Trinity Lutheran School
Eighth Grade
Home Room Teacher: Mrs. De Malterer
For more information about Trinity's eighth grade class, please call the school office at 507-231-6646 or email Mrs. Malterer.
Curriculum Overview
Confirmation
Seventh and eighth grade Confirmation Class is a two year course in basic Bible teaching. The Bible and Luther's Small Catechism are our textbooks, and the pastors team teach the classes using a combination of lecture, group discussion, faith formation essays, memorization, and provocative stories to prepare young adults for meaningful membership in the Lutheran Church and for Godly living in the real world.
Literature
The sixth, seventh, and eighth grades use the Prentice Hall literature series. The students are introduced to several literary genres including short stories, drama, non-fiction, poetry, oral tradition, and novels. The students analyze story development such as character, setting, plot, and theme.
English
English is grammar instruction including the review of parts of speech, sentence structure, capitalization and punctuation rules, as well as usage and mechanics. The writing process will also be reviewed and used through the year. Types of writing may include a research paper, short stories, and poetry. Writing activities are integrated into the curriculum in other subject areas.
Spelling
Students work to improve both their spelling and vocabulary as they are led to see spelling patterns and build on basic word roots using affixes and word endings. Spelling generalizations and skills such as syllabication, vowel relationships, and consonant relationships are reviewed along with dictionary and thesaurus skills to strengthen spelling skills.
Math
Trinity Lutheran School uses the Saxon Math curriculum in order to prepare students for both lifelong math proficiency and for the Minnesota State Math Standards test. Math is departmentalized in sixth, seventh, and eighth grades. Eighth grade students take either pre-algebra or algebra based on their standardized test scores and work habits.
Pre-Algebra and Algebra stress reasoning, problem solving, proper notations, number relationships, patterns and functions, proportional reasoning and algebraic concepts. We begin with a review of fractions, lines and segments, polygons and angles, perimeter, circumference, arithmetic stress. We practice order of operations symbols of inclusions, factors, factoring terms, exponents, both positive and negative and the use of variables. Students master the skills necessary to solve for volume and surface area, to solve and graph equations, solve systems of equations and inequalities, and explore quadratic and exponential functions and rational and radical expressions and equations.
Science
Eighth grade students study in the area of Life Science with an emphasis on human biology. We begin by covering all the basic body system: Skeletal and Muscular, Digestive, Circulatory, Respiratory and Excretory, Nervous and Endocrine, Reproduction and the Immune System. Students are encouraged to see their bodies as an amazing gift from God to be used to His glory. Laboratory experiences include dissection and allow students to get a close-up view of how organs similar to ours are put together and function. We will also explore the heath related aspects of biology including the effects of the use of drugs, and how genetics affect our lives. Finally, we look at how we interact with the world God created and how we can be stewards of the living things around us.
United States History
Students need to see that our country's history is an on-going chain of events, one which began long before Europeans came to this continent, and has continued to the present day. History is a "living" subject, alive through the thoughts, words, and actions of both indigenous people and immigrants. They will be shown through their studies that actions of an individual or a small group can have lasting consequences on the history of this country.
Computers
Students continue to master their keyboarding skills using Type to Learn. Students are also taught how to use a word processor for writing reports and to prepare presentations for social studies, science, and other classes using Star Office software. Students also learn how to use the internet for research.
Art
Artistic ability is either a natural gift or a learned ability. The students will have the opportunity to learn different techniques in a variety of mediums. They will be able to work with watercolors, acrylics, colored pencils, chalks, and charcoal.
Choir
The Junior High Choir is for students in sixth through eighth grades. Its main purpose is to provide glory to God through singing together while providing musical enjoyment and growth in vocal technique. The Junior High Choir sings at scheduled church services, the Christmas service, and at the spring choral festival.
Band
Students in fifth through eighth grade are able to be in band. The band class and lessons are provided by the JWP band director. Band students gain deeper musical understanding through the study of theory and performance. Emphasis is placed on tone quality, scale memorization, rhythm recognition, and musical interpretation. The students are exposed to increasingly challenging music as they progress through band. Generally, two concerts are offered each year, one in the fall and one in the spring.
Physical Education
Students at this age are developing and refining both fine and gross motor skills. Physical Education classes are used to help that development continue. We want to stress both the intellectual understanding and the practical applications of fitness skills and concepts. Consequently, the health related fitness components of cardiovascular fitness, muscle strength, endurance, flexibility, and body composition are emphasized. In addition, games and activities help develop agility, balance, coordination, speed, power, and reaction time. A variety of team, individual, and duel sports are taught. Rules, offense, and defense strategies all help both students who are looking to play games at higher level and those that may wish to enjoy games as a spectator. Social and person skills are also developing at this age and so we continue to work on cooperation, leadership, integrity, respect, fair play, initiative, responsibility, effort, self-discipline, and decision making. Students are given the opportunity to qualify for the Presidential and National fitness awards and are encouraged to view fitness in terms of lifelong activities and fun.