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Grade 6 · Quarter 4 · Week 28 · Tuesday

Justinian & Theodora

The Byzantine Empire — Rome's Long Eastern Echo — Constantinople, Justinian, and Hagia Sophia.

Week standards: 6.RP.A.3 · 6.G.A.4 · RI.6.2 · W.6.2 · MS-LS4-4 · C3 D2.Geo.4.6-8

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

Reconquest of the West; the Nika riots; Theodora's role.

Learning target: I can reconquest of the West.

Step-by-step

  1. Warm-up (5 min): one-question opener tied to yesterday's lesson.
  2. Together (10 min): Reconquest of the West.
  3. Together (12 min): the Nika riots.
  4. Independent practice (14 min): Theodora's role..
  5. Closure (5 min): students name one thing they learned and one question they still have.

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 "Reconquest of the West".

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

50 min

Volume of composite buildings.

Learning target: I can volume of composite buildings.

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 "Volume of composite buildings" 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 volume of composite buildings." 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.

Resources to teach from

  • Textbook / OER reading: Illustrative Math 6 — Unit 1 & Unit 5 (Geometry) — Illustrative Math (https://im.kendallhunt.com/MS/students/1/1/index.html)
  • Interactive / simulation: Area Builder (free sim) — PhET — University of Colorado (https://phet.colorado.edu/en/simulations/area-builder)
  • Interactive / simulation: Polyhedra net explorer — NCTM Illuminations (https://www.nctm.org/Classroom-Resources/Illuminations/Interactives/Geometric-Solids/)
  • 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

Vocabulary: Byzantine, mosaic, icon, schism.

Learning target: I can read and write about vocabulary: Byzantine, mosaic, icon, schism.

Step-by-step

  1. Bell-ringer (5 min): a sentence-level grammar warm-up or quick-write prompt.
  2. Read-aloud / shared reading (12 min): "Vocabulary: Byzantine, mosaic, icon, schism" — students follow along and annotate.
  3. Discussion (10 min): turn-and-talk on a focus question, then share out with text evidence.
  4. Writing (15 min): students respond in writer's notebook — one paragraph minimum, citing the text.
  5. Share (3 min): two volunteers read a sentence they're proud of.

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 "Vocabulary: Byzantine, mosaic, icon, schism".

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

Vocab: Byzantine, mosaic, icon, schism

Resources to teach from

  • Interactive / simulation: Vocabulary.com — Grade 6 lists — Vocabulary.com (https://www.vocabulary.com/lists/?grade=6)
  • Textbook / OER reading: Online Etymology Dictionary — etymonline.com (https://www.etymonline.com/)
  • 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

45 min

Investigation: bird-beak adaptation lab with tools and seeds.

Learning target: I can investigate investigation: bird-beak adaptation lab with tools and seeds.

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 "Investigation: bird-beak adaptation lab with tools and seeds" 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 "Investigation: bird-beak adaptation lab with tools and seeds" on a sticky note.

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

Resources to teach from

  • Printable: CER (Claim-Evidence-Reasoning) graphic organizer — Stanford SCALE (https://www.nextgenscience.org/sites/default/files/Using%20Phenomena%20in%20NGSS.pdf)
  • 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

  • Ruler

ELA

  • Vocabulary notebook

Science

  • Lab notebook

End-of-day reflection (student)

One thing I learned today:

One question I still have:

SixthGrade · Quarter 4 · Week 28 · TuesdayPrinted for classroom use

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