Classes

Following is a list of my classes and course descriptions to help you understand what students will be learning in class this year.

RELIGION
Students are introduced to the Catechism that is more thoroughly covered in 7th-8th grades. They read Bible stories, Bible passages, and hypothetical stories for the purpose of discussing and evaluating how topics are applicable to them personally. Students recite memory treasures and Catechism parts as a means to commit key points to memory and increase their knowledge of the Bible. Following are the topics that will make up the majority of the Religion curriculum:

• The Apostles’ Creed
• Baptism
• The Use of the Keys and Confession
• The Sacrament of Holy Communion and the Means of Grace
• First Article
• Second Article
• Third Article
• Ten Commandments
• The Lord’s Prayer

5th GRADE MATH
Grades 5-8 currently use the Holt curriculum. The intention of each level is to prepare students for the next. Upon graduation, eighth graders will either have taken Algebra I or will be prepared to take it in their freshman year in high school. 5th Grade uses the Holt Course 1 book. Following are the chapter titles of the Course 1 book:

• Whole Numbers and Patterns
• Introduction to Algebra
• Decimals
• Number Theory and Fractions
• Fraction Operations
• Collecting and Displaying Data
• Proportional Relationships
• Geometric Relationships
• Measurement and Geometry
• Measurement: Area and Volume
• Integers, Graphs, and Functions
• Probability

6th GRADE MATH
Grades 5-8 currently use the Holt curriculum. The intention of each level is to prepare students for the next. Upon graduation, eighth graders will either have taken Algebra I or will be prepared to take it in their freshman year in high school. 6th Grade uses the Holt Course 2 book. Following are the chapter titles of the Course 2 book:

• Algebraic Reasoning
• Integers and Rational Numbers
• Applying Rational Numbers
• Patterns and Functions
• Proportional Relationships
• Percents
• Collecting, Displaying, and Analyzing Data
• Geometric Figures
• Measurement: Two-Dimensional Figures
• Measurement: Three-Dimensional Figures
• Probability
• Multi-Step Equations and Inequalities

ENGLISH
Students will review and become proficient in the use of sentences, the eight parts of speech, and different parts of speech. Following is a more detailed listing of what will be covered:

• Sentences
• Parts of Speech (Nouns, Verbs, Pronouns, Adjectives, Adverbs, Prepositions, Conjunctions, and Interjections)
• Writing (Narrating, Informing, Creating, Persuading, Describing, Researching, Imagining, and Classifying)

SPELLING
Students have a weekly spelling list that follow a certain phonetic rule. They are tested on Monday and misspelled words are retested on Friday. During the week students also work on different activity pages that improve their comprehension and vocabulary of the spelling words.

HANDWRITING
Students have weekly handwriting sheets that they write out to review and improve their cursive handwriting.

WORLD HISTORY
The 5th-8th grades History curriculum covers Ancient World History, American History, and Geography. 5th and 6th graders have History together. One year they study Ancient World History and the next year they study American History from exploration through the American Revolution. Following are the main topics covered in the two years:

World History

• Ancient Egypt
• Ancient Mesopotamia
• Ancient China
• Ancient Rome
• Medieval Ages
• The Renaissance
• Feudal Japan
• French Revolution

American History

• Exploration of America
• European Settlements
• English 13 Colonies
• The American Revolution

READING
Students will read and study several novel over the course of the year. The students will answer factual and more in-depth questions to assess comprehension of the story. Class discussion will also be had to discuss the book to ensure everyone is comprehending what they are reading individually. Between novels we will read short stories from our reading book to learn and understand literary target points.

SCIENCE
The 5th-8th grades science curriculum is setup to ensure that all the main areas of science are covered upon graduation from 8th grade. The main areas that are covered are: Biology, Ecology, Botany, Physiology, Physics, Chemistry, Astronomy, Meteorology, Geology, and Oceanography. 5th and 6th graders have science together and over the course of two years cover the following areas:

• Plants
• The Solar System and Beyond
• Energy, Work, and Machines
• Populations and Ecosystems
• The Solid Earth
• Light and Sound
• Cells and Microbes
• Cracked Crust
• The Nature of Matter
• Continuity of Life
• Oceanography
• Forces and Motion

PHY ED
Students learn the importance of being physically fit as they learn the rules and how to play the sports; softball, soccer, volleyball, basketball, and track. Students will also play other games that teach a variety of skills, but most importantly, get the body moving.

ART
Students will use different forms of media to learn aspects of art and will be introduced to past artists that displayed those different forms of art. Art projects are assigned on Friday and are due the following Friday unless otherwise stated.

MUSIC
5th-6th graders are taught music by Mrs. Mears. Students study a music curriculum called Sing and Make Music. It teaches students how to write and read music. Students will also be introduced to past composers and musicians. Part of the music curriculum is singing songs. Students will be taught how to sing and practice each class period. Songs that are learned are sung in church services as a way to glorify God and beautify worship.

CURRENT EVENTS
5th-8th graders have Current Events together. Students watch CNN Student News and take notes on stories. Stories and discussed in class to ensure understanding and bring out deeper concepts. Quizzes are given on previous week’s content