8th Grade

Math

Students are placed in one of two courses for 8th grade:  Foundations in Algebra – which has a goal of preparing students to take Algebra 1 in high school, or Algebra 1 – which covers all major topics in a high school Algebra 1 course in the hopes that they can skip this course in 9th grade.  

Foundations in Algebra  is about linear relationships and irrational numbers. New classifications in the real number system are discovered and square roots and exponents are applied in new ways. The proportional reasoning from 7th grade is now extended into non proportional linear and non linear functions. Equation solving involves variables on both sides and complex simplification. Deeper applications in geometry, probability, and statistics tie together three years of middle school mathematics.

Algebra 1 like Foundations is about linear relationships and irrational numbers. New classifications in the real number system are discovered and square roots and exponents are applied in new ways. The proportional reasoning from 7th grade is now extended into non proportional linear and non linear functions. Equation solving involves variables on both sides and complex simplification. Deeper applications in geometry, probability, and statistics tie together three years of middle school mathematics. Algebra goes further to explore other types of equations (square root, quadratic, etc.) as well as other non-linear relationships (inverse, exponential, etc.).

Science

The curriculum for Science at the Mater Christi School is often described as “spiraling” because students investigate 3 areas of Science each year (Physical, Earth/Space, and Life).  Students build their knowledge and skill base each year after a brief review from content presented the previous year. This allows students to receive more consistent exposure to the material than in a more traditional “single content area per year” model.

8th Graders at MCS investigate some chemical properties of matter, the Periodic Table of the Elements, atomic structure, and chemical equations to begin their physical science for the year. Further work in the physical sciences allows students to study some basic kinematics and physics (for Example- using the falling body formula to investigate acceleration due to gravity). Students study systems with balances and unbalanced forces, and investigate the nature of several different forces. In Space Sciences, students study the Universe and Astronomy. The structure of the Universe and Galaxies, as well as the methods used to measure things like the large distances between stars. Students learn how scientists use the Electromagnetic spectrum to learn about the content of stars and their properties. In the Life Sciences, students learn about Photosynthesis, Cellular Respiration and Human body homeostasis and disease.  Cellular processes and human health are the final topics of the 8th grade year.

Literature

Literature for 6th, 7th and 8th grade students is humanities based and is focused on the oral and written analysis of all genres of literature. This includes fiction, short fiction, non-fiction, drama, poetry, art, film and music. The course also covers the historical and social issues surrounding the works being studied.

Works spanning the 6th to 8th grade curriculum in general include:

  • The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton
  • The Call of the Wild by Jack London
  • The Devil’s Arithmetic by Jane Yolen
  • The Pearl by John Steinbeck
  • A Midsummer Night’s Dream by William Shakespeare
  • Witness by Karen Hess
  • When the Emperor Was Divine by Julie Otsuka
  • To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
  • Lord of the Flies by William Golding
  • Animal Farm by George Orwell
  • Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare

Students will study various other works including music, film, short stories and poems. The course meets and exceeds the Core State Standards for Literature and Writing and includes oral, written, active and creative projects. 8th grade students finish their year by completing a high school research paper.

A sample of an 8th grade Literature unit includes the students studying the novel, Lord of the Flies by William Golding. Students will read the novel while focusing on the many literary qualities of this work. They will explore the novel not only through the thematic focus of adventure and survival but also as a symbolic and cautionary tale of human behavior and civilization. Further lessons will focus on the psychological and religious aspects of the work. Writing will include analysis of literature through essay.

English Language Arts

8th Grade Students will learn to describe and connect the essential ideas, arguments, and perspectives of texts by using their knowledge of text structure, organization, and purpose.

  • Writing:  8th grade will continue to grow as writers and communicators in the following units of study: The Personal Narrative Essay, The Review, Analysis and Making Connection, Informational Writing, Argumentative Writing, Multi-Genre writing, and finally, Independent Reading and Writing

  • I am working with several opportunities for our students to have the opportunity to use their “voice and choice” this year including but not limited to NaNoWriMo, The Hildene Essay, The Calvin Coolidge Speech Challenge, and if they chose, enter the NYTimes Annual Summer writing contest.

We will be doing much of our writing in class and utilize Google Docs.

  • Writing Journal: Each class students will respond to a writing prompt I call “The Question of the Day” a simple (sometimes silly, sometimes serious) way to practice how to articulate critical thinking and develop a more advanced application of the RACE written response strategy:

  • R: restate the prompt,

  • A: answer,

  • C: cite examples from the text

  • E: explain how your citations support your answer to the prompt

  • S: Summation

 

Speaking/Listening: Students will have multiple opportunities to deliver information as a team as well as independently. Listening, drawing inferences, and making logical correlations will be integrated into all oral presentations. We will also focus on speech writing and presentations with the support of Google Slides.
Grammar:  We are using 2 programs this year: Classroom Cereal where students will practice grammar and editing using stories in hard copy and, on occasion, NoRedink and WRiQ both web-based programs that help me focus on specific skills.

 

Word Within the Word.: The Word Within the Word vocabulary program developed by Michael Clay Thompson teaches our students to identify the stem (root, affix, or prefix) of a word and then apply the meaning of the parts to the whole… Word origin and evolution of meaning are both fascinating and fluid. This challenging program teaches our students the tools they will need in all areas of study – no word, academic, medical, legal, or scientific will be too difficult to break down and understand after this course. I have been teaching with this program for many years, and while students will often stumble (and grumble 🙂 but in the, end this has proven to be a powerful tool they will use for the rest of their lives. I have students who are now well into adulthood who still tell me they use it.

Social Studies

8th Grade focuses on United States History.  Students will focus on current conditions that exist in the United States and make attempts to try to develop an understanding of them through studying the past.  The more we all know about the history of the world around us, the more we can make sense of the world today.

Throughout the United States History course, students will be using the text Holt Social Studies: United States History. This textbook provides a complete history of the United States, from the first Americans through to the present day. This important story of our nation is told through an informative and richly illustrated narrative, supported by reading questions that check students’ comprehension and special features that enliven the study of history.  The textbook has been made available to them electronically as well.

The goals for the course are for students to:

  • Develop a strong understanding and appreciation of United States history
  • See how United States history fits into the larger scope of world history
  • Understand how United States history influences life today
  • Recognize connections between United States history and other disciplines
  • Build a solid Social Studies and academic vocabulary
  • Develop thinking skills that support the ability to challenge assumptions, think creatively, and solve real-life problems
  • Have fun

French

The third year of Middle School French solidifies the content of the first two years and provides the additional knowledge necessary to enter into French II as a freshman in high school. Emphasis is on listening and speaking, while grammar study reinforces intermediate writing skills. Units will include food, the city, travel, and the contemporary Francophone World. Students will learn how to get around in a French speaking city and have a greater understanding of the diversity of the French speaking world.

By the end of the year, students will be able to give detailed summaries of their daily activities, outings, etc. in both the present and past tenses, while also being able to express what they want and are able to do. In terms of listening, they will be capable of understanding more abstract conversations and descriptions of events in the past given by the teacher. In their writing they will have the skills to employ three different verb tenses in paragraph form and correctly use prepositions unique to the French language. For each level of French, the emphasis is on participation, i.e., speaking French every day in class.

Religion

Students study World Religion and social justice. They employ reading comprehension strategies in understanding scripture readings, and research materials. Technology is used for students to demonstrate their understanding of Catholicism and world religions. Journal writing, biweekly reading and writing assignments in current events, as well as research enrich student centered religious studies. Prayer and devotional activities are individualized and inclusive of all spiritual traditions.