Electives

The following courses are semester elective pairings for seventh grade students.

The following courses are full year elective options for seventh grade students.

   Computer and Technology

Computer Aided Drafting & Design with Applied Robotic Engineering (CADD-ARE)

In this hands-on course, students will design & build electrical circuits, an underwater robot, a model house, and receive an introduction to computer science and coding.  Students will learn the engineering design process and apply that process each unit to engineering challenges and projects.  Students will focus on collaboration skills & teamwork, learn the art of drafting, learn the function of key electronic components, research housing trends, permitting, and the buying and selling of houses, and explore basic coding and script writing for games.  Students will also research, design, and build models related to various projects.  Through a partnership with the Naval Surface Warfare Center, Carderock Division in Bethesda, the students have the opportunity to build the Sea Perch aquatic ROV (Remotely Operated Vehicle).  Through his partnership, they will work with engineers from the warfare center & take a field trip to the warfare center as a culminating activity.  Throughout the units of study, students will be using industry standard computer software, such as Autodesk Inventor (CAD software) and Envisioneer (architectural design software). Mathematics, science, and technology concepts will be applied throughout the course to support the engineering processes.  There are no prerequisites for enrolling in CADD-ARE, any 7th grade student may enroll.  However, this course is a prerequisite for enrolling in Introduction to Engineering Design (IED) A/B in Grade 8 (high school level course). 

Art

MS Innovative Art & Design 2

This year-long course integrates visual art and computational thinking. By the end of the course, students will have mastered both the Maryland Technology Education Standards and the National Visual Art Standards. Students will investigate real-world problems, and then seek to design and create meaningful solutions via computational thinking and the artistic process addressing the theme of RELATIONSHIPS.

 Instrumental Music

Beginning Band MS & Creative Thinking A/B

This course is for middle school students with no instrumental music experience who wish to learn how to play an instrument in the woodwind, brass, or percussion families. The development of skills necessary to perform MBDA Grade I and II music and prepare students for a middle school band course is stressed. Areas such as elements of musical form, terms and symbols, tone production, and the importance of practice habits are presented. Public performances outside of the school day may be required to meet course objectives. This course counts toward both fine arts and computational learning for the Maryland School Report Card.

Band 1 MS & Creative Thinking A/B

Students refine skills learned from their elementary Grade 4 and 5 instrumental music programs or in Middle School Beginning Band or Strings, and develop more advanced performance techniques. The development of technical skills necessary to perform Grade 1 to Grade 2 Level music is stressed. Emphasis is placed on developing formal rehearsal decorum, following a conductor, and developing pitch and rhythmic security in preparation for performing an independent part in the traditional band or orchestra ensemble. Students discuss the social and intellectual influences that affected the creation of the music they are studying. They begin to develop aesthetic criteria for measuring the quality of instrumental performance. Students may attend live performances and perform in public. This course counts toward both fine arts and computational learning for the Maryland School Report Card.

MS Band 2

This course is for students who have previously enrolled in Beginning Winds & Percussion, Band 1, or equivalent in middle school. Students will reinforce and refine instrument-specific skills in preparation for high school level band courses. Students will add various advanced music notation & concepts. The Advanced Band will learn grade level 2-3 music and will learn at a faster pace. They will perform in evening concerts, the MCPS county festival, and the Music in the Parks festival. Students in this course are eligible to audition for MCPS All-County and Honors groups.

Beginning Orchestra MS & Creative Thinking A/B

This course is for middle school students with no instrumental music experience. The development of skills necessary to perform MODA Grade I and II music and prepare students for a middle school orchestra course is stressed. Areas such as elements of musical form, terms and symbols, tone production, and the importance of practice habits are presented. Public performances outside of the school day may be required to meet course objectives. This course counts toward both fine arts and computational learning for the Maryland School Report Card.

Orchestra 1 MS & Creative Thinking A/B

Students refine skills learned from their elementary Grade 4 and 5 instrumental music programs or in Middle School Beginning Band or Strings, and develop more advanced performance techniques. The development of technical skills necessary to perform Grade 1 to Grade 2 Level music is stressed. Emphasis is placed on developing formal rehearsal decorum, following a conductor, and developing pitch and rhythmic security in preparation for performing an independent part in the traditional band or orchestra ensemble. Students discuss the social and intellectual influences that affected the creation of the music they are studying. They begin to develop aesthetic criteria for measuring the quality of instrumental performance. Students may attend live performances and perform in public. This course counts toward both fine arts and computational learning for the Maryland School Report Card. 

MS Orchestra 2

This course is for students who have previously enrolled in Beginning Strings, Orchestra 1, or equivalent in middle school. Students will reinforce and refine instrument-specific skills in preparation for high school level band courses. Students will continue to reinforce music notation reading and will add various advanced music notation & concepts. The Advanced Orchestra will learn grade level 2-3 music. They will perform in evening concerts, the MCPS county festival, and the Music in the Parks festival. Students in this course are eligible to audition for MCPS All-County and Honors groups.

FINE ART

Theatre 1

Students in Grades 6, 7, or 8 with no previous theatre experience should begin at Level 1 in the curricular sequence. In this beginning level course, students will explore how the theater is a space that both creates and challenges COMMUNITY. Theatre artists create an ensemble amongst themselves which functions as a safe space for risk-taking and creating. A sustained investigation of COMMUNITY in this intermediate level course engages students to study a variety of dramatic works, participate in the creation and enhancement of ensemble, and question the role of theatre within their COMMUNITY.

MS Chorus 1: Creative Thinking and Singing A/B

This course interweaves Music standards with Computational Thinking standards. Students will create, perform, and respond to music in a variety of styles/genres and use this music to develop understanding of thinking habits such as analysis, decomposition, and algorithmic design. Students will develop the fundamentals of proper vocal technique and choral singing while developing their music literacy and sight-singing skills. Students will primarily sing and analyze state level 2 music. There will likely be a minimum of two school concerts and students are expected to participate in all performances. This course is open to all students, regardless of music background. 

MS Chorus 2

Students will create, perform, and respond to music in a variety of styles/genres. They will develop the fundamentals of proper vocal technique and choral singing in relation to posture, breath control, tone, intonation, diction, blending, singing in harmony, music literacy, and sight-singing. Students will primarily sing state level 2 music. There likely will be a minimum of two school concerts and students are expected to participate in all performances. This course is open to all students, regardless of music background.