Middle School Curriculum

Computer Science Explorations is an introductory trimester long course for fifth-grade students. Closely aligned with CSTA standards, the course provides an overview of the following topics: Computer Systems, Computer Programming, Digital Media, Digital Citizenship, History of Computer Technology, Artificial Intelligence, Current Events, Real World Application of Computing Technologies, and Robotics. Students incorporate Computational Thinking strategies into each project and lesson. Those skills include tinkering, creating, debugging, persevering and collaborating. Reflective learning takes place in a digital portfolio through which students document their learning and achievements in technology over the course of the trimester. 

Computer Science Explorations is an introductory trimester long course for sixth-grade students. Closely aligned with CSTA standards, the course provides an overview of the following topics: Computer Systems, Computer Programming, Digital Media, Digital Citizenship, History of Computer Technology, Artificial Intelligence, Current Events, Real World Application of Computing Technologies, and Robotics. Students incorporate Computational Thinking strategies into each project and lesson. Those skills include tinkering, creating, debugging, persevering and collaborating. Reflective learning takes place in a digital portfolio through which students document their learning and achievements in technology over the course of the trimester. 

STEAM by Design is unlike any class you have taken before. It is not a class — but a student-directed learning opportunity around the topics of Science, Technology, Electronics, Arts and Math. Students should be interested in coding, design, electronics, engineering or robotics. Students are expected to deliver the required projects while risking and embracing failure. The guiding mantra of all STEAM by Design courses is expressed best by Kevin Brookhouser: “Failure is an Option, Failure to Deliver is Not.”

Students will learn how to direct their learning as they work on becoming knowledgeable and proficient in Coding, Augmented Reality, 3D printing, Design, Physical Computing, Drones, and Robotics. Students will complete Sustainable Development Goals-themed projects. 

A reflective learning portfolio with artifacts will be completed for each unit/project. Students must document their learning, reflect on their progress, communicate ideas to others to gather feedback, and reflect on their overall learning process.

This year-long class will use the Code.org CS Principles Class for students who want to learn more about computer coding. In this class, topics covered will include but are not limited to Problem Solving & Computing, Web Development, Interactive Animations & Games, The Design Process, Data & Society, and AI and Machine Learning. 

The guiding mantra of all STEAM by Design courses is expressed best by Kevin Brookhouser: “Failure is an Option, Failure to Deliver is Not.”

A reflective learning portfolio with artifacts will be completed for each unit/project. Students must document their learning, reflect on their progress, communicate ideas to others to gather feedback, and reflect on their overall learning process.

Prerequisite: None, although students should have a strong interest in learning aspects related to Computer Science.

Digital Communication and Design will focus on the elements and applications of graphic design. In addition to learning about the design process in visual communication, students will develop skills using Adobe and Canva design programs. This course will also incorporate activities in word processing and digital competencies. Students can expect to create digital designs that can be transferred to engravings, prints, and more. 

A reflective learning portfolio with artifacts will be completed for each unit/project. Students will document their learning, reflect on their progress, communicate ideas to others to gather feedback, and reflect on their overall learning process.

This year-long Design Thinking course will foster independent problem-solving, empathy, collaboration, leadership, and community outreach through a series of student-driven projects addressing today's and tomorrow's real-life challenges. 

Projects will start small and localized. The beginning of the course will emphasize the design thinking process while addressing problems that classmates and individual users face. Once students are familiar with the process, they will be asked to build solutions for issues at DA. The year culminates in students utilizing the design and collaboration skills they have built throughout the year to solve more complex community issues. STEAM-specific skills and resources-such as coding, graphic design, and 3D printing & design (and more) will be used to create prototypes of the solutions designed by the students. 

A reflective learning portfolio with artifacts will be completed for each unit/project. Students must document their learning, reflect on their progress, communicate ideas to others to gather feedback, and reflect on their overall learning process.

Fifth-grade science focuses on the basic laboratory skills and scientific concepts that provide a foundation for middle-school science and beyond. Whole-class discussions and activities emphasize science as a method and explore the nature of scientific inquiry. Small-group lab activities help students develop new science process skills. Students demonstrate their skills and understanding of concepts through written reports, oral presentations, and a culminating independent project.  

Fifth-grade science curricular content relates to two overarching themes: the relationship between humans and Earth’s systems and what it means to be a Homo sapiens sapiens. Fifth-grade science concludes with an age-appropriate unit on human development and sexual health.

Sixth-grade science focuses on further developing the skills necessary for scientific inquiry and building foundational laboratory skills that will prepare students for future laboratory courses. Students build these skills through a variety of hands-on, iterative engineering challenges requiring them to apply scientific principles to the design process. Some content focus areas include electromagnetism (students design and build working electrical models) and Newtonian motion (students construct and test a functional rocket).

In sixth grade, we expect students to acquire skills at different rates and build in many opportunities for re-assessment. Sixth-grade scientists are encouraged to honestly assess their skill strengths and weaknesses. They are expected to take more independent ownership over their learning by seeking help when they need it, in order to prepare them for more independent and student-driven learning opportunities they will encounter in seventh and eighth grade.

Seventh-grade science focuses on further honing laboratory skills through more complex investigations and developing more nuanced critical-thinking skills and science-writing skills to prepare students for writing formal lab reports in eighth grade. Seventh-graders study what it means to be a living thing. Students explore the structures and processes necessary for living things to maintain life and reproduce, as well as how life evolves over time to adapt to a changing environment. Seventh-grade science includes an age-appropriate module on human development and sexual health and culminates with an in-depth look at the anatomical structures that support life through a series of biological specimen dissections. 

Seventh-graders demonstrate their understanding of concepts through a variety of written and oral presentations, both in individual and group settings. Experiential learning provides opportunities for students to develop laboratory skills that facilitate the collection of useful and precise observations. In-depth analysis of data connects lab experiences to the development of scientific reasoning skills. Students build scientific writing skills and verbal and written presentation skills to effectively communicate scientific concepts. 

Eighth-grade science focuses on the flow of energy through Earth’s system using the steps of the scientific method. Students explore the chemistry of matter and water and how Earth captures and delivers the sun’s energy throughout our biosphere. Topics covered in these concepts include tides, ocean currents, atmospheric conditions, climate change, and human impact on these systems. Students will demonstrate their understanding of concepts through a variety of labs in the form of written and oral presentations, both individually and in groups. 

The eighth-grade capstone experience is an independent science project in which students are able to synthesize all of the skills gathered from the middle school science program. Working individually and with community members, each student designs, conducts, analyzes, and reports on their own investigation over the course of several months. Through this work, eighth-graders will not only demonstrate their growth but their preparedness for the demands of DA Upper School’s science curriculum.