Grades 6, 7 and 8
RELIGION
Students will study the Old and New Testament, participate in monthly liturgies and outreach projects, and develop Christian attitudes and behaviors toward one another. The Family Life curriculum is taught at all grades during the spring of the year. Grade level specifics are as follows:
Grade 6
Students will study the Old Testament which includes:
•Creation of the world
•God’s promise to Abraham
•Enslavement in Egypt
•Exodus of Israelites to the promise land
•Study of the prophets
Our study will conclude with the coming of Jesus and the beginning of God’s Kingdom.
Grade 7
Students will study the life and teachings of Jesus through the Gospel writers of the New Testament. Additionally, students will develop their relationship with Jesus through a variety of prayer forms and a deeper understanding of the person of Jesus.
Grade 8
Students will study Church History, early Christian communities and reform movements in the Catholic Church including the Protestant Reformation. Prayer and sacraments are studied to see how they help us to become faithful, hopeful people striving to reflect God’s kingdom on earth.
Safe Environment for Children
The Diocese of Oakland’s Safe Environment for Children Project was developed using the Guidelines for Safe Environment Programs from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishop’s Office of Child Youth Protection. These guidelines state that: “Training programs for children and young people should include age appropriate materials pertaining to personal safety. This includes information about improper touching and relationships. Children are not expected to be fully knowledgeable about child abuse or of the laws governing care of children but they need to know when they should seek assistance from a trusted adult.”
The Safe Environment for Children Project requires that a personal safety curriculum implemented for students in grades K through 12, in both Catholic schools and parish religious education programs.
Learning Objectives:
Grades Four-Six
To promote knowledge about body integrity.
To raise awareness that all human beings, male and female, are created in the image and likeness of God.
To present the concept that some touching is not appropriate.
To help children understand child sexual abuse.
To empower children so that they may feel comfortable saying “no” in a potentially abusive situation.
To expand children’s image of God to include the image of God as a source of comfort.
To help children identify trusted adults they can go to disclose situations in their lives that make them feel unsafe.
Grades 7-12
To help participants recognize that our bodies are gifts from God.
To help participants understand and identify risk factors associated with child sexual abuse
To increase understanding of safe, unsafe and confusing touch.
To provide tools and information on avoiding potentially abusive situations.
To raise participants’ awareness that if they are victimized, they are not at fault.
To help participants identify trusted adults they can go to disclose situations in their lives that make them feel unsafe.
MATH
The math curriculum will adhere to the new California Mathematics Content Standards for each grade level. Reinforcement and intervention materials will supplement and enrich the standard-based curriculum.
Grade 6
The sixth grade math class is divided into two sections to maximize learning in a small group setting. The sixth grade students will study:
•four arithmetic operations with whole numbers, fractions, decimals and positive and negative integers
•accurately and compute word problems
•apply knowledge to statistics and probability
•understand the concepts of mean, medium and mode of data sets
•calculate range, analyze data, ratios and proportions, compute percentages
•use formulas for circumference and area of a circle
•solve one-step linear equations
Grade 7
Seventh grade math class is divided into two sections to maximize learning in a small group setting. Seventh Grade math curriculum is a review of whole numbers, decimals, fractions, percents, proportions, measurement, data analysis, rational numbers and integers. An introduction to pre-algebra will include:
•algebraic expressions, one-step equations, inequalities, decimals and equations
•factors, fractions, exponents, operations with fractions
•ratios, proportions and percents
•two-step equations and inequalities
Grade 8
The eighth grade pre-algebra continues to strengthen basic concepts learned in previous grades. For the 2009-2010 school year a pilot program in algebra 1 is being provided to a select group of eighth grade students. Algebra 1 curriculum will review concepts learned in pre-algebra and introduce concepts of basic Algebra 1 curriculum. Class activities in pre-algebra and algebra 1 groups include oral and written work, board work, cooperative group activities, homework and games that reinforce the concepts.
LANGUAGE ARTS
The language arts program includes listening, speaking, reading and writing skills. Emphasis is placed on the Six Traits of Writing Program which strengthens students’ ability to express themselves in written form in all areas of the curriculum. Students study various types of literature and analyze plot and literary elements using anthologies and literature selections.
Students in sixth, seventh, and eighth grades will study the following areas in language arts:
GRAMMAR
•eight parts of speech, punctuation, and capitalization
•proofreading and note taking skills
sentence-level predication
WRITING
•use the Six Traits of Writing skills
•daily journal writing
•expository, persuasive, descriptive, and narrative writing
•one to four paragraph essays for sixth and seventh graders and five paragraph essays for eighth graders
SPELLING
•weekly unit of fifteen to thirty words
•three dictation sentences
The literature curriculum for middle school students includes research projects, book reports, and vocabulary based on the reading material in addition to:
Sixth Grade - multicultural literature, mythology, historical fiction, and fantasy using the genres of the short-story, the novel, and the drama.
Seventh Grade - continues multicultural folk literature, medieval life, the life and times of ancient Japan, and the Trojan War using the genres of the short-story, the novel, and the drama.
Eighth Grade - Will read and analyze the writing styles of a variety of authors and focus
on genre studies: the elements of the short-story, the novel, poetry, and drama.
Additionally, the 8th grade students will explore the life and literary works of author, John Steinbeck. As a class, students will read Of Mice and Men. Students will also participate in a group project that will include a presentation of one of Steinbeck’s many novels. The 8th grade class will also visit the John Steinbeck Museum and the historic childhood home of John Steinbeck in Salinas, California.
SOCIAL STUDIES
The goal of the Social Studies curriculum is to instill in the students a respect and appreciation for other cultures, by noting their rich contributions and to develop an understanding of our nation geographically, historically, and politically. Research projects and inquiries will be assigned periodically throughout the year.
Sixth Grade - The curriculum is based on prehistory development and ancient cultures.
Students will study:
•early hunter-gatherers
•early middle eastern civilizations
•ancient India and China
•ancient Israelites and the Greeks
•the rise of Rome and the establishment of the Roman empire
Seventh Grade - The curriculum focuses on many areas of world history from
The Roman Empire through the age of the Scientific Revolution.
Students will study:
•Islam, Sub-Saharan Africa, China, Japan
•Medieval societies in Europe and Japan
•developments in Europe from 1300 - 1600’s including the Renaissance
•Aztec and Inca cultures
Eighth Grade - The curriculum begins with the study of the geography and history of the United States from revolutionary times through the 19th century and into the beginning of 20th century.
Students will study:
•exploration, settlement and the American Revolution
•development of the Constitution and the establishment of the new nation
•causes of the Civil War and the period of the reconstruction
•relations between our government and Native peoples, the Westward movements and arrival of European immigrants
SCIENCE:
The contents of the science curriculum are based on the concepts and standards outlined in the State Frameworks and Diocesan curriculum guidelines. The goal is to provide a solid foundation in various areas of science, to allow students to study science at a deeper level in high school. In addition, students will continue to develop their investigation and experimentation skills throughout middle school. Students will have the opportunity to learn through direct instruction, use of textbooks, laboratory experiments, and projects.
Sixth Grade- Students will focus on the topics specific to Earth Science. At this level, students will be introduced to the scientific method. They will be able to communicate the steps and results of the scientific method in written reports and oral presentation. Earth Science topics include, but are not limited to:
Earth Systems and Processes
Plate Tectonics
Ecology and Resources
Textbook (title, publisher): Focus on California: Earth Science, Pearson Prentice Hall
Seventh Grade- Life Science (Biology) will be the main focus. Students will develop their own questions and perform investigations. They will communicate information collected through various mediums such as print and electronic resources via written reports and oral presentations. Topics regarding Life Science include, but are not limited to:
Cell Biology
Genetics
Structure and Function in Living Systems
Structure and Function in the Human Body
Textbook (title, publisher): Focus on California: Life Science, Pearson Prentice Hall
Eighth Grade- The curriculum is focused on Physical Science. Students will be able to plan and conduct a scientific investigation to test a hypothesis. Application of simple mathematical relationships can be translated into visual representations such as graphs, in addition to skills developed in the sixth and seventh grades. Students will communicate projects through written reports, oral presentations, and displays. Physical Science topics included, but are not limited to:
Nature of Matter
Periodic Table
Chemical Interactions
Motion, Forces, and Energy
2009-2010 Addendum: Eighth grade science includes the history of genetics, basic Mendelian principles, and applications of heredity to the modern scientific world.
Textbook (title, publisher): Focus on California: Physical Science, Pear
SPANISH
The Spanish curriculum is an introductory course, designed to give the students exposure to a new language and hopefully, the desire to learn more. A language is learned by listening, speaking, reading and writing, and since practice is so important, students will use cooperative learning with a partner or in small groups. This three-year Spanish class is not intended to meet the requirements of first year high school Spanish but should help introduce students to the study of a foreign language.
Middle School Curriculum also include physical education curriculum twice a week and a fine arts component that includes music and art. Technology will be integrated throughout the curriculum with the assistance of the Director of Technology and the classroom teacher.
MIDDLE SCHOOL CLASSROOM RULES
•Be respectful of others. Stay in your seat and raise your hand to speak.
•Listen carefully and do your personal best.
•Keep hands, feet, and objects to yourself.
•Bring all necessary materials to class.
•Be on time.
CONSEQUENCES
•Verbal warning
•Possible lunch with vice-principal or principal
•Contact parents; possible detention
•Meet with student, teacher, parent, vice-principal and principal
GENERAL GRADING POLICY
•Diocesan grading scale will be followed.
•Some papers may be graded with a plus (+), minus ( - ) or check( √ )
•plus = work is complete and well done
•check = some parts of the assignment may be missing, incorrect or unsatisfactory
•minus = incomplete or unsatisfactory
•No late work will be accepted. Late work will receive zero credit. Late work
still must be completed and turned in the next school day with the attached
homework deficiency signed by a parent. If work and form are not returned,
students call home and serve a lunchtime detention to complete the assignment.
•In the event of an absence, student has one day per each absent day to make up missed work.
•Tests must be made up within one week.
•All corrected papers will be sent home in the Wednesday folder. Papers with C-, D or F require a parent signature and must be returned to the teacher.
HOMEWORK
Homework is assigned to reinforce class work and encourage the habit of responsibility and self-study. The Diocese of Oakland suggests the following daily homework schedule. Times may vary on student ability and work habits. Homework is expected to be completed on the evening that it is assigned unless stipulated by the teacher. Suggested time allotments are:
Kindergarten Twice a week
Grade 1 and 2 20 to 30 minutes
Grade 3 and 4 30 to 40 minutes
Grade 5 and 6 45 to 60 minutes
Grade 7 and 8 60 to 90 minutes
Christian Service Requirements
All students in Grades 6-8 will complete ten (10) hours of Christian Service per school year. Students will be given information about service hour opportunities and guidelines for their service opportunities.
MIDDLE SCHOOL STAFF
Mrs. Hupp - Sixth grade homeroom: Religion & Social Studies 6, 7, 8
835-6363, Ext.16 or shupp@csdo.org
Ms. Medrano - Seventh grade homeroom: Science & Pre-Algebra/Math 6, 7, 8
835-6363, Ext.19 or mmedrano@csdo.org
Mr. Ruiz - Eighth grade homeroom: Language, Literature & Spanish 6, 7, 8
835-6363, Ext. 18 or mruiz@csdo.org
Mrs. Collins - Math Coach 4 & 5, Math/Pre-Algebra/Algebra 6, 7, & 8
835-6363, Ext.17 or scollins@csdo.org
Ms. Colburn- Art Teacher & Middle School Resource Support Teacher
835-6363, Ext. 20 or ncolburn@csdo.org
Mr. Hall- Computer Teacher and Technology Coordinator
jhall@csdo.org