Middle School Curriculum (Purple Room)
Social Studies Curriculum
Focus: U.S. History: post Civil War reconstruction to present
The BNS middle school social studies curriculum reflects a three year rotation between U.S. History: post Civil War reconstruction to present, Ancient Civilizations, and Civics. This year’s topic is U.S. History: post Civil War reconstruction to present. The content and terminology of the program is based on both Virginia’s Standards of Learning (S.O.L.) and the National Council for the Social Studies Curriculum Standards.
- The goal in social studies is to support the civic competence of the students through knowledge, critical thinking, and multiple perspectives.
- Students will use historical and geographical analysis as they explore American History since 1877, within the context of historical events happening around the world at the time.
- In addition, students will learn world geography and focus on current political events, occurring both around the world and within the U.S.
- There will be a focus on the Presidential Election from September–November. There will be a focus on National History Day projects from November–April.
We will focus on the following topics throughout the year:
August/September:
- State of the Nation (end of 1800s): Native Americans, mining, railroads, farming, urbanization, and industry.
- Immigration and a changing nation
- Racial segregation
October:
- WWI and U.S. expansion
- The Roaring 20s and social change
- Women’s Suffrage
November:
- Stock market crash, the Dust Bowl, and the Great Depression
- The New Deal and economic policy
December-January:
- WWII and factors leading up to U.S. participation.
- Reconstruction abroad and the post-war boom in the U.S.
February:
- Civil Rights Movement
March:
- America’s military role: Korean War, Vietnam War,
April:
- Cold War and the Cuban Missile Crisis
- Social Change Continues
May:
- Technology and Environmentalism
- State of the world today
Social Studies Skills Focus
The students will study and practice the following skills during the course of the year:
- analysis and interpretation of historical documents
- consider and share different perspectives and opinions when discussing current and historical events
- develop geographic knowledge of the world, especially political boundaries
- note-taking from class lectures, peer presentations, and readings
- presentation of information and assessment will occur in a variety of forms including posters, power-point presentations, essays, research papers, oral presentations, dramatizations, and mock trials
- recall of course content will be required for assessments
- study and test taking skills for a variety of test question formats including multiple choice, matching, fill-in, short answer, essay, op-scan, and true / false
Writing in Social Studies
Students will be doing a variety of writing throughout the year. There will be research assignments where the students write short expository essays on their findings and persuasive essays on 20th century topics, as well as a biographical research paper. Students will be expected to use MLA format and will be graded on standard grammar, organization, spelling, word choice, as well as accurate and informative content. There will be short answer and essay questions on tests as well.
Math Curriculum
Math instruction, in both content and pace, is as individualized as possible, with Middle School students working in small groups based on skills. Students learn by practicing mathematical computation and by solving word problems based on real-world applications. Those students who seek further challenges will have opportunities to complete math projects related to the current topic of study, which extend their thinking. Students will be taught with a hands-on approach whenever possible. Proof of or explanations of why a given formula works will reinforce students’ understanding. Math instructors include Molly Lucier, Ellen Oliver, and Ian Renga.
The math groups use Prentice Hall’s math curriculum and study various levels of Pre-Algebra and Algebra depending on current skills. The basic curriculum addresses and goes beyond the state’s 6th, 7th, and 8th grade SOLs. The Prentice Hall curriculum covers the following concepts to varying degrees throughout the Course 1, Course 2, and Course 3 textbooks:
Number and Operations: Understanding numbers, ways of representing numbers, relations among numbers, and number systems; understand meanings of operations and how they relate to one another; compute fluently and make reasonable estimates.
Data Analysis: Formulate questions that can be addressed with data and collect, organize, and display relevant data to answer them; select and use appropriate statistical methods to analyze data; develop and evaluate inferences and predictions that are based on data; understand and apply basic concepts of probability.
Algebra: Understanding patterns, relations, and functions; represent and analyze mathematical situations and structures using Algebraic symbols; use mathematical models to represent and understand quantitative relationships; analyze change in various contexts.
Geometry: Analyze characteristics and properties of two- and three-dimensional geometric shapes and develop mathematical arguments about geometric relationships; specify locations and describe spatial relationships using coordinate geometry and other representational systems; apply transformations and use symmetry to analyze mathematical situations; use visualization, spatial reasoning, and geometric modeling to solve problems.
Measurement: Understanding measurable attributes of objects and the units, systems, and processes of measurement; apply appropriate techniques, tools, and formulas to determine measurements.
Problem Solving: Build new mathematical knowledge through problem solving; solve problems that arise in mathematics and in other contexts; apply and adapt a variety of appropriate strategies to solve problems; monitor and reflect on the process of mathematical problem solving.
Reasoning and Proof: Recognize reasoning and proof as fundamental aspects of mathematics; make and investigate mathematical conjectures; develop and evaluate mathematical arguments and proofs; select and use various types of reasoning and methods of proof.
Communication: Organize and consolidate their mathematical thinking through communication; communicate their mathematical thinking coherently and clearly to peers, teachers, and others; analyze and evaluate the mathematical thinking and strategies of others; use the language of mathematics to express mathematical ideas precisely;
Connections: Recognize and use connections among mathematical ideas; understand how mathematical ideas interconnect and build on one another to produce a coherent whole; recognize and apply mathematics in contexts outside of mathematics.
Representation: Create and use representations to organize, record, and communicate mathematical ideas; select, apply, and translate among mathematical representations to solve problems; use representations to model and interpret physical, social, and mathematical phenomena.
The specific topics covered follow:
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Course 1:
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Course 2:
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Course 3:
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The Algebra group will use Prentice Hall Algebra 1. The curriculum includes 7th and 8th grade SOLs as well as high school level Algebra topics. Students successfully completing this Algebra 1 course will receive high school credit for Algebra 1. The specific topics covered follow:
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Algebra 1:
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The Geometry group will use Prentice Hall Geometry. The curriculum includes high school level Geometry topics. Students successfully completing this Geometry course will receive high school credit for Geometry. The specific topics covered follow:
Once per month, students will join together for board games, card games, logic puzzles, riddles, cooking projects, and other fun activities that encourage mental flexibility, strategizing, and everyday application of math concepts.
Language Arts Curriculum
Exploring Human Potentials through Literature
Curriculum Overview
- August/September - Experience: Our Backgrounds, Our Voices (Short stories)
- Major writing assignments:
Short story about experience of character
Compare/ contrast essay - September/October - Change: Good Times and Bad Times on the Roller Coaster of Life (Poetry)
- Major writing assignments:
Poetry variations on themes to be included in anthology
Poetry explication (essay on imagery, metaphor, literary devices) - October/November- Hardship: The Human Struggle (Novels)
- Major writing assignments:
Short stories on theme of hardship
Character essays - December- Evil: Inflicting Inhumanity on Others (Nonfiction)
- Major writing assignments:
Personal memoirs
Theme essays - January- Conflict: A House Divided (Drama)
- Major writing assignments:
Write and act a scene from a play
Prediction essay - February- Hope: The Incessant Force (Speech/Persuasive literature)
- Major writing assignments:
Write and give a persuasive speech
Analyze an opinion - March/April- Competition and Power (Novels)
- Major writing assignments:
Author’s Tea
Paper on symbolism - April/May- Imagination: To the Future and Beyond (Science fiction)
- Major writing assignments:
Author’s Tea
Anthology of favorite works
Introduction
The middle school language arts curriculum allows students to explore multiple genres and authors through integration of verbal processes, including reading, writing, speaking, and grammatical study. Students will be exposed to a variety of authors, works, and genres, and will be asked to write both creatively and technically in response to their reading. The themes chosen for this curriculum correlate with the Social Studies curriculum, which surveys history from 1900-present (including such momentous happenings as immigration, World War II, the Civil Rights movement, and the Cold War). Thus, many of the themes discussed this year involve the disparities possible in human potentials: the potential for evil and the potential to dream for something better, the potential to compete and the potential to overcome hardship. Essentially, we will seek to explore writing related to the human condition in all of its circumstances, and we will attempt to understand how the backgrounds and lives of various writers and characters can shape their voices. All instruction, materials, and assignments will be based on the strengths and needs of the class and individual students. The curriculum will incorporate student interests while meeting Virginia SOLs and BNS objectives. Grammar, vocabulary, and writing lessons will be derived from Prentice Hall’s Writing and Grammar: Communication in Action (Bronze Level).
Shakespeare's Macbeth
Reading
A variety of literary genres will be covered this year, including short stories, poetry, nonfiction, drama, speech and persuasive literature, novels, and science fiction. While topics correlate with themes explored in Social Studies, works have been chosen based on depth of themes, perceived student interest, language complexity, and purposeful exposure to a variety of writing styles, both classic and modern. Aside from reading assigned for class, students will be further expected to select books for independent reading. Students will be asked to respond to literature in various ways, in particular through questioning, connecting literature to previous experiences, creating images, making predictions, and exploring themes, literary devices, and word choice.
Writing
Students will likewise be asked to respond to literature by writing in a variety of ways, both creatively and technically. Each unit allows students to produce creative and technical products, and a variety of formal and informal response forms will be studied. Through response journals students will informally respond to all reading throughout the curriculum. Writing will be further enhanced with regular assignments requiring students to master a variety of styles, to write for a variety of audiences, and to explore their own experiences through writing. Emphasis will be placed on form in writing, including proper sentence formation, paragraph formation, and composition organization. Students will experience the full complexities of the writing process by regularly engaging in brainstorming, composing, revising, proofreading, and publishing. Content, organization, voice, fluency, grammar, and word choice will be emphasized throughout the writing process.
Grammar and spelling
Grammatical conventions will be studied daily in the form of mini lessons, and short assignments will allow students practice with grammar. Grammar will also be emphasized throughout the course of student writing. Writers’ workshops will enhance exploration of the conventions of writing styles and purposes. Students will be expected to use studied grammar and spelling rules in all formal writing assignments and to revise assignments so that they contain no grammatical mistakes. While many students will concentrate on rules of spelling, especially on words commonly misspelled, others will focus on Latin roots and on vocabulary enhancement, especially words they will encounter frequently in high school reading.
Speaking and listening
Speaking and listening will be integrated throughout the curriculum through regular oral presentations, small group discussions, literature circles, interviews, and drama. All students are expected to contribute to group discussions and to listen attentively to others in the classroom.
Assessment
Students will be assessed both formally and informally throughout the year. Ideally, each student will be able to use his or her strengths and interests to display knowledge. A variety of assessment opportunities will be given, including quizzes; informal response journals; short term assignments; participation in a variety of in-class assignments, including whole-class, group, and individual; homework completion; long-term assignments, essays, and creative pieces graded according to compliance with rubrics and quality of effort; and portfolios.
Science Curriculum: The Earth Sciences
The BNS middle school science curriculum reflects a yearly rotation of the life, physical, and earth sciences. This year we are studying the earth sciences, which will take us from the Earth’s rocky skin on up through its soils, waters, atmosphere, and beyond. The program’s underlying framework reflects the National Science Teachers Association notion that scientific inquiry, or hypothesis testing, is a critical thinking process necessary for the information-rich 21st century. The content and terminology of the program is based on both Virginia’s Standards of Learning (S.O.L.) and the National Science Education requirements for middle school science. The program’s broad goal is to kindle and maintain student curiosity in the sciences and the mysteries of the world in general. The curriculum emphasizes the scientific method, and also includes practices such as observation, journaling, scientific writing, group discussion, and both lab and field research. Additionally, the curriculum encourages familiarity with the various scientific thinkers, artists, and philosophers through regular readings and discussions. This multi-faceted approach, implemented in a safe and engaging setting, is designed to inspire and prepare students for further education and the world beyond.
Earth Sciences Plan
| Timeframe | Topic | Concepts Covered | SOL’s |
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| Aug.-Sept. | UNIT #1: Intro to Science |
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ES.1 ES.2 |
| Sept.-Nov. | UNIT #2: Plate Tectonics and Geology |
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ES.5 ES.6 ES.8 ES.10 |
| Dec.-Jan. | UNIT #3: Watersheds and Oceans |
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ES.9 ES.11 |
| Feb.-Mar. | UNIT #4: The Atmosphere and Weather |
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ES.12 ES.13 |
| April-May | UNIT #5: Outer Space |
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ES.4 ES.14 |
The annual BNS Science Fair will be concurrent with classroom science classes. It will begin in December, with the fair itself being in March. Several class periods will be devoted to assisting students with their research.
NOTES
- SOL’s ES.1 and ES.2, are only mentioned in the first unit, but will be covered throughout the year in a variety of activities. These SOL’s ask that students practice with the reasoning and methods of scientific inquiry.
- SOL ES.3 is not specifically mentioned, but will also be covered throughout the year. This SOL asks that students become familiar with the tools and measurements of science, particularly as they apply to the earth sciences.
- SOL ES.7 asks that students understand the difference between renewable and non-renewable resources, as well as the costs and benefits of resource use. While not specifically listed above, this will be addressed throughout the course.
- Also, I will be complementing our studies with short, weekly read-aloud sessions of science-themed literature.
Summary of Skills Emphasized and Practiced
- the scientific method of inquiry or testing hypotheses: critical thinking by first making careful observations and inferences, then testing (and still remaining cautiously skeptical and open to further information)
- scientific writing: use of the current journal standard, i.e. abstract, introduction, methods, results, discussion*
- connecting prior knowledge with unfamiliar knowledge to attain bigger picture
- safe lab techniques
- familiarity with and recall of important terminology
- quantitative measuring and the metric system
- collaborative inquiry and teamwork
- listening and speaking skills
- test-taking strategies
- formatting and development of timely, well-crafted products
- presentation techniques
- computer skills such as data entry/graphing (Excel) and presentation of research (Power Point)
*Writing in science will occur frequently and most comprehensively in lab reports. Students will practice the scientific writing style, which is detailed and thorough, but also succinct. The quality of writing in these reports will be evaluated using a six-components assessment (fluency, voice, organization, conventions, word choice, and content). Reports will also be required to be in standard MLA format.
Follow Your Star
Presented by: Ashley Raines, Community Health Educator
Planned Parenthood Health Systems, Inc.
This program has been created to educate and inform middle school students about relevant topics and issues they will be faced with in the near future or are already dealing with. Education is an integral part of making informed and responsible decisions. Planned Parenthood believes education should begin at home and we encourage parents to communicate about these topics regularly with their children. This program is designed to be a supplement to parent education and reinforce important information.
Curriculum
Three main research-based curriculums are used as the foundation of this program:
- Sex Matters – Teaching Health Sexual
- Making Proud Choices
- Can We Talk?
Other resources are used to create an interactive learning environment.
Topic Schedule
(Some topics will be discussed for more than one day, monthly calendars will be provided with more detail including topics to be covered and activities)
- Introductions
- Goal Setting
- Masculinity/Femininity
- Body Image
- Communication with Parents
- Healthy Relationships
- Drugs and Alcohol
- Sexuality
- Sexual Anatomy
- Media Influences
- Sex and Communication
- STIs
- HIV/Aids
- Birth Control
- Sexual Myths
- Pregnancy
- Stereotypes
