Grade 8
Homeroom Teacher: Mr. Michael Conlin
Subject Areas:
Religion/Family and History: Mr. Michael Conlin
Math: Mrs. Diane Scanlon
Language Arts, Literature and Vocabulary: Mrs. Jennifer Schloat
Science and Health: Mrs. Brianna Hawkins
Spanish: Mrs. Alfie Aliberti
Language Arts:
Voyages in English Copyright 2011
The students will spend time preparing for the high school entrance exam during the first part of the year. Eighth graders will review the mechanics of grammar, continue diagramming sentences and perfect proper sentence structure. Students will complete an in-depth research paper during this final year of Middle School. They will use a greater number of sources for validation of their research. Students will conduct oral presentations without notes. Eighth graders will demonstrate in-depth essay writing and compose spontaneous essays on reflective topics. They will explore poetry, reading, memorization, and original compositions.
Literature/Vocabulary
The Language of Literature, McDougal Littell, 2000
Vocabulary Workshop, (Level C) Sadlier-Oxford, 2005
In addition, students will read and explore these four works of Literature:
Summer Reading – I Killed the Mockingbird by Paul Acampora (2014)
Uncle Tom’s Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe (1852)
The Outsiders by S. E. Hinton (1967)
1984 by George Orwell (1949)
Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare (1597)
I Will Always Write Back by Caitlin Alifirenka and Martin Ganda (2015)
Students will refine their note taking and critical thinking skills by concentrating on characterization and cause and effect. Students will frequently write literary responses, connecting themes to real life experiences. They will continue to expand their vocabulary through reading, research, writing and the exploration of definitions, synonyms, and antonyms.
Religion/Family Life
Blest are We (RCL Benzinger, 2008)
This course meets five days a week. In eighth grade religion we will focus on the history of 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.
Geography
World Geography (Prentice Hall Copyright 2009)
This course meets two 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:
Western Europe
Eastern Europe
Asia
Africa
Latin America
History
United States History: Beginnings to 1877
United States History: Civil War to the Present (Holt-McDougal, 2012)
This course meets four times per week and focuses on United States History from the Civil War to the present day. Students will develop a knowledge of 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:
Reconstruction
The Industrial Age
Gilded Age
The Reform movement and the Progressive Movement
Expansion overseas and World War I
Great Depression
World War II and the Cold War
The 60s, 70s and beyond
Math
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.
Math Group A – Algebra (meets daily)
Algebra 1 (Prentice Hall Copyright 2009)
Subjects covered:
Variables, function patterns and graphs
Rational numbers
Solving equations
Solving inequalities
Graphs and functions
Linear equations and their graphs
Systems of equations and inequalities
Exponents and exponential functions
Polynomials and factoring
Quadratic equations and functions
Radical expressions and equations
Rational expressions and functions
Math Group B - Pre-Algebra (meets daily)
Pre-Algebra (Prentice Hall Copyright 2007)
Subjects covered:
Integers and algebraic expressions
Solving one-step equations and inequalities
Decimal and equations
Factors, fractions, and exponents
Operations with fractions
Ratios, proportions, and percent
Solving equations and inequalities
Linear functions and graphing
Spatial thinking
Area and volume
Right triangles in algebra
Data analysis and probability
Nonlinear functions and polynomials
Math Lab (meets weekly)
Both classes, Algebra and Pre-Algebra, meet once a week to have Math Lab. During this time, students relate previously learned mathematical concepts to real world applications through the use of art and technology. This is accomplished through a variety of tools and software including the computer lab, iPads, laptops, Lego Mindstorm as well as building and programming their own robots. This practical hands-on approach allows our students the opportunity to see and experience how much math is utilized in everyday life.
Science
Intro to Physical Science (Glencoe Copyright 2008)
Meeting four times a week, physical science studies include physical and chemical properties of matter, chemical reactions, Energy including sound, light, mechanical motion, forces and waves. Labs, virtual labs, homework and test are used to assess student learning.
Health
An on-line source for our Health program: KidsHealth.org. Lesson plans have been downloaded for major topic areas and organized for each grade level of middle school. These lessons match up with both the National Standards and the Archdiocesan Standards and include articles to be read and discussed in class, or as part of a homework assignment, discussion questions, and related activities and materials to be utilized by the teacher. Lessons focus on mental, physical and social health in various areas throughout the year. These areas include relationships and learning about personal health and ways to avoid or deal with certain types of diseases. Assessments will be ongoing through oral participation, group and individual work and quizzes. Health will generally meet on Fridays.
Spanish
Espanol Santillana 2017 (Santillana Publishing Company 2017).
Students advance their verb skills using more tenses such as future and preterite and increase vocabulary for more involved reading and writing. Group work is used to build peer learning and create a sense of community. Culture and background information of various Spanish-speaking countries is studied.
Subject Areas:
Religion/Family and History: Mr. Michael Conlin
Math: Mrs. Diane Scanlon
Language Arts, Literature and Vocabulary: Mrs. Jennifer Schloat
Science and Health: Mrs. Brianna Hawkins
Spanish: Mrs. Alfie Aliberti
Language Arts:
Voyages in English Copyright 2011
The students will spend time preparing for the high school entrance exam during the first part of the year. Eighth graders will review the mechanics of grammar, continue diagramming sentences and perfect proper sentence structure. Students will complete an in-depth research paper during this final year of Middle School. They will use a greater number of sources for validation of their research. Students will conduct oral presentations without notes. Eighth graders will demonstrate in-depth essay writing and compose spontaneous essays on reflective topics. They will explore poetry, reading, memorization, and original compositions.
Literature/Vocabulary
The Language of Literature, McDougal Littell, 2000
Vocabulary Workshop, (Level C) Sadlier-Oxford, 2005
In addition, students will read and explore these four works of Literature:
Summer Reading – I Killed the Mockingbird by Paul Acampora (2014)
Uncle Tom’s Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe (1852)
The Outsiders by S. E. Hinton (1967)
1984 by George Orwell (1949)
Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare (1597)
I Will Always Write Back by Caitlin Alifirenka and Martin Ganda (2015)
Students will refine their note taking and critical thinking skills by concentrating on characterization and cause and effect. Students will frequently write literary responses, connecting themes to real life experiences. They will continue to expand their vocabulary through reading, research, writing and the exploration of definitions, synonyms, and antonyms.
Religion/Family Life
Blest are We (RCL Benzinger, 2008)
This course meets five days a week. In eighth grade religion we will focus on the history of 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.
Geography
World Geography (Prentice Hall Copyright 2009)
This course meets two 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:
Western Europe
Eastern Europe
Asia
Africa
Latin America
History
United States History: Beginnings to 1877
United States History: Civil War to the Present (Holt-McDougal, 2012)
This course meets four times per week and focuses on United States History from the Civil War to the present day. Students will develop a knowledge of 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:
Reconstruction
The Industrial Age
Gilded Age
The Reform movement and the Progressive Movement
Expansion overseas and World War I
Great Depression
World War II and the Cold War
The 60s, 70s and beyond
Math
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.
Math Group A – Algebra (meets daily)
Algebra 1 (Prentice Hall Copyright 2009)
Subjects covered:
Variables, function patterns and graphs
Rational numbers
Solving equations
Solving inequalities
Graphs and functions
Linear equations and their graphs
Systems of equations and inequalities
Exponents and exponential functions
Polynomials and factoring
Quadratic equations and functions
Radical expressions and equations
Rational expressions and functions
Math Group B - Pre-Algebra (meets daily)
Pre-Algebra (Prentice Hall Copyright 2007)
Subjects covered:
Integers and algebraic expressions
Solving one-step equations and inequalities
Decimal and equations
Factors, fractions, and exponents
Operations with fractions
Ratios, proportions, and percent
Solving equations and inequalities
Linear functions and graphing
Spatial thinking
Area and volume
Right triangles in algebra
Data analysis and probability
Nonlinear functions and polynomials
Math Lab (meets weekly)
Both classes, Algebra and Pre-Algebra, meet once a week to have Math Lab. During this time, students relate previously learned mathematical concepts to real world applications through the use of art and technology. This is accomplished through a variety of tools and software including the computer lab, iPads, laptops, Lego Mindstorm as well as building and programming their own robots. This practical hands-on approach allows our students the opportunity to see and experience how much math is utilized in everyday life.
Science
Intro to Physical Science (Glencoe Copyright 2008)
Meeting four times a week, physical science studies include physical and chemical properties of matter, chemical reactions, Energy including sound, light, mechanical motion, forces and waves. Labs, virtual labs, homework and test are used to assess student learning.
Health
An on-line source for our Health program: KidsHealth.org. Lesson plans have been downloaded for major topic areas and organized for each grade level of middle school. These lessons match up with both the National Standards and the Archdiocesan Standards and include articles to be read and discussed in class, or as part of a homework assignment, discussion questions, and related activities and materials to be utilized by the teacher. Lessons focus on mental, physical and social health in various areas throughout the year. These areas include relationships and learning about personal health and ways to avoid or deal with certain types of diseases. Assessments will be ongoing through oral participation, group and individual work and quizzes. Health will generally meet on Fridays.
Spanish
Espanol Santillana 2017 (Santillana Publishing Company 2017).
Students advance their verb skills using more tenses such as future and preterite and increase vocabulary for more involved reading and writing. Group work is used to build peer learning and create a sense of community. Culture and background information of various Spanish-speaking countries is studied.
