Religion:

Our focus in 8th grade religion is on “Our Life in the Church.” We focus on the nature and history of the Church, and the universal call to holiness of its members. Areas of study include: the structure and hierarchy of the church, where students learn of the human and divine nature of the Catholic Church; the Church Sanctifying, where students learn about the sacraments, the communion of Saints and their history, and vocations; and our church in the world, where students learn about church law and conscience, social order and judgment. Throughout this journey we spend time weekly in adoration or praying the rosary. Students have the opportunity to live their faith by participating in Faith In Action (FIA) and Ways of Worship (WoW) events, and being responsible Christian leaders to their Blessed Pope John XXIII buddies. Upon completion of this faith journey, students will have a better understanding of their faith and how to live their faith intentionally.

Language Arts:

The 8th grade language arts class is designed to prepare the students for high school English. The reading, vocabulary, and spelling are novel-based with discussions on character, plot, setting, and theme. This is supplemented by the use of the Great Books program. Grammar is focused on the proper use of phrases, clauses, and varying sentence types and paragraph structure. Writing will focus on analysis, the use of the Jane Schaffer Writing Method and the MLA format.

Math:

Algebra Concepts begins the student’s math journey into the world of functions. They will begin with linear functions and end the year with quadratic functions. Students will learn to illustrate these functions in a variety of ways, including: verbal descriptions, written equations, coordinate tables, and coordinate graphs. The skills they learn in class will be applied into real world situations as to demonstrate how important Algebra is in our day to day lives. We will also cover content in probability and data analysis, as well as some basic geometry connections with algebra. Students will be able to take advantage of multiple resources including the traditional text book, online textbook support resources, IXL math, and many other resources. Upon completion of Algebra Concepts at Blessed Pope John XXIII, students will leave with confidence that they have the skills necessary to be successful in high school math.

Science:

The 8th graders are learning about the history and current understandings of the atom. We are quickly moving into chemical reactions and why certain elements react with others. We will be making “elephant” toothpaste to see how exothermic reactions occur. We also are entering a nationwide competition called e-cyber mission sponsored by the US Army. This challenge has students create an experiment following the scientific method to help solve a problem in their everyday life. Last year, two of our 8th grade groups won 1st and 2nd place in the state earning students $5,000 in savings bonds. I am confident our current 8th grade students are up for the challenge!

Social Studies:

In 8th grade, students continue where they left off at the end of 7th Grade. We cover material from the Civil War through present day. We look at how our country has developed both internally and as a world power. Students focus on how our country has influenced the world throughout the last 150 years. One of the highlights of 8th grade is the Washington D.C. trip which takes place in the spring. All students will prepare for the trip, whether attending personally or virtually. Everyone will have the opportunity to research and discuss historical sites before and after the trip. The 8th graders will also practice geography and map skills throughout the year. It is a great year in Social Studies!