Archive
Fifth Music
- Arts
Fifth Chorus
- Arts
The Fifth Grade Chorus class is designed to encourage students to get on their feet and sing with enthusiasm. Everyone practices good posture, pronunciation, and performance techniques. Students are required to memorize the lyrics and melodies of the songs chosen for concerts. The curriculum explores the folk songs of America: songs of the workplace, spirituals, and songs of hearth and home.
Sixth Music
- Arts
Honors Foundations of Mathematics II
- Mathematics
This honors level course is for students who are mathematically and intellectually ready for a faster-paced class. Honors: Foundations of Mathematics II focuses on the development of sound critical thinking and flexible problem solving skills. In this course students will begin shifting from the concrete realm of arithmetic into the abstract area of algebra. The focus of this course is to develop genuine understanding through a blend of problem based learning and explicit instruction, where an emphasis is placed on making connections between old and new concepts. Because of the faster pace students will study properties of exponents, linear equations, congruence and similarity of geometric figures, the Pythagorean theorem and surface area and volume of geometric solids, in addition to all of the topics found in the regular section of this course. The successful completion of this course will provide students with the mathematical foundation needed to take Algebra I in the fall.
Seventh Early United States History
- History
In the seventh grade history course, Early United States History, students begin their study of the principles and guidelines on which this nation was founded and built. A main goal is for the students to view American history as not just a series of events, but also to understand their causes and consequences in the development of the United States. Through outlines, quizzes, tests and a term paper, this course also emphasizes the development of reading, note-taking, writing, research and other organizational skills.
The text for this course is America: Pathways to the Present. The class begins with an introductory review of several important skills: map use, note-taking, outlining and how to read a text. This is followed by a brief look at the native peoples of North America and the Age of Exploration. The term concludes with a study of European colonization, with a particular focus on the English colonies.
In the winter the students examine life in the thirteen English colonies, the breakdown of British/colonial relations, and the American Revolution. Winter term concludes with the development of the independent American government, and in-depth study of the Constitution.
The spring term begins with a study of the growing young nation, the strengthening of the federal government, and the expansion of democracy during the Jacksonian period. Much of the middle part of this term is devoted to research and writing of a term paper as the class studies the westward expansion, the Mexican War, and the problems of maintaining the balance between the North and South. The year concludes with a study of the Civil War.
Sixth Humanities
- English
The sixth-grade humanities curriculum covers ancient cultures spanning the Fertile Crescent to the Roman Republic, and explores themes of systems of control and governance, inventions and discoveries, and varying examples of human expression. As a course that spans both History and English, 6th grade humanities also provides a foundation for academic writing, with a focus on grammar and sentence structure, as well as expanding vocabulary. Creative and analytical writing assignments help to connect the history and English curricula. By the end of the year, 6th graders will develop a thesis and defend it with textual evidence. The literature studied and texts utilized: Holes, Hatchet, God-King, The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind, I am Malala, Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief, Julius Caesar, and Spelling Connections.
Mandarin II
- Global Languages
Mandarin II is an intermediate language course. After studying Chinese in Mandarin IA and IB at IMS or equivalent, the students will continue to develop their language skills on the following topics: school experiences, hobbies, career, giving tours of the school campus, neighborhood, and a student’s own house, as well as organizing events with invitations. Approximately 200 new characters will be learned in the course. The students are expected to have learned approximately 700 characters in total upon completion of the intermediate-mid level. The students will be able to use sentences or series of sentences to hold conversations on familiar topics and handle short social interactions in everyday situations.
Intro to Latin
- Global Languages
Introduction to Latin is a presentation of the language with two primary goals. First, is to prepare the student for the study of Latin at the secondary school level. In this regard, the student is exposed to basic concepts of acquiring a second language such as vocabulary acquisition, word declentions, verb conjugation and a working knowledge of inflection. Intro to Latin stresses basic grammar, syntax and translation skills. The second goal of the course is to support students in general language acquisition, drawing the important connections between English and its Latin roots. Instruction is geared towards students with a variety of learning styles. Topics on Roman society are discussed, especially the impact of the language, as well as the history of Roman culture upon our society. By the end of this ninth grade class, students should be prepared to begin the study of Latin in high school.
Spanish I
- Global Languages
Spanish 1 is offered to ninth grade students who have come to IMS with some previous experience with the language, but lack some important foundational elements of the first year curriculum. As a high school level course, the pace is necessarily rigorous. This class completes all the major grammatical components of Spanish 1A and 1B in one year. A priority is placed on consistently high work habits, with frequent assessments to assess the student’s steady progress. Successful completion of this course prepares a student to advance to the next level of Spanish in secondary school.
Sixth Science
- Science
In 6th grade science the main area of study is human biology and health. Under an umbrella theme of “unity,“ the biology class investigates the major organ systems of the body, their functioning and interaction.
Textbook, laboratory experiments, note taking, discussion and writing activities are integrated during this study. The biology text itself incorporates social studies and literature materials in each chapter. Formal laboratory reports of class experiments are introduced in this class. Note taking skills are also reinforced as students develop study guides and chapter outlines needed for tests and for reference throughout the year.
Students investigate the structural organization of the human body through its systems: skeletal, digestive, circulator, respiratory, excretory, nervous and reproductive. The counseling center works with the class during the reproduction unit to help discuss and explain this sensitive subject. The counseling department and the organization FCD (Freedom from Chemical Dependency) also works closely with the class to inform them of the dangers associated with drugs, alcohol and tobacco.
Creative research projects assigned to coincide with each unit, give students a chance to work in cooperative groups, usually feature Internet research and other computer-generated sources.