8th Grade Overview

In the Created for Greatness leadership program students will:

• Attend leadership camp, formation retreats, and a Commissioning Mass
• Explore that true leadership concerns the virtue of magnanimity (greatness of the soul and humility)
• Study the spiritual gifts (charisms), and discern their own gifts
• Use their spiritual gifts in a variety of leadership opportunities and experiences
• Practice being a young leader with the goal of developing a habit of virtue and confidence

In ENGLISH the students will:

• Analyze story structure and how story elements (sentences, chapter, etc.) shape the content and style
• Determine central ideas and themes in a variety of literature
• Practice the conventions of standard English grammar and its correct usage
• Use the Institute for Excellence in Writing process to develop and strengthen writing by planning, drafting, peer-revising, peer-editing, and rewriting for publication
• Write a properly cited researched-based paper
• Write an interior monologue, poetry anthology, and create an original soundtrack to a novel

Novels: Z for Zachariah, The Hobbit, The Giver, To Kill a Mockingbird, The Book Thief

In RELIGION the students will:

• Engage in the Created for Greatness program (details above)
• Study the history of the Church through the lens of magnanimity and service
• Focus on the magnanimous saints throughout church history to pursue a deeper understanding of God’s call for greatness
• Explore Catholic moral teachings and Saint John Paul the Great’s Theology of the Body
• Study Ordinary Lives, Extraordinary Mission by John R, Wood
• Attend weekly school Mass and monthly Adoration, and participate in Reconciliation
• Prepare for the Sacrament of Confirmation
• Participate in Socratic Seminars

 

In SCIENCE the students will:

• Use the FOSS Program
• Design solutions to everyday problems
• Explore a unit on flight and space
• Build model rockets and gliders
• Examine Earth science topics including:
• Electromagnetic force
• Gravity and kinetic energy, waves, populations and ecosystems
• Conduct their own experiments for the school Science Fair. 
• Practice scientific inquiry through weekly scientific writing

In HISTORY the students will:

• Explore Global Studies topics (the world today) including:
• How different countries interact with the modern world, globalization, and modernization
• Geography and populations in various countries
• World War I, World War II,  and the Civil Rights Movement, and Reconstruction, the Great Depression, Westward expansion
• Evaluate leaders in history, their political or military leadership, and discuss what virtues they possessed or lacked (Created for Greatness)

• Expand problem solving and decision-making skills

• Explore and discuss the application and challenges of virtuous leadership in different contexts in history
• Debate a variety of ideas developed throughout history

 
In COMMUNICATIONS the students will:

• Be introduced to William Shakespeare through A Midsummer Night’s Dream
• Expand theatre skills and study theatre history
• Engage in small group production teams and prepare sets, costumes, publicity, and props
• Study and analyze characters
• Learn Latin and Greek roots in English vocabulary
• Prepare and present an hour-long play to the school
• Learn improvisation, building on-stage confidence

 

In PHYSICAL EDUCATION the students will:

• Practice sportsmanship, skill development, team sports, physical fitness, and conditioning
• Examine how nurturing our bodies and helping them grow prepares us for a lifetime of serving God and others through physical fitness

 

In TECHNOLOGY the students will:

• Practice physical computing using BBC Microbit
• Use the design process to understand a problem and design a solution
• Become familiar with Javascript programming
• Learn visual identity process and create a brand logo for a business
• Develop typing skills through lessons and practice

 

In ART the students will:

• • Explore the Elements and Principles of Art, including:
    • Elements: Line, Shape, Form, Color, Value, Texture, Space
    • Principles: Contrast, Movement, Pattern, Emphasis, Balance, Rhythm, Unity
  • Study Artists: Explore different artists and their methods in relation to their projects.
  • Project Examples:
    • Original Artwork: “Line Design” with a focus on Movement, Pattern, and Rhythm
    • Create a Kaleidoscope
    • Art History: Mini Masterpiece
    • Contour Line Hand Drawings

 

In SPANISH the students will:

• Begin Spanish I for a strong foundation for Spanish I or II their first year in high school
• Develop listening ability, a good speaking accent, and general study skills
• Learn Spanish greetings, the calendar, geography and nationalities, and classroom commands
• Practice parts of speech including subject pronouns, verb conjugations, and the present progressive tense
• Explore Hispanic cultural connections through individual and group projects