Grades 6-8

Grades 6-8

Tier I: Students are provided the opportunity to participate in higher-order activities in their core classes. The classroom teacher will collaborate with the PoGStudio teacher to provide differentiated instruction. The enrichment program adopts problem-based learning ideas, where students assume increasing responsibility for their learning, giving them more motivation, a feeling of accomplishment, and setting the pattern for students to become lifelong learners.

Tier II: Similarly to our 4th and 5th grade Tier II program, students entering grade 6 not previously identified based on the district’s criteria, can complete a rigorous, yet age-appropriate application for possible entrance into PoGStudio courses. The following are course descriptions for the Holdrum Middle School PoGStudio program that are available by grade level on a rotating basis:

Grade 6:

Identified students (up to the 10th percentile) will get priority of class choice for two quarters.

  • History on Trial: US Law: Time will be spent examining the roots of our legal system, studying laws ranging from Hammurabi’s time to some more up-to-date, eyebrow-raising ones. Then, students will move into learning about criminal and civil cases and end the quarter by putting a former American president on trial!


  • Facts, Folklore, & Unsolved Mysteries: Students will be exploring the world of folklore, myth, and legend before creating our own. Then, students will engage in a mythical creature study. Finally, students will work to unravel the mystery surrounding author Edgar Allen Poe’s death.

Grade 7:

Seventh grade PoGStudio students will meet during two marking periods of the school year. They will be given the opportunity to choose two different classes in place of two of the three seventh-grade special classes, including Careers and Entrepreneurship, Music, and Art. Samples of the PoGStudio courses offered are:



Entrepreneurship & Inventions

Students will aim to share ideas for inventions to try and solve some of life’s most annoying or absurd difficulties/problems. Then, they will work to create a prototype of this invention and market it to “investors.”


Personal Finance

Students will analyze their personal financial decisions, evaluate the costs and benefits of those decisions, recognize their rights and responsibilities as consumers, and apply the knowledge learned in school to situations encountered later in life. Topics covered will include income earned, money management, spending and credit, as well as saving.


Public speaking and Impromptu speech 101

This course will stress the importance of oral communication in your role as a strong and competent communicator. Those who are apprehensive about public speaking situations as well as those who are fearless will learn mindfulness techniques to calm their nerves as well as further advance their speaking skills. We will focus on strengthening verbal and non-verbal communication, organizing and writing speeches for different audiences and occasions and with different time constraints, and preparing dynamic visuals.


Reimagining the Classics

Romeo & Juliet, Catcher in the Rye, Frankenstein, Lord of the Flies, 1984…these are classic stories that have been told and retold for generations. So much has changed in our world since these classic novels were written. How have the stories been retold? In what ways have they changed? In what ways have they stayed the same? And what comes next?



Grade 8:

Eighth grade PoGStudio students will meet at least one marking period during the school year. The eighth-grade PoGStudio program operates as part of the elective program offered at Holdrum Middle School. Studio students will receive first preference when selecting a PoGStudio class, but the electives are open to all students. Samples of the eighth-grade PoGStudio electives are:


TV Studio Production

Students will learn about what is involved in television production including camera shots and angles, scriptwriting, interviewing, researching, working with a digital video camera, switcher and sound mixer, editing videos and if time, even create and produce the WHMS news show.


Intro to Economics

Students will begin to learn the differences between micro and macroeconomics, the types of economic systems, the importance of supply and demand, and an introduction to the Stock Market.


Empathy through Improvisation

Students will learn to increase focus, listen actively, and communicate clearly through a variety of acting exercises. They will also develop more of a 3-D understanding of human interactions through relationship-building and improvisational activities. The final project will be an original screenplay that showcases the complexities of human nature in day-to-day life.


How Does it Work?

What machine, company, or idea are you passionate about? If you are willing to do a deep dive into learning how “it” works through active, responsible research, building/creating a model and presenting your newly understood concept in an inventive way, this course is for you.


Business & Marketing

Students will focus on learning what goes into creating a successful business through a variety of activities. From brainstorming, researching, developing and preparing a business plan, product pricing, marketing and advertising, you will learn how to organize and promote your business and its products and services.



All PoGStudio classes will meet five days a week during the assigned trimester.