Grade 8
At Tesseract School, our student-centered program is designed to help each individual develop his or her unique talents in a safe and supportive environment. To individualize instruction, class size is kept small. Instruction is hands-on, cooperative and interdisciplinary. This multi-sensory, integrated approach to learning allows middle school students to make their own connections and process and remember information in a way uniquely meaningful to them.
In eighth-grade language arts, students continue to hone their writing skills and develop an appreciation of quality literature. Literary selections in this program reflect the themes for the science, social studies and Spanish curriculum. Building on what was learned in earlier language arts courses, students apply their writing practices and critically analyze poetry and literature through the Six Traits of Writing.
Eighth-grade math studies include algebra, geometry, probability and data analysis in addition to problem solving, reasoning and proof. The four unifying concepts of proportional reasoning are utilized throughout the curriculum to help students make connections and build mathematical skills.
In science, the main topics of study are robotics, physics, chemistry, health and nutrition and sustainability. Many of these topics are directly tied to the Costa Rica class-trip curriculum, as well as the physical education (PE) curriculum. In Costa Rica, students experience sustainability issues and explore biodiversity in the rainforests, mountains and caves. Science and PE unite as students learn the physiology of health and nutrition, the science of exercise and the importance of ergonomics.
The development of the American experience is explored in Modern American History through the five founding ideals drawn from the Declaration of Independence. Students have the opportunity for meaningful exchange as they discuss equality and opportunity in America.
The arts, library, athletics, service learning, peer mediation, advisory, field trips and the class trip to Costa Rica further enrich students’ eighth-grade experience, with technology integrated throughout to support each subject’s curriculum.
As important as our academic curriculum is our social curriculum, Developmental Designs for Middle School (DDMS). Knowing each student individually, recognizing and celebrating each other’s similarities and differences, and understanding and maintaining clear parameters for acceptable behavior, we create a culture of respect and reflective social interaction with students, educators and the rest of the community.
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