Middle School Curriculum

6th, 7th & 8th Grade Art classes all focus on personal identity and celebrating uniquenesses. We learn basic techniques and skills in various media to build our confidence in our artwork. Students also write and reflect on the process and end product as we go, and all contribute to an all-school art show in the spring. Each year, we add on to what we learned previously and create a digital portfolio of work.

All students participate in Band, Orchestra, or Choir to meet our fine arts requirement.

Band

6th, 7th & 8th Grade Bands nurture a lifetime love of meaningful participation in music. We continue to expand our ability to play with good rhythm, balance, tone, intonation, and expression as we strive to praise God through music. Students experience band through large group performances, marching in the Tulip Time and Memorial Day Parades, as well as various opportunities to play solos and in smaller ensembles, including the Middle School Jazz Band.

Orchestra

In 6th, 7th & 8th Grade Orchestras we engage with God’s wonderful gift of music. We refine tone quality, intonation, balance, expression, and rhythm, and develop advanced techniques such as vibrato and shifting. We work together to bring beauty and shalom to our community through music. Students have opportunities to perform a variety of music in solo, small group, and large ensemble situations to bring God honor and glory.

Choir

In 6th, 7th & 8th Grade Choirs we learn who God created each of us to be as we discover how to use the voices he has given us. In our rehearsals, we realize the value of proper vocal technique as we learn to sing a soprano, alto or baritone vocal line. We get the opportunity to expand our knowledge of music theory, study music from different cultures, musical genres, and time periods, and work as a team to bring glory and honor to our God in our rehearsals and performances.

6th Grade Bible approaches the whole of the Old Testament as God’s Story, focusing in particular on God’s faithfulness to His people throughout. Throughout the year-long class, they survey everything from Genesis through the minor prophets as a foundation for studying the New Testament in 7th and 8th grades.

6th Grade’s Creation Keeping class blends Bible, science, art, and social studies into experiences focused around our Biblical calling to be stewards of God’s creation and this world. In this course, students look to create more sustainable practices in how we act by composting to reduce food waste, for example. They also create better conditions for God’s creation by building nest boxes for birds in different environments. In order to be as hands-on and outdoors as much as possible, this course includes off-campus trips most weeks to places like the Outdoor Discovery Center, 8th Day Farm, and Saugatuck Dunes.

Students in 6th Grade English discover the power of both words and story as tools for nurturing the hearts and minds of others, as well as for sharing God’s amazing story with each other and those around us. In order to do that, 6th grade English students study the basic building blocks of vocabulary, grammar, writing and reading skills through a workshop method, which means as much choice as possible for topic and text are offered to students–since when students read and write on topics they are passionate about, they learn more effectively. The second semester focuses on a variety of personal and social challenges in reading and writing, and does so through literary analysis, book clubs, and historical fiction–all presented in a God-glorifying way.

The goal of our 6th Grade Math class is to approach any problem with a growth mindset, understanding that learning is a process that involves many mistakes and using them as opportunities is a great way to clarify thinking. The topics, covered with the help of our Math Expressions textbook published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, are: number theory, expressions, percents, proportions, algebra, geometry and measurement. Students work to understand that our God is one who brings order out of chaos–even with math and numeric expressions!

6th Grade Nonfiction Literacy’s overarching goal is to promote and encourage students to be active readers and thinkers of informational text. This nine-week class is an extension of the 6th Grade English class, focusing specifically on how to read informational texts, and then writing a cause-and-effect essay based on student research using the informational texts of his or her choice.

6th Grade Science teaches students that as Christians we can better understand our Creator by understanding the world around us, and it does so starting with the MiSTAR curriculum, a problem-based curriculum that begins each unit with an applicable challenge for students to investigate. During the first semester of the class, students use models to better understand how God created order in our world through systems like the water system, ecosystems, and our body systems. The second semester continues with plant growth experiments, and measuring the health of an ecosystem by mapping actual data collected in the forest behind our school as an example.

6th Grade Social Studies looks at the people and places on God’s earth primarily through the lens of geography, using a variety of geography’s tools: regions, places, locations, movement of people and cultures, as well as human-environmental interactions.

Accelerated 7th Mathematics is offered to students who qualify determined by test scores and teacher recommendation. In 7th grade advanced math we complete both the 7th and 8th grade math standards. This is a class for students who are passionate about math and score in the top 10% of standardized tests. In the first semester, we learn 7th grade math where we will explore and learn algebra, integers, measurement, ratios, rate, proportions, percents, probability, perimeter, area, volume, and scale drawings. We make a game out of boxes to learn about probability. In the second semester, we complete 8th-grade math where we explore and learn about linear and exponential situations, symmetry, geometry, probability, statistics, and the Pythagorean theorem.

7th Grade Bible focuses on the life and teaching of Jesus. We discuss the geographic, historical, and religious context in which Jesus lived and taught. This one semester Bible class encourages students to begin to think about Christianity at a deeper level and investigate their own faith.

7th Grade English is a combination of reading, writing, and presenting. We discover the power of words that are both an amazing tool and a demanding responsibility. God used words to create the world. And as humans, made in his image, we can use the power of language. In the class, we read stories of various lengths, give speeches of explanation, and write fiction, nonfiction and journals with the main objective of learning how to read, write, and present in a God-glorifying way.

In 7th Grade Mathematics we explore and learn algebra, integers, measurement, ratios, rate, proportions, percents, probability, perimeter, area, volume, and scale drawings. We create games out of boxes to learn about probability, then measure probability in a real-world setting with 4th graders from Pine Ridge. We also draw floor plans of a house to learn about scale and percents.

7th Grade Nonfiction Literacy is a nine-week, quarter-long class in which students read, write, and study nonfiction texts. Students read and annotate articles, practice giving interviews, ask questions, find answers, and present findings. Near the end of the quarter, all of these skills are used to create a final nonfiction essay that answers a research question thoroughly using support and citations.

7th Grade Science teaches students that as Christians, we can better understand our Creator by understanding the world around us. Science topics are taught from an inquiry approach, allowing students to become the scientist as they discover and learn. Middle school science has adapted the Mi-STAR curriculum, and the topics taught in 7th grade come from a wide range of scientific disciplines In the first semester the focus is on exploring energy and matter, and it is made up of the following units: Creating an Energy Plan, Cycling of Energy and Matter by Volcanoes, Moving Thermal Energy, and Life Cycle of Building Materials. The second semester focuses on structure and function, and is made up of the following units: How Humans Affect Plant/Animal Reproduction, Genetics, Water Chemistry and Quality, and Maintaining Ecosystem Services.

Social Studies in 7th grade is an overview of world history until 1500, covering major civilizations, empires, nomadic groups, and human accomplishments throughout this large span of time. While the class’ main focus is on history, other social studies topics including geography, economics, political science, and religion are integrated into this study. Throughout the year, students grow as historical thinkers and develop skills for applying evidence and developing historical claims.

This 9-week course focuses on comparing data sets. We start with visuals, creating dot plots, histograms, and box plots for various data sets. Then we look at calculations that can be used for comparisons, including the mean, MAD (mean absolute deviation), median, and IQR (interquartile range). Students will use their new statistical knowledge to compare data sets that come from their own statistical questions as well, with data being collected throughout the beginning of the class.

8th Grade Algebra 1 is the first year of our high school math curriculum. In this class students collaborate to learn the math concepts. They study and learn patterns of change, patterns of data, linear and exponential functions, patterns in shapes, quadratic functions, and patterns of chance. A lot of the questions in this course are related to real-life situations.

8th Grade Bible explores major Biblical themes and looks for applications in our daily lives. Topics such as justice, oppression, God’s Promises, redemption and restoration are studied throughout the year. An in-depth study of the book of Acts is the centerpiece of the 8th grade curriculum where the students learn about the role and work of the Holy Spirit in helping the early Church and today’s Church to live out its mission.

8th Grade English encompasses a variety of reading, writing, vocabulary, and grammar skills. We explore how we can enjoy reading text to explore the world, and use writing to express ourselves clearly to others. We can use both reading and writing to be agents of light in God’s world. We study what it means to be independent and community readers, as well as readers of poetry, short stories, informational texts, and classic novels. Our writing focuses on general reflection prompts, narrative poetry, literary essays, informational essays, and argumentative essays. Vocabulary words are formed from the novels we read and from the SAT high-frequency word list.

8th Grade Math explores different areas of algebra, geometry, and statistics. Students will be introduced to linear, inverse, and exponential relationships, symmetry and transformations, pythagorean theorem, and solving systems of equations. Through these different areas, students focus on problem solving strategies, estimation, and communicating mathematically with graphs, tables, and equations.

8th Grade Science focuses on gaining a deeper understanding of God’s creation and sharpening our ability to think and act like scientists. Topics include sound and light waves, natural selection and adaptation, geologic time, risk management of natural risks like severe weather and earthquakes, climate, and astronomy. Through investigations, discussions, and collaborative group projects, students develop their understanding of how we are to best care for the earth and bring shalom to all parts of God’s creation.

8th Grade Social Studies is a U.S. history survey course that covers from 1750-1875. Topics covered include events leading to the Revolutionary War, the Revolutionary War, the Constitution, formation of government, War of 1812, westward expansion, Industrial Revolution, Civil War, and Reconstruction.