Grade 8 LC Quarter One Newsletter

Welcome to the first quarter of what we are sure will be a fabulous year! Below you will find a brief overview of the topics and themes that will be covered in the core classes (and PE) this quarter. Should you have any specific questions, please do not hesitate to contact the appropriate teacher.

ENGLISH

In Quarter 1, students will cultivate independent reading habits, choosing books that align with their interests and reading levels. Students are expected to read at home for 30 minutes each day (Monday-Friday), or 2 ½ hours each week. This consistency should allow for students to finish 2-4 books per month. Individual reading conferences will be a frequent part of the English classroom. Students will complete Reader’s Notebook entries making Inferences, identifying themes, and analyzing sensory language in their chosen books.

Students will also have the opportunity to practice journalistic writing through a restaurant review. This assignment is a great way to get the whole family involved as the students will need to partake in a local dining experience in order to complete the assignment. During the writing process, students will practice careful note taking and drafting, have several opportunities for teacher and peer feedback and finally, type a polished best draft.

SOCIAL STUDIES

Over the last few years, the social studies department at JIS has made a concerted effort to embed current events into our curriculum. The hope is that students will begin to see the connections between the concepts and themes we discuss in class and the world outside of school. With this in mind, students in grade 8 social studies will be pursuing the following question throughout the year: How do citizens enact positive change in a democratic society? Utilizing the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Sustainable Development Goals, students will create an action plan which outlines how they, as citizens, can bring about a desired positive change to a democratic society. However, our journey will begin with the driving question of phase one of the course: What are human rights?

We hope that your son/daughter will come home wanting to get your opinion on some of the moral dilemmas that we will be discussing in class. The enduring understanding that we hope to achieve is not to tell students what is right or wrong but have them think deeply about how people in history from different cultures have made difficult decisions.

MATHEMATICS

The future is full of exciting, complex challenges. In teaching and learning grade 8 mathematics, our goal is for all students to become increasingly capable thinkers, problem solvers, collaborators, and communicators.

Four big ideas will frame our learning this year:

Mathematics is logical. It always makes sense.

We develop understanding through struggle, making mistakes, and reflecting.

Applying mathematics requires understanding and fluency.

Making a difference requires effective communication.

We’ll begin Math 8 with transformational geometry, studying rigid transformations and congruence, then dilations and similarity, which will provide background for understanding the slope of a line in the coordinate plane. We’ll then build on our students’ understanding of proportional relationships from grade 7 to study linear relationships. We’ll express linear relationships using equations, tables, and graphs, and make connections across these representations.

If you would like more general information about our Math 8 course, please read this course overview. Additionally, this family resource folder includes unit overviews, unit glossaries, and printable practice assignments.

SCIENCE

Students will begin 8th-grade science by stepping back in time to the era of the record player to investigate wave properties and the question of “How do we hear sounds from across the room?” They will develop models, including representations of particle motion and mathematical models of wave forms. Students will make sense of phenomena related to record players, instruments, speakers, and vocal performances to make predictions about sound waves.

Learners will use the lenses of ‘cause and effect’, ‘energy and matter’, and ‘structure and function’, as well as the JIS dispositions of resourcefulness, relating, and reflectiveness, as they build science skills, including asking questions, planning and carrying out investigations, and developing models.

PHYSICAL EDUCATION

The Grade 8 Physical Education curriculum is designed to develop students’ movement skills and physical literacy, enhance their health and well-being, and encourage lifelong habits of physical activity. Throughout the year, students will engage in eight diverse units: Net Games, Adventure Time (Climbing), Striking and Fielding, Aquatics, Leveling the Playing Field, Groovy Greens (Golf), Invasion Games, and Cultural Games.

These thoughtfully designed units nurture the whole child, providing opportunities to build foundational skills that serve as a springboard for participation in a wide range of sports and physical activities. Each unit not only supports physical development but also promotes confidence, cooperation, and a lifelong appreciation for active living.

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