Grade 8

Our Grade 8 math program, Algebra I with Quadratics, consists of solving, interpreting, and graphing algebraic relationships with an emphasis on strengthening problem-solving skills, critical reasoning ability, and number sense. Students study linear functions including inequalities and absolute value, quadratic functions, operations with monomials, polynomials, operations with radicals, and are given an introduction to radical and rational functions. Math 8 and Math 8 Honors study math within the context of real-world applications including quadratic modeling of projectiles and a Winter Term systems-of-equations small business project.

Eighth grade students who qualify have the option to take a second math class, Honors Geometry with Proofs, in addition to Honors Math 8.

The science curriculum focuses on the skills and process of science. Grade 8 science students study chemistry, cell biology, genetics, and evolution. Through laboratory investigations, research projects, debates, and modeling, students gain a deeper understanding of the nature of science.

In Grade 8 History, students prepare to be global citizens in an increasingly interconnected and interdependent world. The course fosters cross-cultural competency and a global perspective, two crucial 21st century skills. Students will be asked to reflect on their own identity and empathize with people from different times and places. We will learn about some of the events that shaped the nations and peoples of the 21st century, as well as issues we all currently face. Topics covered include the development and interaction of five world religions: Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, and Hinduism. We also touch on European colonialism and decolonization, as well as historical and ongoing conflicts across the globe.

Our Grade 8 students are able to apply their advanced world language skills in Spanish, French, and Latin by writing a full paragraph utilizing vocabulary and appropriate grammar, as well as demonstrate proficiency by reading short passages and stories, and completing interactive speaking and listening activities. All languages incorporate cultural competence.

Our coordination with the Wellness Collaborative program helps students understand underlying causes and responses to stress, anxiety, and self esteem. This program, in conjunction with social-emotional learning opportunities in advisory, provides students with strategies to help them navigate the pressures they face.

In Grade 8 English, students explore both whole-class and independently-chosen texts throughout the year. Whole-class texts include Full Cicada Moon, Fahrenheit 451, one of four nonfiction options, Sophocles' Antigone, a variety of poems, and Shakespeare's Julius Caesar. Class texts are considered through the lens of the year-long theme: moral courage. Students read two independent selections per trimester, and they use those to continue their mastery of close reading skills taken from Beers & Probst's Notice and Note through written journals shared with a partner. Writing work focuses on the writing process, especially the iterative draft-feedback-revise process. Major assignments include a personal essay, a speech, in-class analytical writing, poetry, and a writing portfolio to finish the year. Other work includes explicit public speaking instruction in the early spring, graded classroom discussions, vocabulary mini-projects throughout the year, and short group presentations about topics in grammar. Executive Function skills are developed through an Executive Function portfolio and earning "Proactivity Credits" each trimester.