7th & 8th Grade Electives (3rd Quarter):
Enrichment and exploration are an important part of Carondelet's middle school curriculum. As recommended by the National Middle School Association, Carondelet's 7th and 8th graders are offered a variety of electives that provide an exploratory experience for students in various disciplines. Students enroll in two electives per quarter.
Monday/Wednesday/Friday Classes:
ADVANCED ART – SET DESIGN
Learn about set design and create many of the props and sets for the upcoming Carondelet play, The Wizard of Oz. Advanced lessons on the Elements and Principles of Design are presented to guide students through the process, enhance their understanding of art in the context of personal, public and professional communities, and develop their critical, creative and collaborative reasoning skills and performance. Students will construct parts of the many scenes including the farm in Kansas, the yellow brick road, Emerald City set, the spooky forest, and the wicked witch castle scene.
DESTINATION IMAGINATION
Destination Imagination is an educational program in which student teams solve open-ended Challenges and present their solutions at Tournaments. It is the largest Creative Problem Solving-based program of it’s kind! Teams of up to 7 participants develop solutions to a DI Team Challenge and present their solution in a creative skit/presentation at Tournaments. No interference is allowed from anyone outside of the team (this means that the team and only the team can contribute ideas, adults cannot help whatsoever). Teams also are scored on solving instant challenges where teams have limited time to solve a problem or create a performance. Your team might be asked to build a structure as tall as possible using only 20 sheets of paper in under 8 minutes, improvise a performance about an unclear road sign in 5 minutes, etc. The tournament will be held on March 24th.
EXPLORATORY FRENCH
This class is for the student who would like to explore the French language. We will explore the French language and culture through hands on and written activities, involving the following themes: days of the week, months of the year, seasons and weather; numbers; colors; body parts; clothing; food and much more. un peu de tout. A little of everything French.
HOMEROOM HIGHLIGHTS
In this course students will learn how to operate cameras, record voiceovers, edit material, write scripts and learn a variety of other skills related to television production and multimedia. Students will be responsible for the production of Carondelet’s weekly newscast and feature stories. These newscasts are shared in homeroom time with all the students. (Students may repeat this class).
INDEPENDENT READING – EXPLORE THE WORLD OF BOOKS
This class is for the student who loves to read! The book selection will provide an opportunity for students to enrich their understanding of the world we live in. Various genres will be read, including realistic and historical fiction.
PHYSICS OF TOYS
Explore the physics of yo-yos, tops, bubbles, the Slinky, airplanes, rockets, windmills, hovercraft, mousetrap vehicles, and toys in space. Experiment to better understand Newton's laws.
S•P•A•C•E•S
(Solving Problems of Access to Careers in Engineering and Science)
Planning ahead, visualizing different uses of space and materials, making models, and working in groups all contribute to these problem solving activities. Students will explore architecture, engineering, and drafting by doing layouts and/or models of a room, a vet’s office, a park, a tower, and a marble shooter. Other activities use construction simulations with tools, estimate life spans and careers, and become aware of the importance of mathematics and science in their future.
WRITERS WORKSHOP
In this semester long writing class the Six Traits of Writing will be used to enhance student writing. Along with developing the Six Traits (ideas, organization, voice, word choice, sentence fluency and conventions) students will learn various prewriting strategies and how to peer edit student work. Narrative, expository, persuasive, descriptive, as well as research writing will be the forms presented for students to master. This class will be offered to each grade level separately.
Tuesday/Thursday Classes:
CLAYMATION
In this class students will create a Stop-Motion Animation Movie using Digital Cameras. They will create music and sound effects to complete their movie. (Students MAY repeat this class).
CONCERT BAND
Concert band will continue to meet for rehearsals on Tuesdays and Thursdays. All members will continue to participate in their individual lessons and practice schedules. This class is ongoing throughout the year.
HOMEROOM HIGHLIGHTS
In this course students will learn how to operate cameras, record voiceovers, edit material, write scripts and learn a variety of other skills related to television production and multimedia. Students will be responsible for the production of Carondelet’s weekly newscast and feature stories. These newscasts are shared in homeroom time with all the students. (Students MAY repeat this class)
S•P•A•C•E•S
(Solving Problems of Access to Careers in Engineering and Science)
Planning ahead, visualizing different uses of space and materials, making models, and working in groups all contribute to these problem solving activities. Students will explore architecture, engineering, and drafting by doing layouts and/or models of a room, a vet’s office, a park, a tower, and a marble shooter. Other activities use construction simulations with tools, estimate life spans and careers, and become aware of the importance of mathematics and science in their future.
WRITERS WORKSHOP
In this semester long writing class the Six Traits of Writing will be used to enhance student writing. Along with developing the Six Traits (ideas, organization, voice, word choice, sentence fluency and conventions) students will learn various prewriting strategies and how to peer edit student work. Narrative, expository, persuasive, descriptive, as well as research writing will be the forms presented for students to master. This class will be offered to each grade level separately.
