Our Philosophy
The middle-school years at St. Francis are fun, challenging and productive. There are many curricular and social activities that make these years memorable. Seventh and eighth graders have the exciting job of making the critical transition from elementary school to middle school and eventually to high school. This means more independence, increased responsibilities, higher expectations, balancing school life with busy home schedules and dealing with those very special emotional, social, and physical changes that occur during these years. St. Francis School believes that the K-8 structure builds leadership, confidence and compassion in middle-school students. At the foundation is a commitment to growing in faith and love of God. They are actively involved in service and weekly liturgies. The highly qualified and committed staff is keenly aware of and sensitive to the unique needs of these students during their middle-school years.
Academic Policies
The NWEA is given to the seventh and eighth graders as mandated by the Diocese of Lansing.
7th and 8th Grade Curriculum
Religion
7th Grade Course Overview
Textbook: Spirit of Truth published by Sophia Press
Using the text Spirit of Truth: The Communion of the Faithful (Sophia Institute Press), students begin the year exploring emotional, intellectual, social, and spiritual personal growth. Through this study, students will discover how they are created in the image and likeness of God and how they can use the gifts and fruits of the Holy Spirit to aid their personal growth. Students will then engage in discussions and readings that explore the moral teachings of the Church, including the Ten Commandments and the Beatitudes. They have opportunities throughout the year to pray individually and corporately as well as to watch the Youth Alpha series in order to develop their relationships with God. All of this is set in the context of living the virtues and learning to be kind, compassionate, and empathetic.
8th Grade Course Overview
Textbooks: Chosen published by Ascension Press; Spirit of Truth published by Sophia Press
The eighth-grade Religion program focuses on choices, decision making, and Catholic truths on the road to becoming young adults. The eighth-grade course of study in Religion focuses on both the message of Jesus, lives of saints, and the preparation for the sacrament of Confirmation. They will work in and out of the classroom completing service hours and written requirements. Retreats are also a piece of the Confirmation sacrament.
English Language Arts
7th Grade Course Overview
The purpose of this course is to develop and encourage students’ competence, confidence, and enthusiasm as readers, writers, listeners, and speakers. We will read three whole class novels: The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton, A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, and Anne Frank’s The Diary of a Young Girl. Students will also study many facets of the Holocaust through the reading of Anne Frank’s The Diary of a Young Girl and other related works. Both classic and contemporary short stories and poetry will be utilized throughout seventh grade. Students will be required to read novels of their own choice throughout the year and produce several independent book projects. A Writing Workshop approach will be used to explore various forms of writing, and students will be required to publish several of their pieces throughout the year. Vocabulary, sentence diagramming, and public speaking activities will also be included throughout the year.
8th Grade Course Overview
In this class, students will read for a variety of purposes and across a wide array of genres. We will read three whole-class novels in addition to novels of choice throughout the year: Chains by Laurie Halse Anderson, To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, and Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck. We will also write for multiple purposes and in many different genres. By engaging in all stages of the writing process, students will practice the conventions of writing, including grammar and mechanics. They will also experiment with new vocabulary and writer’s craft to develop their unique writer’s voice.
Math
Seventh Grade Pre-Algebra:
Textbook: Glencoe Math Accelerated –published by Glencoe Mc-Graw-Hill
Our study this year begins with integers (Ch. 2). We will move on to rational numbers (Ch. 3), powers/roots (Ch. 4), proportions & similar figures (Ch. 5), and percents (Ch. 6). We will finish the year with an examination of statistics & probability (Ch. 10), linear functions (Ch. 9), and algebraic expressions (Ch. 7). Students will be challenged to work independently and in groups to develop a critical understanding of math concepts and math vocabulary.
Eighth Grade Algebra:
Textbook: Glencoe Math Course Three published by Glencoe Mc-Graw-Hill
Eighth Grade Algebra begins with a study of real numbers (Ch. 1). We will examine equations in one and two variables as well as functions (Ch. 2-4). Next, we will explore triangles and the Pythagorean Theorem (Ch. 5). Lastly, we will study volume and surface area (Ch. 8), transformations (Ch. 6), and congruence and similarity (Ch. 7). Students will be challenged throughout the year to apply previously developed math skills to new functions as they prepare for high school math.
Eighth Grade: Algebra 1
Textbook: Algebra1 published by Glencoe Mc-Graw-Hill.
Students will begin studying algebra with linear functions and their equations (Ch. 3-4), linear inequalities and the systems of linear equations and inequalities (Ch. 5-6). We will then move into quadratic expressions and equations (Ch. 8), quadratic functions and equations (Ch. 9), and rational functions and equations (Ch. 11). We will finish the year with exponents and exponential functions (Ch. 7).
Science
Our middle-school science curriculum is based on Project-Based Inquiry Science, our cutting-edge science series designed to give students the skills and practice they need to think and act like scientists. Each unit includes a big question or challenge related to a real-world problem in which students have to apply scientific skills to gather, organize and analyze data, use critical thinking, develop explanations and work collaboratively. They have opportunities to do the work of scientists: run experiments, design and build models, research, examine data sets, use technology and make presentations. In the process, they learn the scientific concepts and skills they need to answer the big questions and address the challenges.
Seventh Grade
Students will explore both life and physical sciences. They begin the year with a launcher unit, Diving Into Science, in which they explore the practices of scientists as they address physical science challenges relating to gravity. Their next unit, Good Friends and Germs, is an epidemiology unit where they learn about the human body. They trace diseases and research how to prevent epidemics. Students study viruses and bacteria, plant and animal cells,cell theory, and the structure and function of body systems. The next unit, Vehicles in Motion, is a physical science unit. In this unit, students design and build vehicles with specific properties while exploring the principles of motion and force. Finally, students investigate water quality in Living Together, a life science unit. They work in groups to determine how water quality affects the ecology of a community.
Eighth Grade
Students continue their study of life and physical sciences in their eighth grade year. They begin the year with the Structure and Properties of Matter unit, where they will do a variety of labs to explore the properties of matter. They then move to the Air Quality chemistry unit. They use laboratory activities and case studies to investigate the air quality of different communities. In addition, they research and present a recommendation to implement technology to reduce air pollution in a US city. Third, they study Genetics, in which they learn about heredity, natural selection and the promises and dangers of genetic engineering as they come up with a plan to grow more rice to help alleviate world hunger. Finally, students learn skills to design a Rube Goldberg invention in the Energy unit. They learn about how energy takes different forms and how it is transferred and conserved.
History/Social Studies
Seventh Grade
Textbook: History Alive! The United States Through Industrialism published by TCI
The focus in seventh grade is on US History. Students will study the earliest days of the United States from the age of exploration all the way through manifest destiny. Geographic, civics/government, and economics content is integrated within the historical context. Our new, interactive text, History Alive! United States through Industrialism, includes an online subscription for all students. In addition, students will analyze and discuss current events.
Eighth Grade
Textbook: History Alive! The United States Through Industrialism published by TCI
The focus in eighth grade is on US History. Students will study the earliest days of the United States from colonialism all the way through reconstruction. Geographic, civics/government, and economics content is integrated within the historical context. Our new, interactive text, History Alive! United States through Industrialism, includes an online subscription for all students. In addition, students will participate in weekly current event discussions.
Spanish
Textbook: SOMOS published by The Comprehensible Classroom.
¡Bienvenidos al maravilloso mundo del español!– Welcome to the wonderful world of Spanish!
Learning the Spanish language and Hispanic culture is a journey that starts in the elementary grades at St. Francis of Assisi. The middle-school Spanish program prepares our students to transition to Spanish 2 as a freshman in high school.
Seventh Grade
Seventh graders will continue with the SOMOS curriculum from sixth grade – learning: new vocabulary, how to conjugate additional verbs in the present and past tenses, and Hispanic cultural practices.
Eighth Grade
Eighth graders will conclude year three of the SOMOS curriculum with the addition of new vocabulary, more complex sentence development and conjugation of verbs. Through dialogues created by students, writing exercises and reading comprehension activities, students will feel comfortable with the language and be able to use it on a daily basis for basic interaction.
At the conclusion of their eighth grade year at St. Francis, students will have a head start to begin Spanish II as a freshman. St. Francis of Assisi feels blessed to bring the opportunity of learning a foreign language such as Spanish, to all students, which will help prepare them for a successful foreign language career at the secondary level.
The SOMOS curriculum at St. Francis focuses on the four areas of language acquisition: listening, speaking, reading and writing. This program is equivalent to a first year high school Spanish class. Appreciation and respect for the cultures of Spain and Latin America are included as an important element of the Spanish curriculum at St. Francis.