1. 2019-2020 6th Grade Course Selection Sheet
Murchison is an IB World School where students take a variety of courses within eight subject areas. Students will be scheduled into Language Arts, History, Math, Science, LOTE, Arts, PE, Technology courses as well as a one semester IB Study Skills class. Semester courses are allowable for Art, and Technology courses. Please note the courses which count for multiple subject areas.

2. What’s cool about Murchison?
Choices
Traditions
Transitions

3. IB at MMS *Risk-takers *Communicators *Balanced
-International Mindedness
-Wide range of rigorous courses in 8 core subject areas
-Commitment to learning two languages
-Service & Action, Community Project
-Concepts, Global Contexts, Approaches to Teaching & Learning
-The IB Learner Profile
*Inquirers *Open-minded *Knowledgeable *Caring *Thinkers
*Risk-takers *Communicators *Balanced
*Principled *Reflective 

4. Core SubjectS Students must get teacher approval for level selection.
Language Arts  *IB Academic Language Arts 6  IB Advanced Language Arts 6  IB Honors Language Arts 6 * IB GT Language Arts 6 Social Studies * IB Academic World Cultures 6  IB Advanced World Cultures 6  IB Honors World Cultures 6 * IB GT World Cultures 6 Math  IB Math 6  IB Advanced Math 6  IB Honors Math 6  High Advanced Math 7 (application required) Science * IB Academic Science 6  IB Advanced Science 6  IB Honors Science 6 * IB GT Science 6
Students must get teacher approval for level selection.

5. World Languages
 Chinese 1-A (High School Credit)  French 1-A (High School Credit)  German 1-A (High School Credit)  Latin 1-A (High School Credit)  Spanish 1-A (High School Credit)  Spanish 1-A for Spanish Speakers teacher approval required (High School Credit)  Vietnamese 1-A (High School Credit)  Advanced Seminar in Chinese Languages teacher approval required (High School Credit)
All students must choose a language from the list. Please note that students will remain in the same language for 6th, 7th, & 8th grade. Use the boxes to rank your preference in order 1 – 5.

6. P.E. Credit
 Physical Education/Functional Fitness (2 semester courses are paired for full year)  Dance 1 (counts as both IB Performing Art & Physical Education)
Choose one.

7. Arts
 Visual Arts–Semester Only  Visual Arts–Year Long  Theatre Arts –Semester Only  Theatre Arts –Year Long  Advanced Theatre Production Year Long (Audition required)  Band–Year Long  Choir–Semester Only  Choir –Year Long  Orchestra –Year Long
Choose a total of 2 semesters of classes from Arts.

8. Design (career and technical education)
 *IB Foundations (required – auto enrolled; select another course below)  Flight and Space Design  Graphic Design I  Pathways to Computer Science  Pathways to Robotics  Tech Essentials/Keyboarding (High School Credit)  AVID (application & instructor approval required; take instead of IB Foundations)

9. Flight and Space Design
Students in Flight and Space will be introduced to the history of flight through hands-on activities and research. They will also design an aircraft or spacecraft as they discover the science of flying, design and test propulsion. They will complete activities while learning about the history and principles of space travel. Students explore the science behind aeronautics and use their knowledge to design, build and test an airfoil. Projects include building a hot air balloon, building different types of rockets and designing and building a glider.

10. GRAPHIC DESIGN I
Graphic Design shapes the meaning and impact of books, billboards, magazines, websites, CD covers, package designs, logos, photography and more! The design process is used for two or three dimensional projects. Art elements, principles of design, and typographic principles are applied to projects with the application of real world situations.

11. PATHWAYS TO COMPUTER SCIENCE
Units covered include:
History of computing
Introduction to HTML
Programming basics in Scratch
Applied programming in MIT App Inventor
Physical computing with microcontrollers
Description
This course is an introduction to different areas of computer science including web design, programming and physical computing.  As a career and technology class there is an emphasis on the different careers these skills could apply to. Since students will be using block-based computer languages like Scratch and MIT App inventor, no previous experience with coding is required.  

12. PATHWAYS to robotics
Units covered include:
Foundational Unit: Design Process
Coding in text based languages (RobotC)
Basic mechanical systems with VEX Robotics
Design Challenge games/competitions with robots
DESCRIPTION Pathways to Robotics is a hands-on, project and inquiry based class that will focus on the design process. 6th grade students will explore the VEX Robotics system and create robots to compete in challenges and games throughout the semester. This course will introduce basic coding principles and students will create simple programs to control and automate their robots. Students will also explore mechanisms and simple electronic sensors and motors with robotics systems.   

13. Touch key data entry (keyboarding)
Students will learn how to type by touch with proper keyboarding techniques using Micro Type Multimedia software. Microsoft Office and Publisher 2013 will be used for production work, such as the following: business letters, reports, resumes, and tables. 10-Key is also included in the curriculum.

14. AVID
We learn college readiness skills that help us maintain success both now and throughout college using the AVID Curriculum (Writing, Inquiry, Collaboration, Organization and Reading). Students are required to take the most rigorous courses offered at Murchison. AVID students take at least 2 pages of notes in their core classes each week, maintain their agenda. The 6th grade focus is college awareness.

15. DATES TO REMEMBER
Choice Sheet Night – Tuesday, February 5th, 5:30 – 7:30.
Choice Sheets due to your counselor by February 8.
No changes after August 1.
Transition Camp – early August 2019
Go to murchisonmatadors.org for more information.