Middle School Grade 8 Courses

Humanities

• Theme: Knowing One’s Community
• Students study the foundation of our American democracy and the concept of the American dream

Math

Math 8

• Explores expressions and equations
• Introduces linear and quadratic functions
• Prepares students for entry into upper school at Algebra 1
• Uses Prentice Hall Prealgebra text

Algebra 1

• Develops a facility for the use of variables in equations
• Explores graphing linear equations and inequalities
• Investigates factoring, absolute value expressions, and functions
• Prepares students for entry into upper school at Geometry
• Uses Prentice-Hall Algebra 1 text

Science

• Connects to Grade 8 Humanities theme by investigating how science impacts a community
• Uses SEPUP text, Issues, Evidence, & You

World Languages

• Students choose French, Latin, Mandarin, or Spanish as their primary language of study for two years

Art

• Looks at the many functions of art and the artist from the historical periods studied in Grade 8 humanities class

Health

• Connected to the Grade 8 Humanities theme, Grade 8 Health classes discuss health issues that impact a community including smoking, alcohol use and abuse, drug use and abuse, and sexually transmitted diseases

Music

• Students choose one of four stringed instruments, (violin, viola, cello, and base) and learn first in Grade 7 to find their “voice” with the chosen instrument and then, in Grade 8, to blend their “voice” harmoniously into their musical group.

Physical Education

• Classes meet twice each week for the entire school year, with the goal of involving students in regular physical activity including a variety of lifelong sports.