Taken in tandem with The Story of US: American History, this course will teach students to become powerful communicators, divergent and reflective thinkers, and positive contributors to our world. By exploring texts that enrich their work in the history portion of The Story of US, students will learn to think critically and to make meaningful connections. Through constant engagement with non-fiction and fictional texts, active student-led discussions, and frequent writing across a variety of genres, students will gain a broader understanding of themselves, society, and the world. (A one-year required course for 7th grade students.)

Eighth grade is a time of exploration. It’s a year when many students grapple with questions about the world and about their place in it; a year when many teenagers start to understand themselves and what’s important to them on a deeper level. In My So-Called Life: Identity in Teen Literature, 8th graders will journey into both fiction and nonfiction literature, meeting characters their own age who strive to challenge injustice while finding their own identity. As students develop an understanding that representation matters, they will find mirrors of themselves in the stories they read as well as windows into the lives of others. Since everyone discovers aspects of themselves and society differently, this course offers a personalized experience in both reading and writing. Students read core texts together, but also choose some books from a list of inspiring classic novels and exciting modern fiction in a wide variety of styles that suit each student’s interests and expand their curiosity.

Teachers help each student challenge themselves with books that will increase their skills as readers and literary scholars. Through one-on-one conferencing, teachers also provide individualized writing instruction that not only builds upon 7th grade skills, but pushes each student toward growth and mastery. In creating their own memoir, writing an opinion piece for the New York Times student editorial contest, and delivering a commencement speech reflecting on their middle school journey, students will write in a variety of styles that not only reflect their own passions, but also solidify the broad array of writing mechanics and techniques that will help them succeed in high school. Most importantly, in this course, students will learn how to write with purpose, read for joy, and discover the true magic within themselves. (A one-year required course for 8th graders.)

You’re already learning a tremendous amount of information and invaluable skills in your academic classes, but do you sometimes wish you could learn things that you’ll need to know later in life but that aren’t traditionally taught in school? Then this is the class for you. In the 8th grade Life Skills elective, you’ll gain expertise in a wide range of areas. Some will be skills you’ll find indispensable in the future, like how to write a strong resume and cover letter to land a job, how to create a budget and make strong financial decisions, and how to do basic home repairs, while other topics will just be cool, useful stuff to know how to do—how to make waffles from scratch, how to give a toast, and maybe even how to juggle. Since we’re a community of inquiry, you can decide part of the curriculum by telling us what you’d like to know, and near the end of the semester, you’ll get a chance to teach the other students in the class something unique that you know how to do. Sign up for this class if you’d like to have fun while learning “how to adult.”(A one-semester elective for 8th graders.)

Screenwriting is a semester-long elective that allows students to tell stories for the big screen. If you have dreams of writing the next Pixar hit, a blockbuster smash like Barbie, or an epic action movie like Mission Impossible, this class is for you. We’ll watch some scenes from classic movies and read excerpts from the scripts they came from, and you’ll learn all about structure, character, dialogue, and pacing. Using a workshop format, students will outline and write several short film scripts by the end of the semester.

In this class, students learn the fundamentals of debating and learn to speak confidently in front of audiences. Students will gain insight into the principals of Civil Discourse, the methods and reasoning for effective argumentation, and the importance of analytical research. While working collaboratively in teams, students will compete in tournaments against other middle schools. Join this exploration if you are competitive, argumentative, and energetic! (A one-year study hall exploration class for 7th and 8th grade students.)

Note: In regards to preparing for tournaments:

• In joining this class, students become part of the Middle School Speech & Debate team and will get the opportunity to compete at local tournaments. Students are expected to participate in two tournaments throughout the school year (and encouraged to attend more!) as part of the course grade.
• All students are expected to learn the topics we are covering, regardless of their attendance of the tournament. The topics for the tournaments are usually given a month before the tournament date and are used as the curriculum for the class. During this time students attending the tournament will need to be present during class to learn the material they will be debating, which will mean having to forgo Study Hall during that time.