Middle School Curriculum

Foundations in Humanities

 

Sixth Grade Humanities is a foundational course that all students must complete upon entering middle school. In this course, students will take efforts to become more sophisticated in writing, reading, speaking and most importantly - thinking. Students will analyze and create a plethora of writing styles and genres of texts that can support them in becoming individual critical thinkers. Students are provided with intentional tasks, culturally relevant texts and opportunities to make real world connections. Opportunities to collaborate with peers, and take ownership of their learning are readily available throughout the course, as well as creating an inclusive environment for students to learn and become literary risk-takers.

 

In 6th grade Humanities, students will explore and strengthen their relationship to reading, writing, and thinking! In this course, students will review and build upon foundational skills they’ve learned while adding more to their literacy toolbox. Students will engage in self-reflection through the exploration of diverse and culturally relevant texts that focus on global connection. Over the course of the year students will explore and engage in writing personal narratives, examining multi-perspective texts, poetry, ancient civilizations, and comparative and persuasive writing.

 

Number Sense, Patterns and Reasoning

 

Students in the 6th grade focus on active engagement with numbers by focusing on conceptual understanding, computational and procedural skills, and problem solving. The 6th grade major clusters include: rational numbers, algebraic thinking, proportional reasoning, statistics, data analysis, probability, and solid shapes.

 

The most critical focus area for this course is to prepare students to use variables to write algebraic expressions and equation when solving a real-world or mathematical problem. Understand that a variable can represent an unknown number, or, depending on the purpose at hand, any number in a specified set. Reason about and solve one-variable equations and inequalities. Other skill areas include:

 

Understand ratio concepts and use ratio reasoning to solve problems.

 

Apply and extend previous understandings of multiplication and division to divide fractions by fractions.

 

Compute fluently with multi-digit numbers and find common factors and multiples.

 

Apply and extend previous understandings of arithmetic to algebraic expressions.

 

Reason about and solve one-variable equations and inequalities.

 

Represent and analyze quantitative relationships between dependent and independent variables.

 

Solve real-world and mathematical problems involving area, surface area and volume.

 

 

Scientists Investigate Life

 

Students learn science best by doing. The sixth-grade science curriculum has an emphasis on the scientific method as well as scientific theory. The course is oriented towards hands-on laboratory activities and interdisciplinary and team-based learning designed to encourage students to feel engaged with life science. The course covers several different types of science such as physical science, ecology, and climatology. The students will learn about what scientists do and the similarities and differences between theories and laws.  Applications of life science in the world through studies of values and technological issues, such as the effects of waste on ecosystems, and through the study of current events.

 

Introduction to Drama

 

6th Grade Drama is an introductory course that focuses on creative collaboration. How can we work together to create something we would not be able to achieve on our own?  Students follow a traditional rehearsal process to arrive at a fully realized final product with a public sharing of our performances. This course is also an opportunity for students to take a deep dive into 4 of our school-wide outcomes (Create, Collaborate, Communicate and Be Precise).

 

 

Physical Education

 

In Middle School PE, students will apply tactics and strategies to modified game play. The students will demonstrate fundamental movement skills in a variety of contexts, cooperate and encourage classmates, accept individual differences and demonstrate inclusive behaviors. Students will also engage in physical activity for enjoyment and self-expression.

 

Guitar

 

Students learn the basics of music through performance, composition and collaboration. While learning how to play the guitar students perform melody, harmony, rhythm and learn to read a guitar-based music notation as well as standard music notation. Students learn popular songs, create short original pieces of music that they can play in small or large groups, and collaborate with each other to learn how to play together as an ensemble. Ensemble playing requires a basic level of performance mastery and listening. They also learn the look and sound of all the primary instruments used in popular culture. Near the end of the term students research what music their parents or current influential adults listened to that helped make them the people that they are today. A collaborative World Music project presents what instruments are performed and what types of songs are played in cultures outside of the United States.

  

 

Interactive Puzzles

 

Students are provided fun challenges to solve by identifying a social justice issue in our society, further researching the topic and creating projects to find solutions to the problem through the engineering design process.

 

 

The Tools of A Digital Artist

 

One Country, Many Visions

 

Humanities 7 challenges students to consider the power of stories to influence identity, shape stereotypes, and build paths to empathy.  Students explore and use different modalities and genres to tell stories about themselves, their families, their communities, worlds that exist and worlds imaginged.  While this course seeks to amplify student voices and the stories of marginalized individuals and groups, it also helps students build and develop their learners’ toolbox.  At the start of their seventh grade year, students already possess and use a number of tools to make sense of the world around them; what they see, hear, read and think. At TYWLS of Astoria, we call these tools “outcomes” (Argue, Be Precise, Collaborate, Communicate, Conclude, Create, Discern, Innovate, Investigate and Plan). This class is designed to help you harness or sharpen your pre-existing tools, develop new ones, and ultimately increase your capacity to learn. 

 

Core Math 7

 

This course is designed for students to use new models and methods in a blended classroom to grow into inquisitive problem-solving mathematicians. Students use technology as a tool for learning to deepen their understanding of previously learned concepts of learning new ways of thinking about and investigating real-world situations; learning to think and communicate in these ways applies not only to mathematical contexts, other studies and situations inside and outside the classroom. Students will be actively engaged in problem solving, reasoning, connecting, and communicating as they study the following topics: Rational Number Operations, Proportional Relationships, Expressions, Equations, and Inequalities, Geometry, Probability, Statistics, and Pre-Algebra.

 

Students will be required to use a graphing calculator, keep a notebook and folder, read and interpret the mathematical texts, and complete independent and group work. Emphasis will be placed on investigating and solving real world problems that will include open ended and open response questions to assist in preparing students for the New York State Mathematics Exam and Accelerated Algebra I course next year. 

 

Science

 

 

 

Health 7

 

This semester-long course explores the concept of health in its many dimensions: physical, mental, emotional, social, and spiritual. We examine and unpack how our understandings about health are shaped by our culture, beliefs, media, and other societal forces. Students work collaboratively on projects, discussions, and peer-teaching protocols. Students will also have opportunities for individual journaling and reflection. Some major topics covered in this course include mental health, personal safety, puberty and development, safe relationships and effective communication, decision making, and navigating peer dynamics.

 

The primary goals of this course include:

 

Providing students with the knowledge, skills, and confidence necessary to make positive health-related choices.

 

Providing students access to evidence-based and reliable health information and resources.

 

Creating a peer-collaborative community where students feel empowered to both give and receive support. 

 

 

Physical Education

 

In Middle School PE, students will apply tactics and strategies to modified game play. The students will demonstrate fundamental movement skills in a variety of contexts, cooperate and encourage classmates, accept individual differences and demonstrate inclusive behaviors. Students will also engage in physical activity for enjoyment and self-expression.

 

Art 7 

 

Students will learn about, observe, and apply the elements and principles of art and design. Through scaffolded lessons they will build observational drawing skills, study basic color theory, learn the basics of watercolor and acrylic, use paper and other materials to create an image, and learn and apply a variety of collage techniques.

 

 

Physical Computing

 

 

 

Intro to Web Development

 

 

Intro to Digital Media

 

Storytelling is at the heart of every piece of media we consume in our daily lives! Digital Media 7 invites students on a journey to learn about different types of digital media through a variety of independent and collaborative projects. From logos to animated shorts, students will plan, create, and collaborate in order to create original content with a deep message. Students will begin the year by learning about the history of digital storytelling while discerning key features of impactful narratives. Whether they’re podcasting or creating mixed-media photography, students will learn how to use industry tools in order to bring their vision to life! Students’ final projects will be celebrated on the big screen at The Museum of the Moving Image!