Core Courses

ELA 8:

In this course, students will be exposed to a variety of texts and genres to build upon and expand comprehension and analysis skills learned in prior grades. Students will participate in activities, projects, essays, and other learning experiences to practice reading and writing skills and strategies. To use the new skills presented, students will evaluate, create, analyze, and discuss. 

ELA 8 Honors:

This accelerated course is designed to develop reading, writing, listening, thinking, and speaking skills in accordance with state standards. Students will read, analyze, interpret and respond to a variety of literature, including, but not limited to, works of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry. Students will learn and practice a variety of writing styles and techniques with a focus on narrative, text-dependent, and argumentative writing. Students will also build their grammar, mechanics, and punctuation skills through writing assignments. Students will be expected to show initiative and motivation and also take educational risks in regard to writing, speaking and presenting. 

Math 8:

Following the NJSLS Standards, topics included within the 8th grade curriculum are linear and inverse variation, exponential relationships, algebraic reasoning and making sense of symbols, preparation for the New Jersey Student Learning Assessment, the Pythagorean Theorem, symmetry and transformations, angle relationships, and linear systems and inequalities. 

Math 8 Honors:

This accelerated course is designed to dive deeper in formulating and reasoning about expressions and equations, including modeling an association in bivariate data with a linear equation, and solving linear equations and systems of linear equations; grasping the concept of a function and using functions to describe quantitative relationships; analyzing two- and three-dimensional space and figures using distance, angle, similarity, and congruence, and understanding and applying the Pythagorean Theorem.

Algebra I:

This high-school level course includes a study of the language of Algebra, solving linear equations, working with signed numbers, fundamental operations with monomials and polynomials, formulas, solving linear systems, quadratic functions, factoring, rational expressions, roots and radicals, operations with exponents, graphing, ratio and proportion, inverse variation, and practical word problems. The vehicle for this study is the structure of the real number system.  

Science 8 (Physical Science):

Students will be responsible for following detailed lab activities that include the problem, hypothesis, materials, procedure, observations and conclusion.  This practice teaches and utilizes correct scientific method and procedure.  The curriculum also brings technology to the science classroom allowing us to manipulate data, address a large variety of learning styles, and model events we cannot experience first hand. Students will be exposed to and have hands-on experience with waves (sound & light), physics (motion, force & energy), chemistry (matter, chemical reactions, & atomic structure), and electricity & magnetism (circuits & currents). 

Science 8 Honors (Physical Science):

In this course students will work through our 8th grade curriculum at an accelerated rate. Students will be responsible for formulating lab reports following major lab activities that include the problem, hypothesis, materials, procedure, observations and conclusion.  This practice teaches and utilizes correct scientific method and procedure. The curriculum also brings technology to the science classroom allowing us to manipulate data, and model events we cannot experience first hand. Students will be exposed to and have hands-on experience with physics (force & motion), energy (conservation, renewable vs. nonrenewable, motors and generators), chemistry (matter, chemical reactions, & atomic structure), electricity & magnetism (circuits & currents) and waves (sound & light). 

Social Studies 8:

8th Grade US History 1 is designed for students to build upon their historical perspective gained through previous history courses. The focus of this course will span from the early 1600s through the late 1800s.  Students will start their learning with Colonial America and lead all the way up to the reconstruction period after the Civil War.  Students will understand the impact that this time period had on today’s society. This course will include quizzes and periodic tests for knowledge, but will also include activities, projects, analyzing primary sources with assistance, and research to allow students to apply their history related skills with each topic. 

Social Studies 8 Honors:

8th Grade Honors US history 1 is designed for students to build upon their historical perspective gained through previous history courses. The focus of this course will span from the early 1600s through the late 1800s.  Students will start their learning with Colonial America and lead all the way up to the reconstruction period after the Civil War.  Students will understand the impact that this time period had on today’s society. This course will include quizzes and periodic tests for knowledge, but will also include projects, DBQs, papers, document analysis, higher order of thinking questions/creating one’s own arguments in history and historic research to allow students to apply their history related skills with each topic. 

Health and PE 8:

In Health and Physical Education, students will learn the fundamentals and skills for lifelong fitness. Students will participate in a variety of different forms of exercise and also implement self growth activities such as team building and mindfulness. 

RTI:

The RTI Program is designed for students in grades six through eight. In each respective course, skills are reviewed and reinforced. The purpose of the course is to help struggling readers and problem solvers become more confident and develop an appreciation for reading and mathematics. As the grade levels progress, the courses continue to place importance in bridging any gaps in skill development of the grade-level curriculum with the flexibility to reinforce or extend concepts and skills based on students' needs.