Middle School Curriculum
English
In Middle School, we believe language is the core of communication, thinking, feeling, and making sense of ourselves and our world.
We are wholeheartedly committed to building each student’s linguistic skills. We seek to provide literacy opportunities that honor the diverse interests and backgrounds of our students, striving for equity and inclusivity in our offerings. We believe literate individuals embody expressive and receptive capacities for language that are used purposefully, creatively, and flexibly in varied and complex contexts.
We believe literate people:
- Write and speak effectively for varied purposes and audiences
- Communicate with others through listening, questioning, and responding
- Develop a deeper understanding of the human experience through literature
- Critically interpret and evaluate information, authors, and their intentions
- Demonstrate stamina, volume, and fluency in reading and writing
- Have a lifelong love of reading and engage with a variety of texts
- Actively construct understanding by connecting to prior knowledge and experiences
- Reflect on the process and product to achieve a goal
We believe literacy best develops when:
- The classroom is a literacy-rich environment
- The community provides ample opportunities for collaboration in reading and writing
- There is inquiry and choice in accomplishing meaningful tasks for a variety of audiences, purposes, and genres including argument, information, narrative, and poetry
- There are daily opportunities to read, write, speak and listen in a safe, interactive, environment
- Students brainstorm, plan, draft, revise, and publish their writing
- Skills, processes, and strategies are explicitly taught, followed by guided practice, and given multiple opportunities to apply within varied contexts
- Students revisit skills throughout the years with increasing degrees of complexity to develop durable proficiency
- Framed within developmentally appropriate, aligned, and coherent curricula
English 6
English 6 students write in a variety of different styles with different purposes: personal narratives, creative essays, creative writing, literary essays—as well as many smaller compositions. Students learn editing and revision strategies, and reading strategies to incorporate with sustained silent reading (SSR) books, small group book clubs, and all-class texts, including novels and short stories. Over the course of this year, students build writing, thinking, speaking, and listening skills in order to prepare for the rest of middle school and beyond.
English 7
English 7 students grow as readers and writers by working with the Reading and Writing Workshop model, which exposes students to a wide variety of texts and allows them to engage regularly with peers around their reading. The model allows students to read at their level, to strengthen their reading skills, and to read more books than they would read in a typical classroom. One of the most exciting units is the fiction writing unit, which culminates with a class anthology of the short stories. Reading and writing genres include realistic fiction, historical fiction, creative writing, and literary writing.
English 8
English 8 students use the Writing Workshop Model for producing a wide range of writing, including writing about themselves (memoirs), literary analysis, and argumentative writing. Reading genres include memoirs, dystopian fiction, poetry, and more. Students are engaged in different discussion structures throughout the year, including Socratic Seminars. These discussion structures focus on assigned books, and provide an opportunity for students to work with peers in order to share thoughts, ideas, and opinions about literature to create meaning.
Across all middle school grade levels, students are engaged in:
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Analyzing various writing forms.
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Reading individual books of choice, small group book club readings, and all-class texts.
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Grammar instruction, including recognizing and correcting spelling, capitalization, punctuation, and language usage.
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Vocabulary development multiple times per week through an online, individualized vocabulary learning system.
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Taking and organizing class and research notes.
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Researching and citing sources.
Mathematics
We believe that all students can engage with challenging and meaningful mathematics.
Saint Andrew’s students grow to be well-rounded mathematicians who see themselves as capable practitioners of mathematics. They look for connections between concepts, communicate their thinking logically with visuals and language, use tools and algorithms flexibly, hunt for and describe patterns, pose their own questions, and persevere to solve problems. Students develop these skills and beliefs when given regular opportunities to construct knowledge within a supportive environment.
Our Classrooms Are Centered Around Students’ Ideas. We celebrate mistakes, wrong turns, and harebrained ideas because we recognize these as essential steps in the learning process. Students solve demanding problems with multiple layers and extensions to which each can bring their prior knowledge and unique strengths. Collaboratively solving rich questions organically inspires new insights while also allowing students to access concepts with varying levels of sophistication. Our goal for students is not to simply memorize or compute quickly, but to understand deeply. We accomplish this through the use of visual representations, concrete manipulatives, discussion, and reflection. We know our students as individuals, enabling us to challenge and support each learner as they explore the world of mathematics.
Middle school math courses prioritize both independent and collaborative learning, focusing on the learning process as much as mastering algorithms to foster a profound conceptual comprehension. All students will have the opportunity to participate in the AMC 8 Mathematics Competition, as well as to be selected for our MathCounts competition team. Upon the conclusion of our math program, all students are prepared to take either Geometry or Algebra II in ninth grade as they enter high school and on track to take AP Calculus by grade 11 or 12.
Math 6
Math 6 students strengthen their understanding of the connections between fractions, decimals, percents, and integers while developing strong problem-solving skills and habits of mind. As the year progresses, students learn to use algebraic notation to generalize patterns and relationships, building a strong foundation for Pre-algebra. Students build a depth of understanding of area and perimeter, probability, and data and statistics through projects and deep investigations. On a daily basis, students problem solve, investigate, question, gather and analyze data, and communicate rigorous arguments justifying their thinking. Students will develop multiple strategies to solve problems and to recognize the connections between concepts. Math 6 is an accelerated course with the goals of developing problem-solving strategies, gaining mathematical conceptual understanding, and incorporating mathematical reasoning and analysis to real world applications.
Pre-Algebra
Pre-Algebra (grades 6 & 7) students learn to represent the patterns and relationships of elementary math using algebraic tools such as equations, graphs, and variables. Proportional relationships are of particular importance as students build on the concepts of fractions and ratios to understand slope and linear equations. Throughout the course, students use these relationships to model real-world phenomena and to solve challenging problems. Students also use digital resources to better understand and represent complex information. On a daily basis, students will problem solve, investigate, question, gather and analyze data, and communicate rigorous arguments justifying their thinking. Students will develop multiple strategies to solve problems and to recognize the connections between concepts, with the goal to prepare them for a rigorous, high-school level Algebra 1 curriculum.
Algebra 1
Algebra 1 students (grades 7 & 8) build their understanding of algebraic methods by using a variety of representations and by student-led derivation of formulas. Students explore traditional topics including:
- Solving equations and inequalities
- An introduction to functions, systems of equations and inequalities
- Exponents and exponential functions
- Polynomials and factoring
- Quadratic functions and equations
- Radical expressions and equations
- Data analysis and probability
Various digital tools are used to support student understanding and discovery. The course is designed to cover the concepts associated with a high-school level Algebra course and will increase students’ mathematical literacy, problem solving, and critical thinking skills.
Geometry
Geometry at Saint Andrew’s is equivalent to a high school level Geometry course covering two-and three-dimensional geometry, trigonometry, and proofs. Geometry involves the study of points, lines, planes, and other geometric figures as they relate to our physical world. Students will acquire the ability to measure geometric shapes and calculate their areas and volumes, while also enhancing their logical reasoning through both inductive and deductive approaches. They'll utilize diverse digital tools for graphing and constructions throughout this process. The relationship between figures and properties that make figures unique will be developed and applied to real world situations. Constructions, Loci, and Coordinate Geometry will also be studied.
Science
View the wonders of nature through the lens of a curious, conscious, and scientifically literate mind.
Saint Andrew's is committed to the values of inquiry and service. In middle school, science is a process of discovery where students learn to balance a deep understanding of the world with the skills and responsibility to serve it. To guide our students’ growth as scientists, the curriculum targets four long-term transfer goals that focus on abilities students can draw on in high school and beyond. The idea of a transfer goal sits at the confluence of knowledge, understanding, and skill. Ideally, these goals are manifested in a variety of settings, indicating a level of performance, application, and autonomy befitting a scientist.
Science Transfer Goals:
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Think systemically.
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Develop critical thinking skills and best practices in science and engineering by engaging in a fluid process of questioning, observation, analysis, interpretation, and communication.
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Apply knowledge of science and engineering to engage in discussions and design solutions to address relevant issues in a constantly changing world.
Science 6
Science 6 focuses on the practice of “doing” science. The year begins with an exploration of the nature of science and the practice of collecting and understanding data. Major units of study include students asking big questions about our role in the solar system, an introduction to Matter and Energy, and an introduction to the primary concepts of physics. Students learn the scientific method, the proper use of lab equipment and lab safety, the metric system, principles of astronomy, changes in matter, key engineering/modeling concepts, and about forces, motion & energy.
Science 7
Science 7 embarks on an exploration of the natural world. The year begins with a chemistry unit that sets the stage for all of life’s processes, then investigating how energy flows through ecosystems, and concluding on the intricacies of life, specifically in the ocean. Our science themes include, but are not limited to, properties of matter and energy, the periodic table, physical and chemical reactions, organism structure and function, and ecology alongside human body systems. The uniting factor of these exciting topics is a deep analysis of how they are connected to the challenges facing our earth today.
Science 8
Science 8 students put their developing skills and scientific curiosity into practice, mastering the science transfer goals of systematic thinking and fluid engagement in questioning, observation, analysis, interpretation and communication. Students will apply their knowledge of science and engineering to engage in research and discussions relevant to our ever changing world. An in-depth exploration of viruses and bacteria precedes units of study on genetics, evolution, and climate change. Highlights include research on vaccine development, the ethics of genetic engineering, and sustainability video documentary projects. By graduation, Saint Andrew’s scientists are ready to take their places as engaged, informed, empathetic citizens.
All of our science classes embed public speaking, collaborative group learning and discussion, peer feedback and review, problem based learning, labs, experiments, dissections, research, data collection, and current events.
Social Studies
Social studies at Saint Andrew’s inspires and equips students to thoughtfully explore the complexities of the human experience.
It’s a multidisciplinary subject that is deeply personal, helping us understand who we are, where we come from, and where we may be headed. It’s also outward-looking, allowing us to probe the triumphs and tragedies of our collective human story. Through collaboration and personal identity work, students see their vital role as productive, active members of an interdependent world. As students investigate the mysteries within themselves and the world around them, teachers promote an atmosphere of mutual respect and responsibility, one that nurtures appreciation for diverse and unique contributions to our classroom, our local communities, and our world.
The integrated disciplines that comprise social studies builds the students' capacity to construct arguments, reason with evidence, analyze relationships, and most importantly consider and engage with a variety of viewpoints. These skills are practiced and applied at every grade level to promote a community that embraces diverse perspectives and engages with difficult conversations. In this environment, we strive to nurture not only academic and historical thinking skills, but emotional intelligence, social awareness, and empathy. As students leave SAES each day, they take the knowledge they’ve gained and use it to explore and contribute to the world as conscientious citizens.
Social Studies 6
Social Studies 6 focuses on the study of world events, geography, geopolitics, people and cultures with an emphasis on the development of the human story, and the link between ancient civilizations and modern societies. Units of study include early humans and the rise of civilization and the ancient civilizations of Egypt, the middle east, India, China, Greece, and Rome. Gamified learning techniques are employed to integrate geopolitics and current events, fostering collaboration within teams. These sessions cover a variety of topics, including energy, migration, terrorism and counterterrorism, globalization, climate change, cyberspace, security, trade and investment, development, and comparative governments.
Social Studies 7
Social Studies 7 is an exploration of social sciences beginning with the study of the formation of the American Identity and ending with the Civil War Era. Major social science themes such as civics, economics, geography, history, and roles & responsibilities in American society are investigated. Units of study include the American identity, U.S. Constitution & government structures, American growth & expansion, nationalism & sectionalism, westward migration, and the Civil War.
Social Studies 8
Social Studies 8 begins with a study of Identity and then moves thematically through post-Civil War era modern society. The focus will be on major social science themes such ethnic studies, social justice, civil and human rights, and power & privilege while thinking globally and making connections throughout time. Units of study include individual identity and group membership, immigration, industrialization, civil rights, and human rights. Highlights of the year include an educational adventure to Washington, D.C. and passion project as a capstone to the eighth grade year.
Spanish
Our Middle School Spanish program utilizes a communicative approach focusing on listening, speaking, reading, and writing within an authentic cultural context.
The goal is to broaden students' awareness and understanding of the Spanish speaking world through the lens of language and culture. Students learn new vocabulary and grammar structures to help develop their language skills by being immersed in the Spanish language. Students are constantly engaged in comprehending, analyzing, interpreting, processing, and producing the Spanish language with their peers, with their teachers, and with native speakers on occasion. Our main focus is to increase each student's academic proficiency, communication skills, and cultural competence in real-world contexts through the five “C” goal areas (Communication, Cultures, Connections, Comparisons, and Communities), which stress the application of learning a language beyond the instructional setting.
Spanish 6
Spanish 6 builds the foundations for learning Spanish in an immersive setting. Greetings and class routines are all spoken in Spanish. Students learn to introduce themselves and speak about where they live, their family, their likes and dislikes, their daily routine, school life, and what they are going to do tomorrow in Spanish. Grammatical structures studied include articles and adjectives, interrogative words, pronouns, and past, present and progressive tenses, highlights include projects including: all about me, my family tree, my dream house, reading a book together, writing a story together, and researching a Spanish speaking country, all in Spanish.
Spanish 7
Spanish 7 students continue building their fundamental understanding of Spanish through the lens of California history, geography, art, and immigration. Students use original resources to review Spanish 1 in the first semester. Studies include further grammatical concepts (preterit, imperfect, and imperative), expanding vocabulary, body and health, describing past events, giving commands, stating preferences and needs, discussing likes & dislikes, and exploring/connecting with their own cultural identity. Grammatical structures studied include reflexive verbs, object pronouns, the preterite tense, adverbs, and commands. Highlights include a daily routine video project, Día de los muertos celebration, Preterit O’s project, culinary project, recipe cards, website design, Valentine poems, infographics, skits, and other cultural experiences.
Spanish 8
Spanish 8 students strengthen their knowledge and understanding of the Spanish language through more in-depth studies of the many Spanish speaking countries, their geography, culture, and traditions. Units include the study of the preterit and imperfect tenses, the present subjunctive, reflexive verbs and daily routines, direct and indirect object pronouns, as well as review and study of new vocabulary. Highlights include creating infographics, brochures, a “La visita al doctor” video project, radio announcements, an art museum visit, virtual study abroad experiences, food preparation, and various cultural experiences. Students exiting our MS Spanish program generally place into high school Spanish 2. All students are on track for AP Spanish by grade 11 or 12.
Spanish 8 Advanced is offered for those students who wish to learn at an accelerated pace in order to have the opportunity to be placed into Spanish 3 in high school.
Seventh and Eighth grade students have the opportunity to participate in an extracurricular trip to Spain in June after the conclusion of the school year. Students will immerse themselves in the rich culture and language of Spain, participate in service learning within their host community, and experience sights such as the Giralda in Sevilla, the Alhambra of Granada, and the Mezquita of Córdoba. This Spanish immersion trip includes homestay experiences, language classes, volunteering at an organization which provides housing and food for those in need, museum visits, a flamenco dancing class, and a paella cooking lesson.
Art
Our art program is designed to give students the tools to express themselves visually in a confident and creative manner as well as to provide a safe and nurturing space to make imaginative choices.
Art making is about challenging oneself to create without fear of the outcome and learning through process how to confidently make creative decisions. Art projects create a balance between technique building and self-exploration. By the end of middle school, students have been exposed to a variety of both 2-D and 3-D mediums and have developed basic skills to feel comfortable taking risks both aesthetically and conceptually. The curriculum builds on complexity throughout the years and, by eighth grade, students have become artists with a voice they are excited to share. The program culminates with an 8th grade art show curated and designed by the students. Graduates leave Saint Andrews with an understanding of the importance of art and visual expression in their lives. Students are left with skills that will give them confidence to continue their art education and with a powerful understanding of the importance of visual arts as a communication tool.
Art 6
Art 6 focuses on architecture and the theme “PLACE”. In the fall and winter, students will study the work of contemporary and modern architects and use these examples to develop their own architectural drawings and 3d structures. In the spring, students will study the Surrealist painters and will learn techniques to create the illusion of 3d space on canvas. This exploration will culminate with a surrealist dream painting based on their bedrooms.
Highlights include:
- Architecture with oranges
- Tree houses
- Vertical cities
- Modernist vs contemporary
- Surrealism
- Designing a performance space
- Stop-motion architecture
We will study artist such as:
- Kazuo Shinohara
- Ma Yansong
- Yves Tanguy
- Frank Lloyd Wright
- Kazuyo Sejima
- Le Corbusier
- Frank Gehry
Art 7
Art 7 focuses on ceramics. Students learn a variety of hand building techniques including slab and coil building. Projects range from slab built vessels to a life-sized bust designed by the student. Students learn glazing techniques and the process of firing in a kiln. Students develop ideas through drawings, research and studying other ceramic artists.
Highlights include:
- Labs
- Coils
- Ceramic surface design
- Glazing and firing
- Clay busts
- Developing ideas in 2-D and 3-D
- Mixing slip, and contour drawings
Art 8
Art 8 focuses on developing both composition and concept, always thinking about what the artist is trying to communicate to the VIEWER. We use design elements to pull the viewer in and create work that is both interesting visually and conceptually. Art 8 culminates with the annual 8th grade art show giving the students an opportunity to showcase their work.
Highlights include:
- Elements of design
- Color theory
- Drawing and automatic drawing
- Drawing machines
- Collage
- Installation art
- Painting
- Pier critiques and photography
We will study artists such as:
- Trenton Doyle Hancock
- Banksy
- Yoko Ono
- Cai Guo-Qiang
- Elliott Hundley
- Julie Mehretu
- Andy Goldsworthy
- Felix Gonzalez-Torres
- Abigail Deville.
Seventh and eighth grade students have the opportunity during the winter break to participate in an extracurricular art focused trip to New York City, showcasing the rich history of New York City as an arts center. Students immerse themselves in the culture and the visual arts of NYC.
Music
Music classes in our middle school involve all students, regardless of musical background or ability.
Skills and concepts are learned utilizing a music-forward approach. By learning concepts directly from the music, as well as through a variety of musical mediums, students will have a deeper and more enriching musical experience. Music fundamentals emphasized include: rhythm, melody, harmony, note-reading, chord-scale theory, musical form, ear-training, improvisation, and composition. Instruments and other musical tools used include: voice, pitched & unpitched percussion, piano & digital keyboards, fretted string instruments, GarageBand, ear-training apps, and music notation software. Students experience a variety of world music, contemporary popular music, symphonic & orchestral music, blues, and jazz. Through music, students also develop life skills including teamwork, collaboration, discipline, resilience, communication skills, and community-building. Students can elect to extend their participation in music through a variety of extracurricular music groups, including choir, instrumental ensemble, and jazz/rock bands. A highlight of the music program is a multi-day, off campus music competition, often outside of the Bay area.
Religion
As part of our wholehearted curriculum, our religion instruction is designed to help each student, regardless of their religious background, explore their own sense of spirituality and spiritual identity.
Students will learn the basic tenets of Christianity, research major world religions, and discuss contemporary issues and other topics of religious significance. Students learn to appreciate the similarities and differences of religious traditions as well as to value and nurture the spiritual self.
Religion 6
- Religion 6 includes a journey through the Great World religions of Hinduism, Judaism, Buddhism and Islam, while simultaneously investigating Christian teaching and traditions. Holidays and family customs supplement the history and beliefs of each religion. Chinese philosophies and Native American beliefs will also be discussed.
Highlights include:
- Exploring the historical figures of each religion
- Learning about holidays and celebrations
- Comparing and contrasting the beliefs and ethical teachings of each system
- Learning about the teachings of Jesus and their relevance
Religion 7
Religion 7 traces the development of the Christian community from the life of Jesus through the Protestant Reformation. Students learn about the churches founded in the United States and some contemporary religious denominations, including the Episcopal Church, and explore the breadth of Christian denominations. Students learn about holidays and celebrations of Christianity and other religious traditions, compare and contrast the beliefs and ethical teachings of Christianity with other major religions of the world, and learn about the teachings of Jesus and their relevance in today’s world.
Religion 8
Religion 8 is devoted to the development of conscience. Sources of morality are explored and issues in contemporary social justice are discussed. Moral dilemmas are presented so that the students can see how they process these questions and how other students may have different perspectives. Highlights include discussing current events with a focus on ethical issues, conflicts, and beliefs.
Physical Education
Our middle school physical education program emphasizes building healthy and strong bodies in addition to promoting healthy lifestyles.
We believe that physical well-being is directly linked with academic learning and overall well-being. The healthy, physically active child is more likely to be intellectually motivated and socially adapted. Students participate in and learn about cardiovascular endurance, strength training, and balance training through practicing various sports and games. Students are encouraged to develop a positive outlook on personal fitness and relate to others in encouraging ways. The program helps students develop an age-appropriate level of fitness, a broad spectrum of physical skills, and the enjoyment, understanding, and self-confidence needed to motivate a lifetime of active participation. One day each week is running day where students complete a 2.3-mile running circuit as part of their Race Across America grade-level competition. Miles accumulate during the course of the year earn a trip to the beach for the grade that has run the most miles. The other two days a week include a workout/fitness day and a game day. In addition to physical skills, all activities are designed to promote positive team dynamics and interactions, as well as healthy habits.