Middle School Curriculum

Select a Department

Grade 8

  • Accelerated Geometry

    This course is a full year geometry course covering deductive structure;formal t-proofs/paragraph proofs; logic statements; collinearity, betweenness, measurement of angles, segments;perpendicular lines;congruent triangles;lines in the plane; equidistant theorems; parallel lines and related figures/theorems; properties of special quadrilaterals; formulas/proofs involving polygons; similarity of polygons; applications involving probability; Pythagorean theorem; radicals/quadratic equations; coordinate geometry (distance formula, midpoint, graphing); families of right triangles; trigonometric ratios; properties/theorems involving circle; area, perimeter of polygons; surface area, volume of 3-dimensional figures; symmetry (reflections/rotations); independent research projects on real world geometry;real world problem solving/applications.

  • Algebra I

    This course is a full year Algebra I course covering expressions, equations, inequalities, functions, linear functions, systems of equations and inequalities, exponents and polynomials, factoring polynomials, data analysis and probability, and related problem solving with each topic. We will be using Holt McDougal Algebra 1 (Common Core Edition) as the primary text, and I will be supplementing with other resources to teach the curriculum. Students can expect projects, paired and group activities, and writing assignments to enhance learning.

  • Algebra II

    This course is a full year Algebra II course covering Equations and Inequalities, Graphs, the following functions and their Graphs: Linear, Quadratic, Polynomial, Rational, Exponential, Logarithmic, and Trigonometric. Portions of the following topics will also be included: polar Coordinates, Vectors, analytic Geometry, systems of Equations and Inequalities, sequences, induction, the binomial theorem, and (last but not least) Counting and Probability.

  • Art

    The Middle School art curriculum is grounded in the interdisciplinary nature of the visual arts with a focus on creativity development and expression. Students will engage with a wide variety of artistic media: drawing, painting, collage, clay, printmaking, sculpture, assemblage and site-specific work. They will continue to explore the Elements and Principles of Art and Design (line, shape, form, value, space, color, texture, proportion, variety and movement) as they are woven into projects throughout the year. Close readings of artwork and lessons in art history will challenge students to see the contextual and cultural elements inherent to all art. STEAM units such as color theory, patterning, and iterative design will be a natural extension of our interdisciplinary approach.

  • Band

    Sixth Grade band is an intermediate band, a transition to upper band and covers the following: They continue in Standard of Excellence Book I. More extensive musical terms list, more major scales and extending the range of their instruments. Students have one rehearsal per week.. Students have the option to audition for the CMEA Regional Music Festival. Students are expected to practice 20 minutes per week.

    The Seventh and Eighth Grade band students combine to form the concert band. Both grades cover more major scales, musical terms, sight-reading, ensemble playing and chamber music. Students branch out to more difficult music and have two band rehearsals per week. Students have the option to audition for the CMEA Regional Music Festival. Students are expected to practice 30 minutes per week.

  • Chorus

    The TCS Choral program has three vocal groups: Intermediate (grades 4-5) Chorus, Sixth Grade Chorus, and an audition-based Chamber Chorus (grades 6-8). In rehearsals, there is an emphasis on ear training and pitch matching through the use of vocal warm-ups, scales, and exercises. Reading and understanding vocal music, 2-part harmony (Intermediate) and 2- or 3-part harmony (Middle School), vocal dynamics, expression, and blending are also core components of the learning process. Students perform vocal repertoire throughout the school year at the Winter Concert, Holiday Program, and Celebration of the Arts Spring Concert.

  • English

    In this class, students will build on the language arts skills and knowledge they gained in 6th and 7th Grade.  We will use the workshop model to explore English literature as both readers and writers.  A major benefit of this model is that the student is in control of much of their own learning. But with great power comes great responsibility.  Students are expected to take their learning seriously as we work side by side to dig deeply into novels, informational texts, poetry, plays, and more, all with the goal of growing into better English students and better human beings.  
    The theme of 8th Grade English is The Story of Power; The Power of Story. Along with the many independent reading books students will enjoy over the course of the year, together we’ll read and discuss Flying Lessons and Other Stories, Everything Sad is Untrue, Macbeth, book clubs centered around the 1930s and 1940s, and essays, stories, and poems galore.  You will also be writing in a variety of genres, including personal narrative, memoir, literary analysis, poetry, and speeches/rhetoric. 

  • Exploratory Music

    Students will explore the characteristics and functions of music in film. Students will study the influence that music has on the narrative of a film, the psychological states of characters, and on delivering the collective emotional tone and/or mood to the viewer. Through the examination of musical terms including tempo, rhythm, dynamics, instrumentation, melody, etc. students will practice critical listening skills and make meaningful connections between musical concepts and cinematic choices. Students will also examine how changing or altering the music can transform how a film is perceived.

    In the final project, students will create their own presentation demonstrating all that they have studied and reflected on during the term. This project will include a visual clip, set to three diverse musical backgrounds to demonstrate the effects that these different musical ideas can have on a single scene.

  • French

    Our French program is based on a method of learning called Comprehensible Input (CI). The goal of CI is for students to acquire the language, much in the way that we all acquired our first language - in a natural way by listening to other people, not by studying the mechanics of it. Because of the nature of CI, we will not depend on a textbook but on students being able to understand the meaning of what is being said or presented to them. It does not mean that teachers must use only words students understand. In fact, students learn a new language best when they receive input that is just a bit more difficult than they can easily understand. In other words, students may understand most, but not all words the teacher is using. We will provide students with a variety of sources for comprehensible input, ranging from student-created characters and story-listening to short movies, and reading with articles from “Le Petit Journal Francophone” and leveled 2 to 3 novels. Our primary focus is on listening and reading and helping students grow into the skills of writing and speaking.
    We will also continue to fold in short lessons on grammar and culture in context and study more in depth the present tense of regular and some irregular verbs, as well as le passé composé, le futur proche, l’impératif et l’imparfait in the second part of the year. 
    We are participating in “Manie Musicale” where the students listen regularly to music produced in France and French-speaking countries during the months of February and March. They read a comprehensible biography of the artist, locate their country of origin and finally give their opinion verbally about the songs. Then the students elect their favorite song and will compare their results with the other participating schools from around the world. 
    Students take the French National Exam level 1, which recognizes students' achievement and proficiency in the study of French. It assesses the interpretive competency with a reading comprehension and a listening comprehension test.

  • Geometry

    Success in math can be achieved with a positive attitude, the willingness to take risks, and hard work. In this class you will be asked to investigate, make predictions, think logically (of course!), and problem-solve. Sometimes you will work individually, and other times cooperatively in groups. Hopefully you will learn to trust your instincts and become a confident math student! My goal is for you to be comfortable with the material you are learning and to develop the study skills necessary to be successful. I will expect you to work diligently on your homework and projects assigned and always try to do your best. It is essential that you ask questions when you do not understand the material. You can expect me to guide and support you in accomplishing your goals.

  • History

    In this survey course of U.S. History, Eighth Graders will explore some of the major themes, movements, and events that have shaped our country. In addition to gaining a deeper understanding of the United States and its citizens, students will engage with primary and secondary source documents, exploring what these documents have to say about both the time period in which they were written and the perspective of the author. Students will practice writing clearly and concisely; read and analyze texts, videos, art, and music; create a timeline for major events; and participate in in-depth discussion around the Harkness Table.

    As we learn about newsmakers throughout U.S. history, we will also seek out and highlight narratives about lesser known individuals whose stories reflect and express the time periods in which they lived. Students will identify power structures, explore different leadership styles, develop emotional literacy, and envision alternative solutions to some of the challenges our country has faced over time. Armed with that knowledge, they will be asked to consider how they might have done things differently. They will discuss current events and explore civics, geography, government, and economics.

    English and History classes will work closely with each other throughout the year, particularly as we begin to engage in the Witness Stones Project. Founded in Guilford, Connecticut, in 2017 and brought to The Country School in 2019, the Witness Stones Project seeks to restore the history and honor the humanity of enslaved individuals who helped build our local towns. Through education, research, and civic engagement, this hands-on project allows students to do the work of historians as they uncover and share stories about individuals who have been forgotten by history.

    Topics this year will include:
    • The Americas before the arrival of Europeans
    • First Nation, African & European Presence in Early America
    • American Revolution & Constitution
    • Chattel Slavery & U.S. Civil War 
    • Reconstruction & Voting Rights 
    • Immigration, Great Migration, European Migration
    • American Expansion & Notions of Citizenship
    • U.S. Pacific & Caribbean Territories
    STEAM will be woven into our curriculum, while our Elmore Leadership initiative will be supported as Eighth Graders explore individual leaders and their leadership styles. Although the course centers on U.S. History and citizenship, Global Citizenship will also come into play as students focus on life in the Americas and Native Peoples before the Europeans arrived and then on interactions between three main groups at our country’s founding: Indigenous Peoples, Africans, and Europeans. They will learn about the growth of the U.S. economy through international trade, including the Transatlantic Slave Trade and the West Indian Trade. They will explore immigration, the Great Migration, and European migration, along with American expansion, both westward and offshore, into Caribbean and Pacific territories. Throughout the course, students will be called upon to engage in Public Speaking.

  • Latin

    Word Study
    Students will continue to use Ecce Romani Book I to complete their Latin I study. For each chapter, vocabulary lists will be provided to the students and are also available via the Latin web page. We not only work on vocabulary for retention and translation, but also study the etymology of the words and search for English derivatives.

    Grammar and Mechanics
    Grammar is the other core part of Latin. Students will be introduced to the sentence structure, terminology, and design of the Latin language so as to be able to translate and ultimately write in the Latin language. Second year Latin I grammar includes the genitive and dative cases. The imperfect, future, perfect, pluperfect and future perfect tense for verbs are studied. Students also learn the third, fourth and fifth declensions for nouns and more complex adjective-noun agreement.

    Translation
    Each chapter of Ecce Romani includes a translation passage that utilizes new and past vocabulary as well as building on new and previous topics in grammar. The goal is to have students read and translate for understanding, speed and accuracy. The Romans Speak for Themselves is another text that allows students to translate the works of ancient Latin authors, but the grammar and vocabulary is adjusted for where they are in the course.

    Culture
    Throughout the course, the culture and history of the Roman Empire is further investigated. Reading primary sources in the target language is one way students are introduced to the ideas and events of Ancient Rome. Students also look at mythology and legends connected to the Romans.

    Speaking
    Although Latin is no longer a spoken language, students will learn some of the basic terms used to speak in the target language. Emphasis is placed on proper pronunciation and usage.

  • Physical Education

    All students PreSchool - 8th Grade  have weekly physical education in the gymnasium or out on the field. Students take part in a variety of activities and units that follow and adhere to The Shape America Physical Education Standards. Some of the units that we teach at TCS are...low ropes course (Signature Program), soccer, golf, floor hockey, lacrosse, and cooperative games.

    The Physical Education Department, first and foremost, is responsible for helping our young people acquire the skills and self-confidence they need to participate in a wide variety of physical activities. The curriculum seeks to develop strength, stamina, and coordination. Our hope is that what is gained through our fun and developmentally appropriate activities will go with them well beyond their school days. Students learn the motor skills necessary to participate in a wide variety of physical activities, helping them to understand the link between physical activity and good health.

    Grades 6-8 meet once a week for 50 minutes.
    • Modified Sports
      • Soccer (dribbling, passing, trapping, shooting, foot-eye coordination), Basketball (dribbling passing, catching, pivoting, rebounding, shooting, hand-eye coordination), Ultimate ( throwing, catching, hand-eye coordination), Softball/baseball/wiffle ball/TennyBall (striking, catching, throwing, hand-eye coordination), Track and Field ( running, jumping hurdles, passing baton, general coordination, throwing disc), Floor hockey( dribbling, passing, shooting, and goaltending skills), Team Handball (striking, serving, agility, hand-eye coordination)
      • Bowling, Tennis ( forehand, backhand, volleying, serving, overheads), Badminton, Pickleball
    • Cooperative games
      • Outdoor ropes course, indoor climbing wall, build foam block structures
    • Organized Games
      • Kickball, Ghost, Capture the Flag ( running, cardio-fitness, dodging, fleeing, chasing),, and dance)
    • Individual Activities
      • jump rope, hula hoops, juggling
    • Class Participation/Effort

  • Physical Science

    The Eighth Grade course builds on using the scientific method and the skills necessary to “think scientifically” through in-depth experiments, hands-on activities, projects, and writing lab reports. The course exposes students to Physical Science, with specific attention given to Physics, Newton's Laws, Simple Machines, and an introduction to Chemistry. The final Independent Research Project is a chance for students to demonstrate the scientific skills they have learned.

    Curriculum Introduction to Physics
    Introduction to Chemistry
    Independent Research Project

    Course Goals
    Students should gain a better understanding and appreciation of the following:
    • Motion, speed, and acceleration.
    • External forces and how they relate to moving and nonmoving objects.
    • Newton’s 3 Laws of Physics.
    • Forces in fluids.
    • Work and simple machines.
    • Physical and chemical changes in matter.
    • Elements and compounds.
    • Reading the periodic table of elements.
    • Designing and creating an independent investigative lab.
    • Writing a lab report.
    • Presenting results and hypotheses.
    • Science in the news and current topics in physics and chemistry

  • Spanish

    The Spanish program in 8th Grade is based around a method of learning called Comprehensible Input (CI). The goal of CI is for students to acquire the language, not just learn about a language or the grammatical structures of a language. Students will acquire Spanish much in the same way that those around us were taught  their first language, by listening and connecting words and meaning naturally. Because of the nature of CI, we will not depend on a textbook but will depend on students being able to understand the meaning of what is being said or presented to them.
    The  curriculum implements the National Standards (Communication, Cultures, Connections, Comparisons, and Communities). Eighth grade students tap into all of the communicative skills: listening, reading, writing, and speaking. Integrated performance assessments. They are composed of interpretive (reading or listening comprehension), interpersonal (two-way speaking or writing), and presentational (one-way speaking or writing) tasks.
     
    Our 8th Grade curriculum is divided into three different topics in which the standard are practiced continuously:
    1. Weekly reading and recording of a storybook, “El Escape Cubano”. The recordings from the weekly chapter are a way to assess the student’s comprehension and reading skills. The author “Mira Canion'' wrote this story mainly to review:
    1. The present tense form.
    2. Commands.
    3. The present progressive.
    Formative assessment - Students receive input and guiding feedback on their reading performance to help them improve from each of their reading recordings.
    2.  Comprehensive Input stories:  The platform 8th Grade uses to acquire CI is “Dreaming in Spanish”.  The story's vocabulary is used in different contexts, at different times and in interesting ways, such as skits and educational games such as “Kahoot and Duolingo.”  The stories offer beginner, intermediate and advanced levels connecting the cultural aspect of Hispanic Countries and our present culture.  Eighth grade uses the advanced level stories.
    1. As I give the 8th Grade students that auditory input I am constantly asking questions. Their responses help me gauge where they are in their understanding of the story.  
    2. Summative assessments - weekly quizzes, and worksheets (note taking activities to measure student performance.) 
    3. The study of  Hispanic Countries: Another educational experience  for 8th Grade students is to research and learn about the geography and different facts of the Hispanic World. During this process I will get an accurate look at their grammatical and writing proficiency. Each week I choose a different student to go over their slide presentation to get familiar with the content.
    Students in 8th Grade take the National Spanish Examination (NSE) Level 1, which recognizes students' achievement and proficiency in the study of Spanish. The NSE measures content standards (vocabulary and grammar) and performance standards (reading and listening comprehension).
    Grammar taught in 8th Grade
    Nouns and
    articles
    • Gender of nouns ending in -o, -a
    • plural/singular of nouns
    • Possession of nouns (use of de + noun to express ‘s)
    • Definite articles (el,la,las,los)
    • Contractions with “al” and “del”
    • Indefinite articles (un, una, unas, unos)
    Adjectives
    • Agreement
    • Cardinal numbers 1-100
    • Ordinal numbers 1st - 10th
    Verbs
    • Subject-verb agreement
    • Present tense of regular -ar, -er, and -ir verbs
    • Basic irregular verbs (ser, estar, ir)
    • Simple idiomatic uses of tener = to be (calor, hambre,años)
    • Preterite tense of regular verbs -ar, -er, -ir
    • Imperfect tense 
    • Present progressive estar + ando/iendo endings
    • Ser vs. estar
    • Hacer used in weather expressions
    • Reflexive verbs
    • Commands
    • Helping verbs: tener que, poder, querer, necesitar
    • Future tense with -ar, -er, -ir ( ir + a + infinitive)
    Pronouns
    • Subject
    • Direct object
    • Indirect object (use with gustar)
      Adverbs
    • Adverbs of time (ayer, pasado mañana, etc…)
    • Adverbs of order ( despúes, próximo, etc…) 
    • Adverbs of quantity ( bastante, tan, más, etc…)
    • The suffix - mente
    Other
    • Question words (dónde, cómo, qué, por qué, cuándo)
    • Word order of yes/no questions

  • Team Time

    Affective education at The Country School celebrates our commitment to the whole child. We believe that each student has much to give, and, in an atmosphere of kindness, respect, and responsibility, we provide meaningful opportunities for leadership, service, and environmental stewardship. While many opportunities and formal touch points exist to address these issues, Team Time is the clearest example of our affective education program. The program is flexible and responsive to both short-term student needs, without losing sight of broad term goals and objectives for each age level.

    Every week throughout the year grade-level advisors meet with their classes. Teachers and advisors take the children outside as much as possible to participate in field initiatives and low ropes course initiatives. The actives are collaborative and experiential in nature, requiring extensive communication and teamwork. Another focus of the curriculum is on social and emotional issues paramount to each grade level, including elements of the Choose Love and Responsive Classroom programs along with Country School faculty designed curricula.

Department Faculty

341 Opening Hill Road, Madison, CT 06443
P. 203-421-3113  |  F. 203-421-4390  |  Health Office F. 860-469-2550
Founded in 1955, The Country School is a coeducational, independent school serving students in PreSchool-Grade 8. The Country School is committed to active, hands-on learning and a vigorous curriculum that engages the whole child.