Year 8

In Year 8 the compulsory offerings are a continuation of what was offered in Year 7, making sure that by the end of the year girls are ready to make informed choices for their Year 9 year.

Individual students, in consultation with the Head of Middle School, Dean, and the Learning Enhancement Faculty, may be offered Learning Enhancement (LEC) to provide personalised support or extension. Additionally, students for whom English is an additional language may be advised to attend English language support classes.

Note: As students move through the Middle School they will get greater opportunity to choose the subjects they would like to pursue.

Compulsory

ENSS

Health and Physical Education

Mathematics

Performing Arts

Science

Religious Education

Visual Art Creative Technologies

One third of the year of the following:

Biotechnology Design and Visual Communication Soft Materials Technology

Languages

Half year of two of the following:

Chinese

French

Spanish

Te Reo Māori

The Arts

Year 8 Performing Arts

The arts are a fundamental form of expression, both personal and cultural, and provide powerful, life-enriching experiences. Year 8 has a compulsory

Music will cover a wide range of historical, social, and cultural contexts, exploring its relevance to students’ lives and communities. Practical musical knowledge and ideas will be developed as students listen and respond to music, and explore how music sounds are made. Students will develop music performance skills, and reflect on live and recorded music.

Dance

Students will create, develop, and present movement ideas through the use of creative improvisation skills, dance elements, and choreographic processes within given themes. They will explore and extend their knowledge of genre and performance techniques through a range of dance forms and cultural context.

Drama

Building on skills learned in Year 7 drama, students take the initiative in devising, planning, and executing presentations, incorporating a variety of stage forms, acting styles and themes.

Music

Visual Art

The Year 8 theme is ‘Contemporary Consumer Culture’. Using imagery from popular culture such as New Zealand advertising, comic books, and news, students are introduced to a range of methods and ideas, which is informed by pop art and neo expressionist movements. arts course that includes three periods of performing arts each week, covering the three disciplines of dance, drama, and music throughout the year.

Content includes: › Showquest performance › Storytelling through dance

Content includes: › Silent film (editing, directing) › Script writing

Content includes: › Ukulele, keyboard, percussion instruments, and singing › Elements of pitch, rhythm, dynamics, and notation › Music theory, composition, history, and different genres of music › Instruments of the orchestra

Skills developed: Developing Practical Knowledge Explore art-making techniques and apply knowledge of elements and principles, through the use of materials and processes. Developing Ideas Develop and revisit visual ideas, in response to a variety of motivations, observation, and imagination, supported by the study of artists’ works. Art Research and Context Investigate traditional and contemporary art practice. Identify its context and understand the ideas in their own and artists’ artworks.

Creative Technologies

Year 8

Students in Year 8 get an opportunity to experience three different technology contexts. They rotate through each context, as a module, that lasts one third of the year. The following contexts are studied in Year 8.

BioTechnology

In this module students learn to make a range of products based on scientific knowledge of entomology. They then reflect on whether their designs are fit for purpose. Skills developed: › Understanding a range of science ideas and concepts › Planning and executing design briefs and conceptual statements › Researching and communicating ideas › Independence and self-management › Participating in group work › Safe behaviours and correct use of equipment

Skills developed: › Isometric drawing › Sketching › Presentation techniques › Development process › Research and idea generation › Functional modelling

Design and Visual Communication

In this module students are given an interior design task. The students use the skills below to follow a brief, apply the design process, and produce a scale model of their final design solution – a bedroom.

Soft Materials Technology

In this technology module students design and construct a textile based device cover for either their iPad or MacBook. Through applying their own technological practice, they then produce an outcome that meets their specifications, is creative, and is fit for purpose. Skills developed: › Creativity › Planning › Brief development › Sewing construction › Drawing › Material understanding

ENSS

Year 8

ENSS is the combined study of English and social sciences. Blending these two learning areas together allows students to see how text and context interact and enables students to go deeper into inquiry learning. Continuing the format of Year 7 ENSS, each term is based around a different topic, with texts linked to that theme.

The Year 8 ENSS course is driven by the overarching theme of ‘Navigation’. Students learn about role models from the past who navigated their way to a better future. They are empowered to become navigators of their own learning journey. Students will continue to build up core literacy and analytical skills to equip them for the challenges of Year 9. Skills developed: › Reading and writing › Speaking and listening › Viewing and presenting › Inquiring and exploring values

Content: Herstory – Navigating our place as women in history and understanding how those who came before us have helped to define the path for us to follow. Students complete a novel study and inquiry into personal ancestry. Innovation & Invention – Navigating through the development of our modern world and looking ahead to where we can go from here. Students complete a film study, speech performance, and presentation. Diversity – Navigating the diversity within Aotearoa and how we fit within a diverse world. Students complete research, a novel study, and a presentation. Pursuing Passions – Navigating our pathway as individual learners to explore areas of personal interest. Students complete the ‘Curiosity Challenge’ and ‘Aotearoa Adventure’ inquiry.

Science

Year 8

Our Year 8 Scientists continue to experience a range of topics from all areas of the New Zealand curriculum taught by a science trained teacher in our purpose-built laboratories. They are asked to challenge themselves by completing an individual Science Fair project and independent judges choose several projects to represent SMC at the Canterbury-Westland Science Fair. All Year 8 students are also encouraged to enrich their science learning by completing at least one Science Badge during the year.

Girls are encouraged to make a link between the biodiversity ideas covered in science with their values unit in ENSS, culminating with Year 8 Camp. They also get to make a difference by participating in a planting day at our SMC site in Brooklands. Skills developed: › Understanding of a range of science ideas and concepts › Planning and carrying out investigations › Researching and communicating science ideas › Independence and self-management › Participating in group work

Ideas and concepts: › Working safely and accurately in a science laboratory › Explore how the groups of living things we have in the world have changed over long periods of time, with a particular focus on New Zealand fauna and flora › Relate chemical and physical properties of a range of different materials to their use › Explore and describe the physical phenomena of light and relate to sight and vision › Explore what natural resources make up the surface of our planet and how they were formed

Health and Physical Education

Year 8

Our vision for students in health and physical education is to create healthy, empowered, positively engaged young women, who can grow and develop sustainable and meaningful connections.

Course outline: Students in Year 8 participate in three periods of health and physical education lessons per week. These units are designed specifically for students to develop a range of skills, strategies, and knowledge pertaining to issues and topics relevant to this age group. We aim to provide practical experiences that are varied, fun, and promote a positive attitude towards movement and physical activity. Skills developed: › Communication › Creativity › Time-management › Collaboration › Confidence › Grit › Growth mindsets and positive self-esteem › Critical-thinking › Game strategies and tactics › Physical skills in a variety of contexts

Content: Sink or Swim – aquatics and water survival with Beach Ed day out Big Life Journal – health education Jump To It – ‘jump’ based physical activities (cheerleading, Jump Jam, skipping, marching) with a link to how these different activities contribute to the promotion of wellbeing in our society. Outwit – badminton or touch, depending on facilities available Big Bash – cricket Sexuality Education

Languages

Year 8

Learning a new language is not just about learning new words – it’s also about discovering other cultures and becoming more aware of your own. It’s about learning to see things from different points of view. It also means thinking about how other people see you.

The course is made up of four language modules over Years 7 and 8, specifically French, Spanish, Te Reo and Chinese. Each module lasts for two terms and classes are once a week. Students will study two languages each year so that prior to Year 9 they can make an informed decision on which language to study in Years 9 and 10. The exact order of languages they study depends on timetable constraints.

Emphasis is on the oral communicative approach to second language learning. Skills developed: Language Knowledge › Productive skills – speaking and writing › Receptive skills – listening and reading Cultural Knowledge › Ability to recognise that the other cultures are organised in particular ways › Ability to make connections with known culture(s)

Content includes but is not limited to: › Self-introduction including: name, age, birth date, family members, pets › Colours, numbers and animals › Sports, food, free time activities › Cultural practices such as festivals, legends, traditions, songs, dances etc

Mathematics

Year 8

Having mathematical understanding is a vital skill for everyone in our society. All students need to leave school with the ability to calculate, estimate, solve problems, think logically, gather and process information, and communicate ideas effectively. In addition, mathematics is an essential tool in many other subjects.

Course outline: The mathematics programme is based on the National Curriculum and comprises of three strands: › Number and Algebra › Geometry and Measurement › Statistics All three strands are covered each year with a cyclic approach to covering the curriculum. The Year 8 mathematics programme is mostly based on Levels 3 and 4 of the National Curriculum. The students follow the same course but the classes in each year level are streamed to meet the needs of all students. Skills developed: In a range of meaningful contexts, students will be engaged in thinking mathematically and statistically. They will solve problems and model situations that require them to: › Generalise mathematical properties › Investigate and/or gather information › Use technology where applicable › Build on mathematical knowledge from previous years › Communicate methods › Develop deeper understanding These skills are demonstrated in hands-on project-based learning including creating stained glass windows, using sphero robots to build our own obstacle courses, and designing a probability fairground game.

Knowledge and concepts covered: › Use number strategies to solve problems › Know number knowledge to express ideas › Form and solve simple linear equations › Manipulate algebraic expressions › Explore patterns and relationships › Use appropriate measures and scales › Solve measurement problems › Classify shapes and solids › Locate position and orientation › Use transformations to explore properties of shapes › Plan and carry out a statistical investigation › Understand statistical literacy › Investigate situations involving elements of chance › Calculate probabilities