Course InfoRmation

Seventh Grade Art

Welcome to art! Dover Middle School art students will be exposed to a wide range of skills involving art appreciation, art history, art criticism, aesthetics, and fine arts media. For half of the school year (two consecutive marking periods), students’ previous art knowledge and work skills will be reinforced through a variety of learning activities and projects.  Students will have their semester divided into five different 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, leading towards 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 as well as explore the realms of 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. 

Seventh and Eighth Grade Chorus

Choir is a year-long course that rehearses 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 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 provide an appreciation and respect for money. Many young people lack understanding of the short-term and long-term effects of financial decisions. As these young people grow into adults, they may not have a strong foundation of financial literacy on which 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 the use of 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 career options in technology.

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 communication skills in speaking, listening, reading, and writing. 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 be equipped with 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.