The main areas of study in the grade 6-A worktext are:
- review of the basic operations with whole numbers
- beginning algebra topics: expressions, equations, and inequalities
- review of all decimal arithmetic
- introduction to ratios and percent
This book starts out with a review of the four operations with whole numbers (including long division), place value, and rounding. Students are also introduced to exponents and do some problem solving.
Chapter 2 starts the study of algebra topics, delving first into expressions and equations. Students practice writing expressions in many different ways, and use properties of operations and the idea of maintaining the equality of both sides of an equation to solve simple one-step equations. We also study briefly inequalities and using two variables.
In chapter 3 we review all of decimal arithmetic, just using more decimal digits than in 5th grade. Students also practice converting measuring units.
Ratios is a new topic (chapter 4). Students are already familiar with finding fractional parts from earlier grades, and now it is time to advance that knowledge into the study of ratios, which arise naturally from dividing a quantity into many equal parts. We study such topics as rates, unit rates, equivalent ratios, and problem solving using bar models.
The goal of chapter 5 is to develop a basic understanding of percent, to see percentages as decimals, and to learn to calculate discounts.
