Thursday, July 29, 2010

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Eighth Grade

Program Description
As a student proceeds through eighth grade he/she experiences a greater degree of responsibility for his/her personal, academic, and social growth. Through differentiated course work and extra-curricular activities students prepare for success in high school.

Main Themes/Skills

Religion
• Confirmation preparation
• Catholic creed and morality
• character development
• issues of peace and justice

Language Arts
• listening, evaluating materials, and public speaking
• grammar and composition
• vocabulary development, analyzing text, and reading comprehension
• novels: To Kill a Mockingbird, Pigman, Of Mice and Men, Diary of Anne Frank

Math
• Algebra (inequalities, operations with polynomials, quadratic formula)
• rational and irrational numbers (square root, repeating v. terminating decimals)
• geometry (volume, surface area, Pythagorean theorem)
• statistics and probability, consumer math (interest, discount, profit/loss)

Social Studies
• U.S. History 1860-present (Civil War, Westward Expansion, Industrial Revolution, World Wars I and II, Great Depression, Cold War, Current Events)
• critical thinking, debate skills
• current events and connections with history

Science
• research for Science Expo
• kinematics, forces, energy, work and power
• comparative anatomy including dissections skills

Instructional Methodologies
Lecture, independent reading, small group work, journalizing, performance experience, listening, speaking, lab work, dissection

Highlights of the Grade
Confirmation preparation, Student Council, 8th grade leadership roles, curricular based field trips, preparation for high school entrance exams and selection process, graduation activities, Faith Partner activities and school service.