Electives

Kid Museum Partnership

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

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 7^th 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).

Instrumental Music

MS Beginning Wind Percussion

This course is for students who have no prior experience on a band instrument. Students will learn about and compare/contrast all of the band instruments. They will choose an instrument with the guidance of the music director and learn all prerequisite skills for Band 1 and Band 2. These skills include reading and performing music notation, writing music, and basic instrument-specific skills. Students will perform in two evening concerts at Shady Grove and participate in various other activities as described in the Instrumental Music Calendar.

MS Beginning Strings

This course is for students who have no prior experience on an orchestra instrument. Students will learn about and compare/contrast all of the orchestral instruments. They will choose an instrument with the guidance of the music director and learn all prerequisite skills for Orchestra 1 and Orchestra 2. Students will perform in two evening concerts at Shady Grove and have the opportunity to participate in various other music activities as described in the Instrumental Music Calendar. MS Orchestra I.

MS Orchestra I

This course is for students who have not taken a middle school level orchestra class, but do have prior experience from an elementary school. Students will review and refine instrument-specific skills learned in elementary school. Students will expand music vocabulary and learn to read and perform more advanced music notation. They will perform grade level 1-2 music. Students will perform in two evening concerts and participate in various other music activities as described in the Instrumental Music Calendar. Students in this course are eligible to audition for MCPS All-County and Honors groups.

MS Band 1

This course is for students who have not taken a middle school band class, but who do have prior experience from an elementary school. Students will review and refine instrument-specific skills learned in elementary school. Students will expand music vocabulary and learn how to read and perform more advanced music notation, performing grade level 1-2 music. Students in this course will perform in two evening concerts and have the opportunity to participate in various other music activities as described in the Instrumental Music Calendar. Students are eligible to audition for MCPS All-County and Honors groups.

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.

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.