-18 • November - January
Analyze the complex social structures and influential philosophies of ancient India and China that organized vast societies and defined their cultures.
Weeks 19-27 • January - March
Explore the monumental achievements of Ancient Greece and Rome, examining the "blueprints" for new forms of governance, philosophy, and architecture.
Weeks 28-36 • March - June
Investigate the networks that connected the ancient world, focusing on the Silk Road and how ideas, technologies, and goods flowed across the Eastern Hemisphere.
Sixth grade marks a pivotal cognitive transition. Your 11-12 year old is now primed to move beyond observing what systems are and begin to analyze why they develop, how they interact, and the abstract ideas that form their foundations.
This shift is reflected across all subject areas: in mathematics, students transition from concrete arithmetic to the abstract world of variables and algebraic thinking. In writing, they move from clear narratives to constructing evidence-based arguments. In history, they analyze complex causality and compare abstract belief systems across vast spans of time.
Our curriculum is meticulously designed to support this transition, framing the year as an exploration of the "blueprints" of civilization—the abstract principles, ideas, and systems that shaped the ancient world and continue to influence our modern society.
Moving from concrete calculation to using variables to represent unknown quantities and write expressions
Evolving from descriptive writing to constructing sophisticated, evidence-based arguments
Progressing from understanding historical events to analyzing complex civilizations and belief systems
Moving from studying visible phenomena to understanding invisible forces and processes in science
Full year lesson plans with all standards and resources
Ready-to-use forms for district submission with standards
Complete book, website, and materials recommendations
Quarterly evaluations and standardized test preparation
Start with Quarter 1 to embark on a fascinating exploration of the ancient world. Our detailed, standards-aligned curriculum makes middle school homeschooling manageable and engaging.