Valley Preparatory School Redlands California

Language Arts

The eighth grade language arts program focuses on and emphasizes analytical and creative writing, formal study of grammar as a means to manipulate the components of the sentence for improved style and sentence variation, the Greek and Latin roots, and vocabulary (generated from the study of Greek and Latin roots and errors in writing), literature, and speaking.  The writing component focuses on analytical, expository, persuasive, and creative writing as well as the other modes of CAP writing; utilizing prewriting techniques, drafting, and revising to produce the finished product with attention to audience and purpose.  Stress is placed on using correct mechanics, punctuation, spelling, usage, and using a variety of sentence structures to develop and/or improve style.Literature units include all the genres using identification of theme, motif, types of conflict, plot and character development, and setting to help the student achieve a greater understanding and higher level of meaning from the literary work.  Literature studied includes various selections of American and British poetry and short stories, Flowers for Algernon, Lord of the Flies, Animal Farm, Fahrenheit 412, Diary of Anne Frank, Julius Caesar, and Red Badge of Courage.  Where and when possible, literature units coincide with the history curriculum to provide students with a better, greater, and deeper understanding of the historical period being studied.
Emphasis is also placed on writing across the disciplines and occasionally assignments for history or physical education are also submitted for English and evaluated on the basis of organization, development, content, grammar, style, mechanics, and where applicable, bibliography and footnote format for research reports.  Students are urged to use correct grammar and writing skills when completing written assignments for other classes.

Mathematics

The Algebra I course provides the necessary preparation for any AP classes in high school.  This course is designed to help today's student both learn and retain mathematical concepts.  Within the presentation of each objective, there is a careful buildup of difficulty through a series of developmental and follow-up exercises.  Students are encouraged to think through mathematical situations, synthesize concepts and verbalize mathematics whenever possible.

The students learn integers and rational numbers, equations, inequalities, exponents and polynomials, factoring, graphs and linear equations, systems of equations, inequalities and absolute value, rational expressions and equations, radical expressions and equations, relation and functions, and quadratic equations.

Students are provided and American-European model of education.  Emphasis is placed on the advantages, such as the efficiency and general applicability, of various methods.

Text: Algebra I - Prentice Hall, CA edition, 2001

Science

Eighth grade students are provided with a core education in life science as well as an opportunity to consolidate their basic academics, work habits, and study skills before they enter high school.

Students at this level study in a more challenging fashion; learning the essence of life science while at the same time adapting their study techniques to a more complex understanding of these principles which will stand them in good stead for the rigors of high school that lie ahead.

The main topics for study in eighth grade are heredity and evolution, diversity of life, mollusks, worms, arthropods, echinoderms, and plant processes.

Text: Life Science - Glencoe, McGraw-Hill

Social Studies

The eighth grade curriculum corresponds to the California Curriculum and Standards.  The course covers American history from the period of Europeans in the Sixteenth Century to World War I.  The course is designed to focus students' attention on the geographic, economic, political, and social factors that shaped the nation.  Units covered will include colonization of the eastern seaboard and Native American resistance, the American Revolution, the development of the American system of government, problems faced by the new nation after the American Revolution, the westward expansion and sectionalism of the antebellum period, the Civil War, Reconstruction, problems faced by the nation during the Industrial revolution, Progressive movement, American Imperialism, and World War I.

This course relies heavily on the use of primary sources.  Primary source analysis allows students to develop critical thinking skills that will help them get closer to the personal value that course work hold for them.  Students will use these sources, as well as the textbook, to develop questions that they will research and present to the class.  Research projects, research papers, essays, and debates will be the primary means to exhibit findings of student research.

In addition, the students will be taught the skills needed to accomplish these goals.  The skills taught will include research and writing skills.  Emphasis will be placed on the writing process and the critical thinking aspect of essay writing, note taking, and outlining in the research and writing process.  The goal is to present the students with a basic historical framework within which they can explore concepts and ideas that have personal relevance for them.  The skill sets are designed so that students can extend their curiosity of history outside this school throughout their lives.

Text: The American Nation - Holt, Rinehart, & Winston, 1996