Course Catalog

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.

Life Education provides the opportunity for students to learn life skills such as study strategies and time management, as well as provide academic support. This course focuses on reinforcing positive and productive behaviors, good character traits, building relationships, and exposure to the community and its resources.

Life Education is vertically aligned, grades 6-8. Each grade level includes the following five units and build off each other in a sequential fashion to provide consistency in developing a positive, caring learning environment. This curriculum is written for 32 days of the course. The remaining days are divided among additional building level educational topics and experiences.

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.

The purpose of Technology Applications is to utilize International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) standards to develop knowledge and skills for 21st Century learners. Students will use the software in Microsoft Office to integrate real-world skills for the workplace. Online collaborative communication, and the use of digital media, will enhance student learning. Digital citizenship is emphasized throughout the course.

In eighth grade English/Language Arts, students will read from a variety of narrative and expository texts, including classic and contemporary literature, magazines, newspapers, and online information. They will determine and articulate the relationship between the purposes and characteristics of different forms of poetry, evaluate structural elements of plot, and identify literary devices. They will continue to follow the writing process as they craft clear and coherent narrative, expository, persuasive, and descriptive essays.