Eighth Grade

What will my child learn?

Bible
English
Math
Reading
Spelling
Heritage Studies
Science
Fine and Digital Arts
Spanish

English (Academic and Honors)**

Total Credits: 1
Grammar: Study all parts of speech, capitalization, punctuation.
Literature: Study an anthology of writing pieces by well-known authors.
Novels: Read and analyze a variet of novels throughout the year, including Night, A Christmas Carol, and The Hound of Baskervilles.
Composition: Various writing projects including creative writing, literary analysis, research paper, persuasive oral speeches, and poetry.
Spelling, vocabulary, and poetry: 28 spelling lists, 280 vocabulary words, various poetry forms will be studied.
Field Trips: A Christmas Carol; (novel study); The Harrisburg State Capitol and The Museum of Pennsylvania (research paper).
**Honors English courses move at an accelerated pace, cover an increased amount of novels and an increased frequency of writing assignments.

Math

Total Credits per class: 1

Algebra 1:

Students will build off the basic algebra skills they acquired in Pre-Algebra, learning more advanced techniques and applications.

Textbook: Algebra 1: A Bridge to Success by Ron Larson & Laurie Boswell
Topics:

Solving linear equations and inequalities
Writing and graphing linear and absolute value equations and functions
Solving systems of linear equations and inequalities
Arithmetic and geometric sequences
Properties of exponents and radicals
Solving and graphing exponential growth and decay equations
Factoring polynomials and solving polynomial equations
Solving and graphing quadratic equations and functions
Solving and graphing radical equations and functions
Finding the inverse of a function
Data analysis with measures of center and spread
Solving problems using two-way tables

In the Honors class, students also learn about:

Recursively defined sequences
Solving nonlinear systems of equations
Shapes of distributions found in data analysis (normal, skewed, uniform, etc.)

Note: Students can learn the content of Algebra 1 over the course of 2 years by taking Algebra 1A and Algebra 1B. The student would earn 2 math credits for taking this sequence of courses.

History I

Study of United States history from colonization up until 1850
Some Topics Covered:
- Settling the Wilderness: Discovery of the New World, settling the colonies, colonies and the British Empire.
- Establishing a Nation: Revolutionary war, Confederation and establishment of the new government.
- Spanning the Continent: Growth of the Nation, Jacksonian Era, Westward Expansion.