Eighth Grade
ELA
We will look deeper at analysis, reading, and writing in preparation for College and other career goals. This is a writing and reading-heavy class. We read and analyze various literary and non-fiction texts to facilitate discussions and provoke meaningful writing and research. Students will encounter higher-level questions and learn to use text-based evidence to support their writing claims. Students will be thinking critically in this class.
Mathematics
We will explore, develop, and practice skills required to think critically and analyze content at the 8th-grade level. Students will be asked to use what they already learned in 7th grade and build on it to learn new concepts that further their mathematical understanding.
Science
This course offers a more in-depth look at physical sciences, such as chemistry, physics, and astronomy. The students will review the nature of science and the steps of the scientific method. The students will then learn what matter is and will review its phases. They will learn about elements and atoms, including the structure and organization of atoms. The students will then learn how and why atoms join together to form compounds and molecules. They will then learn the differences between mixtures and solutions and how a solution can be described. The students will then learn about the different types of chemical reactions that can occur. Radioactivity and radioactive isotopes will be explored so that the students will learn what they are and how radioactive exposure is changed by distance and time. The students will then learn about the different types of energy and how energy can be transformed from one type to another. They will explore work and simple machines, along with forces and motion. The students will learn about the properties of magnetism and electricity and how they relate. The differences between temperature and heat will be explained while the students learn how heat travels. Students will also learn about the nature of light and why some materials absorb light while others do not. They will review the process of photosynthesis, including how the process came to be understood by scientists. Finally, the students will learn about the universe, including the stars, the Sun, and theories of the origin of the universe.
Social Studies
In the global society we live in, students must have a strong understanding of the foundations of people from around the world. Preparing students for their role as citizens in the 21st faculty will inspire critical thinking and in-depth study of culture and history around the globe.
Foreign Languages
American Sign Language (ASL)
American Sign Language (ASL) is offered year-long for all levels 1-3. The curriculum is based on ASLDeafined and is a user-friendly program to review vocabulary videos using the hands and complete assigned activities from various lesson(s). Deaf Culture and the use of grammar will be used throughout the course. A very dynamic program, so it does not include textbooks at all. ASL has all its resources for students to master the language and understand Deaf culture from a Deaf person’s perspective. Each lesson includes an introduction, vocabulary, grammar, reading, and quizzes. Most of the time, a new vocabulary unit is shared in the classroom with the teacher’s teaching moment before using the website.
Turkish
The Turkish Language is offered to 8-12 grade students. It is offered year-long for all levels 1, 2, and 3. Students in Turkish classes start learning Turkish fundamentally to introduce themselves to advance information exchanges. Throughout their Turkish Language experiences, students learn the Turkish language and practice their Turkish knowledge in authentic ways.
Spanish
We will be utilizing the Voces Digital curriculum this year, emphasizing grammar, vocabulary, and the cultures of the Spanish-speaking world. Voces isn't your average textbook. It's more than a textbook: it's games, videos, audio, and recording - it's dynamic! To develop beginning-language competency, students will utilize the four language skills (listening, speaking, reading, and writing). Students will listen and speak in whole and small groups, write original Spanish texts and read from various authentic texts. There is an introductory section for each unit or chapter.
Physical & Health Education
Syracuse Academy’s high-quality Physical Education program provides regular, healthy physical activity for students k-12. Moreover, our curriculum is designed to maximize teamwork, and cooperation and enhance leadership abilities. Benefits of PE in schools include stronger peer relationships, improved self-confidence, goal-setting experience, self-discipline, and improved academics.
The health course aims to empower students to take charge of their mental, physical, and emotional health. Our emphasis on individual fitness, employable skills, and real-world applications empowers students to take charge of their fitness, health, and well-being throughout their lives.
Technology, Engineering & Computer Science
Syracuse Academy offers courses in Technology, Engineering, and Computer Science that will ensure students are prepared for the transition to technical majors in college and to succeed in the workplace of the 21st century. Classroom hours are enhanced through hands-on activities and experiences on campus and site visits with professionals in respective fields.
Visual and Performing Arts
Click here to learn more about Visual and Performing Arts.
8th Grade Supply List