Grade 8

In Grade 8 English, student choice and agency are at the heart of our curriculum, and students continue to grow more independent through our use of modified writers’ and readers’ workshops.

Students explore several genres of writing and media over the course of the year, with the central idea that purpose and audience drive format and style. Genres may include personal narrative fiction and poetry. Classes are writing communities in which students apply lessons to their own work and make decisions about their writing process. They practice writing to elicit intentional emotions or connections in their readers, creating greater awareness of the effects of words. Grammar and conventions are taught through direct instruction as well as within the context of student writing. Vocabulary is taught in the context of their independent reading as well as the units studied.

The goal of text study in Grade 8 is to expose students to a wide range of literature and to inspire actively involved readers. During the year, students work individually and collaboratively, both in guided and independent reading of genres including non fiction, drama, novels, poetry and visual media. Students learn to analyze literature, practice annotating text, and participate in small-group and whole-class discussions. Reading serves as a model for writing and as a means to understand the world. Students also hone their speaking and listening skills through frequent in-class discussions as well as through a media awareness unit, in which students analyze sources of information.

Lifelong reading is supported through guided independent reading throughout the year.   Students are expected to read widely across genres, topics, reading levels and formats.

Students take one of two courses: Grade 8 mathematics or Algebra 1. Both courses are based on the Common Core State Standards for mathematics. Both courses emphasize the Standards for Mathematical Practice. 

In Grade 8 mathematics, instructional time focuses on five key content areas: (1) irrational numbers and the Pythagorean theorem; (2) geometric transformations, congruence, and similarity; (3) exponents and scientific notation; (4) introduction to functions; and (5) linear functions, systems of linear equations and modeling bivariate data with lines of best fit.

In Algebra I, instructional time focuses on six content areas: (1) introduction to data science; (2) linear functions, systems of linear equations and modeling bivariate data with lines of best fit; (3) function relationships; (4) exponential functions; (5) quadratic functions; and (6) rational and irrational numbers and Pythagorean theorem.

We use a variety of resources for both courses including Illustrative Mathematics, Fishtank, Desmos, Geogebra, Connected Mathematics Project, YouCubed, and various other resources.

Throughout the Middle School, there is an emphasis on developing a deeper understanding of concepts and how they are connected. We support problem-based learning; in mathematics, students are encouraged to make sense of a situation rather than memorizing techniques and algorithms. At each grade level, a select set of important mathematical concepts, ideas and related procedures are studied in depth rather than skimming through a larger set of ideas in a shallow manner. There is an emphasis on writing about mathematical understanding and demonstrating mastery through novel problem-solving. Technology is integrated throughout the course to support problem-solving.

Reporting to parents/guardians is made through conferences, access to the mastery portal, and end-of-semester report cards. The semester proficiency level consists of unit assessments, projects, performance tasks and quizzes. Students are given multiple opportunities to show mastery of the math standards and practices. Homework is an opportunity to practice and to challenge. 
 

In the final year of Middle School, every ASL student participates in a performing arts ensemble that moves towards specialization in that discipline. These include: 

• Band
• Choir
• Dance
• Drama
• Orchestra

Building upon their experience in Grade 7, students work to specialize in one area as a pathway to the performing arts in the High School. Students have the opportunity to apply for doubling options between the ensembles but acceptance is based on application and teacher recommendation.  

Band 
This ensemble is for students with at least one year of current or very recent experience playing a brass, woodwind or percussion instrument (percussion includes instruments such as snare drum and keyboard percussion such as marimba). The Grade 8 band plays a wide variety of music. Members are eligible to audition for the European Middle School Honor Band.   

Choir 
The Grade 8 choir is open to all students without audition. The choir sings music from medieval to modern and everything in between in both classical and popular idioms. In addition to preparing music for performance, students learn healthy vocal technique, musicianship skills, and appropriate performance practice and style. Members are eligible to audition for European Middle School Honor Choirs.   

Dance
The Grade 8 dance ensemble continues to build and develop students’ technique and performance. Through a variety of dance styles, students explore the fundamentals of choreography, rhythm, coordination and self-expression. This ensemble challenges students to stretch their physical skills, creativity and confidence, while working individually and creatively. Throughout the year, the class emphasizes body awareness, safe dance practices and the interpretation of music. Students who may be experienced dancers or new to movement are challenged and supported throughout the year in a creative and innovative environment. 

Drama
This ensemble is designed for students who are interested in furthering their exploration of drama as both an art form and a medium for collaboration, innovation and crafting an artistic awareness of the world. Throughout the year, students engage with various forms of theater and discover the many roles that a theater artist plays, both on and off stage. The ensemble works towards a number of formal and informal sharings, giving students the opportunity to perform, create, respond, and connect in a variety of ways. This ensemble is open to students with any form of drama experience.
 
Orchestra 
This ensemble class is for students with at least one year of current or very recent experience playing a bowed string instrument (violin, viola, cello, double bass). The Grade 8 orchestra develops intermediate-advanced string technique and plays a wide variety of music. Members are eligible to audition for the European Middle School Honor Orchestra.

Grade 8 science marks the culmination of scientific inquiry in the Middle School. The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) cross-cutting concept of cause and effect underpins the year of learning integrating physical, life, earth and space science ideas. Inquiry is interwoven throughout the curriculum, which engages students as they develop scientific and engineering practices with a focus on developing and using models, analyzing and interpreting data, evidence-based argumentation and experimental design. Units are grounded in anchoring phenomena as students mirror the work of scientists and engineers in order to build skills and develop deep conceptual understanding. 

Grade 8 units for the year are:

• Genetics: Why are living things different from one another? Students discover how muscles typically develop as a result of environmental factors then figure out genetic factors that also have an impact. They then use acquired knowledge to help them explain other trait variations they have seen in other animals and plants.
• Natural selection: How could things living today be connected to the things that lived long ago? Students use their model for natural selection to explain how variations in different species could result from natural selection and descend from common ancestry. They analyze embryological data to their argument supporting how different species may be connected.
• Contact forces: Why do things sometimes get damaged when they hit each other? Students use free-body diagrams, mathematical models (equations) and system models to explain the effects of relative forces, mass, speed and energy in collisions. They then use what they have learned about collisions to engineer a device—something that will protect a fragile object from damage within given criteria and constraints, while developing micro and macro models of their solution.
• Sound waves: How can a sound make something move? Students develop ideas about how sound is produced, how sounds travel through media, and how sound can affect objects as a distance. Through the use of musical instruments, investigiations, and simulations, students create models for how sound changes at different pitches and volumes. 
• Forces at a distance: How can a magnet move another object without touching it? Students further their understanding of sound by reverse engineering a speaker. Through investigations, students explore interactions of different components such as magnets, electromagnets, batteries, computers and electrical wires. They then consider other practical uses of this technology.
• Earth in space: How are we connected to the patterns we see in the sky and space? Students consider patterns in Earth’s sky that they themselves and other communities observe and how these patterns are related to the rhythms set patterns for life on Earth. They then investigate how to use the Sun-Earth-Moon system as a means to explain the causes of phenomena such as seasons, eclipses and lunar phases. 

Grade 8 social studies builds upon previous years’ skills and is centered on conceptual understanding, thinking critically, research/ inquiry, knowledge and communication of understanding. Student voice and critical thinking continue to be at the heart of the curriculum. The year begins with a unit on practicing social-studies specific skills, including a focus on the role of bias and perspective and the analysis of primary and secondary sources. This study informs and focuses our studies throughout the year. In the belief that Grade 8 is an important time to deepen critical thinking and analysis, throughout this year students work on developing and honing skills such as historical research, developing research questions, the art of argument, examining primary documents, and both questioning and analyzing historical issues.

Conceptual understanding is focused on the themes of governance, rights and conflict. As part of their study on governance, students look to understand why governments exist as well as political change through several possible lenses; i.e., South African apartheid, US elections, the Partition of India, the Cuban Revolution, etc. As part of their study of rights, they gain a deeper understanding of the US Bill of Rights and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The study of global human rights and the challenges that exist in guaranteeing rights for all is a primary focus for student-led inquiry. As part of their study of conflict, students focus on WW I and WW II as examples, examining the human impact of war on societies. Students practice and hone the skills of inquiry, choosing research topics, crafting essential questions, and increasing ownership over their learning throughout the year.

The middle school world languages program offers three levels of courses in Chinese, French and Spanish for students in Grade 8 (levels A, B and C).

Level A is aimed at true beginners and students who have had minimal academic exposure to the target language. A student who successfully completes the A course enters a high school level I course.

Level B is for students who have successfully completed a minimum of one full year of an academic program in their chosen language. A student who successfully completes the B course continues on to a high school level II course.

Level C is for students who have successfully completed a minimum of two full years of an academic program in their chosen language. Building on the skills acquired in the B course, students begin to use more complex sentence structures and expand their vocabulary. Through a variety of communicative activities, students continue to develop the four language skills: listening, speaking, reading and writing. A student who successfully completes the C course continues on to a high school level III course.
 

Our robust elective program provides students with an opportunity to have some choice in their schedule, and to expose students to different subject areas and disciplines within a student's middle school career. Students are encouraged to take advantage of this opportunity to deepen their passion in a particular area, or explore something entirely new! No middle school elective course is a prerequisite for a high school course.
 

Active Awareness: Anatomy and physiology through play:  This course focuses on the importance of incorporating physical movement, nutrition and mindfulness into our daily lives. Students participate in several on- and off-campus activities to develop a deeper knowledge concerning physical fitness and nutrition. Classes are structured around team and individual sports, yoga and nature walks (with a focus on mindfulness). In addition to physical activity, we look at our food habits and discuss sports nutrition.

Ceramics: This class focuses on projects that allow for personal expression and conceptual exploration through the medium of clay. Students are encouraged to use their imaginations, while at the same time, paying close attention to the technical procedures. They explore a range of techniques, from clay construction, slab building and coil construction, to throwing ceramic forms on the wheel. Students work with underglazes and glazes adding further layers to their forms. In addition, they have an opportunity to connect ideas relevant to their world, such as social media self, social narratives and dysfunctional objects.

Creative Coding: Ever wonder how your favorite apps and websites are made, or how electronic devices work? In this interactive course, students learn to think algorithmically and solve problems efficiently, while developing a deeper understanding of the logic and structure of programming. Students complete projects incorporating both block-based (e.g., Scratch) and text-based (e.g., Python) coding languages. Throughout the semester, students participate in a self-paced Python course, and use code to do creative things. This course is open to students of all skill levels—no prior experience is required!

Drawing and Painting: In this elective, students develop artistic skills and respond to big-picture concepts. They explore a range of media such as charcoal, ink, watercolor, acrylic and oil painting. The units focus on ideas ranging from a self-portrait and observable reality, to “a sense of place,” exploring personal meaning in the landscape. The artwork of various artists is explored as we seek to understand how art can impact our worldview. Student work is displayed around the School and regular class critiques develop the use of art terminology to communicate ideas. 

Explore London  The city is our extended classroom in this elective as we connect students’ interests to London’s past and present. We examine how politics, immigration, culture and the arts have shaped, and continue to shape, our city. Those who choose this elective are encouraged to think outside the box and to get outside of the building. Students research and propose local excursions based on themes they care about, and help lead and plan those trips. Most classes are spent off-campus exploring this amazing city by public transport and walking, combining our class block and recess/lunch whenever they overlap. “The streets of London have their map, but our passions are uncharted. What are you going to meet if you turn this corner?”—Virginia Woolf 

Note: Students who were in the Explore London elective in Grade 7 should put this as their last choice as students cannot be enrolled in this course for a second time. 

FIilmmaking:  This course focuses on the use of multimedia elements to tell a story. Students learn what is involved in the filmmaking process, how to record footage, and how to edit video clips in iMovie. Using sound and video, students produce several digital media projects. Additionally, students explore the concept of the "hero’s journey" in film, applying its narrative structure to their own student-made films for engaging and impactful storytelling. They are assessed on their ability to plan their projects, tell a story through film, and demonstrate effective use of filmmaking and editing techniques.

London and Beyond: Celebrating and understanding identity and culture beyond the classroom: London is a city that thrives on its multiculturalism. The flavors and spirit of its communities can be felt almost everywhere and you can trace their influences from one place to the next. This elective aims to get us out into London to see, listen, taste, experience and appreciate. On this journey, we explore history, identity and urban creativity in relation to our own connections to culture. We also grapple with issues of social inequity that may arise from our exploration. Our classes and excursions are a time for shared learning, where our contributions and participation help to direct how our learning experience takes shape. In addition, students have the opportunity to plan and lead their own trips. London has a lot to offer, most of which cannot be experienced in a classroom. Let’s get out there and enjoy it but remember to bring wet weather clothes—it rains a lot in London.

London Art Adventures:  If you love making art and love adventure, this is the course for you! In this visual arts elective, students create artwork inspired by London, one of the most famous art centers of the world. Students create their own sketchbooks and mini toolkits for urban sketching among the architecture, experience landscape painting in unexpected places and create environmental art in nature. Students collaborate to design and lead art excursions to art galleries, discovering contemporary and master artists to inspire and inform art projects back in the classroom. Students are assessed using the visual arts standards: creating, connecting, responding and presenting.

Psychology: This class provides a basic overview of the field of psychology. On the first day of the course, students complete a survey based on the topics they are most interested in, and the curriculum unfolds largely based on their responses. Interactive learning and individual research are emphasized. Explored topics include brain development and function, psychological disorders and treatments, states of consciousness, motivation and learning styles. We complete the semester with a student-conducted psychological experiment and presentation.

Robotics and Automation  The world is evolving and with the rapid development of technology, tasks traditionally done by humans are now being completed by robots with increased automation. In this course, using REV Robotics kits, students design, build and program robots to complete tasks of increasing complexity. Students use basic principles of mechanics, and learn essential programming skills and collaborative problem-solving techniques. This course is hands-on and project-based. No prior robotics or programming experience is required.

Note: Students who were in the robotics elective in Grade 7 should put this as their last choice as students cannot be enrolled in this course for a second time. 

STEMinar: This course is designed to exercise both the logical and creative parts of the brain and offers students the opportunity to explore STEM using the fundamentals of computational and design thinking in order to get a better understanding of how integrating technology, with imagination and innovation can be used to design solutions for a more equitable and sustainable world. Throughout the semester students engage in a variety of design challenges with various members of the community as their users, which includes a project in which students are expected to develop an original and creative solution to a real-world problem. STEMinar encourages students to explore multiple perspectives and to focus on the iterative process rather than a final product. This course is suitable for all students regardless of previous experience.

Wearable Art:  In this elective, students apply skills and techniques used by costume designers to create art that is wearable. They develop new ways of thinking as they express their visual style in novel ways. Students use sustainable design practices by upcycling secondhand clothing and using alternative materials. Process sketchbooks, dress forms and digital media are used to develop their craft. This course is not about making clothes; it’s about learning how to think like a designer. Emphasis is placed on looking at the world from a fresh perspective. Students participate in critiques, self-assess and reflect on their progress.    

Yearbook*  There are two different yearbook courses, as described below. In both courses, students make memories that last a lifetime, not just for individuals, but for everyone in the Middle School. All yearbook staff are expected to complete some work outside of class (such as taking photos or conducting interviews). Students are invited to participate in fun workshops and take on leadership roles, and some may even attend journalism/publication events and conferences. Yearbook is a fun, collaborative,and creative environment for any student who is willing to work hard, meet deadlines and challenge themselves. Ultimately, yearbook students will be proud when their hard work sits on the shelves of their peers for decades to come.

* Students can take both yearbook classes in Grade 7 and Grade 8 if schedules allow, so feel free to sign up for both. We create a new yearbook each year, so there will always be new content.

Yearbook: Graphic design:  In this course, students learn how to use Adobe programs like InDesign and Photoshop. They discover how to create interesting and engaging layouts and designs, based on composition guidelines and the elements and principles of design. Students learn about color theory and typography, ultimately selecting all of the colors, designs and fonts for this year’s book. In collaboration with the Yearbook: Photojournalism class, Graphic design students will generate a theme and develop the design of the book to support that theme. 

Yearbook: Photojournalism:  In this course, students learn how to use a DSLR camera to capture all the best moments in middle school. They discover how to create great photo compositions, use the camera’s presets and manual mode and edit photos in Adobe Lightroom. Students also learn about interviewing and journalistic practices and ethics. They discover how to find an angle, and to write captions and short journalistic articles. Students in this class are responsible for generating all of the content for the middle school yearbook, from photos to articles and captions. In collaboration with the Yearbook: Graphic design class, Photojournalism students generate a theme and develop the content for the book to support that theme. This elective requires additional time and commitment compared to other electives. All yearbook staff are expected to complete some work outside of class time (such as taking photos after school or at events, conducting interviews during lunch or read and meet, and writing articles and captions at home). This class has hard deadlines and homework is sometimes necessary to meet those deadlines. Students in yearbook are encouraged to participate in other extracurricular activities, sports and clubs, but please consider your personal workload and whether or not you have the bandwidth and flexibility to take on this commitment before signing up for yearbook.