Subject Updates

Literature/Composition:

The purpose of 8th Grade Literature and Composition is to increase your appreciation and understanding of literature and to develop a more in-depth mastery of English grammar and composition. This year, we will delve into great literature, forming solid arguments and exploring the ideas of heroism and virtue. You will build on the skills of careful reading and writing you practiced in 7th grade, while learning how to write effective paragraphs with the goal of composing solid multi-paragraph essays. By the end of this year, you will be prepared for the Humane Letters seminar during which you will continue to explore, discuss, and write about great literature. 

Algebra: 

Algebra is one of the chief branches of mathematics and forms the foundation for the math that your student will learn during their remaining years at Cicero Preparatory Academy.  This year the goal is to master the algebraic skills students began developing in 7th grade.   First semester will begin with a review of basic equation solving with the real number system, as well as an introduction to using algebraic and linear functions to solve equations with one and two variables. In addition, we will study polynomials and factoring. Second semester the course includes solving equations in two variables, factoring rational and irrational numbers, algebraic fractions, and the quadratic formula.  Throughout the course, graphing will receive a significant emphasis. Lastly, the student’s goal will not be to simply memorize the “rules” of algebra, but to understand how and why the rules work.

Medieval History:

This course will cover the history of the Middle Ages in Europe from the Fall of Rome to the Age of Exploration. Throughout the year we will be reading many original sources, including philosophy, poetry, and accounts of battles. We will have discussions and lectures on many topics and will participate in various projects. We will strive to develop an understanding of the European peoples and their cultures as well as a sense of history in order to understand and analyze both the past and the present.

Music:

This course aims to further develop an understanding and appreciation for music through building music literacy, exposure to Western classical and folk music, and engagement in the music-making process. Like other arts courses, this includes the opportunity to be involved in the process of creating something truly meaningful and beautiful. This course is divided into three essential components: Music Theory, Music Appreciation, and Music Performance.

Earth Science:

Earth Science is a particular joy in the Great Hearts science curriculum. It covers one of the widest arrays of content, touching on chemistry, physics, geology, meteorology, hydrology, seismology, sprinkles of philosophy, and mathematics, all while pushing students in their reading, writing and even art skills.

They should walk away believing that the natural world is knowable, and yet deeply complex, and that the complexity is precisely what gives this field its enormous excitement. At its core, the Earth Science course is cumulative, teaching students to build upon previous observation and analysis to understand new phenomena. This training in logic and reasoning, as well as the articulation of it, will culminate in the final project, in which students develop fictional planets integrating all the interconnected systems they have studied into a coherent multi-variable model.

Latin III:

Latin III is meant to round out a student’s knowledge of basic and intermediate Latin grammar.  Through reading novellas and short adapted stories, Latin III students learn grammar, syntax, and morphology as well as aspects of Roman culture, mythology, and history. At the end of Latin III students will have learned all indicative and subjunctive verb tenses, all common noun declensions, and elements of complex syntax in addition to a strong core vocabulary based on specific readings and subjects. Latin III is meant to prepare students for further language learning, whether in Latin or another foreign language.

Studio Art:

Within the three transcendentals, Truth, Goodness, and Beauty, the fine arts are situated primarily under Beauty. The fine arts are viewed as an essential human experience, as a key part of the liberal arts. They are to be taught in a way that is experiential and not professional: all are to participate in the fine arts, not just the professional.

At Great Hearts, we study fine arts to experience beauty; as a way to participate in beauty. We help students both create and encounter beauty by teaching the requisite skills of the discipline and pointing students to the aesthetic order around them and that which is depicted in the works of the masters. 

In Grade 8 Studio Art, students explore the fundamentals of painting. Using watercolor paints, students begin learning the difference between dry and aqueous mediums. Starting with a review of observational drawing, as the techniques used when drawing continue to be a significant part of understanding painting, students will execute many small exercises to get acquainted with painting techniques. Focuses include making various washes, the use of brushes, and how to add details to complete work. Special attention will be given to color mixing through color theory, with students moving through the projects with an increasing number of paint colors to negotiate.

By the end of Grade 8, students will have completed three semesters of studio art and should demonstrate proficient skill in observational drawing and painting. Students will be able to look at three-dimensional objects, visually analyze them, and portray them with drawing materials on paper. They will understand the impact of light on a form and have a basic understanding of how to portray different lighting conditions using color. They will spend significant time working on still life, botanical subjects, landscapes, and portraits.

Throughout the Upper School Studio Art courses, students will be introduced to concepts and works of art that illustrate the principles behind composing beautiful pictures. Masterpieces are presented in class so the student may find awe and wonder in how drawing and paintings from the past connect to the tradition of picture-making. Great works of art from history serve as a starting place and are analyzed for how artists across centuries have employed techniques and principles. Inspired by this connection to the past, students will create their own studies, observational drawings, and paintings.