Academics
ELA
Over the course of the school year students in 8th Grade English Language Arts will study a variety of genres, during which reading, writing, language, listening and speaking skills will be developed and enhanced. Students will read a variety of materials including topics in short fiction, novels, poetry, drama and nonfiction. The continued development of the students’ writing process is present throughout the school year focusing on skills and steps of pre-writing, drafting, revising, and editing. In addition, the writing process will take the form of comparing and contrasting, literary analysis and memoir. Through the changing writing assignments students will draw and support conclusions with evidence, make connections with the text, and develop their organizational writing structure.
Important links:
Course Expectations/Grading Policies
Math
In eighth grade, Pre-Algebra students will develop their mathematical thinking and autonomy. Students will continue to build on and increase their understanding of the Real Number System, algebraic and numeric expressions, linear equations, and proportional relationships from grade 7. They will also be introduced to new topics such as linear functions, Pythagorean Theorem, and transformations on the coordinate plane.
The eighth Algebra 1 Part 1 student is engaged in a class that is correlated to the high school equivalent. Students are placed in this course based on the successful completion of the 7th grade accelerated class. Students who take eighth grade Algebra 1 Part 1 generally enroll directly into Algebra 1 Part 2 at the high school level. This course explores the following topics: the language of algebra, the Real Number System, solving linear equations and inequalities, relations and functions, and analyzing linear relationships and systems. In addition, students will also learn 8th grade topics that were not covered in the 7th grade accelerated class. Generally, this includes the Pythagorean Theorem, laws of exponents and scientific notation, and finding volume of cylinders, cones and spheres.
Important Math Links:
Big Ideas (online text) Login site:
Science
Eight grade science students will be covering an integrated science curriculum based on the Massachusetts Science and Technology Frameworks (2016) with a focus on “Cause and Effect” that includes exciting topics like genetics & heredity, force & motion, and chemistry!
Our first unit of study will be on astronomy with a focus on seasons and tides - perfect timing as we get ready to celebrate the Autumnal Equinox on Tues., September 22nd! We'll complete some hands-on activities to discover why the temperatures and daylight hours are dropping as we head into fall as well as investigate why tides rise and fall each day. We'll also discuss how these phenomena impact us on a daily, monthly, and seasonal basis. Be sure to check your science Google Classroom page for daily activities and assignments!
Important links:
Course Expectations/Grading Policies
iScience (online text) Login site
(student user name given in science class - email Mrs. Mitchell if you have misplaced this; password: Science8)
Spanish
This course is the second of a 1.5 year Spanish program that will enable students to earn the Spanish I credit for high school and move on to Spanish 2 in 9th grade. This class will teach Spanish exactly the same way everyone learned their first language, through a teaching approach called Comprehensible Input. This approach prioritizes the students gaining as much experience in the language (input) as possible.
This approach also requires that the teacher make all of the Spanish comprehensible to the student through context, body language, acting, pointing, drawing, and even just translating the word to English from time to time. Your experience in class will largely consist of listening to spoken Spanish and reading texts in Spanish.
Our unique program is designed to meet national standards for foreign language at a novice to intermediate level.
Important Links: Course Expectations/Grading Policy
Social Studies
In Social Studies, this year, students will be studying Civics. Civics is the study of the rights and responsibilities of citizens My hope is that this course will help students become thoughtful and active participants in a democratic society. The class will provide multiple opportunities for discussion, analysis, and debate. We will begin by examining why governments exist and the events that led to the American Revolution. Over the course of the year, students will gain a strong understanding of the Constitution and participate in a Civics in Action Project.