Explorations – 5/6

Choir-5,6,7,8

(45 minutes per week)

Topics: Students will learn unison and two-part choral pieces.

Process: The Harford Friends School choir will perform annually at the holidays and in the spring at the Night of the Arts.

Middle School sings “Where are you Christmas?”

Visual Arts-5/6

(90 minutes per week)

Topics: In sixth grade visual arts, Harford Friends School students will study art of ancient civilizations including Mesopotamia, Egypt, China, Greece, and Rome.

Process: The arts serve as the primary mode through which a culture carries its individual and collective images and ideas from one generation to another. Students will acquire the skills necessary to render objects in a realistic manner with special attention paid to the basic elements of art and design theory. They will have attained an appreciation for fine arts and explored projects that support and enhance their academic courses.

View student artwork in our Art Gallery.

Computer Technology-5/6

(45 minutes per wek)

Topics: introduction to keyboarding, internet navigation, internet research, Microsoft Office (Word), using the computer as an interdisciplinary tool

Process: Sixth grade computer technology students will use the interactive computer software, UltraKey 5.0 to learn basic typing skills and develop their words-per-minute and typing accuracy efficiency. Students will learn basic navigation skills for the OS X operating system, as well as how to most effectively utilize Microsoft Word as a word processing application. Conducting effective and efficient web research as well as learning how to assess the reliability and validity of web-based information will be critical aspects of the course.

Music-5/6

(45 minutes per week)

Topics: The music program will focus on music theory.  Students will gain fundamental understanding and application of rhythm, melody, and some aspects of harmony.  Simple meters, scales, and rhythmic patterns as evidenced in Pre-historic Man, Ancient Greece, The Roman Empire, and Medieval Europe along with original compositions that are guided by the abilities of the students in the class will be explored.

Process: Studying the basics of musical notation and taking musical dictation as learned through basic music theory and composition will be a main vehicle for learning fundamentals.  Rehearsing excerpts, patterns, and compositions for potential presentation will also be a part of the program.

Texts: Students will create notebooks with the lessons learned each week. The school’s laptop technology will be utilized to record and burn student portfolio compact discs. A basic theory text may be used after the start of the year.

View music performances in our Video Gallery.

Spanish-5/6

(90 minutes per week)

Topics: This program will teach the fundamentals of the Spanish language by immersing the student in the Spanish language and culture.  The curriculum will expose students to four aspects of the Spanish language:  basic phonetics, basic vocabulary, basic grammar, and Spanish culture.

Process: Classes, taught predominantly in Spanish, will include:  an introduction to the Spanish alphabet and each letter’s pronunciation, vocabulary building exercises, short student/teacher dialogues in Spanish, and discussions on Spanish culture.

Texts: Students will have the opportunity to listen to level-appropriate stories in Spanish.

Physical Education-5/6

(90 minutes per week)

Topics: Movement forms, movement concepts, physical activity, physical fitness, behavior, respect for others, understanding and valuing challenge

Process: Activities achieve National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE) standards. Group Games/Initiatives, Cooperative Problem-solving, Fitness Activities (plyometrics, pilates, warm-up and stretching), Individual Sports (golf, running, jump rope), Team Sports (flag football, ultimate Frisbee, soccer)

Explorations – 7

Visual Arts-7

(90 minutes per week)

Units of Study: In seventh grade visual arts, Harford Friends School students will study global art and artistic traditions from a variety of cultures and lands including South and Central America, China, India, Africa, and the Middle East.

Process: The arts serve as the primary mode through which a culture carries its individual and collective images and ideas from one generation to another. Students will acquire the skills necessary to render objects in a realistic manner with an emphasis on proportion, perspective, shading, and shadowing. They will have attained an appreciation for fine arts and explored projects that support and enhance their academic courses.

View student artwork in our Art Gallery.

Computer Technology-7

(embedded in Humanities and Technology course curricula)

Topics: advanced internet navigation and research, Microsoft Office applications (Word, Excel, Power Point), using the computer as an interdisciplinary tool, introduction to html

Process: Students in seventh grade Humanities and Computer Technology courses will refine and advance their existing skills through the use of Microsoft applications (Word, Excel, and Power Point) in a variety of class and interdisciplinary projects. Students will also learn about web design and html.

Music-7

(45 minutes per week)

Topics: Focus will be on music history.  Students will study musical forms, styles, composers and great works, spanning the Medieval Ages, the Renaissance, the Baroque, the Classical Era, the Romantic Era, 20^th Century Music to present day.

Process: Implementing the theory skills learned during their 6^th grade year, students will analyze music scores of the greatest works from each era.  They will write written reports and give oral presentations about specific composers from each era.  Students will have periodic written quizzes.  They will also have listening quizzes, in which they will learn to identify major works from notable composers.

Texts: Students will develop a portfolio of compositions and musical styles that are studied and applied.  A music history textbook may be announced.

View performances in our Video Gallery.

Spanish-7

(90 minutes per week)

Topics: This program will extend the students’ knowledge of the Spanish language by immersing them in the Spanish language and culture.  The curriculum will expose students to four aspects of the Spanish language:  phonetics, vocabulary, grammar, and Spanish culture.

Process: Classes, taught predominantly in Spanish, will include:  lessons on forming words, phrases, and conjugating verbs, vocabulary building exercises, student/teacher dialogues in Spanish, and discussions on Spanish culture.  Students will also begin to focus on not only oral communication skills, but also written skills.

Texts: Students will have the opportunity to listen to level-appropriate stories in Spanish.  In addition, Spanish videos will be utilized to aid in exposing the students to the Hispanic culture.

Physical Education-7

(90 minutes per week)

Topics: athletic motion as demonstrated and explained through Newton’s Laws of Motion; effort as a means to self-confidence; team problem-solving; setting goals and monitoring progress; assessment and analysis of individual 1.) aerobic capacity/cardio respiratory fitness, 2.) muscular strength and endurance, 3.) flexibility, and functional movement applied to daily motion and athletic motion.

Process: Students in the “B” year of physical fitness will develop a fitness plan designed to improve and maintain specific health related fitness components. As part of the plan, students will record baseline measurements of aerobic capacity, cardio respiratory fitness, muscular strength and endurance, flexibility, and functional movement. Specific individual training techniques and team oriented activities such as soccer, flag football, Frisbee, track and field events will be used to build and measure capacities, endurance, flexibility and movement.

Explorations – 8

Visual Arts-8

(90 minutes per week)

Topics: In eighth grade visual arts, Harford Friends School students will study American art and American art history as a thread in their interdisciplinary study of American history, 1600 – 1880’s. Art applications in the commercial world as well as art evaluation and criticism will serve as points of emphasis.

Process: The arts serve as the primary mode through which a culture carries its individual and collective images and ideas from one generation to another. Students will acquire the skills necessary to render objects in a realistic manner. They will have attained an appreciation for fine arts and explored projects that support and enhance their academic courses.

View student artwork in our Art Gallery.

Computer Technology-8

(embedded in Humanities and Technology course curricula)

Topics: bibliography and note card development using Web 2.0 applications such as NoodleTools, advanced internet navigation and research, Microsoft Office applications (Word, Excel, Power Point), using the computer as an interdisciplinary tool, introduction to html, introductory web age development

Process: Students in eighth grade Humanities and Computer Technology courses will refine and advance their existing skills through the use of Microsoft applications (Word, Excel, and Power Point) in a variety of class and interdisciplinary projects. Students will also learn about web design and html by posting lessons in class onto the school’s web page.

Music-8

(45 minutes per week)

Topics: Focus will be on applying knowledge of music theory and history to students’ own compositions.  Students will compose three to four pieces that demonstrate an understanding of musical notation, compositional style and form.

Process: Students will handwrite at least two of the compositions in their notebooks, demonstrating a mastery of music notation.  They will then utilize the school’s laptop technology to compose and record their work.

Texts: Students will develop a portfolio of compositions and musical styles that are studied and applied.

View performances in our Video Gallery.

Spanish-8

(90 minutes per week)

Topics: This program will extend the students’ knowledge of the Spanish language by immersing them in the Spanish language and culture.  The curriculum will expose students to four aspects of the Spanish language:  phonetics, vocabulary, grammar, and Spanish culture.

Process: Classes, taught predominantly in Spanish, will include:  lessons on forming words, phrases, and conjugating verbs, vocabulary building exercises, student/teacher dialogues in Spanish, and discussions on Spanish culture.  Students will focus on strengthening both oral and written communication skills.

Texts: Students will have the opportunity to listen to level-appropriate stories in Spanish.  In addition, Spanish videos will be utilized to aid in exposing the students to the Hispanic culture.

Physical Education-8

(90 minutes per week)

Topics: nutrition, cultural and media perceptions of and influence on fitness; athletic physiology – understanding the skeletal and muscular structure as it relates to fitness and athletics; setting goals and monitoring progress; team sports; group and neighborhood games – the role of third-party officials in games and contests

Process: Students in “C” Year physical education classes will work to enhance their physical fitness (strength, endurance, flexibility, and functional movement) through a variety of means. In small teams, students will design, test, and teach a “neighborhood” game. Team sports will be employed to teach teamwork and sport-specific athletic movements. Students will examine the role culture and the media plays in perceptions of fitness and body image. Nutrition will be considered throughout the year in an effort to alert students to healthy and unhealthy eating habits. Students will develop goals for their own physical fitness and monitor their progress through the year.