Academic Disciplines

MIDDLE SCHOOL the college school

Academic Disciplines

In Middle School, Language Arts and Mathematics are part of the daily class schedule. Exploratory Courses meet three times a week and focus on science, social studies, foreign language, technology, physical education, and visual or performing arts. Most include reading, writing, mathematics, and creative art skills.

Language Arts Language Arts instruction centers on developing students as readers, writers, and speakers. In most of their classes, students are asked to read critically, write analytically or creatively, and speak powerfully. These skills, while integrated throughout the other parts of the curriculum at The College School, are taught directly in the daily Language Arts class. In reading, students are introduced to great literature and also required to read independently. Students learn to express their ideas about the issues and themes they encounter in their reading and to analyze the structure of what they read in terms of plot structure, character, setting, and tone.

In writing, students experiment with a wide range of genres, from short stories to vignettes to poetry to formal essays. Using the 6+1 Writing Traits, students grow in the style, organization, and mechanics of their writing. Students are also expected to develop as public speakers. Through presentations, debates, and formal speeches, students develop their confidence and skill as speakers. These skills culminate on the night of graduation, as each graduating eighth grader gives a speech to the community.

MIDDLE SCHOOL the college school

Mathematics Mathematics at The College School follows a developmental continuum that includes basic computation, geometry, estimation, problem solving, and algebra. Math is often integrated into other classes as students create graphs and surveys, solve group problems, or predict outcomes of experiments. To prepare for these real-world uses of mathematics, as well as prepare for the more advanced math they will encounter in high school, students build their mathematical thinking and skills in their daily math class.

Sixth Grade Math

Sixth Grade Math introduces students to Middle School mathematics and transitions them from the arithmetic skills of elementary mathematics to the beginnings of algebraic and geometric thinking. Seventh Grade Algebra 1A This course prepares Seventh Grade students to take Algebra 1B as eighth graders. Students explore topics in geometry and introductory algebra, master the skills such as fractions, decimals, percents, order of operations, factors, and ratios. Eighth Grade Algebra 1B In Algebra IB, students master concepts and fundamentals of algebra, which they apply to linear, quadratic, exponential, radical and rational functions and systems of equations.