WALPOLE PUBLIC SCHOOLS
World Language
GRADES 6-8
Curriculum Summary by Grade
These curriculum summaries have been developed by teachers and administrators to serve as another way of communicating with parents. They highlight the core curriculum and expectations for student learning at each grade level.
The curriculum summaries describe what most students at a grade level are expected to know and be able to do by the end of the school year. They also reflect the goals of the various Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks. It is important to note that although children may learn and grow at different rates and through varied styles, all should make regular progress.
While we have high expectations for all students and encourage each student to work to their capacity, parents and teachers recognize that some students have more difficulty in school. Others will progress more rapidly and move well beyond these core expectations. It is the joint responsibility of school and home to provide support, challenge, and encouragement for all students.
Grade 6
Exploratory Language (6th grade - Semester class)
Introduction to French (one term) and Introduction to Spanish (one term).
The focus of this course is to develop skills such as listening, speaking, reading and writing to communicate in the target language (French or Spanish). Students will be able to speak with their partners using learned phrases, questions and answers. There will also be a cultural component of the class as it is integral to learning another language. The goal of this class is to expose students to the language and culture of the French and Spanish speaking worlds. This exposure will assist them in selecting a world language to study formally in both grade 7 and 8.
Grade 7
French/Spanish 1a (7th grade - Full year class)
A formal introduction to either French or Spanish, students will develop the skills necessary to communicate with speakers of the target language at the novice level. Students will start with the basics of the language and continue increasing their ability to communicate via listening, speaking, reading and writing. Students will be able to have basic conversations, with some details, with classmates and their teachers by the end of the year. This course is the first half of Spanish/French 1.
Grade 8
French/Spanish 1b (8th grade - Full year class)
This course is a continuation of French or Spanish 1a. Students will review concepts and continue to build a strong foundation in the skills of reading, writing, speaking and listening. Strategies and techniques for language learning are taught via thematic units that appeal to the middle school student. Cultural products and practices, related to our thematic units, are integrated into the curriculum to help students understand perspectives of the French and Spanish speaking world.
Contacts
Bird Middle School
Ed Connor, Principal
Katie Gingras, Guidance Counselor
Johnson Middle School
Steve Morgenweck, Principal
Sarah Giunta, Guidance Counselor
Lisa Osbourne, World Language Department Head