Middle School Curriculum Guide 2025-2026 BRIDGES ACADEMY
CORE CURRICULUM
HUMANITIES HUMANITIES 7
Humanities is a blend of Social Studies and Language Arts. In the 7th grade, students will read novels, short stories, poetry, memoirs, articles, and other thought-provoking texts. With an emphasis on critical reading, students will improve their ability to infer main ideas and themes in readings and in history. Through creative projects, essays, and discussions, students will make well-reasoned claims supported by relevant evidence to demonstrate their learning.
HUMANITIES 8
In this 8th grade Humanities course, students will explore key events, ideas, and figures that have shaped U.S. history, from colonization to Reconstruction and beyond. The course will connect historical analysis with reading, writing, and critical thinking skills. Students will engage with primary and secondary sources, participate in discussions, and complete creative and analytical writing assignments and projects. By the end of the course, students will have a deeper
understanding of the historical foundations of the United States and how these events influence modern society.
MATH
STUDENTS PLACE INTO ONE OF THE FOLLOWING:
MIDDLE SCHOOL MATH
Our Middle School Math course builds upon the skills and concepts developed in Foundational Math, guiding students toward full readiness for Pre-Algebra. The course emphasizes both procedural fluency and conceptual understanding, while encouraging students to apply mathematics in problemsolving and real-world contexts. Students will deepen their understanding of fractions, decimals, and integers through multi-step operations and applications. They will expand their knowledge of ratios, proportions, and percentages in increasingly complex scenarios, and strengthen their ability to interpret and analyze data using statistical tools and probability concepts. Students will also extend their geometric reasoning by working with angles, transformations, surface area, and volume, while continuing to develop spatial awareness. Early algebraic concepts—including expressions, equations, inequalities, patterns, and coordinate graphing— are integrated to build strong connections to algebra. By the end of the course, students will have the confidence, skills, and strategies needed to successfully transition into PreAlgebra and beyond.
FOUNDATIONAL MATH
Our Foundational Math course builds a strong base in essential mathematical skills and concepts to prepare students for higher-level mathematics. The course emphasizes fluency with numbers, problem-solving strategies, and conceptual understanding, while encouraging students to develop mathematical confidence and perseverance. Students will review whole number operations, work extensively with fractions and decimals, explore factors, multiples, and divisibility, and strengthen their understanding of ratios, proportions, and percentages. The course also introduces integers, coordinate graphing, and basic algebraic thinking through patterns and simple equations. Students will deepen their knowledge of geometry by studying area, perimeter, volume, and surface area of twoand three-dimensional figures, and they will engage with concepts of data representation, statistics, and probability. Through practice and application, students will build the foundational skills necessary for success in Pre-Algebra and beyond.
PREALGEBRA
Our Pre-Algebra course is an introduction to basic algebra concepts and a review of arithmetic algorithms. The course helps students develop mathematical study skills, practice new learning strategies, and emphasize the concepts necessary to be successful in Algebra I and II. Students will explore algebraic expressions and integers, solve onestep equations and inequalities, decimals and equations, factors, fractions, exponents, operations with fractions, ratios, proportions, percentages, linear functions and graphing, spatial thinking, area and volume, right triangles in Algebra, data analysis and probability, and nonlinear functions and polynomials.
ALGEBRA 1
Algebra is often called a gatekeeper course because it opens the door to all other areas of study in mathematics. This course provides a comprehensive teaching of the fundamental aspects of problem solving. Major topics of study include evaluation of algebraic equations, exponent rules and manipulation, polynomials, solving and graphing linear equations, solving and graphing two variable inequalities, solving systems of equations, radicals, word problems, solving and graphing quadratic equations, and factoring.
GEOMETRY
The focus of Geometry is for students to understand the core mathematical concepts of the discipline by learning vocabulary, signs, expressions, and applications in preparation for advanced high school mathematics. Additionally, students will learn to ask appropriate and insightful questions; develop resourcefulness and problemsolving skills across the curriculum by using multiple methods; and become more comfortable with expressing their ideas through using the language of mathematics.
MEDIA TECHNOLOGY
MEDIA TECH
Media Technology offers students opportunities to explore creativity through the use of computers and a range of software applications, while also developing and refining their technical skills. The primary areas covered include image creation and manipulation using Adobe Photoshop, animated sequences with Adobe Animate, video production and editing with iMovie, fundamental programming concepts using Scratch and Python, and website development with HTML and CSS. These areas of study were selected to equip students with technical skills that can be used beyond the course and in future professional environments.
SCIENCE SCIENCE 7
This course is designed to deepen students' understanding of key scientific concepts while enhancing their research and laboratory skills. The course structure integrates hands-on projects, experiments, lab reports, and interactive discussions to foster a comprehensive learning experience. In this course, students will learn how organisms and nonliving things are made of atoms, and how matter cycles and energy flows through ecosystems and the Earth. The course will also examine how natural processes and human activities shape Earth's resources and ecosystems. With an emphasis on phenomenon- and model-based learning, students will engage in hands-on experiments and collaborative projects to develop critical thinking and problem solving skills.
SCIENCE 8
Science 8 is designed to deepen students’ understanding of the physical sciences while building their skills in inquiry, experimentation, and analysis. The course integrates handson projects, labs, reports, and collaborative discussions to create an engaging and comprehensive learning experience. In this course, students will explore Newtonian physics by investigating motion, forces, and energy, as well as the principles of fluid dynamics. They will study the fundamentals of electricity and circuitry, applying their knowledge to realworld systems and problem solving. The course will also examine the solar system and the geologic history of Earth, helping students understand the processes that have shaped our planet and its place in the universe. With an emphasis on phenomenon-based and model-based learning, students will engage in experiments and projects that develop their ability to think critically, interpret data, and communicate scientific ideas.
PERFORMING ARTS
THEATRE
Drama is the art of storytelling through voice, movement and imagination. In this course, students will explore the foundations of theatre, develop acting and collaboration skills, and create original performances. Through improvisation, character development, rehearsal and production, students will learn how to express themselves, work as an ensemble, and bring characters and stories to life on stage.
PHYSICAL EDUCATION
MIDDLE SCHOOL FITNESS
Physical education is an integral part of the total education of every student. Physical activity helps develop health-related benefits such as fitness, physical competence, and cognitive understanding of body movement. Ultimately, students learn that they are extremely capable of adopting healthy and physically active lifestyles. Other benefits of physical activity in school include improved mental processes of perception, memory, judgment, and reasoning, as it pertains to the development of physical skills. Being active improves self-confidence and self-esteem, reduces stress, improves judgment, and strengthens peer relationships. In addition, young people generally like physical activity because it is fun; they do it with friends; and it helps them develop skills, stay in shape, and look and feel better.
VISUAL ARTS STUDIO ART
Middle School Studio Art introduces students to a variety of artistic media, and is designed to increase a student’s observational skills as well as their abilities to imagine and create imagery from a variety of sources. This class provides a strong foundation in drawing, painting, three-dimensional art, and it encourages explorations of other media and techniques, including printmaking, photography, digital art, installation art, etc. Within each unit, students will have the opportunity to learn and discuss relevant topics and art examples from art history and theory, helping each student to take a more informed and critical approach to the arts and visual communication.
ENRICHMENT CLUSTER OPTIONS*
AVIATION
BOARD GAMES
BRIDGES JAM BAND
BRIDGES PODCAST
COOKING
JAPANESE CULTURE + LANGUAGE
NEWSPAPER
PASSION FOR PETS
*These change based on student interests
INTERSESSION
Intersession is a two week long, project-based learning experience designed around students’ interests and strengths. Students deeply explore topics while developing their skills in core academics like research, science, and writing as well as social emotional arenas like self awareness, social awareness, and conflict resolution.
Former intersession projects include “Castaway”, in which students had to figure out how to survive in specific environments such as a rain forest, Antarctica, or a tropical island by building shelters, securing food, and adapting to the ecosystem. Another experience was to produce a musical entirely written, composed, arranged, and performed by the students.
ADVISORY
Middle School advisories meet daily throughout the school year and give students the opportunity to engage in a variety of critical activities and discussions. Advisors are advocates for the students in their groups and host conferences with families, gather information about students’ strengths, and develop plans to support individual challenges. Members of the counseling team meet with advisories regularly for explicit social emotional instruction. These lessons include support with executive functioning skills, identity and friendship, understanding social cues, and health and wellness.
Middle school students work on Genius Hour projects in advisory, pursuing sustained inquiry based on their passions and interests. Once a week advisory is devoted to academic support when students can check in with teachers and get help with homework from the learning specialist. Each advisory also devotes time to reading and community announcements.