Middle School Curriculum

Chinese 7N will develop students’ ability to understand and communicate in Chinese in everyday situations. Toward this end, much time is spent providing the necessary communicative tools: vocabulary and grammar in Chinese simplified characters. The basic grammar and vocabulary points are learned and built upon to acquire more complex structures for communication. Students will focus on the four linguistic modalities: listening, speaking, reading and writing. The proficiency level of students who finish this course successfully is novice, as defined by American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages World Readiness Standards. Authentic materials, textbooks and practical application in culturally authentic situations will be used to equip students with the basic skills necessary for future studies of Mandarin. 

Chinese 7 is a continuation of Chinese 5/6 and is a communicative novice-mid level course according to the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages World Readiness Standards. Students may anticipate learning a significant amount of new vocabulary, sentence patterns and idiomatic expressions using simplified Chinese characters. Skits, oral presentations, writing assignments and cultural activities are also part of this course. The course also integrates the four linguistic modalities: listening, reading, speaking and writing. The goal is to allow students to develop communicative strategies that will allow them to interact with linguistic material and speakers in the target language. 

This course is an introduction to Mandarin (guoyu or putonghua). The course begins with simple words and phrases, the pronunciation and cadences of Mandarin, romanization, Chinese characters, and simple vocabulary items, all taught in the context of practical and meaningful communication. Sentence patterns and other fundamentals of speaking, reading and writing will be taught using simplified Chinese characters. Chinese 5 will help students develop an interest and understanding of Mandarin Chinese with a focus on the four linguistic modalities: listening, speaking, reading and writing.  Chinese 5 is a communicative novice-level course according to the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages World Readiness Standards. 

Fifth-grade science focuses on the basic skills and concepts that provide a foundation for sixth-grade science and beyond. Class discussions and readings emphasize science as a method and explore the nature of scientific inquiry. Lab activities help students develop new science process skills. Students demonstrate their understanding of concepts and skills through written and oral reports and an independent project.  

Sixth-grade science focuses on the fundamental concepts of physical science that allow students to understand the workings of the universe. Students will explore electromagnetism, simple machines, waves and energy, and forces and motion in the context of designing a mission to Mars. A focus on hands-on learning and iterative design will help students develop skills necessary to break large questions down into more manageable chunks. Students will demonstrate their learning through both independent and group project work.

Seventh-grade science focuses on understanding what it means to be a living thing on earth. Students will explore the structures and processes necessary for living things to maintain life, as well as how life evolves to adapt to a changing environment. We will also look outward at relationships within ecosystems and how the choices we make can have unpredictable effects on a global scale. Students will demonstrate their understanding of concepts through a variety of written and oral presentations, both in individual and group settings. 

Eighth-grade science focuses on the flow of energy through the earth’s system using the steps of the scientific method. Students will explore the chemistry of water, how water moves around the earth, and how it captures and delivers the sun’s energy throughout our biosphere. Students will demonstrate their understanding of concepts through a variety of written and oral presentations, both individually and in groups. 

The eighth-grade independent science project is a capstone experience in which each student designs, implements and reports on their own investigation. 

Science In Action is an elective class designed to provide students an opportunity to find out how changes to our present campus will affect the ecology of the greater community. Knowing that all human activity has both short-term and long-term consequences, students will plan and carry out an investigation to help predict what these consequences might be, learn what procedures and planning are in place to protect us from negative impacts, and make recommendations to suggest and plan for at least one opportunity that the construction site offers to make an ecologically positive impact on the world around us. Students will leave this class with a better understanding of the impact that the new DA Middle School’s campus will have on future generations and how our choices determine the kind of difference that we make.

STEAM by Design is not like any class you have taken before, as it is not really a class but a student-directed learning opportunity around the topics of Science, Technology, Electronics, Art and Math. Students should have an interest in coding, design, electronics, engineering or robotics. Students are expected to deliver the required projects while risking and embracing failure. Students who are trustworthy, responsible, self-motivated, and are strong collaborators and problem-finders will be a great fit for STEAM by Design. The guiding mantra of STEAM by Design is expressed best by Kevin Brookhouser: “Failure is an Option, Failure to Deliver is Not.”

This class will focus on students’ physical fitness and wellness through five PE classes in a seven-day cycle. Students will have sports and fitness units that will stress fundamentals and skills as well as small competition and sportsmanship. We will provide our students a wide range of activities that promote physical, social and emotional growth with the goal of keeping students active, engaged and feeling successful while emphasizing kindness, cooperation and respect for one another.