Program of Studies 6-8

Grade Six

Students will be placed in one of three teams. Each team will consist of: English, Reading, math, science, and social studies. The students will have a rotation of classes in: art, computer science, health/physical education, technology education, and music.

In math,  the students will learn Expressions and Equations, Geometry, Ratios and Proportional Relationships, Statistics and Probability, and the Number System.

In science, students will use the following Science Matters Kits: Earth History; Weather and Water. Other concepts which will be explored in Grade 6 Science include: Physical Science.

In social studies, students will continue with their study of the Constitution. Their study of U.S. History will conclude with World War I. A study of the world’s regions and people will be conducted. A study of physical and human geography, with a focus on the physical characteristics of the Earth, historical and cultural development of its people will be emphasized. Ongoing geographic skills and a study of the demographics of all of the regions of the world will be included.

Grade Seven

Students will be scheduled the following courses:

• Math (Math 7, Pre-Algebra)
• English
• Reading
• Social Studies
• Science
• Wellness 7/Computer Applications 7*
• Rotation 7**
• Academic Support/Elective***

*Wellness 7 will alternate all year on a 6-day cycle with Computer Applications 7 for the student’s seventh grade year.

**The seventh grade student will be exposed to a 9 week exploratory (each) of art, technology education, family and consumer science, and geography.

***Academic Support will be scheduled for students who need additional enrichment and support, typically in the areas of math and reading. Some students will elect to participate in other courses that will alternate all year such as band, chorus, Robotics 7, Word Enrichment, and/or Gifted.

Grade Eight

Students will be scheduled the following courses:

• Math (Pre-Algebra, Algebra Concepts, Honors Algebra I)
• English
• Reading or Spanish I
• Social Studies
• Science
• Wellness 8/Required Course*
• Rotation 8**
• Academic Support/Elective***
   

*Wellness 8 will alternate all year on a 6-day cycle. Students who are enrolled in Reading all year will be enrolled in the Computer Applications 8 course, which will alternate with Wellness 8.

**The eighth grade student will be exposed to a 9 week exploratory (each) of art, technology education, family and consumer science, and music.

***Academic Support will be scheduled for students who need additional enrichment and support, typically in the areas of math and reading. Some students will elect to participate in other courses that will alternate all year, such as band, chorus, Robotics 8, Computer Applications 8, Study Skills, Consumer Education, and/or Gifted.

Curricular Descriptions by Department:

Art

Art 7

Art 7 is an exploration of the materials, techniques, concepts, and processes essential to understanding the visual arts. Students will build and apply their skills and knowledge of the elements of art and principles of design, by creating various artworks. Students will experiment with a variety of media including pencil, watercolor, tempera, acrylic, clay and printmaking.

• Grading: District Grade Scale
• 9 week course
• Grade 7

 

Art 8

Art 8 will build upon Art 7. Students will gain a deeper understanding of the elements of art and principles of design. The students will learn new ways of using these techniques by creating multiple artworks to add to their art backgrounds. Students will touch on a variety of media including pencil, chalk pastels, pen & ink, clay, acrylic and printmaking. These skills are required for high school art.

• Grading: District Grade Scale
• 9 week course
• Grade 8

 
Business Education

Computer Applications 7

Students will learn Windows basics, and will be presented with intermediate and advanced word processing skills such as: changing margins, changing page orientation, creating newsletters, using clip art and graphics, text alignment, using the autocorrect feature, etc. They will also continue to use and improve their keyboarding skills. Internet Safety will also be emphasized.

• Grading: District Grade Scale
• Semester – Every other day, all year
• Grade 7

Computer Applications 8

In this course, students will be presented with an introduction to various computer programs that are available. A study of how technology has evolved (including the marketing of technology) will be discussed. Students will also learn how to use Publisher and other software packages which will allow the students to create brochures, other publications, and videos. Internet Safety will also be emphasized.

• Grading: District Grade Scale
• Semester – Every other day, all year
• Grade 8

English

The Pennsylvania Core Standards are calling for an increasingly integrated approach to English and Language Arts (ELA). As students enter the workforce, technical training, or college, they will need to read and comprehend non-fictional technical manuals, complex textbooks, and be able to argue their suggestions for solving problems or promoting projects with relevant reasons and sound logic. To efficiently achieve these daunting tasks, effective curriculum and instruction will need to build on the content and skills throughout the curriculum. Teachers in the fields of Science, Technology, Social Studies, and History will use the skills of comprehension and writing taught in the ELA Curriculum, while ELA teachers will use the complex text available in the science and social studies fields.

The 7th and 8th Grade Reading Curricula in Connellsville are addressing the need for an increasingly integrated approach not only between reading and English, but also within the history and social studies curricula. The development of skills of analyzing story structure for theme, characterization, and plot sequence will occur in the English curriculum.

Academic English 7 and 8

Academic English 7 and 8 are courses which have been designed to challenge the seventh and eighth grade student who demonstrates a goal of going to college and who has proven to be capable of meeting academic challenges with success.  A rigorous emphasis has been placed on the analysis of literature through discussion and writing. Research skills are further developed, essay writing in response to literature is practiced, creative writing abilities are developed, and grammar in writing is explored. 

Students are expected to think on higher cognitive levels. Daily connections are made between reading, writing and life experiences. Recommendation for placement in the Academic English courses is based on the following data: formative and summative assessments, district test results, state test results, and student grades.

• Grading: District Grade Scale
• Full Year: Everyday
• Grades 7 and 8

English 7 and 8

English courses for seventh and eighth grade students were designed to develop the student’s communication and thinking skills through the integrated study of language, literature, and writing.  Language study emphasizes sentence patterns, punctuation, spelling, vocabulary, and usage.  The study of the writing process includes further development of skills and working with multi-paragraph writings in narrative, descriptive, and expository writing.  The study of literature includes the genre or thematic approach, stressing an understanding of literary terminology and author’s purpose.  Vocabulary enrichment and Study Island help to support student learning in these courses.

• Grading: District Grade Scale
• Full Year: Everyday
• Grades 7 and 8

Study Skills    

Study Skills incorporates mapping, note-taking, skimming, scanning, critical thinking, memorizing, listening skills, the use of acronyms, mnemonic devices and oxymoron relatives to related content subjects.                                                          

• Grading: District Grade Scale
• Semester Course
• Grade Level: 8

Word Enrichment

Students will learn words by identifying word parts or word families that share sounds; build vocabulary through the use of poetry, word endings, and simple word roots; reinforce learning through routine and purposeful repetition.

Students will also learn the meanings of Greek and Latin roots; build essential strategies to use root words to unlock the meanings of unknown words; reinforce learning with a wide variety of robust activities.

• Grading: District Grade Scale
• Semester – Every other day, all year
• Grade: 7

Family and Consumer Science

Family and Consumer Science 7

Students will work on each concept in computer modules in a nine- week period. The concepts which will be addressed in Grade 7 Family and Consumer Science include: Managing personal finances and work decisions; Factors that affect housing; Consumer Rights and Responsibilities; Income & fringe benefits in the workplace; Strategies to obtain goods and services; Providers that serve the family; Analyze diet and disease relationships; Eating disorders and food addictions; Food requirements for various stages of the life cycle; Technology and the food supply; Conserving and recycling; Safety and sanitation; Food planning and prep; Meal management principles. 

• Grading: District Grade Scale 
• 9 week course 
• Grade 7

Family and Consumer Science 8

Students will work on each concept in computer modules in a nine- week period. The concepts which will be addressed in Grade 8 Family and Consumer Science include: Communicating with Children; Keeping children safe; Keeping children healthy; Child care in Action; Child development; Working on the job; Budgeting; Balancing work and family; Work within the family; Family and the Community; Food science and nutrition; Table Manners.

• Grading: District Grade Scale
• 9 week course
• Grade 8

Consumer Education

Students will learn to manage their resources to achieve economic goals and to make decisions in relation to savings, checking, credit, employment, food, clothing, and  housing.   

• Grading: District Grade Scale
• Semester Course
• Grade Level: 8

Health and Physical Education

Wellness 7

Physical well-being is dependent upon knowledge about food and nutrition and discourages the use of tobacco and drugs.  Physical activity and sound choices with regard to consumption lead to a high level of wellness. Students will spend time each week building endurance, flexibility, and physical strength, in addition to learning about the awareness of safety precautions. They will also gain an understanding of the relationship between nutrition and how the human body performs.

Additionally, students will learn alternatives to relieve stress when their physical, emotional, intellectual, and/or social needs are not met. They will be encouraged to set goals to take the appropriate steps for making improvements in their physical, emotional, intellectual, and/or social well-being. Students will learn strategies that enable them to choose the best alternative for avoiding health risks and dangerous situations.

• Grading: District Grade Scale
• Semester – Every other day, all year
• Grade 7

Wellness 8

Physical well-being is dependent upon knowledge about food and nutrition and discourages the use of tobacco and drugs.  Physical activity and sound choices with regard to consumption lead to a high level of wellness. Students will spend time each week building endurance, flexibility, and physical strength, in addition to learning about the awareness of safety precautions. They will also gain an understanding of the relationship between nutrition and how the human body performs.

Additionally, students will learn alternatives to relieve stress when their physical, emotional, intellectual, and/or social needs are not met. They will be encouraged to set goals to take the appropriate steps for making improvements in their physical, emotional, intellectual, and/or social well-being. Students will learn strategies that enable them to choose the best alternative for avoiding health risks and dangerous situations.

• Grading: District Grade Scale
• Semester – Every other day, all year
• Grade 8

Mathematics

Math 7

Math 7 builds upon the knowledge and skills presented in Grade 6 Mathematics. In this course, students will explore the following concepts in greater depth:

Numbers and Operations -
Analyzing proportional relationships
Representing proportional relationships by equations
Using proportional relationships to solve multi-step problems
Unit rates associated with fractions
Operations with rational numbers
Convert rational numbers to a decimal using long division
Geometry -
Real life mathematical problems involving angle measure, area, surface area, and volume
Knowing formulas for area and circumference of a circle and use them to solve problems
Reproducing scale drawings using a different scale
Using scale drawing to compute actual lengths and areas
Algebraic Concepts -
Using properties of operations to write equivalent expressions
Solving multi-step, real life mathematical problems using rational numbers
Solving word problems using equations and inequalities
Data Analysis and Probability –
Using random sampling to draw inferences
Measure of center and variability with random samples
Drawing informal comparative inferences about two populations
Developing, using, and evaluating probability models
Finding the probability of compound events

• Grading: District Grade Scale
• Full Year: Everyday
• Grade 7
   

7th Grade Pre-Algebra

This course differs from the non-accelerated 7th Grade course in that it contains content from 8th grade. While coherence is retained, in that it logically builds from the 6th Grade, the additional content when compared to the nonaccelerated course demands a faster pace for instruction and learning. Content is organized into four critical areas, or units. The Mathematical Practice Standards apply throughout each course and, together with the content standards, prescribe that students experience mathematics as a coherent, useful, and logical subject that makes use of their ability to make sense of problem situations. The four units include: Rational Numbers and Exponents; Proportionality and Linear Relationships; Introduction to Sampling Inference; Creating, Comparing, and Analyzing Geometric Figures.

• Full Year: Everyday
• Grade 7
• Pre-requisite: Teacher recommendation based on the Grade 6 mathematics performance.

8th Grade Pre-Algebra

The fundamental purpose of 8th Grade Pre-Algebra is to formalize and extend the mathematics that students learned through the end of seventh grade. Content in this course is grouped into six critical areas, or units. The units of study deepen and extend understanding of linear and exponential relationships by contrasting them with each other and by applying linear models to data that exhibit a linear trend. 8th Grade Pre-Algebra includes an exploration of the role of rigid motions in congruence and similarity. The Pythagorean theorem is introduced, and students examine volume relationships of cones, cylinders, and spheres. 8th Grade Pre-Algebra uses properties and theorems involving congruent figures to deepen and extend understanding of geometric knowledge from prior grades. The final unit in the course ties together the algebraic and geometric ideas studied. The Mathematical Practice Standards apply throughout each course and, together with the content standards, prescribe that students experience mathematics as a coherent, useful, and logical subject that makes use of their ability to make sense of problem situations.

• Full Year: Everyday
• Grade 8 

Algebra I Concepts

Algebra I is a study of relations and properties of quantity (numbers) by means of letters and/or symbols. Major topics include negative numbers, equations, graphs, relations, and functions. Algebra I is the base for higher mathematics. May use computer assisted instruction.

• Full Year: Everyday 
• Grade 8
• Pre-requisite: Pre-Algebra

Honors Algebra I

Equations/inequalities, real numbers, polynomials, linear functions, and graphing, absolute value, proportional reasoning, number patterns, exponential functions, factoring, and quadratic equations are studied by showing their relationships to real-life situations. Concepts are presented at a faster pace and with more depth than Algebra I. Problem solving, critical thinking skills, and reasoning are emphasized. Students will also use various technologies to research and apply concepts.

Summer readings and preparation are required to be completed by the first day of school for students who select Honors Algebra I. Failure to complete the required summer assignments may significantly impact the student’s first nine-week grade. Students may also be required to be schedule into Algebra I in the place of Honors Algebra I, if the Summer Preparation is not completed by the first day of school.

• Full Year: Everyday
• Grade 8
• Pre-requisite: Successful completion of Pre-Algebra, as well as a strong teacher recommendation.

Academic Support (Tutorial)

Students who have scored, or are at risk of scoring, below Proficient on either the Math PSSA, Reading PSSA, or both will be scheduled into Academic Support for additional mathematics or English/Language Arts (ELA) instruction. The amount of time a student is scheduled into Academic Support depends on the type(s) of remediation that is needed for student success. PSSA Coach books, Common Core Coach books, Study Island, Academy of Reading, and Academy of Math are some of the materials which may be used to address the student’s deficiencies in his/her knowledge of particular anchors and standards.  

• Grading: Pass/Fail
• Semester – Every other day, all year
• Grades 7 and 8

Music

Concert Band

The Connellsville Junior High School Concert Band is a performance-based, instrumental music course geared for novice to moderate aptitude level instrumentalists in the music program. The course will cover classical to contemporary concert band literature with a difficulty level of 2 to 3 on a scale of 1 to 6. In addition to the concert band repertoire, the students will have experience performing in a marching band setting and will have the opportunity for small ensemble study. Also included with the ensemble portion of the course are group lessons, which will be based on a class pull-out rotation schedule.

• Grading: District Grade Scale 
• Semester - Every other day, all year
• Grades 7 and 8

Symphonic Band*

The Connellsville Junior High School Symphonic Band is a performance-based instrumental music course geared for higher aptitude level instrumentalists in the music program. The course will cover classical to contemporary concert band literature with a difficulty level of 3 to 4 on a scale of 1 to 6. In addition to the concert band repertoire, the students will have experience performing in a marching band setting and will have small ensemble study. Also included with the ensemble portion of the course are group lessons, which will be based on a class pull-out rotation schedule.

• Grading: District Grade Scale
• Semester – Every other day, all year
• Grades 7 and 8

*By audition only

Chorus 7 and Chorus 8*

Chorus 7 and Chorus 8 are vocal performance ensembles here at the Junior High. These ensembles rehearse every other day all school year. Vocal skills are refined throughout the year, including an introduction to basic musicianship. Objectives addressed include note reading and part singing. Students will demonstrate understanding of musical terms, using proper breath support, singing with accurate diction and proper vowel placement. The course requirement includes singing in various school and community events.

• Grading: District Grade Scale
• Semester – Every other day, all year
• Grades 7 and 8

*By audition only

Music 8

Music 8 is a required nine week (rotation) general music course. The new curriculum at the Junior High includes world drumming and a history of rock.

World drumming incorporates basic musicianship skills, while the history of rock is a review of the influences and artists of American rock history. The course culminates with a final project requirement specified by the Music 8 teacher.

• Grading: District Grade Scale
• 9 week course
• Grade 8

Reading

The Pennsylvania Core Standards are calling for an increasingly integrated approach to English and Language Arts (ELA). As students enter the workforce, technical training, or college, they will need to read and comprehend non-fictional technical manuals, complex textbooks, and be able to argue their suggestions for solving problems or promoting projects with relevant reasons and sound logic. To efficiently achieve these daunting tasks, effective curriculum and instruction will need to build on the content and skills throughout the curriculum. Teachers in the fields of Science, Technology, Social Studies, and History will use the skills of comprehension and writing taught in the ELA Curriculum, while ELA teachers will use the complex text available in the science and social studies fields.

The 7th and 8th Grade Reading Curricula in Connellsville are addressing the need for an increasingly integrated approach not only between reading and English, but also within the history and social studies curricula. Reading skills such as as analyzing texts for main idea and relevant details, and building vocabulary strategies occur in the Reading classroom.  

In Reading 7, students will have skills units, novels (Lightening Thief, by Percy Jackson), Reflections on Civil War, These Shoes of Mine, Tangerine, Hatchet, or The Cay, Old Yeller, or Touching Spirit Bear.

• Grading: District Grade Scale
• Full Year: Everyday
• Grade 7

Titles included in the Reading 8 curriculum are: Broken, Pigman, Raymond's Run, Tell Tale Heart, Monkey's Paw, O Captain My Captain, Harriet Tubman, or Face on the Milk Carton, Thank You Ma'am, Diary of Joseph Plumb Martin.

• Grading: District Grade Scale
• Full Year: Everyday
• Grade 8

Academic Support (Tutorial)

Students who have scored, or are at risk of scoring, below Proficient on either the Math PSSA, Reading PSSA, or both will be scheduled into Academic Support for additional mathematics or English/Language Arts (ELA) instruction. The amount of time a student is scheduled into Academic Support depends on the type(s) of remediation that is needed for student success. PSSA Coach books, Common Core Coach books, Study Island, Academy of Reading, and Academy of Math are some of the materials which may be used to address the student’s deficiencies in his/her knowledge of particular anchors and standards.  

• Grading: Pass/Fail
• Semester – Every other day, all year 
• Grades 7 and 8

Science

Our students in Grades 4 – 8 use Science Matters kits, in addition to the grade level standards-based curriculum, for Science instruction. Science Matters, launched in 1996 at the IU1 STEM Center, was designed to change the way science is taught and learned. The program provides nationally endorsed curriculum modules, teacher training, classroom follow-up, and kit refurbishment to support K–8 inquiry-based science.

Grade 7 Science

Students in Grade 7 Science will use the following Science Matters Kits: Studying the Development and Reproduction of Organisms; Populations and Ecosystems. Other concepts which will be explored in Grade 7 Science include: Energy; Mutations.

• Grading: District Grade Scale
• Full Year: Everyday 
• Grade 7

Grade 8 Science

Students in Grade 8 Science will use the following Science Matters Kits: Force and Motion; Chemical Interactions. Other concepts which will be explored in Grade 8 science include: Space; Thermal Energy; Plate Tectonics.

• Grading: District Grade Scale
• Full Year: Everyday 
• Grade 8

Social Studies

PA/Local History

Pennsylvania is known as the Keystone State and is one of the original thirteen colonies.Throughout the course PA/Local History, students will explore the historical system of Pennsylvania and Southwestern Pennsylvania. This abridged, introductory course on the history of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania will encourage students to understand the origins, development, and sustaining of the state of Pennsylvania, as well as the rich historical heritage of Southwestern Pennsylvania. The PA/Local History course will build the foundational experience that will aid in the student's social studies courses throughout his/her academic career. 

• Grading: District Grade Scale 
• 9 Week Course 
• Grade 7

World Systems

History takes a new approach in the7th Grade World Systems course. This is a course that will entail the study of Early Civilizations and Early Man through the introduction of Exploration. This objective will be achieved through the Political, Geographical, Historical, and Economic lenses. From Mesopotamia to ocean travel, the 7th Grade World Systems course will encourage students to explore all facets of historical study through research of important individuals, civilizations, and cultures as well as how their geographic, political, and economic systems played a role in their existence, development,and sometimes, their decline. World Systems is designed to highlight the various systems involved in historical study and how various elements can change the course of history. 

• Grading: District Grade Scale 
• Full Year: Everyday 
• Grade 7

U.S./PA History

The United States is a relatively young country in regard to world history; Pennsylvania goes hand in hand with the development of the United States. U.S./PA History is a course developed to explore the creation, development, and changes of the United States to the build-up of World War I. This course will focus on the roles Pennsylvania played in early United States History as well as look at theUnited States through the eyes of the people experiencing its creation and growth. Primary sources from Washington, Jefferson, Franklin, and Adams to Lincoln, Davis, Grant, and Lee to McKinley, Sigsbee and Pulitzer will give students a fresh look at historical study and motivate students to experience history in a new way.

The course is developed to emphasize Pennsylvania’s role in the development, expansion, and growth of the UnitedStates through a politically, geographically, and militarily focused context. Students will be engaging in research that will promote a continuation and consistency with 7th Grade World Systems while preparing students to continue the story of the United States in their Modern U.S. History course. 

• Grading: District Grade Scale 
• Full Year: Everyday 
• Grade 8 

Technology Education

Exploring Technology 7

Exploring Technology is a mandatory rotation course that offers the student an opportunity to explore technology through a variety of hands on, experience based activities. Students will be exposed to a variety of technology systems in a modular setting. There are 10 areas of instruction. Aerodynamics, Alternative energy, Graphics and Animation, Computer Aided Design, Electronic Communication, Computer Aided Publishing, Construction Technology, Robotics and Automation, measuring, and Weather monitoring. 

• Grading: District Grade Scale 
• 9 week course 
• Grade 7

Robotics 7

In this course, students will learn the fundamentals of what robots are and how they operate. Students will learn basic principles of programming, and robotics operation. Students will use the Engineering Design process to begin learning how to design robotic systems with a purpose or function in mind. They will utilize the NXT Robots they gained an understanding of and build complex robot codes using software programming.

• Grading: District Grade Scale
• Semester - Every other day, all year 
• Grade 7

Production Systems 8

Students will be involved in design and layout of various products. Different types of materials will be used in processing these products. Many skills and techniques will be developed in the use and operation of various types of tools and equipment. Production systems will give students an opportunity to explore the technological design model and how it applies to manufacturing and production. This course will provide students with the opportunity to learn the basic operation of hand tools and power tools to complete projects using multiple material processes.

• Grading: District Grade Scale
• 9 week course
• Grade 8

Robotics 8

In this course, students will take their knowledge of robotics to a deeper level. They will advance their programming and automation skills. Students will use computers and specialized software to program machines to perform specific functions. They will program CNC machines while defining their operations to create basic parts. They will also learn basic automation skills for simple robotic functions.

• Grading: District Grade Scale
• Semester – Every other day, all year
• Grade 8

World Language

Spanish I

Some students in Grade 8 will be introduced to the Spanish language and Spanish-speaking cultures. It is a standards-based program which includes interesting topics, authentic culture, and real-life communication to motivate students to master Spanish. There is a balanced approach to instruction, whereby students learn through reading, writing, listening, and speaking. Students will gain foundational knowledge of Spanish in this course, and become aware of how Spanish is used everyday in real world applications.

• Grading: District Grade Scale
• Full year: Everyday
• Grade 8