Language Arts

Language Arts 6 (LA) 
In this course, students will build strong reading and writing skills through a variety of engaging activities. They will analyze plots, practice reading strategies, use figurative language effectively while exploring both literature and informational texts. Students will develop narrative, argumentative, and informational writing skills while learning to craft well constructed & researched responses. 

Language Arts 7 (LA) 
In this course, students will expand their reading and writing abilities across genres. Emphasis is placed on expository reading and writing, mastering grammar and conventions, and analyzing literature through literary devices. Students will read and analyze poetry, explore informational texts, and craft an effective compare/contrast essay. 

Language Arts 8 (LA)
In this course, students will grow as readers, writers, and thinkers. Students will strengthen grammar and conventions, expand vocabulary, and explore world mythology. The curriculum includes reading and writing poetry, conducting informational research, and developing reading comprehension skills. Students will analyze texts for literary and rhetorical devices and craft opinion pieces, as well as analytical and expository essays.

Math

Math 6 (MA) 
In Grade 6, instructional time should focus on four critical areas: (1) connecting ratio and rate to whole number multiplication and division and using concepts of ratio and rate to solve problems; (2) completing understanding of division of fractions and extending the notion of number to the system of rational numbers, which includes negative numbers; (3) writing, interpreting, and using expressions and equations; and (4) developing understanding of statistical thinking. 

Math 7 (MA) 
In Grade 7, instructional time should focus on four critical areas: (1) developing understanding of and applying proportional relationships; (2) developing understanding of operations with rational numbers and working with expressions and linear equations; (3) solving problems involving scale drawings and informal geometric constructions, and working with two- and three-dimensional shapes to solve problems involving area, surface area, and volume; and (4) drawing inferences about populations based on samples.

Math 8 (MA) 
In Grade 8, instructional time should focus on three critical areas: (1) formulating and reasoning about expressions and equations, including modeling an association in bivariate data with a linear equation, and solving linear equations and systems of linear equations; (2) grasping the concept of a function and using functions to describe quantitative relationships; (3) analyzing two- and three-dimensional space and figures using distance, angle, similarity, and congruence, and understanding and applying the Pythagorean Theorem. 

Science

Science 6 (SC) 
Students in 6th grade will be provided a framework for student understanding of the cycling of matter and the flow of energy through the study of observable phenomena on Earth. Students will explore the role of energy and gravity in the solar system as they compare the scale and properties of objects in the solar system and model the Sun-Earth- Moon system. These strands also emphasize heat energy as it affects some properties of matter, including states of matter and density. The relationship between heat energy and matter is observable in many phenomena on Earth, such as seasons, the water cycle, weather, and climates.

Science 7 (SC) 
The 7th grade course will look for relationships of cause and effect which enable students to pinpoint mechanisms of nature and allow them to make predictions. Students will explore how forces can cause changes in motion and are responsible for the transfer of energy and the cycling of matter. This takes place within and between a wide variety of systems from simple, short-term forces on individual objects to the deep, long-term forces that shape our planet. In turn, Earth’s environments provide the conditions for life as we know it. Organisms survive and reproduce only to the extent that their own mechanisms and adaptations allow. Evidence for the evolutionary histories of life on Earth is provided through the fossil record, similarities in the various structures among species, organism development, and genetic similarities across all organisms.

Science 8 (SC) 
The 8th grade course describes the constant interaction of matter and energy in nature. Students will explore how matter is arranged into either simple or complex substances. The strands emphasize how substances store and transfer energy which can cause them to interact physically and chemically, provide energy to living organisms, or be harnessed and used by humans. Matter and energy cycle and change in ecosystems through processes that occur during photosynthesis and cellular respiration. Additionally, substances that provide a benefit to organisms, including humans, are unevenly distributed on Earth due to geologic and atmospheric systems. Some resources form quickly, allowing them to be renewable, while other resources are nonrenewable. Evidence reveals that Earth’s systems change and affect ecosystems and organisms in positive and negative ways.

Social Science

Social Studies-6th grade (SS)
Students will understand current global issues and their rights and responsibilities in the interconnected world. Analyze how major world events of the 20th century affect the world today.

Utah Studies-7th grade (SS)
The Utah Studies standards are based on four social studies disciplines: history, geography, economics, and civics. Students will explore the complex history of Utah, with examples of creativity, sacrifice, conflict, innovation, inequity, compromise, and leadership.

U.S. History I-8th grade (SS)
Utah's 8th grade US History I course covers events and issues in US history from the Age of Exploration through Reconstruction, with an emphasis on the 18th and 19th centuries.

Physical Education

PE 6 (PE) 
Students in sixth grade are working on skill development, including locomotor and non-locomotor skills, mastering basic manipulative skills, and after practice engage in small group games or lead-up games. Competency progresses into manipulative skills such as catching, throwing, and dribbling with hands and feet.

PE 7 (PE) 
7th Grade focuses on refining sport skills, integrating movement patterns, and understanding health-related fitness concepts. Students will practice both individual and team sport skills, learn to combine movements, and be introduced to training principles and fitness activities. The goal is to develop healthy habits and prepare students for lifelong physical activity. 

PE 8 (PE) 
8th-grade Physical Education focuses on developing students' understanding of fitness components, designing personalized exercise plans, and promoting a physically active lifestyle. Students assess their fitness levels, create plans based on those assessments, and monitor progress. The curriculum also includes exploring diverse physical activities, both traditional and non-traditional, and understanding the link between nutrition and fitness. 

Middle School Health (PE)
This course develops the skills necessary to improve the quality of life by helping students to cope with and solve problems, develop a positive self-image, and make healthy decisions.

Information Technology

Digital Literacy (IT) 
This course allows students to develop basic computing fundamentals, improve digital communications, identify the importance of protecting individual data, apply key applications, and maintain positive digital wellness. Students will have opportunities to use digital devices to apply skills to accomplish tasks more efficiently using creativity, critical thinking, productivity, and collaboration in the classroom and day-to-day life. Students will use this foundational knowledge as a connection to future educational pathways. Grade: 8 

Fine Arts

Art Elements-Middle School (FA) 
An entry-level secondary art class, designed for 8th grade students. Students are graded on their knowledge of the eight major Elements of Art and Design in the visual arts. (This is not a materials introduction course nor is it a skills and techniques experiential class as found in most traditional schools).  

Art Foundations I (FA) 
Students are graded on their knowledge of the eight major Principles of Art and Design in the visual arts. (This is not a materials introduction course nor is it a skills and techniques experiential class as found in most traditional schools).

Career & Technical Education

College and Career Awareness (CCA)
Students participate in activity-centered projects and simulations to utilize technology, develop workplace skills, and explore careers by expanding awareness.