Eighth Grade Saint Gabriel School - Ms. Rosa is the Homeroom Teacher
Subjects the 8th Grade students cover during the year are:
The high school entrance exam preparation is a major role in the first part of the year. More in depth research paper is required this year. Students must use a greater number of sources for validation of the material. Also this year oral presentations are performed without notes. Students are also required to do in depth essay writing. Poetry is done through memorization and original compositions. Lastly, spontaneous essays on reflective topics are given to the students.
The basal reader novels read during the eighth grade are: To Kill a Mockingbird, Death Be Not Proud, Romeo & Juliet, and The Light in the Forest. (subject to change)
This course meets five days a week. In eighth grade religion we will focus on the Church. The class will take a detailed look at how the followers of Jesus approach the ultimate questions of life, including how Catholics are guided by moral and sacramental vision. We will also be looking at Church history through the personalities of many of our great Catholic teachers including St. Thomas Aquinas. The text is designed to serve as a transition from grade school to high school religious education. The lessons in the text will also allow us to reaffirm our shared faith as the students prepare for high school with all of its joys and sorrows, highs, and lows, and opportunities and pitfalls. We will also continue the Family Life series and once again prepare our students to make the right decisions in the future.
This course meets three times per week. The course is designed so that the students will meet the Geography for Life: National Geography Standards. In grade 8, the following areas are covered:
Textbook Prentice Hall World Geography
This course meets four times per week. Subjects studied are United States History from the frontier to the present day. Students will develop a feel for the people and the events that have made us the Nation we are today. The class will touch on many skills, including map skills, reading and comprehension skills, and language arts and critical thinking skills. The following areas will be covered:
The 8th grade math is divided into two levels, "A" and "B", in order to focus more on each individual's needs and obtain a better "one on one" learning environment.
Subjects covered
Book - Prentice Hall Algebra - Tools for a Changing World
Subjects covered
Book - Prentice Hall Pre- Algebra
Students study Earth Science, which includes a look at the physical and chemical properties of the earth, the formation of volcanoes and other earth processes, rocks and minerals, Astronomy, and Oceanography.
Health classes meet once a week. The curriculum includes the three basic areas of Health that focus on Mental/Emotional Health, Social Health, and Physical Health. Students are given the opportunity to discuss how these areas relate to everyday life through readings and class discussions. Assessment occurs with class participation, homework and quizzes and tests.
Students advance their verb skills using more tenses, and increase vocabulary for more involved reading and writing.