Typically, English Language Arts (ELA) is divided into reading, writing, speaking, and listening, but this oversimplifies the standards our children begin to master.  ELA is the foundation of communication and learning; it is vital for a student's successful academic and professional future.  ELA includes teaching about grammatical elements and literacy, but also about creating a larger meaning.  Even STEM-based professions cite communication skills as a necessary skill when hiring.  

The middle school English Language Arts program promotes and fosters the development of three mutually reinforcing writing capacities: writing to persuade, to explain, and to convey a real or imagined experience.  We address and promote the student’s ability to comprehend and analyze literary and informational texts of steadily increasing complexity. The child demonstrates independence, builds strong content knowledge, and responds to the varying demands of audience, task, purpose, and discipline. They  comprehend as well as critique, value evidence, use technology and digital media strategically and capably. Finally, our children come to understand other perspectives and cultures, while adhering to a Roman Catholic faith foundation.

Children use a diverse collection of age-appropriate short stories for literary analysis and better appreciate words and their power.  Through literature, students learn to empathise, better understand foreign cultures, enhance their imaginations, and become better advocates for themselves and others by being more descriptive and well spoken leaders.  Reading is power, but finding joy in reading can be laborious and tenuous.  While children are guided through selected short stories, children simultaneously and independently read approved novels at their level.

 

6th Grade: By the end of sixth grade students have mastered addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division using whole numbers, fractions and decimals. They have applied and adapted a variety of appropriate strategies to solve problems. They understand and compute percents. They are introduced to using formulas and equations. They know basic geometric terms and properties. They are introduced to algebraic concepts. They can analyze data using mean, median, mode and range. They understand and apply data collection, organization, representation, and vocabulary to communicate, reason and justify their real world solutions. They apply learned measurement skills/strategies to real world situations using both customary and metric units of measure.

7th Grade: By the end of seventh grade students are adept at manipulating numbers and equations. They have applied and adapted a variety of appropriate strategies to solve problems. They know and use different representations of fractional numbers (fractions, decimals, and percents) and are proficient at changing from one to another. They solve percentage problems involving real world scenarios. They use ratios and proportions to solve a variety of problems. They have mastered evaluating expressions involving integers. They can solve linear equations. They can compute the perimeter, area, and volume of geometric objects. They understand properties of angles and triangles. They understand the principles of probability.

8th Grade: By the end of eighth grade students have mastered the concepts of computation and understand the properties of real numbers. They have applied and adapted a variety of appropriate strategies to solve problems. They understand the use of letters and symbols to translate problems into algebraic form. They can solve and graph linear equations and inequalities. In applying the Pythagorean Theorem, they have solved quadratic equations. They understand and use the slope of a line. They can compute the perimeter, area, circumference, surface area, and volume of geometric objects. They understand and solve problems using the properties of angles, triangles and other polygons. They understand and can apply the concepts of probability.

By graduation from St. Charles, students will understand the steps of the Scientific Method and how to apply them to scientific experimentation. They will use scientific tools and measurement through a variety of laboratory experiences. Finally, students will know and apply scientific terminology and concepts to understand their roles and impacts in God’s world.

CROSS-CUTTING CONCEPTS:

(The following ideas are the foundation of this curriculum)

1. Systems and System Models – Systems may interact with other systems and thus be part of a larger more complex system. These systems and their relationships may be demonstrated and explained through the use of models.

2. Structure and Function – Structures and systems can be visualized and modeled to describe how their function depends on shape, composition, and relationships among the parts.

3. Cause and Effect – Cause and effect relationships may be used to predict phenomena in natural or designed systems, with the realization that a given phenomenon may have more than one cause.

4. Energy and Matter – The Laws of Conservation of Energy and Matter require the cycling of energy and/or matter within any system.

5. Stability and Change – Explanations of stability and change in systems can be constructed by examining the changes over time and forces at different scales.

6. Patterns – Patterns can provide information about rates of change and other numerical relationships about systems.

7. Scale, Proportion and Quantity – Phenomena can be observed at various scales using models to study systems that are too large or too small. Scientific relationships can be represented through the use of algebraic equations and proportions.

8. Influence of Engineering, Technology, and Science on Society and the Natural World – All human activity draws on natural resources and has positive and negative consequences on systems in the short and long term. The uses of technologies are driven by people’s needs, desires and values.

Sixth Grade “World History and Geography – Ancient Civilizations” Children appreciate and understand the importance and impact of ancient civilizations and their significance to modern society. Emphasis will be placed on culture, government and geographical differences. Children gain knowledge of the legacies of ancient civilizations and will develop a worldly awareness and recognize the uniqueness of cultural diversities.

Seventh Grade Semester 1: “World History and Geography: Medieval Ages - Renaissance” & Semester 2: “New Mexico Colonization – 1900” Children begin the year with a study of the vast and influential time of the European Medieval Ages through the Renaissance. They analyze and evaluate the important government, geographical, religious, artistic and technological advancements, key figures and events which left lasting legacies. Following the Renaissance, children are transported to the Age of Discovery and analyze the reasons why explorers eventually came to America.  Children appreciate and understand the importance, impact and process of the development of New Mexico. The focus is on the integration of Spanish, Native American and American people and cultures. In addition, children expand their knowledge of New Mexico’s government, culture, geography, key issues and figures in New Mexico’s colonization period through the twentieth century.

Eighth Grade “United States History and Geography: Growth, Conflict and Change” Children acquire knowledge of and appreciation for the development, growth, mistakes and achievements of the United States. They analyze the key issues and critical events which shaped our government, culture and society. In addition, they understand the uniqueness of our government and economic principles and their global impact. Children are prepared with a foundation to further their social studies knowledge and citizenship.