The middle school cycles through
a two year curriculum.
We believe that
“less is more” and have limited our studies to seven units throughout the two
years.
Year A:
In this year, the middle school
curriculum examines responsibility and
identity through four content themes: Human Rights, Food and Hunger,
Energy, and Disease.
The year begins with the theme of
Human Rights. From the Social Studies
perspective, we explore our rights as citizens of the United
States and of Vermont,
and compare our rights to citizens of other countries. This includes a study of founding documents
and their relevance to our lives. In
science we consider the question: Are all men created equal? We learn how
careful observation and the scientific method help us to draw more objective
conclusions about the similarities and differences between humans. We study the levels of organization of the
human body and basic genetics to learn that race is an unscientific concept. We
conduct fruit fly breeding experiments to demonstrate principles of heredity.
In health we learn how the reproductive system and human development is tied to
heredity. In language arts, students
read To Kill a Mocking Bird by Harper Lee and The Crucible by
Arthur Miller. Themes in these books deal with prejudice and justice. The
culminating writing project for this unit is a persuasive essay on a student
chosen topic involving civil liberties.
The Human Rights unit is followed
by a study of issues surrounding the theme of Food and Hunger. In social studies we examine the cost of food
in America in
economic terms. We research hunger in Vermont,
in the U.S.,
and worldwide, and learn how hunger has influenced history. We look at the organizations and institutions
that address hunger. We spend
twenty-four hours in The Global Village at Heifer International to learn about
world hunger. Finally, we study the
concept of eating locally grown food. Nutrition and digestion are explored in science and health. Students
learn about the nutritional value of various food groups. Students build models
of the digestive system (from recycled materials), conduct calorie experiments,
discover the difference between chemical and physical digestion, analyze their
personal diets and learn what it means to be malnourished. In language arts, students read The Good
Earth by Pearl Buck or Across Five Aprils by Irene Hunt. These books have themes that have to do with
agrarian societies and the importance of food
Next we move into the study of
energy. From the social studies
perspective, we study the history of human energy use. This includes a study of the industrial
revolution in Vermont and the US,
and the ways that humans have harnessed electrical power. In science, we define energy and study basic
principles of electricity, generators and motors. We learn about the environmental impact of
energy use and conservation, drawing connections to global warming. Field trips include a trip to a local water
turbine and wind generator. We also take
a trip to the Boston Museum of Natural Science to see the electricity
show. In Language Arts, students read October
Sky by Homer Hickam, a coming of age story about boys growing up in a coal
mining town. For a culminating project,
students write a research paper, design a poster and give an oral presentation
on various types of energy sources to generate electricity.
We end the year with a study of contagious
diseases. During this unit, we examine how plagues, attitudes towards illness
and medical technology have affected Vermont,
the United States,
and world history. In science, we study
the biology of infectious disease. Students conduct self designed experiments
using agar plates for growing micro-organisms. We study the immune system and
find out how to limit the spread of infectious diseases. There is an emphasis
on HIV/AIDS throughout this unit and a sex education unit that emphasizes
prevention of STDs. In language arts, we read When Plague Strikes, by
James Cross Giblin, and The Apprenticeship of Lucas Whittaker, by
Cynthia DeFelice. Each student is
responsible for a research project on a contagious disease. Students also write a science fiction piece
that must draw on their knowledge of the immune system and micro-organisms.
Year B:
This year’s curriculum examines
the themes of identity and responsibility from three content areas: My Home in Vermont,
Beliefs, and The Origins of Man.
The first theme, My Home in Vermont,
asks students to reflect on how Vermont’s
cultural traditions, physical landscape, climate and biome help to shape who
they are as individuals. Students study
the history of the settlement of Vermont
as well as the culture, laws, and government of Vermont
in order to discover the role of history, tradition and government in their own
lives. In science we study the geologic
history of Vermont to discover
the forces that shaped Vermont’s
mountains. We explore the relationship
between Vermont’s climate and
biome. We identify the features of a northern hardwood forest. In this unit we spend a good deal of time
outdoors, climbing a mountain, and mapping using GPS in a nearby parcel of land
owned by the town. We read literature that underscores how setting shapes
identity. Book selections include A
Light in the Forest by Conrad Ricter, When the Legends Die by Hal
Borland and Hoot by Carl Hiaasen. Students create picture books that describe themselves as
Vermonters. Students study the artist
Andy Goldsworthy and create art from the Vermont
landscape.
The second theme of the year asks
students to consider their identity through the lens of world beliefs. Students ask themselves how science, religion,
values and culture shape who they are and what they believe. The social studies curriculum focuses on
major world religions and the traditions and cultures that have arisen from
these religions. Book selections include
Shabanu, by Suzanne Fisher Staples, the story of an Islamic teen growing
up in the desert of Pakistan, Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi, a graphic
novel about the Iranian revolution through the eyes of a an adolescent, The Devil’s Arithmetic by Jane Yolen,
the story of a young girl coming to terms with her family’s ordeal during the
Holocaust and, Lord of the Flies
by William Golding, an allegorical classic that questions the innate nature of
man. Students also read creation stories
from five major world religions. Students write a personal essay entitled “This
I Believe.” Science class examines the
difference between science and religion. Students learn how scientific theories develop from a body of evidence
and are subject to change with new evidence. Students are asked to think about the influence of science in shaping
both their beliefs and their daily routines. Students practice the scientific method by devising and carrying out
self designed experiments. In science
class students also study the creation of the universe from a scientific point
of view. In addition, students learn how
they are physically connected to the Universe in terms of their chemical make
up and the relative size, location and age of their home, Planet Earth.
The third theme of the year
examines the question, “Who Am I?” from the perspective of the origin of the
human species. In Social Studies class
students begin the unit by learning about the controversy surrounding the study
of evolution. Students are introduced to
the various viewpoints that explain the existence of humans. Students then
study the evolution of man from early hominids through the emergence of modern
man. In science, we differentiate humans
from other species by doing an in-depth study of the classification system of
life and by comparing and contrasting the physical characteristics of species.
We also introduce the theory of evolution and natural selection and look at the
evolutionary relationships that humans have with other organisms. We look at the different ways that scientists
gather evidence to infer that the earth and its inhabitants have changed over
time. In Language Arts, students read A
Bone from a Dry Sea by Peter Dickinson, a fictional story that illustrates
the work of paleontologists and the controversial theory of the “aquatic
ape.” We read Eva, also by Peter
Dickinson, a story that deals with the theme of human identity, and Inherit
the Wind, a play based on the Scopes Trial, which deals with the teaching
of evolution in public schools.
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