Curriculum | Middle School | St. Anne's Episcopal | Denver

English 8 serves as a bridge between the workshop model utilized in 6th and 7th grades and the whole-class approach favored by high school English departments. Students will enter high school confident in their ability to read, write, speak, and self-advocate.

Students engage with each other through the common reading of specific novels, short stories, plays, and poetry. Through close reading, active discussion, and query, students develop:

• Annotation and inference skills
• The ability to support their contentions with text-based evidence
• Confidence in participating within a group setting

The texts also serve to introduce students to new vocabulary. An emphasis is placed on using context clues to infer word meaning. Additionally, students analyze how authors use themes, setting, and figurative language to develop characters and perspectives and, ultimately, speak to the human condition.

The primary focus of writing in 8th-grade English is the 5-paragraph analytical essay. Specifically, students master:

• Structure
• The crafting of a strong, provable thesis
• The use of text-based evidence to support their argument

The importance of revision as a critical step in the writing process is emphasized.

The study of grammar includes:

• Mastery of the parts of speech
• The function and use of phrases and clauses
• An exploration of sentence type and structure using mentor sentences

Students also focus on writing mechanics, including the proper use of commas, capitalization, and in-text citations.

The advanced 8th-grade math class at St. Anne’s Episcopal School is designed to be the equivalent of a full high school geometry course. Teachers employ a variety of strategies aimed at the different learning modalities, including kinesthetic, visual, and auditory. Students collaborate on a daily basis to work towards solutions using simple and complex scenarios.

The curriculum is somewhat traditional, involving multiple resources and platforms, including, but not limited to:

• SAES Interactive Geometry Series (2024)
• Big Ideas High School Geometry (2015)
• IXL
• DESMOS
• Kuta Software
• Tailored labs, tasks, challenges, and worksheets

While individual growth and accountability are paramount, students regularly engage in projects and other applications that require higher-order thinking strategies and collaborative efforts. Through these tasks, students develop their understanding of the various uses (and misuses) of math skills in the real world.

They have numerous encounters with both gathering and interpreting data in order to recognize and/or avoid the use of numbers to marginalize individuals and groups.

The 8th-grade math team endeavors to challenge students to problem-solve, collaborate, and apply mathematical skills to the real world while preparing them for the academic rigors of high school, where many advanced students will begin with an Algebra II or Algebra II with Trigonometry course.

Middle school science is an integration of physical, life, and earth sciences. The cornerstone of our science courses is the many hands-on, minds-on labs, activities, and projects held in small groups in our well-equipped science classrooms.

Students learn how to incorporate scientific thinking in both inquiry-based learning and traditional lectures. Assessments are given on a regular basis and include:

• Written tests/quizzes
• Online tests/quizzes
• In-class and virtual labs
• Projects

Units of study in 8th-grade science include:

• Science and engineering practices
• Cells and genetics
• Sound and light
• Chemistry

The 8th-grade social studies curriculum spans the era of extremes (1860-1989) with a focus on major developments in human and civil rights. Surveying both global and provincial themes, the course introduces students to thinking critically and expansively about the relationship between the 20th century and their own lives, communities, dreams, and ideals.

Through critical classroom discussions, research projects, lectures, formative assessments, and group activities, the course aims to develop students’ historical reasoning, critical thinking, and 21st-century skills.

In each unit, a formative assessment measures students’ progress. Students are assessed through:

• Research projects
• Summative exams
• Multimedia art projects
• Historical essay writing

Each mode of assessment cultivates a skill necessary for success in the 21st Century:

• Critical thinking
• Communication skills
• Creativity
• Global awareness
• Cultural, civic, and informational literacy

In the classroom, discussion is centered around confronting critical historical questions through student-teacher and student-student dialogue.

Besides discussion, a few examples of classroom activities include:

• Investigative reports on the Belgian colonial rule of the Congo
• Film analysis of Kubrick's Paths of Glory
• A WWII simulation activity

We want our students to feel confident communicating in an all-Spanish or all-French environment (target-language environment) and to become lifelong language enthusiasts. To achieve this, we strive to create a high-interest, supportive classroom environment in which students acquire the language (as opposed to simply learning about the language).

We want students to:

• Take ownership of their learning
• Show their understanding
• Use Spanish/French for authentic communication
• Be curious and globally-minded about people and cultures
• Feel secure enough to take risks

Students will be immersed in an environment that maximizes language acquisition. Instead of self-contained lessons on vocabulary topics, students engage with input in naturally occurring contexts on topics of interest to them.

For example, instead of teaching a unit of vocabulary about cities, the class has a conversation about their favorite places, why they are their favorites, and more. Other previously learned words naturally occur in that context as well, providing students with added exposure and repetition.

The goal is to explore topics in the context of authentic communication.

8th Grade Religion Curriculum: Contemplative Practices and Big Questions
Overview
Having developed familiarity with a variety of world religions, students now turn to practice and application. They are introduced to contemplative practices from each religion (meditation, chanting, forms of prayers, etc.) as well as to practices from a secular world (stillness, mindfulness, journaling, nature walks, reading, conversation, etc.). These practices become ways to weather stress, navigate transitions, and look deeper into oneself.

Essential Questions
Throughout the year, we will also discuss the following questions:

• What is religion?
• Why are there different religions?
• What role can religion play in peace-building and prosperity of the world?
• Faith, doubt, and certainty
• The question of God
• The relationship between science and religion
• Significance of scriptures and ritual
• Existence of suffering and evil
• Service, hope, and Gospel values

Personal Reflection Questions

On a personal level, students will ask:

• Should I be religious?
• What is my spiritual heritage?
• What is theology?
• Where am I going in life and what will sustain me on the journey?
• What is my purpose?
• What guides me?
• How will I make meaning?
• What is a good life?
• What is a good life for me?

Culminating Project
The course will conclude with students writing:

• Personal essays
• Letters to people who have impacted their lives

Students are given opportunities to participate in activities that encourage fitness, sportsmanship, and the development of leadership.

• They learn about biomechanical principles that apply to the development of movement skills.
• Students are taught how to identify and describe the risks and safety factors associated with regular physical activity.
• They are presented with challenging experiences that allow them to transfer and apply these principles to individual, dual, and team sports, as well as fitness endeavors.

The core focus of physical education is to foster an appreciation for the value of being physically educated. By doing so, students are encouraged to make informed choices in their future to remain active and fit throughout their lives.