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Eighth Grade Curriculum 

“This Is Our Faith”  -a developmental program, based on Scripture and rooted in the teaching of the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Each grade has a particular theme, but all grades study the Trinity, Sacraments, Church, Morality, the Bible and Prayers and Precepts.

8th Grade:  Church History

Emphasis:  “The one mediator, Christ, established and ever sustains here on earth his holy Church, the community of faith, hope, and charity, as a visible organization through which he communicates truth and grace to all…”  [Catechism of the Catholic Church #771]

• Students participate in various forms of prayer and lead prayer services.
• Students participate in liturgy as lectors, altar servers, musicians, and gift bearers.
• Students learn about Church history and theology.
• Students read and discuss Scripture.
• Students learn about Christian morality and how Jesus calls us to a life of  discipleship.
• Students learn about Catholic social teaching.
• Students live their faith by planning and participating in service projects to help the poor and marginalized.

Textbook:
This is Our Faith. Publisher:  Silver Burdett, Ginn;  Copyright, 1998

Eighth Grade Language Arts

Student Goals:

• Value reading, writing, listening and speaking as life-long processes
• Demonstrate independence and self-confidence as readers, writers, listeners, and speakers.
• Develop strategies for effective reading comprehension.
• Apply the steps of the writing process.
• Set goals and self-assess progress in language arts area.

Textbooks:

• Prentice Hall Literature:  Timeless voices, Timeless Themes
• Prentice Hall  Writer’s Solution
• Eighth Grade Silver Level, copyright 2002

The textbooks provides integrated lessons in reading, writing, grammar, spelling, and technology, drawing from a wide variety of literary genres including novel and novella, short story, non-fiction, poetry, drama, and American folk tradition.            

See  www.phschool.com. for links to chapters with internet activities and quizzes.

Sometimes the entire class reads the same novel.  Johnny Tremain by Esther Forbes is integrated with the Revolutionary War unit in the 8th grade Social Studies Curriculum.

In addition, a wide variety of age-appropriate literature is provided in the classroom and the school library.  Students are required to read four approved novels per trimester and take Scholastic Reading Counts quizzes on the classroom computer.

Learning Objectives in 8th Grade Include:

• To identify the characteristics and purposes of the major literary genres.
• To apply an understanding of genre as an aid in reading comprehension.
• To apply a variety of reading strategies.
• To analyze and respond to literary elements.
• To use a variety of strategies to build vocabulary.
• To learn elements of grammar, usage, and style.
• To increase spelling skills and develop a “spelling conscience.”
• To develop effective listening and speaking skills.
• To prepare, organize, and present literary interpretations.
• To use a variety of forms of writing (expression, description, narration, exposition, persuasion, reports, creative writing, and response to literature)
• To write with audience and purpose in mind.
• To share writing with classmates in an atmosphere of mutual respect and appreciation.
• To use technology for research, writing, and presenting.

Eighth Grade Math

INTRODUCTION:  Math is a subject that needs to be practiced daily in order to master the concepts involved.  Therefore, homework is given almost everyday.  Students should make certain they read their text and look over the notes given every night in addition to the homework.  Math is a skill that builds on itself so it is important not to get behind. If students miss a class they need to contact a reliable friend and  get the assignment. 

Math assignments are to be completed neatly in pencil, leaving space for notes or corrections.  Not everyone can write perfectly but everyone is expected to write legibly.  Since, math often requires multiple steps; it is in the student’s best interest to keep things orderly.  All steps to solving a problem are to be shown on the homework as well as on the quizzes and tests.  We expect every student’s best effort on all homework assignments, but don’t expect a 100% on every assignment.  We do however, expect that every problem should be attempted. 

A calculator is not allowed on most quizzes and tests.  Therefore, students should use it sparingly on their assignments.   It is important to realize that some students may have to do extra studying of basic math facts such as adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing of decimals and fractions.  Some students are weak in these skills. Teachers expect students to ask questions when they need help.

Learning Objectives in 8th Grade Math Include:

• The student will identify and describe the relationship between the subsets of the real number system
• The student will identify the x-axis, y-axis, origin, and four quadrants .identify and describe: domain and range of a relation, domain and range of a function, and locate the zeros of a function
• The student will determine the slope of a line when given an equation of the line, the graph of the line, or two points on the line
• The student will write an equation of a line when given the graph of the line, two points on the line, or the slope and a point
• The student will identify and graph ordered pairs in a coordinate plane (all four quadrants)
• The student will solve systems of linear equations
• The student will solve quadratic equations in one variable
• The student will find the value of a function (give a rule) for elements in its domain
• The student will identify and use the correct formula for a given problem
• The student will justify steps used in simplifying expressions and solving equations and inequalities
• The student will apply the laws of exponents to perform operations on expressions .add, subtract, and multiply polynomials, and divide polynomials with monomial divisors
• The student will factor completely binomials and trinomials
• The student will recognize and use grouping symbols to evaluate expressions
• The student will identify and describe radicals, radicands, and irrational numbers
• The student will find the solution of linear equations with variables in more than one term and with variables on both sides of the equation
• The student will solve equations and inequalities involving absolute value
• The student will recognize and use the commutative, associative, and distributive properties
• The student will identify and graph the slope-intercept form of linear equation
• The student will simplify square roots and the square roots of variable expression 
• The student will analyze the quadratic formula
• The student will identify and use ratios, simple proportions, and the cross-product theorem
• The student will understand simple trig functions
•  The student will design and conduct systematic and open-ended explorations
• The student will use a variety of strategies to solve problems
• The student will identify missing/extraneous information
• The student will search systematically for patterns in simple situations
• The student will define the problem to be solved and organize relevant information
• The student will determine known information and identify unknowns and questions to be answered
• The student will select appropriate tools, strategies, concepts, and procedures to construct solutions  
• The student will interpret, compare, and contrast information from a variety of sources
• The student will make conjectures and inferences based on analysis of problem situations
• The student will validate thinking and mathematical ideas
• The student will test conjectures and inferences  
• The student will support arguments and justify results
• The student will check for reasonableness of results
• The student will evaluate and reflect on procedures and results by using models, known facts, patterns, relationships, counterexamples, proportional reasoning, and inductive reasoning.
• The student will describe a process for collecting information
• The student will extract mathematical information from multiple sources (pictures, diagrams)
• The student will clarify mathematical understanding and organize mathematical information within given parameters
• The student will clearly and effectively express/present ideas and situation using both everyday and mathematical language appropriate to the audience
• The student will link conceptual and procedural understanding within and among a variety of mathematical content areas
• The student will relate and use more than one mathematical model and representation for the same situation

Eighth Grade Science

• The student will know that an object's motion is always judged with respect to another object or point and so the idea of absolute motion or rest is misleading
• The student will understand that gravitational forces are exerted by every object on every other objects, and that the force depends on how much mass the objects have and on how far apart they are
• The student will analyze moving objects within a system using Newton's Three Laws of Motion
• The student will explain how we are able to see light and hear sound, using the concept of light waves and sound waves
• The student will understand that the sun's energy arrives as light with a range of wavelengths, consisting of visible light, infrared, and UV
• The student will describe how the sun is a major source of energy for changes on the earth's surface
• The student will understand that thousands of layers of sedimentary rocks confirm long history of changing surface of earth and changing life forms whose remains are found in successive layers
• The student will understand that heat energy carried by ocean currents has a strong influence on climates around the world.
• The student will know that the sun is many thousand times closer to the earth than any other star-light from the sun takes only minutes to reach earth, but light from the next nearest star takes several years.
• The student will understand that the sun is a major source of energy for phenomenon on earth's surface, such as growth of plants, winds, ocean currents, and water cycle.
• The student will understand that the seasons result from variations in amount of sun's energy hitting the surface, due to the tilt of the earth's rotation on its axis and the length of the day.
• The student will explain the motion of the earth in relation to the sum, including the concepts of day, night, season and year
• The student will know that the sun's gravitational pull holds earth and other planets in orbits, as planets do to their moons
• The student will design and conduct an investigation that involves systematic observation, making accurate measurements, and identifying and controlling variables
• The student will use appropriate tools and techniques, including the use of computers, to gather, analyze and interpret data
• The student will choose appropriate units for reporting various magnitudes
• The student will keep an accurate and complete notebook for scientific investigations .repeat investigations several times to obtain consistent results
• The student will understand the importance of skepticism, cooperation, intellectual honesty and proprietary discovery in the operation and ethical traditions of science and technology
• The student will understand that it is part of scientific inquiry to evaluate the results of scientific investigations. As scientific knowledge evolves, major disagreements are eventually resolved through interactions between scientists.
• The student will understand that science cannot answer all questions and technology cannot solve all human problems nor meet all human needs
• The student will understand that current scientific knowledge and understanding guide scientific investigations
• The student will understand that scientific knowledge is subject to modification as new information challenges prevailing theories and as a new theory leads to looking at old observations in a new way

Textbooks:

• Astronomy, copyright 2000
• Sound & Light, copyright 2000
• Motion, Forces, & Energy, copyright 2000

Eighth Grade Social Studies

This is a survey course of American History from prehistory to the present.  In this course students use technology for research, maps, charts, graphs, primary source documents, videos, and gain enrichment through reading historical fiction. We also watch and discuss Channel One News and read Junior Scholastic to keep abreast of current events.

Topics include:

• Five themes of geography
• Map skills
• The first civilizations of the Americas
• Native American cultures
• Exploration and colonization
• Thirteen English colonies
• The American Revolution
• Creating a Republic
• Constitution of the United States
• Government, Citizenship, and the Constitution
• Launching the new government
• The Age of Jefferson
• Industrial Revolution
• Westward Expansion
• Civil War
• Reconstruction and the changing South
• The New West
• Industrial Growth
• Progressive Era
• World War I
• The Great Depression
• World War II
• The Cold War Era
• Civil Rights Movement
• 1970 to the present

Textbooks: 
Prentice Hall,  The American Nation Survey Edition. Copyright, 2003.

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