Middle School Curriculum

History

Grade 6 – American History

Text:
From Sea To Shining Sea: The Story of America

The focus of the American History course in the sixth grade is on the westward expansion of the 1800’s. Students study the plight of the immigrant laborer, the impact of industry and the railroad, the conditions of life in the north and south, slavery, the wars and battles of the West including the Mexican War, the lives of mountain men, traders and trappers, the voyage of Lewis and Clark, the conditions leading up to the Civil War, and the outbreak of the Civil War. Students complete their study of the Civil War when they revisit the topic in-depth during the seventh grade history course entitled Lands and Conquests.

As students learn more about the adventures of westward expansion, they are required to take notes and learn how to outline chapters for later study. History is taught from the perspective of a factual story and in an analytical sense students are expected to understand the major themes of the day and how they relate to one another throughout a course of events.

Grade 7 – Lands and Conquests

Texts:
The American Venture: A History of the United States
Great Battles of World War II by Dr. Chris Mann et al
Killer Angels by Michael Shaara
Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass
Shane

The major topics covered in the seventh-grade History course are the Civil War, World War II, and geography. Students gain an appreciation for these two enormously significant historical events and, while doing so, learn a great deal about the resulting geography that was impacted by each war. World War II is a vast topic often understudied in many secondary school history classes but nonetheless considered by many historians to be the most influential event of the twentieth century. Students study the impact of World War II on both their own country and the countries of Europe and the Pacific. The Civil War is covered in-depth as well and detailed analysis of major battlefields is included. Finally, students gain insight into the personal character and tenacity of those involved in each of these two conflicts.

Grade 8 – Ancient History

Text:
Ancient History produced by Bill Dardis from The Heights.

The eighth-grade Ancient History course is a survey of the early civilizations that have played a pivotal role in the development of Western culture. The primary text for this survey is written by The Heights teachers, led by Bill Dardis. Chronologically, the class begins with the questions of what man is and what we know about our earliest origins. Then, the class fast-forwards to the cradle of ancient culture, the Tigris-Euphrates valley, with an examination of the great Mesopotamian societies, including the Sumerians, the Babylonians, the Assyrians, and the Chaldeans. It moves on to another great river valley, the Nile, to examine the Egyptians, and then surveys the early Indo-European civilizations of the Hittites and the Persians. Included also is a look at the smaller Eastern Mediterranean cultures of the Phoenicians, Arameans, and Hebrews. Throughout this survey course, students will be asked to grasp both the distinctive features and the accomplishments of each society, ranging from its political and religious institutions to its artistic and intellectual achievements, as well as its place in the larger story of the ancient world.

Having set the stage with a survey of the major Middle Eastern civilizations, the class will then shift its focus to the two great Mediterranean civilizations: Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome. As befitting their monumental impact on the West, these two civilizations will receive a more thorough and systematic treatment, beginning with the early Bronze Age Greek societies of the Minoans and Mycenaeans and continuing to the Fall of Rome. Along the way, students will meet such imposing figures as Pericles, Alexander the Great and Julius Caesar, and review the epic military struggles on which history turned, including the Persian, Peloponnesian and Punic Wars. Students will also encounter the remarkable genius of these two civilizations, from the unparalleled philosophic and artistic brilliance of fifth century Athens—the age of Socrates and Sophocles—to the pragmatic genius of the Romans, exemplified in their innovations in engineering, architecture, and law. While the first part of the class relies primarily on archaeological evidence, the latter part will give the boys access to the primary sources that make the study of the Greeks and Romans so much richer than a simple archaeological record.

Pursuing such an ambitious survey of Ancient History proficiently requires students to develop a number of critical skills, including the skill of discerning chronological and geographical context. This requires the essential skill of memorization, of mastering various dates and being able to identify key places on a map. Discerning chronological and geographical context involves the skill of being able to move back and forth across different eras and regions of the ancient world, recognizing both the distinctiveness of such eras and regions as well as the impact that they have on each other. It is to know why, for example, historians distinguish between Classical Greece and Hellenistic Greece, or what role climatic and topographical factors played in giving early Mediterranean cultures a huge cultural leap over those of Northern Europe. A major goal of this course is making students more adept at using and explaining such context in history.

Language Arts and Literature

Grade 6 – Grammar    

Texts:

Well-Ordered Language 3A by Classical Academic Press

Writing & Rhetoric Book 5: Refutation & Confirmation

Writing & Rhetoric Book 7: Encomium & Vituperation

The language arts class seeks to solidify foundations in English grammar and writing. It covers the basic parts of speech and sentence structure, with the goal of improving a student’s writing ability and understanding of grammar. This is pursued by using the Writing & Rhetoric series, attacking and defending stories, and writing biographies. Students will practice grammatical concepts in the Well-Ordered Language text and also practice imitating good writing. The greater facility students have with the parts of speech, appositives, participial phrases, and other nuts and bolts of language, the better they can understand and convey ideas.

Grade 6 – Literature   

Books:
Carry On, Mr. Bowditch by Jean Lee Latham 
A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R Tolkien
The Story of Rolf and the Viking Bow
by Allen French

Poems for study are chosen from a working list and by the homeroom teacher’s preference.

The sixth grade literature curriculum is generally geared toward fostering within the student both practical and theoretical pursuits. Therefore, literature is seen not only as a pleasurable interest, but as a mode of knowledge, instructing not only the mind, but the heart. Stressing both oral and written traditions, a love for literature is fostered in our students through study of poetry and stories of various lengths and kinds. The main skills developed through the sixth grade literature curriculum include reading comprehension, reading aloud, memorization and recitation of poetry, literary criticism, plot mapping, and composition of critical essays and short fiction. The textbook selections in the sixth grade literature course recognize that it is as important to cultivate the imagination as it is to cultivate the will or the intelligence.

Grade 7

Books:
Beowulf translation by Seamus Heaney
The Two Towers by J.R.R. Tolkien
Kidnapped by Robert Louis Stevenson
The Eagle of the Ninth by Rosemary Sutcliff

The emphasis of the seventh grade English course is to promote sound reading habits as well as critical and analytical thinking and expression. An emphasis is also placed upon grammar, sentence structure, and word usage in the context of written expression. There are three main components to the seventh grade English class: literature, grammar, and vocabulary.

The primary objective of the literature component is to enhance a student’s interest in reading while introducing concepts of literature analysis. Students will be expected to discuss and critically analyze what they read. Short papers on literature based topics will be common. The class readings are selected to appeal to the seventh grade boy’s sense of adventure and heroism. Once literary concepts such as plot, character, setting, are introduced, class discussions take on a more analytical nature and lead towards the student’s appreciation of an author’s skill and technique. A variety of short stories are particularly well-suited to the accomplishment of this goal. Papers are written comparing and contrasting short stories and authors as well as the use of setting, characterization, and other literary concepts. Finally, students write their own short story in addition to their many other essays.

The seventh grade grammar component reinforces all the fundamental grammatical concepts so that the students have a firm basis in grammar and the application of grammar to their writing, a process that takes most boys successive years of study and practice. The grammar text is a workbook filled with concise chapters of distinct grammatical concepts that build on one another and are paired with many practice questions that reinforce what has already been learned. The primary mode of instruction is classroom presentation of the principles in each section followed by homework that is assigned nightly to reinforce the concept covered in class. The principles are reinforced by diagramming sentences in essays written by the students.

The primary objective of the vocabulary component is to broaden the student’s word usage and word construction knowledge. The vocabulary text is structured around words that use common Latin or Greek roots. The fundamental approach of the text is to enable students to recognize roots so that they may learn to discern the meaning of unfamiliar words. Often vocabulary words are also taken from the novels read in class in order to help the student better understand the readings.

Grade 8

Books:
The Illiad by Homer
The Return of the King by J.R.R. Tolkien
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
Julius Caesar by William Shakespeare

The eighth grade English course emphasizes literature, vocabulary, grammar, and poetry. The major themes of adventure and leadership emerge throughout the literary works studied during this course.

A student’s understanding of grammatical standards is reinforced through regular writing assignments. Throughout the course of the year, students are also challenged to memorize poetry and recite selected poems, emphasizing the importance of presentation. Regular and frequent writing assignments on the literature component of the course allow students to become efficient writers as they learn from the great works of literature they read. An appreciation for literature and authorship is fostered as well as the ability to analyze a text in depth.

Latin

Grade 7 – Latin A

Text:
Ecce Romani I, by Prentice Hall

The study of Latin is an important aspect of Sparhawk Academy academic curriculum because of its connection, pedagogically and linguistically, to the liberal arts. All Middle School students are therefore required to take Latin as a seventh-grade core class.

In class, students are introduced to Latin as a living language.  While the class is not a full immersion class, students are regularly exposed to both written and spoken Latin in the classroom.  With the primary goal of the class being to prepare students to be able to read (not translate) authentic texts in their original language, graded readers in Latin are used to build a proficiency in reading.  Moreover, the textbook Ecce Romani, which recounts the day-to-day experiences of a fictional family of a Roman senator, also provides this sort of graded reading material while also including relevant cultural information about ancient Rome.  Learning (or acquiring) a language requires practicing the four skills of reading, writing, speaking, and listening.  As such, students will have the opportunity to practice all four skills in Latin class.

Students are also introduced to the formal study of Latin grammar.  Particular attention will be paid to the similarities and differences between Latin and English vocabulary, grammar, and syntax. As there are an exceedingly large number of English words derived from Latin, the course will expand the students’ English vocabulary as well as foster an aptitude for deciphering the meaning of new words based upon their Latin roots. The fixed and clear structure of Latin grammar will give the boys a greater understanding of English grammar and of the nature of language in general. In addition to the primary goal of preparing students to delve into the wealth of authentic Classical literature through a fluency in reading, the study of Latin also helps to form students as comprehensive readers, expressive writers, and clear thinkers.

Grammar topics include:
1st-3rd declension nouns and adjectives
Noun/adjective agreement
Typical Latin syntax
Present, imperfect, and future tenses (active voice)
Perfect, pluperfect, and future perfect tenses (active voice)
Principal Parts of Verbs
Imperative Mood

Grade 8 – Latin B

Text:
Ecce Romani I, by Prentice Hall

Ecce Romani II, by Prentice Hall

The study of Latin is an important aspect of Sparhawk Academy academic curriculum because of its connection, pedagogically and linguistically, to the liberal arts. All Middle School students are therefore required to take Latin as an eighth-grade core class.

The eighth grade Latin course furthers the objectives established in the seventh grade Latin course. Students develop a greater fluency with and command of the Latin tongue through practice in the four linguistic skills: reading, writing, speaking, listening.  After a comprehensive review of the grammar that was learned during the previous year, new aspects of Latin grammar are covered. Upon completion of this course, the students can expect to enter a standard Latin II class at the high school level.

Grammar topics include:
4th-5th declensions
Passive voice
Demonstratives
Relative clauses
Indirect statements
Participles

Mathematics

The Middle School Saxon program builds on the strong math foundation built in grades 3-5. With fundamentals in place, there is more emphasis on logic and discovering the connections that exist between different laws of nature and methods of solving problems. Previously learned material is regularly reviewed as new topics are introduced, and “incremental learning” continues.

All Middle School math classes meet at the same time. Students who excel at math or need extra practice at a given level will be placed in the appropriate class.

Grade 6

Text:
Math 87 by Hake & Saxon

This course is a combination of the theory and practical application of arithmetic and geometry. Major concepts covered include the following: the review and mastery of operations with fractions and mixed numbers, reciprocals, ratios, proportions, exponents, square roots, scientific notation, order of operations, algebraic addition, simple equations, perimeters, circumferences, areas, and volumes. Through working with the abstract concepts and relations of numbers and figures, the student develops and sharpens his imagination and reasoning capacity. Because the student must solve problems that require a number of subordinate steps to find a solution, the importance of attention to detail is impressed upon him as well as a stepwise approach to solving problems. Students are encouraged to recognize how a small error in an initial step will affect the conclusion of most math problems

Grade 7 – Pre-Algebra

Text:
Algebra 1/2 published by Saxon

The seventh grade Pre-Algebra course continues to build a foundation for advanced mathematics by emphasizing basic skills and problem-solving techniques. Major topics studied and reviewed include but are not limited to: converting decimals, fractions and percents, geometric area and volume of various shapes, averaging quantities, order of operations, changing rates, algebraic steps, ratios, word problems, probability, exponents, square roots, scientific notation, and distance problems. The Saxon math series of textbooks is particularly useful given the way the student is reminded of past lessons in every problem set.

The habits and skills that this course seeks to establish for students include: order in problem solving, neatness, completeness, attention to detail, perseverance, proper arithmetic, showing problem-solving steps, verifying solutions, and identifying and correcting common sources of mistakes.

Grade 8

Algebra 1

Text:
Algebra: Structure and Method, Book 1 by McDougal Littell

This course will begin with a thorough review of the major topics from the seventh grade pre-algebra course. Following this review of material, this course covers the following mathematical topics: angles, polygons, perimeter, rectangular area, unit multipliers, areas of triangles, graphs, variables, word problems, equivalent equations, reciprocals, exponents, roots, volume, surface area, circumference and pi, graphing inequalities, theorems for exponents, advanced word problems, graphing linear equations, intercept-slope method, multiplication and division of polynomials, subscripted variables, simplification of radicals, monomial and binomial factoring, difference of squares, quadratic equations and formula, completing the square, distance problems, uniform motion problems, and additional topics if time permits.

The habits and skills that this course seeks to establish for students includes: order in problem solving, neatness, completeness, attention to detail, perseverance, proper arithmetic, showing problem-solving steps, verifying solutions, and identifying and correcting common sources of mistakes.

Algebra 2

Text:
Algebra 2: An Incremental Development published by Saxon

This course is an advanced math class that reviews past concepts seen in Algebra I and teaches new ones that will prepare students for Pre-Calculus in high school. The main goal in this class is practice: algebra is strongly based in logic, and that logic can grow like a muscle if it is trained through repeated exercises.

Music

Music classes meet two days per week in sixth grade and combine theory and musical experience. Music is understood to be profoundly connected to the development of school culture. For this reason, students learn and sing both traditional folk music and sacred music. Folk songs emphasize themes such as love, war, brotherhood, heroism, sacrifice, humor, sadness, joy, and God Almighty. Students are also taught to sing Gregorian Chant which allows them to participate more fully in the Sacred Liturgy. Students continue developing the skill of sight-reading music which they began in the Lower School. 

In the seventh and eighth grades, the emphasis of the class shifts to listening to and appreciating great music.

Grades 6-8

Topics: beat & rhythm, pitch, scales, notation, music alphabet, intervals, sight reading, vocal technique, timbre, diction, unison singing and part singing

Songs: Various Christmas Carols, Gregorian Chants & Other Sacred Music, Folk Music

Physical Education

All students participate in physical education class from Monday through Thursday. The emphasis of this class is on fitness, skill development, understanding the rules of a variety of sports, engaged participation, and sportsmanship. Students are encouraged to engage in healthy competition and are given the opportunity for exercise on a daily basis. Typically, our middle school sports teams practice during times outside of physical education class.

Religion

Our objective is for each student to develop a deeper prayer life as well as a greater understanding of his faith and ways to live his faith. This is done through religion classes that meet three times per week. In order to cultivate a life of piety, each student will also have opportunities for confession, spiritual talks and recitation of the rosary during a chapel service held once every month by Sparhawk Academy chaplains. 

Grade 6 

Text:
Following Christ (Book 6 of the Faith and Life Series)

The sixth grade Religion course guides the student through a variety of topics ranging from the ancestral roots of the Hebrew people to the beginning of Christianity/Catholicism and finally to The Resurrection following the salvific sacrifice of Jesus Christ’s passion and death on the cross. The student will gain a better understanding of the relationship between the Old and New Testaments, and a greater appreciation for the lives and contributions of the saints. They will be asked to write in-depth papers on a variety of content related topics citing specific quotes taken from Scripture and the writings of the saints.

Outside reading includes a book on the life of St. Isaac Jogues and his companions who evangelized and converted multiple tribes of Indians. Also, different chapters from the Bible will be assigned and read in class. The student will develop an enhanced knowledge of the role of Mary, the Mother of God, in salvation history, as well as a more comprehensive understanding and personal appreciation of the powerful mystery of the Holy Eucharist available to us daily in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.

Grade 7  

Text:
The Life of Grace (Book 7 of the Faith and Life Series)

The seventh grade religion course provides an in-depth understanding of the doctrine of grace. The student develops an appreciation for this supernatural gift from God given to us through Jesus Christ and God’s plan for salvation. The student will study creation, divine revelation, Adam and Eve, and the prophets. Then, the student will study Christ as the source of all grace and the founding of the Church. Throughout this course, students deepen their knowledge of the seven sacraments and the virtues. The course includes familiarization with the liturgical calendar, feast days, the lives of saints, prayers and selections from the Catechism of the Catholic Church. The course is ultimately designed to challenge students to increase their love for God and their hope for heaven.

Grade 8

Texts:

Our Life in the Church (Book 8 of the Faith and Life Series)

To Know Christ Jesus, published by Ignatius Press

The eighth grade religion course seeks to encompass the truths taught by the Catholic Church, beginning with the abiding presence of Christ, prayer, the sacraments, worship, the Blessed Trinity, the Blessed Virgin, the communion of saints, prominent saints of the first two thousand years, the universal call to holiness, virtue, the spiritual and corporal works of mercy, vocations, the lay apostolate, marriage and the family, the Christian in the world, law and conscience, the social order, the absolute and infinite dignity of each human life from conception until natural death, and the last things of death, just judgment, and the afterlife. The first quarter of the course is devoted to Confirmation preparation because most of the eighth grade students are to receive the Sacrament of Confirmation in their local parishes. This preparation takes in a great many of the truths of the Catholic faith, but concentrates on the role of the Holy Spirit in the life of the individual and the Church.

Even if all of the truths of the Catholic faith are studied, understood, and able to be defended, little is accomplished unless these truths are lived well in our everyday and ordinary lives. Carrying out our ordinary work, whatever our station in life, and sanctifying it by offering it to God, is to live the truths of our Catholic faith heroically and to fulfill the call to holiness that each of us has been given.

In order to help transform the teaching of our Catholic faith into a faith that is lived on a daily basis, the course is augmented with videos and other materials that demonstrate the faith being lived by ordinary people in their everyday lives. Each student writes an essay on a favorite saint and then makes a presentation to the class on the life of that saint.

Science

Grade 6 – Earth Science

Text:
Archimedes and the Door of Science
The Mystery of the Periodic Table

This course acts as an introduction to the geological sciences and in doing so also serves as preparation for the study of chemistry. Major topics covered include the following: the earth’s topography, rocks, minerals, water displacement, specific gravity, the earth’s interior, magnetism, fresh water, the oceans, the atmosphere, the planets, and the moon. The course strives to impress upon the student the immensity, order, and beauty of the created world. It gives him a deeper understanding of the physical world with which he has relevant, daily contact. This is an understanding prior to the laboratory and atomic analysis of chemistry. Through classroom demonstrations and activities, habits of observation and analysis are exercised.

Grade 7 – Life Science

Text:
Exploring Life Science by Prentice Hall

This course is designed to develop an appreciation and understanding of biology in everyday life. It seeks to have students understand that the world around them is really a collection of countless mysteries and discoveries. Developing a sense of fascination with biology within each student is a primary goal of the course. In addition to developing a fascination for science, a practical familiarity and base of knowledge is developed as it is required for a more advanced study of science. The course is divided into two semesters: Environmental Science and Human Biology, with different instructors for each semester. Environmental Science studies environmental factors that affect local ecosystems, including our own campus. The course will be accompanied by laboratory experiments that will help students answer some of these “mysteries” with the help of the scientific method. There will be the opportunity to complete lab experiments as well as discuss current information in the field of science.

The Human Biology semester of Life Science focuses on learning about all the major systems of the human body and identifying major organs. The structure of each major organ is examined as well as how that structure relates directly to the function the organ plays in the body. In this semester, students embark on a discovery of the human body that is nothing less than a discovery of their own physical being.

The Life Science course seeks to develop skills within the students that will allow them to pose questions, make observations and inferences, develop hypotheses, design experiments, make measurements and collect data, interpret data, and draw conclusions. Since much of learning science requires developing a new vocabulary, students also develop a new scientific vocabulary through the use of a notecard note-taking system. The student leaves this course with a greater appreciation and fascination for biology and how the study of biology can be found all around us and includes the study of our own physical being.

Physical Science (Grade 8)

Text:
Physical Science by John D. Mays

This course acts as an introduction to physical science and in doing so covers the major areas of physics and chemistry. The course intends to be a wide survey of the laws of motion and matter and seeks to fascinate students by their first in-depth exposure to these physical sciences. The following major topics are covered throughout the course: mechanics, Newtonian physics, laws of motion, heat and temperature, thermodynamic models of chemistry, waves and sound, the behavior of light waves, electricity and magnetism, the structure of matter, chemistry and the periodic table, and the universe and solar system.

The objective of the class is to stimulate a further interest in science for the student, to provide an understanding and fuller relationship between major physical laws and the physical world that surrounds us, to develop some level of quantitative thinking and problem-solving capability, and to provide an appreciation of the usefulness of mathematics, real life examples and experiments.