Brad Royuk

LEARNING GOD’S WORD

NEW TESTAMENT AND CONTEMPORARY ISSUES

Students prepare to enter high school environments by studying issues that confront teenagers in today’s world. Through the year students will study and discuss how we honor God:

• In our relationships with Him
• Through our activities
• In interpersonal relationships
• In how we use our bodies
• The sanctity of life and death

MEMORY

Students prepare to enter high school environments by studying issues that often confront teenagers in today’s world. Students will study how God’s Word speaks to these issues and where God’s Word allows for differing views. This course is designed to help students deal with personal and societal issues in a God-honoring way, supported and reinforced by Scripture memory and corporate worship. Through the year students will study and discuss how we honor God…

• In our relationship with Him
• Through our activities
• In interpersonal relationships
• In how we use our bodies
• In matters of life and death

SPELLING AND VOCABULARY

At the Jr. High level spelling and word meaning begin to converge. Students are expected to learn the generalizations for English spelling as well as understanding the origins of suffixes, prefixes, and Latin and Greek roots. Vocabulary instruction includes sorting patterns, deriving generalizations, and applying knowledge by creating and defining polysyllabic words.

ENGLISH
English skills are taught using direct instruction, guided practice and individual practice. The curriculum is divided into:
• Parts of Speech
• Sentence Activities
• Sentence Basics
• Sentence Problems
• Sentence Variety
• Proofreading activities
• Marking punctuation
• Editing for Mechanics
• Spelling
• Word choice

WRITING

Students are instructed to recognize, use, and evaluate the 6 traits of good writing: ideas, organization, voice, sentence fluency, word choice, and mechanics. Writing instruction occurs in a workshop environment that includes shared writing, peer-editing, using rubrics for evaluation, and mastering the writing process. The genres used are:
• Persuasive
• Expository
• Narrative
• Creative
• Responses to literature

LANGUAGE ARTS/LITERATURE

Trade books (historical fiction) and an anthology if various genres are used to:
• Determine author’s purpose and details that support it
• Analyze differences in structure and purpose between various genres and categories
• Assess accuracy and appropriateness of author’s evidence to support assertions, identify bias
• Compare/contrast texts, analyze cause and effect
• Analyze plot, characters, theme, point of view, imagery
• Assess accuracy and appropriateness of author’s evidence to support assertions, identify bias
• Identify literary devices
• Identify idioms, analogies, metaphors, similes in prose and poetry
• Write thesis statements and supportive evidence in critical analysis essay
• Analyze how modern fiction draws on themes, characters, events from myths, traditional stories and the Bible
• Timed writing on varies prompts
• Oral presentations (participate in Speech Meet)
• Greek Mythology (create multimedia presentation)
• Shakespeare play
• Creative writing project
• Accelerated reading goals

MATH

PRE-ALGEBRA

Beginning the transition from arithmetic to higher math skill, Pre-algebra students begin working with variables, variable expression, and the application of related problem-solving techniques. Students are introduced to algebraic techniques used to solve, graph, and apply linear equations.
• Variables and variable expressions
• Solving linear equations in one variable
• Functions and graphs of linear equations
• Application of algebraic techniques to real-life problems

ALGEBRA 1

This honors-level, first year Algebra class covers the full range of skills students should acquire for entry into Geometry freshman year. Students learn to solve and graph the full range of linear equations, inequalities, and systems of equations and inequalities. They will work also with quadratics and other polynomials and their graphs, equations, and applications.
• Solving linear equations, inequalities, and system of equations
• Forms of linear equations, graphing, and system of inequalities
• Operations with polynomials, factoring polynomials
• Solving quadratic equations
• Simplifying and working with square roots and rational expressions

SOCIAL STUDIES

HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES

Using higher-level thinking skills and synthesizing a variety of sources, students are able to trace the development of our great nation and follow it through the growing pains that helped the United States become the world power that it is today. A special emphasis is placed upon understanding government and political structures and procedures. The culmination of this year of study is a field trip to Washington D.C. The specific areas of study are:
• Early settlements and the American Revolution
• The Constitution and Formation of the Republic
• The Development of America’s Regions
• The Civil War and Reconstruction
• The Industrial Revolution and World War I
• Pluralism and the Modern Democracy

SCIENCE

CHEMISTRY/PHYSICAL SCIENCE

Eighth grade physical science continues the emphasis on thinking skills with multiple opportunities for practice in problem-solving and application of knowledge. Students will begin to apply math skills to scientific problems both in the course of the regular curriculum and in individual projects. Hands-on activities and projects encourage students to transfer knowledge to practical situations.
• Nature and characteristics of matter
• The periodic table
• Chemicals and reactions
• Newton’s laws
• Simple machines
• Electricity
• Sound and light

SPANISH

Spanish Classes at Christ Lutheran focus on reading, writing, listening, and speaking the language as well as learning about the culture of Spanish-speaking countries. Instruction is focused into units that contain vocabulary and grammar/syntax lessons. Assessments contain dictation, listening comprehension, and writing. Beginning the first day of instruction, students are reading, writing, and responding in Spanish. CLCS graduates typically take Spanish 2 as freshman in high school.
• Vocabulary:

◦ Sports and pastimes
◦ Occupations and community helpers
◦ Modes of transportation and directions
◦ Travel schedules/agencies
◦ Geography of Spanish-speaking countries
◦ Short and long distance travel
◦ Travel by plane
◦ Staying at a hotel
◦ Currency, dinning out, shopping

• Grammar:
◦ Present and progressive tenses
◦ Conjugating er/ir verbs
◦ Imperative voice and commands
◦ Prepositions
◦ Irregular verbs (hacer, decir) and stem changing verbs (o-ue and e-ie)
◦ Past tense (pasado) or –ar, -er, -ir verbs

ART

The eighth graders use to learn various mediums to showcase different artists. They also take part in Art To Grow On. This program is taught by trained docents and is a quarterly event.

PHYSICAL EDUCATION

Students participate in physical education classes three times a week (2 activity sessions, 1 health class). They dress out in CLS physical education uniforms. Rules to the games are taught and drills are performed to master skill sets prior to taking part in actual sports. Health classes are taught once a week and focus on the connection between the body and living a Christ-centered life.
• Physical fitness: running, stretching, strength training
• Basic sports: basketball, volleyball, soccer, softball

TECHNOLOGY

Students will use various applications of Microsoft Office and online presentation websites throughout the year. Those include:
• Typingweb.com – each student has their own account to learn and improve on their typing skills
• Establish Google Drive account; become familiar with Google Docs; learn how to access word processing, spreadsheets and forms; follow step-by-step directions for practice activities
• Create a full page advertisement for a product or service (Google Docs)
• “Techno Investor” – learn how the stock market functions by purchasing shares in the ‘Techno Stock Exchange;’ read about how companies are doing and buy/sell stocks accordingly; record each transaction in a spreadsheet; manipulate data using formulas; graph the earning history
• Use Yahoo Finance to research and record real time stock values for designated companies
• Techno CEO” – – create a company with three product lines; use graphics to create a company logo; summarize the corporate structure by making an organization chart; summarize financial information by organizing data; calculate expenses using formulas; graph sales (Microsoft Excel, Microsoft PowerPoint)
• Internet Safety