LANGUAGE ARTS/ENGLISH

8th Grade - Eighth grade English is primarily the study of English grammar and usage.  Students review the parts of speech and apply this knowledge of formal English in both writing and speaking.  A structured vocabulary program of twenty units  is also used.

7th Grade -

6th Grade - Students develop a firm command of sentence structure. They are able to form sentences of varying structures, place phrases and clauses properly within a sentence, and use a variety of coordinating and subordinating conjunctions to express relationships between sentence parts. Students have also mastered pronoun use, ensuring proper case, number, and person and avoiding vagueness. They understand and use verb voice and mood, and identify and correct inappropriate shifts in pronouns and verbs. Students set off nonrestrictive or parenthetical elements from the rest of the sentence with proper punctuation and use a comma before a coordinating conjunction in a compound sentence. They vary sentence patterns for effect and edit writing for redundancy and wordiness.

LITERATURE

8th Grade - Students in eighth grade literature read from many genres, with an emphasis on classic works such as  Harper Lee’s powerful To Kill a Mockingbird  and Shakespeare’s timeless Romeo and Juliet. Comprehension, critical thinking, vocabulary development, and writing and speaking expertise are developed through the study of a broad spectrum of literary works.

7th Grade - The seventh grade literature curriculum is an integrated program including comprehension, critical thinking, vocabulary, grammar, and writing. Before reading, the student learns about the author, previews new words, relates it to other disciplines, and learns about its literary focus. Students will develop and communicate ideas through reading, speaking, listening, and analyzing the works of others. 

6th Grade - Students apply the reading standards to the following types of text: narratives, drama, poetry, and informational text. Students focus on learning to read text at the 6-8 grade band level independently, with scaffolding likely required for texts at the high end of the range.  In grade 6 students also use the Accelerated Reading Program for independent reading.  Other resources, such as Read magazine are also included periodically in the course.

RELIGION

8th Grade - The eighth grade religion curriculum focuses on the Sacrament of Confirmation and the history of the Church.  The first part of the year is spent in studying the history of the early Church, with particular emphasis on the Acts of the Apostles and Church doctrine.  Students then move into an intensive period of preparation for the Sacrament, after which they return to Church history.  Special emphasis is also placed on the development of the student’s prayer life and the example of the saints, particularly St. Augustine, St. Francis of Assisi, St. Thomas Aquinas, and St. Ignatius of Loyola.

7th Grade - The seventh grade religion curriculum has as its foundation the creation of man in God’s own image and likeness. It is centered on the emphasis found in the writings of Pope John Paul II. It is founded on seven key ideas: God, Creation, Christ, Church, Grace, Sacraments, and Commandments. Students will study the life, values, and teachings of Jesus and are challenged to live a Christian lifestyle.

6th Grade - This curriculum for sixth-grade students is centered on an approach found in the writings and teachings of Pope John Paul II.  It stresses the dignity of each individual as a person made in the image of God.  There are two key concepts: that we are people made in the image of God and that the Bible is a history of God’s merciful love (God’s ability to draw good out of evil). For the most part, the sixth grade curriculum limits its study of the Bible to the Old Testament, with special emphasis given to the Book of Genesis.   Students receive their own personal Bibles in the beginning of the year during the annual Bible Blessing. This Bible is used throughout middle school and goes on with the students when they leave CTK. In addition to the text, students are involved in numerous service projects (for example, in Feb. we make fleece blankets for the homeless), have a retreat, and attend and participate in masses on a regular basis. Students go to Reconciliation during Lent and before Easter.  There is a school wide rosary monthly.  During the months of Oct. and Nov., one class period a week is devoted to the DARE (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) program which is taught by a local police officer.  At the end of the unit, the students write an essay reflecting on what they have learned, and there is a DARE graduation in late November or early December.

MATHEMATICS

Geometry - This year will begin with an introduction to the tools of geometry.  Students will learn about angle measures and angle bisectors.  Students will use reasoning to write proofs.  Students will prove lines parallel and perpendicular.  Students will learn about congruent triangles and relationships within triangles.  Students will review types of quadrilaterals and learn more about their characteristics.  Students will examine similar figures.  Students will learn about right triangles and trigonometry.  Transformations, area, surface area, volume and circles will also be covered in this course. 

Algebra - This year Students will learn more about solving and analyzing linear equations.  Students will also solve systems of linear equations.  Students will investigate and discover functions and patterns.  Students will learn about types of polynomials and how to factor them. 

PreAlgebra - This year students will learn more about integers.  Students will also learn how to solve equations.  Students will review factors and fractions.  Students will learn about rational numbers.  Students will convert values between ratios, proportions, and percents.  Students will solve equations with multiple steps.  Students will also solve and graph inequalities.  Students will learn about real numbers and right triangles.  Students will complete this course by learning about two-dimensional figures.

Math 6 - Students will begin this course by learning about decimal patterns and algebra.  Students will also analyze data.  Students will learn more about integers.  Students will also learn about linear equations and functions.  Students will convert fractions, decimals, and percents.   Students will identify equivalent ratios and solve proportions.  Students will apply percents to real life scenarios.  Students will also learn how to predict the probability of a given situation.  Students will complete this course by learning about geometry. 

SOCIAL STUDIES

8th Grade -  We will be covering American history starting with Native American cultures and settlement patterns and exploration of the Americas. We will go on to explore the formation of the colonies, the formation of a democracy, the conflict between the North and the South, the Civil War, Reconstruction, and the rise of Industrialism. Students will learn about the development of a number different world religions. The History Alive! materials were designed to deal with these topics objectively, respectfully, and in accordance with standards set throughout the country. We will also be examining local, state, and national current events in hopes of becoming more engaged citizens. I have encouraged all students to stay informed with regard to the news by whatever means they can.

7th Grade -  We will be covering Ancient World History starting with archeological studies of prehistoric hunter-gather societies. We will go on to explore the early societies of Mesopotamia and Egypt, the ancient Hebrews, the empires and dynasties of ancient India and China, and the rise of civilizations in ancient Greece and Rome, with their many legacies for Western civilization. Students will learn about the development of a number different world religions. The History Alive! materials were designed to deal with these topics objectively, respectfully, and in accordance with standards set throughout the country. We will also be examining local, state, and national current events in hopes of becoming more engaged citizens. I have encouraged all students to stay informed with regard to the news by whatever means they can.

6th Grade - We will be covering Geography starting with how a geographer works Canada and the United States, Latin America, Europe and Russia, Africa, Southwest and Central Asia, Monsoon Asia, and Oceania and Antarctica. We will also be examining local, state, and national current events in hopes of becoming more engaged citizens. I encourage all students to stay informed with regard to the news by whatever means they can.

SCIENCE

8th Grade - Eighth grade science students study physical and Earth science. Units include Earth's Internal Processes, Chemistry, Weather & Climate, Work & Energy, and Astronomy. Students engage in inquiry activities and investigations to explore scientific concepts using resources from CPO Science, Vernier and Prentice-Hall Science Explorer.

7th Grade - Seventh grade science students study life and environmental science. Units of study include Cells, Populations and Ecosystems, Genetics, and The Human Body. Students engage in inquiry activities and investigations to explore scientific concepts using resources from FOSS, CPO Science, Vernier and Prentice-Hall Science Explorer.

6th Grade - Sixth grade science students study physical and Earth science. Units include Surface Processes, Matter, Motion & Forces, and Astronomy. Students engage in inquiry activities and laboratory investigations to explore scientific concepts using resources from FOSS, CPO Science, Vernier, and Prentice-Hall Science Explorer.