Course Descriptions
Grade 5
ART 5 – Ms. Lisa Buck
The focus of all of our work in Middle School Art is always student growth. Through hands-on experience and demonstration in technique and applied concepts, students learn art language, gain confidence in their skills and hopefully find joy in creating.
Fifth grade artists begin the semester by looking at the artist's favorite element: LINE. They use cut lines to create compositions that show variety, repetition and balance.
We continue to look at line, but this time with observational drawing. The focus will first be on simple iconic objects that we all know well: sphere, cylinder, cone and box and how to observe, draw and add values (shading dark to light) to the objects to make them three-dimensional.
Observation and values continue, using pastels on a large scale drawing of a real food item on a decorative plate for our subject matter (often fortune cookies on little blue patterned Moroccan plates or cupcakes or faux ice cream cones). Students hone their observational skills by enlarging the objects to use their space well and then learn to create values with color.
Color is next on our palette. Fifth grade artists develop a color wheel and then use tints and shades of secondary or tertiary colors to develop a painting of their favorite dog. These dog paintings explore color, painting technique and playful emotional connections to our favorite pets.
Next, students will become experienced printmakers; using leaves as their subject matter. With ink and brayers, the artists will print both positive and negative images of leaves. Creatively exploring the printing process, they then will make compositions of their imagery that focuses again on balance, repetition and variety, as well as color, texture and focal point.
We end the semester with sculpture in a variety of media. We explore how artists work in three dimensions, yet apply the elements of design in working in the round. Media may be wire, clay, wood and found objects.
After all the hard work subsides, we gather in the Middle School Commons for our culminating art exhibition. A “cocoa and art” for our winter months or “lemonade and art” for the springtime. This allows us to celebrate the successes of all our young artists and for them to share their pride of creating.
BAND 5 - Ms. Renee Wantock
(Quarter 1)
Fifth graders will spend the first month or more of band class studying basic music theory. Our study will include learning time signatures, key signatures, note reading, basic counting and music terms. Also, students will be having weekly semi-private lessons where they will learn the “how-to” of their instrument. During lessons, I will emphasize proper hand position, posture, embouchure, and breath support. Students will learn beginning counting and fingerings as well.
(Quarter 2)
Fifth graders will continue studying basic music theory. Our study will include more counting, tone production, fingering, note recognition, key signatures, following the conductor, balance and blend in the full ensemble and preparation for their first sharing performance. Lesson attendance, participation and behavior in rehearsals, effort and improvement, a few assignments, attitude and practice will be considered in the grading process. Also, students are expected to attend a concert or musical during the quarter and turn in a program with a parent signature on it. Practice time should be at least 25 minutes a day five or six times per week. The group is making good progress, so the next quarter should be an exciting time for all of us!
(Quarter 3)
Students have been taking semi-private lessons progressing at their own rate. Emphasis in the third quarter will be on tone production and range expansion. Large ensemble rehearsals will continue to focus on issues such as following the conductor and becoming more "musical." Also, we will continue work with dynamics and an introduction to complete scales for warm-up. Theory work will also continue with focus on dynamics, articulations and tempos. Listening to others and matching sounds will be worked on with greater effort. Again, students will be required to attend a concert/musical sometime in the quarter.
(Quarter 4)
Each student will continue to take weekly lessons, progressing at his/her own rate. Most of the focus this quarter will be on band music selections for the 5th graders first official concert in the Spring in the Nicholson Center. There will be very few assignments (aside from a practice journal a week) given this quarter, as our focus will be more on playing and preparing for 6th Grade Band. Students are expected to fulfill the concert requirement yet again this quarter as well. With continued work and efforts at home, they will be very ready for the next step of 6th Grade Band!
MUSIC 5 – Ms. Leah Abbe Bloem
(Quarter 1)
This quarter includes a review of basic rhythms and music symbols, studying rondo form, composition projects, singing, creative movement and Orff instrument playing. Fifth graders also begin preparing for Grandparents and Special Friends Day as well as their music sharing in January.
(Quarter 2)
The 5th grade choir students continue discovering additional important elements of music such as: harmony, style, form, tone color in connection with various musical instruments, world music and current popular music of the United States. They learn dances from different countries and start to work with chords on the Orff instruments. The 5th graders also work on music for our music sharing in January.
(Quarter 3)
In third quarter the 5th graders continue to sing and develop musical reading skills. These skills help them to perform with the 6th graders at the Middle School Vocal Music Concert in May. The 5th graders also do many different movement exercises relating to art pieces, musical pieces, as well as general movement to create an atmosphere where movement is more comfortable and fluid. This quarter the 5th graders begin working on duets and trios with the soprano recorder.
(Quarter 4)
In fourth quarter the 5th graders continue to focus on choral blend and preparing music for their performance in May. A large part of their quarter grade will be based on this performance and preparation. Following the concert the 5th graders work on transferring rhythm syllables to actual counting to help them in choir, band and orchestra in future years. They write a small composition that is shared with the class and do some work with soprano recorders. At the end of the year we start to learn about the bass clef.
DRAMA 5 (S1)– Ms. Barb Bradley
(Quarter 1)
Fifth grade drama takes a look at William Shakespeare, his life, his times, and the history and customs of the Elizabethan era. We translate Elizabethan language and audition for roles in adaptations of Shakespeare's plays. A presentation is planned for the end of the semester.
(Quarter 2)
The 5th graders are studying Shakespeare. We learn about the language and culture and read through and audition for parts in a Shakespeare production. Students focus on performance technique, memorize their lines, and take on, in some cases, multiple characters. A performance is planned for the end of this quarter.
ENGLISH/SOCIAL STUDIES 5 – Ms. Patti Meras
In grade 5, we combine English and Social Studies in order to streamline curriculum and connect reading and writing with historical content. Grammar and mechanics are assessed within lessons and projects. Content is covered through novels, textbooks, Internet research, resource books and primary sources. A year-long magazine project will cover the scope of written communication including, but not limited to: editorials, creative writing, narrative, persuasive, compare/contrast, articles, and letter writing. Rubrics are used for both self- and peer assessment before formal evaluation. Students also discover Latin and Greek roots in order to build vocabulary skills. This serves as a base for further vocabulary building in seventh and eighth grades. Texts include, but are not limited to, The History of Us series by Joy Hakim, A Young People’s History of the United States by Howard Zinn, The Nystrom Atlas of American History, Around the World in a Hundred Years by Jean Fritz, and historical fiction novels based in the time period of study (i.e. Johnny Tremain, The Fighting Ground, The Witch of Blackbird Pond, and Blood on the River).
(Quarter 1)
Our focus this quarter is on the First Americans. Students learn who historians believe were the first people to inhabit the Americas and how they may have arrived. Each student completes an independent research assignment that delves into one of the First American geographical region. In addition, students learn when and which European societies “discovered” the Americas, and what the results were of European and Native American contact. Students will write one editorial piece on a Native American invention or adaptation and another on the Native American region of their choice. These written pieces will be included in their magazines.
(Quarter 2)
Our focus this quarter is European contact with First Americans and the European colonization of North America. Students will read Native American short stories in order to learn about the oral tradition in Native American culture. Students will write original short stories that emulate the style of the stories they have read. Debate comes into focus as we learn about Christopher Columbus and his impact on the Arawak tribe. We read select chapters from the Joy Hakim book, Making Thirteen Colonies, and participate in a simulation activity of Colonial Settlement. Our magazine project continues this quarter with two additional formal writing pieces involving research and the complete writing process.
(Quarter 3)
The third quarter starts with students learning more in-depth about the settlement of America through “archaeological digs” and reading primary sources and historical fiction. Additionally, students will be working independently or in small groups as they research one of the Colonial American regions (e.g. New England, Middle & Southern Colonies). They will use the information they discover to hold our 5th grade Colonial Recruitment Fair in which they attempt to convince people in the Old World to travel to and settle in their region c. 1700. Students use cause and effect to examine the French and Indian War and events leading up to the Revolutionary War. The magazine project continues with two more formal written pieces.
(Quarter 4)
We continue our study of the American Revolution. Students read novels based in Revolutionary War times in literature circles. Women and African-Americans are emphasized in our Heroes of the Revolution project in which students research one person and complete a display highlighting their person’s life and accomplishments. Also, we spend time learning about the Constitution and how this document affected the structure of government in America, both locally and nationally. We conduct a mock student congress in which the students write bills as they learn how our lawmaking body of government operates. The magazine project wraps up with formatting and final touches for a complete portfolio of the students’ year in writing.
FRENCH 5A – Mme. Evelyn Johnson
(Quarter 1)
This quarter, students study Unit 1 in the Discovering French Nouveau Bleu series. Topics include introductions, asking questions, greetings, expressions with ça va, adjectives of nationality, people, family members, numbers 0-100 plus cultural lessons. Students also read authentic short stories and articles in French, watch video clips, practice their listening skills with CD activities, write short paragraphs, and many more exciting activities.
(Quarter 2)
This quarter, students in French 5A focus on "la vie courante" everyday life. Students learn ways to say they are hungry and thirsty. Vocabulary includes different foods, beverages, expressions of time, days of the week, months of the year, weather expressions and seasons. Students also focus on ordering and asking for food and drinks, asking for the time, indicating the time, saying when certain events are scheduled, asking the day of the week, giving the date and talking about birthdays.
(Quarter 3)
Students work on Unit 3 this quarter. They focus on vocabulary related to activities, telephone, vacations, sports, and general information. Grammar concepts include: conjugating the verb être, and regular –er verbs, verbs plus the infinitive, question words, the verb faire, and being able to express surprise or mild doubt. Cultural concepts include: activities, parties and festivals, and francophone music. Students continue to have a lesson each week on French culture presented by our Amity Scholar from France.
(Quarter 4)
This quarter, students focus on Unit 4 in the Discovering French Nouveau Bleu textbook. Topics include: describing yourself and others, physical appearance, age, character traits and nationality, vocabulary and words necessary to describe their bedroom and where things are located, things they own and don’t, whether they work or not, where they are made and what they look like. Students will expand on their conversational skills focusing on getting someone’s attention, making generalizations, expressing opinions, talking about regular events, contradicting a negative statement or question and introducing a conclusion. Students continue to have a lesson each week on French culture presented by our Amity Scholar from France.
HEALTH 5 – Mr. Mike Scinto
(Quarter 3)
Students are introduced to three critical thinking skills (decision making, predicting consequences, compare and contrast) in an effort to promote higher order thinking skills that are used in all units throughout the year. In the Smoking Unit, students understand the effects of smoking on the body, practice saying “No” to risk-taking behaviors, pressure from peers and advertising. Lastly, they describe the value of being smoke-free.
(Quarter 4)
Fifth Grade Health students have a unit in First Aid/Safety and Nutrition this quarter. In the First Aid/Safety unit, students understand what first aid is, who is responsible for delivering it, as well as understanding emergency response steps. Students learn how major and minor injuries are specifically handled. In the Emotions unit, students begin to understand how emotions affect their physical body and influence their overall health. They learn to express emotions appropriately by using communication skills and identify responsible and irresponsible methods for handling them. Lastly, they are introduced to the importance of a support system when it comes to handling emotions appropriately and safely.
MATH 5 – Ms. Courtney Nagle
(Quarter 1)
Our first unit covers perimeter, area and angles with an Interactive simulation called “A-Maze-ing Shapes.” We quickly move on to numeration, addition, subtraction, multiplication and division of whole numbers. Additionally, students use long-term planning and problem-solving with their monthly DynaMath assignments.
(Quarter 2)
We continue division this quarter, and move into working with algebraic expressions, functions, and interpreting data. We will continue to discuss different strategies of problem solving and begin TOPS (Techniques of problem Solving) in addition to DynaMath.
(Quarter 3)
We begin third quarter with the Stock Market Game, where students are placed in teams, “invest” 100,000 in the market and learn about brokers fees, dividends, and diversifying a portfolio in this simulation game. Once our investments are in place, we spend the rest of the quarter working on fractions. As with the previous two quarters, we work on our long-term planning with DynaMath and TOPS.
(Quarter 4)
During fourth quarter, we continue to work on addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division of fractions and mixed numbers. After our fractions unit, we will move on to measures of central tendency (mean, median, mode, and range) and ways of displaying the data. The year ends with designing our own math review games to share with our peers and other grade levels as well as continue with DynaMath and TOPS.
ORCHESTRA 5 - Ms. Rosa Glade Arnold
In 5th Grade Orchestra, students learn to hold the instrument, shape their right and left hands and play notes on all four strings using both pizzicato and arco. Each day, students build on the following items; tone quality, rhythm/bowing, finger patterns, ear training, music reading, music vocabulary, theory and history. Planting seeds for advanced skills begins at this beginning stage. Orchestra students are expected to practice 5-10 minutes each day. Students have performances in January and May.
PHYSICAL EDUCATION 5 – Mr. Dave McGaha and Ms. Bev Docherty
(Quarter 1)
Students participate in many different units such as flag football, soccer, tennis, fitness testing, cross country running, ultimate Frisbee, and kickball. We plan to be outside through the end of October. Appropriate MPA gym clothes for outdoor activities are requested.
(Quarter 2)
The 5th grade Physical Education curriculum includes units in Volleyball, Basketball and Badminton. For each unit we include skill instruction, practice, game rules, strategies and progressive game play. We continue our daily fitness activities that include jump roping and jogging, circuit training, distance running and sprint work-outs.
(Quarter 3)
The 5th grade begins the quarter with a unit on Team Handball. Other units could include Tumbling with limited Gymnastics, Floor Hockey, Recreational Games and locomotor games. We continue our rotating fitness work to begin each class period.
(Quarter 4)
Fifth graders begin Quarter 4 with the obstacle course. Students then move to a softball unit, beginning indoors with throwing, catching, pitching, hitting and fielding skills. Once we're able to go outdoors we begin playing softball using the skills and game understandings we learned last fall in kickball. From there we begin our track and field unit, ending with the Middle School Track Meet in May. We continue our daily fitness activities that include jump roping and jogging, circuit training, distance running and sprint work-outs.
SCIENCE 5 – Mr. Bill Madigan and Ms. Courtney Nagle
(Quarter One)
We begin the year launching pop bottle rockets and focusing in on experimental design. We will be learning different ways of tree identification and using a dichotomous key. The second half of the quarter we do many activities with regard to the Physics of Sound. Students learn about pitch, how sound travels and participate in many sound challenges, such as making their own instrument.
SEEK (Science, Exploration, Experiments and Knowledge) is introduced as a means to allow students to have independent study where they share their knowledge gained on a science topic of their choice.
(Quarter Two)
During the second quarter, students work with electricity, magnets and electromagnets. Students build series circuits, parallel circuits, hidden circuits and short circuits. They also work with magnets, which leads into building electromagnets.
Students work together as a company to build a toothpick bridge. They are given a budget and are in competition to see which bridge can hold the most weight. In addition, students will use Google Sketch Up and investigate other structures and how to build different things for different purposes.
SEEK is also continued with another project assignment during second quarter.
(Quarter Three)
Third quarter will begin with a unit on glaciers and global climate change. It was developed through CReSIS . It has many experiments, interactions with the web and is an extension of the CReSIS unit in 4th grade.
Students will research an environmental issue. During this unit, they write a paper, create, administer and graph a survey from questions they develop based on the issue. They also take social action on the topic and share their results.
SEEK this quarter takes on a different format – one of a science fair. Students design, carry out, and present their finding of an experiment of their choice. We also take a trip to the Physics Force on the University of Minnesota Campus, as well as have an outdoor environmental experience of snowshoeing at the Maplewood Nature Center.
(Quarter Four)
Our creative Inventors Unit happens during fourth quarter. They investigate inventors, do many activities to enhance creativity, create a toy, utensil and invention of their own. There will be no SEEK assignment this quarter.
Additionally during third quarter students will work together in small groups researching a science topic to create their own “Bill Nye” science video.
We will also do several stream table labs in preparation for our year-end canoe trip on the St. Croix River.
SEMINAR GRADE 5 – Ms. Anne Atchison
(Quarter 1)
An introduction to the Middle School is this quarter’s emphasis in 5th grade seminar. School, and personal and social responsibility are our themes. Organization, homework strategies, time management, learning styles and following directions are our study skills focus. Personal social skills, reading social cues and the Golden Rule are our social skills emphasis. Special guests include Mr. Reimers on middle school success and protocol, Ms. Woodruff on managing stress, and the Upper School peer leaders leading a discussion with 5th graders on friendship. Our parent-student-teacher gathering focuses on homework strategies.
(Quarter 2)
Test-taking skills, library skills, listening skills, making and keeping friends, and friendship issues including unkindness and bullying are the focus of second quarter seminar. Our parent-student-teacher gatherings continue quarterly and include what other families do, media and the family, and what’s ahead in 6th grade.
SPANISH 5A – Srta. Kathleen Sheridan
(Quarter 1)
Students are learning using the ¡Adelante! textbook in the ¡Ven Conmigo! series. After a brief review of the vocabulary learned in past years (alphabet, numbers, days, seasons, months, etc) we begin using the textbook. The vocabulary focus is on the greetings and giving and getting information to and from people. Along with the vocabulary, we learn the conjugation of present tense verbs (specifically the verb ser) personal pronouns, and the definite articles el, la, los, and las. The students learn through games, songs, dialogues, and authentic materials (books and magazines). Listening, speaking, reading, and writing in the target language are equally stressed.
(Quarter 2)
This quarter, we continue to work on building our vocabulary in Spanish. We continue to learn the conjugations of a few isolated verbs in Chapter 2 and then move on to the general conjugation rules of the present tense. As we learn more words, we focus more on aural comprehension. The largest themes of the next chapters are activities and likes and dislikes. Culturally, we learn about Spain, the Days of the Dead and Christmas holiday customs in Spanish-speaking countries.
(Quarter 3)
This quarter in Spanish 5A, the students continue working in their ¡Adelante! textbook and workbook. Topics include pastimes, likes and dislikes, places in the city, frequency words, and habitual/weekly activities. Grammatically, we continue to work on conjugating verbs in the present tense, the verb estar, negative words and the verb ir.
Evaluation is based on written, listening and speaking tests, homework, quizzes and tests. Students also interact with our Amity Scholar from Spain.
(Quarter 4)
This quarter in Spanish 5A, the students continue working in their ¡Adelante! textbook and workbook. Topics will include weather and family. Grammatically, we continue to work on conjugating verbs. More specifically, -er and ir verbs. We focus more on verb phrases, making sentences negative and irregular verbs. Evaluation continues to be based on written and listening tests, homework and participation. We also enjoy opportunities to learn cultural and conversational material from our Amity Scholar from Spain.
SPANISH 5B – Srta. Marisue Gleason
(Quarter 1)
The principle in the 5th grade Spanish program is to teach students to communicate in Spanish. The program stresses proficiency in listening, speaking, reading and writing. Students work on comprehension and retention of basic vocabulary, language structures and expressions of every day communication. They are encouraged to respond to simple questions, statements and commands by using words, phrases, short sentences, and following directions. Students learn greetings, farewells, introductions, expressions of emotions, school vocabulary, use of "What is this?" vs. "Who is he/she?" and numbers 1-100. Spanish names are introduced as well as the difference between the subject pronouns tú and usted. We also learn lots of interesting things about our Amity Scholar’s country and culture.
(Quarter 2)
This quarter, we continue to work on building our vocabulary in Spanish. We continue to learn the conjugations of a few isolated verbs in Chapters 1 and 2 and then move on to the general conjugation rules of the present tense. As we learn more words, there is a greater focus on aural comprehension. The largest themes of the next chapters are activities and likes and dislikes. The cultural focus is on Spain.
(Quarter 3)
This quarter, we continue to work on building our vocabulary in Spanish. We continue to learn the conjugations of a few isolated verbs in Chapter 3 and then move on to the general conjugation rules of the present tense. As we learn more words, there is a greater focus on aural comprehension. The largest themes of the next chapters are activities and likes and dislikes and school vocabulary.
(Quarter 4)
During the fourth quarter, students continue to build on their current knowledge of Spanish. The vocabulary includes months of the year, seasons, activities to play during the year, weather, family, chores, and many useful adjectives. Students learn to compare things and to use possessive pronouns as well as continue with present tense verbs -ar/-er/ and -ir.
Grade 6
Art 6 – Ms. Lisa Buck
The focus of all of our work in Middle School Art is student growth. Through hands-on experience and demonstration in technique and applied concepts, students learn art language, gain confidence in their skills and hopefully find joy in creating.
The 6th grade artists kick off their semester of Art by developing their drawing, shading and observation skills of a simple still life of a breakfast scene including bowl, spoon, cup or pitcher and apple. They have learned to “build” a drawing from lightly drawn basic shapes to developing them into three-dimensional forms with values (shading light to dark) added.
This leads us to a more complex way of shading called crosshatching. The students create a multi-layered colored pencil drawing of values that uses crosshatching, referencing Georgia O'Keefe's paintings as inspiration. These small detailed drawings are done of two sections of imagery and then combined to create not only an original drawing, but a unique composition.
Sixth grade artists then begin work on paintings, exploring color theory using tints and shades of analogous colors. They use what they have learned to create original large-scale fish paintings, of which they are composing imagery to create foregrounds and backgrounds that are visually balanced. These become magical underwater works.
Next, students work in the form of clay relief tiles. They compose images to create depth and three-dimensional surfaces in clay. Using texture to highlight and emphasize their compositions, students learn to carve, emboss and add-on clay to develop their tile. Students stain the tiles with underglazes to emphasize the texture and depth, and then use a transparent glaze to complete the surface.
Printmaking wraps up our art making, with two color curious creatures created with stencil printing.
After all the hard work subsides, we gather in the Middle School Commons for our culminating art exhibition – “art and cocoa” for our winter months or “art and lemonade” for the springtime. This allows us to celebrate the successes of all our young artists and for them to share their pride of creating.
BAND 6 – Ms. Renee Wantock
(Quarter 1)
The 6th grade band continues to develop their technique and increase their range on their instruments. Each student should be practicing a minimum of 5-6 days a week, for about 25 minutes a time. This is a year when much improvement takes place, assuming the effort is put in. This quarter, students review musical issues from last year and begin our three-quarter long conducting project. This quarter students learn basic conducting and observe a 5th grade lesson that they will teach during second quarter. It is a very exciting time for growth. Sixth graders are required to attend one weekly, 15-minute lesson, and they progress at their own rate.
(Quarter 2)
The 6th grade band enters phase two of the teaching project in the second quarter. They have already learned basic conducting patterns and observed a 5th grade lesson. This quarter, they teach one 5th grade lesson (in mid-November). We also continue the process of developing better tone quality, counting skills and ensemble skills.
Our main rehearsal concentration is the preparation for our concert at the end of January. Home practice is essential for us to keep growing musically. Also, students are required to attend some sort of musical performance and turn in a program.
(Quarter 3)
The focus this quarter in the 6th grade band is basic music theory. We work on sharps, flats and natural signs, intervals, dotted rhythms and more musical terms. Students also continue to take semi-private lessons each week, progressing at their own rate. Large ensemble rehearsals are spent working more with dynamic changes, playing in balance and playing with even more confidence. Again, students are required to attend a concert/musical sometime in the quarter.
(Quarter 4)
Our focus in fourth quarter is on preparing the students for the spring concert at the beginning of May. The other strong focus is on preparing students for their 7/8 Band experience, where the music becomes more challenging and the expectations are higher. Students revisit the lesson-teaching from second quarter (teaching 5th graders) and they take a mini-playing test. Also, attending a concert/musical will be required as usual. Students are expected to practice 30 minutes a day to improve their technique and develop further for their integration into the 7/8 Band next year.
BAND 6 – Ms. Leah Abbe Bloem
(Quarter 1)
This quarter, the 6th grade students will review basic rhythms and musical symbols through singing, movement and Orff instrument playing. Along with review, new units for the 6th grade throughout the year will include; musical terms, alto recorder and a history of popular music unit. Sixth graders will also begin preparing for Grandparents and Special Friends Day as well as the Middle School Choir concert in December.
(Quarter 2)
Second quarter, the 6th grade choir discovers the excitement of various musical periods associated with music; Renaissance, Baroque, Classical, Romantic and 20th Century music. Other units include working on the musical elements of harmony, form and style as well as developing a complete understanding of all of the notes on a soprano recorder. We also begin working on choir music for our concert in December.
(Quarter 3)
In third quarter, the 6th graders continue working on signing and developing musical reading skills. They join with the 5th graders to perform at the Middle School Vocal Music Concert in May. Students review chords on Orff instruments and complete a music history unit that they began in second quarter. The 6th graders will also begin learning about the alto recorder and how it is different from the soprano recorder.
(Quarter 4)
In fourth quarter, the 6th graders continue to focus on choral blend and preparation of music for their performance in May. A large part of their quarter grade is based on this performance and preparation. Following the concert, students work on a composition and a popular music unit for which they research a popular song from the ‘50s, ‘60s, ‘70s or ‘80s. Fourth quarter culminates with work on soprano and alto recorders as well as a written composition to be performed by another student in the class.
DRAMA 6 – Ms. Barb Bradley
Sixth grade drama students work on developing original scenes based on their own experiences, including peer relationships, growing up, family issues, and contemporary concerns. These scenes are developed into a one-act play, completely produced by the 6th grade students. They audition for roles, and help decide order and production elements. Our study is directed at theatrical terminology, stage blocking, vocal techniques, improvisation, and characterization. Performances are presented at the end of the semester. Overall focus for the semester includes character development, staging, developing ensemble, and technical production.
ENGLISH 6 – Ms. Mary Rossini
(Quarter 1)
The goal of 6th grade English class is to teach students to read, write, think, speak and listen effectively while learning to use words in a powerful way. The emphasis is on the use and power of words. The literature portion of the curriculum includes guided-student selection of theme-based books from the MPA library, and 6th graders read and analyze The Giver. Picture books and novels read in class are analyzed and serve as models for studying writing. Phonics work begins with the sounds created by various consonant and vowel combinations and moves into a look at the six types of syllables.
(Quarter 2)
Second quarter English moves beyond phonics into the study of the six syllable types, spelling rules, eight parts of speech, and sentence construction. We study the four components of plot and practice writing short stories that incorporate these four parts. The students study and practice their letter writing skills in their Courage Book Report and Letter of Thanks. By analyzing picture book strategies and techniques, the students prepare for writing their children’s book during third quarter. Our literature rotation continues and features novels and a non-fiction book (The Orbis Pictus Award). The Haiku book project combines the students’ knowledge of syllables and the four-part of plot. This book project focuses on “Award Winning Books.”
(Quarter 3)
The literature portion of the third quarter 6th grade English curriculum will include the reading and analysis of picture books, a classic and “own choice” novel reading. Composition includes the writing, illustrating and publishing of a children’s picture book. Parts of speech and sentence diagramming are the skills focus.
(Quarter 4)
Fourth quarter features an all-class reading of The Pushcart War by Jean Merrill. Writing techniques, including writer’s voice, point of view, dialogue, putting characters in motion, using body signals to represent character emotion, and plot development, are incorporated into prose assignments. The students create a book with ideas for summer reading, polish their English mechanics via a program called Mountain Language, and compose a number of formal and informal poems that focus on the “Three Pillars of Poetry.”
FRENCH 6–
(Quarter 1)
Students start Quarter 1 with a review of the units studied last year, including verbs, vocabulary, and grammar points. Themes this quarter include describing yourself and others (physical appearance, age, character traits and nationality), describing your room, talking about possessions, expanding one’s conversational skills, using the verbs avoir, negative articles, and answering questions.
(Quarter 2)
Quarter 2 students in French 6 concentrate on vocabulary related to clothing, preferences, places, asking for help, finding out prices, comparing items, giving advice, indicating approval and introducing opinions. We also study the following verbs in the present tense: mettre, préférer,acheter, payer, -ir verbs and -re verbs. Grammar points will include: demonstrative ce, interrogative quel?, the pronoun on comparisons, imperatives. We also delve into the past with an introduction to the passé composé.
(Quarter 3)
During Quarter 3, students work toward finishing their first-year French textbook. The themes may include clothing and leisure time activities. Vocabulary focuses on activities, sports, cinema, music, etc. Grammar concepts include: the past tense, expressions with avoir, expressions with faire, asking questions in the past tense, irregular past tense verbs, use of quand in a question, and negative constructions. Cultural concepts include topics like holidays, weekend activities, the cinema and music.
(Quarter 4)
During Quarter 4, students focus on finishing up their first year French textbook. Topics may include: food and meals, talking about favorite foods, shopping for food, planning a meal and eating out with friends (how to order food, ask to have things brought over, etc). Grammar points may include: the verbs vouloir, pouvoir and devoir, the partitive article, the pronouns me, te, nous, vous, pronouns with commands, and the verbs prendre, boire, connaître, dire, écrire, as well as pronouns le, la, les, lui, leur. There will be a continued emphasis on reading and writing as well as speaking development.
HEALTH 6 – Mr. Mike Scinto
(Quarter 1)
The emphasis in the first quarter is on Health and Wellness and Personal Health. Students are introduced to the health triangle and learn how total health is a mix of physical, mental/emotional and social well-being. They look at the different influences on individual health and how they can build strong health skills throughout the school year. In Personal Health, the emphasis is on personal hygiene such as keeping teeth healthy, skin and hair care, as well as care of the eyes and ears. Students are introduced to consumer health and are able to identify factors that influence consumer choices. They are able to explain ways to choose health care products wisely.
(Quarter 2)
Students participate in a Physical Activity unit and learn the benefits of regular physical activity. They identify measures of physical fitness, the benefits of different exercises, and participate in a physical activity lab where they will learn about heart rate. In the Mental Health unit, students examine self-concept, influences on self-concept, and ways to build a positive self-concept. Various emotions and healthy ways to express feelings are covered, as well as understanding traits of good character, how character develops and how students can demonstrate good character to others.
(Quarter 3)
In the Alcohol and Dugs unit, students identify how alcohol affects the body and mind, learn why teens use alcohol, and are able to present skills teens can use to help themselves and a friend avoid alcohol. They learn the dangers of illegal drugs and understand the risks of using marijuana, inhalants, stimulants, narcotics and hallucinogens. Students conclude the quarter by studying Character Development in themselves as an individual and how this can positively affect them as well as others.
MATH 6 – Ms. Courtney Nagle and Mr. Tyler
Schoenbauer
(Quarter 1)
The first quarter of the year is used to study and explore decimals and fractions. Students learn specific problem-solving strategies (make a table, working backwards, drawing a picture, etc.) with our MathQuest simulation game. Additionally, students work on their quarterly Techniques of Problem Solving (TOPS) cards and Scholastic Math assignments.
(Quarter 2)
We will continue to work with fractions and then relate it to ratios, percents and probability. During this quarter, students finish their MathQuest simulation and begin their Stock Market Game endeavors. We continue to spend time on TOPS and Scholastic Math.
(Quarter 3)
We begin third quarter with solving for “x” and then quickly move into our unit on integers and rational numbers. Students are tested on comparing and ordering integers, adding and subtracting integers, understanding time, and using these skills to solve problems. Our Stock Market Game is in full swing, while TOPS and Scholastic Math continue to be part of the curriculum. Challenges of the week are an added focus for extra credit and to appeal to those students who would like to do something more difficult.
(Quarter 4)
During fourth quarter students peer teach our geometry unit, research a car with compounded interest and budgeted payments and we end the year with making videos for a cumulative review and final. We finish our last round of TOPS and Scholastic Math.
ORCHESTRA 6 – Ms. Rosa Glade Arnold
In 6th Grade Orchestra, students review skills and music knowledge learned in the first year. This review includes instrument posture, basic rhythms in 2/4, 3/4 and 4/4 time in addition to bowing patterns. Each day, students build on the following items: tone quality, rhythm/bowing, finger patterns, ear training, music reading, music vocabulary, theory and history. Planting seeds for advanced skills continues during the second year. Students perform in January and May. Orchestra students are expected to practice 10-15 minutes, 4-5 days a week.
PHYSICAL EDUCATION 6 –Mr. Mike Scinto and Mr. Dave McGaha
(Quarter 1)
Students participate in many different units such as flag football, soccer, tennis, fitness testing, cross country running and ultimate Frisbee. Appropriate MPA gym clothing for outdoor activities is requested. We continue our daily fitness activities, including jump roping and jogging, circuit training, distance running and sprint work-outs.
(Quarter 2)
The 6th grade Physical Education curriculum includes units in Volleyball, Basketball and Badminton. In each unit, we will include skill instruction, practice, game rules, strategy and progressive game play. We continue our daily fitness activities, including jump roping and jogging, circuit training, distance running and sprint work-outs.
(Quarter 3)
The 6th grade begins the quarter with a unit on Team Handball. Other units may include Tumbling with limited Gymnastics, Floor Hockey, Recreational Games and locomotor games. We continue our rotating fitness work to begin each class period.
(Quarter 4)
Middle School Physical Education for fourth quarter includes the following units (not necessarily in the following order): Obstacle Course, Fitness Testing, Softball and outdoor fitness games. The Middle School track meet in May is a highlight.
SCIENCE 6 – Mr. Bill Madigan and Mr. Mitch Thomsen
(Quarter 1)
We begin the year by studying insects. We use this unit to introduce classification and taxonomy along with learning to be skilled observers. We do two activities outside in the rain water gardens, and each student completes a “Create a Bug” project where they use their imagination along with their knowledge to tell the story of an insect of their own design. Insect pests and beneficial insects along with unique species to our area are also studied.
(Quarter 2)
We begin this quarter with a unit on machines and mechanical advantage. We use this unit to introduce experimental design and the importance of accurate, precise measurements. The construction of proper graphs and interpolation and extrapolation of graphed data is emphasized. We do several investigations on simple machines including inclined planes, levers, catapults and pulleys. We do an investigation on tools around the home so the student can see the connection between the six simple tools and the normal tools they see every day.
(Quarter 3)
We begin this quarter with a unit on forces and energy. We do several investigations exploring force including rubber band stretch, high bounce balls, hot rods, and how high can your throw. Accurate measurement and graphing are emphasized again along with analyzing data and making inferences. Proper conclusion writing is taught and students are given a chance to use their skills and imagination in the design and construction of a balloon car. The balloon car contest also draws on the students’ knowledge of the mechanical advantage and machine concepts they learned during the second quarter.
(Quarter 4)
This quarter begins with a look at matter and chemistry. Several investigations are done involving physical properties of matter including temperature, solubility, crystal shape, and magnetism. Once again accurate measurement and graphing are emphasized along with lab safety and being a good partner. As the weather improves we begin our exploration of the rainwater gardens in our ecology unit. In this unit we make heavy use of the large rainwater pond area located near the school. Several activities are done including plant and bird identification, blue bird nest box work, native plant study, and planting and history of the area and its importance in the ecology of Lake Phalen. We also study the water quality of the three ponds in the area.
SPANISH 6A – Ms. Ginna Schultz
(Quarter 1)
In the first quarter, we cover the “capítulo puente” and chapter seven in the En Camino textbook. We begin with greetings, describing oneself, what one does, talking about how often one participates in activities, and talking about one’s family. Specific grammar topics include the verbs ser/estar, tener, hay, regular -ar, -er, and -ir verbs in present tense, as well as telling time, adjectives, and weather expressions. In chapter seven, students practice talking on the telephone, extending and accepting invitations, making plans, talking about getting ready and turning down an invitation with an explanation. Chapter seven grammar topics are e to ie stem-changing verbs, pensar + infinitive, ir a + infinitive, reflexive verbs and expressions with tener. Students learn to express plans and talk about their daily routines. We use games, songs, dialogues, and stories to practice listening, speaking, reading, and writing in the target language.
(Quarter 2)
This quarter, we work on food and restaurant vocabulary as well as numbers. The grammar concepts include stem-changing verbs, encantar, otro, using ser and estar to talk about food and indirect object pronouns. Students learn to order in a restaurant and to talk about food. They write and act out original restaurant skits in pairs. Students learn about Latin American and Spanish cuisine as part of the restaurant project. Each group is assigned a country and designs a restaurant using this theme. After researching their assigned countries, students write a menu, including descriptions in Spanish of the dishes, and they decide what music and décor to have in their restaurants. We continue to emphasize the four skills of listening, reading, writing and speaking.
(Quarter 3)
This quarter, we cover chapters nine and 10 in our textbook En Camino. Vocabulary includes clothing, shopping phrases, celebrations and asking for help. Students learn to ask for and give directions in a city, to comment on clothes, to make comparisons, and to express preferences. Grammar structures incorporate indirect object pronouns, demonstrative adjectives (this/that), informal commands, preterite tense of -ar verbs, direct object pronouns and the present progressive. As in quarters one and two, we use music in Spanish to learn new words and to work on our pronunciation. Evaluation continues to be based on written work, homework, quizzes and tests. Students have the opportunity to learn about our Amity Scholar’s country and also to improve listening comprehension and speaking skills while the Amity Scholar from Spain works with our class.
(Quarter 4)
This quarter, we cover chapters 11 and 12 in the En Camino textbook. Vocabulary content includes sports/exercise, body parts, health and vacation. Students learn more stem-changing verbs, ir (to go) in preterite tense, verb phrases using the infinitive and uses of the past tense. We continue to emphasize speaking the language in class and continue to learn about culture through activities with our Amity Scholar. Students also make commercials in Spanish using the iMovie program. They are required to use both grammar and vocabulary from this year in their commercials. Students edit their commercials after filming in the computer lab using the iMovie program. Evaluations for the quarter are based on written and listening tests, quizzes, homework, and participation.
SPANISH 6B – Sra. Kari Kunze
(Quarter 1)
Students learn using the En Camino textbook in the ¡Ven conmigo! series. The first unit is a review of the vocabulary learned in past years (alphabet, numbers, days, seasons, months, weather, household verbs, etc). We spend the entire quarter reviewing last year’s main points and vocabulary. Games, songs, dialogues, and authentic materials (newspapers and magazines), are used to practice listening, speaking, reading, and writing in the target language.
(Quarter 2)
We start this quarter continuing to building vocabulary and reviewing the basics. We launch into chapter seven. Topics include talking on the phone in Spanish, making plans and talking about getting ready. Grammar topics are stem changing verbs, pensar + infinitive and ir + a + infinitive and expressions with the verb tener. The cultural focus is on Ecuador.
(Quarter 3)
This quarter, students continue working in their En Camino textbook and workbooks. Topics include food, ordering in a restaurant, clothes, clothing materials, and bargaining words and expressions. Grammatically, we continue to work on conjugating present tense stem-changing verbs (shoe verbs), making comparison, demonstrative adjectives, other uses of indirect object pronouns, and the present progressive. As well, we do a project on Picasso, making a timeline of his life and the periods of his art: Blue Period, Rose Period, Cubist Period, the Guernica, and his Neo-Classical Period. Evaluation is based on written, listening and speaking tests, homework, quizzes and participation.
(Quarter 4)
This quarter, students continue working in their ¡En Camino! textbook and workbook. Topics include clothing, parties, health, body parts, and tourism. Grammatically, students learn how to form affirmative tú commands, preterite, present progressive, direct object pronouns, and the differences between ser and estar. Evaluations continue to be based on written, listening and speaking tests, homework, quizzes and listening and speaking participation. At the end of the quarter, students take a placement exam for next year to see if they should continue on to Spanish II or repeat Spanish I. Class placement should not be viewed as a reward or a punishment, but rather as the chance to appropriately place students for ultimate success in Spanish.
Grade 7
7/8 BAND - Ms. Renee Wantock
(Quarter 1)
The 7th and 8th grade concert band rehearses a variety of types of music, including classical overtures, contemporary music, slow, melodic pieces, movie music and programmatic “story-telling” music (all focusing on the theme for our January concert). The students spend a lot of time working to form a cohesive ensemble. We also focus on ways to sight-read and how to count more effectively. A few assignments and quizzes are given along the way. All 7th and 8th grade band students are required to attend semi-private lessons on a weekly basis. Students are released from classes to do this, but only on a rotation basis so that no one class or student is adversely affected. Make-up lessons are possible, but difficult to schedule. 7/8 Band students must complete a concert requirement, a music narrative or teach a younger student’s lesson this quarter.
(Quarter 2)
During the second quarter, the 7/8 Band continues to prepare for their first concert at the end of January. The music is challenging, and diligence at mastering the music is necessary for every member of the group.
Attendance at lessons, improvement and effort, good behavior, attendance at a concert or the music narrative, or teaching a younger student (depending on what they did not do first quarter), assignments and written/playing quizzes are considered during the grading process. There are two band music playing tests for which students must perform our concert music at a high musical level. Students are encouraged to practice diligently at home; rehearsal time is spent on musical issues and building a cohesive ensemble.
(Quarter 3)
As we move into the second half of the year, small group lessons continue to be an emphasis. Students are required to attend a concert/musical sometime during the quarter, write a music narrative or teach a younger student’s lesson (depending on what they haven’t done yet). They continue to put forth their greatest musical efforts as we move into the second set of concert music.
(Quarter 4)
The fourth quarter has a different focus from the previous quarters. There are no theory/composition assignments, but rather the students write a short paper discussing an important musical topic. They choose from 1.) a paper discussing their experience in band this year; 2.) a paper discussing music’s value in society, or 3.) the 8th grader option of comparing their 7th and 8th grade experiences in band. Our main focus is on working towards our final concert of the year at the beginning of May. We are working on a variety of music (from slow and lyrical to classic band literature to the concert march). Practice is essential in the quarter ahead; the music is challenging, as always.
7/8 GIRLS CHOIR - Ms. Leah Abbe Bloem
(Quarter 1)
The first quarter focuses on foundational elements for singing in a choir: 1.) Vocal production/techniques, 2.) Listening to oneself and the group, 3.) Vocal confidence and active participation, 4.) Score reading, 5.) Sight-singing, 6.) Introduction to repertoire for our December concert.
(Quarter 2)
The choir members continue working on music literacy and sight-singing skills through study of rhythms, solfege, and score identification. Attention is given to further development of choral blend, formation of vowels, breath control and musicality through the study of a variety of age appropriate vocal exercises. The choir is memorizing and fine tuning the repertoire they are preparing for the first Middle School Vocal MPA concert of the year in December.
(Quarter 3)
Members of the 7/8 girls choir begin preparing music for the May concert. The concert features all Middle School choirs and select ensembles. During the third quarter, students continue to focus on building sight-singing skills, producing a lovely tone and on choral blend. A singing and written exam is given to evaluate their knowledge at the end of the quarter.
(Quarter 4)
During the fourth quarter, students continue to focus on building sight-singing skills, producing a lovely tone and on choral blend. A large part of their quarter grade is based on our May concert performance and preparation. Following the concert, students work on an evaluation of themselves and their singing throughout the past year as well as continue reading through different choral literature.
7/8 BOYS CHOIR - Ms. Leah Abbe Bloem
(Quarter 1)
This first quarter focuses on foundational elements for singing in a choir: 1.) How to produce a singing sound even through the voice change, 2.) How to have confidence as a singer, 3.) How to read a musical score, 4.) How to sight-sing (read intervals and rhythms), 5.) How to listen for pitch-matching, blend and harmony, 6.) Introduction to repertoire for our December concert.
(Quarter 2)
The choir members continue working on music literacy and sight-singing skills through study of rhythms, solfege, and score identification. Attention is given to further development of choral blend, formation of vowels, breath control and musicality through the study of a variety of age appropriate vocal exercises. The choir is memorizing and fine tuning the repertoire they are preparing for the first Middle School Vocal MPA concert of the year in December.
(Quarter 3)
Members of the 7/8 boys choir begin preparing music for our May concert. The concert features all Middle School choirs and select ensembles. During the third quarter, students focus on building music reading skills, part singing and choral blend. A singing and written exam is given to evaluate their knowledge at the end of the quarter.
(Quarter 4)
During the fourth quarter, students continue to focus on building sight-singing skills, producing a lovely tone and on choral blend. A large part of their quarter grade is based on our May concert performance and preparation. Following the concert the students work on an evaluation of themselves and their singing throughout the past year as well as continue reading through different choral literature.
7/8 ORCHESTRA – Ms. Rosa Glade Arnold
In 7/8 Orchestra, students learn how to play eight Major scales and the relative melodic minor scales while focusing on tone quality, intonation, finger patterns and bowing patterns. The students work on accurate intonation, rhythm, bowings, phrasing, bow speed, bow pressure, and bow position. Students begin to develop more advanced skills such as vibrato, shifting and finger independence. As an orchestra, we learn to identify the stylistic needs of the orchestra literature we are studying in class. Students have performances in January and May. All orchestra students are expected to practice 15-20 minutes, 4-5 days a week.
ART 7 - Ms. Lisa Buck
The focus of all of our work in Middle School Art is always student growth. Through hands-on experience and demonstration in technique and applied concepts, students learn art language, gain confidence in their skills and, we hope, find joy in creating.
Seventh grade artists begin the semester using the artist's favorite element: LINE. We warm up our skills with exploring expressive lines in observational drawing. With the simple, lovely pear (tomato, pepper or other garden delight) as our subject, we explore continuous line, gestural line, and contour line drawings, ending with adding values through shading to express form in three dimensions. The last in our series of drawings includes using ink and watercolor wash to create lovely ripe forms.
Moving into a more complex drawing, students work with view finders (windows) to select a composition from a lighted still life. Through keen observation the students draw the objects, and then add dramatic values using black charcoal and white pastels.
Drawing and painting continues by turning our understanding of values into a jumbo painting of pumpkins (or other seasonal round objects). Working with tempra cakes, the students use large brush strokes and mixing of color to create the volume, lines and values of the round form.
Honing their use of the paint brush the 7th grade students move into doing a series of simple line/brush stroke paintings of trees. These pieces teach control of the brush and produce lovely results.
Working on old wooden boards or other “found” wood, the students learn to paint using acrylic paint with their favorite bird species as their subject matter. They learn to mix color skillfully, create details, values and realism.
Second semester moves us into the ceramics studio where the students learn to construct with slabs, creating open forms that use texture on the surface and coils to finish the lip. They do all of the designing and building, then the work is glazed. The garden will be our theme of expression from dirt to sky is the limit.
Seventh grade artists learn the process of relief printmaking as they create their own original designs inspired by nature. The concepts of texture, symmetrical, asymmetrical, and radial balance as well as the idea of balancing positive and negative space are incorporated in this piece. Students produce a series of prints, both black and white and colored.
As spring warms, we move outside for watercolor painting in the prairie by the pond and found object sculptures to enhance our outdoor spaces.
After all the hard work subsides, we gather in the Middle School Commons at the end of each semester for our culminating art exhibition. A “cocoa and art” for our winter months or “lemonade and art” for the springtime. This allows us to celebrate the successes of all our young artists and for them to share their pride of creating.
ENGLISH 7 – Ms. Anne Atchison
(Quarter 1)
Seventh grade English class is based on the 12 gifts found in Jim Stovall’s The Ultimate Gift. First quarter, the gifts of work and money provide the basis for both literature and composition. The literature portion of the curriculum includes short stories, articles, poetry, and an all-class reading of The Outsiders by S. E. Hinton. Fiction literature is read for character, plot, and theme analysis and serves as models for studying written artistry and clarity. Independent reading is assessed throughout the year, and students are expected to read for pleasure at least two hours most weeks beyond their other homework requirements. Writing assignments consist of personal essays, a character analysis, narratives, memoirs, word play, and poetry. Grammar and usage practice include a review of parts-of-speech, sentence construction, and essay writing. Speaking skills are highlighted.
(Quarter 2)
NaNoWriMo (National November Writing Month) begins the quarter and finds students composing a short novel. The literature portion of second quarter English class consists of poetry and short stories (featuring Daniel Keyes’s Flowers for Algernon), and conclude with an all-class reading of The House of the Scorpion by Nancy Farmer. Writing assignments, including the short novel, poetry and expository writing, stress clarity and artistry. Independent reading requires monthly accountability checks in the form of an oral, written and visual project. Grammar instruction focus on sentence diagramming through the complex sentence and emphasize the elimination of the comma splice. Our themes through Stovall’s The Ultimate Gift will cover the gifts of friends, learning, problems and family.
(Quarter 3)
The literature portion of third quarter English class concludes an all-class reading of The House of the Scorpion and ends with Maus by Art Spiegelman. Speaking is emphasized and includes a public service monologue where 7th graders assume the role of a famous character to teach a younger audience about a social issue. The Ultimate Gift continues to provide the scaffolding for our studies; this quarter we cover the gifts of laughter, dreams, giving and gratitude. Independent reading requires regular accountability checks in the form of an oral, written and visual project. We also begin our intense vocabulary study with Building Vocabulary for College (BVC).
(Quarter 4)
The goal of our 7th grade English class is to teach students to communicate with clarity, artistry and substance. In the fourth quarter, Building Vocabulary for College (BVC) Units 5-12 and grammar work continue. Independent reading requires regular accountability checks in the form of an oral, written and visual project. A variety of literature forms are read and analyzed, and we complete our in-class reading of Stovall’s The Ultimate Gift with the finals gifts of a day and love before students write their personal philosophies in “This I Believe” position papers. A compare and contrast essay will be written, and word play, letter writing, and creative writing will be part of our last quarter together.
FRENCH 7 – Mr. Joel Swanson
(Quarter 1)
This quarter, we focus on expressing oneself on familiar topics: self, places and things, friends, talking about self and others, describing plans, weekend plans, and narrating past weekend activities. Grammatical concepts that will be reviewed or introduced include conjugating regular and irregular verbs in the present tense, conjugating verbs in the passé composé (être and avoir helping verbs), regular and irregular adjectives - formation and placement, expressions with avoir, faire, aller, and venir. Cultural concepts include free time activities, meals, French speaking countries, and current events. This class continues to focus on all four modalities; reading, writing, speaking and listening comprehension.
(Quarter 2)
This quarter, students continue working with the Discovering French Blanc book. We cover units 1 and 2 this quarter, focusing on descriptions of ourselves and our families, expressions with être, irregular adjectives, c’est vs il/elle est, expressions with faire, uses of the verbs aller and venir, and the passé composé. Students continue to work on their reading and writing skills completing reading comprehension exercises and writing short essays in their composition notebooks. We continue exploring French and Francophone culture with Judith, our Amity Scholar from France.
(Quarter 3)
This quarter, we focus on expressing oneself on familiar topics: self, places and things, weekend plans, and narrating past weekend activities, and the city of Paris. Grammatical concepts that will be reviewed or introduced include conjugating regular and irregular verbs in the present tense, conjugating verbs in the passé composé (être and avoir helping verbs), regular and irregular adjectives, the expression il y a, expressing time, and others. Cultural concepts include weekend activities, the city of Paris, French speaking countries, and current events. This class continues to focus on all four modalities; reading, writing, speaking and listening comprehension.
(Quarter 4)
During Fourth quarter, students explore meals and food shopping. They study the necessary vocabulary to talk about where to eat, how to set a table, meals, ordering in a café, etc. They discuss preferences. In this unit, students study the verb boire, préférer, vouloir, acheter, payer, devoir and pouvoir, as well as the quantity with de, the adjective tout, and the expression il faut. We finish up the quarter with lessons on free time and entertainment, studying vocabulary and expressions pertaining to this topic. Students also study object pronouns and continue to work on the passé composé.
HONORS ALGEBRA 7 – Mr. Daniel Ethier
(Quarter 1)
We begin our study of algebra with variables, properties, equations, and word problems. We continue with exponents, polynomials, and factoring. We do some mathematical magic tricks and use our new mathematical tools to prove that each magic trick always works.
(Quarter 2)
During second quarter, we continue factoring polynomials, work with more word problems, and revisit fractions, ratios, and proportions, extending them to include algebraic expressions.
(Quarter 3)
This quarter, we work with graphing, linear equations, functions, and systems of equations.
(Quarter 4)
We begin fourth quarter by covering inequalities, including those involving absolute values. We continue with rational and irrational numbers, including solving equations with radicals. We finish the year with a little work with quadratic equations, including the quadratic formula.
PHYSICAL EDUCATION 7 – Mr. Dave McGaha and Ms. Sue Samuelson
(Quarter 1)
Seventh graders participate in the following units during first quarter: archery, tennis, flag football, soccer/speedball, fitness testing, and cross-country running.
(Quarter 2)
The 7th and 8th grade students cover the team sports of volleyball and basketball. They also participate in the individual and dual sport of badminton. Students have an opportunity to use the weight room for weight training. We continue our daily fitness activities that include jump roping and jogging, circuit training, distance running and sprint work-outs.
(Quarter 3)
The 7th grade begins the quarter with units in floor hockey and team handball. From there, we have four mini units, including team handball, weight training, wrestling, and step aerobics. For those units, we separate the students by gender, if possible. The students experience Recreational games throughout the quarter. We continue our daily fitness activities that include jump roping and jogging, circuit training, distance running and sprint work-outs.
(Quarter 4)
During fourth quarter, students participate in track and field, softball, bowling, outdoor games, obstacle course and pickle ball. A highlight is the Middle School track meet in May.
PRE-ALGEBRA 7 – Mr. Dan Ethier
(Quarter 1)
In first quarter, students explore patterns, investigate algebra, work with integers, and explore the language of algebra. An emphasis is placed on organizing work and using proper mathematical language.
(Quarter 2)
During this quarter, students continue to work with operations involving positive and negative numbers. They explore solving equations, revisit the distributive property, and explore number theory as it pertains to rational numbers.
(Quarter 3)
In third quarter, students learn how to perform operations involving fractions. By using real-life situations and applications, they reinforce arithmetic procedures involving fractions, decimals and percents. Additionally, students learn how to set up and solve a proportion, a particularly useful mathematical tool for solving problems encountered in many real-life situations.
(Quarter 4)
During fourth quarter, we tackle three separate units on geometry. Chapter 10 involves rays, lines and angles. Complimentary, supplementary and vertical angles are just the beginning in this chapter. The ability to compare figures and the knowledge of ratios ensures success in chapter 11. We continue our study of geometry by exploring surface area and volume of various solids, and finish the year by introducing linear relationships and their graphs.
SEMINAR GRADE 7 – Ms. Bev Docherty, Ms. Sue Samuelson, Ms. Marina Dale, and Mr. Bill Madigan
(Quarter 1)
Study skills and social skills are the focus of 7th grade seminar. Study skills include homework management, assignment notebook use, binder and locker organization, test-taking strategies, and MPA Web site navigation. Mr. Reimers makes a guest appearance to discuss our code of ethics, and Ms. Osman, our 7-12 learning specialist, teaches students about pre-reading skills and strategies. Owning Up, a curriculum emphasizing the need for students to “own up” by taking responsibility for and control of the decisions they make in life is the base of our social skills curriculum. First quarter topics include:
Identifying and discussing behaviors and attitudes associated with groups, popularity, trust, exclusion and bullying;
Understanding anger and how it can influence behavior; and
Conflict management skills via the SEAL strategy.
(Quarter 2)
The focus for this quarter is using technology in a variety of ways in classroom activities that complement their English and social studies courses. Additionally, students learn about different forms of digital media and how they are used to convey a message through activities related to copyright, plagiarism and visual representation.
(Quarter 3)
Our study skills focus third quarter includes non-fiction reading skills, test preparation, and managing homework. Owning Up objectives include:
Developing a plan of action when a friend or group demeans them or someone else;
Recognizing the influence of popular culture on individuals’ behavior and decision making;
Examining how a boy’s or girl’s self-image affects behavior and attitudes towards others; and
Defining cyberbullying, understanding its impact, and brainstorming solutions.
(Quarter 4)
In this quarter, students complete technology projects, including an animation project using Scratch, that are related to their English and social studies course work. We also continue to build skills required to evaluate digital media.
SCIENCE 7 - Mr. Jim Schwieger
(Quarter 1)
The topics for the quarter are: 1.) Classification – Animals and Pants, 2.) Beginning Microscope 101, and 3.) Bacteria. Students engage in activities and projects, including: 1.) Preserved Animal Observations, 2.) Microscope Viewing of Plant and Animal Cells, 3.) Pond Life Study, 4.) Using the Microscope as a Measuring Tool, 5.) School and Home Bacteria Collecting.
(Quarter 2)
The topics for the quarter are: 1.) Bacteria and Viruses, 2.) Mealworms and Other Simple Animals, 3.) Experimental Design. Students engage in activities and projects, including: 1.) Life of Louis Pasture, 2.) Disease Research and Oral Reports, 3.) Create Mealworm Experiments, 4.) Design All Equipment Needed for Mealworm Work, 5.) Oral Presentations of Mealworm Findings, 6.) Mealworm Races, 7.) Preserved Animal Observations.
(Quarter 3)
Topics for the quarter are: 1.) Human Behavior, 2.) Changes Over Time of Life on Earth, 3.) Environmental Conditions and Life Adaptations, 4.) Frogs Behavior versus Human Behavior. Students engage in activities and projects, including: 1.) Various Students Behavior Activities, 2.) Rat Island Project – How Environmental Conditions Might Effect Life, 3.) Research Into Darwin and the Voyage of the HMS Beagle, 4.) Live Frog Behavior Versus Student Behavior.
(Quarter 4)
Topics for the quarter are: 1.) Human Skeletal System, 2.) Human Muscular System, 3.) Human Circulatory System, 4.) Ecology. Students engage in activities and projects, including: 1.) Bone Dissection, 2.) CSI Bone Investigation, 3.) Muscle Dissection, 4.) Muscle Strength Improvement Project, 5.) Local Pond Study, 6.) Balance of Nature Games.
SPANISH 7C/8C – Srta. Kathleen Sheridan
(Quarter 1)
Students are learning by using the ¡Ven conmigo! textbook and the grammar and vocabulary workbook of the same series. We begin the year with an introduction to common classroom expressions, the alphabet, numbers, colors, days and months. Once we move to the actual textbook chapters, students learn vocabulary such as greetings, sports and hobbies, school supplies, household words, descriptive adjectives for physical appearance, and school subjects. Grammatically, students learn to use verb phrases, to conjugate verbs in the present tense and to form questions. Students learn through games, songs, dialogues, and authentic materials (books and magazines). Listening, speaking, reading, and writing in the target language are equally stressed.
(Quarter 2)
This quarter, the vocabulary is centered on school, daily life and free time. Students learn how to conjugate regular -ar verbs, how to tell the time and date, how to describe people and things, and talk about places in a city. We continue to emphasize the four skills of listening, reading, speaking and writing. Culturally, we learn about Mexico, the Days of the Dead, and holiday customs in Spanish-speaking countries.
(Quarter 3)
This quarter, students begin to communicate even more in Spanish as they learn to conjugate verbs. We cover regular -ar, -er and -ir verb conjugations. We also work with the verb estar – another ‘to be’ verb – that is used with locations, emotions and conditions. Vocabulary focus is on verbs that reflect activities, places in a city, interrogatives, frequency words, weather and seasons. Student evaluation continues to be based on written work, oral work, homework, quizzes and tests, and participation. Also this quarter, students interact with our Amity Scholar from Spain.
(Quarter 4)
This quarter in Spanish 7, the students continue building grammar and conversation skills. Vocabulary topics include family and food. Students learn grammar topics of irregular verbs, stem changing verbs and possessive adjectives. We focus on verbal skills. Evaluations for the quarter are based on written and listening tests, quizzes, homework, and participation.
SPANISH 7A – Srta. Marisue Gleason
(Quarter 1)
We begin Spanish 7A with a review of how to introduce yourself and others, how to describe people, and present tense of regular verbs. In this quarter, students learn expressions to ask for and give opinions/advice, make comparisons, make plans, talk about staying fit and healthy, give commands, and give explanations. Specific grammar topics include ser/estar, conocer/saber, preterite of regular and stem-changing verbs, informal commands and reflexive verbs which express emotions. We will use games, stories, songs, skits, and the textbook. Daily, we practice listening, speaking, reading, and writing in the target language.
(Quarter 2)
In the second quarter of Spanish 7A, we work on expressions for suggestions, the difference between ser/estar, better than/worse than, irregular preterite verbs and an introduction to the imperfect. Evaluations are based on oral participation, skits, tests and quizzes, as well as debates.
(Quarter 3)
In third quarter Spanish 7A, we learn vocabulary that pertains to entertainment and games, as well as travel and telling stories about your life. The cultural focus is on Hispanics in Texas as well as Puerto Rico. Our grammatical focus is the preterite tense as well as an introduction to the imperfect, another past tense. Evaluation is based on written, listening and speaking tests, homework, quizzes and participation.
(Quarter 4)
In fourth quarter Spanish 7A, we learn vocabulary that pertains to entertainment and games. We work with the perterite and imperfect tenses together (the two past tenses in Spanish) to write a fairy tale. We move on to commands and spend the final portion of the quarter reviewing the year. At the end of the quarter students take an exam over the major units of studies this year to make sure that they are ready for 8A. This exam will not count towards their class grade.
Grade 8
7/8 BOYS CHOIR - Ms. Leah Abbe Bloem
(Quarter 1)
This first quarter focuses on foundational elements for singing in a choir: 1.) How to produce a singing sound even through the voice change. 2.) How to have confidence as a singer. 3.) How to read a musical score. 4.) How to sight-sing (read intervals and rhythms). 5.) How to listen for pitch-matching, blend and harmony. 6.) Introduction to repertoire for our December concert.
(Quarter 2)
The choir members continue working on music literacy and sight-singing skills through study of rhythms, solfege, and score identification. Attention is given to further development of choral blend, formation of vowels, breath control and musicality through the study of a variety of age appropriate vocal exercises. The choir memorizes and fine tunes the repertoire they are preparing for the first Middle School Vocal MPA concert of the year in December.
(Quarter 3)
Members of the 7/8 boys choir begin preparing music for our May concert. The concert features all Middle School choirs and select ensembles. During the third quarter, students focus on building music reading skills, part singing and choral blend. A singing and written exam is used to evaluate their knowledge at the end of the quarter.
(Quarter 4)
During the fourth quarter, students continue to focus on building sight-singing skills, producing a lovely tone and on choral blend. A large part of their quarter grade is based on our May concert performance and preparation. Following the concert the students work on an evaluation of themselves and their singing throughout the past year as well as continue reading through different choral literature.
7/8 GIRLS CHOIR - Ms. Leah Abbe Bloem
(Quarter 1)
This first quarter focuses on foundational elements for singing in a choir: 1.) Vocal production/techniques. 2.) Listening to oneself and the group. 3.) Vocal confidence and active participation. 4.) Score reading. 5.) Sight-singing. 6.) Introduction to repertoire for our December concert.
(Quarter 2)
The choir members continue working on music literacy and sight-singing skills through study of rhythms, solfege, and score identification. Attention is given to further development of choral blend, formation of vowels, breath control and musicality through the study of a variety of age appropriate vocal exercises. The choir memorizes and fine tunes the repertoire they are preparing for the first Middle School Vocal MPA concert of the year in December.
(Quarter 3)
Members of the 7/8 girls choir begin preparing music for the May concert. The concert features all Middle School choirs and select ensembles. During the third quarter, students continue to focus on building sight-singing skills, producing a lovely tone and on choral blend. A singing and written exam is used to evaluate their knowledge at the end of the quarter.
(Quarter 4)
During the fourth quarter, students continue to focus on building sight-singing skills, producing a lovely tone and on choral blend. A large part of their quarter grade is based on our May concert performance and preparation. Following the concert, the students work on an evaluation of themselves and their singing throughout the past year as well as continue reading through different choral literature.
7/8 ORCHESTRA – Ms. Rosa Glade Arnold
In 7/8 Orchestra, students learn how to play eight major scales and the relative melodic minor scales while focusing on tone quality, intonation, finger patterns and bowing patterns. The students work on accurate intonation, rhythm, bowings, phrasing, bow speed, bow pressure, and bow position. Students begin to develop more advanced skills such as vibrato, shifting and finger independence. As an orchestra, we learn to identify the stylistic needs of the orchestra literature we are studying in class. Students have performances in January and May. All orchestra students are expected to practice 15-20 minutes, 4-5 days a week.
ALGEBRA 8 – Ms. Michelle Maturen and Mr. Marc Shapiro
(Quarter 1)
During first quarter, we review order of operations, signed numbers, and fractions. We work with the distributive property and combining like terms. Throughout the year, we emphasize problem solving, showing work clearly and completely, and explaining how solutions were arrived at.
(Quarter 2)
This quarter is spent on linear equations: solving, graphing, and writing them.
(Quarter 3)
Third quarter, students continue work on writing and graphing equations using slope intercept form, solve and graph linear inequalities, and work with systems of equations and inequalities.
(Quarter 4)
During fourth quarter, we work on exponential equations, polynomials and using quadratics. We continue to review the year’s material and culminate the year with a final comprehensive exam.
DRAMA 8 - Ms. Barb Bradley
(Quarter 1/3)
Both sections of 8th grade drama focus their efforts on the study of pantomime and classical mime. We concentrate on focus, placement, control and development of pantomime and mime for performance. All groups also organize scenes, design lights and sound, and act as production staff for each of their shows. These classes perform for each other at the end of the quarter.
(Quarter 2/4)
Both sections of 8th grade drama have finished their work on the study of pantomime and classical mime. They have concentrated on focus, placement, control and development of pantomime and mime for performance. All groups have also organized scenes, designed lights and sound, and acted as production staff for each of their shows. These classes performed for each other at the end of last quarter. During this quarter, both groups begin work on a one-act play, concentrating on character development, stage direction, building an ensemble, and organizing the technical elements of each production. They present their work at the end of the quarter.
ENGLISH 8 - Ms. Mary Rossini
(Quarter 1)
We begin the year with the Quote Project in which each student creates a mobile that illustrates a meaningful quote, writes a short personal narrative, and then shares his/her findings in an oral presentation. The literature portion of this quarter is an all-class reading of The Hunger Games, a futuristic novel by Suzanne Collins. We focus on such themes as ethics in the media, loyalty, courage and socio-political power.
Comprehension skills are assessed through short answer quizzes. Students complete study guides incorporating higher level thinking skills and further develop written communication skills through 3-5 paragraph essays.
Two library visits are part of this quarter in order to facilitate the “Outside Reading Program.” Students should be reading for pleasure throughout the quarter and complete two outside book projects. A list of No-Excuse spelling words will be reviewed the first month of school.
Regular grammar skills are incorporated with an emphasis on sentence structure and punctuation usage.
(Quarter 2)
Poetry is the topic this quarter, and students have many opportunities to strengthen their creative writing muscle. We read and listen to poetry written by both students and professional poets, spend some time analyzing and understanding the craft of poetry, and write 18 poems – each focusing on a different “Element of Poetry.” As a final project, students will create a chapbook of their favorite poems that they’ve written this quarter. The outside reading program continues as well as this quarter. At the beginning of each class, the students participate in a “Daily Oral Language” activity. The students view the tape, “Maya Angelou: An Intimate Portrait”
(Quarter 3)
The main focus of third quarter is an in-depth reading of Harper Lee's classic novel, To Kill a Mockingbird. Students examine the social ramifications of the novel, review literary concepts found in the book, and analyze the characters. Special emphasis is on writing essays through this literary analysis. Each day the students answer a question about the reading that challenges him/her to make inferences and use higher level thinking skills. An expository essay will be assigned that focuses on the five paragraph essay and its conventions. At the end of the quarter, a visual project is due and the students are able to view the Academy Award winning film. In addition, students continue their vocabulary units, outside reading program, and Daily Oral Language.
(Quarter 4)
The English classes study a journalism unit in which the students learn how to research, report, write, edit and rewrite stories. They also learn clear and critical thinking methods, computer literacy, teamwork, and research skills. Our final project is a Middle School newspaper.
During the last few weeks of the quarter, students read the novel, Night. In this novel, Author Elie Wiesel recalls his experience as a young Jewish boy in Nazi concentration camps during World War II. The students also watch, “Swing Kids,” a movie that tells the unique story of some teenage boys in Berlin who rebel against the Nazi regime by listening to American jazz music. As in the To Kill a Mockingbird unit, daily comprehension quizzes are administered. The final exam focuses again on literary analysis and the five paragraph essay. Vocabulary study continues from earlier quarters with weekly homework and quizzes. The students complete a book project this quarter.
FRENCH 8A – Mme. Evelyn Johnson
(Quarter 1)
This quarter, students cover the themes in Unit 4. Students focus on planning one’s free time, describing people and places they know, asking for assistance, describing services of others, writing letters to friends, reading text in context. Verbs include, connaître, savoir, écrire, lire and dire. Tenses include present and past, with an emphasis on the passé composé formation and uses. Grammar concepts include object pronouns and double object pronouns in the present and past tenses.
(Quarter 2)
Students in French 8A continue in their textbook Discovering French Blanc. This quarter, students discuss sports and house and home. Themes include: adverbs of frequency, body parts, health, describing the daily routine, giving other's advice and asking about tomorrows plans. Grammar points also include: the verb courir, the expression faire fu, the pronouns en and y, expressions avoir mal à, definite articles with parts of the body, reflexive verbs in the present tense, imperative and infinitive constructions. Verb tenses include the present, passé composé and imparfait.
(Quarter 3)
Students work on Unit 6 this quarter. The general themes are being at home and what that means to the French. Students learn how to tell where they live, describe their house, its rooms, and its furnishings. They also focus on saying what they were doing at a certain time in the past, describe the background of a past action, and talk about what they used to do on a regular basis. Grammar concepts will include: the verb vivre, a review of the passé composé, relative pronouns qui and que, the formation of the imperfect tense and uses. Cultural concepts include: at home in France, WC, French castles, schooling in the past. Students continue to have a weekly lesson on French culture presented by our Amity Scholar from France.
(Quarter 4)
This quarter, students focus on Unit 7 in the Discovering French Nouveau Blanc textbook series. Topics include: talking about clothes, shopping for clothes, comparing people and things, and talking about how things are done. Grammar themes include: ordinal numbers, comparisons with adjectives, superlative constructions, pronouns lequel and celui, adverbs ending in -ment and comparisons with adverbs. We wrap up the quarter with the future and conditional tenses. There is continued emphasis on reading, writing and speaking skill development. Students continue to have a weekly lesson on French culture presented by our Amity Scholar from France.
HEALTH 8 - Ms. Bev Docherty
(Quarter 1)
Eighth grade health class begins with understanding health and wellness. The 10 building blocks that lay the foundation for health are covered; with a unit on electronic aggression and analyzing media and other influences. Throughout the quarter, we use the Top 20 Teens curriculum, which is designed to aid students in discovering strategies for thinking, learning, and communicating with success. Goal-setting, self-esteem, self-acceptance, decision-making and stress management are points of focus, also part of the 10 building blocks. Physical activity and fitness are addressed, followed by a unit on nutrition; identifying nutrients, reading food labels and making healthy choices.
(Quarter 2)
Second quarter 8th grade Health begins with a unit on nutrition. The students use several online sources to learn about the health food pyramid, their personal nutrient requirements, and whether or not any fast food restaurants allow them to meet or exceed their requirements. The basic nutrients are studied, including vitamins and minerals, culminating in a “nutrition quiz bowl”. Our mental health unit follows, focusing on eating disorders and depression. Many communicable and non-communicable diseases are then covered, including more extensive research into various types of cancer. Both an individual research project and a group presentation conclude this unit. Second quarter finishes up with a unit on alcohol and drugs, covering basic facts as well as the risk taking and decision making processes that will occur in students’ lives.
HONORS GEOMETRY 8 – Mr. Dan Ethier
(Quarter 1)
We begin our study of Geometry with definitions and postulates, begin to look at deductive reasoning, and then move on to work with parallel lines and planes.
(Quarter 2)
During second quarter, we work with quadrilaterals. We consider the properties of trapezoids and parallelograms, and how to prove that a quadrilateral is a parallelogram. We also make our first of several detours into coordinate geometry, that wonderful land where algebra and geometry mingle.
(Quarter 3)
This quarter we review ratios and proportions as we begin working with similar figures. We also work with right triangles, with an introduction to trigonometry. We study transformations and apply those to create tessellations.
(Quarter 4)
We start fourth quarter working with circles, proving some interesting and unexpected theorems along the way. We finish up the year working with area and volume.
SCIENCE 8 - Mr. James Schwieger
(Quarter 1)
Topics for the quarter are: 1.) Human Digestion System, 2.) Earth History, 3.) Dinosaurs and Other Prehistoric Monsters. Students engage in activities and projects, including 1.) 3-D Digestion Poster Project, 2.) Digestion Project Oral Presentation, 3.) Chemical Food Nutrient Testing, 4.) Start the Novel “Fire Hunter”, 5.) Life Size Dinosaur Construction Project..
(Quarter 2)
Topics for the quarter are: 1.) Fossils , 2.) Early Humans and Human Ancestors, 3.) Chimp Human Similarities/Differences, 4.) Earth Time Line, 5.) Earthquakes, Volcanoes and Plate tectonics. Students engage in activities and projects, including 1.) Time Line Construction. 2.) Finish the Novel Firehunter and Continue Discussions, 3.) Cave Meal Prepare and Consume, 4.) Make a Volcano, 5.) Earthquakes Simulations, 6.) Create a Pompeii Newspaper from 79AD, 7.) Plate Tectonics Computer Tutorial.
(Quarter 3)
Topics for the quarter are: 1.) Volcanoes, Earthquakes and Plates Continued, 2.) Astronomy – Earth Moon, 3.) Astronomy – Solar System, 4.) Astronomy – Sun and Stars, 5.) Astronomy – Galaxies and the Universe. Students engage in activities and projects, including 1.) Sputnik Interview, 2.) Planet Research and Poster, 3.) Planet Travel Agency Report, 4.) We Travel to Mars, 5.) Albert Einstein, Black Holes and Other Things That Confuse Us.
(Quarter 4)
Topics for the quarter are: 1.) Finish All Astronomy, 2.) Clouds, 3.) Humidity and Temperature, 4.) Local Weather, 5.) Earth’s Weather. Students engage in activities and projects, including 1.) Numerous Labs with Humidity and Temperature, 2.) Cloud Computer Project, 3.) Environmental Artwork Using Clouds, 4.) Weather Predictions, 5.) Weather Mapping.
SPANISH 8A – Sra. Kari Kunze
(Quarter 1)
This quarter, we focus on improving our understanding of the imperfect and preterite verb tenses, shoe verbs, commands, present progressive, and direct and indirect object pronouns. Students are given many opportunities to communicate orally through anuncios – when they narrate information and/or stories about their real life. We use games, dialogues, writing assignments and listening activities to practice listening, speaking, reading and writing in Spanish. The rigor and pacing of the course require students to learn their vocabulary words and retain them by studying every night for at least 5-10 minutes.
(Quarter 2)
We focus on Chapters 3, 4 and 5 of the Ven Conmigo III text. This includes cultural information about Guadalajara, Mexico, and grammar of the future, conditional, present perfect, and future perfect tenses, por v. para and commands. We also read several myths and legends from Latin America and present one in class. Students continue to do daily listening comprehension and speaking points.
(Quarter 3)
During third quarter, students build on their current vocabulary focusing on words and expressions dealing with personal interactions, the media, expressing surprise and possibility, stereotypes and hypothetical situations. These vocabulary words help them to recognize indicator words for the present subjunctive. The grammatical focus is the present subjunctive; how it conjugated and how to know WHEN to use it. Culturally, we focus on Mexico. Evaluation is based on written, listening and speaking tests, homework, quizzes and participation.
(Quarter 4)
During fourth quarter, students continue with the present subjunctive as well as the imperfect (past) subjunctive. The continued focus is on WHEN to use the subjunctive and how to decide if one should use the present or imperfect subjunctive. We review the varied grammar from throughout the school year. We continue to read short stories. As in Quarter 3, students are required to speak as much Spanish as possible in class.
SPANISH 8B – Sra. Ginna Schultz
(Quarter 1)
We begin Spanish 8B with a review of how to introduce yourself and others, how to describe people, and present tense of regular verbs. In this quarter, students learn expressions to ask for and give opinions/advice, make comparisons, make plans, talk about staying fit and healthy, give commands, and give explanations. Specific grammar topics include ser/estar, conocer/saber, preterite of regular and stem-changing verbs, informal commands and reflexive verbs which express emotions. We will use games, stories, songs, skits, and the textbook. Daily, we practice listening, speaking, reading, and writing in the target language.
(Quarter 2)
In the second quarter of Spanish 8B, we work on expressions for suggestions, the difference between ser/estar, better than/worse than, irregular preterite verbs and an introduction to the imperfect. Evaluations are based on oral participation, skits, tests and quizzes, as well as debates.
(Quarter 3)
In third quarter Spanish 8B, we learn vocabulary that pertains to talking about your childhood and the past, as well as travel and telling stories about your life. Our grammatical focus is the preterite tense as well as an introduction to the imperfect, another past tense. Evaluation is based on written, listening and speaking tests, homework, quizzes and participation.
(Quarter 4)
In fourth quarter Spanish 8B, we learn vocabulary about cities, asking for a giving directions, shopping for clothing and bargaining in markets as well as fairy tale vocabulary. We work with the preterite and imperfect tenses together (the two past tenses in Spanish) to write a fairy tale.
