Electives

Kid Museum Partnership

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

Introduction to Engineering Design (IED)

This high school level course is for eighth grade students. It is the first course in a national engineering program called Project Lead the Way. Magruder high school offers an additional 5 Project Lead the Way Courses. To enroll in IED at Shady Grove, students must be enrolled in Algebra AND have successfully completed CADD-ARE in 7th grade OR students may enroll in IED if they are also enrolled in Geometry. Students in Geometry do not have to take CADD-ARE as a prerequisite. The major focus of this course is learning how to take an idea that will eventually be manufactured or produced through the engineering design process. Students learn about various aspects of engineering and engineering design. They will apply what they learn through various activities, projects, and problems. The course covers the role of an engineer, the engineering design process, product design, sketching, communicating through drawing & dimensioning, statistical analysis, properties of shapes & solids, and reverse engineering. Students are expected to develop thinking skills by solving real-world engineering problems and work both individually and in teams to complete challenging, self-directed engineering tasks. They will produce both physical & virtual products of their designs, including designs created on the 3D printer. This course requires students to learn & use the software Inventor, which is a state of the art 3-D design software package from AutoDesk. The software allows students to create technical working drawings of their designs & solutions. Students who successfully complete both semesters earn one technology education credit toward high school graduation.

This credit will fulfill the student’s technology education requirements for graduation.

Instrumental Music

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.