INDEX
Overview of the
Middle School Program.............................. 3
Humanities.......................................................................... 4
Literacy
Skills
..6
Science............................................................................... 7
Numeracy. ......................................................................... 10
Mathematics
.
11
Physical Education.............................................................. 15
Visual and
Performing Arts.................................................. 16
First Nations
.17
Drama................................................................................ 17
Music................................................................................. 18
Modern
Languages
..20
Information
Technology
..22
Home Economics
............................................................ 23
Tech Education
.24
Career &
Personal Planning................................................. 25
Student Support
Services.................................................... 26
Extra-Curricular
Activities.................................................... 28
OVERVIEW OF THE MIDDLE SCHOOL PROGRAM
(A) INTRODUCTION
Once students reach the middle school and
subsequently the secondary school years, they begin to have more choices than
in elementary school. The course
selection process is one of those times when students and their parents are
faced with making choices as to what subjects they are going to take. As students move into higher grades the
selection of courses and opportunities typically
becomes greater. It is important that
students, parents, and teachers work together so that each individual makes
good decisions with respect to his/her school program.
(B) PURPOSE OF THE COURSE
CALENDAR
The purpose of this
booklet is to assist students and their parents to become more familiar with
the course offerings at our school.
(C) THE MIDDLE SCHOOL PROGRAM
A.D. Rundle Middle School
offers basically the same courses as
other Middle Schools in British
Columbia.
All students must
take three years of Humanities (English and Social Studies), Mathematics, Science,
Physical Education
and elective courses in Fine Arts and Applied Skills. It is also required in British Columbia that
Grade Seven and Eight students take French as a Second Language.
The following is
the program outline for each grade:
GRADE 7 GRADE 8 GRADE 9
Advisory /Core Advisory/Core Advisory/Core
Humanities Humanities Humanities
Math Math
Math/Science Science Science
French/Study Skills French /Computers Phys Ed
Physical Education
(Daily) Physical
Education (Daily) Fine
Arts - Journalism
Fine Arts (Art/Drama, or Band) Fine
Arts (Art/Drama, or Band) -
Art
Exploratories: Exploratories: -
Drama
(Foods, Clothing, Elective
(semester) - Band
Woodwork, Metalwork) (Foods,
Clothing, Metalwork, Electives
Woodwork) (Woodwork, Metalwork, Foods,
Power Mechanics, Outdoor
Education,
French, Computer 9, Sewing
(D) EXAMINATIONS
During the middle
school years, students progress is assessed in a variety of ways such as
quizzes, tests, projects, participation/effort, reports, etc. by the classroom
teacher. Student achievement is also measured through grade wide school
processes such as the Foundation Skills Assessment, D.A.R.T., Performance
Standards, and the Woodcock Johnston III Achievement Test. In addition, all academic
courses have mid-year and year-end grade wide examinations.
HUMANITIES
GENERAL OBJECTIVES
AND LEARNING OUTCOMES:
1. To improve student
performance in reading and writing.
2. To gain a better
understanding of the world in which we live.
3. To learn to search for
information and organize it into proper, understandable forms.
4. To learn to understand
that different civilizations have different value structures.
5. To help students to
understand and appreciate the values that society accepts.
6. To introduce the student
to the grammatical form and
structure of the English language and to develop a facility in using the
language, both orally and in writing, to communicate
ideas.
7. To develop the student=s ability to think, by exposing him/her to
interesting and challenging material.
8. To develop an awareness
and growing understanding of the elements of literary techniques, plot
development, foreshadowing, conflict, climax, theme, plus an awareness and
appreciation of the writer=s skills
in expressing ideas, describing scenes, and events and portraying characters.
Emphasis
will be placed on habits of mind including critical
and creative problem-solving and on skills pertaining to listening, reading,
writing, viewing, speaking, representing, analysing and interpreting
information, research and geography.
Students will come to a broader understanding of communication, media, literature, history, and current
issues and affairs. Basic skills such as
grammar, usage, reading, spelling, organization and effective study and
presentation methods will receive direct instruction within the context of
student work.
HUMANITIES COURSE DESCRIPTIONS
HUMANITIES
7 (Required/Full Year)
Humanities
7 is an interdisciplinary course that covers the provincially mandated
curriculum for English and Social Studies.
Basic skills such as grammar, usage, reading, spelling, organization and
effective study and presentation methods will receive direct instruction within
the context of student work. Content
includes grammar, poetry, various novels, early and classical civilizations (eg. Egypt
& Greece,
pre-contact people, primitive groups and the present world).
HUMANITIES 8
(Required/Full Year)
Humanities
8 is an integrated course of study based on human themes and processes. The goal of this course is to explore historical and contemporary issues/events within the
context of language, literature and media in order to facilitate the
understanding of human activity (social, political,
local, global, past, present, and
future.) Content includes the Middle
Ages, Renaissance and Exploration.
HUMANITIES
9 (Required/Full Year)
Humanities
is the study of human culture and creativity comprising the fields of
philosophy, art, history, politics, religion, literature and language. Humanities 9 is an interdisciplinary course
that covers the provincially mandated curriculum for English and Social
Studies. While covering the content normally addressed in two separate courses,
students will benefit from comparative, thematic and/or issues-based approaches
that will enable them to make relevant connections whenever possible between
the disciplines. Content includes
Industrialization, Exploration, North American
History, Nation Building and Social Order.
SCIENCE 7
SCIENCE 7 (Required/Full Year)
OBJECTIVES AND
LEARNING OUTCOMES:
The A.D.
Rundle Science programs are designed to promote the attainment of a
comprehensive set of skills, knowledge and experiences related to Science.
We are
currently using the Science Probe textbooks as our main vehicle
for encouraging students to read and interpret scientifically
written material. Through questioning
(both in written and verbal form), we intend for students to examine scientific
concepts, principles and laws. It is our
goal to produce capable students who
can think critically.
Hands-on
experiments and visual demonstrations are an integral part of our Science
programs. By engaging in experiments
students will develop their organizational skills, gain further insights into
concepts being developed in the regular classroom, and become confident in
their abilities to follow and carry
out procedures.
Principle
Units
Life
Science 7
§
food webs
§
biogeoclimatic zones
of B.C.
§
biomes
§
ecosystems
Physical Science 7
§
ph scale
§
chemical reactions in the environment
§
chemical pollution
§
sources of energy
§
water
in the environment
Earth and
Space 7
§
objects of the solar system
§
earthquakes and volcanoes
§
geological
features of the ocean floors and continents
SCIENCE 8
OBJECTIVES & LEARNING OUTCOMES:
The A.D.
Rundle Science programs are designed to promote the attainment of a
comprehensive set of skills, knowledge and experiences related to Science.
The
Science Probe textbook is used at the grade 8 level and Prentice Hall textbooks
are used for grade 9. The objective of
the Science program is to introduce students to lab oriented science. Students learn to use lab apparatus and are
required to write formal lab reports. Project
work is required at the grade 8 and 9 level each term. It is our goal to foster and encourage
appreciation for science and students to pursue higher-level science courses at
high school.
SCIENCE 8 (Four
principle Units) (Required/Full
Year)
Earth Science
#
water cycle
#
erosion and glacial movements
#
ocean transport
#
productivity of marine environment
Chemistry
8
#
kinetic molecular Theory of Matter
#
concept of force
#
density
#
viscosity of fluids
Physics 8
#
properties of visable light
#
Energy Transfers
#
Light (lenses, mirrors, prisms, etc.)
#
Reflection/refraction
#
Project: Vision
and the Human Eye (featuring eyeball dissection)
Ecology 8
#
Life Science
#
Locally
developed unit
#
The Fate of the Strait covering diversity,
Social issues within local
ecosystems
Biology 8
#
Relate structures to functions of organs and organ
systems
#
Identify how body systems are interrelated
#
Describe how body systems monitor, regulate and
respond to changes
In internal
and external environments
Science 9
Objectives
and learning outcomes:
The
A.D. Rundle science programs are designed to promote the attainment of a
comprehensive set of skills, knowledge and experience related to Science.
Students
learn to use lab apparatus and are required to write formal lab reports. Project work is required each term. It is our goal to foster and encourage
appreciation for science and students to pursue higher-level science courses at
high school.
Chemistry 9
v Using the periodic table
v Structure of the atom
v Chemical bonding
v Chemical formula writing
v Writing and balancing
chemical equations
v Law of conservation of
matter
Biology 9
v The process of cell division
v Embryonic development
v Asexual development vs
sexual development
Physics 9
v Static electricity
v Current electricity
v Series and parallel circuits
v Electrical power consumption
Space Science 9
v Organization of the Solar
System
v Equipment used to explore
the universe
v Implications of space travel
v The Earth/moon system
MATHEMATICS 7 (Required/Full Year)
OBJECTIVES AND LEARNING
OUTCOMES:
Mathematical literacy is increasingly important in our
technological society. It is important that we equip our students
with the ability to reason and communicate;
to solve problems; and to understand and use probability and statistics, technology
and measurement. The major components of
Mathematical literacy as outlined in
the B.C.
Ministry
of Education IRP (Integrated
Resource Package) are as follows:
#
Developing Positive Attitudes
#
Becoming Problem Solvers
#
Communicating
Mathematically
#
Connecting and Applying Mathematical Ideas
#
Reasoning Mathematically
