Classrooms

Middle School
Grade 8

Mrs. Kathy Sweet
Education:  Associates in Liberal Arts, St. Clair County Community College; BS Oakland University; graduate work at Central Michigan University.
Family:  married; children, Patrick and Brian; granddaughter Kennedy.


Language Arts and 8th Grade Homeroom
Learning how words can work together to make interesting, informative sentences.
Writing--letters, short stories, creative writing, research reports.
Reading—understanding and studying the different characteristics of the genres of short stories, poetry, plays, nonfiction articles, novels, newspapers.

Grade 8 Curriculum Overview

RELIGION

* History and structure of the Catholic Church
* Early Church history found in the New Testament, with emphasis on the Acts of the Apostles and the Epistles
* The councils, heresies and schisms, monasticism, Crusades and Protestant Reformation
* Trace Church in America from its immigrant roots
* Sexuality study rooted in Scripture and guided by Church documents
* Dating, life choices and commitment
* Reflect on personal talents and possible ways these might be used to serve the Church and/or society
* Perform service projects in line with the Spiritual and Corporal Works of Mercy

LANGUAGE ARTS

Reading

* Enjoy listening to, reading from and  talking about books
* Recognize and recall main idea, sequence, cause and effect
* Predict outcome
* Distinguish fact and opinion
* Apply what has been learned from reading to other situations
* Recognize and appreciate various elements of literature, e.g., plot, characterization, setting, theme, etc.
* Reading a variety of genre

Listening

* Use appropriate listening/responding behavior
* Recall and identify important details
* Recall important details for notetaking
* Follow oral directions

Writing

* Participate in activities which precede writing
* Write ideas with fluency and confidence
* Re-see own writing for unity and coherence
* Examine use of precise and descriptive words
* Reconstruct sentences for variety
* Use a thesaurus to choose words which capture tone and mood
* Apply basic editing skills to final draft of writing (correct grammar, mechanics and usage and spelling appropriate to grade level)
* Write short report indicating sources
* Examine use of sensory language, e.g. metaphors, similes, etc. and transitional devices
* Paraphrase and summarize material
* Use transitional devices within and between paragraphs
* Writing connected to real issues
* Creative writing
* Journal writing--recording thoughts and opinions
* Weekly media

Speaking

* Tell stories, share experiences and ideas appropriately, clearly, audibly and expressively
* Ask appropriate questions and make comments relevant to topic
* Prepare, deliver oral presentations, speeches, reports, etc.
* Choose appropriate vocabulary (formal vs informal)
* Use appropriate body language, eye contact
* Express ideas concisely

Study Skills

* Use dictionary for cross referencing, word origin, run-on entries, to interpret alternate pronunciations and spellings
* Use reference materials, library classification systems
* Outline information
* Skim, scan, summarize
* Develop flexible reading rate
* Take notes from written materials and lectures

SOCIAL STUDIES

* Use of the eight strands of social studies to organize, evaluate and analyze situations from history and current world events.
* Continued development of basic geographical and study skills integrated into the material.
* Focus on the development of the United States from the year 1870 to the present day.
* Analyze historical and contemporary situations and problems and their impace on the development of the United States and other countries of the world.
* Evaluate the role of the United States in historic world events and her relationship to other countries from 1870 to the present.
* Study and understand political, historical, and thematic maps.

MATHEMATICS

* Variables in Algebra, exponents and powers, equations and inequalities
* Properties of real numbers: adding and subtracting matrices, addition, subtraction, multiplication and division of real numbers, distributive property, probability and odds
* Solving and graphing linear equations and functions
* Writing linear equations: writing linear equations in slope-intercept form given the slope and a point or given two points
* Solving and graphing linear inequalities
* Solving linear systems by graphing, substitution, linear combinations, inequalities
* Exponents and exponential functions
* Quadratic equations and functions
* Polynomials and factoring
* Rational equations and functions
* Radicals and connections to geometry

SCIENCE

* Earth’s changes over time: plate tectonics, earthquakes and volcanoes, Earth’s past, geologic time
* Universe: sun-earth-moon system, solar system, stars and galaxies
* Chemistry: inside the atom, Periodic Table, atomic structure, chemical bonds, chemical reactions
* Motion, forces and energy: motion and momentum, force and Newton’s laws
* Human reproductive system, AIDS, STDs
* Legal and illegal drug use and effects on the body

PE, Music, Art, Computer and Spanish  instruction is provided through East China School District’s Shared Time program with district-area nonpublic schools.

Please click on the Curriculum Overview Brochure for Grade 8 to download and read or print (print the cover separately).
Curriculum Brochure
Cover

Please go to the Curriculum page for brochures for all of the classes.