EASTERN MIDDLE SCHOOL COURSE DESCRIPTION GUIDE

Math 7 develops mathematical concepts and skills in four important mathematical strands:

1. Number and Operations
2. Geometry and Measurement
3. Data Analysis and Probability
4. Algebra and Functions

Students will engage in a research-based, problem centered learning environment to develop proficiency in both mathematical reasoning and communication.

The majority of FHPS students take Math 7, preparing for Math 8 in 8th grade and Algebra 1 in high school.

Math 8 develops mathematical concepts and skills in major areas of study that include:

• The Number System
• Expressions and Equations
• Functions
• Geometry
• Statistics and Probability

Students will engage in a research-based, problem centered learning environment to develop proficiency in both mathematical reasoning and communication.

Math 7/8 is an accelerated course that combines the standards from Math 7 and Math 8 and prepares students for Algebra 1 in 8th grade.

This class is geared toward students who are willing to engage and exhibit high levels of commitment, achievement, and a passion for math. Students who qualify for Math 7/8 should have excellent study skills and the time to devote to a significantly higher workload in math outside of school.

For both semesters, a minimum of a 83% final grade must be maintained to remain in the Math 7/8 class or advance to Algebra 1.

Prerequisite: Demonstrated proficiency in Math 7/8 standards Algebra 1 in 8th grade is an accelerated math course that provides credit for high school Algebra 1.

This course covers the high school Algebra 1 standards:

• Linear
• Quadratic
• Radical
• Absolute value
• Exponential functions
• And their applications

Methods for solving equations, inequalities, and systems will be emphasized.

Since this course is part of our two-year acceleration at middle school, students will go deeper into the Algebra 1 standards than in a traditional Algebra 1 course.

Students who take Algebra 1 in 8th grade should have excellent study skills and the time to devote to a significantly higher workload in math outside of school. A minimum grade of B should be maintained to continue in the accelerated math sequence. Students earning below a B may be recommended to retake the course, as Algebra 1 provides the foundation for success in future math classes.

Students who complete this course will be eligible to take the Advanced Placement Calculus or the Advanced Placement Statistics course during their senior year of high school. Also, upon successful completion of Algebra 1, the letter grade earned and the credit will be recorded on the student’s permanent high school transcript and applied to high school graduation requirements.

Social Studies 7 encompasses World History from the beginnings of human society through 1750 C.E.

Students will learn geographic, environmental, biological, and cultural processes that influenced the rise of the earliest human communities, the migration and spread of people throughout the world, and the causes and consequences of the growth of agriculture.

Students will discover the innovations and social, political, and economic changes that occurred through the emergence of classical civilizations in Africa and Eurasia, and their impact on our world today.

US History 8 encompasses major themes of the 18th and 19th centuries in American History.

Students will learn about the fight for independence from Britain and the forging of a new nation. Moving into the 19th century, students will investigate the underlying causes and results of westward expansion, and its consequences for American Indians and enslaved African Americans.

Students will also study reform movements such as abolition and women’s suffrage, sectional tensions that contributed to the Civil War, and the successes and failures of Reconstruction.

Elective course offerings are dependent on student interest, staffing, and configuration within the Master Schedule.

PEER TO PEER (1 Semester, 7th and 8th grades – Character Reference and Student Statement from EMS Staff
Member required)

Peer to peer support programs increase opportunities for students with Autism Spectrum Disorder to access general education settings and curriculum. Peers model typical academic and social behavior in educational environments throughout the school day and provide support for students with ASD to promote independence and socialization.

Peer to peer support programs and inclusion of students with ASD not only affects outcomes for the students with ASD, but can also impact a number of outcomes for typical peers and at-risk students.

The physical education curriculum focuses on recreational/life-long activities, individual, and group sports.

The program’s activities encourage

• Physical fitness
• Student responsibility
• Self discipline
• Respect for self and others
• Cooperation

It is highly recommended by the State of Michigan and Forest Hills Public Schools to take one semester of P.E. at some point during seventh or eighth grade. However, you may also elect to take P.E. more than once.

This course focuses primarily on a structured routine of weight training, stretching, and plyometrics while teaching students the proper form, discipline, and intensity of workouts necessary to improve their level of physical fitness.

Individual programs will be offered to accommodate students of various abilities and interest levels within the same class.

Course offering is subject to availability. If offered, preference would be provided to students who are not currently enrolled in more than 1 high school accredited courses.

Health in 8th grade is a course that provides credit for high school Health. Students will explore units that meet the State of Michigan Health Standards. Throughout these units, emphasis is placed on the avoidance of risky behaviors, positive self-image, refusal skills, and knowledge of responsibilities and laws.

Units will include:

• Types of health (mental, physical, social/emotional)
• Foods and fitness
• Alcohol
• Tobacco
• Drugs
• Healthy relationships
• Communicable and non-communicable diseases
• HIV/STIs
• Reproductive system
• Pregnancy (abstinence-based)
• CPR and First Aid

Upon successfully completing Health, the credit will be recorded on the student’s high school transcript and applied to high school graduation requirements.

Elective course offerings are dependent on student interest, staffing, and configuration within the Master Schedule.

Students will find their creative self with a class designed to explore a variety of methods and materials in art. Students will have the opportunity to create unique art forms using

• Paints
• Pastels
• Drawing pencils
• Markers
• Sculptural materials.

Students will also explore

• Cultural art
• Famous artists
• Cartooning
• Graphic design
• Along with a variety of art styles and techniques

In this class, clay and its many possibilities will be explored. Several hand building methods and glazing techniques will be presented.

Both functional and nonfunctional pieces will be encouraged. Sculpture and design in materials other than clay will also form a portion of the course.

This class is an exploration of drama/theater and includes music, videos, games, technology, and projects to provide a foundation to prepare students for high school drama.

Students will participate in many forms of drama such as

• Storytelling
• Characterization
• Improvisation
• Skits
• Monologues
• Interpretive reading,
• Plays

Acting techniques are taught through creative interactions with classmates.

This class provides an opportunity for students to dive into a variety of creative experiences through creating art digitally.

You will learn the basics of digital photography, including

• Composition
• Lighting
• Camera types
• Camera settings.

Other techniques such as Stop Motion Animation will also be covered. You will learn to use Adobe Photoshop, a layered photo-editing program, as you manipulate and modify your photographs and art work.

This activity-based class will take students out into the natural areas surrounding the school to engage in a variety of studies.

Topics include but are not limited to

• Survival skills
• Habitat and wildlife
• Wild edible plants,
• Compass work.

Plan to spend time in the woods and in the fields – as well as in the classroom – as students learn about the natural environment and our interactions with it.

This course is intended for students who have a real interest in being outside.

***Weather during the winter months could impact daily activities.***

This engaging elective explores the power of games as tools for developing critical thinking, problem solving, and strategic decision-making skills.

Students will analyze and apply strategic thinking across various game formats, from classic board games like Chess and Catan to cooperative challenges like Pandemic and Forbidden Island. Through hands-on gameplay, discussions, and reflection, students will learn the principles of

• Risk management
• Negotiation
• Teamwork
• Adaptability

The course concludes with a student-designed game project and a final tournament, allowing students to test their skills in a fun and collaborative environment.

Character Reference and Student Statement Required

The main focus is the publication of our EMS yearbook.

The following are some of the components of yearbook publication

• Page design
• Layout
• Photography
• Copywriting
• Sale
• Distribution

Students should have strong writing skills and be able to work independently. Some time commitment outside of the scheduled class period (before and after school) is also expected.

The exciting world of aerospace comes alive through the Flight and Space unit. Students become engineers as they design, prototype, and test models to learn about the science of flight and what it takes to travel and live in space. You’ll be analyzing and solving real world real-world aviation challenges, taking a close look at the complications of space travel, and planning a mission to Mars.

In Medical Detectives, students play the role of real-life medical detectives as they collect and analyze medical data to diagnose disease.

This class is divided into three units:

1. Disease Detectives
2. Mysteries of the Human Body
3. Outbreak!

Students will solve medical mysteries in all three units by engaging in hands-on projects and labs, including:

• Collecting vital signs
• Growing bacteria
• Participating in a sheep brain dissection

Today’s students have grown up in an age of “green” choices. In this unit, students learn how to apply this concept to the fields of architecture and construction by exploring dimensioning, measuring, and architectural sustainability.

You’ll be using math concepts to create your own blueprints and making realistic models of the architectural world around you, analyzing how to make buildings ‘greener’ and creating a sustainable ‘tiny house’.