Eighth Grade Curriculum
Eighth Grade Mission Statement
As educators it is our mission to develop our 8th grade students preparing to transition to high school into young men and women that will live as Christian witnesses in the world. We strive to foster leaders who by example will be models of character, integrity, and academic excellence. We challenge our students to think creatively and critically. We assist our students in assessing their strengths as learners and in utilizing the tools and resources available to them in their growth areas to better foster independence and a desire for life-long learning.
Religion
The 8th grade Religion curriculum timelines Church history from Pentecost to the Second Vatican Council, while also challenging the students to live out the tenets of Catholic Social Teaching in our world today. Regular study of scripture, along with other reflective prayer practices, aims to deepen each student's personal relationship with Christ. Additionally, weekly mass attendance, class meetings, and virtue lessons contribute to the development of each student's faith formation.
Science
Physical Science is the exploration of motion and forces. It is the discovery of energy and matter and how it interacts in our world through chemistry. Students will learn about sound waves, light, and electromagnetic fields. Each topic is full of labs, projects and STEM activities.
English
The 8th grade English curriculum is designed to emphasize cross-curricular writing. Assignments are developed to deepen not only the understanding of complex grammar concepts but also those of Religion, literature, and social studies. This multidisciplinary approach makes learning more relevant, meaningful, and purposeful to the learner. Vocabulary is built through the study of suffixes.
Social Studies
The social studies curriculum in 8th grade completes the study of American History. The class is a project-based learning structure that provides the opportunity for students to engage in collaborative activities and the continued development of historical thinking. The structure of the class includes time for collaboration, socratic seminars, small group activities, presentations, gallery walks, diving into primary and secondary sources, and inquiry based learning. This class is a bridge as student will be entering high school next fall, so pushing the students to think at a deeper level takes priority.
Literature
The 8th grade literature focus will be on short stories, poetry, non-fiction, realistic fiction, and historical fiction as some of our genres. Using Articles of the Week, students will learn and practice annotating and summarizing. Vocabulary will continue to grow through our readings as well as Words of the Day. Independent reading will be fostered through quiet reading time. Class discussions, projects, reflections, writings, and presentations will be used, throughout the year.
Math
The Big Ideas Math Algebra series allows students the opportunity to get the practice they need to become well-rounded, mathematically proficient learners. Concepts include solving linear equations; and inequalities; graphing and writing linear functions; solving systems of linear equations; exponential functions and sequences; polynomial equations and factoring; graphing and solving quadratic equations; radical functions and equations; and data analysis.