All eighth grade students are assigned to one of three eighth grade
instructional teams.
for the school year.
 8-1 Fusion-Laura Hlinka, Facilitator
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English instruction at the eighth grade has three basic components, writing, grammar and literature. Students are instructed in various forms of writing with the emphasis placed on learning to organize and write multi-paragraph persuasive, descriptive and narrative essays. Opportunities are also given for students to write creatively. Grammar and spelling are taught with the expectation that students will apply the knowledge to their writing.
Throughout the year students save pieces of their writing and select two representative pieces to add to their portfolios. At the end of the eighth grade year, these are given to the students as a record of his/her progress in writing.
The literature component is taught using the literature textbook and selected novels. Major units include the study of short stories, non-fiction writings, poetry, drama, mythology and novels by London, Steinbeck and others. Students are also required to read independently and report on what they have read.
Reading instruction concentrates on vocabulary development, comprehension, higher level thinking, and study skills. Students are required to read extensively and learn to analyze and evaluate literary components in selected literature. Projects are required that enhance the readings and promote speaking skills as well as writing skills. In addition to teacher directed reading, students are required to read independently and respond in a variety of ways to what they have read. The Accelerated Reading Program offers one option to help students meet the requirements of their reading class and progress at their own pace.
Exploring Math 3
Topics covered in this course include intergers, rational and irrational
numbers, proportions, decimals, number theory, equations, real
numbers, probability and statistics, geometric definitions and measurements,
Pythagorean Theorem, linear graphing and percents. In eighth grade, students who
are not enrolled in the algebra course are flexibly grouped for instructional purposes, there is not a
separate pre-algebra course at the eighth grade level. The eighth grade mathematics curriculum will
include units in pre-algebra topics for all students. This course is preparation for either Algebra 1, 2,
or Algebra Fundamentals 1, 2 at Urbana High School. Students use the textbooks Glencoe:
Mathematics - Applications and Connections - Course 3
and Glencoe: Pre-Algebra.
Algebra:
The Algebra course offered at grade eight is equivalent to a high school algebra course.
Successful completion of the course will go on a student's high school transcript.
Students will not receive credit toward high school graduation, but will receive placement credit for
college entrance. Students will need to take at least two more years of high school mathematics.
Students in the Algebra course will study rational numbers, equations, inequalities,
polynomials, factoring, rational expressions, functions and graphs, grpahing linear equations,
systems of open sentences, radical expressions, and quadratics.
The Algebra course requires significantly more effort and work than other mathematics classes students
may have previously had. The course requires students to have the maturity to
take good notes and keep up with assignments, and the willingness to come in before or after
school for extra help when necessary.
Eighth grade students who wish to enroll in Algebra should meet two of these three criteria (completion
of the seventh grade Integrated Math is not a prerequisite):
Eighth graders begin the year with nine weeks of Life Science through the study of ecosystems and how energy travels through a biome. In the second nine weeks students build upon the basics of chemistry. Encouraging Tomorrow's Chemists (ETC), a group of graduate students from the University of Illinois, explore with the students the nature of matter and the special chemistry of chemiluminescence and polymers. The second semester is the study of motion and energy. Topics include mechanics, structures, projectile motion, aerodynamics, and the interation of forces. In addition each eighth grader is required to complete an independent research and development project each nine weeks. The projects are graded mainly on performance based criteria. The purpose of the projects is to provide additional experience in process oriented science and to provide an application of current and previous science knowledge on real problems. The primary textbook used is the Holt Science and Technology Physical Science 2001 series.
Eighth-grade U.S. History introduces students to in-depth historical exploration through research and inquiry. The class covers the time period from the Revolutionary War through the nineteenth century. Students will begin with a brief review of Native American cultures, the Age of Exploration, and European Colonization. The main focus of the first semester will be the American Revolution and the U.S. Constitution. The study of the U. S. Constitution unit will include both historical and current events in its content. Upon completion of the U.S. Constitution unit, students will be required to pass a test about the rights and responsibilities of citizens and the structure and function of government. The second semester will focus on the Westward expansion, reform movements, Civil War and Reconstruction, and the Industrial Revolution.
