Academics and Programs

6th Grade Language Arts

Students in 6th grade Language Arts will engage in a rigorous curriculum which focuses on the standard areas of reading, writing and communication. Students will read a variety of literary genres such as poetry, novels, short stories, and non-fiction. As a complement to the reading instruction, students will be required to write narrative, informational/explanatory, and argument essays which involve text-based evidence for student responses. Teachers will also provide vocabulary instruction to enhance students’ skills in reading and writing. Equally as important, students will continue to sharpen their grammatical skills so that they can become effective writers and speakers.

7th Grade Language Arts

Students in 7th grade Language Arts engage in rigorous application and reinforcement of grammar skills and a variety of writing strategies and techniques. Students compose narrative, informational/explanatory, and argumentative essays in which they support their ideas with evidence from various genres or informational texts. Reading includes novels, short stories, poetry, non-fiction, and informational texts. Students select independent reading books and complete various comprehension and analysis activities based on their books. Vocabulary study incorporates grade level words, academic vocabulary, and Greek and Latin roots.

8th Grade Language Arts

Students in 8th grade Language Arts follows standards to develop greater analytical reading and thinking skills that consistently spiral student learning of grade-level skills. Students write narrative informational/explanatory, and argumentative essays, incorporating textual evidence from literary or informational passages. Grammar instruction requires students to embed grammar concepts into writing.

Students read a variety of novels, short stories, poetry, and non-fiction. Greek and Latin morphemes study broadens students’ vocabulary knowledge. The mission of the 8th grade English Language Arts Department is to prepare students for high school expectations which include high proficiency in: written expression, grammar, vocabulary acquisition, reading comprehension, effective communications, research skills, and self-discipline.

6th Grade Math

Prerequisites: Successful completion of 5th Grade Math
Mathematical concepts and skills from the following five domains will be explored throughout the 6th Grade Math course. The Number System: Use real number operations to solve problems; extend full understanding and ordering of numbers to include integers, absolute value, and location of points in all four quadrants of the coordinate plane. Ratios and Proportional Relationships: Formal study of ratios and proportions. Expressions and Equations: Use variable expressions and equations to represent written situations; solve one step equations. Geometry: Build on and extend their understating of area and volume to solve problems. Statistics and Probability: Formally develop statistical thinking; analyze data to identify its center, spread and shape.

7th Grade Math

Prerequisites: Successful completion of 6th Grade Math
Mathematical concepts and skills from the following five domains will be explored throughout the 7th Grade Math course. The Number System: Students extend number operations to all rational numbers, including negative numbers. Ratios and Proportional Relationships: Develop understanding of proportionality to solve single and multi-step problems, including percent problems; identify the slope of a line. Expressions and Equations: Apply properties of operations to solve problems using expressions and equations, extending to 2-step equations. Geometry: Area, circumference of a circle; use scale drawings and geometric constructions; Statistics and Probability: Draw inferences about a population through sampling; develop, use and evaluate probability models.

8th Grade Math

Prerequisites: Successful completion of 7th Grade Math
Mathematical concepts and skills from the following five domains will be explored throughout the 8th Grade Math course. The Number System: Extend the number system to include irrational numbers; approximate irrational numbers. Expressions and Equations: Work with radical and integer exponents; Make connections between proportional relationships, lines, and linear equations; Solve system of 2 linear equations; Functions: Begin formal study of functions; translate among representations of functions. Geometry: Use ideas about distance and angles and their behavior under transformations; learn and apply the Pythagorean Theorem to find distances, lengths, and analyze polygons. Statistics and Probability: Work with scatter plots for bivariate data; Use linear models to solve problems interpreting the slope and intercept; continue work with probability to compound events; represent data using multiple formats.

Accelerated Math Courses

All middle schools offer accelerated math courses. Acceleration is recommended for students based on several data points considered by school administrators and counselors. Data considered for acceleration may include but is not limited to: placement test score, STAR percentile, TNReady data, teacher recommendation and grades in math. Blended courses cover more than one year’s worth of 6th, 7th, and/or 8th grade content; standards are compacted, making the course fast paced and rigorous. Students who successfully complete the compacted course(s) and show mastery of the standards covered may take one or two high school math courses in middle school. All middle schools offer Honors Algebra 1, but not all offer Honors Geometry on the middle school campus.

Algebra 1 Honors

Prerequisites: Data considered for Algebra 1 placement in middle school may include, but is not limited to: Successful completion of middle school math; placement test; teacher recommendation; TNReady data.

This course includes properties of the real number system, linear and quadratic systems, inequalities, operations on real numbers and polynomials, exponents and radicals. Students learn the language of algebra and practice the application of algebraic concepts to real world problems. The Mathematical Practice Standards apply throughout this course and, together with the content standards, prescribe that students experience mathematics as a coherent, useful, and logical subject that makes use of their ability to make sense of problem situations.

Honors Algebra I is covered in greater depth and at a faster pace, providing time for enrichment through the study of additional performance objectives. As part of the requirement for this honor’s level course, students must complete rigorous assignments which may include complex problem-solving, research that involves reading/writing assignments, investigations and explorations, advanced use of technology and making connections within the discipline and to the workplace.
Minimum Credit: 1.0 Maximum Credit: 1.0 NCAA Approved: Yes

Geometry Honors

Prerequisites: Successful completion of Algebra 1
This course is a survey of the fundamental and advanced concepts of plane geometry and the related topics in three-dimensional, coordinate and transformational geometry. The fundamental purpose of the course in Geometry is to formalize and extend students’ geometric experiences from the middle grades. Students explore more complex geometric situations and deepen their explanations of geometric relationships, moving towards formal mathematical arguments. The Mathematical Practice Standards
apply throughout this course and, together with the content standards, allow students to experience mathematics as a coherent, useful, and logical subject that capitalizes on their ability to make sense of problem situations. Honors Geometry is covered at a significantly faster pace, in greater depth, and with supplemental topics. Strong analytical thinking skills beyond the rigors of algebraic computation are essential for this course, which strongly emphasizes the concept of proof. As part of the requirement for
this honor’s level course, students must complete rigorous assignments which may include complex problem-solving, research that involves reading/writing assignments, investigations and explorations, advanced use of technology and making connections within the discipline and to the workplace.
Minimum Credit: 1.0 Maximum Credit: 1.0 NCAA Approved: Yes

Algebra 1 and Geometry are high school courses; therefore, high school credit is awarded for completion of these courses and will appear as a pass/fail on the high school transcript. Students are still required to enroll in a math course each year of high school beyond the math credits earned in middle school. Algebra 1 and/or Geometry may not be repeated for credit in high school once credit is earned in middle school.

6th Grade Science

Scientific inquiry skills and the application of technology and engineering are embedded as grade level expectations in the science curriculum. In the life science study of interdependence, students will gain knowledge of the world’s major biomes, how living things interact with one another and the non-living elements of their environments, cycles in nature and how matter and energy are transferred through ecosystems. The Earth and space science curriculum comprises a study of the major components of the universe and the relative distances of objects in the solar system from Earth. Students will learn about the positional relationships between Earth, the moon and the sun and how they control the lunar cycle, length of day, and year. Lunar and solar eclipses, tides, and seasons will be explored. Also included is the study of Earth’s atmosphere, currents, weather, and interpretation of meteorological data. Physical science content consists of a study of energy transformations and the interplay between magnetic fields and electrical currents. Students will learn about forms of energy, their transformations, and how circuits are associated with the transfer of electrical energy when heat, light, sound, and chemical changes are produced. Students will be engaging in expository writing to explain scientific principles.

7th Grade Science

Students are introduced to the study of cells, human body systems, photosynthesis, respiration, heredity, the rock cycle, plate tectonics, motion, force, work, and simple machines. Students will sharpen their scientific inquiry skills and experience technology and engineering using the following methods: participating in many hands-on laboratory activities in order to make proper observations and draw conclusions for themselves, investigating multiple solutions to scientific questions and problems, identifying and testing the best solutions, and appropriately communicating their findings to a specific audience such as fellow students, teachers, or parents.

8th Grade Science

Students will discover scientific inquiry and the impact science has on the development of new technologies. Students study properties of matter and chemical interactions through literacy and hands on chemistry experiments. This is followed by a focus on the physics of gravity and electromagnetism. The 8th grade year also encompasses the life science studies of: classification, adaptations, natural selection and biodiversity. This program will place an emphasis on writing skills, technology, and hands-on learning. Students will learn to interpret data and use it to solve problems.

6th Grade Social Studies

Students study the beginning of early civilizations through the fall of the Roman Empire. The emphasis is on the shift from nomadic societies to agricultural societies; an analysis of the geographical, social, cultural, economic, and political foundations of early civilizations; an analysis of the chronological development of Mesopotamia, Egypt, India, China, Ancient Israel, Greece, and Rome; and the impact of geography, early history, cultural development and economic change in the ancient world. The geographic concentration includes the study of physical and political features, economic development and resources, and migration patterns. This course is the first concentrated study of world history and geography and utilizes appropriate excerpts of informational texts and primary sources.

7th Grade Social Studies

Students explore the social, cultural, geographical, political and technological changes that occurred after the fall of the Roman Empire and in Medieval Europe. The study also consists of the later periods of the new cultures and civilizations that developed in the Middle East, Africa, China, and Japan, but with a heavier emphasis on western civilization in Europe during the Renaissance and Reformation. The focus covers the comparison of the history and geography of civilizations concurrently developing throughout these continents; examination of the growth in economic interactions among civilizations as well as the exchange of ideas, beliefs, technologies, and commodities; the resulting spread of Enlightenment philosophies and the examination of new concepts of reasoning toward religion, government, and science that continue to influence our world today. An analysis of geography’s influence on the development of these civilizations is a key aspect. Students conclude their learning by examining the Meso-American and Andean civilizations, and the age of European explorations. Appropriate informational texts and primary sources are used to deepen the understanding of how these civilizations influence our modern world.

8th Grade Social Studies

Students study the European exploration of North America, along with the geographic features that influenced early settlements and colonies. This course emphasizes the development and maturation of the British colonies, and the political, cultural, and economic influences that led to the American Revolution. The major events and outcomes of the American Revolution are analyzed, along with the individuals who played influential roles in the development of our nation. The study includes the development of the United States and its government, continuing through the early 19th century; the impact of expansion of the United States and its implications on domestic and foreign policy and interactions with American Indians. The events leading up to the Civil War are examined, along with the significant individuals and events during the war. The history, people, government, and geography of Tennessee is embedded within the American story in order to illustrate the role and relevance our state has played in American history. Reconstruction and the development of the American West concludes this course. Appropriate primary sources and informational texts are included in order to enhance understanding of the content.

8th Grade Spanish I Honors for High School Credit

By the end of the course students will understand and express himself/herself and participate in simple conversations on a number of familiar topics using short sentences. Students will be able to handle brief social interactions in everyday situations by asking and answering simple questions. Students begin to communicate about self, others, and everyday life in familiar situations. Students recognize the main idea from texts and understand the main topic of what is read or said. Students write and present information on most familiar topics using a series of simple sentences. Students explore the similarities and differences between American culture and the culture of the Spanish-speaking world. Students participate in regular performance assessments and may take ACTFL’s Assessment of Performance toward Proficiency in Languages (AAPPL).