Middle School

Course Description:

Grade 6 ELA is the introductory level of the English Language Arts middle school curriculum where students will explore literature and analyze nonfiction texts. This course focuses on an understanding of grammar, usage, and mechanics.  Additionally, students will write responses to literature providing textual evidence and analysis of the material. Students will expand their knowledge of vocabulary by participating in various vocabulary exercises.

Course Description:

This math class is for students in 6th grade. In this class, we cover a wide range of mathematical topics that align with the PA Common Core Standards for 6th grade. Students will build on foundational skills from 5th grade to proficiently perform operations with rational numbers. They will be introduced to algebraic concepts including writing and solving expressions, equations and inequalities. Students will build on foundational skills dealing with area and then progress toward finding the area and volume of three-dimensional shapes. Ratios, rates, and percents will be introduced, along with negative numbers and graphing on the coordinate plane. Analyzing and displaying statistical data will also be explored.

Course Description/Class Summary:

This science course is the first of a series of middle school science classes.  The purpose of the course is to give the student a broad look at three different branches of science.  It involves four short courses. The first is introductory as to how to be scientific, covering topics like observations and scientific method.  The second is a life science course concerning the human body systems and health. The third is a physical science course about matter and its properties.  The fourth covers earth science related to the composition of earth and how it changes.  

Course Description/Class Summary:

The 6th grade History course covers World History from the beginning of time up to the Middle Ages. This is a survey history course that looks at how different ancient cultures have contributed, shown continuity, stayed the same, cooperated, and have had conflict with each other. The class will discuss how these ancient cultures have developed into the civilizations found in the world today.

Course Description:

This course continues to address the Pennsylvania standards in reading, writing, speaking, and listening while exposing students to short stories, poetry, drama, and novels. There is a focus on developing reading skills, vocabulary development, writing techniques, and grammatical proficiency. Students are given the opportunity to engage with various texts, write routinely, acquire new vocabulary, and use language correctly in a variety of writing and speaking situations. Students will continue to mature as readers, writers, listeners, and speakers as they continue to build their Language Arts skills. 

Course Description:

This course continues to address the Pennsylvania standards in writing, speaking, and listening while introducing the communication process and public speaking. The course offers instruction and practice in effectively using verbal and nonverbal communication, providing and using feedback, avoiding plagiarism, and creating visual aids. Students practice their public speaking skills in a safe and constructive setting before showcasing a culmination of their skills by preparing and presenting both an informative and persuasive speech at the end of the course. 

Course Description:

With a heavy focus on conceptual understanding, critical thinking, analysis, and real-world problem solving, students will begin with an expansion of their knowledge of the number system by studying integers and rational number operations. Expressions, equations and inequalities will be explored with students making connections between verbal, numeric, graphic, and symbolic representations.  They will analyze and apply proportional relationships and percent to explore, develop and communicate mathematical relationships.  Students will study geometry through drawing, describing and comparing geometric figures while developing spatial reasoning skills.  They will learn about statistics and probability by drawing inferences about populations.  Lastly, students will solve problems involving slope and y-intercept.  Throughout the year, various algorithms will be used to describe increasingly complex situations to further develop students’ mathematical understanding. 

Course Description/Class Summary:

This introductory course allows students to focus on concepts shared by all living things such as cell structure, biochemical make-up, and inheritance.  There is also a focus on the diversity of life as students classify the many different species of living organisms into kingdoms and other classification categories.  A unit on ecology relates the interdependence of living with each other and the environment. 

Course Description:

The 7th grade Geography course covers an introduction to world geography as well as Pennsylvania’s geography. Topics such as physical features, climate, culture, history, and resources are highlighted and challenges that the world faces today are examined.

Course Description:

Grade 8 ELA is the second level of the English Language Arts middle school curriculum where students will explore literature and analyze nonfiction texts. This course focuses on a deeper understanding of grammar, usage, and mechanics.  Additionally, students will write responses to literature providing textual evidence and analysis of the material. Students will expand their knowledge of vocabulary by participating in various vocabulary exercises.

Course Title: Algebra I
Course Description (8th/9th Grade):

In Algebra I, students will build on the knowledge and skills for mathematics in Grades 6-8, which provide a foundation in linear relationships, number and operations, and proportionality.  Students will learn the vocabulary and symbolic representations necessary to communicate mathematical ideas clearly.  Students will connect functions and their associated solutions in both mathematical and real-world situations and will further develop their ability to work with and solve word problems. Students will study linear and exponential functions and represent them in various ways.  Students will generate and solve systems of linear equations and inequalities with two variables.  In addition, students will simplify expressions by using the laws of exponents, will perform operations with and factor polynomials, and will simplify radical expressions.  Appropriate technology will be used to enhance mathematical understanding and problem solving skills. Students will be provided with the necessary foundation of skills to be fully prepared to complete an Algebra II course. 


Course Title: Math 8 
Course Description: 

This math class is for students in 8th grade. In this class, we cover a wide range of mathematical topics that align with the PA Common Core Standards for 8th grade. Students will build on foundational skills from 7th grade to proficiently solve problems involving linear equations and functions. Geometric transformations, irrational numbers, and the Pythagorean Theorem will be introduced. Students will build on foundational skills dealing with exponents and volume to solve problems involving scientific notation and new shapes. Analyzing and interpreting bivariate data displayed in multiple representations will also be explored.

Course Description/Class Summary:

In History 8, students will investigate the people who called North America home, the explorers who came here, the people who settled here, the fight for independence, and the events and people that shaped the United States of America.  We will examine the Declaration of Independence, the American Revolution, The Articles of Confederation, The Constitution, The War of 1812, The Mexican-American War, and The United States Civil War.  We will evaluate the first 16 Presidents.