Mrs. Van Baren teaches 6th grade Language Arts and Social Studies. She is a graduate of California State University, Fresno with credentials in Home Economics, Multiple Subjects Education, and Special Education. She also has a Master's Degree in Education. This is her 32nd year of teaching. She is married, with a son and daughter. She enjoys music, traveling, and bicycling long distances.

Language Arts: This class will show you how to improve your writing skills through the writing process, focusing on revision strategies. By the end of the year, you will be writing as much as 500-700 word essays! We will focus on language skills to improve our writing. The types of writing include narrative, expository, research, response to literature, and persuasive. Core Literature includes two books by Lois Lowery (The Giver, and Number the Stars). A third book is The Cay. We also will read and complete lessons from a 6th grade reading series of short stories.

Social Studies: In Social Studies, we discuss ancient civilizations, beginning with the Paleolithic era. Then we continue with Mesopotamia, Egypt, Kush, Greece, India, China, and Rome. The strands discussed regarding these civilizations are geography, political, economic, religious, and social structures. Two of our biggest projects of the year are on Ancient Egypt and Greece.

Barbara Van Baren
Pioneer Middle School 6th Grade Language Arts and Social Studies.
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