DISCOVERY CLASSES

ORGANIZATIONAL LAB 7 (9651)

Org Lab is designed to help students gain the organizational skills necessary for student success. Emphasis is placed on time management, organization of materials, and strategies to attack and complete homework.

INDEPENDENT READING 6,7,8

Reading self-selected texts encourages reading fluency, increased familiarity with literary structures and improved vocabulary development while also exposing students to a wider variety of genres and authors than can be included in the list of assigned reading. This course encourages students to choose books on their own as a way to develop independent reading lives and understand who they are as readers. All 6th graders have independent reading as part of their schedules, and the course is offered as an elective in 7th and 8th grade. Through experiential (hands-on) learning, Upper School students will develop skills in mentoring, problem-solving, and social intelligence, all of which are necessary for success in one’s educational and professional life. Leaders will learn how to help group members develop self-awareness, sensitivity to others, and those skills that contribute to effective group dynamics such as listening, collaborating, and cooperating. By helping Middle School students to clarify values, express themselves, and feel understood, respected and supported among peers, leaders bolster students’ self-confidence and compassion. Leaders will be assigned weekly readings on topics in adolescent life and leadership. They will learn how to write and implement lesson plans and participate in planning and debriefing sessions as a group. Upper School leaders will serve as role models, address topics related to transition to the Upper School and lead weekly activities and discussions that foster effective peer groups. Leaders will collaborate with each other, faculty and Middle School students to promote interactions that reinforce D-E’s core values: respect, honesty, judgment, commitment, courage, and community.

To support students in nurturing an independent reading life, this weekly independent reading period provides reading time, access to the library and an opportunity for students to make and hear recommendations of specific titles they might enjoy. In sixth grade, students also keep a reading log and complete a series of projects to help them structure and reflect on their independent reading lives.

S.A.G.E.-SUPPORTING ADOLESCENT GROUP EXPERIENCES (9250) (Taken by all 7th Graders)

This class fosters a mentoring relationship between 11th and 12th grade students selected for leadership and small groups of Middle School students.

BOOST AND BULLDOG PREP

These are two additional opportunities for any student in the Middle School to further advance their understanding of what they are learning in school. Test prep, organizing a long term project, discussion about a book they are reading or practicing difficult concepts are only a few of the ways for a student to utilize this time. Boost is offered by appointment Tuesday morning before school and Thursday afternoon after school. Bulldog Prep is offered Tuesday and Thursday during Activity Period.

DISCOVERY CLASSES

(ALL ARE FULL-YEAR COURSES AND ALL ARE PASS/FAIL)

DISCOVERY PROGRAM OVERVIEW

The Discovery Class program is one of the most innovative and meaningful components of the Middle School program at Dwight-Englewood. Students learn best in an environment where they are given some autonomy and control over the setting and content of what is taught. They also benefit tremendously from a curriculum that is well rounded and one that focuses on all aspects of mental and physical growth. Keeping the student at the center of his or her learning has always been one of our core goals as a school and through this program many of our middle school students get the chance to participate in a choice-based elective class. These classes are usually a bit more specialized and playful and they serve as a fun yet meaningful adjunct to the core curriculum. This is often an opportunity afforded only to high school students and even then sometimes not until their Junior or Senior year, but at Dwight Englewood it is an opportunity that many of our Middle School students are afforded. In 7th and 8th grade, depending on their other enrollments, most of our students are given the choice of a wide array of elective classes known as “Discovery” classes

TRADITIONAL WEST AFRICAN DRUMMING, SINGING, AND DANCING Grade 7 (9271) Grade 8 (9281)

This Middle School ensemble will learn recreational, warrior, and harvest music and dance styles from Ghana. Students will use a large family of traditional Ghanaian drums, bells and rattles. All of the students drum (stick drumming, hand drumming, stick and hand too), and sing and dance. This music is taught in the traditional West African oral tradition, using call and response, dialog drumming, with the mnemonic drum syllables of the Ghanaian drum language. Students will learn to talk and listen with their hands in vibrant polyrhythmic conversation. There is no sheet music to read and no baton to follow. There will be at least two required performances throughout the year, and there are attendance requirements.

SHOW CHOIR Grade 7 (9273) Grade 8 (9283)

Students taking this class will explore popular music from films and musicals. The performance style of Show Choir will often include small elements of acting, costumes and props to highlight the dramatic action of the songs. Repertoire will be chosen from a broad spectrum of influences: from the “Golden Years” of Hollywood and Broadway to music written in our mega-musical age. There will be at least two required performances throughout the year and there are attendance requirements.

ART & DESIGN EXPLORATIONS (9182) Grade 8

This course allows the student to continue study in the visual arts in the 8th grade through exploration of new (and unique) media and techniques. The processes and ways of thinking developed this year help form a foundation for students interested in pursuing the visual arts in the Upper School. In this yearlong course of artistic discovery, students will explore the physical and conceptual properties of the elements of art and design through the creation of different two- and three-dimensional projects. Students will refine their abilities to create work with a sense of aesthetic purpose and to communicate through their art. In addition to developing and reflecting upon their own work,

ART & DESIGN SEQUENTIAL ART (TBD) Grade 8

Sequential Art explores the unique methods artists use to tell stories through imagery. Students will have opportunities to learn how to employ art-making techniques, storyboarding, peer critiques, and IPad applications to inform their process and harness the power of art as a vehicle for story-telling. Visual design and journaling within a sketchbook will be a critical aspect of this course, propelling each student's current appreciation of this timeless medium. Projects will include: original character design and development, single to multiple panel narratives to full comic strips, and culminating in stop-motion animation capstone pieces.

CERAMICS 7 (9275) Grade 7

This course introduces students to clay as an artistic medium, with a focus on hand building sculptural and functional works of art. Students will become familiar with the ceramics studio as an equipped working space while being involved in each step of the ceramic process. The core focus of this course will be establishing a foundation of hand building skills, including pinching, coil building, hollowing, and slab rolling through individual and collaborative projects. Students will also have the opportunity for personal exploration of the materials and techniques in the creation of their art work.

THE WAY THINGS WORK: BUILDING, ENGINEERING, AND ARTISTIC DESIGN (9373) Grade 7

Have you ever looked at an everyday item like a fan or a pencil sharpener and wondered - “How does that work?”. In this class you will get the opportunity to break down the inner workings of many simple machines and products. You will explore and compare solutions to challenges or shortcomings with machines and develop repair or redesign solutions to various problems with machines. Over the course of the year you will have the opportunity to tinker, repair, design, create and craft your own machines, mixed medium electric products and even art. You will learn the basics of electricity, wiring, woodworking, carving, metal work, etc...Projects will center around mechanical and artistic design. There will be both full class projects where we are all working on one problem, and individual projects such as vehicle design, lamp building, sign and wood carving, and a portfolio of self interest projects. If you like design, tinkering and have a general curiosity about the way things work, this class is for you.

LEADERSHIP SKILLS (9385) Grade 8

The goal of this course is to prepare each student for the future through a unique Leadership curriculum that will provide opportunities to develop real life leadership skills and Character building. Through workshops and other experiential learning exercises, we will improve the students’ understanding of what character and leadership mean. This will translate into improved focus and effort in school and most importantly in life. The ultimate goal is to develop personal values and prioritize becoming a strong leader in the classroom, athletic fields, artistic venues, and your local community.

D.I.G. (DWIGHT-ENGLEWOOD IN THE GARDEN 7TH GRADE) (9276) Grade 7

Students in this class will engage in hands-on discovery of basic conservation concepts and learn gardening skills in the school’s organic vegetable garden and greenhouse space. The class will work together on a series of projects such as tending garden beds, harvesting vegetables and herbs to eat in class, and planning and planting the next year’s garden. In the school kitchen, we will practice some cooking skills useful for preparing garden produce and reflect on the environmental impact of our eating choices. We will also do some research, reading, and watching of documentary films to help us explore questions such as “What are organic methods, and are they better for the environment?” and “What is soil stewardship?” Includes regular work outdoors.

D.I.G. 8 (DWIGHT-ENGLEWOOD IN THE GARDEN 8TH GRADE) (9286) Grade 8

This course gives students the opportunity to make their mark on campus by envisioning and building enhancements to the school’s vegetable garden. As we design the new features, we will look to respond to the needs of the various classes that use the garden and to make steps towards helping the garden fulfil its mission. Classes often will be held outside in the garden, where we will tend, harvest, eat, and plant -- these last with an eye both to sampling new or interesting vegetables and to exploring the idea that what we choose to eat has an environmental impact. In the process of planning and construction, or planting and preparing vegetables, students will develop their gardening and cooking skills and learn more about soil, compost management, sustainable agricultural practices, and the selection and cultivation of food plants appropriate for our situation. Students will also engage in discussion of current issues in food gardening such as maintaining the genetic diversity of seeds and the effect of climate change on agriculture. We will do some research, reading, and watching of documentary films to support that discussion. Includes regular work outdoors.

MEDIA, NEWS, THE WORLD AND YOU: JOURNALISM FOR GENERATION Z (9381) Grade 8

In this class we will create our own digital media outlet, you will create news, take on new roles, debate, investigate, produce and argue. The primary goal of this class is to help you understand perspective and create your own well-informed and reasoned opinions. We will dive deeply into the secrets, methods, history and paradoxes of the modern American media system. At a time when trust in the media and journalism is at an all-time low, the importance of this topic seems huge. This class will use television, social media, film, online magazines, websites and print journalism to carefully explore current US and International news. We will investigate major political, military, social, humanitarian and environmental issues and events around the world paying careful attention to the underlying causes, perspective and bias. We will also explore unique and unusual sports around the world, getting a chance to even play games as a means of understanding different perspectives. Students will also get a chance to participate in a behind-the-scenes field trip of major US Television network news outlets in NYC, including presence on the set of live shows. If you love media of all forms, news and the digital world then you will love this class.

GAME DESIGN, THEORY, AND IMPLEMENTATION (TBD) Grade 7

I hate chess - you may love it - but why? I don't hate it just because I'm "bad" at it (though I am), and you probably don't love it just because you're "good" at it. Chess is making design decisions that are influencing how it feels. Chess is a game with "perfect" information (i.e. no hidden information, no random chance). Compare Poker or Uno, where you know neither what is in your opponent's hand nor the deck. Chess is a symmetric game, where both players have the same pieces and rules. Compare Magic or Pokemon or Key Forge, where different players have different decks. And chess has a positive feedback loop – that means players who are doing well have an easier time, and players who are doing poorly have a harder time. Compare Mario Kart, which offers better power ups to the players in last place, so that the race feels competitive for everyone the whole time. There's more to analyze: Chess is an abstract game, a turn-based game, a competitive game, a two-player game, etc. And even beyond that, we can talk

about art direction and theme. This design course is meant to help you design games by first understanding how the games you loved were designed – what decisions were made and what those decisions meant for the experience. But to be clear, you will be building your own games in this course. We will start with tabletop games, and (time-permitting) move onto video games.

CARS, TRUCKS, AND THINGS THAT GO (TBD) Grade 7

Students will spend the first part of the class with concept sketches, design sketches, and transitioning to a working drawing with specifications. They will also learn about mass, speed, aerodynamics, and other key concepts before designing their dragster. Each student will learn the proper way to manage and use certain tools, such as basic shop tools, including a band saw, drill press, wood filers, sanders, and Exacto knife. Each student will design a Pitsco Car dragster. Materials students will be using for this class will range from drawing paper, graph paper, pencils, basswood, spray paint, and a dremel. Designing your dragster is a big part of this project! If you enjoy painting and drawing, showcase your skill and design the best-looking dragster at D-E. Judges will pick out the top 3 designs to determine the best-looking car. Finally, each individual will have the opportunity to race their dragster using carbon dioxide cartridges. Join the competition and determine if you can become the ultimate D-E Pitsco500 Champion!

PHYSICAL COMPUTING I Grade 7 (9372) Grade 8 (9382)

In this course, students will become inventors as they explore the ways that computers and electronic devices interact with the physical world. They will roll up their sleeves and learn by doing as they design and build their own interactive electronic games, light-up art projects, moving robotic sculptures, and other amazing things using supplies like Play Doh, cardboard, thumb tacks and other recycled material. Students will learn many new skills such as soldering, 3D Printing, laser cutting, circuit building and coding. The primary focus of the course, however, will be the development of student creativity, collaboration, persistence, and self-directed learning.

PHYSICAL COMPUTING II (9383) Grade 8

With a basic understanding of electronics, computer programming, microcontrollers, and 3D printing, students will work in teams to define several long-range invention projects. Heavy emphasis will be placed on design thinking strategies, collaboration, creativity, and research skills as students work together to design and build sophisticated electronic inventions and works of art.

LEADERSHIP Grade 8

The goal of this course is to prepare each student for the future through a unique Leadership curriculum that will provide opportunities to develop real life leadership skills and character building. Through workshops and other experiential learning exercises, we will improve the students’ understanding of what character and leadership mean. This will translate into improved focus and effort in school and most importantly in life. The ultimate goal is to develop personal values and prioritize becoming a strong leader in the classroom, athletic fields, artistic venues, and your local community.