Middle School Curriculum

A Message to Students and Parents

This curriculum guide is designed to provide information to students and their parents concerning courses and programs available in the Middle School.

Unlike the high school where many courses are elective, the Middle School programs are mostly required and are designed to prepare all students as equally as their abilities and interests will permit.

Toward the end of eighth grade, students and their parents will work with guidance counselors to make course selections for ninth grade. One or two of the courses selected will be electives. In the Middle School the only elective offered is a foreign language.

A child's greatest progress is made as a result of cooperative efforts between students, parents, teachers, and school counselors. This cooperation is actively sought and greatly appreciated by the school.

It is the hope of the Manheim Township Middle School staff that you will find this curriculum guide to be helpful in understanding what the school is doing, and how it is being done, whether you are a family new to this area or a family with deep roots in the community.

Contents

• Educational Planning Guide
• A Message to Students and Parents
• Guidance
• Media Center
• Seventh Grade Program of Study
• Eighth Grade Program of Study
• Specialized Programs for Students
• Introduction to the Related Arts Curriculum

MTSD Vision

WE ARE COMMITTED TO THE ACHIEVEMENT OF EACH INDIVIDUAL’S POTENTIAL BY PROVIDING…

… A NURTURING LEARNING COMMUNITY THAT:

• Provides safety and mutual respect
• Stimulates curiosity and creativity
• Promotes personal integrity
• Encourages good citizenship

… A CHALLENGING LEARNING COMMUNITY THAT:

• Establishes high expectations and promotes individual achievement
• Encourages critical thinking and problem solving
• Inspires lifelong learning
• Provides opportunities for extracurricular experiences
• Facilitates collaborative communication
• Embraces the richness of diversity

SHARED VALUES

WE BELIEVE THAT OUR LEARNERS:

• Thrive best in a safe and nurturing environment
• Form strong partnerships among home, school, and community
• Approach life with strong personal convictions and ethical behavior
• Invest in their own learning
• Grow when challenged with high expectations
• Contribute to and benefit from a diverse learning community
• Embrace change and innovation

The Purpose of the Educational Planning Guide:

The purpose of the Educational Planning Guide is to provide students, parents and staff with an understanding of guidelines, policies and expectations regarding the courses offered by Manheim Township Middle School and the procedures related to scheduling of courses. The middle school curriculum represented in this guide is prepared by the middle school staff in collaboration with the district’s Office of Curriculum & Instruction. 

Changes to the Educational Planning Guide: 

The Manheim Township School District reserves the right to alter the requirements and offerings as printed when deemed to be the result of sound educational planning or when the results are based on changes in federal, state, or local regulations. Changes that are made will be conveyed to students and parents via an addendum sheet to this guide, and/or relayed by school staff via information meetings and/or announcements. 

Teaming at the Middle School:

Students at the middle school are placed on teams. Teams provide teachers with an opportunity to meet and work with the same students during the school day. Teachers provide valuable help during the year in a number of ways in addition to delivering instruction and facilitating student learning. They help students to understand homework, complete special assignments, learn rules and procedures, and to resolve certain problems that students encounter. Team teachers are valuable to have as “someone just to talk to.”

Student Sectioning:

At the middle school, student placement into teams and sections is done randomly, except where learning support, Algebra, World Language, or literacy needs dictate a particular team. Within teams, heterogeneous grouping is commonly used for instructional purposes, with ability grouping in some reading and math classes. 

Schedule - Grades 7 & 8:

The basic teaching period is 42 minutes. Teams are composed of five teachers and work with six teaching sections. The team courses consist of Social Studies, English Language Arts, Science, and Math. Students may participate in up to eight related arts classes throughout the school year, and four languages are offered in grades 7 and 8: German, French, and Spanish. 

Courses of Study Grade 7: 

• Art
• English Language Arts (ELA)
• Family and Consumer Science
• Pre-Algebra or Algebra I
• Hybrid Pre-Algebra
• Music
• Physical Education 
• ELA Support
• Science
• Social Studies
• Structured Learning Initiative (SLI)
• Study Hall
• College and Career Readiness
• Technology Education
• Fitness and Health
• World Languages

Courses of Study Grade 8:

• Art
• College and Career Readiness
• English Language Arts (ELA)
• Family and Consumer Science
• Health
• Intro to Algebra, Algebra I, or Algebra II
• Hybrid Intro to Algebra
• Music
• Physical Education
• Science
• Social Studies
• Structured Learning Initiative
• Technology Education
• Unified Arts

Guidance

Guidance services for Middle School students are provided through a variety of means. Individual counseling is an essential part of the program with referrals being made by the teaching staff, parents, administrators, counselors or the students themselves. Small group counseling is also utilized, and counselors develop and present a group guidance program based on the developmental needs of the students. Topics in the formal developmental guidance curriculum cover concerns dealing with peer relationships, adolescent growth and development, study skills, affective development, and grade level orientations.

Orientation programs are an integral part of Middle School guidance. Throughout the year, programs are provided to ease adjustment for students entering ninth grade, new to the building, and beginning a foreign language. In addition to counselors, students, administrators, and teachers also participate in these programs.

Another aspect of the counselor's role is their involvement in team meetings. Serving as a consultant during these meetings, relevant information from the student's cumulative file is shared to assist those involved with the students. The team meetings may be used for parent conferences, for gathering information to process a psychological referral and for gaining a better understanding of the student. This process enables counselors to create and maintain communications between home and school.

Counselors are also responsible for placement and scheduling of all students. Whenever a student transfers into the school district, the counselor working with that grade level is responsible for that student's placement and orientation. Meeting student needs to best facilitate the educational process is the primary concern of the guidance counselor.

Standardized testing is conducted through class groups in those grades designated for these tests. After the results are returned to the school, the counselor visits the classroom to interpret the results to the students. Each student receives an individual report. The analysis of test results is a most useful tool to examine the strengths and areas of need in terms of the individual and the school's curriculum.

Helping to facilitate communications between home and school or other agencies and the school is one of the counselor's responsibilities. Avenues of improving communications are continually explored by the counselor. During the school year, counselors may also facilitate parenting classes and offer support groups.

Collecting and disseminating information concerning students' potential retentions is processed by the counselor approximately four (4) weeks prior to the end of the school year. Information is collected and reviewed with the building principal. Individual needs are the primary consideration and all options are explored during this decision-making process. Summer school programs are explored to allow students the opportunity to remain with their age group. Counselors coordinate summer school recommendations and enrollments, and follow-up with students to ensure qualification and readiness for the next grade level.

Counselors oversee maintenance of students' Report Cards, share responsibility for communications related to the academic status of students, and counselors are involved in all dimensions of the special education process. Initial referrals for entrance into the special education program are screened and coordinated by counselors. They remain an integral part of the ongoing process, and facilitate communications associated with the special education effort.

Counselors remain flexible to provide crisis counseling in relationship to parental concerns and student needs. This may include activating the Crisis Intervention Team.

The Guidance Office serves as a resource to teachers and others in planning career exploration activities. As necessary, the counselor also refers students to the school nurse, school psychologist, the hearing or speech clinician or other services in the school or community. The counselor coordinates cooperative efforts by the staff to help a student.

Compiling, updating, and interpreting student cumulative records is also a responsibility of the Middle School counselor. Teachers and parents may examine these records to review the past achievements, test results or other data contained in these records. Maintaining the confidentiality in collecting, recording and revealing students' records is handled according to the district policy and state and federal law.

Additionally, counselors participate in the Student Assistance Program process, and serve on department and building committees.

Media Center

Students today live within a society that is increasingly dependent on information. They must become skillful consumers and producers of information in a range of formats to thrive personally and economically in the information age. A dynamic, student-centered library media program fosters information literacy and lifelong learning--the basis for true information power.

The mission of the Manheim Township Middle School Media Center focuses on providing programs and services that are centered on information management and that are created around active, authentic student performance.

The goals of the program include:

• To provide an active, technology-rich learning environment with an array of information resources--resources that have been carefully selected and systematically organized and that represent a wide range of subjects, formats and level of difficulty which support curricular and recreational goals of the entire school.
• To provide integrated, interdisciplinary learning experiences that help students and staff become discriminating consumers and skilled creators of information through a comprehensive instructional program that encompasses the full range of media and technology.
• To provide a program that functions as the information center of the the school.
• To provide access to information and resources within the global community - providing the bridge between formal school-based learning and independent lifelong learning.

The library media specialist is the key factor in library media programs that contribute to student achievement. Working with teachers, the library media specialist plays a critical role in designing student learning experiences that focus on authentic performance-based learning, information literacy and meeting standards and encourages the use of technology as a tool of active learning. The library media specialist is knowledgeable about current research on teaching and learning and its application to a variety of situations--especially those that require students to access, evaluate, and use information, produce new information, and create products and presentations that communicate ideas efficiently and effectively.

Seventh Grade Program of Study

English LANGUAGE ARTS

The 7th grade English Language Arts course provides students with a rich, challenging, integrated experience in reading, writing, speaking, and listening.  Students develop their ability to read complex texts closely and cite multiple examples of specific evidence to support their claims. They recognize the interplay between setting, plot, and characters and provide an objective summary of a text. They compare and contrast different interpretations of a topic, identifying how authors present key information and choose to highlight certain facts over others. 

Seventh grade students trace the development of an argument within a text, acknowledging and responding to opposing viewpoints. They make their reasoning clear and constructively evaluate others’ use of evidence while offering several sources to back up their own claims. Students continue to expand their working vocabulary,  distinguishing between denotative and connotative meanings and analyzing the effect of specific word choice. As growing writers, their writing is more structured, with clear introductions and conclusions as well as useful transitions to create cohesion and clarify relationships among ideas.   In this course, students will encounter both classic and contemporary texts of various genres.  Additionally, students will develop their voices as writers and nurture a habit of sustained reading for pleasure.

7th Hybrid ELA:

Read 180 is a research-based intervention program that helps students improve their literacy skills in essential areas such as decoding, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. The program is divided into four major components: whole-group instruction, interactive computer work, independent reading, and intensive small-group strategy instruction. Course content will be determined by the needs of the students; however, general skills such as summarizing, finding the main idea, predicting, spelling, and grammar will be addressed.Students will also be asked to analyze, synthesize and evaluate information related to essential comprehension questions pertaining to different readings within a workshop.  

The intent of this course is to build skills, increase confidence, and help students achieve in other areas, including state and district assessments.This program will also allow for the exploration of literature, writing, and the conventions of language. The purpose of the program is to provide skills in clearer communication and to further students' literary studies and appreciation. Each individual teacher has sufficient flexibility to exercise her/his own creative talents in the pursuit of common goals, which are clearly spoken and written communication and deeper literary analysis. Students in grade seven have numerous opportunities for reading, writing, speaking, and listening, framed by the State Standards.

MATHEMATICS

Pre-Algebra:

The Pre-Algebra math course is taught to prepare students for either the Intro to Algebra or Algebra 1 course in 8th grade. Topics in 7th grade include the real number system, ratios and proportional relationships, statistics and probability, geometry, expressions, equations, factors, angles, area, volume, surface area, fractions and exponents.

Hybrid Pre-Algebra:

The Hybrid Pre-Algebra math course is taught to prepare students for either the Intro to Algebra or Algebra 1 course in 8th grade. Topics in 7th grade include the real number system, ratios and proportional relationships, statistics and probability, geometry, expressions, equations, factors, angles, area, volume, surface area, fractions and exponents. This math course is taught over the course of two consecutive periods and utilizes various programs in order to enhance student learning. Students will participate in a station rotation model of instruction and rotate through three types of stations. 

Algebra 1:

Theoretical Algebra I is an advanced course combining the PA curriculums of the 7th and 8th grade PA core standards and the Keystone Algebra 1. Because it is an honors-level course, you will find that the time needed for completing homework is much greater than what you experienced in previous math courses. This is a demanding course with challenging material. It is essential that we cover the planned curriculum for the year in order to prepare you for success in Algebra II in 8th grade.   Students who earn below an 80% course average, at the time of recommendations, will be recommended to retake Honors Algebra 1 in 8th grade. Typically, recommendations occur in February.

SCIENCE

The 7th grade Science course is designed to develop students' understanding of what science is and how science works.  Students will conduct a variety of laboratory exercises and analyze an assortment of data in order to obtain an understanding of scientific processes.  Students will also be introduced to a variety of science content areas in order to further enhance their scientific literacy.  These content areas include but are not limited to general chemistry (properties of matter, atomic theory, the periodic table) and general biology (cellular structure, genetics, natural selection and ecology).  All course content is designed to emphasize the scientific process so that students can apply their newfound knowledge to better understand the complexities of the natural world. 

SOCIAL STUDIES

This course introduces students to key themes and events as well as geography in the Eastern Hemisphere.  Students will study and discuss the geography and culture of the Middle East, Africa, Asia, and Australia.  The course begins with basic concepts of geography, culture, and community.  As students examine the “non-Western world”, they will discuss important people, events, and achievements of each specific area along with a comparative analysis of religion and culture.  In order to link past to present, the class will discuss the present status of these areas and cultures.  Throughout the year, an emphasis will be placed on developing geography skills, critical thinking, and writing skills.  The study of geography will help students to become responsible citizens of our increasingly interdependent world.

WORLD LANGUAGE

Students selecting a world language will complete the First Semester of Level I during the seventh grade. The program is designed to be practical, meaningful, and enjoyable. Maximum student participation, a variety of activities, and the use of audiovisuals will promote a feeling of self confidence and understanding of the new culture. Materials have been selected according to the interests and abilities of the students. Listening and speaking skills are emphasized, as are world language study skills.

Spanish Immersion 7-8:

In this course, conducted entirely in Spanish, the students will continue to immerse themselves in the language and culture as they learn and practice new vocabulary and grammar. They will also read and analyze popular pieces of literature from authors throughout the Spanish- speaking world. They will continue to communicate verbally and in written form on a variety of topics. Students will review content from Manheim Township Spanish 1 and 2 curriculum as needed.

Spanish 7:

In this introductory course, students will learn the 5 Cs of World Language Acquisition: Communication, Culture, Connections, Comparisons, and Communities. Students will learn to communicate, verbally and in written form, at a novice level using simple sentences with appropriate grammar and common vocabulary about topics such as greetings and good-byes, weather conditions, school and academic life, colors, numbers, foods and beverages, etc. Students will understand the Hispanic influence in the United States, will learn about the cultures of Mexico and Puerto Rico, and will learn about the current events that impact Spanish-speaking countries.

German 7:

In this introductory course in the first half of level 1 German students will learn to communicate at a novice level using simple sentences and common vocabulary about topics such as school, telling time, numbers, colors, professions, sports and leisure activities, and culture pertaining to German-speaking countries and areas.

French 7:

7th grade French provides students with the necessary foundation for speaking, writing, reading, and aurally understanding the French language.  Students will be exposed to Francophone countries and their cultures, including, but not limited to, France, Québec, and French-speaking Africa.  Upon successful completion of 7th grade French, students will be able to express themselves through both the spoken and written word, and will be able to understand conversations pertaining to the following themes:  greetings & personal introductions, school, sports, dining, and leisure activities.

Eighth Grade Program of Study

LANGUAGE ARTS

In 8th grade English Language Arts, students will grapple with high-quality, complex, nonfiction texts and great works of literature. The focus of informational texts will shift from narrative to expository. Students will learn how to cite textual evidence supporting an analysis, or critique. Students will learn how to question an author’s assumptions, and assess the accuracy of the author’s claims. Students will read closely, and find evidence to use in their own writing; additionally, they will analyze two or more texts that provide conflicting information on the same topic, and identify whether the disagreement is over facts, or interpretation. They will analyze how point of view can be manipulated to create specific effects (such as dramatic irony), and investigate how particular passages within certain texts connect to one another to advance the plot, reveal a character, or highlight an idea.  Throughout their academic career, students have developed a strong vocabulary of academic words; they will use this to speak and write with more precision. Their writing will continue to grow, focusing on organizing ideas, concepts, and information into broader categories; choosing relevant facts well; and using varied transitions to clarify or show the relationships among elements.

8th Grade Hybrid ELA:

This course has been designed to provide students the opportunity to develop the higher order thinking skills needed to become successful learners as well as to promote the creation of life-long readers. Students will receive direct instruction in reading skills; comprehension strategies; and how to analyze, interpret, and form written responses to literature. Students will be asked to analyze, classify, synthesize, and evaluate information related to essential comprehension questions pertaining to different reading genres.  Students will also utilize the Exact Path computer program to practice critical reading skills, to develop vocabulary, and to fill in any reading gaps.  In addition, students will be expected to write for a variety of purposes and in a variety of styles.  They will be expected to use correct grammar, spelling, and punctuation.  By the end of eighth grade, students will be able to write a well-developed, research-based essay.

MATHEMATICS

Introduction to Algebra:

The 8th grade Introduction to Algebra contains topics necessary for the successful pursuit of Algebra 1 at the High School. Topics in Introduction to Algebra include rational and irrational numbers, expressions and equations, linear relationships, functions, geometry, right triangles, volume, and data.

Hybrid Introduction to Algebra:

The 8th grade Introduction to Algebra contains topics necessary for the successful pursuit of Algebra 1 at the High School. Topics in Introduction to Algebra include rational and irrational numbers, expressions and equations, linear relationships, functions, geometry, right triangles, volume, and data. This math course is taught over the course of two consecutive periods and utilizes various programs in order to enhance student learning. Students will participate in a station rotation model of instruction and rotate through three types of stations. 

Algebra 1:

Theoretical Algebra I is an advanced course combining the PA curriculums of the 8th grade PA Core Standards and the Keystone Algebra 1. Because it is an honors-level course, you will find that the time needed for completing homework is much greater than what you experienced in Pre‐Algebra. This is a demanding course with challenging material. It is essential that we cover the planned curriculum for the year in order to prepare you for success in Algebra II at the high school. Students who earn below a 70% course average, at the time of high school recommendations, will be recommended to retake Algebra 1 in 9th grade. Typically, recommendations occur in February.

Algebra 2:

Theoretical Algebra 2 is an advanced course combining the PA curriculums of the 8th grade PA Core Standards and the Algebra 2 curriculum. Because it is similar to the high school level honors course, you will find that the time needed for completing homework is about the same or greater than Algebra 1.   This is a demanding course with challenging material. It is essential that we cover the planned curriculum for the year in order to prepare for success at the high school. Students who earn above an 80% course average, at the time of high school recommendations, will be recommended to take Honors Geometry in 9th grade. Typically, recommendations occur in February.

SCIENCE

Throughout the course, students will learn how scientific information is acquired through participation in a variety of learning experiences.   Students will deepen and build upon their existing knowledge of chemistry, physics and earth science concepts throughout the course.   The emphasis for the 8th grade course is on Earth Science and includes the study of Earth’s atmosphere, meteorology, astronomy, and geology.

SOCIAL STUDIES

This course emphasizes the geographic, economic, political, and social foundations of the early United States of America. The study of our existence as an independent nation utilizes a chronological approach to the Revolutionary War, the development of the US Constitution, the lifestyles of the 1800s, the Civil War, and culminates with Reconstruction.   Primary and secondary sources are integral to the course and are used to ensure that each student develops skills in gathering and analyzing data, artifacts, and a variety of other sources.  These skills will enable students to draw conclusions based upon a wide and comprehensive range of perspectives and sources. The overarching course theme is: How do competing ideas of freedom cause conflict and compromise in US history?

WORLD LANGUAGE

Students continuing a world language will complete the Second Semester of Level I during eighth grade. The program is designed to be contemporary, relevant, and enjoyable. The student will feel a sense of accomplishment and develop an appreciation of the similarities among cultures through activities that explore cultural values. The emphasis of the course is on the development of listening, speaking, reading and writing skills. Supplementary materials are selected and integrated in the program according to the interests and the abilities of the students.

Spanish Immersion 7-8:

In this course, conducted entirely in Spanish, the students will continue to immerse themselves in the language and culture as they learn and practice new vocabulary and grammar. They will also read and analyze popular pieces of literature from authors throughout the Spanish- speaking world. They will continue to communicate verbally and in written form on a variety of topics. Students will review content from Manheim Township Spanish 1 and 2 curriculum as needed.

Spanish 8:

In this introductory course, students will learn to communicate at a novice level using simple sentences and common vocabulary about topics such as family, shopping, restaurants, clothing, household items and furniture, planning a party and chores, sports, and the cultures of Puerto Rico, Spain, Ecuador and Chile.

Course Objectives/Goals: To continue learning in the target language, students will demonstrate a novice proficiency in listening, reading, writing, speaking and cultural understanding. In order to advance to the next language level, students are required to achieve a minimum of 75% average grade for the entire year.

German 8: 

In this introductory course in the second half of level 1 German students will learn to communicate at a novice level using simple sentences and common vocabulary about topics such as school, leisure activities, expressing wishes, languages, where things are from, music, and culture pertaining to German-speaking countries and areas.

French 8: 

8th grade French provides students with the necessary foundation for speaking, writing, reading, and aurally understanding the French language.  Students will be exposed to Francophone countries and their cultures, including, but not limited to, France, Québec, and French-speaking Africa.  Upon successful completion of 8th grade French, students will be able to express themselves through both the spoken and written word, and will be able to understand conversations pertaining to the following themes:  family, grocery shopping & food, phone etiquette & conversations, and clothing.

Specialized Programs for Students

The Pennsylvania Special Education Standards, which reflect both State Board Regulations and federal legislation, require and individualized education program (IEP) for each exceptional student identified as needing special education or related services. This requirement extends to all exceptional students in Pennsylvania, in public and approved private schools.

Writing an IEP is a three-step process involving the child, his parents, and school personnel in: (1) defining a child's interests or needs, (2) identifying how much and what one can reasonably expect him/her to learn by the end of the year, and (3) determining the steps to be taken in achieving annual goals and the means to measure the student's progress.

EXCEL

This program for students of superior intellectual ability allows for special activities and services not ordinarily provided in the regular classroom. Students may be assigned to this program if they meet the standards established by the state. An individual psychological evaluation is necessary to determine if admission standards are met.

LEARNING SUPPORT

The core (English Language Arts and Mathematics) academic courses for special education students are listed in the individual content areas. These courses are designed to provide services for students who require services primarily in the areas of reading, writing, and/or math. 

Academic Support

The purpose of Academic Support is to reinforce the regular education classroom instruction. Organizational strategies, study skills, and support for coursework. 

Social Skills

This course is designed to help assist students based on their specific academic needs in developing their social and emotional skills to successfully acclimate to educational and community settings. Students will work on improving their ability to communicate with others and to establish and maintain relationships with others. They will focus on developing skills such as self-advocacy, dealing with difficult situations, time management, organization skills, and interpersonal relationships.

Introduction to the Related Arts Curriculum

7TH GRADE RELATEDS

7th Grade Art

Students will experience a variety of two- dimensional mediums in the art studio, as well as, relief sculpture. Students will hone their creative thinking and problem solving skills through continuous self- reflection and reevaluation of their artwork.  Students will explore principles of art to enhance their artwork, critiques, and their written response to artworks. Students will frequently discuss the artwork of various artists as the artwork relates to project themes, artistic processes, and mediums.

7th Grade Music

7th Grade General Music Class is a 9-week course designed for musicians of all levels of background and experience.  Throughout the course of the marking period, students will create, perform, respond, and connect to a wide variety of music.  Topics may include but are not limited to: rhythmic development, the elements of music, Western classical music history, and multicultural music.

7th Grade Family and Consumer Science 

The 7th grade FCS course is designed to help students gain a better understanding of financial management, child development, and consumerism. In the Financial Resource Management unit, students will develop spending plans and participate in real-world budgeting simulations that allow them to practice making decisions between wants and needs, while building an understanding of the consequences of ineffective and effective financial management.  Within our Child Development unit, students will participate in interactive and hands-on stations to learn about child growth and development, with a focus on practices that encourage physical, intellectual, emotional, and social development as well as safety. Problem-solving, communication, and teamwork will be highlighted to help students develop necessary 21st century skills, while exploring the supports available to help balance work, family, and community responsibilities.

7th Grade Physical Education

The Physical Education class is a seventh grade co-educational course that meets five days per week for one marking period, a total of nine weeks per school year. This course is designed to:

• Introduce a wide range of motor skills, movement patterns, knowledge, and skill-building experiences.
• Introduce movement concepts, principles, strategies and tactics.
• Promote an understanding for differences among people in physical activity settings.
• Contribute to the development of a healthy lifestyle.
• Reinforce the habit of choosing to regularly participate in physical activity for health, enjoyment, challenge, self-expression or social interaction.

This course meets in the gymnasium and the outside fields. The focus of the class is to teach students how to enjoy participating in various activities for the social, emotional, psychological and physical benefits provided.

7th Grade Fitness and Health

The Fitness & Health class is a seventh grade co-educational course that meets five days per week for one marking period, a total of nine weeks per school year. This course is designed to:

• Educate students on body systems and the effects exercise has on each system.
• Introduce students to different principles related to fitness.
• Provide a foundation for nutrition and the effects it has on the body.
• Introduce students to a wide range of motor skills and functional exercises.
• Teach students fundamental exercise techniques and basic workout structures.
• Apply fitness concepts learned in health class into practical use in a gym setting.

This course is divided into two different components, Fitness and Health. The Fitness aspect of the class meets in the fitness center while the Health aspect meets in a classroom.

7th Grade Study Hall

Study Hall students are expected to work silently on schoolwork or homework for the entire period.  A student may not play games on their devices,  on the Library computers, or school iPads.  Students should be working silently on individual projects or assignments during the entire period and utilizing this time wisely to complete all school work. 

College and Career Readiness 7

College and Career Readiness 7 is designed for every student, regardless of whether you generally find school difficult or are simply looking for ways to maximize your study time. Strategies in this course are simple and student-friendly, allowing you to achieve a great balance between being a successful student and living a fun, enriched life. This 9-week course will focus on the following topics: goal setting, prioritization, and time management, learning strategies and ways to study, note-taking and test-taking strategies, career exploration, typing and digital citizenship.

7th Grade Technology Education

This course provides students the opportunity to use problem-solving skills in order to complete two major units. Both units show students how engineers use the engineering design process to solve problems. The first unit will involve learning basic block code to control robots. The students will learn skills and then apply them to solve challenges with their robot. The second unit students will design and build, using materials and tools, a course for their robot to complete. 

7th Grade Structured Learning Initiative

The MTMS Student Learning Initiative course has been designed to provide students the opportunity to develop the higher order thinking and executive functioning skills needed to become successful learners, as well as to promote the creation of life-long learners. Students will be asked to work toward individualized academic goals to enhance their middle school learning experience.

8TH GRADE RELATEDS

8th Grade Art

8th Grade Art will grow students’ knowledge about artistic practice in 7th grade, and serve as an introduction to three-dimensional design for foundation art courses taken at the high school. Students will experience a variety of three–dimensional mediums in the 8th grade art studio of ceramics and mixed-media sculpture utilizing recycled materials, found objects, paper mache, metal, wood, plaster, natural items, and more. They will develop refined craftsmanship through the implementation of the elements of art and principles of design in their projects, participate in formal and informal critiques to assess the artwork in class and by master and contemporary artists, develop their literacy skills through various writing and reading art activities, discuss and evaluate the value and aesthetics of art, and be introduced to art history throughout time across varying cultures. Careers in the arts will be explored as it relates to chosen project themes, artistic processes, techniques, and mediums. Students will utilize the “Studio Habits of Mind” throughout each stage of the art-making process to develop essential life skills such as creativity, critical thinking, problem solving, persistence, reflection, and more. All will be encouraged to take “artistic risks” in our safe and welcoming learning environment to hone a growth mindset. By the end of the course, students shall have a stronger appreciation and understanding of three-dimensional art forms and the relationships between art and life.

8th Grade Music

8th Grade General Music Class is a 9-week course designed for musicians of all levels of background and experience.  Throughout the course of the marking period, students will create, perform, respond, and connect to a wide variety of music.   Along with rhythmic development, multicultural music, American pop music history, and composition, class guitar instruction is included as part of the 8th grade music curriculum.

8th Grade Family and Consumer Science

The 8th grade FCS course is designed to provide students with a better understanding of nutrition and practical living skills. During the quarter, students study nutrients, energy and calories, and how changing those factors can affect the body. Understanding how to read food labels helps students to become aware not only of what is in their food, but also how serving sizes can be deceiving. Students will build upon the consumerism skills learned in FCS 7 by studying food waste and sustainability, and by practicing the independent living tasks of meal planning and preparation while grocery shopping within a budget. Students will also examine the influence of geographic, climatic, and cultural factors on food customs around the world. At the culmination of most units, students will participate in hands-on learning experiences in the kitchen to create recipes that pertain to the unit of study. This will reinforce the concepts learned throughout the unit by creating a unique and dynamic learning experience.

College and Career Readiness 8

This course is designed for students to develop essential skills and knowledge necessary to understand the importance of planning for their futures. Through learning activities, students will develop the interpersonal, social, employability skills and competencies, as well as a strong work ethic necessary to participate in an ever-changing global economy. 

8th Grade Fitness and Physical Education

The Fitness & PE class is an eighth grade co-educational course that meets five days per week for one marking period, a total of nine weeks per school year. This course is designed to:

• Introduce a wide range of motor skills and functional exercises.
• Introduce students to different principles related to fitness.
• Teach fundamental exercise techniques and basic workout structures.
• Introduce movement concepts, principles, strategies and tactics.
• Contribute to the development of a healthy lifestyle.
• Reinforce the idea of participating regularly in physical activity for health, enjoyment, challenge, self-expression or social interaction.
• Cooperative skill development through small-sided team play.

This course is divided into two different components, Fitness and Physical Education. The Fitness aspect of the class meets in the fitness center while the PE aspect meets in a gymnasium or outside field.

8th Grade Health

Health class is an eighth grade co-educational course that meets five days per week for one marking period, a total of nine weeks per school year. This course is designed to assist students in living a healthy lifestyle by exploring teen-related health topics such as:

• Dimensions of Health
• Safety
• Body Systems
• Endocrine System & Puberty
• Reproductive Systems
• Sex Education
• Drugs, Alcohol and Tobacco

Technology Education: Graphic Design

This course explores the various elements and principles of design and how they fit together to make good compositions while using the latest technical tools available to you today. Students will be exploring Gimp. What is gimp? It is a GNU Manipulation Program. The course is about the organization of visual information. Students will learn the basics of how to control what people see when they look at your project. These basic design principles (Proximity, Alignment, Repetition and Contrast) are the foundation upon which all of the subtleties of Graphic Design are based. Basic design principles are fundamental, not simple. They are extensive, complex and surprisingly specific. It is important to learn these fundamentals before attempting more advanced design. Like any thing, the stronger the foundation, the better the structure that can be built upon it.

Unified Arts

Video Production (UA) is a quarterly digital video course that will introduce and explore the core fundamentals of digital videography, storytelling and broadcasting. Course Concepts include the following: Basic Camera Skills- including how to safely and legally set up, record and gather footage for your video, Introductory Shooting Techniques- including storyboarding, establishing shots and angles, composition, color, lighting and audio, Digital Video Editing Techniques- using iMovie 10.1.2 to create a final project that will be published and presented, and Introduction to Broadcasting- including staging, camera work, researching, writing and presenting a news story using the MTMS Channel 21 TV Studio. 

8th Grade Structured Learning Initiative

The MTMS Student Learning Initiative course has been designed to provide students the opportunity to develop the higher order thinking and executive functioning skills needed to become successful learners, as well as to promote the creation of life-long learners. Students will be asked to work toward individualized academic goals to enhance their middle school learning experience.

Grade 7-8 Music Performing Group Course Descriptions

Chorus (Grades 7 & 8)

In this course, students will have an opportunity to perform and study a wide variety of choral literature. A strong emphasis will be placed on improving individual music reading ability and vocal production. Evaluative criteria will include: attendance at school-scheduled concerts, completion of music reading proficiencies, and rehearsal contribution, involvement, and preparation. Beginning with the 2020-2021 school year, students enrolled in Chorus are required to attend small group rehearsals (sectionals) six times per marking period according to a rotating “pull-out” schedule. Students must also attend two mandatory concerts and dress rehearsals (winter and spring), which are published on the official district calendar.

Concert Band (Grades 7 & 8)

Symphonic Band provides students who study traditional band and percussion instruments the chance to discover, analyze, and perform both traditional and contemporary band music, as well as to improve their own individual skills on their chosen instrument. Students will develop critical and creative thinking skills in the following areas: aural awareness, individual playing skills, and ensemble precision and balance. Students with previous experience on traditional band instruments (flute, oboe, bassoon, clarinet, saxophone, trumpet, horn, trombone, euphonium/baritone, tuba and percussion) are automatically admitted to the Symphonic Band. All students enrolled in Symphonic Band are required to attend small group rehearsals (sectionals) one time per week according to a rotating “pull out” schedule. Students must also attend two mandatory concerts (winter and spring), which are published on the official district calendar.

Orchestra (Grades 7 & 8)

This course provides students of orchestral string instruments (violin, viola, cello and string bass) an opportunity to study and perform varied styles of orchestra music as well as develop individual performance skills. Students with previous experience on string instruments will receive automatic entrance into the group. Students enrolled in Orchestra are required to attend small group rehearsals (sectionals) one time per week according to a rotating “pull-out” schedule. Students must also attend two mandatory concerts (winter and spring), which are published on the official district calendar.