Registration Guidelines
The Wildcat Academy Middle School Course Catalog outlines and describes the courses students take in middle school If you have questions about the courses listed in this registration guide, please reach out to one of your teachers, a counselor or the Wildcat Academy Coordinator
Course Information
● Wildcat Academy Middle School 7-8 Registration Guide
Schedule
● Students in grades 7-8 are middle school students and follow a 6 period schedule.
○ Students will have English Language Arts, Math, Science, Social Studies all year
○ Students will have one semester of Physical Education and Music the other semester
○ Students will have one elective each quarter
● Families can create the schedule that works best for them Students most successful in online learning programs tend to follow a schedule and routine Students are able to work at their own pace and can focus on one class at a time or work a little bit on each course each day
Grading
A = 93-100 A- = 90-92 B+ = 87-89
B = 83-86 B- = 80-82 C+ = 77-79
C = 73-76 C- = 70-72 D+ = 67-69
D = 63-66 D- = 60-62 Below 60 = No Credit
Incompletes
● If a student doesn't complete the necessary work to earn a credit in the course, they should contact their teacher The teacher can grant a student an incomplete
● At the end of terms 1, 2, & 3 students will have five (5) school days to complete any work for the incomplete If at the end of the 5 school days, sufficient work has not been completed, a grade of "F" will be assigned At the end of term 4, incomplete work must be done by the last day of school Extensions need to be arranged through the teacher and the counselor
Cumulative Grade Point Average
● Students are graded on an A-B-C-D-F basis Each grade received in a given grading period is assigned a numerical value, dependent upon its credit value for that grading period The sum of these numerical values is divided by the number of credits attempted in that grading period to determine a GPA (Grade Point Average). A GPA is calculated for each student at the end of each grading period
Schedules
7th Grade
7th Grade English
7th Grade Math
7th Grade Life Science
7th Grade U.S. History
8th Grade
8th Grade English
8th Grade Algebra
8th Grade Physical Science
8th Grade World Geography
7th Grade Courses
WA7000 / WA7001 English 7 A/B
Prerequisite: none
Grade: 7
Course length: 1 year
English 7 is an interactive, feedback-rich course designed to build students' communication and reading comprehension skills The course is designed to build students' communication and reading comprehension skills Reading comprehension lessons strengthen students' critical analysis skills as they study how nonfiction and literature can be used to share ideas. Writing lessons combine free-response exercises with drafting strategies and examples to help students communicate clearly and credibly in narrative, argumentative, and informational styles Students will develop skills specific to public discourse; speaking and listening lessons guide students as they evaluate one another's speeches and adjust to new audiences and situations. In language lessons, students build foundational grammar skills they need to articulate their ideas and understand challenging words
WA7020 / WA7021 Life Science 7 A/B
Prerequisite: none
Grade: 7
Course length: 1 year
Life Science delivers instruction, practice, and review to help students develop scientific literacy, deepen conceptual understanding, and apply scientific practices Students explore concepts including the relationship between structure and function, the flow of energy and matter through living systems, heredity, and the diversity of life. The course is arranged in themed units, each with two to three lessons In each unit, activities make complex ideas accessible to students as they discover the nature of science through focused content, interactive mini-investigations, multi-modal representations, and personalized feedback. Each lesson includes a variety of activities such as direct instruction, application of skills, performance tasks, and formative and summative assessments Students engage with the subject matter in an interactive, feedback-rich environment as they progress through content aligned to the Next Generation Science Standards and demonstrate their learning through computer- and teacher-scored assignments
WA7010 / WA7011 MATH 7 A/B
Prerequisite: none
Grade: 7
Course length: 1 year
Math 7 delivers instruction, practice, and review designed to develop computational fluency, deepen conceptual understanding, and apply mathematical practices. Throughout the course, students gain a deep understanding of proportions and their use in solving problems They extend their fluency with operations on rational numbers and translate among different forms of rational numbers Algebra topics include simplifying and rewriting algebraic expressions and solving more complex equations and inequalities. Students also sketch geometric figures and explore scale drawings, investigate circle properties and angle relationships, and deepen their understanding of area, volume, and surface area They see how statistics uses sample data to make predictions about populations and compare data from different data sets. Students gain a fundamental understanding of probability and explore different ways to find or estimate probabilities.
WA7030 / WA7031 U.S. History 7 A/B
Prerequisite: none
Grade: 7
Course length: 1 year
7th Grade U S History is informed by the College, Career, and Civic Life (C3) Framework for Social Studies State Standards and delivers instruction, practice, and review designed to build middle school students' knowledge of U.S. history, from the settling of North America through the era of Reconstruction By constantly honing their ability to analyze history, students build the depth of knowledge and higher-order thinking skills required to demonstrate their mastery when put to the test The course is arranged in themed units, each with three to five lessons In each unit, activities make complex ideas about U.S. history accessible through focused content, guided analysis, multi-modal representations, and personalized feedback Each lesson includes a variety of activities such as direct instruction, application of skills, performance tasks, and formative and summative assessments Students engage with the subject matter in an interactive, feedback-rich environment as they progress through standards-aligned content and demonstrate their learning through computer- and teacher-scored assignments
WA7050 Physical Education 7
Prerequisite: none
Grade: 7
Course length: 1 semester
The 7th Grade Physical Education course helps students build foundational knowledge of fitness and healthy activity habits Students participate in regular physical activity and log their activities weekly in alignment with Minnesota State Physical Education Standards. The course introduces basic fitness concepts, goal setting, and the importance of physical activity for physical, emotional, social, and mental health
WA7040 Music 7
Prerequisite: none
Grade: 7
Course length: 1 semester
7th Grade Music introduces students to the history, theory, and genres of music, from the most ancient surviving examples to the most contemporary in the world at large. The course covers primitive musical forms and classical music, explores the interface of music and social movements, and examines how global society and the internet bring musical forms from around the world together in new ways
WA7060 Digital Citizenship 7
Prerequisite: none
Grade: 7
Course length: 1 quarter
Digital Citizenship is designed to focus on responsible and ethical technology use Students will learn digital etiquette, computer components, and cyberbullying. They will also compare operating systems, troubleshoot common tech issues, and use digital communication and presentation tools to promote safe, legal, and ethical digital media use
WA7045 Introduction to Visual Art
Prerequisite: none
Grade: 7
Course length: 1 quarter
Introduction to Visual Arts is a course designed to enable all students to familiarize themselves with different types of visual arts. Students will trace the history of art, describe various art forms, and identify the elements of art. After examining the principles of design, students will delve into the parameters involved in evaluating and critiquing art
WA7055 Health 7
Prerequisite: none
Grade: 7
Course length: 1 quarter
Health is designed to build the skills students need to protect, enhance, and promote their own health and the health of others. This skills-based course helps students develop knowledge, attitudes, and essential skills in a variety of health-related subjects, including mental and emotional health, social health, nutrition, and physical fitness With accessible information and interactive learning, the course teaches students to apply the skills they need to stay healthy These skills include identifying and accessing valid health information, practicing self-management, identifying internal and external influences, communicating effectively, making healthy decisions, setting goals, and advocating for themselves and others
WA7061 Engineering & Technology 7
Prerequisite: none
Grade: 7
Course length: 1 quarter
Engineering and Technology is designed to focus on the fundamental concepts of engineering and technology Students will learn about important inventions and innovations in engineering and technology, engineering's contributions to society, and how fields such as science, mathematics, and technology influence engineering The course will also teach students about career areas in the engineering and technology industries and the skills and education required, as well as the job outlook, demand, and projected wages of various career options in the field.
8th Grade Courses
WA8010 / WA8011 ALGEBRA A/B
Prerequisite: none
Grade: 8
Course length: 1 year
In Algebra, students will learn how to operate with numbers expressed in scientific notation and learn to use roots appropriately Students will study the real number system and determine relationships between rational and irrational numbers In addition, students will learn the Pythagorean Theorem and apply it to solve mathematical and real-world problems Students will graph, create, and solve linear equations and inequalities and apply function notation to describe linear relationships. Finally, students will also study linear transformations and represent linear data using scatter plots and mathematical models
WA8000 / WA8001 English 8 A/B
Prerequisite: none
Grade: 8
Course length: 1 year
English 8 is designed to build students' communication and reading comprehension skills Reading comprehension lessons strengthen students' critical analysis skills as they study how nonfiction and literature can be used to share ideas. Writing lessons combine free-response exercises with drafting strategies and examples to help students communicate clearly and credibly in narrative, argumentative, and informational styles Students will develop skills specific to public discourse; speaking and listening lessons guide students as they evaluate one another's speeches and adjust to new audiences and situations In language lessons, students build foundational grammar skills they need to articulate their ideas and understand challenging words
WA8020 / WA8021 Physical Science 8 A/B
Prerequisite: none
Grade: 8
Course length: 1 year
MS Physical Science delivers instruction, practice, and review to help students develop scientific literacy, deepen conceptual understanding, and apply scientific practices. Students explore concepts including the interactions of matter; motion and stability; waves and their technological applications; and energy The course is arranged in themed units, each with two to three lessons In each unit, activities make complex ideas accessible to students as they discover the nature of science through focused content, interactive miniinvestigations, multi-modal representations, and personalized feedback Each lesson includes a variety of activities such as direct instruction, application of skills, performance tasks, and formative and summative assessments Students engage with the subject matter in an interactive, feedback-rich environment as they progress through content aligned to the Next Generation Science Standards and demonstrate their learning through computer- and teacher-scored assignments.
WA8030 / WA8031 World Geography 8 A/B
Prerequisite: none
Grade: 8
Course length: 1 year
In an increasingly interconnected world, equipping students to develop a better understanding of our global neighbors is critical to ensuring that they are college and career ready This course empowers students to increase their knowledge of the world in which they live and how its diverse geographies shape the international community Semester A units begin with an overview of the physical world and the tools necessary to explore it effectively. Subsequent units survey each continent and its physical characteristics and engage students and encourage them to develop a global perspective
WA8050 Physical Education 8
Prerequisite: none
Grade: 8
Course length: 1 semester
The 8th Grade Physical Education course deepens students’ understanding of fitness through increased analysis and reflection Students engage in regular physical activity and maintain weekly activity logs aligned with Minnesota State Physical Education Standards. The course emphasizes analyzing fitness concepts, personal goal setting, and the role of physical activity in supporting physical, emotional, social, and mental health Students also explore connections between physical activity, nutrition, online safety, and stress management as part of overall wellness
WA8040 Music 8
Prerequisite: none
Grade: 8
Course length: 1 semester
8th Grade Music introduces students to the history, theory, and genres of music, from the most ancient surviving examples to the most contemporary in the world at large The course explores music rooted in rich modern traditions, including American jazz, gospel, folk, soul, blues, Latin rhythms, rock and roll, and hip-hop The course explores the interface of music and social movements and examines how global society and the internet bring musical forms from around the world together in new ways
WA8060 Digital Citizenship 8
Prerequisite: none
Grade: 8
Course length: 1 quarter
Digital Citizenship is designed to focus on responsible and ethical technology use Students will learn digital etiquette, computer components, and cyberbullying Students also learn to create documents and images, and analyze data with spreadsheets. In addition, the course covers intellectual property laws and evaluating credible digital information. The course will also teach students how to build a positive online identity and understand the impact of digital media on individuals and society
WA8045 Theater, Cinema & Film Production
Prerequisite: none
Grade: 8
Course length: 1 quarter
Theater, Cinema, and Film Production is a course that explores what goes into the making of a theater and film production. The course’s lessons focus on the pre-production, production, and post-production stages of theater and film productions Students will be introduced to theater and film and their different genres and subgenres They will also learn about the roles and responsibilities of the cast and crew, including the director, actors, screenplay writers, set designers, wardrobe stylists and costume designers, and makeup artists The course also covers technical aspects, such as lighting and sound. Students will also learn about the influence of the audience on theater, cinema, and film production.
WA8055 Health 8
Prerequisite: none
Grade: 8
Course length: 1 quarter
Health is designed to build the skills students need to protect, enhance, and promote their own health and the health of others This skills-based course helps students develop knowledge, attitudes, and essential skills in a variety of health-related subjects, including decision making, substance use and abuse, disease prevention and treatment, and injury prevention and safety With accessible information and interactive learning, the course teaches students to apply the skills they need to stay healthy These skills include identifying and accessing valid health information, practicing self-management, identifying internal and external influences, communicating effectively, making healthy decisions, setting goals, and advocating for themselves and others
WA8061 Engineering & Technology 8
Prerequisite: none
Grade: 8
Course length: 1 quarter
Engineering and Technology is designed to focus on the fundamental concepts of engineering and technology Students will learn how to identify various measurement devices, use the engineering design process to create models or prototypes to address real-world problems, and employ drafting techniques both manual and using computer-aided design (CAD) software to produce two-dimensional drawings In addition, the course covers the technologies, principles, and safety considerations in various engineering and technology career areas The course will also teach students about career areas in the engineering and technology industries and the skills and education required, as well as the job outlook, demand, and projected wages of various career options in the field