GRADE 8
PROGRAM OF STUDIES
2025 - 2026
EIGHTHGRADECOURSEDESCRIPTIONS
8thGRADE-ALGEBRAI (newstudentsonly)
TheeighthgradeAlgebraIcurriculumfocusesonorderofoperations,algebraicproperties, integers,graphingrelationsandfunctions,analyzinglinearequationsandsolvinglinear inequalities.Emphasiswillbeplacedonastep-by-stepapproachtoproblemsolvingandmaking connectionsoftheseskillstorealworldapplications.Aftercompletingthiscourse,students shouldhaveasolidunderstandingoftheconceptsofAlgebraandbereadyforthestudyof geometry.
ALGEBRAI-YEAR2
This course is a continuation of the seventh grade Algebra I – Year 1 course. Review of the seventh grade course will take place at the beginning of the year. The Algebra I curriculum during the eighth grade year focuses on the study of functions, graphing quadratic equations, solving rational and radical expressions,systemsofequations,solvingandgraphinginequalities, factoring, polynomials, quadratic and exponential functions. An emphasis will be placed on usingastep-by-stepapproachtoproblemsolvingandmakingconnectionsbetweentheseskillsto realworldapplications. Aftercompletingthiscourse,studentsshouldhaveasolidunderstanding oftheconceptsofAlgebraandbereadyforthestudyofgeometry.
ALGEBRAII(ACCELERATED)
(Prerequisite:GeometryAccelerated)
Thiscoursecoversmanytopicsincluding,butnotlimitedtoquadraticfunctionsandfactoring, polynomialfunctions,rationalexponents,radicalfunctions,exponentialandlogarithmic functions,rationalfunctions,quadraticrelationsandconicsectionsandtrigonometry Students canexpecttocovernewmaterial,takeextensivenotesandhavehomeworkeveryday Theaim ofthiscourseistodevelopthecriticalthinkingskillsnecessarytosuccessfullyabsorbandretain theseconceptsinpreparationforCalculus.
ENGLISH
Thiscoursecontinuestoemphasizetheimportanceofeffectivecommunicationinwrittenand orallanguage. TheliteraturecomponentcomprisesseveralgenresincludingaShakespearean play,poetry,shortstoriesandnovel. Studentswritepoetryandpersonalnarrativesandproduce creativeandanalyticalwritingsinconjunctionwiththeirliteraturestudy Vocabularyis expandedthroughanage-appropriateonlineprogramaswellastermsthatemergefromassigned reading. Severalliteraturechoicescomplementmaterialtaughtinthecurrentevents8thgrade SocialStudiesclass.Sixthandseventhgradegrammarskillsaresolidified,andmorecomplex conceptsareintroduced.Writingprojectsencourageuseofthesestructuresforamoremature voice. Inanefforttorecognizedifferentlearningstyles,classroomactivitiesarebasedonclass lectureanddiscussionaswellassmall-groupandindividualprojects.Theliteratureof8thgrade hopestosparkclassroomdiscussionsonthemessurroundingsocialjustice,appreciationof culture,andtheinclusionandequityofallpeople.
GEOMETRY(ACCELERATED)
(Prerequisite:AcceleratedAlgebra)
This course covers all the basic topics of plane geometry--lines, planes, angles and triangles, circlesandspheres,areasofcirclesandsectors,polygonalregionsandtheirareas,andcoordinate geometry. An appreciation of the difference between congruence and similarity is stressed. In addition, students study the volumes of solids and are introduced to right triangle trigonometry. Topics are introduced throughpostulatesandtheorems. Itisamajoraimofthecoursethatevery student should be able to recognizeandwritelogicalproofsand,intheprocess,developtheskill oflogicalargument.
GLOBALCITIZENSHIP
Thefocusofthe8th-gradesocialstudiescurriculumisbasedoncontemporaryglobalissues. Studentswillresearch,analyze,anddiscusstrendsthattranscendboundariesrelatedtocurrent eventsaroundtheworldandtheimpactofrecenthistoryontheseevents.Studentswillgaina globalperspectiveoncurrenteventsbyparticipatingingroupprojects,presentations, discussions,andworkingwithprimarysourcematerials.
PHYSICALEDUCATION
The objectives of the eighth grade physical education program are to provide an environment conducive for the student to attainanacceptablephysicalfitnesslevel,tounderstandteamsports and individual sports and an appreciation for lifelong fitness. Students should develop theskills andknowledgetocontinuewithahealthylifestyleastheytransitiontotheirupperschoolyears.
SCIENCE
The objective of 8th grade science is to build a basic understanding of physics and chemistry During the study of chemistry students will experimentwithandobserveatomictheory,element periodicity, compound formation and chemical reactivity Fundamental laws of motion, forces, and energy will be explored as part of the physics unit. Scientific problem solvingwillbeused throughout the year toconnectconceptstoreallifelearning. Technologywillbeimplementedto collect,interpret,evaluate,andeffectivelycommunicatedata.
FOREIGNLANGUAGE
EIGHTHGRADEFRENCH
This course is the second half of a two-year program designed to complete one full level of French I. Further refinement of oral skills and vocabulary development as well as an emphasis on both the spoken and written word will be enhanced by cultural studies of France and the French-speaking world. Upon completion of this course, the student should be prepared for FrenchIIattheupperschool.
EIGHTHGRADEMANDARINCHINESE
(6th&7thgradeChineseprerequisite)
The course will focus on further refinement of oral skills and vocabulary development. An emphasis on both the spoken andwrittenwordwillbeenhancedbyculturalstudiesofChinaand the Chinese-speaking world. Upon completionofthiscourse,thestudentshouldbepreparedfor ChineseIIattheupperschool.
EIGHTHGRADESPANISH(RED)
Thiscourseisacontinuationofthe7thgradeRedcourseandwillelaborateonskillsdeveloped inspeaking,listening,reading,writing,andgrammar.Thecoursewilluseformaltextbookand supplementarymaterialsaswellasnovels,movies,andotherculturallyimmersivematerials. Thisclasswillprimarilybeconductedinthetargetlanguage,bytheendoftheyearstudents shouldfeelconfidentandabletoconverseinSpanishinmanyvariedreallifesituations.Students willendtheyearpreparedforLevelIIIofUpperSchoolSpanish.
EIGHTHGRADESPANISH(BLUE)
Thiscourseisthesecondhalfofatwo-yearprogramdesignedtocompleteonefulllevelof SpanishI. Furtherrefinementoforalskillsandvocabularydevelopmentaswellasanemphasis onboththespokenandwrittenwordwillbeenhancedbyculturalstudiesofthe Spanish-speakingworld. Uponcompletionofthiscourse,thestudentshouldbepreparedfor SpanishIIattheupperschool.
UPPERSCHOOLLATINI
Latin I introduces students to the language and cultural history of the Romans whose civilization largely influenced our society and government. No prior knowledgeofLatin is required for this course. Students will study Latin vocabularyandbasicgrammarwith the goal of accurately translating Latin into English. Students will also review English grammar and vocabulary through the study of words derived from Latin. Culture units will focus on life in the first century of the Roman Empire in Pompeii, Alexandria (Egypt) and Roman Britain. In addition, students will study Greco-Roman mythology, focusinggenerallyonthepantheonofgodsandmajorheroes.
ELECTIVECOURSESandENCORE
ElectiveCoursesADVANCEDDRAMA
Studentswillfocusonmorecomplexsceneswhilebuildingonactingskillsfromseventhgrade Dramainareasofmovement,voice,andcharacterdevelopment.Studentswillwork collaborativelytoputonperformancesthroughtherolesofdirector,propmaster,actor, dramaturg,sounddesigner,andstagemanagerwhileapplyingtheelementsofdramaand technicaltheatre.
ADVANCEDVOCALPERFORMANCE
Studentswillfocusonsinging,learningchoreography,andperforminginthisvocalperformance course.Fromtheclassicstojazz,fromBroadwaytopop,thisclassisforthosewhowantto developadvancedvocalandperformanceskillswhileexperiencingallstylesofmusic.Course goalsincludesinging,performing,andcollaboratingtogetherculminatinginperformancesatthe HolidayConcertandthespringShowcase.
ART
Studentswillbeexpectedtoapplytheirknowledgeoftheelementsandprinciplesofdesignina varietyofmediasuchasdrawing,painting,ceramics,fiber,sculptureandprintmaking.Students willdevelopmoreadvancedstudioprojectsbyusingconceptualandabstractwaysofthinking. Projectsolutionswillbediscussedandevaluatedthroughouttheassignmenttoachieveunique andcreativesolutions.Studentsinvolvedinafullyearofartwillusethesecondsemesterto createtheirowncurriculumplanfocusedonselfinterests.Forexample,theycouldfocusonlyon ceramics,printmaking,orjournaling.Thisplanwillbecreatedcollaborativelywiththeteacher andgradeswillreflectthestudentsabilitytoproblemsolve,lookforcreativesolutionsto projectsandabilitytostayfocusedontheirselfdirectedcurriculum.
COMPETITIVEMIDDLESCHOOLSPEECH&DEBATE
TheMiddleSchoolSpeech&Debatecourseservesasthegatewaytobecomingamemberofthe Speech&DebateTeam,offeringstudentsessentialcommunicationandcriticalthinkingskills throughparticipationintournaments.Studentswillexploreavarietyofspeechanddebate formats,includingPublicForumDebate,PolicyDebate,andCongressionalDebate. Additionally,theywilldelveintoindividualeventssuchasProseandPoetryInterpretation, publicspeakingeventslikeOriginalOratory(OO)andInformativeSpeaking(Info),andtheart ofimpromptuspeaking.Throughoutthecourse,studentswillmastertheconstructionof persuasivearguments,researchmethodologies,andconfidentpresentationtechniques. Collaborativeactivitiesandpeerfeedbacksessionswillenhanceteamworkandcommunication skills,encouragingstudentstoembracechallengesandlearnfromsetbacks.Byengagingwith diverseviewpointsandtopics,studentswilldevelopanalyticalabilitiescrucialforsuccessin academicandpersonalpursuits.Assessmentwillfocusonthegrowthmindset,evaluating students'willingnesstotakerisks,learnfromfailures,andcontinuouslyimprove.Thiscourse welcomesallmiddleschoolstudents,regardlessofpriorexperience,whoareeagertoenhance theircommunicationabilitiesandbecomeintegralmembersoftheSpeech&DebateTeam. Overall,theMiddleSchoolSpeech&Debatecoursepreparesstudentstoexcelacademicallyand professionallyinourinterconnectedworld.Studentsmustbeenrolledinthiscoursetobe guaranteedtheabilitytocompeteinSpeech&Debatetournaments.
COMPUTERSCIENCE
Welcometotheexcitingworldofcomputerscience!Inthisintroductorycourse,youwillembark onajourneytoexplorethefundamentalsofcomputers,programming,andengineering,
Throughoutthecourse,youwilllearnthebasicsofcomputersciencetounderstandhow computerswork.You'lldelveintotheprinciplesofcodingusinguser-friendlyplatformsand languagestocreateyourownprojects.Moreover,youwilldiscoverthesignificanceof computationalthinkingandproblem-solvingskillsasyoutacklevariouschallenges.Byengaging intheactivitiesandprojectsinthiscourse,youwilldevelopyourcreativity,criticalthinking,and logicalreasoningabilities,whichareessentialforsuccessinthedigitalage.
RAIDERFIT
Getfaster,stronger,moreathletic,andmoreflexible!Inthiselectivewelearnhowtouse exercisetoimproveathleticperformanceandhealth.Thiscoursewillgiveyouthetoolstobethe bestathleteyoucanbe.Wefocusondevelopingstrength,speed,andagilitythroughweight liftingfundamentals.
ROBOTICS
Inthiscourse,studentswillexploretheworldofroboticsbydesigning,building,and programmingtheirownrobotsusingLEGOMindstormskits.
Throughoutthiscourse,youwilllearntheprinciplesofroboticsengineering,including mechanics,electronics,andprogramming.Workinginteams,youwilltackleexcitingchallenges andengageinfun,interactiveprojectsthatwilltestyourproblem-solvingabilitiesandingenuity Studentswilllearntoprogramrobotstoperformavarietyoftasks,fromnavigatingobstacle coursestocompletingcomplexmissions.Conceptssuchassensors,motors,loops,and conditionalswillbeusedtobringrobotstolifeandwatchthemrespondtocommands.
EncoreCourses-allyear,twiceaweek
CHORALMUSIC
ChoralMusicisayear-longcourseandisopentoany7th and8th gradestudent.Notonlywillthe studentsbedevelopingtheirsingingandmusicalskills,buttheywillalsobelearningtomake musictogetherwhiledevelopingmanyfriendshipsalongtheway.Someinvaluablelifelessons suchascooperation,respect,teamwork,self-discipline,problem-solving,risk-taking, perseverance,sensitivityandself-expressionwilloccurastheymakemusicinthe“roomwhere ithappens”.Thefirstsemesterfocuswillbeonbuildingvocalfoundationalskillsfor performanceofclassicalandseasonalchoralmusicontheannualHolidayConcert.Second semesterfocusisonpreparationforperformingintheannualspring Showcase. Showcase isa full-scalemusicalproductionconsistingofavarietyofselectionsfromClassical,Broadway, Jazz,andmedleysfeaturingsongsbypopularmusiciansfromtodayandyesterday. Thismusical productionwillincludeselectionsperformedbytheTreble,Bass,andFullChoruseswhile providingsoloandsmallensembleopportunities.Thestudentswillworkwithaprofessional choreographerandbeaccompaniedbyaprofessionalpitorchestraforthistraditionalproduction.
CONCERTBAND
Themiddleschoolconcertbandisopentoallinstrumentalmusicstudentsingrades6,7,&8. Thisyear-longcourseprovidesafun,creative,andeducationalenvironmentforstudentsto developsuccessfulensembleandmusicperformanceskills.Theensemblerehearsesduringthe schooldayandperformsavarietyofmusicthatisstylisticallyandculturallydiverse.Focusis rootedindevelopingmusicperformanceskills,self-expression,creativity,rehearsaletiquette, andensemblesocialskills.Inadditiontoschool-relatedperformancesandPepBandgames, studentsarerequiredtoperformfortwomajorconcerts(winterandspring).Comejoinourteam andhavefunmakingmusictogether!
GAMEON
Inthisclassstudentswillexploredifferentsportsandgameopportunitiesforphysicalactivity Studentswillhavetheopportunitytobeactiveinvarioussportingactivities.
STUDIOART
ThiscoursewillinvolveallthingsArt!! Studentswillhavetheopportunitytotaketheir knowledgelearnedinartclassandcontinuetoexplorethosetechniquesfurther. Theoptionsare endless...painting,printmaking,hand-buildingwithclay,mixed-mediacollageandfibers. Studentscancreatetheirowncurriculumorhaveguidancebytheinstructor!
TECHNOLOGYandENGINEERING
InthisEncoreclass,theteacherwillusestudentinterestincomputerprogramming,robotics,and engineeringtoprovideavarietyofopportunitiestoexploretechnologyandengineering.The primarygoalofthiscourseistobuildcomputationalthinkingandproblem-solvingskillswhile workingcollaboratively.