Middle School Course Offerings
Grade 6
GRADE 6 LANGUAGE ARTS
Course Code - 01034G0606
In Grade 6, students think abstractly, examine and challenge the ideas of others, and expand their ability to express and justify their own points of view. The application of foundational skills and knowledge to read and respond to various types of literature from critical, digital, language, research, and vocabulary literacies build their knowledge base, strengthen existing abilities through reading, listening, writing, and speaking. Students move from concrete to abstract thinking, examine and challenge the ideas of others, and expand their ability to express and justify their own points of view. To acknowledge this transition in thinking, standards in the middle grades also transition from the earlier grades’ explicit focus on building foundational literacy skills (with concurrent emphasis on reading and writing) to the application of foundational skills and knowledge to read and respond to various types of literature.
GRADE 6 MATHEMATICS
Course Code - 02036G0606
Students will understand ratio concepts and use ratio reasoning to solve problems; apply and extend previous understanding of multiplication and division to divide fractions by fractions; compute fluently with multi-digit numbers and find common factors and multiples; apply and extend previous understanding of numbers to the system of rational numbers; apply and extend previous understanding of arithmetic to algebraic expressions; reason about and solve one-variable equations and inequalities; represent and analyze quantitative relationships between dependent and independent variables; solve real-world and mathematical problems involving area, surface area, and volume; develop understanding of statistical variability; and summarize and describe distribution.
GRADE 6 EARTH AND SPACE SCIENCE
Course Code - 03010G0606
Earth and Space Science progression from earlier grades; progression of knowledge and understanding through the integration of science and engineering practices along with crosscutting concepts of the core ideas to include the universe and its grand scale in both time and space, processes that drive Earth's conditions and its continual change over time, and society's interactions with the planet.
GRADE 6 MAKING A NEW NATION: UNITED STATES BEGINNINGS AND CIVIC FOUNDATIONS
Powerschool Course Code:
This course provides an in-depth study of the formation of the United States and its civic foundations. Students investigate the fundamental values and principles of the events, philosophies, and individuals that shaped the United States of America. Incorporating colonization and the American Revolution, standards address the United States’ government, civic responsibilities, and individual rights and freedoms. Standards provide opportunities to apply civic knowledge to learning experiences that foster increased personal responsibility and civic engagement.
Grade 7
GRADE 7 ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS
Course Code - 01035G0707
In Grade 7, students will focus on building foundational literacy skills and knowledge to read and respond to various types of literature, build their knowledge base, and strengthen existing abilities. Students’ ability to think abstractly increases. Seventh graders continue to examine and challenge the ideas of others and expand their ability to express and justify their own points of view through reading, listening, writing, and speaking.
GRADE 7 MATHEMATICS
Course Code - 02037G0707
Students will analyze proportional relationships and use them to solve real-world and mathematical problems; apply and extend previous understandings of operations with fractions to add, subtract, multiply, and divide rational numbers; use properties of operations to generate equivalent expressions; solve real-life and mathematical problems using numerical and algebraic expressions and equations; draw, construct, and describe geometrical figures and describe the relationship between them; solve real-life and mathematical problems involving angle measure, area, surface area, and volume; use random sampling to draw inferences about a population; draw informal comparative inferences about two populations; and investigate chance processes and develop, use, and evaluate probability models.
GRADE 7 ACCELERATED MATHEMATICS
Course Code - 02037H0707
The Grade 7 Accelerated Mathematics course has been carefully aligned and designed for middle school students who show particular motivation and interest in mathematics. Grade 7 Accelerated Mathematics includes standards from Grade 7 Mathematics and incorporates standards from Grade 8 Mathematics and Algebra I with Probability. Students who complete this class are eligible to enroll in Grade 8 Accelerated Mathematics or Grade 8 Mathematics. Students who complete both Grade 7 Accelerated Mathematics and Grade 8 Accelerated Mathematics are considered to have met the requirements of and may opt to omit the Algebra I with Probability course in their high school mathematics progression to enroll in additional mathematics courses after completing the required Algebra II with Statistics course. *Teacher recommendation highly suggested.
GRADE 7 LIFE SCIENCE
Course Code - 03237G0707
Life Science progression of knowledge and understanding from earlier grades of the core ideas to include the structure and function of cells and their connections to organs and organ systems; the interactions between living organisms and between biotic and abiotic factors; explanations of genetic variations, results of genetic mutations, and impacts of genetic technologies; and the patterns of change in populations of organisms over a long period of time; the relationship between natural selection; and the reproduction and survival of a population with the integration of science and engineering practices and crosscutting concepts from the science framework.
GRADE 7 WORLD HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY: GEOGRAPHIC PRINCIPLES AND ANCIENT CIVILIZATIONS
Course Code - 04161G0707
This course is the first course in a three-course world history and geography sequence comprised of the study of prehistory through the Roman Empire with an emphasis on the development of Western civilization. This broad survey of ancient civilizations and cultures is viewed through a variety of disciplinary lenses, including civics and economics
Grade 8
GRADE 8 ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS
Course Code - 01036G0808
In Grade 8, students will analyze sources of reading that span all subject areas, cultures, and formats as students begin to recognize the interconnectedness of their world. These texts also become sources for research. Students in the middle level begin to discern the validity and credibility of information, as well as the importance of employing that discernment in today’s world. Students also learn the importance of citing their sources to acknowledge the work of other academics and to build their own credibility as researchers and writers. Writing in the middle grades becomes more rigorous as the emphasis on organization and textual evidence becomes a daily requirement. Writing is fostered and sustained by both shorter pieces of writing and longer, more challenging works. Students hone their vocabulary literacy by paying attention to connotative meanings, understanding their audience, and their academic and domain-specific vocabulary. They also continue to develop their language and grammar skills as they review foundational knowledge and build upon it with new concepts in their writing through reading, listening, writing, and speaking.
GRADE 8 MATHEMATICS
Course Code - 02038G0808
Students will know that there are numbers that are not rational, and approximate them by rational numbers; work with radicals and integer exponents; understand the connections among proportional relationships, lines, and linear equations; analyze and solve linear equations and pairs of simultaneous linear equations; define, evaluate, and compare functions; use functions to model relationships between quantities; understand congruence and similarity using physical models, transparencies, or geometry software; understand and apply the Pythagorean Theorem; solve real-world and mathematical problems involving volume of cylinders, cones, and spheres; and investigate patterns of association in bivariate data.
GRADE 8 ACCELERATED MATHEMATICS
Course Code - 02038H0808
The Grade 8 Accelerated course has been carefully aligned and designed for middle school students who have completed the Grade 7 Accelerated course and show particular motivation and interest in mathematics. Grade 8 Accelerated contains four content areas: Number Systems and Operations; Algebra and Functions; Data Analysis, Statistics, and Probability; and Geometry and Measurement. The algebra focus is on quadratic relationships. Students who successfully complete this course will be prepared to enter Geometry with Data Analysis in Grade 9 and then accelerate directly into Algebra II with Statistics in Grade 10, thus providing them with an opportunity to take additional, specialized mathematics coursework, such as AP Calculus or AP Statistics, in Grades 11 and 12. *Teacher recommendation suggested.
GRADE 8 PHYSICAL SCIENCE
Course Code - 03011G0808
Physical Science progression of knowledge and understanding from earlier grades of the core ideas to include the composition and properties of matter; examining forces and predicting and developing explanations for changes in motion; the conservation of energy, energy transformations, and applications of energy to everyday life; and types and properties of waves and the use of waves in communication devices with the integration of science and engineering practices and crosscutting concepts from the science framework.
GRADE 8 WORLD HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY: MIDDLE AGES TO THE ENLIGHTENMENT
Course Code - 04052G0808
This course continues the world history and geography sequence with study of the period from the fall of the Western Roman Empire to the Enlightenment. This course focuses on the study of the early modern world through a variety of disciplinary lenses, including civics and economics, with an emphasis on the development of Western civilization. Geographic concepts embedded in the course seek to increase students’ understanding of global interconnectedness.
6-8 Electives
6-8 Required Electives
Semester 1 - Electives are assigned based on grade level.
Semester 2 - Students choose between Physical Education and Sports Team Participation.
GOOGLE ED FOR STUDENTS (SEMESTER 1 - GRADE 6)
Course Code - 23993X06GE
This is a project-based online video curriculum that teaches practical digital skills for real-life application. Students are given meaningful challenges to help them solve real-world problems. Students will follow instructional videos that guide them to create their own project from scratch using applications like Google Docs or Google Sheets and other Google Suite programs.
COMMUNICATION ESSENTIALS (SEMESTER 1 - GRADE 7)
Course Code - 23993X06CE
Students will participate in activities preparing them to speak effectively. Students will gain confidence, poise, and self-esteem. This course will include practice in vocal skills, organization, persuasion, and argument. Activities will include informative and persuasive speeches, readings from literature, and an introduction to debate.
CAREER EXPLORATIONS (SEMESTER 1 - GRADE 8)
Course Code - 22151G0608
Career Explorations is designed to provide opportunities for students to explore career opportunities and become aware of the importance of basic technology, work ethics, communication skills, the value of work, leadership skills, and basic employability skills. Students will begin investigating career paths to match their interests and abilities, which builds the foundation for future course selection and postsecondary options. Career Explorations may be offered as a component of a course rotation allowing students to explore different areas of interest. All content standards must be addressed regardless of the duration of the course. The depth of the content standards will be determined by the course duration.
PHYSICAL EDUCATION (SEMESTER 2)
Course Code - 08037G0708
In this course, students submit a weekly PE log recording two and a half hours of physical activity each week. By participating in this course, students gain the knowledge, skills, and confidence to participate in physical activity throughout their lives.
SPORTS TEAM PARTICIPATION (SEMESTER 2)
Course Code - 08003G1000
Students who select this PE option should submit a letter from an athletic coach stating the type of training with a minimum of 2.5 hours weekly activity.
*Note: Any middle school student participating in an Athens City Schools’ sport will receive an Athletic PE grade from AMS. Students in this category are not required to complete the above option during the particular 9-week period that the sport is in session.
6-8 Optional Electives
Semester 1 - Electives are assigned based on grade level.
Semester 2 - Students choose between Physical Education and Sports Team Participation.
MIDDLE SCHOOL BAND GRADES 6-7-8 (YEAR LONG)
Course Code - 6th: 05136G0606; 7th: 05137G0707; 8th: 05138G0808
Novice-level course designed for beginning music students to experience instrumental music in a concert setting. Students must provide their own instrument. This is a year-long course, and students will receive a grade for this course.
MIXED CHORUS, MIDDLE SCHOOL CHOIR (YEAR LONG)
Course Code - 05110G1001
This is a novice-level program, designed for beginning music students to explore choral music from a wide variety of cultures and time periods through academic study and performance. By creating, performing, and responding, students will develop basic vocal skills and sight-reading techniques. Allowing musical experiences to other cultures and disciplines within and outside of the arts, music history and theory are embedded so students may connect these experiences to historical relevance, contemporary issue, and self-reflection. This is a year-long course.
MEDIA ARTS, MIDDLE SCHOOL THEATRE (YEAR LONG)
Course Code - 6th: 05169G0606; 7th: 05169G0607; 8th: 05169G0608
Academic theatre work will be explored more deeply. A stronger emphasis is placed on creating, producing, responding and connecting to drive age appropriate critical thinking, meaning, reflection, production and assessment. Students develop techniques built upon foundations of vocal, kinesthetic, emotional, analytical, and intellectual elements of theatrical training through improvisation, dramatization, process-centered elements of dramatic performance, aesthetics, criticism, and history. Students will refine collaboration by exploring multiple perspectives and approaches and begin to connect the relevance of theatre to themselves and their community. Students refine an understanding of dramatic structure, production, performance, concepts, artistic choices and cultural components of theatre. Students begin to examine leadership, responsibility, critical analysis and research. Students focus on the implementation of original ideas through refined choices and consider more diverse social, cultural, and global perspectives and issues. This is a year-long course.