The 8th grade core curriculum is standards-based and taught within a two-period block that integrates English and history-social science. This blended approach reinforces critical reading, writing, and analytical skills essential to both subjects.

 

In Language Arts, students explore American history while enhancing their writing skills through three primary units: narrative, argumentative, and informational/journalistic writing. The curriculum is designed to strengthen students' ability to write effectively as they deepen their understanding of American history. Mentor texts are used to help students analyze literary elements through individual and collaborative activities. Students engage in a variety of learning experiences that challenge them in vocabulary development, literary response and analysis, writing strategies, and the application of written and oral English language conventions. Additionally, they practice listening and speaking strategies, as well as speaking applications. By using the processes of history, students develop a richer understanding of the nation's past and investigate recurring themes and values in American literature and history, fostering a comprehensive understanding of both subjects.

 

The students in eighth grade study the ideas, issues, and events from the framing of the Constitution to World War I. After reviewing the development of America's democratic institutions founded on the Judeo-Christian and English parliamentary traditions, particularly the shaping of the Constitution, students trace the development of American politics, society, culture, and economy and relate them to the emergence of major regional differences. They learn about the challenges facing the new nation, with an emphasis on the causes, course, and consequences of the Civil War. They make connections between the rise of industrialization and contemporary social and economic conditions.