The curriculum implements Common Core State Standards in order to develop independent and literate learners. The classes are devoted to the instruction of reading, writing, speaking, listening, and language skills through a variety of content area texts, themes, and multi-media sources. The primary goal is to foster an environment that cultivates critical evaluators of the world. By exposing students to complex literature and informational texts, they will have opportunities to further develop critical and analytical skills in order to identify an author’s purpose, recognize the central idea or theme, and examine an author’s craft. Reading classes will focus on close readings of complex texts in order to answer text-dependent questions that require inferencing, justifying claims, and elaboration of evidence. Through the development of such skills, students will be able to apply understandings of various texts to the world at large.

Additionally, the curriculum provides writing experiences in narrative, explanatory/informative, and argumentative modes for a range of tasks, purposes, and audiences, while honing research skills. All written work taken through the writing process will demonstrate a command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage as outlined in the Common Core. Through all units, students will acquire vocabulary through various means including the study of prefixes, suffixes, and roots. Moreover, students will have opportunities to present their knowledge and ideas for various purposes in an organized and effective manner. Students will understand the process of preparing a presentation, which includes research and synthesis of multiple resources in order to clearly communicate their findings to their peers. Ultimately, the cultivation of these skills will contribute to the students’ ability to effectively articulate their claims and ideas.

By the end of eighth grade, students will have built the necessary skills to be lifelong readers, writers, and communicators and have gained an ongoing appreciation for literacy.

Foundations for Algebra- Evaluate and simplify expressions, identify & apply properties of the real number system, evaluate using order of operations, calculate percents.

Equations- Apply inverse operations to solve equations containing variables, write equations to represent situations, simplify equations before solving.

Inequalities*- Use properties of inequalities, solve linear inequalities by using inverse operations (including compound inequalities and inequalities with variables on both sides of the equation).
Introduction to Functions- Identify and apply relationships between variables, determine whether a relation is a function, graph functions, write functions to represent graphs/tables.

Linear Functions- Write and graph linear functions, identify and interpret the components of linear graphs including x-intercept, y-intercept, and slope, use a trend line to make predictions.

Systems of Equations and Inequalities*- Find a solution that satisfies two linear equations, find a solution that satisfies two linear inequalities, graph one or more linear inequalities on a coordinate plane.

Exponents and Radicals- Apply properties of exponents, simplify radical expressions, calculate the distance between two points in the coordinate plane, calculate the coordinates of the midpoint of a segment given the coordinates of its endpoints, calculate the coordinates of the endpoint of a segment given the coordinates of its midpoint and other endpoint, find the missing side of a right triangle.

Polynomials*- Operations with polynomials (addition, subtraction, multiplication and factoring).

Quadratic Functions and Equations*- Solve quadratic equations using various methods, determine number of solutions using the discriminant, find the vertex, graph parabolas using properties of quadratic functions.

Geometry- Classify transformations, construct transformations, calculate volume of figures. Probability and Statistics- Calculate measures of central tendency, calculate simple and compound probability, differentiate between simple & compound probability, draw conclusions based on data, analyze tables, charts and graphs.
*Degree of coverage depends upon math level.

Goal

To develop students who can apply their understanding of scientific literacy to real world events and issues and to prepare students for the rigor and responsibility of high school science classes.

Throughout the year students will refine their scientific literacy through formal investigations and research projects, investigate science's interaction with society through the fields of technology and engineering, and cultivate the cooperation and communication skills needed in all scientific fields

Goal

To help students explore the history and political systems of the United States from the settlement of North America through Reconstruction.

Through the development of research and presentation skills, authentic learning experiences, collaborative learning opportunities, and the use of digital media, students will have the opportunity to recognize multiple perspectives, including bias, evaluate the impact of influential figures, and analyze the connection between historical events and the United States today. In each unit of study students will:

• Analyze primary sources

• Trace common themes

• Strengthen non-fiction literacy skills

• Use and cite historical evidence to develop and support an argument

• Use various media to demonstrate their learning.