The Middle School curriculum describes the scope and sequence of Foote programs by grade. Because of the school's commitment to excellence, the curriculum is ever-evolving, thus specific content may be modified prior to updating the published curriculum.

GRADE SIX

HUMANITIES: 

Sixth and seventh graders study humanities, an interdisciplinary course combining social studies and English. Students explore broad themes of the human experience and address open-ended questions that encourage critical thinking about issues of importance in history, literature, and the world today. Such questions include, "How do the decisions we make impact our own and others' lives?" "How does the family you belong to impact your life?" and "What happens when people from different cultures meet for the first time?" These essential questions are grounded in the study of historical periods and related to the world of today.

The humanities course meets in a 90-minute block, five days each cycle. The double period allows for more in-depth examination of topics, bettter reinforcement of skills, and flexible allocation of time for project-based learning. In the sixth grade, humanities classes meet for an additional 45-minute period each cycle in order to integrate computer technology.

The primary theme underlying the sixth grade humanities course is the journey.  Students investigate journeys that changed the world during the Medieval and Renaissance periods. They explore the purposes and outcomes of different types of travel, including quest and conquest, crusades and pilgrimages, trade and discovery, as well as more contemporary and personal journeys.

Another major theme is storytelling.  When people travel, they tell their tales.  Students determine what makes a good story, discuss how and why we tell stories, write their own stories and practice the tradition of oral story telling.

Students do a lot of reading in humanities, for pleasure, for discussion and for information. They differentiate between main ideas and supporting details in nonfiction texts and practice reading for understanding of literal and implied meanings in literature.  Students read aloud and listen to books read aloud by others on a regular basis.

In addition, students continue to hone their writing skills. They write to discover, develop and organize their ideas, to argue a point, and to move an audience.  They keep a journal of their journey through sixth grade.  Students practice conferences, revision and proofreading skills as essential parts of the writing process. They refine the mechanical aspects of writing--usage, spelling, capitalization and punctuation--through short lessons and use of their own writing for proofreading practice.  They also study vocabulary, dictionary usage, parts of speech, and basic sentence structure.

In humanities, students build the skills basic to the study of history, understanding timelines and dates, recognizing cause-and-effect relationships, and thinking critically.  Using David Smith's program "Mapping the World by Heart," sixth grade students prepare through the course of the year to produce from memory a map that shows the outlines of all continents, countries, major cities, large rivers, islands and bodies of water.  They also work on basic organization, note-taking, and text-marking skills.

In conjunction with the sixth grade library program, students practice an effective research process.  They complete many short research projects, papers and presentations, building on the work they have done in the lower school and gearing up for longer, more formal research papers in seventh grade humanities.

Texts may include:
Beowulf, retold by Rosemary Sutcliff and Mary Goodrich
The Hobbit, J.R. Tolkien
The Seeing Stone, Kevin Crossley-Holland
Selected King Arthur Tales
The Story Bible, by Pearl S. Buck
The Ramsay Scallop, Frances Temple
The Canterbury Tales, adapted by Barbara Cohen
Whirligig, by Paul Fleischman
Shadow Spinner, Susan Fletcher
Selected Tales from the Arabian Nights
Rules of the Road, by Joan Bauer
Stories from the Silk Road, Cherry Gilchrist
Selected works of Shakespeare
Life During the Crusades, by Earle Rice, Jr.
Religions of the World, by Elizabeth Breuilly
The Travels of Marco Polo, by Mary Hull
Life During the Renaissance, by Patricia D. Netzley
Holt Middle School Handbook
Selected Poetry
Selected Stories

MATHEMATICS:  The mathematics curriculum, based on National Council of Teachers of Mathematics Standards, is divided at each grade level into three parts:

1)      topics introduced briefly in a concrete mode, usually within the context of another concept or skill

2)      topics worked on for a significant period of time in both concrete and symbolic modes

3)      topics formalized through abstract definition and generalization.

The core topics to be worked on in sixth grade are:
            • Number Development (ratio and proportion, scale drawing, percent)
            • Operations (order of operations, fraction as related to division, associative property)
            • Spatial Relationships/Geometry (congruence)
            • Measurement (volume, circumference, surface area, angle measure)
            • Graphing (circle graphs, number line graphs for solutions to inequalities, coordinate graphs)
            • Probability
            • Algebraic Development (variable – grasp of concept, translation from words, use in expressions; integers;                             exponents; linear equations and informal solutions; linear inequalities and informal solutions)

The core topics to be formalized in sixth grade are:
            • Number Development (concept of quantity greater than millions; relationships between numbers –
                prime  factorization, common multiple, common factor, LCM, GCF; mixed numerals – conversion between fractions
                and decimals)
            • Operations (identity properties – 0 and 1; fractions, decimals, and mixed numerals – all four operations)
            • Spatial Relationships/Geometry (spatial awareness; perceptual relationships; point, line, line segment, ray,
                angle – name, recognition, fundamental attributes; parallel and perpendicular; symmetry)
            • Graphing (scales/intervals; number line graphs for solutions to equations)
            • Logic (significant experience with general classification activities and intuitive functions)

Topics within the introductory stage fall within the categories mentioned above.

Text:       
                Hot Words, Hot Topics: math User's Handbook (Glencoe Mcgraw Hill)
  
Manipulatives used include cuisenaire rods, Diene's blocks, polydrons and attribute blocks.

FRENCH OR SPANISH: 

Beginning French:  A lively, youth-oriented text motivates students to use French in situations that focus on meaningful, daily-life topics.  The skills of reading, writing, listening, and speaking are studied more formally.  Students are introduced to elementary French grammar:  the present and imperative of the three regular verb groups, some irregular verbs, adjectives, and the partitive construction.  Francophone culture and civilization around the world is emphasized and the use of CDs, DVDs and computer games encourages active communication skills.  Students are required to memorize several short poems during the year.  Other special projects may include:  reading a simple book, baking baguettes, making a clothing catalogue, creating a poster about family members, and participating in the COLT Poster Contest in the spring.

Text:            Discovreing French Noveau, Bleu 1A (McDougal Littell) Text, Workbook, CDs, DVDs
Reader:       Château-Mystère (Usborne)

Beginning Spanish:  Within the context of the contemporary Spanish-speaking world, students work toward proficiency in four language skills:  listening, speaking, reading, and writing, with the emphasis on simple oral communication and aural skills.  Lessons include the present tense of regular and certain commonly used irregular verbs as well as the immediate future, direct and indirect object pronouns, possessive and descriptive adjectives, interrogatives, plurals, contractions, and numbers up to 100.  Varied dramatizations, poetry recitations and games supplement the text.  Vocabulary exercises expand the students' fluency to facilitate the gradual transition toward reading and writing.  Special projects may include a spelling bee, creating a poster on the family, preparing a researched cooking project, giving oral presentations, and participating in the COLT Poster Contest in the spring.

Text:        ¡Avancemos!, 1A (McDougal Littell) Text, Workbook, CDs, DVDs

SCIENCE: Human Biology

The major focus is an in-depth study of the human body, with a balance between content and scientific processes.

To help students gain knowledge of the structure and function of organs, tissues and cells, hands-on activities include weekly experimentation and dissection. Systems studied include the skeletal, muscular, digestive, respiratory, circulatory, urinary, nervous, skin, endocrine, and reproductive systems. System interdependence is emphasized. Classes include discussion covering the changes that occur in adolescence.

Students are introduced to the microscopic world and learn the proper use and care of dissecting and compound light microscopes.  They also use computer programs related to human anatomy and physiology.

Guest speakers visit often to share their expertise. A trip to the Boston Science Museum reinforces the curriculum and helps provide a context for showing students how to plan and execute individual research projects on the human body.

Texts used in recent years:
Asking About Sex and Growing Up, Cole, Joanna  (William Morrow and Co., Inc.)
The Human Body, Brunn R. D. and Bruun B.B.,  (Random House)
The World of the Microscope, Oxlade C. and Stockley C.  (Usborne Publishing Ltd.)

ART:  In the sixth grade, the emphasis is on mastering specific techniques and learning to apply them.  There are three major areas of study.  The first is a variety of graphic design projects in color, such as eraser and linoleum carving and printing, a travel poster and a design in the style of M.C. Escher.  The second area is three-dimensional constructions using clay, Pariscraft, and wood.  The third area is the interdisciplinary study of the Middle Ages.  A variety of media appropriate for this time period such as stained glass, banner making, and scenery painting are used to integrate students’ experience with History and English.

COMPUTER: 

Computer Skills / Software to be Covered

• Internet Safety / Appropriate Use Policy Discussion
• Keyboarding (Ten Thumbs Typing)
• Inspiration (brainstorming, notetaking, writing, outlining, pre-writing, creative writing, literary analysis)
• Word Processing w/ Microsoft Word and Pages
• Pages – Document layout / design program
• Keynote presentation software
• Saving to Shared Folder / Using Drop Box for assignments
• Research skills reinforcement (using internet databases & websites, library online resources, Boolean searches, evaluating resources)

• Inspiration work with summer reading book (The Watsons Go to Birmingham)
• Inspiration, Microsoft Word, Keynote - research papers (2 per year)
• Keynote - Science research project presentation
• Pages - Travel brochure for Country Project (2nd half of year)
• Spreadsheets / Keynote presentation - Country Project - fact sheet, statistic comparison, graphs (US vs. Country of choice)

DRAMA:  Students are introduced to drama and participate in improvisations, theater games, and short pieces of playwriting.  The goal of this course is to excite students about drama, to show them that it is a rewarding method of self-expression, and to i
introduce critical thinking skills.

LIBRARY:  The overall goal of the library curriculum for every grade level is to make our students feel that libraries are wonderful places where they can find literature to feed their imaginations and locate whatever information they seek.  To meet these goals the curriculum is separated into information skills (library and research skills) and literature skills, though the two are always very interdependent.  The sixth grade library period is spent reinforcing and expanding upon the skills introduced in the earlier grades.  The students this year become more adept at finding the information they need in all kinds of sources using their questions and their lists of keywords.  They work with many different reference sources so they are familiar with what types of sources are available and how they are organized.  Boolean searching is introduced, for use both with our online catalog and other online databases.  They review the steps needed to produce a complete bibliography and the reasons that is important.  We spend additional time on using an index and ways to make that process more efficient, on utilizing headings and subheadings, on taking good notes, and on organizing and finally presenting information.  We continue to read stories as often as possible, with the aim of making them familiar with the wonderful new books we are receiving.  We also discuss censorship during Banned Books Week.  The students continue to “booktalk” and the librarian booktalks new fiction to them regularly.  They also participate in the Nutmeg Award (the Connecticut Children's Book Award), reading from a list of ten books chosen by librarians and voting for their favorite – and then waiting to see if it is the one chosen by all of the voters in grades 4-6 across the state.

MUSIC:  In the sixth grade the students continue using the Kodaly Concept, a comprehensive program to train basic musical skill and teach the reading and writing of music and develop a joy of singing, dancing and playing together. The students review the melodic elements presented in previous grades and add the notes fa and ti to their melodic repertoire, completing the diatonic scale. They solidify the various rhythmic combinations and time signatures including reading 6/8 time. A large part of their year is spent learning Medieval music, connecting to their Humanities course. Incorporated in that study is learning the alto recorder

PHYSICAL EDUCATION:  Our goal in physical education at this level is to provide strenuous exercise, develop athletic skills and promote team cooperation.  The sixth grade can be split in a number of ways among the three staff members.  Activities include field hockey, soccer, and football in the fall; basketball, volleyball, floor hockey, and gymnastics in the winter; baseball, softball, track, and badminton in the spring.  Other activities include tinikling (a rhythmic dance with bamboo poles), the physical best program, and Capture the Flag.

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HUMANITIES:  Seventh grade students explore the theme of change -- personal coming of age as it pertains to early American history and to the students themselves. We begin by looking at what happens when different cultures meet, focusing in particular on American Indians, Europeans, and Africans. Coming-of-age stories form the backdrop for our study of the American Revolution, as students look at the issue of independence in literature, history, and our world. Finally, focus is given to the theme of conflict in literature, in the Civil War and in contemporary society.

In humanities, students develop reading, writing, thinking, presenting, and information skills. Through a variety of literary genres students build an understanding of theme, symbolism, and tone; they read primary and secondary historical sources for main ideas and supporting details. In addition to organizing and developing ideas on paper, students develop an appropriate and descriptive vocabulary, the use of literary devices, variety of style, effective arguments, and revision. Grammar concepts, spelling, and mechanics are taught as part of writing. Students practice recognizing cause-and-effect relationships and drawing valid conclusions based on evidence. They are guided in organizing their study materials and in taking effective notes. Gaining map and geography proficiency, understanding time lines and dates, and learning the research process are central. Students work independently on long-range projects including Early America Day in the fall and a more formal research paper in the spring.

Texts may include:
April Morning, Howard Fast
A History of US, Joy Hakim
Sees Behind Trees, Michael Doris
The American Nation, Volume I, James West Davidson
The Light in the Forest, Conrad Richter
The Crucible, Arthur Miller
Seedfolks, Paul Fleischman
To Be a Slave, Julius Lester
To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee
Vocabulary from Classical Roots, Fifer and Flowers

BEGINNING LATIN:  Students become familiar with the basic grammatical concepts of the Latin language, early Roman history and various cultural topics such as family, slavery and travel. Their interest and awareness of Roman culture and civilization are enhanced by reading the continuous narrative about the lives and adventures of the Cornelii family a chapter at a time.  A reading course, students become quickly proficient in reading lengthy stories in Latin and in inducing the general grammatical and syntactical rules from the specifics found in the passages.  Attention is also paid to our inheritance from the Roman world such as English words derived from Latin, Latin sayings, and the vestiges of Roman culture in our own.  During their first year of study, students master three declensions of nouns, first and second declension adjectives, the present and imperfect tenses for all four conjugations and numerous irregular verbs, prepositions, adverbs, and many elementary syntactical rules.  Special projects may include poetry recitation, creation of a Latin game, making of Roman lamps, and story bags of Roman gods and goddesses.

Text:            Ecce Romani I , Lawall et al. (ed.)

MATHEMATICS:  The mathematics curriculum, based on National Council of Teachers of Mathematics Standards, is divided at each grade level into three parts:  1) topics introduced briefly in a concrete mode, usually within the context of another concept or skill; 2) topics worked on for a significant period of time in both concrete and symbolic modes; 3) topics formalized through abstract definition and generalization.

In the seventh grade, three different sections are offered, though the core curriculum, pre-algebra, as outlined below, is the same for each.  Core topics covered are the same, though depth of coverage and complexity of application vary; students in all three courses are prepared to begin Algebra I in the eighth grade. 

The core topics to be worked on in seventh grade are:
            • Operations (order of operations; fraction as related to division)
            • Logic (experience with intuitive functions)
            • Algebraic Development (variable – concept, translation from words, in expressions; integers –
                exponents, rational/irrational numbers, absolute value; linear equations – concept, formal solutions,
                equivalent equations, graphing, to express associative property; linear inequalities – concept, informal and
                formal solutions, symbolism, graphing)

The core topics to be formalized in seventh grade are:
            • Number Development (ratio and proportion; scale drawing; percent)
            • Operations (associative property)
            • Spatial Relationships/Geometry (spatial awareness; perceptual relationships; angles; rotational symmetry;             congruence; transformations – rotations, translations, and reflections)
            • Measurement (volume; choice of measure; circumference; surface area; angle measure)
            • Graphing and Statistics (circle graphs; number line graphs for solutions to inequalities; coordinate graphs;             medians and modes)
            • Logic (significant experience with set theory and sequences)

Topics within the introductory stage fall within the categories mentioned above.

The core texts for these courses include Pre-Algebra, An Accelerated Course, by Dolciani, Sorgenfrey, and Graham (Houghton Mifflin), Pre-Algebra by Larson, Boswel, Kanold * Stiff (McDougal Littell), and Pre-Algebra, by Price, Rath, and Leschensky (Merrill). 

Manipulatives used include attribute blocks, calculators, centimeter cubes, polydrons and 3-D models..

FRENCH OR SPANISH: 

French I:  After extensive review and reinforcement of previously learned material, students continue to enlarge their knowledge of French vocabulary and grammar.  They are introduced to direct and indirect object pronouns including ‘y’ and ‘en’, many more irregular verbs and the “passé composé”.  Francophone culture throughout the world continues to be emphasized.  Special projects may include poetry memorization for the COLT Poetry Contest, DVDs, French cuisine and the study of Francophone countries.  Students are grouped by ability.

Text:            Discoveing French Noveau, Bleu 1B (McDougal Littell) Text, Workbook, CDs, DVDs
Reader:       Un ´Eté Pas Comme Les Autres (Amsco)

Spanish I:  After a thorough review of the previous year’s material, students in the seventh grade encounter new grammar and vocabulary in a variety of situations, often within a humorous context.  Students are introduced to stem-changing verbs, many irregular and reflexive verbs in the present and preterite tenses, familiar commands. double object pronouns, and the comparative and superlative forms of adjectives.  Interesting contemporary reading selections help students develop oral and written skills as well as heighten their sense of Hispanic culture.  Special activities may include:  a self-portrait in Spanish, a Hispanic cooking project, a clothing catalogue, the study of different Spanish-speaking countries, and participation in the COLT Poetry Contest.  Students are grouped by ability.

Text:            ¡Avancemos!, 1B (McDougall Littell) Text, Workbook, CDs, DVDs
Reader:       La gran aventura de Alejandro (Amsco)

SCIENCE: Energy in the Environment

This course fosters students’ natural curiosity through a series of developmentally appropriate hands-on activities that also allow them to practice laboratory skills and gain an appreciation and working understanding of key energy concepts. 

Exploring concepts using both qualitative and quantitative methods, students make observations, record data in lab notebooks and, for selected labs, write formal reports using computer spreadsheet and graphing programs.

During spring term students design and build alternative energy projects that apply methods and knowledge gained in the course. These projects let students pursue their own interests and take on a challenge that matches their individual skill sets. By the end of the course we hope all students will be comfortable asking scientific questions and proposing effective methods to shed light on answers to these questions.  Another objective is to increase student awareness of how our energy choices may impact the environmental quality of our planet.

Key Concepts in this course include:

• Matter has mass and volume and it changes form:
   Thermal expansion, changes in density, changes in state, chemical changes

• Energy can exist in different forms:
   Potential, kinetic, mechanical, heat, light, electrical, chemical, nuclear

• Energy can change form, but it is never lost:
    First and second laws of energy, Newton’s laws of motion

• Humans use many different forms of energy and all forms impact the environment: 
    advantages and disadvantages of fossil fuels, nuclear, wind, water and solar energy

• Weather, the daily condition of the earth’s atmosphere, is produced by the complex interaction of heat energy, air pressure, air currents and moisture.

• Astronomy, which involves many scientific disciplines, seeks to understand and explain extraterrestrial phenomena.

Texts include:

Matter and Energy, Trefil, J., (McDougal Littell, a division of Houghton Mifflin Co.)

Electicity and Magnetism, Maton, A., (Prentice-Hall, Inc., a division of Simon Schuster)

Sound and Light, Maton, A., (Prentice-Hall, Inc., a division of Simon Schuster)

The Cartoon Guide to Physics, Gonick G. and Huffman, A., (Harper Perennial, a Division of HarperCollins Publishers)

Exploring Earth’s Weather, Maton, A., (Prentice-Hall, Inc., a division of Simon Schuster)

Meteorology, McArdle, H. (Flinn Scientific, Inc.)

ART:  Seventh grade art concentrates on design elements in black and white.  Pop art is introduced to stimulate the creation of optical designs.  To teach the illusion of space on a two-dimensional surface, black to white value collages are constructed.  Experimenting with different drawing techniques is introduced so that students find their own style.  The culminating project is a realistic self-portrait.

COMPUTER:  Starting with 7th grade, computer curriculum is integrated into specific middle school projects, as students are encouraged and required to use the computers as a productive and creative tool as they complete work across the curriculum.  To see the current technology goal skills and software, please visit the Technology Department Curriculum page. To see student examples of projects created with the use of the computer, please see the links to student examples in each of the areas of discipline above.

Students choosing to work on the school newspaper, The SPI, use MicrosoftWord to write articles and Pages to work on the layout.

DRAMA:  Students will begin to understand that theater is a form of communication.  In doing so, they will begin to respond emotionally and intelligently to dramatic literature as well as to performance, thereby continuing to improve critical thinking and problem-solving skills.  They will read and write dramatic material as well as perform it.  They will also begin to learn a vocabulary and language appropriate to the study of theater arts.

MUSIC: Seventh graders are introduced to many ways of accessing music as listeners and as creators.  They spend one trimester working with computers in the Music Lab, where they learn the basics of music notation and composition, along with techniques and tools involved with digital recording of original music and spoken word.  Another trimester is spent in two small ensembles: a traditional performing Afro-Caribbean drum circle and an informal instrumental/vocal  “roots music” workshop with dulcimers and acoustic guitars.  In addition, all students perform a dance together at May Day and spend several classes preparing for a special trip to a final dress rehearsal of a complete production at The Metropolitan Opera at Lincoln Center in New York City.


LIBRARY: The overall goal of the library curriculum for every grade level is to make our students feel that libraries are wonderful places where they can find literature to feed their imaginations and locate whatever information they seek.  Seventh graders no longer have a regular library period every week.  They do, however, make great use of the library for research, using both the print materials in the library and the computer resources available to them – such as online encyclopedias and databases, as well as Internet access.  Many of them continue to use our Middle School fiction collection, coming during recesses or before school to find free reading books, as well as choosing books during Humanities several times during the year.

PHYSICAL EDUCATION:  The seventh grade is broken up in various ways depending on the activities chosen for the class, i.e., separated by gender or coeducationally in smaller groups.  In class, the students participate in such sports as field hockey, soccer, touch football, frisbee, and Capture the Flag in the fall; basketball, volleyball, gymnastics, floor hockey, and tinikling (a rhythmic dance with bamboo poles) in the winter; and softball, baseball, track, and kickball in the spring.

In addition, seventh-grade students have the opportunity to participate in daily team practices and play team sports against other schools.  The sports offered are soccer and field hockey in the fall; basketball and coed swimming in the winter; and lacrosse, softball, baseball, and coed tennis in the spring.

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GRADE EIGHT

ENGLISH: Through the study of different genres (fiction, essays, plays, and poetry) students examine literature in terms of structure, implicit themes, and the author's use of specific detail. Creative writing assignments continue, and students are also introduced to the expository essay form. Emphasis is placed on using descriptive detail, developing and supporting a thesis, and on mechanical accuracy. A study of the short story culminates a month-long short story writing project. Vocabulary study springs from the reading and from a text, Vocabulary From Classical Roots. Grammar concepts and spelling lessons are integral to the writing process.  Poetry is read aloud and written in journals throughout the year.

Texts may include:
                  
A Book of Poetry - I (Harcourt Brace Jovanovich)
A Book of Short Stories - I (Harcourt Brace Jovanovich)
Cyrano de Bergerac- Edmond Rostand
The House on Mango Street- Sandra Cisneros
The Wave - Todd Strasser
Lord of the Flies - William Golding
Vocabulary from Classical Roots, Book C- Norma Fifier and Nancy Flowers

Modern United States History:  Eighth grade history is constructed around the theme of power, how it has been wielded within the country and by whom, as well as how the United States has exerted its power internationally as it has come of age as a world leader. Special attention will be paid to civil rights as we begin the course with a study of Jim Crow laws during Reconstruction and conduct an in-depth study of the civil rights movements of the sixties. In addition, particular area of study in the second semester will be the emergence of the US from isolationism to becoming the superpower of the 21st century. Study skills emphasized in previous years, such as note taking in class and from texts, outlining, and organizing information, are reinforced in eighth grade. Also, students learn how to approach history with an appreciation for its ambiguity and complexity. Students are encouraged to see other points of view using a variety of techniques, e.g., eyewitness accounts and original sources. They learn to infer from the facts and see recurrent traits of human nature vis-à-vis historic events. Appreciating the wider picture is emphasized at all stages. Each student writes expository essays, major reports, and works with maps. A variety of creative assignments are also given and cooperative learning techniques are employed. In addition, students writea formal research paper in the spring.

Texts may include:
The American Nation: Civil War to the Present (Prentice-Hall)
Autobiography of Malcolm X
Selected readings from Voices of America , Thomas Frazier, editor
The Jungle, Upton Sinclair
Dear America: Letters Home from Vietnam, Bernard Edelman, editor
Selected readings from the Harlem Renaissance, Martin Luther King, Ken Burn’s “Baseball”.

Latin I:  During the eighth grade year students expand their knowledge of the Latin language and the world in which it was spoken.  By the end of the year the students will complete the Ecce Romani I textbook.  In addition to studying more uses of cases and vocabulary, the students learn noun adjective agreement, the future, perfect, pluperfect and future perfect tenses, the fourth and fifth declensions, the dative case, demonstrative adjectives and pronouns, and personal and reflective pronouns. Upon completion of the standard curriculum, the Honors section proceeds in the Ecce Romani II textbook.  Some of the historical and cultural topics explored in the eighth grade are: the Roman Republic, travel, the city of Rome and chariot racing.  The study of English derivatives, Latin saying and our inheritance from the Roman world is continued.  Special projects may include poetry recitation, creative presentations of the story of a mythological monster, city of Rome reports, and the use of calligraphy in the transmission of manuscripts.    

Texts:
            Ecce Romani I,  Lawall et al. (ed.)
            Ecce Romani II, Lawall et al. (ed.)

MATHEMATICS:  In the eighth grade three Algebra I courses are offered.  The first is a one-year Honors Algebra I course, the second is a one-year Algebra I course, and the third is the first year of a two-year Algebra I course, which is available in two different sections, as outlined below.

Honors Algebra I:  This is a rigorous course in Algebra I in which students complete a comprehensive study of various topics suggested by the National Association of Independent Schools for Algebra I.  Topics covered include symbols and sets, solving equations and inequalities with one and two variables, polynomials, factoring, algebraic fractions, graphing, solving systems of linear equations, radical expressions, and quadratic equations.  Varied and complex problem solving is an important aspect of the course.

Text:  Algebra Structure and Method, Book I, Dolciani, Brown and Cole (Houghton Mifflin)

Algebra I:  This is a one-year course in Algebra I in which students complete all of the same topics listed above.  However, problems selected are less complex than those considered in the Honors course.

Text:  Algebra Structure and Method, Book I, Dolciani, Brown and Cole (Houghton Mifflin)

Topics in Algebra:  This course covers approximately two-thirds of the standard Algebra I curriculum: solving equations and inequalities, working with polynomials and laws of exponents, factoring, and graphing of linear
equations.  There is a continuing emphasis on algebraic methods of problem solving.

Text:  Algebra by Smith, Charles, Dossey, Keedy and Bittinger (Addison-Wesley)

FRENCH OR SPANISH:

French II:  Students continue their formal study of French with a thorough review of all the grammar introduced in seventh grade.  New grammar such as relative and object pronouns, negation, adverbs, and the comparison of adjectives, reflexive verbs, and more verb tenses, including the future, the imperfect, the conditional and introduction to the subjunctive, are taught within the specific context of French daily life and culture. Paris, “la Ville Lumière,” is studied.  Reading skills are increased, vocabulary expanded, and a greater emphasis is placed on writing.  CDs, DVDs, and viewing of original French films are important components of the program. Students are required to memorize several poems during the year and participate in the COLT Poetry Contest. Additional special projects may include a researched cooking project and the creation of a short, videotaped play.  Students are grouped by ability.

Text:            Discovering French Nouveau, Blanc (McDougall Littell) Text, Workbook, CDs, DVDs

Spanish II:  The program builds on the established foundation, introducing more complex grammatical structures and expanding the cultural themes.  Beginning units provide a thorough review and new material, such as the imperfect, present perfect, pluperfect, conditional pluperfect, subjunctive tenses, possessive and relative pronouns, adverbs, and prepositions, is gradually introduced.  For any given grammar point, activities begin with guided practice and move progressively toward freer self-expression.  There are numerous opportunities for written and oral expression.  Special projects may include a researched cooking project, the creation of a videotaped short play, and participation in the COLT Poetry Contest.  In addition, students read and analyze various literary selections in Spanish. Students are grouped by ability.

Text:            ¡Avancemos!, 2 (McDougall Littell) Text, Workbook, CDs, DVDs
Reader:       Susana y Javier en España (Amsco)

SCIENCE:  The widely acclaimed IPS (Introductory Physical Science) course emphasizes the development of basic laboratory skills, the process of controlled experimentation, and an understanding of the principles of physical science, especially matter and its properties.

Through a sequence of experiments, students learn appropriate ways to measure and describe quantities and characteristic properties of solids, liquids and gases. Specifically, the course covers the conservation of mass, and a study of physical constants that includes density, melting and boiling points, solubility, and spectra.

While students work on all labs as part of a team, each student keeps a lab notebook and writes lab reports. The analysis of class data is an important element of each investigation: graphing of data is often required and the use of computer software encouraged. Empirical evidence and concepts are then used to build a model of the atom as the basic unit of matter. The course culminates with each lab team devising and executing a multi-step procedure to identify the components of an unknown mixture.

Text:  Introductory Physical Science (Eighth Edition),
            Haber-Schaim U., Cutting R., Kirksey H. G., and Pratt H.A., (Science Curriculum Inc.)

ART – SCULPTURE:  The year is spent exploring the third dimension.  A field trip to Storm King Art Center or Pepsico provides a firsthand experience with large contemporary sculpture.  Students are provided with an overview of the history of three-dimensional form and an understanding of what goes into the completion of any sculpture piece.  Clay, metal, wire, plaster, wood, cardboard, and stone are the primary materials used.  Students complete the year with the experience of carving soapstone with hammers and chisels.  Emphasis is on encouraging students to employ their innermost creative self for each assignment.

COMPUTER:  In 8th grade, computer curriculum is integrated into specific middle school projects, as students are encouraged and required to use the computers as a productive and creative tool as they complete work across the curriculum.  To see the current technology goal skills and software, please visit the Technology Department Curriculum page. To see student examples of projects created with the use of the computer, please see the links to student examples in each of the areas of discipline above.

Students choosing to work on the school newspaper, The SPI, use MicrosoftWord to write articles and Pages to work on the layout.

DRAMA:  (2 trimesters)  Students will perform scenes from plays, enhance critical thinking skills, read and/or view plays, and participate in writing activities.  They will learn how to observe, respond, understand, and evaluate theatrical performances and to make personal judgments based on these.  Through their work they will recognize their own intentions, choices, and power to affect others.

LIBRARY:  The overall goal of the library curriculum for every grade level is to make our students feel that libraries are wonderful places where they can find literature to feed their imaginations and locate whatever information they seek.  Eighth graders no longer have a regular library period every week.  They do, however, make great use of the library for research, using both the print materials in the library and the computer resources available to them – such as online encyclopedias and databases, as well as Internet access.  Many of them continue to use our Middle School fiction collection, coming during recesses or before school to find free reading books..

MUSIC: Eighth graders choose one of two kinds of instrumental study during the year.  They may participate in an English hand-bell ensemble or they may decide to be in a small guitar group.  Both groups perform at a major school assembly as a culminating experience during their course of study.  Eighth graders also spend a trimester studying jazz history, a course that combines listening and basic research with a final project in which students elect to appear as their chosen musicians in an informal “talk show” setting with their classmates as the studio audience.  In addition, a special unit of dance study centers on the mastery of “Rigs O’ Marlowe,” a percussive English stick and bell dance which is an annual performance tradition for this class at May Day.

Instrumental Electives:  students choose from the study of acoustic guitar, handbells or tone chimes.

OUTDOOR EDUCATION PROGRAM:  (one trimester) Foote School maintains an outdoor education facility for this program.  The program’s goal is to provide an environment that serves to nurture and instill mutual cooperation and support within a group.  It provides the students with the opportunity to increase their sense of personal confidence, their level of agility, their physical coordination, and the support and enjoyment that comes from working together on a common goal.

The curriculum involves group-oriented games and initiative problems.  These force students to work together in problem-solving tasks where success is ultimately determined on their ability to cooperate and brainstorm for solutions.  The tasks progress in difficulty and culminate in group and individual challenges in low and high element ropes course work.

PHYSICAL EDUCATION:  (one trimester)  The course in physical education provides rigorous physical activities and athletic skills development.  The activities covered in gym classes may include badminton, track, floor hockey, soccer, touch football, field hockey, basketball, softball, and lacrosse.

Team sports offered on both junior varsity or varsity levels are field hockey and soccer in the fall; basketball and co-ed swimming in the winter; and lacrosse, softball, baseball, and co-ed tennis in the spring.  The sports program enables students to compete with students their own age from a broad selection of regional schools.

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GRADE NINE

ENGLISH: The ninth grade writing and literature program continues to develop the students’ ability to analyze literature critically, both orally and in writing.  The curriculum focuses on autobiography and fiction, both complete books and excerpts.  Poetry is read and written throughout the year, culminating in a "poetry cabaret" conceived and performed by the students in June.

Multi-draft critical essays, as well as personal narrative essays and creative compositions and projects related to the reading are assigned throughout the year, allowing students to work on skills such as forming and supporting a thesis as they work on developing a strong personal voice.  Mechanics and grammar are taught based on the individual needs found in students' work. In the spring, an extended work of creative nonfiction allows the students to experience the full writing process as they share and revise drafts, using both peers and teacher to produce the final project.

Texts may include:

Autobiography:
This Boy's Life, Tobias Wolff
Lost in Place, Mark Salzman

Fiction:
Speak,  Laurie H. Andersen
Forgotten Fire, Adam Bagdasarian
Persepolis, Marjane Satrapi
The Curious Incident of the Dog in Nighttime, Mark Haddon

Poetry:
Poetry 180, Billy Collins, ed.

Selections from:
Black Ice, Lorene Cary
Colored People, Henry Louis Gates
The Duke of Deception, Geoffrey Wolff
Manchild in the Promised Land, Claude Brown
The Road to Coorain, Jill Ker Conway
Stop-Time, Frank Conroy

Poetry: Selections from a wide range of cultures, styles, and periods.

HISTORY – Comparative Cultures :  This course aims to cultivate in each student respect for and understanding of the people of several world regions, inclusing but not limited to China/Asia, the Middle East, and/or Africa.  We study the social, economic, political, environmental and geographical forces that have shaped each region. We also study the impact of modernization and how these regions of the world ifluence other nations, including the United States, today. 

World Studies will reinforce skills emphasized in preceding history courses, including critical analysis, synthesis of ideas, written and oral expression, Internet research, and study habits.  Students are encouraged to view issues from multiple perspectives through the use of a variety of primary and secondary sources.  In addition, students write expository and critical essays, take notes, engage in group discussion and activities, study maps, give oral presentations, and complete creative projects relating to the subject matter.

Texts may include:
World Cultures: A Global Mosaic (textbook)
Readings from China: Understanding Its Past (textbook)
A variety of primary documents and readings, including letters, images, historical maps, political cartoons, songs, speeches, and government documents
China on the World Stage: Weighing the U.S. Response (Watson Institute for International Studies, Brown University)
Shifting Sand: Balancing U.S. Interests in the Middle East (Watson Institute for International Studies, Brown University)
An Ordinary Man, Paul Rusesabagina
Red Scarf Girl , Ji Li Jiang
Things Fall Apart , Chinua Achebe

Latin II:  Reading fluency and advanced topics of grammar and syntax are the focus of the ninth grade year.  In addition to learning the passive voice, comparisons of adjectives, participles, indirect statements, and the forms and uses of the subjunctive, the students regularly translate increasingly lengthy and complex stories.  Students acquire knowledge of the political, cultural and literary history of the Romans and their contributions to western civilization.  The events of the Roman Republic through the Late Empire are studied as well as Roman food, education, baths, gladiators, weddings, and religion.  Students develop independent research skills through an in-depth study of a topic of their choice.  Emphasis is placed on preparation for reading original Latin texts.  Enrichment of the students’ English vocabulary and methodical thinking are also stressed.  Special projects may include poetry recitation, a Roman banquet, creation of a Roman calendar, and a Colosseum project.  Students are grouped by ability. 

Text:            Ecce Romani II, Lawall et al. (ed.)

MATHEMATICS:  In the ninth grade two different courses are offered.  The first, a Geometry course offered in two different sections, is available to students who completed Algebra I in the eighth grade.  The second is the second year of a two-year Algebra I course, again offered in two different sections, as outlined below.

Honors Geometry:  This course develops geometry as a complete mathematical system from the basic terms: point, line, and plane.  Formal proofs are emphasized.  Topics covered include the language of sets, logic, angles and their relationships, parallel lines and planes, congruent triangles, similar polygons and right triangles, circles, constructions, coordinate geometry, areas of polygons and circles, and volumes and surface areas of solids. 

 Text:   Geometry, Clemens, O'Daffer, Cooney, and Dossey (Addison-Wesley)

Geometry:  This course also develops geometry as a complete mathematical system from the basic terms, and topics covered are the same as those listed above for the Honors course.  In this course, however, only basic formal proofs are included.

Text:            Geometry, Clemens, O'Daffer, Cooney, and Dossey (Addison-Wesley)

Intermediate Algebra:

This course completes the Algebra I curriculum and offers opportunities for extension into a few Algebra II or Geometry topics. The curriculum reviews methods used with equations and inequalities, extending them to absolute value equations and combined inequalities.  Factoring and quadratic equations are recalled, followed by an introduction to radicals and alternate methods of solving quadratics. Also introduced are functions, variation and proportion, rational expressions, and fractional equations. Possible extension topics include imaginary numbers, complex fractions, absolute value inequalities, negative exponents, and an introductory geometric unit. The emphasis on algebraic methods of problem solving continues throughout the year.

Text:            Algebra Essentials by Foster, Rath, Winters and Burrill (Merrill)

FRENCH OR SPANISH:

French II or III:  Students pursue a study of literature and grammar. They read original texts, amusing short stories, children’s classics, and/or well-known plays to increase reading and comprehension skills.  They analyze and memorize a variety of French poems and begin to write their own. A second or third year grammar book thoroughly reviews and teaches the 10 principal verb tenses and grammar.  The regions of France are studied, as well as some important historical figures and their contribution to French culture. Frequent writing assignments, including writing an original French Fairy Tale, develop the students’ abilities to express themselves more fluently. Students continue to build upon and strengthen their oral skills through daily conversations and the viewing of French films. Classes are conducted in French. Special projects may include seeing a play in French, oral presentations and participation in the COLT Poetry Contest.  Students are grouped by ability.

Texts:          Discovering French, Noveau, Rouge (McDugall Littell) Text, Workbok, CDs, DVDs
                     Le Petit Prince, A. de Saint-Exupéry
       
Spanish II or III:  Students explore the practical vocabulary needed for active language use and deepen their appreciation of Hispanic culture through an introduction to literary works by authors from Spain and Latin America.  Grammar topics include: impersonal ‘se’, the subjunctive mood, the imperative, irregular preterite verbs, use of the preterite and imperfect tenses, the present perfect, future and conditional tenses.  Through discussion and analysis of various genres of literature, including poetry, short stories and drama, students are challenged to improve their oral proficiency, reading comprehension and writing skills.  Special projects may include a researched presentation about a famous Hispanic figure, the creation of an illustrated children’s book or short story, and a visit to a retirement community with Spanish-speaking residents.   Students also participate in the COLT Poetry Contest.  Students are grouped  by ability.

Texts:          Spanish for Mastery II:  Entre Nosotros  (D.C. Heath) Book/Workbook, Cassette Program
                     Spanish for Mastery III:  Situaciones (D.C. Heath) Book, Workbook, Cassette Program

Supplementary Reading: Short literary selections

BIOLOGY:

This high school course is composed of three parts:
• River Ecology (fall)
• Animal Anatomy and Physiology (winter)
• Evolution and Genetics (spring term)

Lab and fieldwork are important aspects of this course, and although tasks are often accomplished by teams, each student is required to keep a permanent notebook. Students are encouraged to generate knowledge directly from their own observations of natural and experimental phenomena and to learn how such knowledge can be evaluated for precision, accuracy and reliability.

Using the West River as a living laboratory, students begin the year with a study of the land use in the vicinity of the river. Topographic maps, Google Earth software, and site visits are used to assess potential and actual human impacts on water quality. Student teams carry out physical, chemical and biological sampling at selected sites on the river and New Haven Harbor (including a half day trip aboard Schooner Inc.’s Quinnipiac).

The comparative anatomy of an invertebrate (crayfish) and a vertebrate (perch) is the focus of winter term activities. Dissections of each organism are carried out to establish the elegant connections between form and function of animal organ systems, tissues and cells. Comparisons to human biology are highlighted, and a variety of human health topics are discussed.

Spring term is devoted to the study of Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection and heredity. Classical genetics is studied in depth, and the structure and function of DNA is introduced.

Texts: 
Reviewing Biology: The Living Environment (third edition) Raab, Carl M and Renna Michael F.,
           Amsco School Publications, Inc.
Biological Science: An Ecological Approach (BSCS Green Version, eighth edition),
           Cairney W., Kendall/Hunt Publishing Co.
Field Manual for Water Quality Monitoring: An Environmental Education Program for Schools
           (twelfth edition), Mitchell, Mark K. and Stapp, William B.

ART:  The ninth grade art course presents a comprehensive overview of art history starting with prehistoric times and moving through the ages to contemporary expression.  Art projects are related to the period being studied.  The students explore a variety of media, both two and three dimensional, using one that best expresses each particular art era.

CLASS TRIPS:  Throughout the ninth grade year trips are planned to enhance and enrich the curriculum offerings.  In addition to museum wanderings, the English classes attend theater performances in New Haven and New York City.  One unique trip, however, is planned to begin the school year.  The ninth grade class, accompanied by the Head of School and ninth grade teachers, departs for a four-day retreat that stresses community and social growth and awareness.  In any given year the group may participate in ambitious hikes, lengthy bicycle trips, canoe excursions, and refreshing swims before they relax around the fire with folk tales, charades, and appropriate ghost stories.  From these shared experiences a more closely-knit, cohesive class emerges.

COMMUNITY ACTIVITIES:  Ninth graders assume leadership roles and major responsibility for community service within the school.  The areas in which the students may be involved include Student Government, Maroon and Grey Captains, the yearbook, the literary magazine, and the school newspaper.  Ninth graders also conduct community-wide food, clothing, and book drives, aid the city-wide UNICEF campaign, and distribute the morning snack at Foote.

In addition, every ninth grade student participates in Community Service, a formal program meeting on Monday afternoons. Community Service activities are:

Tutoring – on a one-to-one basis in the lower grades or at Celentano School. This gives the students a chance to share their skills and interests.

Assisting the elderly – assisting the elderly in the New Haven area, either in individual homes or at the Whitney Center, allows the students to plan and execute specific projects and to evaluate their effectiveness.

In addition, all students are given the opportunity to complete a Red Cross sponsored Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation program.  The course consists of 12 hours of practice and written work in which they learn the basic steps required to revive victims who have choked or stopped breathing.  They are required to work on babies, children, and adults.  At the successful completion of this intensive course, students are presented with a CPR certificate.

COMPUTER:  In ninth grade, computer curriculum is integrated into specific projects, as students are encouraged and required to use the computers as a productive and creative tool as they complete work across the curriculum.  To see the current technology goal skills and software, please visit the Technology Department Curriculum page. To see student examples of projects created with the use of the computer, please see the links to student examples in each of the areas of discipline above.

Students choosing to work on the school newspaper, The SPI, use Microsoft Word to write articles and Pages to work on the layout.

DRAMA:  Students will continue to refine performance and critical thinking skills through the preparation of scenes, playwriting, and through reading, viewing and responding to plays.  Students will also continue to accept and appreciate cultural diversity; to understand that the beliefs and cultural conventions of a particular time, place, or people can link them to worlds very different from their own.  A culminating activity of this course will be the production of a full-length play.

THE CHINA EXPERIENCE and the EXTERNAL STUDY PROGRAM: 
In addition to the rich academic and varied athletic programs at  Foote, 9th graders have an opportunity to participate in an excursion to Yali Middle School in Changsha, China.   This takes place during the week prior to Spring Break and continues throughout the first week of the Break.  Accompanied by Foote faculty, students travel together, meet their Chinese counterparts, and are introduced to various aspects of Chinese traditional culture.  Each fall, Foote welcomes a Chinese exchange teacher who shares much of his or her heritage with the 9th grade class in preparation for the trip.

Student who choose not to participate in the China Experience have an opportunity to pursue other interests via the External Study Program during the week prior to Spring Break.  Students present a proposal to the faculty in an area of particular interest to them in the local community.  For example, a student with a deep interest in music might volunteer to work at a radio station, another might choose to volunteer at a nature center, or in a law office.  Students in both the China Experience and the External Study Program keep journals of their experience and prepare a presentation for the Middle School upon their return.

LIBRARY: The overall goal of the library curriculum for every grade level is to make our students feel that libraries are wonderful places where they can find literature to feed their imaginations and locate whatever information they seek.  Ninth graders no longer have a regular library period every week.  They do, however, make great use of the library for research, using both the print materials in the library and the computer resources available to them – such as online encyclopedias and databases, as well as Internet access.  Many of them continue to use our Middle School fiction collection, coming during recesses or before school to find free reading books.

MUSIC: Ninth graders continue their elective instrumental study, but will have the chance to participate in two small performing ensembles from the following offerings: English hand-bells, acoustic guitars, and a traditional Afro-Caribbean drum ensemble.  The entire class will also spend one trimester mastering “Sleights,” a sword dance that is always a highlight at Foote’s annual May Day celebration. 

PHYSICAL EDUCATION:  The course in physical education provides rigorous physical activities and athletic skills development for these individuals.  The activities covered in gym classes may include badminton, track, floor hockey, soccer, touch football, field hockey, basketball, softball, and lacrosse.

Team sports offered on the varsity level are field hockey and soccer in the fall; basketball and coed swimming in the winter; and lacrosse, softball, baseball, and coed tennis in the spring.  The sports program enables students to compete with students their own age from a selection of regional schools.

Secondary school planing & counseling:  In the spring of the eighth grade year the Head of School and the Secondary School Counselor have an evening meeting for the parents of all eighth graders who are staying at Foote. This evening is devoted to a discussion of all aspects of choosing appropriate tenth grade placement for their children.

Individual family meetings are held over the summer.

During fall of the ninth grade year close contact is maintained with parents as they make initial decisions. There is also a meeting with a panel discussion featuring recent graduates discussing thteir secondary school choices. Various speakers come to talk with the ninth graders during lunch hours about issues such as interviewing, going away to school, public high school life, and big schools versus small schools. This also helps to inspire casual conversation among the students, as this is a common concern to all.

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