English/Social Studies (3-period integrated curriculum)

Are you ready for a little adventure?  Then pull on your khaki shorts and leather jacket, adjust your field hat and head on over to Junction Avenue Middle School, where language arts, social studies and literature come together in a three period exploration.
Over the route of your yearlong expedition, your fieldwork begins with the investigation of language arts through the use of standards-based textbooks and classroom activities.  The Step Up to Writing program will help you develop and practice structured California standards based writing as you prepare your field notes.  
As you sail down the Nile, take an excursion along the Tigris and Euphrates rives, you will be discovering the relevance of many ancient civilizations through the use of your social studies text, project-based curriculum, technology, and a variety of other methods.  California standards guide our investigation through the ancient civilizations of Africa, Mesopotamia, Egypt, India, China, Israel, Greece and Rome.  Included in the explorations of these ancient civilizations are the five themes of geography as they apply to the similarities and differences of these civilizations.
As landmarks, selected novels and other pieces of literature are incorporated into the curriculum to personalize the lives and challenges faced by individuals living in these and other cultures.
Welcome aboard, and we hope you enjoy your ride!

Science

In 6th grade science students take a tour of our amazing planet.  First, journey to the center of the earth as we discover the earth’s structure.  Then pop up on the crust to learn the forces that cause volcanoes and earthquakes and build mountains such as the Himalayas.  Next dive into a river to find out how water shapes the landscape.  Then we will discover thermal energy; the driving force behind wind, ocean currents, and the water cycle.  Finally, learn how energy is exchanged between living things and the environment on this dynamic planet.