Carbon Lehigh Intermediate Unit 21
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Table of Contents
MS Electives ................................ .........3
Math ................................ ................. 8
Art History and Appreciation ............................. 3
Health and Fitness ........................................... 3
Internet Safety ................................................ 3
Introduction to OpenOffice Applications............. 3
Middle School Career Exploration ...................... 3
Middle School Journalism ................................. 3
Middle School Photography: Drawing with Light .. 4
MS Art Appreciation......................................... 4
MS Computer Basics......................................... 4
MS Health ....................................................... 4
MS Physical Education ...................................... 4
MS Reading Skills ............................................. 5
MS Study Skills ................................................ 5
MS The Choice is Yours ..................................... 5
Music Theory and Appreciation ......................... 5
PA MS Physical Education ................................. 6
Problem Solving ............................................... 6
Study Skills ...................................................... 6
Math 6 ........................................................... 8
Math 7 ........................................................... 8
Math 8 ........................................................... 8
Middle School Algebra ...................................... 8
English/Language Arts.............................. 7
English/Language Arts 6.................................... 7
English/Language Arts 7.................................... 7
English/Language Arts 8.................................... 7
SCIENCE ................................ ............. 9
Science 6 ........................................................ 9
Science 7 ........................................................ 9
Science 8 ........................................................ 9
SOCIAL STUDIES................................ ... 10
Social Studies 6.............................................. 10
Social Studies 7.............................................. 10
Social Studies 8.............................................. 10
WORLD LANGUAGES ............................. 11
MS Chinese 1 A/B .......................................... 11
MS Chinese 2 A/B .......................................... 11
MS French 1 A/B ............................................ 11
MS French 2 A/B ............................................ 11
MS German 1 A/B .......................................... 12
MS German 2 A/B .......................................... 12
MS Latin 1 A/B ............................................... 12
MS Latin 2 A/B ............................................... 13
MS Spanish 1 A/B ........................................... 13
MS Spanish 2 A/B ........................................... 13
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MS Electives
Art History and Appreciation
Provider: Edi son | Length: Two pa rts
Description: Where do artists fi nd their i nspiration? How can you tell a Rembrandt from a Renoir? Art Hi story a nd Appreciation
s urveys artwork and architecture from different periods in human history. Students learn how a rtists u se their abilities to
obs erve and interpret reality and create unique a rtistic s tyles and works. Part 1 focuses on the a rt and a rchitecture i n Euro pe,
Afri ca , a nd the Americas, while Pa rt 2 moves east to Asia and Oceania. In each part of the course, students note the
development of different a rt movements, the variation in a rtistic techniques, and the influence of s ignificant artists and
des igners. Lessons explain the tools, skills, a nd techniques artists use to create their works. Students also l earn how to
di fferentiate between a rt movements in significant periods of history. At the end of this course, students can recognize
di fferent artistic styles, movements, and techniques, a nd i dentify s pecific pieces of a rtwork by period and origin.
Health and Fitness
Provider: Edi son | Length: Two pa rts
Description: Wha t does it mean to be healthy? What a re the steps for creating or i mproving a healthy l ifestyle? This course
hel ps students ta ke charge of their own well-being by providing up-to-date information about physical activity, nutrition, and
overa ll health. Students learn the importance of s etting goals, well-being, recognizing peer pressure, ma king good decisions,
a nd resolving conflicts. Students l earn a bout the benefits of exercise a nd physical a ctivi ty, a nd how to a void unhealthy
behavi ors. Activities are designed to help s tudents understand nutrition, analyze food labels, and develop an a ppropriate
exerci se plan. Students learn how physical activity a ffects different body s ystems and a bout key exercise concepts i ncluding
cros s -training, overload, a nd flexibility. Students become more familiar with the s ystems of their bodies, learn about common
a i lments, and examine the i mportance of self-esteem and emotional well-being in creating overall health.
Internet Safety
Provider: Edi son | Length: One pa rt
Description: Why ta ke s afety measures when using the Internet? What a re the differences between i nteracting in the real
worl d a nd i nteracting in a vi rtual world? In Internet Safety, students think critically a bout what constitutes appropriate be havior
onl ine a nd expand the ra nge of their online i nteractions. This course begins by i dentifyi ng safety precautions for online
communication, s haring content responsibly, keeping accounts safe, and preventing identify theft a nd vi ruses. Students learn to
i dentify a ppropriate online behavior and compare and contrast real a nd vi rtual ci tizenship. The course defines cyberbullying
a nd encourages s tudents to consider its consequences, and to report those who engage in the behavi or. Lessons also include
expl anations of phishing, plagiarism, copyright terms, and fair use. The course ends by explaining how to recognize quality
websites for research, safely use s ocial networking sites, and buy a nd sell i tems online.
Introduction to OpenOffice Applications
Provider: Edi son | Length: Two pa rts
Description: How ca n a word processing program eliminate errors i n writing? What are some ways to make in-class
pres entations more i nteresting a nd interactive? In Introduction to OpenOffice Applications, students investigate OpenOffice
Wri ter a nd OpenOffice Impress, the OpenOffice.org™ word processing a nd presentation applications, a nd discover the benefits
of us ing the OpenOffice environment. With OpenOffice Writer, students create, save, a nd customize Writer documents to
compl ete class assignments and perform real-world tasks. Students l earn document management, how to edit a nd proofread
documents, and how to change the a ppearance of text. By producing and managing presentations i n OpenOffice Impress,
s tudents l earn how to create custom templates a nd handouts a nd display da ta effectively. Students even l earn how to add
s ounds, animations, and interactive elements to their presentations. After completing this course, students are prepared to use
Wri te a nd Impress to complete academic assignments.
Middle School Career Exploration
Provider: Edi son | Length: Two pa rts
Description: Wha t ca reer are you best suited for? In this course, students will explore ca reer options i n many di fferent fi elds
i ncl uding business, health science, public a dministration, the arts, and information technology.
Middle School Journalism
Provider: Edi son | Length: Two pa rts
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Description: Who? What? When? Where? In this course, students will l earn how to gather information, organize ideas, format
s tori es for different forms of news media, a nd edit their s tories for publication.
Middle School Photography: Drawing with Light
Provider: Edi son | Length: Two pa rts
Description: Students s ee photographs every day on television, on the Internet, a nd i n magazines a nd newspapers. What
ma kes a great photograph? How did the a rtist ca pture a s tory? What makes a great picture? What are careers i n photography?
In thi s course, s tudents l earn and apply fundamental skills to use a camera and take photographs of a nimals, people, and
l a ndscapes. Students gain an understanding of how photography ca n be a means of documentation or high a rt. Students
exa mine photographic careers a nd explore self-reflection to progress their creative growth as they develop a photographic
portfolio. This course helps students s elect s ubjects, take a photograph, and print and display memories!
Required Materials:
A di gital of film camera capable of manual a perture and shutter s peed settings. If using a digital ca mera, software to tra nsfer
a nd vi ew photos on a PC.A pri nter is optional. If using a film ca mera, s tudents will need to purchase color a nd black a nd white
fi l m and have the film processed into digital files or prints.
MS Art Appreciation
Provider: Accel erate Education | Length: One Semester
Description: Thi s course provides students with a basic overvi ew of art. Art Appreciation includes the study of the elements of
a rt, the pri nciples of art, a nd how works of art a re organized using these elements and principles. Students will further study
ma jor movements i n the history of a rt. During this course, students will create basic art projects designed to s trengthen their
understanding of art a nd reinforce main concepts. While participating in these a ctivi ties, s tudents will also learn how to re ad a
work of a rt, relate to a rt, a nd evaluate art.
Ma jor Concepts:
• El ements of Art & Pri nci ples of Design
• Anci ent Art
• Aegean, Greek, Etruscan, and Roman Art
• Medi eval Art
• The Renaissance to Rococo
• Pre-modern Art
• Modern Art
• Modernism and Post-modernism
MS Computer Basics
Provider: Accel erate Education | Length: One Semester
Description: Computers have not only tra nsformed the workplace, but have a lso become the method of delivery for education.
Knowi ng s ome s imple s kills, s uch as keyboarding and the use of typical office software, will make their education much more
productive. This course is designed to teach keyboarding to the l evel of proficiency needed to communicate s uccessfully online.
Thi s course also teaches the use of word processing, drawing, s preadsheet, presentation, a nd Internet software. Finally, the
ca pa bilities, ethics, s afety, a nd rules for Internet use are i ntroduced. After taking this course, s tudents s hould be able to use the
computer productively for their s chool, work, and everyday lives.
MS Health
Provider: Accel erate Education | Length: One Semester
Description: Thi s course will help the student understand the importance of making decisions that will affect his or her physical,
emoti onal, mental and social health. This course will provide s tudents with the knowledge and resources they will need to
ma ke responsible informed decisions a bout their health. Students will have a n opportunity to eva luate their own va lues,
opi nions and attitudes a bout health.
MS Physical Education
Provider: Accel erate Education | Length: One Semester
Description: Thi s course combines online instruction a nd s tudent participation in daily physical a ctivi ties. Students will engage
i n wa rm-up, a erobic, a nd cool down activities. Students will be empowered to make positive choices, along with
encouragement to develop positive habits in fitness, wellness, and movement. They will learn a bout injury prevention,
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nutri tion, diet and stress management. This course will help the student understand the va lue of a lifetime of physical activities.
The course i s aligned with the State Standards for Phys ical Education. The student will understand a nd complete a Physical
Educa tion Fitness Assessment, along with daily l ogs of their physical activity. They will create a One Month Personal Physical
Fi tness Plan. Students may enroll i n this course for either one or two semesters.
MS Reading Skills
Provider: Accel erate Education | Length: One Semester
Description: The purpose of this course is to help students acquire the skills that effective readers use a nd enhance the ability
of s tudents to use these s kills when i nteracting with grade level text. The course will focus on comprehension, vocabulary,
fl uency, a nd word recognition s kills. It will a lso utilize a va riety of reading passages to reinforce these skills. This course is
des igned to assist s tudents i n developing fundamental reading skills needed to become s uccessful l earners. Emphasis i s placed
on s tra tegies i ntended to aid them in eventually maneuvering a ge a ppropriate reading material by i ntroducing a nd reinforcing
rea ding strategies. Students will be exposed to, or reintroduced to, s uch recognized s trategies as site words, semantics i n o rder
to i ncrease their reading a bilities and fluency. Once the s tudent has received i nstruction on how to read, they will be i nstructed
on comprehension building a ctivities i ncluding the a ctive reading process, and literary. Throughout this course, students will
work on va ri ous reading projects and activities designed to build reading a bility and confidence. Students will see a progressive
i ncrease of difficulty on reading materials so they ca n use their newly a cquired reading skills.
Ma jor Concepts
Si te Word Recognition
Pronunciation Stra tegies
Fl uency Strategies
Voca bulary Stra tegies
Comprehension Stra tegies
Acti ve Reading Strategies
MS Study Skills
Provider: Accel erate Education | Length: One Semester
Description: In thi s course, s tudents will learn how to become a better-organized and more successful student. Study Skills will
a l so strengthen students writing skills as well a s learn other academic success s kills. Everything students learn i n this course can
be a pplied to other online courses. This course asks a l ot of the student; i t will b e a n easy A! However, students will have fun
a nd gain self-confidence in their newfound abilities as a s tudent. Havi ng good study s kills not only helps individuals become
s uccessful s tudents, but also helps them become s uccessful a dults later i n life. The skills ta ught i n this course help students
become s tronger readers a nd writers. These skills will help s tudents whether they go on to college or enter the workforce a ft er
hi gh school. Wri ting, s tudyi ng, note taking, reading, a nd communicating wi th teachers is not as difficult as s tudents ma y think.
Throughout this course, s tudents will learn a va riety of s kills related to organization, ti me management, planning,
communicating, and self-advocacy. Projects, assignments, readings, and the teacher will guide s tudents as they begin their
quest to becoming stronger writers a nd s uccessful s tudents.
MS The Choice is Yours
Provider: Accel erate Education | Length: One Semester
Description: As s tudents approach the teen years, they encounter many opportunities. Generally, junior high s chool students
a re fa ced with some difficult decisions that may have lifelong effects. Students are forced to make choices concerning their
current a nd future education. The Choice is Yours is based on the popular book written by Se an Covey, The 7 Ha bits of Highly
Effecti ve Teens. The Choice i s Yours will help guide the young teenager toward a path of s uccess by going into such topics as
how to be a proactive person. Moral values, a nd ethical behavior a re discussed and instruction i s given on how to improve
them. Students will uncover wa ys to find their courage zone. They will learn the a rt of listening and how to say 'I'm sorry' when
they a re a t fault. The Choice i s Yours will help the s tudent learn how to be a strong individual without being a bully, or a
doormat. Fi nally, i t will uncover the mystery of their purpose; to be the best person they ca n be.
Music Theory and Appreciation
Provider: Edi son | Length: Two pa rts
Description: Ha ve you ever wondered why s ome notes sound great together and others don’t? Or how musicians tra nslate the
s ymbols of sheet music i nto the music you hear? Music theory—the study of how music works—is essential to a ny a spiring
composer or performer. Students develop their knowledge through l istening exercises, drawing and identifyi ng notation,
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crea ti ng basic compositions, and analyzing music samples. In the second part of the course, s tudents focus on music
a ppreciation as they s urvey the development of music, beginning i n ancient Greece a nd ending with modern western music.
Students l earn how to distinguish music from different periods and describe how music relates to its historical, cultural, a nd
s oci al context. By the completion of this course, s tudents have a strong foundational understanding of music, preparing them
to l ea rn how to play an instrument or continue to more advanced music s tudies.
PA MS Physical Education
Provider: Edi son | Length: Three parts
Description: How does a baseball player throw a ball, and what i s the role of the players who a re “fielding?” Ca n s tudents move
l i ke a football player, or l ike the a thletes who play their favorite sports? What scientific forces a re taking place while
pa rti cipating in different sports? In this unique and innovative course, students will be a ble to experience physical a ctivities first
ha nd – participating in those that enhance basic movement patterns and those that are involved in s pecific game play. Moving
through the course, l essons will a ddress specialized movements, methods for participation, the va rious components of physical
fi tness, concepts related to nutrition, personal a nd s ocial behaviors, sport science basics, and values. Students will be
encouraged to create personal fitness goals for themselves a nd to work toward them through the s pan of the course, which will
ena ble them to develop an understanding of the value that physical a ctivi ty has in their l ives. Creative “Show me” and “Tell me”
a s sessments will require vi deo and document s ubmissions that test s tudent’s knowledge a nd understanding of the lessons,
whi ch will help them to make progress toward their current a nd future goals. By the cl ose of the course, students will
experience each type of movement, participate i n the physical activities of their choice, and complete a fitness log that details
thei r journey. This course will prepare students to become physically a ctive in their upcoming years, a ll the way through
a dulthood, a nd will teach them to find methods that suit their personal desires while preventing harmful conditions a ssociated
wi th a s edentary l ifestyle.
Problem Solving
Provider: Edi son | Length: One pa rt
Description: Thi s course provides students with a fundamental overvi ew of problem s olving. Students learn George Pólya’s four
s teps to problem solvi ng and identify the best s trategies for s olving particular problems, such as determining how long i t wi ll
ta ke to save enough money for a new vi deo-game system, how to choose the best tra nsportation option, or what to do when
the computer crashes a nd a term paper i s due. The course also covers advanced concepts such as finding patterns and using
i nductive reasoning—even using algebraic techniques for solvi ng real-world problems. After completing this course, s tudents
wi l l have the confidence to tackle a ny type of problem, from a challenging math a ctivity to l osing a set of keys.
Study Skills
Provider: Edi son | Length: One pa rt
Description: Why a re s tudy s kills i mportant? What methods a nd techniques ca n students use to support s tudying, limit
di s tractions, and prevent procrastination? The Study Skills course helps students develop a program to manage their s tudy
ti me, enhance concentration, and accomplish goals. Topics include i dentifying causes of study-related stress; techniques for
rel i eving stress; the pros a nd cons of s tudying a lone a nd i n study groups; and improving reading comprehension, reading
fl uency, wri ting, a nd note-taking. The course concludes with strategies for preparing for tests a nd reducing test anxiety, leaving
s tudents well-prepared to meet their a cademic challenges.
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English/Language Arts
English/Language Arts 6
Provider: Edi son | Length: Four pa rts
Description: In English/Language Arts 6, s tudents read to enhance their understanding of different genres and to enhance their
own wri ting. Students practice the writing process in each part of the course as they plan, organize, compose, a nd
edi t four projects: a brief narra tive essay a bout a personal hero; a piece of creative fiction; a n essay a nalyzing a
poem; a nd a research project. As they read the coming-of-age novel Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mi l dred D. Ta ylor,
s tudents focus on the elements of fiction and examine elements of the author’s cra ft. In a tour of folktales, students embark on
a journey to South America, Africa, Asia, the Mi ddle East, a nd even ancient Greece a nd Rome. Students a re introduced to
s everal types of poetry, l earn to recognize poetic d evices, evaluate the effectiveness of a poet’s message, and, ultimately,
compose their own poetry. As they explore nonfiction and i nformational texts, students build on concepts they l earned i n the
el ementary gra des to develop higher-level critical thinking skills. A s tudy of a dvertising a nd persuasive techniques helps
s tudents become more i nformed consumers. Students strengthen speaking a nd listening s kills through predicting, questioning,
s ummarizing, cl arifying, a nd s ynthesizing. Students learn to work collaboratively, i ncorporate multimedia in their presentations,
a nd present their fi ndings in unique, effective ways .
English/Language Arts 7
Provider: Edi son | Length: Four pa rts
Description: In English/Language Arts 7, s tudents read and analyze l iterature from poetry to novels and folklore to myth, using
wha t they l earn to enhance their own writing. The course begins with the s teps of the writing process, which includes
i dentifying parts of s peech a nd using them correctly a nd effectively. A s tudy of wri ting style focuses on slang, sentence va riety,
a nd tra nsitions. Students learn how characters, s etting, a nd plot contribute to literary fiction as they i dentify a nd explain these
components and use them creatively i n their own narrative essays. Reading poetry a llows students to focus on figurative a nd
des criptive l anguage, which they a pply to wri ting descriptive essays. Students also l earn about the themes and characteristics
of myth a nd folklore. A s tudy of nonfiction focuses on research a nd organization as s tudents produce objective informational
es says. Students l earn active reading a nd research s kills that enable them to recognize bias a nd the techniques of persuasion i n
di fferent genres, i ncluding biographical writing, then write persuasive essays based on their own beliefs or opinions.
English/Language Arts 8
Provider: Edi son | Length: Four pa rts
Description: In English/Language Arts 8, s tudents continue their exploration of va rious genres, using a ctive reading techniques
s uch a s note-taking and drawing conclusions from texts. Students review the steps of the writing process, making connections
between each stage of wri ting, the genre they a re s tudyi ng, and a well-formed final product. To prepare s tudents for writing
na rra tive essays, l essons focus on plot, theme, a nd historical setting. Writing reflective and persuasive essays based on the ir
own thoughts and ideas allows s tudents to demonstrate their i ndividuality. Solid research and understanding of organizational
methods a nd vi sual features provide the foundation for writing informational essays. After i mproving their a bility to recogni ze
bi a sed language, students write persuasive essays to express their own opinions. Students then l ook at the unique
cha ra cteristics of poetry, myth, a nd folklore, a nd discover the conventions of playwriting a nd how drama employs the elements
of fi cti on.
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Math
Math 6
Provider: Edi son | Length: Four pa rts
Description: In Ma th 6, ea ch s kill provides a s tepping s tone to the next. Students l earn how to find the prime fa ctors of
composite numbers, then use this ability to work with fractions. They a pply ra tios a nd rates in a number of a pplications,
i ncl uding converting between English and metric measurements, determining unit rates, a nd finding unit prices. To build a
foundation for learning a lgebra, s tudents study the properties of a ddition a nd multiplication and the order of operat ions.
Students then use these concepts a s they write, evaluate, and factor algebraic expressions. After they l earn to s olve single va ri a ble one- and two-step equations a nd inequalities, students extend their knowledge by gra phing the s olutions on number
l i nes a nd the coordinate plane. The exploration of two dimensions continues as s tudents work with plane polygons, classify
s ha pes, and solve for s hapes’ perimeters a nd a reas. Students l earn to tra nsform two-dimensional figures by tra nslating,
rota ti ng, and reflecting both figures and graphs of equations, then move on to s olid figures. Finally, s tudents delve into statistics
a s they i dentify, i nterpret, a nd construct va rious data; solve for and interpret measures of center i ncluding mean, median, a nd
mode; a nd use those measures to a nalyze data a nd construct appropriate data displays , which they ca n apply to a wide range
of s i tuations i n other s ubject areas.
Math 7
Provider: Edi son | Length: Four pa rts
Description: Ma th 7 tea ches skills essential to a dult life a nd lays the groundwork for future mathematics classes. Students l earn
to a pply their work with ra tional numbers and integers to everyday s ituations. Students convert words to expressions and vice
vers a , using equations and inequalities as problem-solving tools. They compute ta x, percentage of error, commission, and
i nterest using ra tes, ratios, a nd proportions; graph ordered pairs; a nd graph a nd write linear equations. Their work wi th sim ple
fi gures—triangles, a ngles, ci rcles, quadrilaterals, a nd polygons—focuses on finding areas and perimeters. Students then move
on to s ca le drawings and composite figures composed of s imple figures, a nd compute the volumes a nd surface areas of solids
i ncl uding prisms, cyl inders, pyra mids, cones, a nd s pheres. Students collect data a nd use graphs, charts, a nd diagrams to read,
i nterpret, and display the data—and they a lso learn how graphs ca n be misleading. Students a pply the study of sampling a nd
populations to applications i nvolving probability, l ikely a nd unlikely outcomes, permutations, combinations, and compound
events. Students l earn to represent these concepts using Venn diagrams and charts, tools they will encounter i n other courses .
Math 8
Provider: Edi son | Length: Four pa rts
Description: Ma th 8 hel ps students see the power of mathematics i n everyday l ife. The course begins with a review of
percentages and proportions, a pplying these concepts to conversion factors a nd emphasizing English and metric measurement.
Work wi th linear equations includes computing rates o f change, fi nding intercepts, graphing linear functions, a nd describing the
a cti on of a l ine. Number patterns and sequences foster a study of a rithmetic a nd geometric means as students learn to find
mi s sing terms in s equences. An i nvestigation of the Cartesian plane teaches students how to work with s cale drawings,
di l ations, and graphs. Students l earn about the properties of triangles, the Pytha gorean Theorem, and the properties of paral lel
l i nes cut by a tra nsversal. With pie charts, bar graphs, histograms, s catter plots and other linear models, students explore
proba bility a nd make predictions and correlations. Students apply the concepts of i ndependent and dependent events, odds,
combi nations, permutations, a nd factorials to situations from playi ng cards to determining how many different outfits they
ha ve i n their cl osets.
Middle School Algebra
Provider: Edi son | Length: Four pa rts
Description: How do you wri te, simplify, a nd solve equations? How ca n you display data s o it ca n be easily i nterpreted a nd
understood? In Al gebra, students learn how to tra nslate phrases i nto expressions, a nd s entences into equations a nd
i nequalities, placing them i nto their s implest forms. Students find solutions to equations by gra phing them on number l ines o r
the coordinate plane. Students learn the va lue of finding the best tool for the job as they a cquire different strategies to use i n
va ri ous s ituations, such as finding the slope of a l ine, solvi ng a s ystem of equations or i nequalities, or fa ctoring polynomi als.
Bui lding on this knowledge, s tudents a pply tra nsformations to polynomial functions, explore inverses a nd one-to-one functions,
a nd examine exponential and l ogarithmic functions. Work in s tatistics includes organizing and analyzing data; ma king stem-andl eaf plots; finding mean, mode, and median; ma king box-and-whisker plots; a nd recognizing misleading graphs. At the
compl etion of this course, students are prepared for a dditional math courses i n middle and high s chool.
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SCIENCE
Science 6
Provider: Edi son | Length: Four pa rts
Description: Sci entists make exciting observations a nd l earn a mazing fa cts a bout the world. Harnessing s tudents’ natural
curi osity a nd ability to observe, Science 6 s urveys the physical a nd l ife s ciences through engaging, i nteractive activities and
media-rich content. Students begin by s urveyi ng the branches of science, noting i mportant milestones i n the development of
s ci entific study, a nd discovering the contributions of some influential scientists. They examine the matter that makes up the
worl d, the laws that govern the movement of matter, and how matter is a ffected by contact a nd noncontact forces. Students
i nvestigate energy, i ts sources, and methods of energy generation and transfer. As they examine the s tructure of Earth,
s tudents l earn about natural resources a nd the i mpact of human populations on the balance of nature. Students also s tudy
wea ther, wind, s torm formation, and ways data i s used to predict the weather. Students begin l earning about life science
through the discoveries Robert Hooke made using his microscope. The vital relationship between structure a nd function is
exa mined as students l earn about the components of cells and the organ systems of the human body. The study of livi ng things
conti nues as students learn about the major groups of organisms a nd s cientists who contributed to current knowledge a bout
ea ch group. The relationships a mong these groups, ca lled kingdoms, a nd a mong living a nd nonlivi ng things are revealed as
s tudents l earn about biogeochemical cycl es. The ecology s ection completing the course discusses water quality, conservation
efforts , and recycl ing.
Science 7
Provider: Edi son | Length: Four pa rts
Description: Sci ence 7 bri ngs together s ome of the most fascinating s ciences- general, physical, earth, a nd l ife s cienceses sential for investigating the world around us. After l earning common measurement sys tems and the essentials of lab safety,
s tudents a re ready to a pply the scientific method to everyday situations s uch a s a broken l amp or a hungry dog. Students learn
a bout matter and energy, a nd a bout electromagnetic waves a nd the electromagnetic s pectrum, focusing on the properties of
vi s i ble light. Earth itself becomes the focus as students study the different geologic eras in Ea rth’s history, the parts of the
pl a net, a nd phenomena including earthquakes a nd volcanoes. Delvi ng into Earth’s past, students examine the fossil record a nd
di s cover the clues to provide to the history of numerous species a nd how they a dapted to their environment. Students learn
how s pecies change over time through mutation and natural s election. Finally, students explore food webs, the roles of
di fferent organisms in a n ecosystem, and why preserving Earth’s l imited natural resources through conserva tion efforts is
i mperative.
Science 8
Provider: Edi son | Length: Four pa rts
Description: Sci ence 8 focuses on the s mallest s tructures—the atoms that make up our world and the cells that make up our
bodi es—and the largest s ystems—the cycl es of the natural world, the i nteraction of energy a nd matter, classical mechanics
i ncl uding Newton’s Three Laws of Motion and the Law of Universal Gravitation, and the bodies that make up the universe.
Begi nning with classification systems, students learn a bout the elements and the structure of atoms. Students apply what they
l earn about temperature s cales, the difference between temperature and heat, a nd chemical reactions to the s tudy of energy
a nd ways matter can change. This understanding of chemistry helps students in their next phase of study: cell funct ion, the lifegi vi ng functions of photosynthesis a nd respiration, the biology of their own bodies, a nd the genetics that ma ke each living being
uni que. The focus widens again as students explore classical mechanics: Newton’s Three La ws of Motion and the La w of
Uni versal Gravitation. Students then a pply cl assical mechanics to planetary motion, the effects of the Moon, travel beyond our
pl a net, a nd the most up-to-date discoveries about the universe.
9
SOCIAL STUDIES
Social Studies 6
Provider: Edi son | Length: Four pa rts
Description: Ma ki ng s ense of the unique a nd fascinating places in the world requires a broad range of knowledge a nd s kills.
Students explore how Earth’s geography has affected human life and culture as they l earn about the development of early
ci vi l izations i n Asia and the Mediterranean. Students examine the great religious tra ditions born during this ti me, witness t he
growth of dynasties i n Far Eastern Asia, and learn about the ideas that spawned the Renaissance. As the world became caught
up i n the excitement of the Age of Exploration, the Americas were “discovered,” though vi brant a nd thrivi ng ci vilizations had
exi s ted there for thousands of years. Students learn a bout the struggles of these native civilizations, the slaves who were
brought to build a new nation, and independence movements in the western world. Modern nations continue to fa ce many
cha l lenges i ncluding tra de, migration, urbanization, a nd the human rights movement. In an exploration of recent history,
s tudents l earn about dictators a nd witness revolutions in Europe, the Mi ddle Ea st, and the Americas. In the fi nal s ection of the
cours e, students study the i mpact of globalization and the technology driving i t.
Social Studies 7
Provider: Edi son | Length: Four pa rts
Description: Hi s tory, government, economics, s ociology, geography, a nd anthropology all come together to s how how modern
cul ture arose from ancient and classical civilizations. Beginning with the New Ki ngdom of Egypt, students witness how a ncient
ci vi l izations grew i nto cl assical empires that ga ve rise to medieval Europe. They discover how feudal Europe moved toward the
Renaissance, and how its ideals of humanism and constitutional government i gnited the scientific revolution and the Protestant
Reformation. Students s tudy the development of s pirituality i n the Mi ddle East, the growth of dynasties in the Far East, and the
forma tion of Mesoamerican ci vilization. As students learn a bout the development of modern nations a nd their quest for
overs eas colonies, they s ee how the competition for colonies and extreme nationalism l ed to international conflicts, i ncluding
the Seven Years Wa r and the Cold War. Students discover how our political identity has evolved through developments
i ncl uding the Industrial Revolution, the labor a nd progressive movements, the s truggle for ci vil rights, the economics of a
modern society, a nd the dawn of the Information Age.
Social Studies 8
Provider: Edi son | Length: Four pa rts
Description: In Gra de 8 Social Studies, students focus on the history of North America and, in particular, the history of the
Uni ted States. Before Europeans knew that North America existed, i ndigenous civilizations thrived throughout the continent.
Students l earn how colonial life l ed to first a ttempts a t self-government a nd how European influence continues to this day. As
they wi tness the expansion of US borders, s tudents discover how the desire for land and resources l ed to the removal of native
populations, wars with neighbors, a nd a nnexations. Students s ee the impact of civil war a nd witness the s truggle of slavery a nd
Ameri ca’s emergence a s an i ndustrial powerhouse. In their s tudy of the twentieth century, s tudents trace the reasons for and
outcomes of the Ci vil Rights Movement a nd consider the role of the United States as a world power.
10
WORLD LANGUAGES
MS Chinese 1 A/B
Provider: Accel erate Education | Length: Two Semesters
Description: Thi s fun, interactive course for middle s chool s tudents is filled with diverse, multimedia language a ctivities. The
i ns truction is equivalent to that found in the first semester of High School Chinese I. Students begin their i ntroduction to
Chi nese by focusing on the four key a reas of foreign language study: l istening, s peaking, reading, and writing. The course
represents a n i deal blend of l anguage l earning pedagogy a nd online learning. Ea ch unit consists of a new voca bulary theme and
gra mma r concept, reading a nd listening comprehension activi ties, speaking and writing activities, multimedia cultural
pres entations, a nd i nteractive a ctivities a nd practices which reinforce vocabulary a nd grammar. There i s a strong emphasis on
provi ding context a nd conversational examples for the language concepts presented in each unit. Both Chi nese characters a nd
pi nyi n are presented together throughout the course and specific character practices are i ntroduced after the first quarter.
Students s hould expect to be actively engaged i n their own language learning, become familiar with common voca bulary terms
a nd phrases, comprehend a wide ra nge of grammar patterns, participate i n simple conversations a nd respond a ppropriately to
ba s ic conversational prompts, a nalyze and compare cultural practices, products, and perspectives of va rious Chinese -speaking
countri es, and take frequent assessments where their l anguage progression can be monitored. The course has been carefully
a l igned to national s tandards as s et forth by ACTFL (the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign La nguages).
Required Materials:
MS Chinese 2 A/B
Provider: Accel erate Education | Length: Two Semesters
Description: Students continue their language-learning a dventure by progressing to this next level of middle school Chinese.
The i nstruction is equivalent to that found in the s econd semester of High School Chinese I. Students expand their i ntroduction
to Chi nese through focus on four key a reas of foreign language s tudy: listening, speaking, reading, a nd wri ting. The course
represents a n i deal blend of l anguage l earning pedagogy a nd online learning. Ea ch unit consists of a new voca bulary t heme and
gra mma r concept, reading a nd listening comprehension activi ties, speaking and writing activities, multimedia cultural
pres entations, a nd i nteractive a ctivities a nd practices which reinforce vocabulary a nd grammar. There i s a strong emphasis on
provi ding context a nd conversational examples for the language concepts presented in each unit. Both Chi nese characters a nd
pi nyi n are presented together throughout the course and specific character practices are i ntroduced after the first quarter.
Students s hould expect to be actively engaged i n their own language learning, become familiar with common voca bulary terms
a nd phrases, comprehend a wide ra nge of grammar patterns, participate i n simple conversations a nd respond a ppropriately to
ba s ic conversational prompts, a nalyze and compare cultural practices, products, and perspectives of va rious Chinese-speaking
countri es, and take frequent assessments where their l anguage progression can be monitored. The course has been carefully
a l igned to national s tandards as s et forth by ACTFL (the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign La nguages).
Required Materials:
MS French 1 A/B
Provider: Accel erate Education | Length: Two Semesters
Description: Thi s fun, interactive course for middle s chool s tudents is filled with diverse, multimedia language a ctivities. The
i ns truction is equivalent to that found in the first semester of High School French I. Students begin their i ntroduction to F rench
by focus ing on the four key a reas of foreign language study: l istening, s peaking, reading, and writing. The course represents an
i deal blend of language l earning pedagogy and online l earning. Each unit consists of a new vocabulary theme a nd gra mmar
concept, reading and listening comprehension activities, speaking a nd writing a ctivities, multimedia cultural presentations, and
i nteractive a ctivities a nd practices which reinforce vocabulary a nd grammar. There is a strong emphasis on providing context
a nd conversational examples for the language concepts presented i n each unit. Students should expect to be actively engaged
i n their own language learning, become familiar with common voca bulary terms and phrases, comprehend a wide ra nge of
gra mma r patterns, participate i n simple conversations a nd respond a ppropriately to basic conversational prompts, analyze a nd
compa re cultural practices, products, and perspectives of va rious French - s peaking countries, a nd ta ke frequent assessments
where their language progression ca n be monitored. The course has been ca refully a ligned to national standa rds as set forth by
ACTFL (the Ameri can Council on the Teaching of Foreign La nguages).
Required Materials:
MS French 2 A/B
Provider: Accel erate Education | Length: Two Semesters
Description: Students continue their language-learning a dventure by progressing to this next level of middle school French. The
i ns truction is equivalent to that found in the second semester of High French I. Students expand their i ntroduction to French
11
through focus on four key a reas of foreign l anguage s tudy: l istening, speaking, reading, a nd writing. The course represents a n
i deal blend of language l earning pedagogy and online l earning. Each unit consists of a new vocabulary theme a nd gra mmar
concept, reading and listening comprehension activities, speaking a nd writing a ctivities, multimedia cultural presentations, and
i nteractive a ctivities a nd practices which reinforce vocabulary a nd grammar. There is a strong emphasis on providing context
a nd conversational examples for the language concepts presented i n each unit. Stu dents should expect to be actively engaged
i n their own language learning, become familiar with common voca bulary terms and phrases, comprehend a wide ra nge of
gra mma r patterns, participate i n simple conversations a nd respond a ppropriately to basic convers ational prompts, analyze a nd
compa re cultural practices, products, and perspectives of va rious French - s peaking countries, a nd ta ke frequent assessments
where their language progression ca n be monitored. The course has been ca refully a ligned to national standards as set forth by
ACTFL (the Ameri can Council on the Teaching of Foreign La nguages).
Required Materials:
MS German 1 A/B
Provider: Accel erate Education | Length: Two Semesters
Description: Thi s fun, interactive course for middle s chool s tudents is filled with diverse, multimedia language a ctivities. The
i ns truction is equivalent to that found in the first semester of High School German I. Students begin their i ntroduction to
Germa n by focusing on the four key a reas of foreign language study: l istenin g, s peaking, reading, and writing. The course
represents a n i deal blend of l anguage l earning pedagogy a nd online learning. Ea ch unit consists of a new voca bulary theme and
gra mma r concept, reading a nd listening comprehension activi ties, speaking and writing activities, multimedia cultural
pres entations, a nd i nteractive a ctivities a nd practices which reinforce vocabulary a nd grammar. There i s a strong emphasis on
provi ding context a nd conversational examples for the language concepts presented in each unit. Students s hould expect to be
a cti vely engaged in their own language learning, become fa miliar with common vocabulary terms and phrases, comprehend a
wi de range of grammar patterns, participate in simple conversations a nd respond appropriately to basic conversational
prompts, a nalyze and compare cultural practices, products, a nd perspectives of va rious German- speaking countries, a nd ta ke
frequent assessments where their language progression ca n be monitored. The course has been carefully aligned to national
s ta ndards as s et forth by ACTFL (the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign La nguages).
Required Materials:
MS German 2 A/B
Provider: Accel erate Education | Length: Two Semesters
Description: Students continue their language-learning a dventure by progressing to this next level of middle school German.
The i nstruction is equivalent to that found in the s econd semester of High School German I. Students expand their i ntroductio n
to Germa n through focus on four key a reas of foreign language s tudy: l istening, speaking, reading, a nd wri ting. The course
represents a n i deal blend of l anguage l earning pedagogy a nd online learning. Ea ch unit consists of a new voca bulary theme and
gra mma r concept, reading a nd listening comprehension activi ties, speaking and writing activities, multimedia cultural
pres entations, a nd i nteractive a ctivities a nd practices which reinforce vocabulary a nd grammar. There i s a strong emphasis on
provi ding context a nd conversational examples for the language concepts presented in each un it. Students s hould expect to be
a cti vely engaged in their own language learning, become fa miliar with common vocabulary terms and phrases, comprehend a
wi de range of grammar patterns, participate in simple conversations a nd respond appropriately to basic conversational
prompts, a nalyze and compare cultural practices, products, a nd perspectives of va rious German-speaking countries, a nd ta ke
frequent assessments where their language progression ca n be monitored. The course has been carefully aligned to national
s ta ndards as s et forth by ACTFL (the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign La nguages).
Required Materials:
MS Latin 1 A/B
Provider: Accel erate Education | Length: Two Semesters
Description: Thi s fun, interactive course for middle s chool s tudents is filled with diverse, multimedia language a ctivities. The
i ns truction is equivalent to that found in the first semester of High School La tin I. Since mastering a classical language presents
di fferent challenges from l earning a s poken world language, students learn La tin through ancient, time-honored, cl assical
l a nguage a pproaches which i nclude repetition, parsing, written composition, and listening exercises. These techniques,
combi ned with a modern multimedia a pproach to l earning grammar, syntax, a nd vo ca bulary, provide s tudents with a s trong
foundation for learning La tin. Each unit consists of a new vocabulary theme a nd grammar concept, reading comprehension
a cti vi ties, writing a ctivities, multimedia culture, history, a nd mythology presentations, a nd i nteractive a ctivi ties a nd practices
whi ch reinforce vocabulary a nd gra mmar. There is a s trong emphasis on engaging with authentic classical Latin through weekly
encounters with ancient passages from s uch prestigious authors as Virgil, Ovi d, and Lucretius. The curriculum concurs with the
Ca mbri dge school of Latin; therefore, students will learn a ncient high classical styl es of pronunciation a nd gra mmar in lieu of
12
generally l ess sophisticated medieval styles, making i t possible for students to comprehend the m ost Latin from the widest
ra nge of time periods. Students should expect to be actively engaged in their own l anguage l earning, become familiar wi th
common voca bulary terms a nd phrases, comprehend a wide ra nge of gra mmar patterns, understand and analyze the cultural
a nd historical contexts of the ancient sources they s tudy, a nd take frequent assessments where their l anguage progression can
be monitored. The course has been carefully a ligned to national s tandards as s et forth by ACTFL (the American Council on the
Tea ching of Foreign Languages).
Required Materials:
MS Latin 2 A/B
Provider: Accel erate Education | Length: Two Semesters
Description: Students continue their language-learning a dventure by progressing to this next level of middle school Latin. The
i ns truction is equivalent to that found in the second semester of High School La tin I. Since mastering a cl assical language
pres ents different challenges from l earning a spoken world language, students learn La tin through ancient, time -honored,
cl a ssical l anguage a pproaches which i nclude repetition, parsing, written composition, and listening exercises. These techniques,
combi ned with a modern multimedia a pproach to l earning grammar, syntax, a nd voca bulary, provide s tudents with a s trong
foundation for learning La tin. Each unit consists of a new vocabulary theme a nd grammar concept, reading comprehension
a cti vi ties, writing a ctivities, multimedia culture, history, a nd mythology presentations, a nd i nteractive a ctivi ties a nd prac tices
whi ch reinforce vocabulary a nd gra mmar. There is a s trong emphasis on engaging with authentic classical Latin through weekly
encounters with ancient passages from s uch prestigious authors as Virgil, Ovi d, and Lucretius. The curriculum concurs with th e
Ca mbri dge school of Latin; therefore, students will learn a ncient high classical styl es of pronunciation a nd gra mmar in lieu of
generally l ess sophisticated medieval styles, making i t possible for students to comprehend the most Latin from the widest
ra nge of time periods. Students should expect to be actively engaged in their own l anguage l earning, become familiar wi th
common voca bulary terms a nd phrases, comprehend a wide ra nge of gra mmar patterns, understand and analyze the cultural
a nd historical contexts of the ancient sources they s tudy, a nd take frequent assessments where their l anguage progression can
be monitored. The course has been carefully a ligned to national s tandards as s et forth by ACTFL (the American Council on the
Tea ching of Foreign Languages).
Required Materials:
MS Spanish 1 A/B
Provider: Accel erate Education | Length: Two Semesters
Description: Thi s fun, interactive course for middle s chool s tudents is filled with diverse, multimedia language a ctivities. The
i ns truction is equivalent to that found in the first semester of High School Spanish I. Students begin their introduction to
Spa nish by focusing on the four key a reas of foreign language study: l istening, speaking, reading, and writing. The course
represents a n i deal blend of l anguage l earning pedagogy a nd online learning. Ea ch unit consists of a new voca bulary theme and
gra mma r concept, reading a nd listening comprehension activi ties, speaking and writing activities, multimedia cultural
pres entations, a nd i nteractive a ctivities a nd practices which reinforce vocabulary a nd grammar. There i s a strong emphasis on
provi ding context a nd conversational examples for the language concepts presented in each unit. Students s hould expect to be
a cti vely engaged in their own language learning, become fa miliar with common vocabulary terms and phrases, comprehend a
wi de range of grammar patterns, participate in simple conversations a nd respond appropriately to basic conversational
prompts, a nalyze and compare cultural practices, products, a nd perspectives of va rious Spanish - s peaking countries, a nd ta ke
frequent assessments where their language progression ca n be monitored. The course has been carefully aligned to national
s ta ndards as s et forth by ACTFL (the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign La nguages).
Required Materials:
MS Spanish 2 A/B
Provider: Accel erate Education | Length: Two Semesters
Description: Students continue their language-learning a dventure by progressing to this next level of middle school Spanish.
The i nstruction is equivalent to that found in the s econd semester of High Spanish I. Students expand their introduction to
Spa nish through focus on four key a reas of foreign language study: l istening, s peaking, reading, a nd writing. The course
represents a n i deal blend of l anguage l earning pedagogy a nd online learning. Ea ch unit consists of a new voca bulary theme and
gra mma r concept, reading a nd listening comprehension activi ties, speaking and writing activities, multimedia cultural
pres entations, a nd i nteractive a ctivities a nd practices which reinforce vocabulary a nd grammar. There i s a strong emphasis on
provi ding context a nd conversational examples for the language concepts presented in each unit. Students s hould expect to be
a cti vely engaged in their own language learning, become fa miliar with common vocabulary terms and phrases, comprehend a
wi de range of grammar patterns, participate in simple conversations a nd respond appropriately to basic conversational
prompts, a nalyze and compare cultural practices, products, a nd perspectives of va rious Spanish - s peaking countries, a nd ta ke
13
frequent assessments where their language progression ca n be monitored. The course has been carefully aligned to national
s ta ndards as s et forth by ACTFL (the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign La nguages).
Required Materials:
14