Pagosa Springs Middle School
Mission: Empowering students to navigate the future through learning & problem solving.
Curriculum: Our Middle School offers a diverse, standards-based, and researched curriculum centered on effectiveness and validity. In addition to our academic curriculum our students are scheduled an academic advisory and character building period each day with Pirate Time.
All students in Pagosa Springs Middle School have electives to choose from as well as a combined Physical Education/Health period.
6th Grade: Elective Description
Please note, the following elective list is not a complete summary of elective classes and many classes may not be offered each school year. Please have your middle school student check with their teachers or the school counselor on elective options.
Technology
Students will focus on keyboarding skills, with an emphasis on typing using correct form will be reinforced. Students will also study and use other computer related skills. This class will help prepare students with the necessary skills for computer related courses in the high school.
Iditarod
Learn about Alaska and the Iditarod sled dog race through literature, research, and activities. Students will read short literary pieces about Alaska, study the history and geography of Alaska, track a musher in the Iditarod race, and participate in many other Iditarod projects.
Theater
Create a new spin on an old tale: Script writing, character development, set design and costume design. Final performance will be presented to the sixth grade classes and an evening performance for the parents and staff.
Art
Sixth grade artists will design a cover for their own sketchbook in which they will then use to explore the elements and principles of art. We will focus on texture, balance, and color. Typical projects include drawing a mandala, large-scale dragon, creating a gargoyle in clay, Egyptian scratch art, printmaking, and creating tessellations. All assignments are inspired from art history, various cultures, and the student’s own imagination.
Book Publishing
Students will work to create their own book which will actually be published to hardcopy.
Science Fair
Are you an independent worker? Are you motivated? Would you like a chance to prove your skills? Science Fair elective allows you to explore your questions and create a project that you will enter in a competition. If you would like to complete a project in an area of science that interests, you sign up for Science Fair. These projects require a lot of independent study and hard work. They are guided projects and your teacher will support you, but the project must be initiated and completed by you.
CSI
Students will learn basic forensic techniques and then use the techniques they learned to solve fictitious crimes.
Music
Students in General Music will study a variety of music through singing, playing instruments, movement, and games. Students will use instruments to explore various musical concepts. Students may use boom whackers, percussion instruments, keyboards, or dulcimers within this music class. Students will also learn the basic techniques for singing well and protecting the voice. Depending on each class, student interest may guide the use of different instruments or areas of focus. Students will also listen to musical examples and analyze, interpret, and describe, their structure, meaning, and importance. By the end of the class students will be able to read and notate basic musical examples as well as demonstrate appropriate care and use of music instruments.
Introduction to Mountain Biking
Students will be mountain biking around town and on Reservoir Hill most days of class. We will also learn about basic bike maintenance.
Heart of a Champion
Study what it takes to be a Champion. You will examine the lives of greatChampions and learn what they did in order to achieve greatness.
STEM
Advanced Math and Science students will explore situations involving higher level thinking skills to create plausible solutions.
Outdoor Survival Skills
We will read “Hatchet”, and practice each of the survival skills that the character in the book learns along his journey. This will include purifying water, fire-building, constructing a shelter, building snares, wilderness first aid, etc.
Games of Strategy
Enjoy playing games of strategy like Checkers and Chess. You may possibly learn some new games of strategy as well.
Kids Choice/Exploration
This class will be a student-driven exploration of interests which may include (but not limited to) geology, rock-hounding, gold panning, outdoor activities, hiking, reading, yoga, gardening, service projects, random acts of kindness, etc.