Middle School Curriculum
Each Middle School student is assigned a teacher advisor, to whom he or she reports every morning and afternoon. The advisor acts as an advocate for each student and serves as a conduit for home-school communication. In addition, the advisor works with the school administration to monitor the academic progress of each student in all subject areas. Advisor groups meet regularly to plan group activities including service projects.
Students experience a departmentalized academic program and move from classroom to classroom. Students are expected to maintain lockers and pass between classes with all necessary materials. Teachers of each subject area offer instruction that meets the needs of all students and challenges each to achieve his or her highest potential.
The Woods Academy takes a comprehensive, developmental approach in teaching guidance to our Grade 5 and 6 students. This includes developmentally appropriate information related to matters of family life including wellness, health, nutrition, hygiene, exercise, physiology, and the biology of their changing bodies according to grade level.
In the Middle School, students continue to develop the basic skills of listening, speaking, reading, writing, and cultural awareness. Grammar is presented formally for reference in practical and functional situations. Each lesson integrates comprehension, self-expression, and use of target vocabulary and grammar.
In Middle School, students use the library for research to use in other classes, to find a thrilling middle school fiction book, or to use the quiet space to work on a project together.
The Middle School physical education program follows the guidelines developed by the Society of Health And Physical Educators (SHAPE) and its National Standards. In Middle School, the students build on the fundamentals and skills they’ve learned in previous years by being taught the technical aspects, principles and knowledge of sports and games, along with strategies and tactics to become successful in class and outside of class.
The Grade 5 Language Arts curriculum integrates reading, writing, speaking, listening, and the study of vocabulary and grammar in a way that engages the students and supports them in building a broad and diverse set of literacy skills. Students study literature through a variety of short stories, novels, poetry, and nonfiction texts where they learn to explore various literary elements and respond to literature using textual evidence.
Grade 5 students continue cumulative review and broaden their studies in problem-solving strategies and applications. Open-ended problems are introduced, and collaborative work is explored. Areas covered include: place value, addition and subtraction of whole numbers and decimals, multiplying whole numbers and decimals, calculations with fractions, ratio and percent, geometry, statistics, and probability.
The Middle School music curriculum draws upon repertoire from various world music traditions as well as our American Musical Theater tradition. Students learn to sing and play together in harmony as they participate in singing activities, drum circles, and xylophone ensembles. In addition, students explore story-telling and drama skills through plays that include singing, dancing, instrument-playing, props, and costumes.
The goals of the Middle School Religion are to provide each student with meaningful skills to help cultivate and grow knowledge in faith, prayer, and moral formation.
Students in Grade 5 practice the engineering design process and scientific method through a balance of scientific inquiry and collaborative projects designed to inspire creativity and critical thinking. Students learn how to achieve both individually and as members of a team and have the opportunity to practice their presentation and public speaking skills. The content of the class is separated into four hands-on units: Robotics, Science of Structures, Earth Science, and Science Fair.
The focus of this course is on service leadership. Students spend time identifying their individual strengths and leadership characteristics, and then learn about how to use those leadership skills in the service of others as an important part of our faith. The goal is to help the students see how their gifts and leadership can be put to use to support a cause.
In Grade 5 Social Studies, students study ancient Egypt, ancient India, and ancient China. The focus of social studies is to tell stories about people, places, and events in history, and to put those stories into a context. Exploring and studying these stories provides important background knowledge in geography, economics, arts, and culture as they relate to both ancient civilizations, as well as modern society.
At The Woods Academy, we believe that our students need a solid foundation in technology. This foundation includes understanding how technology works as well as being able to use technology to create.
The Grade 5 Visual Arts class is a 2D Art Intensive designed to nurture creativity, develop technical skills, and prepare students for future artistic endeavors. This course offers students a comprehensive exploration of various 2D art forms, including drawing, painting, and printmaking.
Wellness is a weekly meeting for all Grade 5 students. The class is centered on the Responsive Classroom Advisory Meeting practice which is based on comprehensive research conducted by Center for Responsive Schools. The program offers a solid framework for building meaningful connections and developing respectful and trusting relationships, while meeting students’ developmental needs. The course objectives are to:
Health and Wellness is an important priority at The Woods Academy. The Middle School is committed to not only the academic growth of your student, but also the health and wellness of everyone in our community. Partnering with The Project School Wellness curriculum, The Woods Academy provides a comprehensive and effective health and wellness curriculum for all Middle School students.
The Grade 6 Language Arts curriculum continues to integrate reading, writing, speaking, listening, and the study of vocabulary and grammar in a way that engages the students. In Grade 6, students explore a variety of short stories, novels, poetry, and nonfiction texts.
In Grade 6 Math, students develop an understanding of how and why mathematical procedures work using the Math in Focus curriculum. Students learn to master the arithmetic operations of whole numbers, decimals, fractions and percents. They learn and apply number theory including prime factorization, GCF, LCM, square roots and square numbers, and are introduced to positive and negative integers. From the beginning of the course, students use algebraic approaches to solve equations, inequalities and word problems, while also learning the basics of geometry, such as measuring segments and angles, finding perimeters and/or areas of polygons, and finding volumes of prisms and cylinders.
The Middle School music curriculum draws upon repertoire from various world music traditions as well as our American Musical Theater tradition. Students learn to sing and play together in harmony as they participate in singing activities, drum circles, and xylophone ensembles. In addition, students explore story-telling and drama skills through plays that include singing, dancing, instrument-playing, props, and costumes.
The goals of the Middle School Religion are to provide each student with meaningful skills to help cultivate and grow knowledge in faith, prayer, and moral formation.
In Grade 6 science, students build upon their understanding of the engineering design process and scientific method through a variety of hands-on scientific inquiries and cross-curricular projects designed to foster critical thinking, collaboration, and curiosity. There is also an increased focus on using nonfiction texts to get to learn about various topics. Students learn how to work as a productive member of a team and continue to hone their presentation and public speaking skills.
In Grade 6 Social Studies, students study Ancient Greece, Ancient Rome, Medieval Europe, the Renaissance, the Reformation, and the Age of Exploration. The focus of social studies is to tell stories about people, places, and events in history. It provides important background knowledge in geography, economics, arts, and culture.
At The Woods Academy, we believe that our students need a solid foundation in technology. This foundation includes understanding how technology works as well as being able to use technology to create. Not only do our classroom teachers integrate technology into their lessons, but an explicit technology curriculum is taught to our students beginning in Kindergarten.
Grade 6 Visual Arts is a 3D Art Intensive designed to ignite creativity, enhance technical skills, and broaden students' artistic horizons. This course immerses students in the world of three-dimensional art, focusing on mediums such as ceramics, cardboard sculpture, and plaster sculpture.
In Grades 7 and 8, students are presented with a curriculum focused on issues of the 21st century including family life (encompassing values, personal integrity, family systems, community building, diversity/stereotyping, substance abuse, sexuality, relationships, and faith), and The Woods Academy Youth Series (WAYS).
In grades 7 and 8, World Language students continue to develop proficiency in listening, speaking, reading, writing, and cultural awareness. They master more complex grammatical structures and continue to expand their vocabulary through thematic units of study. In addition to learning grammar and vocabulary, students also learn content such as history and culture directly in French or Spanish, relying heavily on authentic sources.
The Grade 7 English course utilizes a multitude of readings from anthologies, novels, and nonfiction sources. Wordly Wise 3000 and Daily Grammar Practice workbooks are used as supplementary texts for vocabulary and grammar.
Grades 7 and 8 students use Big Ideas to support our Pre-Algebra and Algebra courses. In Grade 7, students will partake in an innovative program that uses hands-on activities and scaffolded instruction. The instructional design guides students through concepts from surface-level to deep-level learning and allows them to transfer these skills to new concepts in a complete and comprehensive way.
The Middle School music curriculum draws upon repertoire from various world music traditions as well as our American Musical Theater tradition. Students learn to sing and play together in harmony as they participate in two and three-part singing ensembles, drum circles, and xylophone ensembles. In addition, students explore story-telling and drama skills through plays that include singing, dancing, instrument-playing, props, and costumes.
The goals of the Middle School Religion are to provide each student with meaningful skills to help cultivate and grow knowledge in faith, prayer, and moral formation.
Grade 7 biological science concentrates on principles and concepts concerning the science of life or living matter in all its forms and phenomena. This course will emphasize cellular biology. We spend considerable time exploring cellular structure, cellular processes, genetics, and evolution. We spend the final part of the year discussing organizing and categorizing the different domains that make up the natural world. The course will include lab work, homework, classwork, quizzes, and projects.
Grade 7 Social Studies fosters a classroom where students are active, informed, and caring decision-makers. We help each other develop meaningful knowledge and understanding of United States history and our role as responsible citizens. The focus of social studies is to tell the stories about people, places, and events in our nation’s history, providing important background knowledge in geography, economics, arts, culture, and citizenship that we can utilize in our own lives.
At The Woods Academy, we believe that our students need a solid foundation in technology. This foundation includes understanding how technology works as well as being able to use technology to create. Not only do our classroom teachers integrate technology into their lessons, but an explicit technology curriculum is taught to our students beginning in Kindergarten.
In Grade 7 Visual Arts, students will embark on a journey through the vibrant and revolutionary world of Impressionist and Pointillist painters. Students will explore the historical context and artistic techniques of the Impressionist movement, delve into the science of color and optical mixing, and apply their knowledge to create their own artworks.
The Grade 8 English course utilizes a multitude of readings from anthologies, novels, and nonfiction sources. Wordly Wise 3000 and Daily Grammar Practice workbooks are used as supplementary texts for vocabulary and grammar.
Students in Grade 8 Math will understand slope of a linear relationship and relate linear equations to lines in the coordinate plane. They will write and solve linear equations, including pairs of linear equations. Students will understand that functions are rules that assign a unique output number to each input number. They will then use linear functions to model relationships. Students will analyze statistical relationships and use lines of best-fit to determine future outcomes in real-life situations. Students will work with positive and negative exponents, square root and cube root symbols, and scientific notation. They will understand congruence and similarity of geometric figures.
The Middle School music curriculum draws upon repertoire from various world music traditions as well as our American Musical Theater tradition. Students learn to sing and play together in harmony as they participate in two and three-part singing ensembles, drum circles, and xylophone ensembles. In addition, students explore story-telling and drama skills through plays that include singing, dancing, instrument-playing, props, and costumes.
The goals of the Middle School Religion are to provide each student with meaningful skills to help cultivate and grow knowledge in faith, prayer, and moral formation.
Grade 8 physical science concentrates on principles and concepts concerning the physical world. Content areas explored include nature and behavior of matter, atomic theory, chemical and physical changes including bonding and reactions, mechanics, and energy. The course emphasizes the study and proper use of fundamental science tools, including the metric system, periodic table, and comprehension graphs and charts.
Grade 8 Social Studies builds on the Grade 7 experience, continuing to foster active, informed, and caring decision-making for life. We help each other develop meaningful knowledge and understanding of United States history and our role as responsible citizens. The focus of social studies is to tell the stories about people, places, and events in history, providing important background knowledge in geography, economics, arts and culture, and citizenship that we can utilize in our own lives.
Grade 8 students embark on an exciting journey into the world of Artificial Intelligence (AI). Through engaging discussions, hands-on activities, and thought-provoking projects, students will delve into the fundamental concepts, applications, and ethical considerations surrounding AI technology.
Grade 8 Visual Arts is an introduction to the art of mural making through a collaborative community project. Students will engage in generating ideas, planning sketches, designing compositions, researching cultural symbolism, scaling images, and painting a large-scale mural.