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Grade 6 · Quarter 2 · Week 18 · Monday

Founding of Rome

Beginnings of Rome & Q2 Culminating Project — Founding of Rome; the early Republic. Mid-year synthesis week.

Week standards: 6.RP.A.3 · 6.NS.C.7 · 6.EE.B.7 · W.6.7 · MS-LS1-5 · C3 D2.Civ.5.6-8

Suggested timing

8:30 Morning meeting · 8:45 Social Studies · 9:30 Math · 10:15 break · 10:30 ELA · 11:30 Science · 12:15 lunch · 1:00 specials & wrap-up

Social Studies

40 min

Romulus & Remus myth vs. archaeology of the Palatine.

Learning target: I can romulus & Remus myth vs.

Step-by-step

  1. Warm-up (5 min): map / timeline question on the board to activate yesterday's learning.
  2. Mini-lesson (10 min): teacher-led overview of "Romulus & Remus myth vs" using the textbook or atlas.
  3. Guided practice (15 min): annotate a primary source, label a map, or sort cards on a timeline with a partner.
  4. Independent practice (10 min): students respond in their notebook with one claim + one piece of evidence.

Check: Exit ticket: name two specific details (place, person, date, or cause) and explain why they matter.

Home tip: At home, ask: "Where on a map would you find what you studied today?" Have your child point it out and tell you one cause and one effect from "Romulus & Remus myth vs".

Homework: Read tonight's textbook section (10–15 min) and add three new facts to your notebook timeline.

Resources to teach from

  • Textbook / OER reading: OpenStax World History Vol. 1 (full free textbook) — OpenStax — Rice University (https://openstax.org/details/books/world-history-volume-1)
  • Article: World History Encyclopedia — search — World History Encyclopedia (https://www.worldhistory.org/)

Math

35 min

Mid-year cumulative review: ratios, rates, percent.

Learning target: I can solve mid-year cumulative review: ratios, rates, percent.

Step-by-step

  1. Number talk (5 min): mental-math warm-up tied to today's concept.
  2. Mini-lesson (12 min): worked example of "Mid-year cumulative review: ratios, rates, percent" with the teacher modeling thinking out loud.
  3. We do (10 min): class works two problems together; students explain each step.
  4. You do (15 min): students try 4–6 problems independently or with a partner; teacher confers.
  5. Closure (5 min): one student presents a solution; class critiques the reasoning.

Check: Exit ticket: 2 problems — one procedural, one word problem — graded for accuracy and reasoning.

Home tip: Ask your child to teach you tonight's idea in 60 seconds: "Show me one example of mid-year cumulative review: ratios, rates, percent." Teaching it back is the fastest way to lock it in.

Homework: Practice set: 6–8 problems mirroring class work. Show steps; circle the answer.

Vocab: ratios, rates, percent

Resources to teach from

  • Textbook / OER reading: Illustrative Mathematics 6 — Unit 2 'Introducing Ratios' — Illustrative Math (OER, CC-BY) (https://im.kendallhunt.com/MS/students/1/2/index.html)
  • Video: Intro to ratios (5 min) — Khan Academy — 6th grade (https://www.khanacademy.org/math/cc-sixth-grade-math/cc-6th-ratios-prop-topic/cc-6th-ratios-intro/v/introduction-to-ratios-new-hd-version)
  • Interactive / simulation: Ratio practice set (adaptive) — Khan Academy (https://www.khanacademy.org/math/cc-sixth-grade-math/cc-6th-ratios-prop-topic/cc-6th-ratios-intro/e/ratio-word-problems)
  • Textbook / OER reading: Illustrative Mathematics — Grade 6 (free, CCSS-aligned) — Illustrative Math (Kendall Hunt OER) (https://im.kendallhunt.com/MS/students/1/index.html)

ELA

45 min

Read on Roman foundation myths; historical vs. legendary (RI.6.3).

Learning target: I can read on Roman foundation myths.

Step-by-step

  1. Warm-up (5 min): one-question opener tied to yesterday's lesson.
  2. Together (10 min): Read on Roman foundation myths.
  3. Independent practice (12 min): historical vs. legendary ..
  4. Closure (5 min): students name one thing they learned and one question they still have.

Check: Exit ticket: one quoted sentence from today's text + one sentence explaining what it shows.

Home tip: Ask: "Who is the main character or speaker in what you read today, and what do they want?" Then have your child read aloud one favorite sentence from "Read on Roman foundation myths".

Homework: Independent reading 20 min + log title, pages, and one sentence of reaction.

Resources to teach from

  • Primary source: The Odyssey — Butler translation — Project Gutenberg (https://www.gutenberg.org/files/1727/1727-h/1727-h.htm)
  • Video: Why is Vincent van Gogh so popular? not this — try 'Odyssey' on TED-Ed — TED-Ed (https://ed.ted.com/lessons/everything-you-need-to-know-to-read-homer-s-odyssey-jill-dash)
  • Article: CommonLit — Grade 6 free reading library — CommonLit (https://www.commonlit.org/en/texts?grade_levels%5B%5D=6)
  • Article: ReadWorks — Grade 6 passages + questions — ReadWorks (https://www.readworks.org/find-content#!q:/g:6/t:/dt:/sb:relevance)

Science

30 min

Mid-year body-systems & ecosystems review.

Learning target: I can investigate mid-year body-systems & ecosystems review.

Step-by-step

  1. Phenomenon (5 min): show an image, video, or demo and ask, "What do you notice? What do you wonder?"
  2. Mini-lesson (10 min): teacher introduces the science of "Mid-year body-systems & ecosystems review" with a labeled diagram.
  3. Investigation (20 min): students gather data — observe, measure, model, or run the lab.
  4. Sense-making (8 min): students record a Claim-Evidence-Reasoning response in the lab notebook.
  5. Share-out (2 min): one group presents data; class compares results.

Check: Exit ticket: one claim + one piece of evidence from today's investigation, with units where relevant.

Home tip: Ask: "What did you observe today, and what do you think it means?" Encourage your child to draw a labeled sketch of "Mid-year body-systems & ecosystems review" on a sticky note.

Homework: Finish lab notebook entry (sketch + CER paragraph) if not done in class.

Resources to teach from

  • Textbook / OER reading: OpenSciEd 7.4 'Matter Cycling & Photosynthesis' — OpenSciEd (https://www.openscied.org/instructional-materials/7-4-matter-cycling-and-photosynthesis/)
  • Interactive / simulation: Food Web simulation — PBS LearningMedia (https://www.pbslearningmedia.org/resource/tdc02.sci.life.eco.foodweb/food-web/)
  • Textbook / OER reading: OpenSciEd — free NGSS middle-school units — OpenSciEd (https://www.openscied.org/access-the-materials/)
  • Interactive / simulation: PhET Simulations (free, classroom-ready) — PhET — CU Boulder (https://phet.colorado.edu/en/simulations/filter?subjects=earth-science,biology,physics,chemistry&type=html)

Materials & worksheet checklist

Bring every day

  • Sharpened pencil & eraser
  • Day's notebook (one section per subject)

Math

  • Final: Mid-Year Final Assessment (Q1 + Q2) [Mid-Year] · 60 min
  • Calculator (optional)

ELA

  • Passage: Reading Passage: Democracy in Athens (with comprehension) [2C]
  • Assessment: Q2 ELA Assessment [Q2]
  • Anchor text or passage handout

Science

  • Final: Mid-Year Final Assessment (Units 1 + 2) [Mid-Year] · 60 min

End-of-day reflection (student)

One thing I learned today:

One question I still have:

SixthGrade · Quarter 2 · Week 18 · MondayPrinted for classroom use

Part of the K–6 Homeschool Curriculum series · Grade 6 · Eastern Hemisphere & Ancient Civilizations