Eighth Grade Curriculum

Religion

A student will be able to:

• identify his/her place in the Church as a moral person
  
• learn what unites us to Christians and other churches
  
• learn the distinctive traits of Catholicism
  
• increase his/her appreciation for Catholic beliefs and practices
  
• respond to and share the Good News of Jesus
  
• become involved in the Church’s mission through service
  
• learn that celebration of the sacraments, reading Scripture, and participation in liturgies are means to deepening our spiritual lives
  
• participate in the Diocesan/Parish Catechesis Program
  

ILA

A student will be able to:

• construct meaning as he/she engages with the text
  
• use critical and creative thinking processes
  
• synthesize information, draft conclusions, and make interpretations
  
• write about a variety of topics in more than one form (expository, informational, descriptive, persuasive, poetic)
  
• use conventional and electronic sources to research, gather, and organize data
  
• paraphrase notes
  
• discover the meaning of words through research, the study of content clues and usage
  
• use figurative language and analogies to expand meaning
  
• develop strategies to ensure conformity to standard English conventions of writing

Social Studies

The students will integrate skills in relationship to history, geography, citizenship, economics, and humanities by:

• identifying major turning points in American history from the Civil War to the 21st century
  
• exploring what it means to be a citizen of the United States with concentration on the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution
  
• celebrating the diversity of our nation and the contributions which different groups made to the development of our country
  
• examining American participation in global affairs throughout our nation’s history
  
• continuing to develop skills in map, graph, and chart interpretation
  
• developing an understanding of the interrelatedness of economics and political systems
  
• learning how to participate actively in the role of leaders as stewards of our world

Math

A student will be able to:

• choose and apply strategies for solving problems
  
• use all operations with whole numbers, fractions, decimals, and integers
  
• understand the relationship between fractions, decimals, and percents
  
• explain how changes in data affect statistics in a given situation
  
• identify, describe, compare, classify, and construct geometric figures
  
• use and apply formulas to find missing elements
  
• solve equations
  
• relate math topics to practical real-life issues
  

Science
The students in Science classes will explore the Standards set for Science and develop an appreciation for life as sacred and God-given. Curriculum over a two year period
 Student will be able to:
    Physical Science

• Explain Atoms – Structure
  
• Structure and Properties of Matter
  
• Chemical and Physical Changes
  
• Motion and Forces
  
• Energy and its Interaction with Matter

    Life Science
     Identify and explain:

• The Cell
  
• Reproduction and Heredity/Genetics
  
• Evolution
  
• Interdependence of Organisms
  
• Matter and Energy
  
• New Organization of Life Systems
  
• Behavior of Organisms
  

    Earth Science
    Understand:

• Composition of Earth and the Dynamics that Shape it
  
• Origin and Evolution of the Universe
  
• Space Exploration
• Introduction to the History, Nature of Science, and Social Perspectives
  
• To do experiments in all areas of the curriculum

Assessment
Students will experience:

• continual assessment of achievement in understanding concepts, not just periodic tests of factual information
  
• assessments that match core content topics that are articulated in the Curriculum Guidelines
  
• Multiple type s of assessment which include cooperative assignments, class participation, research projects, portfolios, open-ended questions, and problem-solving opportunities
  

Our Eighth Grade Program also features:

• a Senior Citizen Luncheon for Christmas
  
• Participation in the Confirmation program
  
• Participation in Leadership Team, Yearbook, Safety Patrol and Announcement Team
  
• Opportunities for social interaction throughout the year – eg: dances, prayer partners, organized sports
  
• Class trip in June
  
• Graduation Exercises
  

Art
A student will be able to:

• build critical thinking skills through discovery, exploration, creative problem solving and collaboration
  
• apply elements and principles of art to communicate a personal idea and experience
  
• continue to develop an appreciation for art history and the great Masters
  

Computer
A student will be able to:

• continue to access the school network with a user name and password
  
• perfect typing skills
  
• research on the internet
  
• work more on developing skills for Microsoft Excel, Power Point, and Word
  
• use a variety of computer programs to enhance classroom curriculum
  

Library
 A student will be able to:

• visit on an alternating week schedule to check out a library book for enjoyment   reading and a book to supplement classroom assignments.
  
• use the Dewey Decimal System

Music
A student will be able to:

• perform on instruments, alone and with others
  
• improvise melodies and variations
  
• read and notate music
  
• listen and analyze all types of music
  
• have fun and move to music
  
• sing and praise God with Church songs
  

Health

A student will be able to:

• explain safety equipment and rules for common sports
  
• perform common First-Aid procedures
  
• identify emergencies and how to get help
  

Physical Education
A student will be able to:

• evaluate and increase individual physical fitness
  
• know the rules and be able to play with competence in a variety of individual and team sports
  
• explore teamwork and cooperation through physical activity

Spanish
A student will be able to:

• identify grammar including verbs (ar, er, ir), irregular verbs, present tense verbs, demonstrative adjectives
  
• identify vocabulary including numbers one to one million, community, animals, clothes, subjects in school
  
• learn about and understand different Spanish speaking cultures
  
• learn Spanish through conversation, reading and writing