8^th Advisory 

(M8001/M8002)

Open to:  8^th grade

Full year class

Prerequisite:

none

Description:

Advisory is a fifteen-minute daily meeting time at the beginning of your day. Advisory serves as a home base for you, offering you the opportunity to review the personal, social, academic and study skills introduced and developed in the 6th and 7th grade programs. This year an additional focus will be placed on career awareness.

8^th Language Arts

(M8100)

Open to:  8^th grade

Full year class (meets for 2 class periods)

Prerequisite:

none

Description:

This subject area emphasizes the development of communications skills: reading, writing, listening and speaking, and information literacy.   You will develop and apply skills and strategies to comprehend, analyze, and evaluate both fiction and non-fiction from a variety of cultures and times, as well as applying a writing process to compose well-developed text in both fiction and non-fiction forms.

Algebra I 

(M8211)

Open to:  8^th grade

Full year class

Prerequisite:

7^th Pre-Algebra or teacher recommendation

Description:

This course is the foundation for high school mathematics courses. Students will focus on applications of basic mathematics such as: graphing, variable manipulation, exponents and radical expressions. This course is designed to meet the needs of those students who need and want a background in algebraic mathematics for college or technical school.

8^th Pre-Algebra

(M8200)

Open to:  8^th grade

Full year class

Prerequisite:

none

Description:

Students in 8th Grade Mathematics will continue to build a strong foundation in algebra and geometry.  Students will be working with irrational numbers, radicals, linear equations, statistics, and basic geometry.  These topics will help prepare students for their high school mathematics courses!

8^th Social Studies 

(M8300)

Open to:  8^th grade

Full year class

Prerequisite:

none

Description:

This year you will study the development of the United States as a strong and free nation beginning with the exploration and settlement of North America through the colonial period ending with the Civil War.  You will analyze historical events that led to the development of American ideals of civil liberties, rights and responsibilities as guaranteed by constitutional law.  An emphasis will be on the social history and economic development of the country including cultural dimensions of the American Experience.  In the end you will hopefully gain a greater understanding of your heritage and citizenship responsibilities.

8^th Science

(M8400)

Open to:  8^th grade

Full year class

Prerequisite:

none

Description:

This class emphasizes inquiry-based learning, which means that this class offers labs and activities to expand and apply your understanding of the material, followed by questions and discussions to construct meaning.  Topics covered are Inside Earth; Chemical Building Blocks; Cells and Heredity; and Human Biology and Health.

8^th PE/Health

(M8700)

Open to:  8^th grade

Semester class

Prerequisite:

none

Description:

During this class you will learn the importance of living a healthy lifestyle.  Topics that we will cover include conflict resolution, alcohol and tobacco, abuse prevention.  Our aim is to make you aware of how negative choices can affect your life in a negative way. 

8^th Band

(M8510)

Open to:  8^th grade

Full year class

Prerequisite:

7^th Band or permission from teacher

Description:

Eighth grade band is a year-long class which is a continuation of seventh grade band.  In this class we continue to develop your musical skills in preparation for entry into the high school program as well as participation in pep band, performing at school assemblies, and participating in district honor bands. 

8^th Girls Choir 

(M8520)

Open to:  8^th grade

Full year class

Prerequisite:

Audition with teacher

Description:

This elective is the standard introductory course or intermediate course for female singers. Students will be expected to develop their vocal skills and demonstrate sight reading skills in group and solo settings as well as dance movements for show choir.  Students are expected to perform in formal and informal concert settings and may be required to attend rehearsals and performances before and after school.

7^th/8^th Junior Mixed Choir

(M8522)

Open to:  7^th/8^th grade

Full year class

Prerequisite:

Audition with teacher

Description:

This elective is the standard introductory course or intermediate course for experienced male and female singers. Students will be expected to develop their vocal skills and demonstrate sight reading skills in group and solo settings as well as beginning dance movements for show choir.  Students are expected to perform in formal and informal concert settings and may be required to attend rehearsals and performances before and after school.

7^th/8^th Varsity Mixed Choir

(M8523)

Open to:  7^th/8^th grade

Full year class

Prerequisite:

Audition with teacher

Description:

This elective is for ADVANCED choral students to develop their vocal potential and musical background. This course is a performance oriented course and teaches two, three, and four-part choral literature. Students in advanced choirs are expected to have advanced sight reading ability, as well as dance ability, and perform in formal and informal concert settings and may be required to attend rehearsals and performances before and after school.

7^th/8^th Discovery

(M8900)

Open to:  7^th/8^th grade

Full year class or one semester

Prerequisite:

Admission into gifted program

Description:

The Discovery class is designed as a challenging elective for those students who have been identified as gifted learners.  It can be taken for one or both semesters.  This class will emphasize higher level thinking and problem solving while strengthening communication skills.  Students will be challenged with material that is above grade level and will have input on the topics covered.  In addition, students will complete a college and career planning unit second semester.

8^th Art

(M8500)

Open to:  8^th grade

Semester class

Prerequisite:

none

Description:

The goal of this course is to strengthen the pre-existing skills, talents and design applications learned up to this point.  You will be expected to use, know and apply much of what you have learned from past art experiences.  Projects will include:  supersized super heroes, kinetic sculptures, painting the art room, printing, and transforming a vehicle into an “art car” with original designs and paint. (lab fee required)

7^th/8^th Beginning Band

(M8512)

Open to:  7^th/8^th grade

Semester class

Prerequisite:

None

Description:

This semester long class is designed to allow students who were not able to join band in 6^th grade an opportunity to join the regular band class.  This is a fast-paced class that will prepare you for entry into the appropriate grade level band class for second semester.

8^th Jazz Band

(M8511)

Open to:  8^th grade

Semester class

Prerequisite:

Teacher recommendation

Description:

This course is offered as a developmental study into the world of jazz.  It will be an introduction to jazz studies and performance that will lead to a better understanding of jazz before enrolling in Jazz Band at the high school level.  This is a full year, audition-only group which requires permission of the instructor to enroll.  Attendance at concerts and contests is mandatory.

8^th Drama

(M8530)

Open to:  8^th grade

Semester class

Prerequisite:

None

Description:

Students will learn stage performance skills in a drama/theatre context, including memorizing lines/parts. They will also learn stage presence, vocal projection, character development and present performances for others.

8^th Exercise & Fitness 

(M8710)

Open to:  8^th grade

Semester class

Prerequisite:

none

Description:

Exercise and Fitness is a class that is designed to create interest in life-long physical fitness.  The objective of this class is to provide opportunities for students to see various forms of exercise.  Some exercises that we do are weight training, endurance training, plyo-metric training, core training, and speed and agility training.  Students take pre-tests at the beginning of the semester and post-tests at the end of the semester to evaluate the improvements that have been made.  At the conclusion of the semester you should understand the positive effects that exercise can produce.

8^th Lifetime Sports

(M8720)

Open to:  8^th grade

Semester class

Prerequisite:

none

Description:

Lifetime Sports is a class that introduces activities to enjoy for a lifetime. This class will offer a wide variety of fitness activities that you will be able to continue on your own throughout your life. Some of the units covered in this course include biking, bowling, golfing, walking/hiking, dance, and aerobics.  This course is ideal for someone who is willing to be active and enjoys extra physical activity.

8^th FACS

(M8620)

Open to:  8^th grade

Semester class

Prerequisite:

none

Description:

8^th Grade Family and Consumer Science will help you develop skills that you can use throughout your life.  Over the semester, our curriculum with include, but not be limited to, exploration of your personality, your feelings, your relationships with others, community service, child care, nutrition, food preparation, leadership, and careers.  Each part helps you develop different skills so you can build a satisfying life now and in the future. (lab fee required)

8^th Industrial Technology

(M8630)

Open to:  8^th grade

Semester class

Prerequisite:

none

Description:

Within this course students will enhance their knowledge of technology, problem-solving, and critical thinking skills.  Students will explore such areas as design and construction process, production and manufacturing systems, and the impacts of technology.(lab fee required)

8^th SimScience

(M8410)

Open to:  8^th grade

Semester class

Prerequisite:

none

Description:

Ever wonder what it would be like to walk in the shoes of a scientist?  In this class you get that opportunity!  We will be using simulations to see what it would be like to be a crime scene analyst, consumer scientist, paranormal researcher, environmentalist, meteorologist, oceanographer, physician, just to name a few of the careers we’re going to be giving you hands-on experiences with.  Join us to see if you have what it takes! (lab fee required)

8^th Library Skills

(M8651)

Open to:  8^th grade

Semester class

Prerequisite:

none

Description:

This course teaches you how to navigate through the library with ease and with confidence. You will learn the system of shelving books, which includes an introduction to the library cataloging system and book classifications. You will also learn the important components to help make the computer lab run smoothly.

8^th  Leadership

(M8660)

Open to:  8^th grade

Semester class

Prerequisite:

none

Description:

Leadership offers you the opportunity to examine the qualities of an effective leader, develop your own leadership skills, and apply your knowledge and skills through a variety of student-driven projects within the school community. We will cover such topics as goal-setting, project planning, problem solving, decision-making, evaluation techniques, communication skills, group dynamics, and leadership styles.