Middle School Math & Science Information/Curriculum
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6th Grade CurriculumUpper end Basic Math - At the start of the year a series of assessment tests are given to determine the student’s strengths and weaknesses. Based on the results from those tests they are divided into two different math groups. One group starts the text on lesson one, doing one lesson a day and by the end of the year will finish the text. The other group starts the text on maybe lesson 20, sometimes doing two lessons a day, finishes the text after the 3rd trimester and will finish the year doing a Pre-Algebra course.
The program emphasizes math conversations between students and the teacher. The sequence of distributed instruction is carefully structured to allow the mastery of requisite skills and the emphasis on the critical features of math instruction each day. Science - The first trimester is spent working on the school garden and using the text From Bacteria to Plants. Gardening and plant-based learning open a door to discovery of the living world. It stimulates even as it focuses and calms. Within the school environment, a garden offers an unparalleled platform to help kids achieve learning goals in ways that are recommended by the National Science Standards and most state and local educational bodies. A School Garden requires a child's intellectual, emotional and social engagement with things that must be measured, counted, weighed, arranged, planned and cared for. It can yield gratifying and often surprising results for you and your students. The second trimester we work with Lego Mindstorms Robots and the text Astronomy . Robotics can be used to reinforce and teach math concepts, programming, teamwork, problem solving and prepare students for competitions. Robotics is the ideal organizer to reinforce fundamental mathematics and scientific processes. It also allows me to introduce the concepts of systems integration, digital control, and innovative design. All work will be done in teams of 2 or 4 students per robot. Teamwork is a crucial skill in the modern workplace, and the challenges of the robotics activities lend themselves to group solutions. . Each team member will have different roles with those roles changing on a regular basis, allowing them to share responsibility for all aspects of building, programming, etc. (1) Engineer (Builder) (2) Software Specialist (Programmer) (3) Information Specialist (Gets the necessary information for the team to move forward) (4) Project Manager (Whip-cracker) Mindstorms disciplines the students by directing them to create descript and distinct goals that are easily evaluated as they are designing and engineering their robots. We will also use the robots to compete with each other, working with scenarios that will allow them to problem solve and push themselves and their robots to their limits. The kits also allow for individual exploration in problem solving situations. Every student, no matter their ability level, is able to have success in working with Lego’s kits. It is a great ways to learn and have fun at the same time. 3rd trimester is spent studying bacteria and plants, the Dahlias that you see growing in the St Matthew garden are grown by the 6th graders. 7th Grade CurriculumMath Pre-Algebra- At the start of the year a series of assessment tests are given to determine the student’s strengths and weaknesses. Based on the results from those tests they are divided into two different math groups. One group starts the text on lesson one, doing one lesson a day and by the end of the year will finish the text. The other group starts the text on maybe Chapter 3, sometimes doing two lessons a day, finishes the text after the 3rd trimester and will finish the year doing an Algebra 1 course.
The course of study is solid preparation for algebra and geometry, integers and algebraic concepts. These topics are introduced beginning in Chapter 1 to develop students' algebraic thinking skills. Throughout the text, algebraic concepts are connected to arithmetic skills to build on what students know. Geometry concepts are integrated when appropriate to foster connections. An emphasis on mastery of basic skills. The text provides numerous opportunities to assess basic skills along with abundant remediation and intervention activities. Daily spiral review provides practice on prerequisite skills, and an in-text Skills Handbook offers instruction for all basic skills. Science - 2nd trimester is spent doing a unit on Rocketry using water rockets. The students construct their own rockets. Then the unit moves beyond simply constructing and launching rockets to where students learn about apogees, forces, estimation, basic trigonometry, Newton’s laws of motion, and more. 1st trimester is spent on Lego Mindstorms Robots. Robotics can be used to reinforce and teach math concepts, programming, teamwork, problem solving and prepare students for competitions. Robotics is the ideal organizer to reinforce fundamental mathematics and scientific processes. It also allows me to introduce the concepts of systems integration, digital control, and innovative design. All work will be done in teams of 2 or 4 students per robot. Teamwork is a crucial skill in the modern workplace, and the challenges of the robotics activities lend themselves to group solutions. . Each team member will have different roles with those roles changing on a regular basis, allowing them to share responsibility for all aspects of building, programming, etc. (1) Engineer (Builder) (2) Software Specialist (Programmer) (3) Information Specialist (Gets the necessary information for the team to move forward) (4) Project Manager (Whip-cracker) Mindstorms disciplines the students by directing them to create descript and distinct goals that are easily evaluated as they are designing and engineering their robots. We will also use the robots to compete with each other, working with scenarios that will allow them to problem solve and push themselves and their robots to their limits. The kits also allow for individual exploration in problem solving situations. Every student, no matter their ability level, is able to have success in working with Lego’s kits. It is a great ways to learn and have fun at the same time. 3rd trimester we will use a Foss Earth History kit to study the history and geology of the Grand Canyon. 8th Grade CurriculumMath Algebra- At the start of the year a series of assessment tests are given to determine the student’s strengths and weaknesses. Based on the results from those tests they are divided into two different math groups. One group starts the text on lesson one, doing one lesson a day and by the end of the year will finish the text. The other group starts the text on maybe Chapter 3 or 4, sometimes doing two lessons a day, finishes the text. After the 2rd trimester depending on what high school they are going to attend next year, they will either study Geometry or Algebra 2 Trig.
Prentice Hall Algebra 1 is geared toward improving students' conceptual understanding of math and their problem-solving skills as emphasized in the new Common Core State Standards. The Algebra program is aligned to the Common Core requirements. Key elements of the program include an interactive digital path with video tutorials, embedded online practice, guided solutions, step-by-step examples, and automatically scored assessments that provide immediate feedback and remediation. This technology helps to enhance the students learning and provides a visual representation of the concepts to make them more understandable. Science - The second and third trimester will be spent on Rocketry using water rockets. The students construct their own rockets. Then the unit moves beyond simply constructing and launching rockets to where students learn about apogees, forces, estimation, basic trigonometry, Newton’s laws of motion, and more. 3rd trimester is spent on Lego Mindstorms Robots and Drones. Robotics can be used to reinforce and teach math concepts, programming, teamwork, problem solving and prepare students for competitions. Robotics is the ideal organizer to reinforce fundamental mathematics and scientific processes. It also allows me to introduce the concepts of systems integration, digital control, and innovative design. All work will be done in teams of 2 or 4 students per robot. Teamwork is a crucial skill in the modern workplace, and the challenges of the robotics activities lend themselves to group solutions. . Each team member will have different roles with those roles changing on a regular basis, allowing them to share responsibility for all aspects of building, programming, etc. (1) Engineer (Builder) (2) Software Specialist (Programmer) (3) Information Specialist (Gets the necessary information for the team to move forward) (4) Project Manager (Whip-cracker) Mindstorms disciplines the students by directing them to create descript and distinct goals that are easily evaluated as they are designing and engineering their robots. We will also use the robots to compete with each other, working with scenarios that will allow them to problem solve and push themselves and their robots to their limits. The kits also allow for individual exploration in problem solving situations. Every student, no matter their ability level, is able to have success in working with Lego’s kits. It is a great ways to learn and have fun at the same time. The 8th Grade Science Class begins 3rd trimester on the cutting edge of technology and innovation in education. We will deploy Parrot AR Drones in the skies above the middle school. The class drones are equipped with three cameras which provide us with live streaming video as we work on our goals of: I) Communication II) Teamwork III) Problem solving using technology IV) Technology and the law V) Programming VI) GPS Systems |