ACADEMICS

Religion

Topics include Jesus Christ, the Church in History, the Sacraments, Encyclicals, Scripture, Liturgy, prayer, justice and peace, and reverence for life. Students will use the Bible frequently as a teaching and learning tool.

Language Arts

Language Arts includes writing, grammar and literature. The program is designed to make literature interesting and thought provoking, and to make writing imaginative and personal. 8th grade grammar consists of an intensive review of the basic parts of speech as well as learning new grammatical terms and correct usage. 8th grade students focus on personal writing including purpose and intended audience. 8th grade students are required to master the 5-paragraph essay format including the use of a thesis statement. The students read a variety of genres in literature such as dramas, poetry, memoirs, short stories, tall-tales, classic and modern novels. The students gain an in depth understanding of a variety of literary techniques such as: irony, foreshadowing, flashbacks, characterization and symbolism.

Mathematics

Grade Eight Mathematics is an unleveled, rigorous Algebra 1 course that is designed to prepare students for high school. Students begin with the study of the properties of real numbers and are soon solving and graphing linear equations and inequalities. Exponential Functions are explored and students learn how to evaluate square roots, solve quadratic, polynomial, and rational equations.

History

United States History starts with the study of the Civil War and the year is completed with the study of World War II.

Science

The students will be learning about Life Science. They will learn about the characteristics that all living things share and how these pertain to their everyday life. The classroom will be constantly active using mini-labs, projects, and cooperative learning to enhance a hands-on approach. To complement this style, there will also be various activities revolving around concrete learning including note taking, vocabulary, and study guides. There will be discussion on theory, chapter content, and review. Critical thinking situations will be presented to allow students the opportunity to devise their own strategies to solve everyday, real-life problems.

Spanish

This year’s focus is to continue building upon the material covered in seventh grade, both in language and culture. Class instruction features more oral Spanish. Student classwork, homework and projects will involve more extensive use of the target language as they prepare for Level Two Spanish in high school.