Course InfoRmation

Seventh Grade Art

Welcome to art! Dover Middle School art students will explore a wide range of skills in art appreciation, art history, art criticism, aesthetics, and fine arts media. For half the school year (two consecutive marking periods), students will reinforce their previous art knowledge and work skills through a variety of learning activities and projects.  Students will divide their semester into five art-based sections: drawing, design, abstract, painting, and art history.   Students will work in small groups and independently to create original works of art! 

Seventh and Eighth Grade Band

Concert Band is a year-long class that rehearses during zero period before school. In Concert Band, students apply their skills collectively as we prepare for our Winter and Spring Concerts. Band lessons are once a week on a rotating schedule with matched instrumental groups. Music allows us to celebrate and preserve our cultural heritages while exploring expression, imagination, and creation, resulting in new knowledge. Therefore, every individual should be guaranteed the opportunity to learn music and to share in musical experiences. When a student becomes a performer in any group, they learn how to connect with other humans in amazing ways. 

Eighth Grade Business, Leadership, and Innovation

Business, Leadership, and Innovation is a semester-long Grade 8 elective that introduces students to entrepreneurship, leadership, team-based collaboration, financial decision-making, marketing, and real-world problem-solving. Operating as members of an “innovation team,” students will identify needs, design original solutions, conduct research, manage basic budgets, create brand messaging, and deliver a final pitch showcase.

Seventh and Eighth Grade Chorus

Choir is a year-long course that meets for rehearsal before school. Choir offers students the opportunity to explore their vocal talents and build their musical skills in a fun, collaborative environment. Through learning a variety of songs, from classical to contemporary, choir members develop important techniques such as pitch control, harmonizing, and teamwork. It's a chance to express creativity, build confidence, and create lasting memories while performing together!

Seventh Grade Ink and Inspiration

Ink & Inspiration: Creativity at Work is a semester-long elective (2 marking periods) that invites students to explore storytelling through writing, sketching, discussion, and creative expression. While emphasizing narrative writing, point of view, traditional literature, speaking, listening, and literary analysis, the course encourages students to experiment, take creative risks, and discover their own unique voice. Through imaginative prompts, collaborative activities, and hands-on creative projects, students can explore ideas in ways that match their interests and strengths. Creativity, curiosity, and student choice drive learning, with project-based assessments that let students demonstrate their understanding in meaningful, engaging ways. Throughout the semester, students will:

• Develop narrative structure and storytelling techniques.

• Create memorable characters and authentic dialogue.

• Explore multiple points of view in reading and writing.

• Analyze traditional literature and use it as inspiration for original work.

• Strengthen descriptive writing through sensory details and vivid language.

• Practice free-writing to build confidence, creativity, and writing fluency.

• Revise, edit, and refine writing through the writing process.

• Participate in peer review and collaborative discussions.

• Complete creative, project-based assessments with opportunities for student choice and self-expression.

• Share ideas through presentations, author celebrations, and speaking and listening activities.

Seventh and Eighth Grade Personal Finance

No matter how much money you have, you need the skills to make responsible and meaningful financial decisions. This Personal Finance course will help you appreciate and respect money. Many young people don't understand the short-term and long-term effects of financial decisions. As these young people grow into adults, they may lack a strong foundation of financial literacy to build their financial futures and make informed decisions. This course introduces young people to the importance of money and financial decision-making. This course includes the psychology of money, consumer skills, budgeting/spending plans, credit, savings, investing, protecting your financial self, preparing for financial success, and your financial life after this course. Students will design personal and household budgets, simulate using a checking account and savings account, and demonstrate knowledge of finance, debt, credit management, insurance, and investing.

Eighth Grade Coding

In this semester-long course, students will learn the basics of coding in several programming languages.  To learn Swift, a programming language used to create apps for Apple products, students will complete various challenges in the Swift Playgrounds application.  For JavaScript, one of the most widely used programming languages for the web, students will work in Khan Academy.  To program Edison robots, students will use Python, another very popular language.  Additional topics include the app design process and technology career options.

Eighth Grade Order in the Court

In this course, we study how the American Government works and how it affects our lives. Beginning with ideas that influenced the U.S. Constitution and Declaration of Independence, running through each branch of government, and a mock trial summative activity. This is a semester-long course. 

• Introduction and Background to the U.S. Constitution 

• Understanding the Bill of Rights and Constitution 

• Understanding the Legislative Branch

• Understanding the Executive Branch 

• Understanding the Judicial Branch

• Final Unit and Mock Trial 

Seventh Grade Spanish

This 7th-grade Spanish course introduces students to foundational language skills while immersing them in the diverse cultures of Spanish-speaking regions, including Central America, the Caribbean, the Andes, and North America. Through real-world themes such as greetings, daily routines, shopping, food, travel, and family life, students will develop speaking, listening, reading, and writing skills. Interactive activities, role-plays, and creative projects, such as cultural cookbooks and fashion magazine spreads, enable students to apply vocabulary and grammar concepts, including the present and preterite tenses, commands, and pronouns, in meaningful contexts. Multimedia resources and group discussions further enrich cultural understanding, while a variety of assessments, including self-reflections and presentations, support student growth. By the end of the course, students will have essential Spanish communication skills and a deeper appreciation for global cultures.

Eighth Grade Spanish

iBienvenidos al español! In this semester-long course, students will build upon foundational Spanish language skills to develop greater proficiency in listening, speaking, reading, and writing. The course emphasizes real-world communication, cultural exploration, and language usage, enabling students to engage in meaningful conversations, comprehend and respond to authentic texts, and gain a deeper understanding of the cultures of the Spanish-speaking world.

Seventh Grade Sports by the Numbers

Sports By the Numbers is a 7th-grade statistics course that uses sports to introduce students to collecting, analyzing, interpreting, and communicating data. Students will explore how statistics are used to evaluate performance, compare athletes and teams, identify patterns, support claims, and make predictions.