8th Grade Curriculum
8th Grade Latin—Mr. Thomas Caucutt
In the 8th grade, Latin students will not only continue their study of the complex grammar of Latin, adding to their knowledge and proficiency through exercises and readings, but will also learn to recognize the exceptional contributions of Greek culture to the Roman world, and in turn apply these discoveries to the exploration of our own time in history. In addition we will discuss the birth of drama in ancient Greece and its subsequent development from Roman times to our own day. We will consider the meaning of comedy as defined by Aristotle, and turn our attention to the greatest comedy of all time. We will also examine the true source of the gladiatorial games and consider how and why our own entertainments are inextricably linked to those bloody spectacles.
Text: Jenny’s First Year Latin, Prentice Hall, 1990.
Physical Science—Mrs. Kyra Woodman
This course will provide an excellent background for the students’ transition to high school chemistry and physics. We will cover major topics in chemistry such as scientific inquiry, states of matter, the periodic table, atoms and their bonding behavior, and chemical reactions. Our physics introduction will include a study of motion, forces, energy, sound, light, electricity, and magnetism. Throughout the year, we will marvel at the order, diversity, and complexity provided by our Creator.
Text: Prentice Hall Physical Science, copyright 2007
Algebra I—Mrs. Kyra Woodman
Algebra I is a formal, in-depth study of algebraic concepts and the real number system. In this course students develop a greater understanding of and appreciation for algebraic properties and operations. Algebra I reinforces concepts presented in earlier courses and permits students to explore new, more challenging content which prepares them for further study in mathematics.
Textbook: Algebra I by Prentice Hall Publishers
Scientific Calculator Required (Graphing Calculator is optional – will be required in Alg. II)
Civilizations I—Mrs. Karin Ballstadt
Eighth grade History and Bible are taught as an omnibus course known as Civilizations I. The coursework focuses on Biblical and extra-Biblical material beginning with Genesis and other world creation accounts and ending with Alexander the Great and the Hellenistic era. There is a strong emphasis in the course on drawing parallels between Biblical accounts and other corroborative historical documents.
Literature—Mrs. Beth Mitchell
Eighth grade literature will cover the same time period as Civilizations I, from Creation through the Golden Age of Greece. Students will apply the elements of Creation, Fall, and Redemption as well as the elements of the mythical Hero’s Journey to all of the literature we read together. We will begin the year with a comparative study of Gilgamesh and the biblical account of the Great Flood. Then, we move to Greek mythology for a greater appreciation of the gods and legends we will discover in Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey. With these two works, students will learn about kleos, a Greek word that describes the imperishable glory for which all warriors strived. After Homer, we will study early Greek drama through the plays of Socrates and Aristophanes. Finally, students will be introduced to Socrates and Plato, the fathers of Western philosophical thought.
Grammar and Composition—Mrs. Beth Mitchell
This is the final year students will have a class dedicated to grammar and composition. In this 8th grade year, students will learn to write several specific types of essays including comparison-contrast, cause and effect, and character description. Emphasis will be placed on writing about literature and using specific examples from the literature they are reading to argue a thesis. In the second half of the year, students will learn the phases of writing a research paper.
Text: Writing Research Reports, McDougal Littell, 2001
8th Logic—Mrs. Kathy Houser
Logic I is a course in traditional Aristotelian reasoning. The students are taught the basic concepts of reasoning, syllogistic reasoning, and informal fallacies. Special emphasis is placed on enabling the student to identify illogical fallacies as they encounter them in editorials, speeches and advertising. Logic I integrates the art of structurally sound reasoning with the world around the student. Care is taken to apply the laws of logic to everything the student hears, whether or not it is in agreement with what he believes. The goal is to equip the student with the rudimentary tools of thinking and the necessary rhetoric skills to communicate their thoughts. To that end, the student will learn how to write and deliver speeches and will participate in a debate in the spring.
Text: Traditional Logic I by Martin Cothran
P.E.—Mrs. Joann Richardson
We believe that physical education is an important part of stewardship and a vital component for the development of a student’s physical, mental and social well-being. It is our mission through P.E. to teach students practical ways to bring glory to God through the care for and actions with our physical bodies. It is our goal to provide an opportunity to our students, through planned activities, for physical development in the areas of strength, flexibility, coordination, endurance, balance, agility, range of motion, and power. In P.E. next year we will employ a classical model in learning the grammar of sports (rules), the logic of sports (strategy), and the rhetoric of sports (competition). This means each student will have a greater opportunity to develop and excel physically.
