Please note:
The information
contained in these documents is the intellectual property of
and intended solely
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to better understand
and anticipate course content.
Reuse, resale, or reproduction of
this material outside of
Copyright Wooster School 2005
Middle
School
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English/Literacy | History | Foreign Language | Math | Science
Religion | Art | Music | Library | Information Technology
In recognition of the importance of language to every
academic endeavor,
English 6
English 7
Extensive instruction and practice in the basic skills of reading writing, speaking, and listening are stressed in this course. Students read both assigned and self-selected literature as they explore techniques and tools appropriate to insightful and critical reading. The themes in the assigned novels include social justice and self-discovery. Seventh graders write frequently, drawing upon their analytic and creative skills in order to write stories, poems, and personal reflections. Students' understanding of language is enhanced through the study of grammar, vocabulary, and classical roots.
English 8
In this course, eighth graders will listen actively, speak concisely, read reflectively, and write succinctly at escalating levels of sophistication on assorted topics. Learners will apply elements of the writer's craft to their work, and they will revise and edit their own writing. Across a multicultural language arts curriculum, their teacher will promote, develop, and emphasize critical thinking and a lifelong love of language. Ultimately, learners will create and present original, structured, and supported essays and persuasive oral arguments.
The history curriculum in the Middle School has been designed based on three general assumptions: that students are preparing for college, that students expect a rigorous academic experience, and that students understand that the expectations of their work and performance increase significantly as they grow older.
The amount of work and the demands of time plus the
high standards for academic achievement make for a rigorous academic
experience. The small classes and close teacher interaction with students
require that each student be sufficiently prepared to be fully engaged with the
class material and class discussions. Ideally, students will begin to
recognize their responsibility to think globally as they interpret the
information and will be well prepared for study in the
The expectations on students are commensurate with their age and maturity level both in terms of their chronological age and grade in school. The bar continues to be raised throughout the year, from year to year and from division to division. Students continue to build study skills throughout their middle school years. Such skills include efficient note taking, time management, interpreting large bodies of information, writing coherent prose, evaluate information sources, and organizing and writing research papers.
Building upon the experience presented in the lower school, students in grades 6-8 are able to be successful learners because they understand the three basic areas of effective learning, preparation and study:
I. General Sense of History and Geography
Students:
understand chronological sequence and causation
acquire factual knowledge
demonstrate accuracy when discussing historical data
understand how historical sequencing and events influence one another
understand how current time is influenced by the past and influences the future
understand diversity and relativity of historical perspectives and interpretations
understand how people in various regions of the world experience similar events in different ways
comprehend interdisciplinary connections
develop a sense of place (how to read and interpret maps)
understand geography from cultural, economic, and political perspectives
understand how geographic contexts contribute to the development of a society
understand how context influences the ways people see the world
II. Reading, Research and Analysis
Students learn:
to read effectively and efficientlyfor comprehension with close attention to nuance
what to do when encountering difficult reading
to read to infer and extend meaning by identifying the main points and by distinguishing supportive statements from illustrative detail
about the scientific method (what do we know? and How do we know it?)
the skills associated with the scientific method:
to recognize hypotheses within the text and understand evidence
to evaluate the quality and relevance of the material used to build and support an argument
Information Literacy: (ability to find information) using a variety of sources (library and internet) and assess the quality and reliability of the information
to generalize while recognizing personal biases and identifying fallacies
various research methodologies (quantitative and qualitative data analysis)
to take note effectively
to identify key components of a lecture
to identify important and relevant pieces of information
how to use notes after the lecture
how to prepare an outline with coherent sections and subsections
why note taking and the subsequent organization of information is necessary
III. Orientation Toward Learning
Students:
use a variety of communication skills that show they understand the class material
exercise written, oral, and visual communication
become good communicators and attentive listeners to the questions and concerns of others
accept criticism by others and answer questions with an attentive, positive attitude
make the connection between general knowledge and personal observations and experiences
make connections across disciplines (e.g. Economics and everyday life, sociology and geography)
integrate and use knowledge from across different discipline (social studies and other disciplines)
relate historical, geographic, and sociological materials to a sense of self
become comfortable with ambiguity
demonstrate a variety of skills necessary for success in college:
taking personal responsibility for their work
doing homework and reading assignments
completing written assignments on time
exercising efficient/effective time management techniques
ENGLISH FOR SPEAKERS OF OTHER LANGUAGES (ESOL)
To improve pronunciation and intonation skills
To develop writing proficiency
MS MATHEMATICS
DEPARTMENT
The main purpose of the middle school mathematics curriculum is to bridge the gap between arithmetic and formal algebra by providing students with a thorough understanding of the skills and concepts that are necessary for the study of algebra and geometry. Facility in the use of whole and rational numbers is fostered, and calculator usage is taught as appropriate. Through consistent reinforcement, students are taught to show work logically, develop strong number sense, improve mental math and reasoning skills, and work effectively in groups. Each student is encouraged to take responsibility for his or her own learning, stay organized, and seek extra help when needed. At this level, teachers often require students who are struggling to attend extra help sessions.
Upon completion of eighth grade,
SEQUENCE OF COURSES
When students enter the Middle School in 6th grade, they are placed in one of two classes - Math 6 or Introduction to Algebra. Following Math 6, those students who are ready to face the rigors of Algebra progress to Introduction to Algebra the following year. Those students who complete Math 6 but need some additional practice with arithmetic and beginning algebraic concepts take Fundamentals of Algebra in 7th grade and reach Introduction to Algebra in their 8th grade year.
Algebra 1 follows Introduction to Algebra. Students reaching Algebra 1 in the Middle School take a course called Honors Algebra 1.
Here two courses of study diverge: those who complete Honors Algebra 1 take Honors Geometry followed by Honors Algebra 2. Those who complete "regular" Algebra 1 take Algebra 2 followed by Geometry. The rationale for this is that students for whom algebra does not come easily experience better retention by studying algebra over two consecutive years, whereas those in the Honors sections are better served by deepening their understanding of analytic geometry through studying geometry before their second year of algebra.
PLACEMENT AND
TRANSITIONS
When students enter Wooster’s Middle School, they are placed in a math class based on previous coursework, teacher recommendations, standardized tests, and the assessment of the Math Chair and Director of Studies. Because students' growth is not uniform, some placements just don't work. Lacking a crystal ball, we can only evaluate what we see now, keeping the students' best interests at heart. When a placement is not working out well, we try to improve the situation by remediation or by enrichment or by moving the student to another course. We fully expect to have to do this every year. In fact, our ongoing chore is to re-evaluate students regularly and make the best decisions - in consultation with parents - about what course is best.
Placement is determined by the Department Chair and the
Director of Studies, after a review of the student's record. Implicit in this is the solicitation of an
opinion from the student's current teacher, the person who has the best picture
of the student's ability, determination, maturity, and diligence, given daily
classroom contact. The evaluation of the
sending teacher is, in fact, the single most important factor in determining
future placement because of the prolonged nature of the contact and the
teacher's ability to assess growth over time as a math student. For the same reason, it is
Middle School: Near
the end of their 5th grade year,
When they enter 6th grade, very few students have the aptitude, skills, study habits, and "academic maturity" to thrive in the very demanding succession of courses of which Intro to Algebra is only the first. Having seen a number of students do well in the first few doubly accelerated courses only to falter at the Honors Algebra II or Honors Precalculus level, we have become more conservative in our selections of 6th grade students likely to succeed both in Intro to Algebra and in future math courses. Our mathematics criteria include strength with all arithmetic operations and computations with all sorts of numbers, the ability to apply that strength to word problems, the ability to easily apply methods to novel situations, and the ability to demonstrate all of these on traditional assessments at a consistently high level. We give two cumulative assessments in 5th grade and expect any student who will be considered for Intro to Algebra to score above 80% on at least two of these and have no score below 70%. These two assessments, given in early June, give us the best measure of retention over time and the ability to integrate and apply new material, key components to success in math. Another measure of mathematical aptitude is the ERB CTP-IV test given in February. Students ready for Intro to Algebra in 6th grade should score in the 8th or 9th stanine nationally. Typically, of the 40 sixth graders, two-thirds of which have come through Wooster with the remaining dozen having applied to Wooster from other schools, about one full section (10-14) are deemed ready to move into Introduction to Algebra. Some years, there have been fewer qualified candidates, some years slightly more.
To make our judgment on mathematical aptitude alone would discount some major factors in the make-up of highly successful math students. Consequently, we also look for strong, consistent effort on homework, strong organization and communication skills, and seriousness of purpose in an academic setting. Also necessary are coping strategies for those times when the student doesn't "get it" immediately, willingness to admit there's a problem and to seek extra help being paramount among them. Naturally, we turn to current teachers to provide insights about these intangibles.
It is important to note that since there has been tremendous
admissions interest at the 6th grade level, candidates accepted into that grade
have, in general, been quite strong math students, meaning that a relatively
larger percentage of new students have been able to move directly into
Introduction to Algebra.
After sixth grade, a similar discernment is necessary to determine which of the three paths available in seventh grade is best. At that level, Fundamentals of Algebra, Introduction to Algebra, and Honors Algebra 1 are offered. Students successful in Introduction to Algebra move on to take Honors Algebra 1 in seventh grade. Those who took Math 6 are split into the other two courses based on the same factors used to determine readiness for algebra in sixth grade.
Although math is very sequential, being placed in a certain class in 6th grade (or moving from 6th to 7th grade) does not lock a student into a particular "track." The mathematics department pays careful attention to those students who are advanced beyond grade level. If a student is having difficulty in a class he/she may be asked to repeat the class or do summer work prior to advancing to the next level. Students who are advanced beyond grade level often have difficulty in later courses (especially Honors Algebra 2 and Honors Precalculus) if their basic algebraic skills are not solid or if they have not yet developed the ability to think abstractly. In addition, students who demonstrate that they possess the necessary skills (including the ability to reason abstractly), may be invited accelerate into a more challenging course of study. In either case, the decision is based on what is best for the student in the long run and is made by the Director of Studies in consultation with the Department Chair and the current teacher.
No matter which course a student takes in 6th grade,
Advanced Placement (AP) Calculus is a possibility, if appropriate for the
student, in the
6 7 8
Science as Inquiry
Identify questions that can be answered through scientific investigations X X X
Design and conduct a scientific investigation X X X
Use appropriate tools and techniques to gather, analyze, and interpret data X X X
Develop descriptions, explanations, predictions, and models using evidence X X X
Think critically and logically
to make the relationships between evidence and explanations X X X
Recognize and analyze alternative explanations and predictions X X X
Communicate scientific procedures and explanations X X X
Use mathematics in all aspects of scientific inquiry X X X
Understand about scientific inquiry X X X
Physical Science
Properties and changes of properties in matter X X
Motions and forces X X
Transfer of energy X X
Life Science
Structure and function in living systems X X
Reproduction and heredity X
Regulation and behavior X
Populations and ecosystems X
Diversity and adaptations of organisms X X
Earth and Space Science
Structure of the earth system X
Earth's history X
Earth in the solar system X
Science and Technology
Abilities of technological design X X
Understandings about science and technology X X X
Science in Personal and Social Perspectives
Personal Health X
Populations, resources, and environments X X
Natural hazards X
Risks and benefits X X
Science and technology in society X X X
History and Nature of Science
Science as a human endeavor X X X
Nature of science X X
History of science X X X
Transition to the
Math
Basic algebra skills such as solving linear equations
Graphing
Use of a protractor
Science
SI system of measurement, including conversions between common units within SI, for example, kg to g, mm to cm, m to m, etc.
Measuring skills including the proper reading of graduated cylinders, rulers, and other common instruments.
Problem-solving skills involving both mathematical and non-mathematical solutions.
Oh God, You have given us every good
gift.
We thank You for the bounty of your
creation,
your teachings through the ages,
the love of family and friends,
and the goodly heritage of this
school.
Bless us we pray, in our work and in
our play.
Make us gentle, generous, truthful,
kind, and brave.
and let the life of our school go on
from strength to strength,
and have its place and meaning in
your kingdom.
Reading
standard music notation
Developing
pitch discrimination
Learning
to decipher and count rhythmic patterns
Library activities for the students in the Middle School center around three components: literature, accessing resources and research.
A formal library skills class is taught the first half of the school year to all students in the 6th grade, where they learn to:
Use the library to locate resources.
Organize a research strategy using the Big6 Problem-solving Process.
Use Boolean notation to define keywords in an on-line search.
Understand and use a bibliography.
Identify print and non-print resources.
On-line Search Tools
Print and on-line almanacs
On-line magazine resources
On-line databases
Print and on-line encyclopedias
Evaluate a web site.
The librarians and Middle School classroom teachers work together to develop research projects for the students in grades 6 to 8. Themes and topics studied in the classroom are explored with the help of the information literacy skills learned in library class.
Students also have an opportunity to use related technology such as CD-ROMs, digital cameras, and scanners. Computers are available to students at various times throughout the day, after school, and on Saturday mornings.
The Middle School teachers post assignments and quiz information on the Internet at schoolnotes.com. In addition, students occasionally submit work electronically using email and/or the school network.
The Middle School Physical Education program is an important
component of the total education at
GOALS:
having fun
building self confidence
learning to cooperate and work within a larger group
giving one’s best effort
exhibiting sportsmanship
developing individual skills
exposing children to team, recreational, and lifelong sports and activities
getting anaerobic and aerobic exercise
The program is designed to enhance each child's physical
growth and development. The philosophy is simple: learning and having fun. In conjunction with the mission of
It is the child's self-concept that is the most critical dimension in teaching and in learning. Therefore, it is with full respect for an individual's self-concept that our teachers need to encourage the students to work hard, play fair, and strive to do and to be their best.
CONTENT STANDARDS IN PHYSICAL EDUCATION
Each student :
demonstrates competency in many forms and proficiency in a few movement forms
applies movement concepts to the learning and development of motor skills
exhibits a physically active lifestyle
achieves and maintains a health enhancing level of physical fitness
demonstrates responsible personal and social behavior in physical activity settings
demonstrates understanding and respect for differences among people in class settings
understands that physical activity provides opportunities for enjoyment, challenge, self-expression, and social interaction
Please note:
The information
contained in these documents is the intellectual property of
and intended solely
for the use of current and prospective members of the
to better understand
and anticipate course content.
Reuse, resale, or reproduction of
this material outside of
Copyright Wooster School 2005