Language Arts
English/Language Arts is studied as an integrated whole, incorporating literature, grammar and usage, composition and vocabulary.
Literature study focuses on grade-appropriate materials chosen from classical and contemporary works, including selections from novels, plays, poetry and short stories.
Composition is emphasized, encouraging creativity as well as the proper use of language and highly conceptualized thinking.
Research and study skills are built upon and expanded yearly with students turning to traditional sources, such as printed material, to the full range of technological resources.
Math
Fifth Grade
Some of the skills reinforced in fifth grade are whole numbers, place value, mental math, estimating and rounding, problem solving, measurement, exponents and integers. They master concepts and mechanics of addition, subtraction, multiplication and division with decimals and fractions. They use calculators to demonstrate their knowledge of math concepts and ideas.
Sixth Grade
The following mathematical topics are emphasized in sixth grade:
number theory with whole numbers, decimals and fractions, probability and statistics, problem solving, number theory and computation with integers, ratio, proportion and percentages, geometry, introductory algebra, measurement and perimeter, area and volume.
Seventh Grade
Pre-Algebra: This course is a transition from arithmetic to algebra and from the visual world to geometry.
The following mathematical concepts are emphasized in seventh grade:
decimal and scientific notation, customary and metric measurement, variables, algebraic models, problem solving, Cartesian Plane, geometry, probability and statistics.
Eighth Grade
Course: Algebra 1. This is a high school course.
The following mathematical concepts are emphasized in eighth grade:
solving linear equations and inequalities, graphing systems, polynomials, rational expressions, functions and relations, radicals, quadratic equations and functions, probability and statistics, right triangle relations, and exponential functions.
Sciences
Fifth Grade
Topics covered are characteristics of living things, taxonomy and classification, ecology, properties of matter, introduction to chemistry, motion, and energy.
Sixth Grade
Course: Life Science. Topics covered are the scientific method, cell structure and function, genetics, human biology, and biodiversity.
Seventh Grade
Course: Earth Science. Topics to be covered are the universe, the Earth, structure of matter, transformation of energy, planetary motion and the forces of nature.
Eighth Grade
Course: Integrated Physics and Chemistry. This is a high school course.
Topics to be covered include motion and speed, forces, work and power, thermal energy and heat, static electricity and charges, magnetic poles, wave characteristics, visible and non-visible light, lenses, the structure of the atom, periodic law, ionic bonding and covalent compounds, chemical reactions
Social Studies
Fifth Grade
Students in fifth grade study American History. This course offers an overview of the founding of the New World, the development of the early colonies, the forming of the government, and the significance of the major events in the U.S. History up to the time of the Civil War.
Sixth Grade
Students in sixth grade World History will display an understanding and appreciation of historic events, accomplish geography skills, comprehend and analyze charts and graphs, analyze primary sources, compare viewpoints, synthesize information, examine cause and effect, and ask probing questions through text, internet, and dialogue. Topics studied will include geography, beginnings of civilization, first civilizations in Africa, Asia, India, China, Greece, Rome, and the Americas, the rise of Europe, the Middle Ages, and the Byzantine Empire.
Seventh Grade
In Grade 7, students study the history of Texas from early times to the present. Students examine the full scope of Texas history, including the cultures of Native Americans living in Texas prior to European exploration and the eras of mission-building, colonization, revolution, republic, and statehood. Students describe the structure and functions of local and state governments, and examine the rights and responsibilities of Texas citizens. As with all social studies course, students build a foundation in history; geography; economics; government; citizenship; culture; science, technology, and society; and social studies skills.
Eighth Grade
Students in the eighth grade study American History. This course offers an in-depth look at the development of the United States with the emphasis on major documents and significant events leading to the period of the Civil War and Reconstruction. An understanding of historical perspective is emphasized, and the year culminates with a class trip to Washington, D.C.
