Middle School
The Village Middle School, began in 2004, and consists of grades five through eight. The school’s philosophy, guiding principles, expectations and values are the same for all grades at The Village School. However, because experience and research shows that adolescents differ from elementary age children in reasoning, interests, and physical, social and emotional development, it was realized that the curriculum would differ in organization, content, and instruction.
The present core curriculum offers language arts, math with pre-algebra, eighth grade honors algebra, science, social studies, eighth grade Spanish, physical education, art, and Bible study. The elective curriculum includes Spanish, Life Skills, technology for grades 5 through 7, E-Commerce Marketing, orchestra and band.
Language Arts
Reading, writing, structure, spelling and speaking are integrated in the Language Arts program. Writing and literature are foundations of the curriculum. The Writers’ Workshop from first draft through publishing is fully implemented. Students experience all forms of writing. Literature involves studying all genres. Students respond to the literature orally, in writing, in debate and in drama.
Language arts and social studies teachers collaborate to integrate their curriculum. Students in language arts classes frequently read and write about the topic being studied for the social studies timeline. The Cues on timelines provide opportunities for students to read and write about the social studies topic.
Mathematics
The math curriculum offers basic math at fifth grade, blended math and pre-algebra for sixth grade, pre-algebra for seventh grade, and honors algebra for eighth grade. The honors algebra class is taught as it is in Collier County middle schools so that eighth grade students may enter high school with a math credit.
In addition to direct instruction for math concepts and functions, the teacher uses a variety of approaches that provide for multiple learning styles, real life math experiences, problem solving and discovery. Math is frequently integrated with science, social studies and language arts.
Social Studies
An important goal for middle school social studies is that students can make connections between the social science disciplines and skills so that they will see relationships between events, time and places.
The curriculum is presented as a four year study. By the end of two years, students will have begun two timelines, an American History Timeline and a World History Timeline, which record events, people, places and times. Creative Cues designed to help students recall the event are added for each entry on the timeline. These timelines are a work in progress for the entire middle school years.
Science
The science curriculum is thematic, project oriented and research based. The themes are year long science studies around a familiar subject:
Grade 5 Water
Grade 6 Space
Grade 7 Science and Scientists
Grade 8 Science and Problem Solving
The content of each theme can be used to teach most science concepts.
Multiple learning styles are supported by the curriculum. Students engage in critical thinking when they apply The Scientific Method. They are actively engaged as they identify problems, predict solutions, conduct experiments, gather and organize data and present conclusions. They are challenged to evaluate controversial ideas and ethical issues.
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