Religion
Text: Finding God by Loyola Press
Unit 1: The Early Church
- Session 1: Jesus’ Message
- Session 2: The Church Grows
- Session 3: Witness to the Faith
- Session 4: The Catechumenate in the Early Church
- Session 5: Celebrating Ordinary Time
Unit 2: We Belong
- Session 6: We Believe
- Session 7: Praise God in Worship
- Session 8: Monasteries and Community
- Session 9: Sent on a Mission
- Session 10: Celebrating Advent and Christmas
Unit 3: We Worship
- Session 11: The First Years
- Session 12: The Church Grows
- Session 13: Nourished by the Eucharist
- Session 14: Serving Physical and Spiritual Needs
- Session 15: Celebrating Lent
Unit 4: We are Called
- Session 16: The Protestant Reformation
- Session 17: Renewal in the Church
- Session 18: The CHurch Reaches Out
- Session 19: Faith and Reasons
- Session 20: Celebrating Holy Week and Easter
Unit 5: We are Sent
- Session 21: Truth Revealed by God
- Session 22: Acting on Behalf of Justice
- Session 23: Called by God
- Session 24: People for Others
- Session 25: Celebrating Pentecost
Virtues Program
- School wide emphasis on a new virtue each month
- Saint of the month that exemplifies the virtue
- Activities for students to learn more about the virtute and to apply to their daily lives
Family Life
- God’s Gift of Family
- God’s GIft of Self
- God’s GIft of Life
- God’s GIft of Love
- God’s Gift of Community
Confirmation Preparation
- Mrs. Spiezio, sacrament coordinator
- Study and research of saints for Confirmation name
- Learn about the Gifts of the Holy Spirit
- Complete regular service hours
- Write letter of Intent
1st Grade Buddies
- Weekly mass attendance, model appropriate behavior and participation
- Celebrate holidays together with making cards and other activities
Social Studies
- American Government
- Federal Constitution
- Illinois Constitution
- American History
- French and Indian War
- American Revolution
- War of 1812
- Mexican American War
- Civil War
- Reconstruction
- Immigration
- Imperialism
- Spanish-American War
- World War I
- Depression
- World War II
- Cold War
- Civil Rights
- Geography
- States and capitals
- Bodies of water throughout the world
- Objectives
- Make inferences about historical events and eras using historical maps and other historical sources.
- Identify the differences between historical fact and interpretation.
- Understand how different groups competed for power within the colonies and how that competition led to the development of political institutions during the early national period.
- Understand how and why the colonies fought for their independence and how the colonists’ ideas are reflected in the Declaration of Independence and the United States Constitution.
- Understand ways in which the United States developed as a world political power.
- Understand economic motivations that attracted Europeans and others to the Americas, 1500-1750.
- Understand relationships among the American economy and slavery, immigration, industrialization, labor and urbanization, 1700-present.
- Understand how economic developments and government policies after 1865 affected the country’s economic institutions including corporations, bands and organized labor.
- Understand the impact of urbanization and suburbanization, 1850-present, on the environment.
Science
- Life Science
- Human Biology and Health
- Healthy Body Systems
- Bones, Muscle and Skin
- Digestion
- Circulation
- Respiration and Excretion
- Nervous System
- Endocrine System and Reproduction
- Fighting Disease
- Vertebrate Dissection: The Frog
- Physical Science
- Introduction to Matter
- Changes in Matter
- Elements and the Periodic Table
- Chemical Reactions
- Atoms and Bonding
- Acids, Bases, and Solutions
- Science Practices, Technology & Society
- Scientific Method, Measurement, and Process Skills
- Science Fair Project
- Interactions of Society, Technology and Morality
- Technological Design
- Student Evaluation and Assessment
- Class Participation and Daily Work
- Homework
- Quizzes and Tests
- Individual and Cooperative Group projects
- Research Projects
Reading & Language Arts
- Reading/ Language Arts is taught in a block period (two 40 minute periods) with the 8th grade homeroom teacher.
- Integration of Classic Literature and Writing; work on analysis of literature
- Units of Study Include: Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Downriver, A Christmas Carol, Across Five Aprils, The Diary of Anne Frank, To Kill a Mockingbird, Romeo & Juliet, short stories, & poetry
- Continue to refine writing and research skills, including documenting sources in MLA format
- Proficiency in the three major types of writing (narrative, expository, and persuasive)
- Biweekly vocabulary test
- Annotation of texts to support analysis using textual evidence
Independent Reading/ Book Reports:
Students are expected to always bring an independent reading book with them to class. Independent reading at home on a regular basis is always homework for this class. Students are to complete three book reports per trimester using the required book report format. All book reports should be turned in on Google Classroom.
Vocabulary:
For vocabulary, we use the Sadlier Vocabulary Workshop online edition. Vocabulary work is part of Language Arts class. There will be a new vocabulary unit every two weeks along with week long review units every three units. Studying the vocabulary words daily is a regular part of the class homework. All students are encouraged to use Quizlet to help them study.