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 TAG 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:  The following are course descriptions for the Holdrum Middle School TAG 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!

• Reimagining Classic Tropes: Students will explore the concept of literary and media tropes: recurring themes, character types, and plot devices found across genres and time periods. Through analysis of texts, films, and other media, students will identify how tropes have shaped stories over time. They will then study how authors and creators subvert or reinvent these tropes to reflect diverse perspectives and modern values. The unit culminates in students reimagining a classic trope and creating an original written or multimedia piece that flips the trope in a fresh and compelling way.
  
  

Grade 7:

Seventh grade TAG 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 TAG courses offered are:

Inventors & 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.”

Fun with 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. 

Grade 8:

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

Holdrum Happenings: WHMS Productions

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.

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