Jr. High curriculum

Williamsburg Intermediate

Texts for 2015-2016 school year, grades 6/7

Leadership Texts

Fall Term

• Little Britches, Ralph Moody; ISBN: 0803281781
• **The Secret Garden, Francis Hodgson Burnett; ISBN: 0451528832
• Pick One: Black Gold,Marguerite O’Henry ISBN: 1442488077 OR Where the Red Fern Grows ISBN:0307781569
• Island of the Blue Dolphins, Scott O’dell ISBN: 0547488890

Winter Term

• 365 Manners Kids Should Know: Games, Activities, and Other Fun Ways to Help Children and Teens Learn Etiquette, Sheryl Eberly ISBN: 0609806378
• Pick One: Call it Courage, Armstrong Sperry ISBN: 0689713916 OR Lord of the Rings, J.R.R. Tolkien ISBN: 0618640150
• Pollyanna, Eleanor H. Porter ISBN: 1439297290
• Pick One: The Hiding Place, Corrie Ten Boom ISBN:0553256696 OR Number the Stars, Lois Lowry, ISBN: 0547577095
• **Laddie, Gene Stratton-Porter, ISBN: 1604594454

STEM Texts

Fall Term

• The Way We Work, David Macaulay, ISBN: 0618233784
• Lauren Ipsum, Ytaelena Lopez, ISBN: 1461178185

Winter Term

• Earth, James F. Luhr, ISBN: 075663332X
• Rithmatist, Brandon Sanderson, ISBN: 9780765320322
• The Number Devil, Hans Magnus Enzensberger, ISBN: 9780805062991

Humanities

Fall Term

• Aztec, Inca and Maya, D.K. Eyewitness Books, ISBN: 0756673208
• The Little Prince, Antoine de Saint-Exupéry and Richard Howard, ISBN:1853261580
• Jonathan Livingstone Seagull, Richard Bach, ISBN: 0743278909
• Maya: Amazing Inventions You Can Build Yourself with 25 Projects: Sheri Bell-Rehwoldt, ISBN: 1936749602

Winter Term

• Little House on the Prairie Series (pick any book or books) Laura Ingalls Wilder, ISBN: varies
• Rifles for Watie, Harold Keith, ISBN: 978-0064470308
• Caddie Woodlawn, Carol Ryrie Brink, ISBN: 0689815212

• Please note texts are listed in the order they will be read during the term
• **Double Asterisks indicated a recommended family read-along book
• ISBN’s listed are recommended, not required
• Though texts will not likely change, text selections are subject to change until June 2015

STEM EXPEDITION FALL 2015: LIFE-SIZE SCIENCE

This expedition focuses on the life sciences.

1. We will learn about illness and compassion as we correspond with a hospital-bound pen-pal, research his/her illness, and prepare presentations on what we have learned about each;
2. We will consider how the life sciences help us understand the purpose and place of spending time in nature and how nature is related to mental and physical health; we’ll also look at the teen brain and the changes that take place in the brain over a lifetime;
3. We will study select systems of the body and learn how some of the major body systems work together to allow us to live, move, breath and enjoy life. We’ll study our own version of the MCAT and learn about the newest technology being used to help diagnose and treat disease;
4. We’ll tie in technology, engineering and math as we complete required and optional projects that allow us to dive deep into multi-faceted STEM subjects.

End product

Our end product will be poster presentations, where student will share what they have learned through the pen-pal project and through studying the illness of their pen-pal. By the end of the term, we’ll understand in greater depth the processes that keep us alive and well, and appreciate more fully the importance of good diet, exercise, rest and time in nature. Optional and required projects will give us a taste of how engineering, math, science and art are all related.

• Technology: In what ways has technology impacted our lives? Has technology been a “step back” in any way? How can we use technology to make our lives more effective and less busy? We’ll consider these questions, while completing projects that show us how to effectively use technology!
• Engineering: We’ll engineer various body systems and also study how computer-engineered bodies and “brains” differ from our own!
• Math: When is math used in science? How do doctors use math? Is math related to health? STEM Challenge projects and other projects will help students consider these and other math-related questions and answers. All STEM students are given access to a Khan math account and to a daily math lab.
• Art: Does art really have a place in the STEM classroom? Our answer is a resounding YES. We’ll use art to depict some of our bodies systems and as we study the processes of living and moving and being.
• STEM Classics & Biographies:  Mathematics and scientific discoveries often come from fascinating figures and circumstances. We’ll look at the narrative side of STEM subjects as we learn about some important people and the STEM discoveries they have made.

HUMANITIES EXPEDITION FALL 2015: NEIGHBORS TO THE SOUTH

• 1. to introduce students to the general history of the Americas;
  2. to experience a cursory introduction to the history and policies of US citizenship;
  3. for students to have a picture of the degree of liberty in the Latin America countries;
  4. for students to compare and contrast life in different parts of the Americas;
  5. to underscore the value of “rule of law”;
  6. to give students a meaningful experience with giving and living well.
  End product
  Our end product will be to raise money for a charity in Latin America, and to experience the joy of giving through purposeful planning, preparation and work. We will explore the idea for a need of law-abiding citizens and compassionate neighbors and discuss how those things pertain to each student.
  A sampling of how our expedition intersects with key knowledge and skill sets is below.
  •       American History: We will virtually travel through time and space as we visit key Latin America countries and learn about their unique histories and contributions to the world. We will compare life in the US with life in various Latin America countries and discuss important differences and similarities.
  •       Current Events: This expedition with bring us face-to-face with current issues of citizenship, racism, immigration, and corruption; it will help us begin to see the commonalities which all humans share, and help us better understand principles of law, compassion and hard work and how those things impact humans across the globe.
  •       Writing: Our integrated writing program allows students to write fluently about all topics. In this expedition, we will explore writing poetry and other creative writing methods.
  •       Memorization:  This expedition will intersect with our Second Annual Exhibition Night! This will be an evening where will come together to share talents of all types, live and online!
  •       Art: Many famous artists have come from the Americas; who were they and what made them famous? We will look at some examples of art and artists that originated from or impacted the Americas.