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Our Curriculum › 8th Grade

8th Grade: the whole year

Every subject a 8th grade student takes, and what each one covers. Each subject is 180 daily lessons; open any course to see its units and lessons.

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Math

Math 8

A full year of 8th-grade math: exponents and irrational numbers, slope and linear equations, systems of equations, functions, transformations, the Pythagorean theorem, volume, and data, then a long run of applications, practice tests and review.

  1. Irrational numbers, exponents & scientific notation
  2. Slope & linear equations
  3. Systems of equations & functions
  4. Transformations, congruence, similarity & angles
  5. Pythagorean theorem, volume & data
  6. Mixed review, then equations & systems in word problems
  7. Second pass & real-world applications
  8. Algebra I preview, personal finance & deeper practice
  9. Mastery checks, practice tests & final review
  10. Presentation & celebration

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Reading

Reading 8

A year of 8th-grade reading that moves between fiction, history-linked nonfiction, arguments, satire and poetry. Five novels are read in part, and the nonfiction work builds toward judging evidence and persuasion closely.

  1. Foundations: evidence, structure & argument
  2. Civil Rights-era texts
  3. Characters, settings & imagined futures
  4. Nonfiction: perspectives, science & essays
  5. Irony, satire & layered meaning
  6. Five novels
  7. Mixed review & a look at high school
  8. Practical texts & argument analysis
  9. Review, recommendations & final tests

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Writing & Grammar

Writing 8

A year of 8th-grade writing that pairs arguments aimed at a specific audience with analytical, research, personal and creative pieces. Grammar covers verbals, voice, mood and agreement, and the last quarter is mostly review.

  1. Audience-aware arguments, informative essay & grammar
  2. Narrative techniques, argument essay & civic speech
  3. Analytical essay, complex characters & research report
  4. Dystopia, comparison, editorial & technical writing
  5. Personal essay, satire & argument revision
  6. Poetry, unreliable narrator & resilience story
  7. Mixed review & portfolio
  8. Practical writing, goals & a final argument essay
  9. Comprehensive review, mastery checks & practice tests
  10. Final review, portfolio presentation & celebration

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Science

Science 8

A year of 8th-grade Earth, space and life science: the Earth-Sun-Moon system, rocks and plate tectonics, weather and climate, heredity and evolution, and human impact on the planet, with a capstone project. The last third is mostly review.

  1. Earth, Sun & Moon, and Earth's history
  2. Rocks & plate tectonics
  3. Weather, climate & human impact
  4. Waves in technology, heredity & evolution
  5. Environmental solutions, engineering & capstone project
  6. Connecting the sciences & reviewing
  7. Deeper ideas, scientific thinking & real-world projects
  8. Review & high school preview
  9. Energy, sustainability, data & science policy
  10. Final reviews, practice tests & celebration

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History & Social Studies

History 8

The world since 1945: the end of European empires, the Cold War from Truman to Gorbachev, the American civil rights movement, Vietnam and Watergate, the modern Middle East, and Canada and Mexico, plus a civics capstone on the Constitution. Many topics get a quick first look and a deeper return.

  1. Empires end and the Cold War begins
  2. Civics capstone: the Constitution
  3. A first look: civil rights, Korea, space and the Middle East
  4. The Civil Rights Movement in depth
  5. Vietnam, Watergate and new movements
  6. The Middle East since 1948
  7. The Cold War in depth
  8. Independence in Africa and Asia, then the Cold War ends
  9. Apartheid, American rights movements, Canada and Mexico
  10. Government in depth & year-end synthesis

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Electives at this grade

Add any of these alongside the core subjects.

Art

Art 8

The eighth-grade art capstone: keeping a process journal, creative risk-taking, copyright and fair use, inclusive design, deeper artist statements, evaluating and curating collections, how culture and context shape what we see, and a final piece.

  1. Process journal and success criteria
  2. Risk-taking, copyright and inclusive design
  3. Deeper artist statements and judging a collection
  4. Exhibitions and curating
  5. Culture, environment and context
  6. Interpreting and arguing about art
  7. Tracking an idea, and how context changes seeing
  8. Capstone and looking back on K-8 art

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Music

Music 8

The final year of K-8 general music: expanded forms with an introduction, transition and coda, tension and release, sight-reading in two clefs, music from Indonesia, Portugal, Ghana and beyond, building their own rubrics, and a capstone program.

  1. Expanded forms: introduction, transition, coda
  2. Tension, release and a full composition
  3. Comparing the structure of two pieces
  4. Sight-reading
  5. Gamelan, fado and highlife
  6. Personal interpretation and authentic performance
  7. Curating a program of contrasting music
  8. Comparing context across traditions
  9. Interpreting programs and evaluating with their own criteria
  10. Capstone and K-8 portfolio

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Spanish

Spanish 8

The third year of middle school Spanish adds reflexive verbs for daily routine, school life, celebrations, geography and climate, comparisons and superlatives, and direct object pronouns. A family interview project and a final week-in-my-life presentation tie it together.

  1. Reflexive verbs & daily routine
  2. School subjects & schedule
  3. Holidays, celebrations & congratulations
  4. Geography, climate & Uruguay to Panama
  5. Comparisons & direct object pronouns
  6. Family interview & connected writing
  7. Writing practice & cumulative review
  8. Final project & year-end

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PE & Health

PE & Health 8

The last year of the PE & Health sequence before high school: ball handling and game tactics, heart-rate training, rest and recovery, fitness technology, stress management, leadership, refusal skills, boundaries and consent, a personal fitness and nutrition plan, and a community health advocacy project.

  1. Capstone goal and ball handling
  2. Health influences and access to care
  3. Game tactics, water safety, heart-rate zones and rest
  4. Skill analysis, fitness tech and outdoor safety
  5. Stress management
  6. Conflict, etiquette, leadership and refusal skills
  7. Emotions, activity plans and goal check-in
  8. Boundaries, consent and healthy relationships
  9. Showcase, personal plan and advocacy project
  10. Cumulative review and PreK-8 reflection

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Social Skills

Social Skills 6-8

A social and emotional course meant to be used across 6th through 8th grade, at the pace that suits the child. It covers values and identity, stress and self-discipline, empathy, bias and bullying, peer pressure, friendship changes, boundaries, conflict resolution and hard choices.

  1. Values, identity & stress signals
  2. Managing stress & self-discipline
  3. Empathy, bias & bullying
  4. Peer pressure & changing friendships
  5. Needs, boundaries, conflict & feedback
  6. Hard choices & online life
  7. Year in review

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