The curriculum for our Fifth through Eighth Graders is intentionally designed to be creative, relevant, engaging and challenging.
The curriculum for our Fifth through Eighth Graders is intentionally designed to be creative, relevant, engaging and challenging. The faculty advises and helps guide the students’ academic pursuits, encourage artistic expression, support their social and emotional growth and facilitate student-driven conversations about self knowledge and cultural awareness. In addition to our academic offerings that will help prepare them for Secondary School, our focus on Character Development is incorporated into what we do each day.
ADVISORY: Students meet in Advisory groups each morning to touch base, plan for the day and build community through open and honest discussions, games and activities; improve study skills and executive functioning by learning time management skills and practicing organization. Students build self awareness, decision-making skills, independence and learn the responsibilities of leadership through service projects.
DECLAMATION: Students gain notable practice speaking publicly at Declamations. They challenge themselves sto master and declaim celebrated works of poetry and prose, including speeches and excerpts from novels and plays. The School community attends monthly Declamations and the students of 5th-8th Grades vie for the annual Declamation Award being evaluated for dramatization, poise, pacing, body language, eye contact and articulation.
DESIGN THINKING: Students in Fifth and Sixth Grades are introduced to the concept of design thinking, practicing the process for creative problem solving and understanding how best to approach challenges presented by problems. The 5th Grade will work individually and as a team on challenges with the goal of using processes which include the following steps: Empathize, Define, Ideate, Prototype, and Test. While Sixth Grade will utilize the process and work on understanding urban planning to design a future city. Basic urban design and consideration of typical problems confronting a city will be addressed.
INDEPENDENT STUDY PROGRAM: Students engage in a project-based learning program as they research a subject, design a project, and develop a deeper understanding of a topic of interest. They will present their findings to the School community in the Spring.
INTERSCHOLASTIC SPORTS: Students participate in the School’s program, representing SPS to challenge independent school rivals in a variety of sports (such as Basketball, Cross Country, and Soccer) but they also forge fast friendships with teammates and learn the rewards of sportsmanship.
STUDENT CLUBS: A variety of club activities that are offered during the school day allow students to specialize and explore areas of interest with like-minded peers.
Humanities is the study of the human condition, and the Fifth – Eighth Grades study about what it is to be a human. This integrated study approach aligns with fostering our students to be critical thinkers, problem solvers and ethical citizens of their world.
FIFTH GRADE: A Journey Through Early Civilizations
Through a study of ancient cultures and journey literature, Fifth Grade students explore the traits, beliefs, abilities, and experiences that are essential to humanity. They focus on the continents of Africa, Asia and the Americas while gaining a deeper understanding of its diverse cultures and histories. Students learn to use concrete textual evidence to support their inferences and positions through in-depth writing, research projects, and creative expression.
History:
Students will compare and contrast chronological relationships and interactions, study the development of economics, citizenship and government as well as geographical impact, using a variety of materials and texts (including 5th Grade level National Geographics History Alive! The Ancient World and 6th Grade level McGraw-Hill’s World Adventures in Time and Place)
1st Term
2nd Term
3rd Term
Reading:
Fifth Grade works on finding and integrating key ideas and detail in text, drawing inferences, character development and conduction evidence research; figurative language is developed through stories, poetry and drama; understand author’s point of view; comparison of genres, similarities and differences; build academic vocabulary
Writing:
Fifth Grade works on vocabulary usage in and out of context; the organizational structure in writing- planning, revising, editing, rewriting; use of an introduction, conclusion, details, quotes, facts, descriptions. sequencing, summarizing
SIXTH GRADE: Control, Conflict, and Change
Sixth Grade students explore the inevitability of conflict and its role in changing and shaping societies and groups. They focus on the continents of Asia, Europe and America while gaining a deeper understanding of major world religions and the power struggles and cultural shifts which precipitated the rise and fall of civilizations. Students continue using textual evidence to substantiate their writing while also working to elevate their word choice and incorporate figurative language.
History
Students will analyze the geographic, political, economic, religious and social structures; explore chronological and spatial thinking, conduct historical research, find evidence and assess the credibility of primary and secondary sources to draw conclusions, using a variety of materials and texts (including 5th Grade level National Geographics History Alive!- The Ancient World and 6th Grade level McGraw-Hill’s World Adventures in Time and Place)
1st Term
2nd Term
3rd Term
Reading and Language
Sixth Grade can cite textual evidence to support analysis and inferencing; determine central ideas conveyed by details and summarize; analyze the theme, setting, plot and word choice and tone; consider point of view; compare and contrast different genres for literature and informational texts.
Demonstrate command of standard grammar and usage when writing and speaking with appropriate spelling and punctuation; use affixes, roots and be able to verify preliminary determination of word meaning; use of figurative language and word relationships; distinguish between connotations and denotations
Writing, Speaking and Listening
Sixth Grade engages in collaborative discussions; prepares required material, set goals, meets deadlines and responds to specific questions with detail; demonstrates understanding of multiple perspectives through reflection and paraphrasing
Can form an argument focused on discipline-specific content, logical reasoning and data; uses phrases to create cohesion and clarify relationships, uses established formal style; draws evidence to support analysis, research and reflection; explains processes
SEVENTH GRADE Building a More Perfect Union: Understanding Our City and Ourselves
Term 1
Social Studies: What do historians do? Ask compelling questions, research, and interpret. Reading primary resources. Introducing Geographical Diaries.
Reading: Learning to be active readers, annotate, identify meaning, and begin to connect ideas across texts and genres. Introduce Lit Circles, vocab assessments, monthly readers.
Writing: Consider the audience and purpose of our writing. Practice outline and planning our works. How to introduce an idea and begin to argue for it. Introduce commonplace books and writing lab. Large Writing Projects: Sci-Fi Story & Why You Should Read video.
Understand how racism manifests across individual and systemic levels.
TERM 2
Social Studies: Understand and analyze different historical perspectives. How events are interpreted and re-interpreted over time. How economics determines behavior. How to research and evaluate secondary sources. Continue Geographical Diary.
Reading: Evaluate POV, and how it affects meaning. Evaluate structure, both in terms of plot and argument, and determine structural choices. Understand structure and form in poetry. Continue commonplace books and monthly readers.
Writing: Getting down that first draft. Learning about our writing process, how to effectively incorporate sources. Transition between paragraphs and ideas. How to workshop/give and receive feedback. Big Projects: Intro to Poetry Anthology, Persuasive Speech. Understand how racism manifests across individual and systemic levels.
TERM 3
Social Studies: What is U.S. Culture? Learn about the disparate religious and ethnic communities in the US. Understand government functions on the local level.
Reading: Learn to evaluate literature critically, and to understand its context culturally and historically. Be able to evaluate appropriate and sufficient primary and secondary sources to be used for an argumentative essay.
Writing: How to rethink, revise and rewrite your work. Write a critical literature essay with a well-developed thesis and supporting sources. Write an audio documentary about our year’s theme with multiple primary and secondary sources. Writing Projects: Literary Criticism, Mini-NHD. Understand how racism manifests across individual and systemic levels.
EIGHTH GRADE: Colonialism, Revolution and Rebuilding
TERM 1
Social Studies: Ask big questions about important historical moments and learn how to answer them. Understand the connections between events and developments in broader historical contexts. Analyze multiple factors that influenced the perspectives of people have changed over time. Introducing the NHD topic.
Reading: Learning to be active readers, annotate, identify meaning, and begin to connect ideas across texts and genres. Research and evaluate secondary sources for NHD. Introduce Lit Circles, vocab assessments, monthly readers.
Writing: Consider our writing process. How to workshop/give and receive feedback. How to introduce an idea and begin to argue for it. Writing with constraints. Introducing commonplace books and writing lab. How does Science, Society, and the Media (Mis)Represent Race
TERM 2
Social Studies: Learn to read and use historical sources and use those sources to identify further areas of inquiry. Evaluate the relevancy of a historical source based on information such as maker, date, place of origin, intended audience and purpose. Consider multiple historic events and distill similarities and differences in context and cause.
Reading: Understand the structure of a piece of writing and its purpose. In fiction, also evaluate the use of literary devices in considering purpose and meaning. Identify modes of rhetoric and persuasion, including use of logical fallacies, in argumentative writing.
Writing: Plan and execute a long-term writing project that includes strategizing, multiple drafts, feedback, and revisions. Evaluate and improve their work independently. Learn to integrate sources properly and effectively. Use rhetorical tools in development of their own ideas and arguments.
How does Science, Society, and the Media (Mis)Represent Race.
TERM 3
Social Studies: Explain the origins, functions, and structure of the government with reference to the U.S. Constitution, with special emphasis on the Bill of Rights. Examine the way revolutionary ideas have succeeded and failed in America today. Understand the concept of ethics and how it applies to our lives as students and citizens.
Reading: Understand how fiction and non-fiction express ideas, both similarly and dissimilarly, and drawing connections between the two. Analyze two or more texts providing conflicting information or ideas on the same topic and identify where the texts disagree on matters of fact or interpretation.
Writing: Learn how to polish and finish a final draft. Identify and strengthen their unique writing voice. Looking back at a completed work and identifying its strengths and weaknesses with an eye towards future writing.
The Fifth and Sixth Grades Math program follows “Math in Focus” which is Singapore Math’s spiraling curriculum. In Seventh and Eighth Grade students use the Glencoe Math series for Pre-Algebra and Algebra I. The goal is to develop and nurture the mathematical curiosity of each student, to build community and to perform mathematical skills at the highest possible level. Digital platforms (such as: hmhco.com, ixl.com & khanacademy.org) are used as extension, support, challenge, and practice.
Fifth Grade
Building problem-solving skills and strategies; multiplying and dividing with 2-digit numbers, fractions, mixed numbers, and decimals; solving equations and evaluating inequalities; finding the area of two-dimensional shapes, and surface area and volume of three-dimensional shapes; using ratios and percents, and finding the probability of an event; applying properties of angles, triangles, and four-sided figure
Sixth Grade
“Math in Focus” for Sixth Grade uses the same approach and format found in the previous levels of the course, students will learn about the number system and prime factorization; number lines, absolute value, and negative numbers; multiplying and dividing fractions and decimals, ratios and rates, percents, algebraic expressions, equations and inequalities, coordinate plane, perimeter, area, volume, statistics, and measures of central tendency.
Seventh Grade
Tools of Algebra
Operations With Integers
Operations With Rational Numbers
Expressions and Equations
Multi-Step Equations and Inequalities
Ratio, Proportion, and Similar Figures
Percent
Linear Functions and Graphing
Powers and Nonlinear Functions
Real Numbers and Right Triangles
Distance and Angle
Surface Area and Volume
Statistics and Probability
Eighth Grade
Algebra I
Expressions and Functions
Review
Linear Equations
Linear and Nonlinear Functions
Equations of Linear Functions
Linear Inequalities
Systems of Linear Equations and Inequalities Graphing Systems of Equations
Exponents and Exponential Functions
Polynomials
Quadratic Functions and Equations
Statistics
The Science curriculum for Fifth-Eighth Grades emphasizes the use of engineering solutions and evidence-based reasoning for scientific explanations to communicate recommendations to address real-world problems.
In Fifth Grade, students play the role of Urban Environmental Scientists and learn the importance of becoming stewards of the environment. Students learn about geology, populations and communities, ecosystems, and biomes, and living resources.
This course engages students to make discoveries and draw conclusions using process skills such as record keeping, observing, measuring, hypothesizing, and experimenting. The focus of this curriculum is to explore how humans interact with nature in urban ecosystems. They will understand the terms sustainable and efficient to apply them to designing improved modern cities. Students will research green building techniques, alternative transportation options and alternative energy.
In the first term, the 5th graders will learn about the processes that formed the Earth’s surfaces and Philadelphia City’s biodiversity and urban ecosystem. In the second term, the students will explore animal adaptations and behavior, and urban wildlife. In the last term the students will investigate the consequences of our changing urban landscapes and how we all influence our urban ecosystem through coming up with solutions for a sustainable future.
Curricular projects include designing a Prototype Model of Urban Ecosystem; maintaining an Urban Ecologist Online Magazine; Participation in the 5th Grade Creative Engineering Festival and The Egg Drop Challenge.
In Sixth Grade students play the role of builders and designers as they discover how the properties of various materials, such as strength, flexibility, and buoyancy, determine what the materials are used for. Students will also explore the concept of matter, explore changes of state, and investigate the difference between physical changes and chemical changes.
The focus of this curriculum is to explore foundational concepts in chemistry and physics and encourages exploration of new discoveries in this field of science. The course includes an overview of scientific principles and procedures, and leads students toward a clearer understanding of matter, energy, and the physical universe.
In the first term, the 6th graders will explore the properties of matter, measuring matter, buoyancy, the first 20 elements of the periodic table and simple chemical reactions. In the second term, the students will explore the factors that affect the rate of chemical reactions; 3D modeling using TinkerCAD, and the principles of 3D printing. In the last term, the students will learn about basic electronics, circuit design, actuators, sensors, and output devices.
Curricular projects include boat building project design and construction using various materials starting from paper boats, modeling clay boats, Lego block boats, craft stick boats, and 3D printed boats. Extension projects will also include working with circuits, sensors, and other electronics to propel these design boats.
In Seventh Grade students play the role of Medical Detectives and explore biomedical sciences through hands-on projects and labs that require students to solve a variety of medical mysteries. Students investigate medical careers, vital signs, diagnosis, and treatment of diseases, as well as human body systems such as the nervous system. Genetic testing for hereditary diseases and DNA crime scene analysis put the students in the place of real-life medical detectives.
The focus of this curriculum is to reinforce student understanding of change, cycles, patterns, and relationships in the living world. Students build on basic principles related to these concepts by exploring the cellular organization and the classification of organisms; the dynamic relationships among organisms, populations, communities, and ecosystems; and change because of the transmission of genetic information from generation to generation.
In the first term, the Seventh Graders explore the world of epidemiology, infectious diseases, Philadelphia City’s water system, differentiate urban versus natural water cycle, and the immune system. In the second term, the students will learn about the circulatory systems, investigate the impact of epidemic diseases throughout history, the 1793 Yellow Fever and significant advances in the medical field. In the last term, the students will partner with local medical experts in the community to come up with sustainable solutions to combat infectious diseases and investigate the importance of health and nutrition education.
Curricular projects include 3-dimensional clay models of waterborne pathogens, Human Body Tape Sculpture showcasing the circulatory and immune system, participation in the Annual George Carver Science Fair, and Back to Fever 1793: Present a solution Dr. Benjamin Rush to combat yellow fever.
In Eighth Grade students strive to see the world through the eyes of a physicist while exploring the topics of motion, energy, forces, electricity, matter, and waves. Students work collaboratively to develop hypotheses, design experiments to test those hypotheses, interpret data and then refine their initial thinking.
The focus of this curriculum is to study the physical world as it relates to fundamental concepts about matter, energy, and motion. Students will build on the basic principles related to concepts of forces and motion, chemical and physical properties of matter, the ways in which matter, and energy interact, the forms and properties of energy, and other basic concepts in chemistry and physics.
In the first term, the Eighth Graders will learn about forces and energy, Newton’s laws of motion, and work and simple machines. In the second term, the students will explore the importance of data visualization, electricity, magnetism, sound, and optics. In the last term, the students will explore biochemistry, the cell, cellular processes, genetics, evolution, and body systems.
Curricular projects include: 10-step Rube Goldberg Project, Data Visualization for Colonial Research Project in collaboration with Humanities Class, Pinhole Camera Models, Electronic Quiz Board, and Profile of a Science Superhero.
In the Art Room, every student is an artist with a personal style and a unique perspective.
Students in Fifth-Eighth Grades will progress toward mastery of technical skills while also forming deeper, more complex understandings of creative concepts, cultural and personal expression, and innovation. In addition to this, students will learn about contemporary artists as well as artists from history.
While the Elements and Principles of Design are an important component of the Visual Arts at SPS, students pair this learning with enduring concepts, RLC, individual expression, and cross-curricular learning to create art that is meaningful, authentic, and technically informed. Students also understand that art is a tool in which they can process and discuss social issues to challenge, make statements, and ask questions. Some units of study/essential questions include:
Highlights/Components
Artwork is displayed around the school on a regular basis and then on a more formal basis during the Spring Art Show (students are part of the curating, preparing, and display process of the event)
Student work is also documented in digital portfolio websites that students create in their Tech class. Students not only design their own art site with images of their work, but they write statements on the process and/ or meaning of the work.
Field Trips and Guest Speakers are part of the US Art experience. Examples:
Arts Block (elective opportunity to do a deep dive into the art of their choice)
Examples of Cross-Curricular Learning:
Artist statements in collaboration with Humanities, 3D Cell project in collaboration with Science, 3D Pathogen project in collaboration with Science, 3D organ project in collaboration with Science, Flower part identification paintings in collaboration with Science, Album Art project in collaboration with Music and Humanities, STEAM/ Maker Projects , Yearbook Art, Digital Portfolios in collaboration with Tech.
At St. Peter’s School, Music is a blend of developing the knowledge about the fundamentals of music, exploratory activity-based learning and strengthening student listening skills. Classes are divided into conceptual learning experiences and hands-on learning experiences with singing & instruments.
When students reach Fifth-Eighth Grades they have the opportunity to learn in an ensemble situation working on popular songs with drums, guitar, bass, keyboards and singing culminating with Battle of the Bands. Students also integrate the music recording studio into various areas of our learning.
Throughout their time in Fifth – Eighth Grades, students continuously grow as young musicians and members of rock/pop bands and homogeneous ensembles, learning guitar, bass guitar, drum set, piano, and handbells. Additionally, students learn about essential musical concepts, the cultural and social impact of a wide variety of genres, and perform in several settings including, Battle of the Bands, seasonal concerts, and graduation. Many students enjoy learning how to operate our onsite professional-quality recording studio.
Fifth Grade
Sixth Grade
Seventh Grade
Eighth Grade
Students also formally (presentations, written reflections) and informally (gallery walk, turn and talk) engage in positive feedback critiques to teach each other and encourage each other in community.
Physical Education provides the opportunity to teach students about movement, strategies, cooperation and teamwork, problem solving, and health related wellness. Exposing students to a variety of sports and methods of fitness can teach the whole student an enjoyment for the physical activities as well as build social, psychomotor, and cognitive skills. Classes strive to provide the means for students to become more confident with their abilities, increase their knowledge of health-related fitness, and to remain physically active.
Cooperative Activities: Students will be able to move in the activity area safely. Perform class skills learned in small group and large group games and activities. Activities will allow practice of skills learned and also introduce students to lifetime activities. Limited experience due to age will necessitate practice in many activities to master skill.
Wellness: Students will be able to perform various exercises and warm up activities to improve overall fitness. Students will discover how exercise, nutrition and a healthy lifestyle improve overall quality of life. Limited experience due to age, will necessitate practice in many activities to master skill. Emphasis is placed on effort, sportsmanship, listening skills, determination, cooperation, and patience.
Manipulative Skills: Students will be able to perform various ball skills demonstrating proper hand and body position. Students will discover how these skills are the basis for lifetime physical activities. Limited experience due to age will necessitate practice in many activities to master skill.
Movement/Locomotor Skills: Students will be able to move in the activity area safely. Perform locomotor and non-locomotor movements individually and activities demonstrating spatial awareness and body awareness. Limited experience due to age, will necessitate practice in many activities to master skill.
In Fifth Grade students are formally introduced to subject-verb agreement and the conjugations of the irregular verbs “to be,” “to have,” “to like,” and “to do/make.” They study the imperative tense of regular “-er” verbs as well. Vocabulary units include descriptions of self and others, body parts, sports and sports equipment, places in town, comparisons like “the tallest” and “taller than,” and professions. Each class period begins with a review warm-up with questions about the date, weather, activities, and the like, to practice vocabulary and conversation. There are three creative/collaborative projects which include the “Treasure Hunt” using the imperative tense, the diorama of a place in a French town, and the “Help Wanted” jobs poster.
Sixth Grade has a strong emphasis on vocabulary and the knowledge of grammar rules. Students use the textbook “Discovering French Bleu,” and begin the year reviewing greetings, numbers, telling time, nationalities, dates, and verbs. Students study the conjugation of regular “-er” verbs, and how to use adverbs and negative expressions correctly. Other grammar units include possessive adjectives and objects, using the conjugated verb plus infinitive structure to express likes and dislikes, and language nuances. Vocabulary units include extended family, food and drink, nationalities, objects to own, and more prepositions. Sixth Grade includes the study of French-speaking countries around the world. The traditional restaurant trip for lunch at a local French restaurant upon completion of the food unit, is always popular.
The Seventh Grade picks up with the second half of the textbook “Discovering French Bleu.” This year is full of important grammar-related material, including stress pronouns, ordinal numbers, agreement and placement of adjectives, the contractions “to the” and “from the” the important verb “to go,” which leads to the formation of the near-future tense and the optional future tense, the verb “to come,” and the conjugation of regular “-ir” and “-re” verbs. Vocabulary units this year include places in towns, adjectives, sports, and games, giving directions, adverbs of frequency, and idiomatic expressions with “avoir.” Students will be practicing writing and reading comprehension through news articles and the beginner’s novel “Les Aventures d’Isabelle.”
The Eighth Graders use the next text “Discovering French Blanc.” Students learn school subjects and make and/or describe their schedules in French, they study more about advanced professions and extended family, they learn idiomatic expressions with the verbs “etre” and “faire,” and they study how to express quantities. They practice reading comprehension through newspaper articles and enjoy the traditional project of writing advertisements, announcements, and current events for the publication of the one-time Eighth Grade French newspaper. They also read the advanced beginner’s novel “Pauvre Anne.” The Eighth Grade also focuses on formation and use of the two past tenses, the “passé composé” and the “imparfait.” Students learn vocabulary to use with the past tense, and the culmination of the past tense unit is the writing of basic French children’s books which they will read aloud to the St. Peter’s First Graders at the end of the year.
Strengthening our students’ social/emotional skills is a high priority in Fifth – Eighth Grades.
St. Peter’s School uses a Social Emotional Learning curriculum called CharacterStrong. This curriculum aids students in developing self-awareness, self-management, social awareness, relationship skills, and responsible decision-making.
Using resources from the CharacterStrong program, including videos, activities, crafts, scenarios, quotes, and stories, the students have plenty of opportunities in small and large groups to learn about and practice the following character traits: courage, respect, gratitude, perseverance, honesty, kindness, empathy, responsibility, cooperation, and creativity throughout the year.