8th Grade Curriculum
Eighth graders prepare for Confirmation with daily religion lessons, engage in a science fair integrating skills across subjects, and develop in language arts through literature, writing, and oral presentations.
8th Grade Curriculum Highlights
- Students prepare for the sacrament of Confirmation through daily religion lessons along with a variety of activities including: participation in prayer services such as Shadow Stations of the Cross, class retreats, plan and present class liturgies including May Crowning.
- Participation in the annual science fair is a significant project for eighth graders, which incorporates skills from all content area subjects. Students choose a topic and conduct experiments that require them to implement principles of scientific inquiry. They must communicate clear and accurate results in APA format using pictures, tables, graphs, charts, and diagrams. In addition, students continue to develop their understanding of physical and life sciences.
- In language arts, students read a variety of classic and contemporary literature, continue to demonstrate mastery of the traits of writing, deliver speeches and other oral presentations including debates, and continue their growth and mastery in the use of an rules of English grammar.
- In Math, students demonstrate an understanding of variables, rational numbers, equations, inequalities, functions, systems, radicals, statistics, triangles, and advanced problem solving techniques.
Middle School Expectations
- 8th grade students are held to higher expectations of responsibility and accountability for academic performance and Catholic values-based behavior, along with parental and institutional support.
- Integrated Technology – 8th grade students at St. Joseph participate in an enhanced technology curriculum. Students receive and use personal Chromebooks for daily classroom instruction. Students and teachers utilize Google classroom throughout the entire curriculum, including content and delivery, collaborative learning, independent research projects, teacher-student communication, assessments, and overall student literacy.
- In 8th grade, there are many opportunities for students to participate in various academic competitions such as math competitions, Geography Bees, and Scholastic Bowls at local Catholic high schools. St. Joseph School is proud of their exceptional track record at many of these academic competitions.
- Middle school religious studies require students to participate in an in-depth review of the Ten Commandments with an application to how they affect one’s morality, develop insights as to why all of life is worthy of reverence, explain how God calls us to act in a loving way toward one another using knowledge of the Beatitudes and Catholic Social Teachings, and explore virtues and works of mercy as a method of living the model Jesus gave us.
8th Grade Curriculum
Religion
- Textbook: Finding God: Celebrating Church (Loyola Press)
- Daily Examen: Reflect on the day’s events to notice God’s presence
- Weekly School Mass: Active participation in Eucharistic celebrations
- Adoration: Silent prayer before the Blessed Sacrament
- Rosary: Weekly reciting of the Rosary/Mysteries
- Confirmation Preparation – Year Two: Study the Acts of the Apostles, service hours, retreat, and other steps toward Confirmation
Social Studies
- American History: Key events from the First World War through the Cold War and Civil Rights
- Economics: Globalism, inflation, budgeting, standard of living, and how technology has changed the economy over time
- Objectives: Analyze historical events, understand the development of political institutions, and explore economic motivations and their impact on the U.S.
Science
- Life Science: Human biology, body systems, and vertebrate dissection (frog)
- Physical Science: Matter, chemical reactions, elements, and periodic table
- Science Practices: Scientific method, technological design, and science fair projects
- Student Evaluation: Class participation, homework, quizzes, tests, projects
Reading & Language Arts
- Integration of Classic Literature and Writing: Analysis of literature (e.g., A Christmas Carol)
- Units of Study: Literary novels
- Writing Skills: Refine narrative, expository, and persuasive writing; MLA documentation
- Vocabulary: Continual practice and tests using Sadlier Vocabulary Workshop with regular review units
- Language Arts Skills: Reading strategies, writing strategies, vocabulary and grammar mechanics
- Independent Reading/Book Reports: Students must bring an independent reading book to class daily and complete three book reports per trimester
Math
- Quantities and Modeling: quantities reasoning; create and solve equations and inequalities; graph relations and functions; identify, graph and construct arithmetic sequences
- Statistical Models: two-way frequency tables; relative frequency; measures of center distributions; scatter plots; trend lines and line of best fit
- Linear Systems: solve by graphing, by substitution, by elimination; graph systems of linear equalities; understand piecewise-defined and absolute value functions
- Exponential Relationships: rational exponents and radicals; geometric sequences and exponential functions
- Polynomial Operations: addition, subtraction, multiplication
- Quadratic Functions: graphing; zero product property; solving by factoring, by square roots, by the quadratic formula
- Geometry: angles, transformations, distance formula, triangle congruence
- Expectations: participation in class, organized notes and examples, show all work to support answers, collaborate with others, improve perseverance and communication of mathematical ideas and solutions
- Resources: HMH Algebra 1 and Walch Math 1 Integrated Pathway textbooks, iReady, IXL for extra practice and review for assessments, Desmos/graphing calculator, one-on-one teacher support
- Assessments: classwork and participation, homework, quizzes, tests, projects