Course Catalog

Semester 1 is adopted from code.org Computer Science Fundamentals Course F.
The course begins by looking at how users make choices in the apps they use. Students then learn to make a variety of Sprite Lab apps that also offer choices for the user. In the later lessons in the course, students will learn more advanced concepts, including variables and “for” loops.

Semester 2 in adopted from Introduction to Computer Science in JavaScript from codehs.org

In sixth grade English/Language Arts, students read and respond to historically or culturally significant works of literature that reflect and enhance their studies of history and social science, and connect the essential ideas, arguments, and perspectives of the texts by using their knowledge of text structure, organization, and purpose, as well as literary elements. Students write narrative, expository, persuasive, and descriptive texts, as well as clear, coherent, and focused essays that contain formal introductions, supporting evidence, and conclusions. Students also deliver focused, coherent presentations that convey ideas clearly and relate to the background and interests of the audience, and evaluate the content of oral communication.

In Math 6, students use reasoning about multiplication and division to solve ratio and rate problems about quantities; use the meaning of fractions, the meanings of multiplication and division, and the relationship between multiplication and division to understand and explain why the procedures for dividing fractions make sense, and use the operations to solve problems; and write expressions and equations that correspond to given situations, evaluate expressions, use expressions and formulas to solve problems, and demonstrate an understanding of variables. Students also begin to think statistically and build on their primary knowledge of relationships among shapes to determine area, surface area, and volume.

Students in grade six expand their understanding of history by studying the people and events that ushered in the dawn of the major Western and non-Western ancient civilizations. Geography is of special significance in the development of the human story. Continued emphasis is placed on the everyday lives, problems, and accomplishments of people, their role in developing social, economic, and political structures, as well as in establishing and spreading ideas that helped transform the world forever. Students develop higher levels of critical thinking by considering why civilizations developed where and when they did, why they became dominant, and why they declined. Students analyze the interactions among the various cultures, emphasizing their enduring contributions and the link, despite time, between the contemporary and ancient worlds.

Grade 6 builds on the foundational skills learned in the primary science curriculum, while focusing on the study of Earth Sciences. Students study plate tectonics and the Earth’s structure, the shaping of the Earth’s surface, thermal energy, energy in the Earth system, ecology, and natural resources. Students expand on the scientific process by developing a hypothesis, selecting appropriate tools and technology to perform tests and collect data, constructing appropriate graphs, recognizing whether evidence is consistent with their hypothesis, and communicating the steps and results from an investigation in written reports and oral presentations.

Students in this course will engage in learning experiences within two units: growth and development and drug prevention. Students will learn about physical, social, and emotional changes that occur during adolescence during the growth and development unit. Students will be taught factual information about the negative effects of drug usage and equip them with a variety of refusal skills to equip them to make safe, healthy decisions in future situations in which drugs may be present or available.

During the 6th Grade Foods class, students study nutritional guidelines, cooking terms, kitchen equipment, ingredient measurement, and kitchen safety. They then apply this knowledge by participating in hands-on food labs.

The middle school library media curriculum is totally integrated with other curriculum subject areas. Middle school media specialists collaborate with classroom teachers to provide relevant instruction to support identified standards in a flexible schedule that aligns with timeframes outlined in the curriculum subject areas.

This curriculum is formatted as a series of Missions and is not meant to be taught in a linear fashion. There are 8 total possible Missions during the course. Each student will complete 5-6 of the Missions.

In seventh grade English/Language Arts, students continue to focus on word analysis, fluency, and systematic vocabulary development. They read a wide variety of informational and literary texts, with specific emphasis on historically and culturally significant works that enhance their interdisciplinary understanding of history and social science. They continue to progress through the writing process to produce clear, coherent essays true to audience and purpose. Students will write across a multitude of genres while demonstrating a command of standard American English, as well as research, organizational, and drafting strategies.

In Math 7, students develop understanding of and apply proportional relationships; develop understanding of operations with rational numbers and work with expressions and linear equations; solve problems involving scale drawings and informal geometric constructions, and work with two- and three-dimensional shapes to solve problems involving area, surface area, and volume; and draw inferences about populations based on samples.

Grade 7 focuses on Life Sciences and introduces the study of cell biology, genetics, evolution, Earth and life history, structure and function in living systems, and physical principles in living systems. Students use a variety of print and electronic resources to collect information and evidence as part of a research project; communicate the logical connection among hypotheses, science concepts, tests conducted, data collected, and conclusions drawn from scientific evidence; and construct scale models, maps, and appropriately labeled diagrams to communicate scientific knowledge.

Students in grade seven study the social, cultural, and technological changes that occurred in Europe, Africa, and Asia in the years A.D. 500–1789. After reviewing the ancient world and the ways in which archeologists and historians uncover the past, students study the history and geography of great civilizations that were developing concurrently throughout the world during medieval and early modern times. They examine the growing economic interaction among civilizations as well as the exchange of ideas, beliefs, technologies, and commodities. They learn about the resulting growth of Enlightenment philosophy and the new examination of the concepts of reason and authority, the natural rights of human beings and the divine right of kings, experimentalism in science, and the dogma of belief. Finally, students assess the political forces let loose by the Enlightenment, particularly the rise of democratic ideas, and they learn about the continuing influence of these ideas in the world today.