8th Grade Electives 2020-2021
Music Offerings
All students will take one of the following music electives.
- Students in a performance group (band, choir, or orchestra) are encouraged to select their performance group as their elective.
- If students are in more than one performance group, they encouraged to take the instrumental performance group as their elective and participate in choir during resource rehearsals.
- Instrumental students who do not select band/orchestra as their elective can still participate in the performing groups by participating in lessons/resource as they have in earlier grades.
8th Grade Choir: Choir as a class would be an opportunity for students to learn proper techniques needed for singing. Students would learn additional music for the concert and be featured at the concert. Attendance at the concert is required for your grade. Also, students would gain extra practice on choir music. If possible, a short unit on guitar will also be included in this elective. Choir may include a spring musical in lieu of a concert.
8th Grade Band: Students in grade 8 who play woodwinds, brass and percussion instruments and are not beginners may participate in our band program. The Band performs two annual concerts in December and May. Other activities include 3 parades that are performed by all 8th grade band members.
8th Grade Orchestra – This class is for students with several years of prior orchestra experience. Book 2 skills are reviewed briefly at the beginning of the course. These skills include playing in keys up to three sharps and three flats, rhythms including 6/8 and cut time, and bow skills including slurs and hooks. Book 3 skills will be the primary focus of our year, including lots of work with shifting, playing in higher positions, and vibrato. We will also look for opportunities to apply our new skills in our orchestra music to be performed at our concerts. Attendance at concerts is considered a mandatory part of the grade in this class.
Exploring Music Through Drums and Pop – This is a course that is designed to review and develop students’ knowledge of basic music theory concepts while incorporating drumming performance techniques and rhythms to expand student creativity and improvisation skills. Some of the more notable popular music and musicians from the past 60 years of our musical history will be studied as a format for introducing drumming and theory concepts as well as to build a greater context for music in our world.
Exploring Music Through Guitar, Music Composition and Pop – This is a course that is designed to review and develop students’ knowledge of basic music theory concepts while incorporating guitar performance techniques, rhythms and note-reading. Students will have the opportunity to expand their creativity through music composition as a part of this course. Some of the more notable popular music and musicians from the past 60 years of our musical history will be studied as a format for introducing guitar and theory concepts as well as to build a greater context for music in our world.
Students will rank their preferences for art and career/technology classes (below) (combined, ranked 1 through 8). Students will be enrolled in four of these classes (of a total of eight electives).
Art Offerings
2-D Art: 2-D Art is for the student who is interested in developing skills in the traditional fine arts that would be done on a flat surface. Projects will involve studying the principles and elements of art utilizing a variety of materials necessary for activities such as drawing, painting, printmaking, and design. You do not need to be talented or gifted in art, but should be interested in talking about art and learning new skills. This class is recommended for students that want to take Drawing & Composition, Design, or Painting in high school.
3-D Art: 3-D Art is for the student who is interested in building and constructing works of art. A variety of materials will be used as well as new techniques for modeling, building, and assembling 3-D works of art will be explored. Works of art will range from realistic, to abstract, and will include the use of problem solving skills and experimentation to create functional products as well as art forms made to be admired or thought provoking. This class is recommended for students that want to take Crafts or Sculpture & Ceramics in high school.
Career and Technology Course Offerings
Foundations of FCS: Explore the different aspects of family and consumer science. Authentic projects and lab opportunities are emphasized in the areas of child development, foods and nutrition, and textiles. Learn about infants, care for an electronic baby simulator, cook delicious food to fuel the body, and learn new sewing skills to create a one of a kind item. This is a survey class, covering many different FCS topics.
Sew Green: If you love sewing, consider this class. Explore new ways to use fabric and refashion old gear. Choose your own project and learn new sewing skills. Think beyond fabric and make pencil cases out of juice pouches and greeting cards out of used folders and scraps. Climbing pants, fleece apparel, electronic gear covers, sports packs, tote bags, sock monkeys, infinity scarves, and patchwork pillows….the possibilities are endless.
Personal Finance: Discover how to maximize your future earnings. Learn how to manage money and make informed financial decisions. Understand the essentials of saving money, investing wisely, creating a budget and managing credit.
Digital Applications: Use computer technology to enhance essential research, collaboration and communication skills. Become a more adept user of a computer and increase keyboard efficiency skills. Tackle challenging and creative projects using word processing, presentation and spreadsheet programs.
Green Technology: This class will take a closer look at how we can all reduce, reuse and recycle in our daily life. We will learn practical strategies for monitoring energy usage, conserving energy, and sources of alternate energy. Hands on activities such as solar powered cars, rain barrels, wind turbines, organic gardening, and water testing are a component of this class.
Manufacturing and Design: Design, manufacture, market, and sell a useful product. Students will form a small scale student run company and study all steps of the manufacturing and design process. Students will elect a company President and Vice President and take an idea from start to finish. Students will work with basic design principles and a variety of tools to create a project from different materials. Take pride in manufacturing a unique and useful handcrafted item such as holiday ornaments, gumball machines, cell phone holders, t-shirts, and drawstring bags and learn about the world of work.
Health Offerings
Students will rank their health class preferences (ranked 1-2).
Promoting Healthy Behaviors: This elective focuses on healthy behaviors that students can choose to have a healthier life now and in the future. Units will include mental and emotional health, sexually transmitted diseases, and a more in depth discussion regarding drugs/substance abuse.
Lifetime Health: This elective is designed to enhance students’ knowledge of options available to make healthy living part of their life. This course is designed to be immediately real-world applicable and hands on for all students. Units will include nutrition, physical fitness, safety, and CPR/First Aid.
Physical Education Offerings
Students will rank their Physical Education class preferences (ranked 1-4).
Racquet/Net Sports: This course is designed for students to continue to develop and improve the skills and knowledge necessary to successfully participate in a variety of racquet sports. Participation will result in a better understanding of activities for lifelong fitness. Students are expected to learn more advanced skills and strategies and demonstrate them in game situations. Racquet Sports will consist of tennis, badminton, pickleball, table tennis and a variety of racquet sports not common to the United States.
Personal Fitness: This course is designed for all students interested in improving their overall personal fitness. Students will participate in cardio respiratory endurance, flexibility, and muscular strength and endurance activities. Health related components of fitness, the benefits of exercise, and the skills related to each activity will be the focus of the course. Students will explore the relationships between exercise and personal wellness. Activities may include power walking, running, rope skipping, P90X, T25, plyometrics, agility drills, and circuit training. Students will assess their current fitness levels, identify areas of improvement and set goals for achievement.
Recreational Activities/Cooperative Games: This course is designed to develop and enhance communication skills, problem-solving skills, and group cooperation. Students will enhance their limited perceptions through the use of communication and problem-solving skills in a group setting. Students will have the opportunity to develop skills in a non-competitive environment.
Team Sports: This course will focus on team aspects of sport. All activities will require students to effectively cooperate and communicate with each member of their selected team. Students taking this course excel in preparation for class, the ability to work in a group setting under strict deadlines, as well as to better themselves through individual/group critiquing. Students are expected to learn more advanced skills and strategies and demonstrate them in a game situation. This course offers a more competitive environment compared to Recreational Activities. Team Sports that may be included are: basketball, flag football, soccer, softball, Ultimate Frisbee, volleyball, hockey, team handball and a variety of other team related sporting activities.
World Languages
Each student will rank in order their preference for French, German, and Spanish. Students who need a reading intervention will receive this in place of a world language.
Spanish 8 builds the foundations of language acquisition with an emphasis on use of the target language for communication. Much of the class is conducted in the target language with emphasis on the skills of listening, reading, speaking, and writing. Students will be exposed to grammar lessons as part of interpretive activities to be followed by instruction. Students will be required to demonstrate their proficiency through both prepared presentations and writings as well as impromptu interpersonal conversations. Students will be asked to make cultural and linguistic comparisons, and will be encouraged to find opportunities to use their acquired skills through the exploration of diverse cultures and communities
In German 8, students acquire the most important parts of a language necessary to survive in a German speaking country. Students practice the four areas of language learning (listening, speaking, reading, and writing) by acquiring vocabulary and learning about grammar. In order to make the language more meaningful and engaging, students sing songs, play word games, hold conversations, and produce creative projects all in the target language. Students also view videos and read articles direct from the German-speaking realm. Students learn how to express in the target language in everyday situations such as going shopping, ordering food in a restaurant, talking about themselves/family/friends, and expressing preferences and interests.
French 8 is an introduction to French language and culture. The course builds the foundation for communication by speaking, reading, writing, and understanding written and spoken French. Students will learn to communicate in everyday situations through dialogues, oral presentations, and projects. Vocabulary and the fundamentals of grammar are acquired and practiced through readings, dialogues, conversations, video scenes, songs, and authentic resources. Students will use the target language to discuss their preferences and their daily life. The discussion of Francophone life and the cultural aspects of the French language form an integral part of the course.
Each of the 8th grade world language classes will prepare students to take level 2 of their language in 9th grade.
8th Grade Accelerated English
Students have an opportunity to apply for the Accelerated English class. Detailed information will be provided on the application process at a later date. Please discuss with your child about whether Accelerated English, a more rigorous English option, is right for them. In the Accelerated English course there are significantly more independent reading and thorough writing assignments.