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Middle School: Eighth Grade Curriculum
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Big Question What does it mean to be human?
Arts
An important piece of our program is viewing the world from many different perspectives. Arts courses encourage students to develop an aesthetic sense, to express themselves in new and unique ways, and to explore their own creativity. Students select courses from options that include drawing, painting, graphic design, drama, and music.
Humanities History, literature, and the arts are studied in an interdisciplinary humanities class. Primary points of discourse include what human beings have done and made and how “human-ness” has changed over centuries. Students work with primary documents and ancient to modern poetry and fiction. Themes of gender, class, and social, cultural, and political change are explored. Topics for each trimester are: The Spanish-Speaking World, Ancient to Modern India, and Ancient to Modern China.
Mathematical Thinking 3 or Algebra 1
Mathematics is often described as the “language of science.” Equally, it is also the language of finance and business and of everyday life. Humans are unique in their ability to study the world and use mathematics to both describe and predict phenomena from where a thrown baseball will land to how many germs will be on your toothbrush if they triple every four hours to predicting how many people will buy the sequel to The Da Vinci Code depending on how high its price is set. Algebra I focuses on getting student comfortable using the language of mathematics to model a variety of situations (linear, quadratic, exponentials) and solve for the unknown in a variety of situations (equality/inequality, single equation/system of equations).
Physical Education Physical education encourages students to push their limits, work as a team, accept wins and losses and live a healthful life. Courses emphasize lifelong fitness and include cross country, dance, basic fitness and others.
Scientific Thinking 3
Students ask, “Why do humans study the stars? How does this differentiate us from other life forms? What does it mean to be intelligent life if everything (including us) is made of protons, electrons, and neutrons? How do we learn about themselves? What did it mean to be human in the past?”
- Astronomy: Students observe the sky, study ancient and modern astronomical learning and chemical structures, discuss the current and ancient theories on the formation and makeup of the universe. Emphasis is on developing an ability to discuss tough scientific topics while becoming familiar with some of the current research. Topics covered will include solar system, stars, and the beginning and extent of the universe.
- Anthropology/Archaeology is taught concurrently with the humanities unit on China. Students learn to understand ways in which human beings study themselves, the science of history, and the applications of earth science and technology. We look at our own use of materials as well as the importance of materials in the study of ancient anthropology.
Spanish Qué es ser humano? (“What is it to be human?”) Second-language-learning is a uniquely human enterprise. Fall term Spanish is linked to The Spanish-Speaking World. Students read great literature or literary excerpts in Spanish, and skills work focuses on grammar, vocabulary acquisition, reading, writing, listening, and speaking. Students are placed in Spanish according to their abilities and prior experience with the language.
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