Eighth Grade Curriculum

RELIGION

The curriculum is designed to help students understand their growth from a Christian perspective while exploring what the Church is for young Catholics.

Growing Up In The Church

• preparing for life as adults
• developing mature religious faith

Church As Teacher

• understanding who and what God is for Catholics
• understanding that Apostolic tradition tells us Jesus is the Son of God
• interpreting the Bible figuratively, not literally

Church History

• understanding the successes and difficulties of the church to help face the challenges of our own time

Learning to Belong

• understanding that God created people to live in harmony with God, nature, themselves, and others
• depending on the Church for guidance as they face the challenges of sexual growth
• learning how to be part of a group
• learning to get along with others by following the Bible's Golden Rule
• learning that to belong in society we must obey laws, respect the rights of others, and give of ourselves to others
• giving of our time and talents

Belonging In The Adult World

• modeling Jesus for obedience
• understanding that the secret to true freedom is honesty
• understanding that choosing one's way of life as an adult deserves serious thought
• preparing for dating which serves as preparation for choices one makes about marriage
• understanding that marriage is a sacrament
• recognizing that sin interferes with personal growth to maturity and with our relationships
• understanding that the sacrament of Reconciliation restores harmony and peace

SOCIAL STUDIES

The fundamental goal of the Social Studies program is to enrich student awareness of important ideas.  Eighth grade students focus on the period from the Revolutionary War to the 1900's in U.S. history.  Some of the major themes this year include:

• an appreciation for the multicultural and pluralistic nature of U.S. society
• the basic principles of democracy
• the balance of power established by the constitution between majority and minority, the individual and the stae, and government by and for the people
• the duties and methods of selection of our leaders
• human and environmental interaction
• the basic concepts of economics: basic wants and needs, scarcity, choices, decision making, opportunity costs, resources, production, distribution, consumption, markets, labor, and capital

The major topics studied in eighth grade are:

• geography of the United States
• review of early exploration and settlement
• The American Revolution
• The constitution of the United States: roots of government, articles of confederation, Constitutional Convention, and the Bill of Rights
• creating of the party system
• changing American life: American Indians and new immigrants
• the development of America's regions: settling the West, Industrial Revolution in the North, and the agrarian South
• the Civil War and reconstruction
• Culture of the Plains Indians
• American industry
• The Gilded age
• The reform era
• America at war

An important part of the Social Studies program is the development of study skills.  This year students will:

• organize information from reference sources to address issues or problems and present information convincingly in spoken or written form
• understand, use, and create graphic information: timelines, charts, tables, graphs, and diagrams
• design a map based on information given
• understand and use symbols
• solve problems and draw conclusions related to an issue or idea

MATHEMATICS

The goal of the mathematics curriculum is to have students learn to value mathematics, become mathematical problem solvers, become confident in their ability to do math, and learn to reason and communicate mathematically.  Concepts are taught through real-life situations and the use of a variety of tools, manipulatives, and materials.  Students participate in instructional activities based upon the following strands:

Numbers:

• read, write, and order whole numbers and decimals expressed as standard numerals and vice versa, through 15 digits
• write expanded numerals for whole numbers and decimals expressed as standard numerals and vice versa, through 10 digit numbers, money amounts, decimals, like and unlike fractions, mixed numbers, integers, and irrational numbers
• estimate sums, differences, products, and quotients of whole numbers and decimals
• multiply or divide a decimal by a power of 10
• know the rules for divisibility
• find square roots of perfect numbers
• find the least common multiple and greatest common factor of up to 3 numbers by prime factorization, with exponents
• find the value of numerical expressions using the rules for the order of operations 4 check that an answer is reasonable
• interchange decimals (terminal and repeating) fractions, and percents
• use formulas in solving rate, distance, and percentage problems
• compute percent and interest; use rations and proportions to solve problems

Measurement:

• choose the appropriate metric or customary unit of length, mass, or capacity
• add, subtract or change between units of time
• add, subtract, with regrouping, in the customary system
• find temperature changes (Fahrenheit and Celsius)
• find elapsed time across time zones
• use the formula d=rt to solve problems
• change between measures of length, mass, volume, or capacity in the metric and customary system
• find actual measure given scale and scale measurement and vice versa

Statistics & Probability:

• use statistics to construct line, bar, and circle graphs
• determine random, sample, mean, mode, median, and range
• identify the probability of an event
• find all possible permutations and combinations of a set of objects

Algebra:

• write and evaluate 1-step and 2-step equations and inequalities
• graph an equation of inequality
• write, solve, or graph the solution of equations and inequalities in two variables
• graph a pair of equations

Geometry:

• construct geometric figures
• find measures of vertical, alternate interior, and corresponding angles
• classify triangles according to the measures of their angles or sides and to find the measure of an angle given the measures of theother two angles
• identify and name polygons and to find the measure of an angle given the measures of the other angles
• identify congruent figures and lines of symmetry
• solve problems involving corresponding parts of similar polygons
• identify translations, rotation, or reflections
• calculate perimeter, area, circumference, surface area, and volume
• use the Pythagorean Theorem
• find the length of the side of a right triangle using sine, cosine, and tangent ratios

LANGUAGE ARTS

The Language Arts program consists of three main components: Literature, English, and Spelling.

Literature

The curriculum contains a variety of literature appropriate to the interest and needs of our students, provides practice in developing those skills necessary to appreciate and understand the literature, and relates literature to language, composition, and thinking skills.  In addition to the six major skill areas listed, it is expected that students will understand and recognize the differences and similarities among different types of literature (short stories, novels, poems, and plays) and understand and recognize the basic types and characteristics of nonfiction.

Literary Terms

Students will apply the following terms to their reading:

• alliteration - personification
• characterization - plot
• connotation/denotation - point of view
• figurative language - rhyme
• flashback - rhythm
• foreshadowing - satire
• hyperbole - setting
• imagery - simile
• inference - stereotype
• irony - symbolism
• metaphor - theme
• mood - tone
• onomatopoeia

Reading Skills

Students will understand and be able to use the following reading skills:

• recognize cause-effect relationships
• recognize comparison-contrast relationships
• draw conclusions/make generalizations
• distinguish between fact and opinion
• use graphic aids
• make sound judgments
• identify main idea and supporting details
• predict outcomes
• identify author's purpose
• understand sequence of ideas
• summarize

Vocabulary Skills

Students will be able to recognize, understand, or make use of the following vocabulary skills:

• affixes
• analogies
• antonyms
• combining words
• compound words
• context dictionary
• etymologies
• idioms
• inflected forms
• pronunciation key
• roots
• synonyms
• combined skills

Thinking Skills

Students will be able to understand and practice the following thinking skills:

• classifying
• evaluating
• generalizing
• synthesizing

Speaking & Listening Skills

Students will be able to develop the following:

• compose orally
• read orally
• participate in discussions
• deliver a speech
• interpret a selection individually or participate in group oral interpretation
• listen for understanding and meaning
• listen for literary elements
• memorize or recite poetry
• debate on assigned topics

English

Grammar - Sentences:

• subjects and predicates
• avoiding fragments
• avoiding run-on clauses
• phrases

Grammar - Nouns:

• singular and plural
• possessive
• abbreviation
• appositive
• collective nouns

Grammar - Verbs:

• action verbs
• linking verbs
• main and helping verbs
• present, past, future, prefect tenses
• regular and irregular verbs
• direct objects and indirect objects
• transitive and intransitive verbs
• predicates and adjectives
• active and passive voice

Grammar - Pronouns:

• subject and object
• antecedents
• possessive, interrogative, demonstrative
• indefinite, reflective, intensive

Grammar - Adjectives & Adverbs

• predicate
• comparisons
• phrases
• avoiding double negatives

Grammar - Prepositions, Conjunctions & Interjections

Writing; the students will:

• know and use the stages of the writing process
• write a personal narrative
• write a feature story
• use precise, descriptive vocabulary
• use figurative language
• write a business letter
• write a friendly letter
• write a persuasive essay
• write a critical review
• outline a research report
• write a research report
• outline/map ideas before writing
• write dialogue

Students will write/edit for:

• syntax
• paragraphing
• word usage
• punctuation
• capitalization
• spelling

Listening & Speaking Skills:

• participate in drama activities
• present for a variety of audiences
• identify rhythm in poetry
• identify various forms of poetry
• give a speech
• develop interviewing techniques

Study/Reference Skills:

• develop dictionary skills
• develop thesaurus skills
• develop and apply test taking techniques

SCIENCE

Students will study Physical Science, which includes the following subjects:

• Motion
• Forces
• Structure of Matter
• Periodic Table of Elements
• Scientific Method, Investigation & Experimentation
• Chemical Reactions
• Chemistry of Living Systems
• Density & Buoyancy
• Earth in the Solar System

Study material include the student science textbook, directed reading workbook, quiz sheets, review questions, video tapes and CD-ROM's.

The emphasis at 8th grade level science is on physics and chemistry.  Students will investigate science laws and principles and apply knowledge to real like situations.  The focus is on reading and understanding and lab work is used to make learning active and meaningful.

The science curriculum provides many opportunities for students to develop and maintain the essential skills that form the basis for lifelong learning.  The Scientific Method skills are essential for investigating the natural world.  Students learn to ask a question, form a hypothesis, experiment and analyze results.  The curriculum integrates science with reading, writing, and math skills through meaningful activities and strategies.

The scientific skills and knowledge gained in the 8th grade are fundamental for work in science at the high school level.