Middle School Curriculum

• Surveying literature–including short stories, non‑fiction, poetry, myths, legends, fables
  
• Examining literary terms
  
• Writing essays, impromptu, character study, journals
  
• Studying vocabulary–spelling, definition, usage
  
• Reviewing grammar–parts of speech, phrases, punctuation, capitalization, diagramming
  
• Developing study skills–dictionary, thesaurus, note-taking
  
• Reading and analyzing four to five novels

• Continuing study of novels, short stories, drama, poetry, and non-fiction
• Studying literary terms
  
• Writing essays–creative writing, literature, and poetry critiques
  
• Studying vocabulary and spelling based on literature
  
• Studying grammar–continue sentence diagramming; emphasize phrases and clauses, pronoun agreement, and subject-verb agreement
• Learning usage and application
  
• Studying drama
  
• In-depth reading of six to seven novels

• Studying a variety of classical literary forms
  
• Focusing on short stories, novels, and poetry
  
• Writing literature‑based essays with introduction to the deductive essay, reports, and original compositions
• Stressing precision with applied grammar and mechanics
  
• Studying vocabulary
  
• Using literary terms competently
  
• Studying Shakespeare
  
• In-depth reading of eight to nine novels

This course is designed to promote the qualities of Kindness, Manners, Respect, and Responsibility (KMRR) through fun and meaningful stories and films and by sharing activities with other divisions.

Provides students in key middle grades a strong foundation of mathematical concepts and skills.

These topics are covered:

• Representing and interpreting data
  
• Geometry concepts
  
• Applications with fractions and decimals
  
• Operations with integers
  
• Patterns, measurement
  
• Number theory
  
• Ratio
• Proportion
  
• Percent
• Probability
  
• Problem solving

Provides a review of Math 6 topics and extends those topics to include a thorough Algebra readiness curriculum.

These topics are included:

• organizing, displaying, and analyzing data
  
• patterns in geometry
  
• integers and variable expressions
  
• algebraic equations and inequalities
  
• graphing in coordinate plane
  
• patterns
  
• rational numbers
  
• applications of proportion and percent
  
• probability
  
• measurement
  
• number theory
  
• problem solving

• the real number system and its properties
  
• solving and writing equations in one and two variables
  
• solving and graphing inequalities
  
• systems of linear equations, exponents and radicals
  
• radical equations
  
• quadratic equations
  
• polynomials and factoring
  
• exponential functions
  
• problem solving
  
• logical reasoning
  
• algebraic applications using technology

Provides students with an array of experience within the world of computers:

• basic computer operation
  
• keyboarding skills
  
• work within an integrated software package incorporating word processing, database, spreadsheet, and PowerPoint
  
• creation of a multimedia presentation
  
• photo/video production
  
• and graphic animations
  

Built-in extensions will be provided to help support and enhance the curriculum as needed. Study skills are also a point of emphasis in this course.

One semester required, plus 1 semester elective

Inquiry and project-based course that provides students with an introduction to computer coding and object-oriented programming through a 3D environment. Computational thinking is the premise of this course. This course takes complex problems and breaks them down to small steps.

Grades 6-8

Half-semester course provides an introduction for students to use computational thinking to design and create captivating, functional video games and mobile apps. Students will learn to use various game and app design programs and apply that knowledge to build their own games and apps.

Covers scientific probing of nature, observations, recording of laboratory data and analysis, astronomy, oceanography, meteorology, geology, and related sciences.

Covers scientific probing of nature, introduction to biology, observations, recording of laboratory data and analysis, integration of biological and health sciences, and ecosystems.

Scientific method

• observation
  
• laboratory data
  
• analysis
  

Metric system

Chemistry

• periodic table
  
• atomic structure
  
• chemical reactions and processes
  

Physics

• light
  
• sound
  
• mechanics

Grades 7-8

Places emphasis on understanding and using skills for students to gain confidence in becoming active learners. Students observe, inquire, question, formulate, and test hypotheses; analyze data, report and evaluate findings.

• Early Man
  
• Early River Civilizations
  
• Egypt
  
• Classical Greece
  
• Rise and fall of Rome
  
• Rise of Christianity
  
• Medieval Age
  
• Geography: physical/cultural

7^th Grade World History: Patterns of Interaction

Emphasis is placed on developing skills that will help students become more successful at using historical tools in the process of learning about history. This will include the appropriate use of maps and graphs, as-well-as the analysis of data related to climate, natural resources and topography in relation to the culture and development of peoples around the world.

The 7^th grade middle school world history program is developed to help students:

• Learn how civilizations develop, and how people and societies have changed and advanced over the course of human history.
• Understand how the interrelationships among the economic resources of an area, the cultural advancement of its people, and the dynamics of political leadership have combined throughout history to produce divergent societies.
• Understand how religion, the arts, science, and literature both reflect and influence the course of human events.
• Understand how one’s own culture reflects traits acquired from numerous earlier civilizations.
• Develop a valid argument on a topic and support it by research conducted by the student.

8^th Grade American History: Multiple Perspectives

This course provides an advanced survey of the history of America as a frontier, from exploration to modern times. We will study the political, social, cultural, economic, and environmental aspects of the building of the United States.

Emphasis is placed on developing skills that will help students become more successful consumers of historical data and will help transition them to the Meadows Upper School.

Students will be expected to show understanding of historical concepts by applying them appropriately in the context of historical argument. Students will also be expected to show understanding of how ideas, policies, and interpretations of the past impact evaluation of current events and views on governance.

As the New World was a frontier for many and home for some, an intermingling of cultural perspectives occurred. It is through this lens that students will be asked to analyze both primary and secondary sources and to develop arguments for why events occurred as they did and why certain aspects of those events have been either ignored or presented in a particular way. This will include comparative analyses in both written and oral form based on readings, movies, and in-class activities. Students will be encouraged to think like historians. This means that students will cultivate the ability to assess, weigh, compare and ultimately interpret historical evidence, including making comparative judgments between competing and/or conflicting sources of evidence.

Grades 7-8: offered as a one-semester course in fall and spring

Encourages students to discuss the various issues and historical content presented by the screenplay writer and director of the film being shown. Film titles change each semester.

Emphasizes proficiency through storytelling and reading, covers present tense, sentence and question formation, and short compositions and stories, along with various cultural aspects.

Emphasizes proficiency through storytelling and reading, reviews present tense, covers negative commands, the future tense, sentence and question formation, short compositions and stories, along with various cultural aspects.

Emphasizes language usage in the present and past tenses. Continues verb and vocabulary enrichment. Exposes students to Spanish in a variety of listening activities, including viewing television programs and composing and performing oral presentations. Concludes the year with the reading and discussion of a short novel.

Introduction to basic grammar and vocabulary, derivatives, Roman history, culture, and mythology.

Full-year course. No experience necessary.

Full-year course. Designed for the advanced band student.

Full-year course. No experience necessary.

Full-year course. Designed for students who have previous experience playing violin, viola, cello, string bass, or guitar.

One-semester course.

One-semester course.

One-semester course.

One-semester course.

One-semester course, offered in fall and spring. TMS-TV or M-TV is an introduction to the world of broadcast journalism and to electronic news gathering (ENG), also known as "info-tainment." The course provides opportunities for students to develop skills and understanding in the concepts of the history of television, basic video camera operation, post production graphics, audio, and editing.

One-semester course.

One-semester course, offered in fall and spring.

Serves as an introduction to Fine Art designed to provide a basic understanding of the elements and principles of art.

One-semester course, offered in fall and spring.

Introduces students to Fine Art at an intermediate level and is designed to expand their understanding of the elements and principles of art.

One-semester course, offered in fall and spring.

Most advanced art class offered in Middle School, although students are not required to have taken an art class before.

Students take PE Classes twice per week and must:

1. Participate on one School team.

– or –

2. Participate in a sport or activity not offered by the School which is competitive and meets at least three hours per week throughout the school year.

Physical Education class focuses on the sports that are in-season as well as teaching students how to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

All Middle School students need six Physical Education credits earned over three years to satisfy the Middle School PE requirement.

Students do not have a regularly scheduled PE Class and must participate in the following to meet the Middle School PE requirement:

1. Participate on two School teams.

– or –

2. Participate in a sport or activity not offered by the School which is competitive and meets at least three hours per week throughout the school year.

– or –

3. Take the Early Bird Fitness Class.

All Middle School students need six Physical Education credits earned over three years to satisfy the Middle School PE requirement.