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Middle School
Middle School Curriculum
RELIGION
We believe
• Scripture has relevant meaning for life today.
• The early history of the Church has a profound impact on the current church today.
• The doctrine and dogma of the church are found in the Creedal statements.
We worship
• Sacraments are important moments in the life of the community, especially the centrality of the Eucharist.
• The Eucharistic Liturgy (the Mass) is the communal celebration of the Paschal Mystery in which each person is called to full and active participation.
We pray
• Catholic prayer and traditions are an important aspect of the life of the Church.
We live
• Moral teachings give individuals the ability to make good moral decisions and to act in a responsible, Christian manner.
• The seven key principles of the Catholic Social Teachings can be applied to personal and societal situations.
We are God’s Family
• Each person is drawn to God who, in creating them, has placed a desire for happiness in their hearts.
• The Church is the People of God, the Body of Christ, and the Community of Faith.
• The church expresses basic principles of Catholic teaching on the family.
COMMUNICATION ARTS
Reading
• Draw conclusions, infer, and analyze by citing textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly, as well as inferences drawn from the text
• Using appropriate text, determine the theme(s) of a text and cite evidence of its development; summarize the text
• Analyze how a particular sentence, chapter, scene, stanza, or image contributes to meaning
• Describe how a particular text’s plot unfolds in a series of episodes as well as how the characters respond or change as the plot moves toward a resolution
• Compare and contrast texts in different genres that address similar themes or topics
• Explain how plot and conflict reflect historical and/or cultural contexts.
• Read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poems, independently and proficiently
• Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in the text, including figurative, connotative, and content-specific meanings using context, affixes, or reference materials
• Interpret visual elements of a text including those from different media and draw conclusions from them.
• Analyze how a particular sentence, paragraph, section, or image contributes to meaning
• Explain how an author's point of view or purpose is conveyed in a text
• Analyze how word choice, including the use of figurative language, connotations, and/or repetition, contributes to meaning
• Identify an author's argument in a text and distinguish claims that are supported by reasons and evidence from claims that are not
• Compare and contrast the experience of reading a text to listening to or viewing an audio or video version of the same text, noting how a performance impacts personal interpretation
• Compare and contrast one author’s presentation of events with that of another
• Explain how a text reflects historical and/or cultural contexts.
• Read and comprehend informational text independently and proficiently
Writing
• Conduct research from several sources to answer a question
• Develop informative/explanatory writing to examine a topic with relevant facts, examples, and details
• Develop argumentative writing by introducing and supporting a claim with clear reasons and relevant evidence
• Organize the content by introducing the topic, maintaining a clear focus throughout the text, and providing a conclusion that follows the text
• Choose precise language; establish and maintain appropriate and consistent style; write in complete sentences
• Demonstrate a command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage
• Use transitions to clarify relationships, connect ideas and claims, and signal time shifts
• Use technology, including the internet, to produce and publish writing, as well as to interact and collaborate with others
• Review, revise, and edit writing with consideration for the task, purpose, and audience
Language
• Apply conventions of the standard English language
Speaking & Listening
• Follow rules for collegial discussions and decision-making, track progress toward specific goals and deadlines, and define individual roles as needed
• Delineate a speaker’s argument and claims in order to pose and respond to specific questions with elaboration and detail by making comments that contribute to the topic, text, or issue under discussion
• Review the key ideas expressed by a speaker including those presented in diverse media, and demonstrate understanding of multiple perspectives through reflection and paraphrasing
• Speak clearly, audibly, to the point, and with appropriate volume using conventions of language as appropriate to task, purpose, and audience when presenting
• Position body to face the audience when speaking, and make eye contact with listeners at various intervals using gestures to communicate a clear viewpoint
• Plan and deliver appropriate presentations based on the task, audience, and purpose including multimedia components in presentations to clarify claims, findings, and ideas
• Adjust one's use of spoken, written, and visual language to communicate effectively with a variety of audiences and for a variety of purposes
MATH
Ratios & Proportional Relationships
• Understand and use ratios to solve problems
Number Sense & Operations
• Apply and extend previous understandings of multiplication and division to divide fractions by fractions
• Apply and extend previous understanding of numbers to the systems of rational numbers
Expressions, Equations & Inequalities
• Apply and extend previous understandings of arithmetic to algebraic expressions
• Reason about and solve one-variable equations and inequalities
• Represent and analyze quantitative relationships between dependent and independent variables
Geometry & Measurement
• Solve problems involving area, surface area, and volume
Data Analysis, Statistics, & Probability
• Develop understanding of statistical variability
• Summarize and describe distributions
SCIENCE
• NGSS Space Systems
• NGSS History of Earth
• NGSS Earth's Systems
• NGSS Weather & Climate
• NGSS Human Impacts
• Engineering Design
SOCIAL STUDIES
• Geography
• Civics (Governmental Systems & Principles)
• Settlements (World Geography and Cultures)
• Economics
• History (Continuity & Change)
• Conflict & Crisis
• People Groups & Cultures
• WORLD HISTORY
TECHNOLOGY
Computing Systems
• Evaluate the design of computing devices, based on the characteristics of each device and how users interact with it, to improve the overall user experience
• Design projects that combine hardware and software to collect and exchange data
• Develop a systematic troubleshooting routine to identify the problem, research solutions, and fix problems with computing devices, components, and software
Networks & Internet
• Model the different ways that data is transferred across a network and the protocols used to transmit the data
• Recognize and determine computer threats and be able to identify programs and methods to protect electronic information
• Demonstrate how data is transmitted through multiple methods of encryption
Data Analysis
• Represent data using multiple encoding schemes
• Collect data using computational tools and display it for the end user in an easy to understand way
Algorithms & Programming
• Analyze methods to refine computational models based on received data
• Design algorithms with flow charts and/or pseudocode to show solutions to complex problems
• Create clearly named variables to store and manipulate information
• Design and develop combinations of control structures, nested loops, and compound conditionals
• Decompose problems and subproblems into parts to facilitate the design, implementation, and review of programs
• Create procedures with parameters to organize code and make it easier to reuse
• Use feedback from team members and users to refine solutions to meet user needs
• Use flowcharts and/or pseudocode to solve problems using algorithms
• Test and refine programs using a range of test cases
• Manage project tasks and timelines when collaboratively developing computational artifacts
Digital Citizenship
• Compare tradeoffs associated with computing technologies that have impacted people's activities, careers, and lives when solving global problems using the power of computing
• Give proper attribution to code, media, etc. that are used in projects
• Discuss issues of bias and accessibility in the design of existing technologies
• Collaborate through strategies such as crowdsourcing or surveys when creating a computational artifact
• Describe tradeoffs between allowing information to be public and keeping information private and secure
Innovative Designer
• Know and use a deliberate design process for generating ideas, testing theories, creating innovative artifacts, or solving authentic problems
• Select and use digital tools to plan and manage a design process that considers design constraints and calculated risk
• Develop, test, and refine prototypes as part of a cyclical design process
• Exhibit a tolerance for ambiguity, perseverance, and the capacity to work with open-ended problems
ART
Create
• Combine concepts collaboratively to generate innovative ideas for creating art
• Formulate an artistic investigation of personally relevant content for creating art
• Demonstrate openness in trying new ideas, materials, methods, and approaches in making works of art and design
• Explain environmental implications of conservation, care, and clean-up of art materials, tools, and equipment
• Design or redesign objects, places, or systems that meet the identified needs of diverse users
• Reflect on whether personal artwork conveys the intended meaning and revise accordingly
Present
• Analyze similarities and differences associated with preserving and presenting two-dimensional, three-dimensional, and digital artwork
• Individually or collaboratively, develop a visual plan for displaying works of art by analyzing exhibit space and layout, as well as the needs of the viewer
• Assess, explain, and provide evidence of how museums or other venues reflect history and values of a community
Respond
• Identify and interpret works of art or design that reveal how people live around the world and what they value
• Analyze ways that visual components and cultural associations suggested by images influence ideas, emotions, and actions
• Interpret art by distinguishing between relevant and non-relevant contextual information and analyzing subject matter, characteristics of form and structure, and use of media to identify ideas and mood conveyed
• Develop and apply relevant criteria to evaluate a work of art
Connect
• Generate a collection of ideas reflecting current interests and concerns that could be investigated in art-making
• Analyze how art reflects changing times, traditions, resources, and cultural uses
MUSIC
Create
• Generate simple rhythmic, melodic, and harmonic phrases within AB and ABA forms that convey expressive intent
• Select, organize, construct, and document personal musical ideas for arrangements and compositions within AB or ABA form that demonstrate an effective beginning, middle, and ending, and that convey expressive intent
• Use standard notation and/or audio/video recording to document personal simple rhythmic phrases, melodic phrases, and two chord harmonic musical ideas
• Evaluate one's own work, applying teacher-provided criteria such as application of selected elements of music and use of sound sources
• Describe the rationale for making revisions to the music based on evaluation criteria and teacher feedback
• Present the final version of a documented personal composition or arrangement, using craftsmanship and originality to demonstrate an effective beginning, middle, and ending and to convey expressive intent
Perform
• Explain and demonstrate the structure of contrasting pieces of music selected for performance and how elements of music are used.
• When analyzing selected music, read, identify, and perform standard symbols for rhythm, pitch, articulation, dynamics, and harmonic progression
• Identify how cultural and historical context inform performances
• Perform a selected piece of music demonstrating how interpretations of the elements of music and the expressive qualities convey intent
• Identify and apply teacher-provided criteria to rehearse, refine, and determine when a piece is ready to perform
• Perform the music with technical accuracy to convey the creator's intent
• Demonstrate performance decorum and audience etiquette appropriate for venue and purpose
Respond
• Select or choose music to listen to and explain the connections to specific interests or experiences for a specific purpose
• Demonstrate and describe how a response to music can be informed by the structure, the use of the elements of music, and the context (such as personal and social)
• Identify the context of music from a variety of genres, cultures, and historical periods
• Describe a personal interpretation of how creators' and performers' application of the elements of music and expressive qualities, within genres and cultural and historical context, convey expressive intent
• Apply teacher-provided criteria to evaluate musical works or performances
Connect
• Demonstrate how interests, knowledge, and skills relate to personal choices and intent when creating, performing, and responding to music
• Demonstrate understanding of relationships between music and the other arts, other disciplines, varied contexts, and daily life
P.E. & HEALTH
Movement & Manipulative Skills
• Demonstrate competency in a variety of motor skills and movement patterns
Strategy & Applying Skills
• Practice strategic thinking skills in a variety of team-oriented games and activities
• Work cooperatively to apply strategic offensive and defensive strategies in team activities by analyzing which would work best based on opponent's strategies
Health & Fitness
• Analyze the impact of physical activity choices relative to the development of each health-related component of fitness
• Establish, measure, and monitor a self-selected physical activity goal for health-related components of fitness
• Demonstrate appropriate stretching, warm-up, and cool-down activities
• Identify the major muscle groups used in a variety of physical activities
• Identify foods in each basic food group and the importance of selecting appropriate servings and portions
• Explain the importance of being physically active throughout one's life span
• Identify positive and negative effects of stress and appropriate strategies to combat and manage/eliminate the negative effects. Implement strategies and reflect on one's progress over time
• Engage in aerobic physical activity in a variety of individual and team-oriented games and activities
• Identify the components of skill-related fitness
Attitude & Behavior
• Exhibit responsible personal and social behavior that respects self and others (attitude and behavior)
RELIGION
We believe
• Scripture has great meaning for life today
• The early history of the church has a profound impact on the current Church today
• The doctrine and dogma of the church are found in the Creedal statements
• The Trinity is revealed to all people in the person, word, and works of Jesus
We worship
• Sacraments are important moments in the life of the community, especially the centrality of the Eucharist
• The Eucharistic Liturgy (the Mass) is the communal celebration of the Paschal Mystery in which each person is called to full and active participation
We pray
• Catholic prayer and traditions are an important aspect of the life of the church
We live
• Moral teachings give individuals the ability to make good moral decisions and to act in a responsible, Christian manner
• The seven key principles of the Catholic Social Teachings can be applied to personal and societal situations
We are God’s Family
• Each person is drawn to God who, in creating them, has placed a desire for happiness in their hearts
• The church expresses basic principles of Catholic teaching on the family
COMMUNICATION ARTS
Reading
• Draw conclusions, infer, and analyze by citing several pieces of textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly, as well as inferences drawn from the text
• Using appropriate text, determine the theme(s) of a text and explain the relationship between the theme(s) and supporting evidence
• Summarize the text distinct from personal opinions
• Analyze how an author develops and contrasts the points of view of different characters or narrators in a text
• Analyze how specific word choices contribute to meaning and tone
• Analyze how the setting, characters, and plot of a text affect each other
• Explain how characters and settings reflect historical and/or cultural
• Read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poems, independently and proficiently
• Analyze how an author develops his/her point of view or purpose and distinguishes it from those of others
• Evaluate an author's argument, assessing whether the reasoning is sound and the evidence is relevant and sufficient to support the claims
• Explain how contemporary texts make use of archetypical characters or universal themes from older or traditional texts
• Establish a personal connection within various forms of literature in regards to personal faith, family, and community
Writing
• Conduct research to answer questions
• Review, revise, and edit writing with consideration for task, purpose, and audience
• Use appropriate and precise language for the style, task, and audience
Language
• Demonstrate command of the conventions of English grammar and usage
• Explain and use the eight parts of speech: noun, pronoun, verb, adjective, adverb, preposition, conjunction, interjection
• Explain and use periods, commas, semicolons, colons, quotation marks, apostrophes, hyphens, dashes, question marks, exclamation points, underlining, and capitalization
Speaking & Listening
• Follow rules for collegial discussions and decision-making, track progress toward specific goals and deadlines, and define individual roles as needed
• Delineate a speaker’s argument and claims, evaluating reasoning in order to pose questions that elicit elaboration, and respond to others' questions and comments with relevant observations and ideas that bring the discussion back on topic as needed
• Acknowledge new information expressed by others including those presented in diverse media and, when warranted, modify their own views
• Speak clearly, audibly, and to the point using conventions of language as appropriate to task, purpose, and audience when presenting, including appropriate volume at an understandable pace
• Position body to face the audience when speaking, and make eye contact with listeners at various intervals using effective gestures to communicate a clear viewpoint
• Plan and deliver appropriate presentations based on the task, audience, and purpose including multimedia components in presentations to clarify claims and findings and emphasize significant points
• Use spoken, written, and visual language to accomplish one's own purpose
• Adjust one's use of spoken, written, and visual language to communicate effectively with a variety of audiences and for different purposes
MATH
Ratios and Important Relationships
• Analyze proportional relationships and use them to solve problems
Number Sense & Operations
• Apply and extend previous understandings of operations to add, subtract, multiply, and divide rational numbers
Expressions, Equations, & Inequalities
• Use of properties of operations to generate equivalent expressions
• Solve problems using numerical and algebraic expressions and equations
Data Analysis, Statistics, & Probability
• Draw informal comparative inferences about two populations
SCIENCE
Structure & Function and Information Processing
• Provide evidence that organisms are made of cells and that a single cell must carry out all of the basic functions of life.
• Use arguments supported by evidence for how the body is a system of interacting subsystems composed of groups of cells.
• Present evidence that body systems interact to carry out key body functions, including providing nutrients and oxygen to cells, removing carbon dioxide and waste from cells and the body, controlling body motion/activity and coordination, and protecting the body.
Matter & Energy in Organisms & Ecosystems
• Construct a scientific explanation based on evidence for the role of photosynthesis and cellular respiration in the cycling of matter and flow of energy into and out of organisms.
• Develop a model to describe how food is rearranged through chemical reactions forming new molecules that support growth and/or release energy as this matter moves through an organism.
• Analyze and interpret data to provide evidence for the effects of resource availability on individual organisms and populations of organisms in an ecosystem.
• Develop a model to describe the cycling of matter and flow of energy among living and nonliving parts of an ecosystem.
Interdependent Relationships in Ecosystems
• Construct an explanation that predicts patterns of interactions among organisms across multiple ecosystems.
• Evaluate competing design solutions for maintaining biodiversity and ecosystem services
Growth Development & Reproduction of Organisms
• Construct a scientific explanation based on evidence for how environmental and genetic factors influence the growth, structure, and function of organisms.
• Develop and use a model to describe why asexual reproduction results in offspring with identical genetic information and sexual reproduction results in offspring with genetic variation.
• Gather and synthesize information about the technologies that have changed the way humans influence the inheritance of desired traits in organisms.
Natural Selection & Adaptations
• Analyze displays of pictorial data to compare patterns of similarities in the embryological development across multiple species to identify relationships not evident in the fully formed anatomy
• Construct an explanation based on evidence that describes how genetic variations of traits in a population increase some individuals' probability of surviving and reproducing in a specific environment.
• Use mathematical representations to support explanations of how natural selection may lead to increases and decreases of specific traits in populations over time.
SOCIAL STUDIES
• World Geography
• Cultures
• Civics
• Economics
• Geography
• History
• People, Groups, and Cultures
ART
Create
• Apply methods to overcome creative blocks
• Develop criteria to guide making a work of art or design to meet an identified goal
• Demonstrate persistence in developing skills with various materials, methods, and approaches in creating works of art or design
• Demonstrate awareness of ethical responsibility to oneself and others when posting and sharing images and other materials through the internet, social media, and other communication formats
• Reflect on and explain important information about personal artwork in an artist statement or another format
Present
• Compare and contrast how technologies have changed the way artwork is preserved, presented, and experienced
Respond
• Analyze multiple ways that images influence specific audiences
• Compare and explain the difference between an evaluation of an artwork based on personal criteria and an evaluation of an artwork based on a set of established criteria
Connect
• Analyze how response to art is influenced by understanding the time and place in which it was created, the available resources, and cultural uses
MUSIC
Create
• Generate rhythmic, melodic, and harmonic phrases and variations over harmonic accompaniments within AB, ABA, or theme and variation forms that convey expressive intent
• Evaluate one's own work, applying selected criteria such as appropriate application of elements of music including style, form, and use of sound sources
Perform
• When analyzing selected music in treble and bass clef, read, identify, and perform standard symbols for rhythm, pitch, articulation, dynamics, tempo, form, and harmonic progression
• Identify how cultural and historical context inform performances and result in different music interpretations
• Identify and apply collaboratively-developed criteria to rehearse, refine, and determine when the music is ready to perform
• Perform music with technical accuracy and stylistic expression to convey the creator's intent
• Demonstrate performance decorum and audience etiquette appropriate for venue, purpose, and context
Respond
• Demonstrate and explain how responses to music are informed by the structure, the use of elements of music, and context.
• Describe a personal interpretation of contrasting works and explain how creators' and performers' application of the elements of music and expressive qualities, within genres, cultures, and historical periods, convey expressive intent
Connect
• Demonstrate how interests, knowledge, and skills relate to personal choices and intent when creating, performing, and responding to music
• Demonstrate understanding of relationships between music and the other arts, other disciplines, varied contexts, and daily life
P.E. & HEALTH
Movement & Manipulative Skills
• Demonstrate competency in a variety of motor skills and movement patterns
Strategy & Applying Skills
• Analyze and communicate strategic thinking in a variety of team-oriented games and activities
• Work cooperatively to apply strategies in team activities
Health & Fitness
• Engage in aerobic physical activity in a variety of individual and team-oriented games and activities
• Establish, measure, and monitor a self-selected physical activity goal for health and skill related components of fitness
• Identify the major muscle groups used in a variety of physical activities and describe how muscles work in pairs to create movement
• Identify healthy and unhealthy foods in each basic food group, compare and contrast their nutritional values, and cite evidence when explaining the importance of selecting appropriate servings and portions
• Explain the importance of being physically active throughout one's life
• span and how an active lifestyle can reduces the risk of chronic disease
• Identify positive and negative effects of stress and appropriate strategies to combat and manage/eliminate the negative effects. Implement strategies and reflect on one's progress over time
• Create an appropriate routine of stretching, warm-up, and cool-down activities
Attitude & Behavior
• Exhibit responsible personal and social behavior that respects self and others
RELIGION
• Articulate how the Bible was inspired by God and illustrate the many different literary styles found within the Bible
• Use Scripture for prayer and liturgy
• Transfer ideas from Scripture to daily life
• Diagram the major historical events of the Church
• Defend how the most current teachings of the Church were set out during the most recent council gathering - Vatican Council II
• Justify why knowledge of the history of the Church is essential to a proper understanding of the faith
• Discuss the impact of the history of the Church in the United States
• Argue how tradition is ongoing and yet evolving
• Characterize the lives of modern saints
• Explain how there is only one true God who is revealed as three distinct persons: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit
• Justify how Jesus is Christ, the Messiah, the anointed one sent by God
• Demonstrate how the Resurrection is God's victory over sin and death and a source of life
• Explain why Jesus' passion, death, resurrection, and glorification is called the Paschal Mystery
• Argue why, by the grace of Baptism, each person is called to share in the life of the Blessed Trinity here on earth and after death in eternal life
• Defend why God created the world to show His glory
• Deduce why the Incarnation is the mystery of the union of the divine and human natures in the person of Jesus, the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity
• Explain how, through the power of the Holy Spirit, God gave the world Jesus through Mary
• Explain how the Sacraments are actions of the risen Christ acting through His Church to love, heal, and call each person to change
• Express how, through the Sacrament of Baptism, each person is called to serve, witness, and proclaim the Good News
• Debate how the Eucharist, that was instituted by Christ at the Last Supper, is the real presence of Christ among the faithful
• The Eucharistic Liturgy (the Mass) is the communal celebration of the Paschal Mystery in which each person is called to full and active participation
• Discuss how the Church gathers at the Eucharistic Liturgy to celebrate the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus
• Justify why the Eucharistic Liturgy is the central prayer of the Catholic community
• Argue for the real presence of Christ in the bread and wine offered at the Eucharistic Liturgy
• Compare and contrast the liturgical seasons, feasts, and solemnities of the Church year
• Compare and contrast the liturgical ministries
• Compare and contrast the two main parts of the Eucharistic celebration, the Liturgy of the Word, the Liturgy of the Eucharist, as well as two smaller rites, the Introductory Rite and the Concluding Rite
• Justify the importance of song, silence, response, gesture, and movement in the Eucharistic Liturgy
• Explain how Christ is present in the person of the minister, in the Eucharistic elements, in the Word, and in the gathered assembly
• Describe and defend why the primary liturgical symbols are the altar, the ambo, the assembly, the presider's chair, and the baptismal font
• Defend the need for ritual
• Evaluate one's responsibility to fully and actively participate in the Eucharistic Liturgy
• Compare and contrast the liturgical seasons and how the scripture and environment reflect the season
• Articulate how the lectionary contains the readings for the three-year cycle of the Sunday Eucharistic Liturgy
• Explain the importance of environment and art and how it relates to liturgical seasons and enhances worship
• Explain the seasons of the Church year: Advent/Christmas, Lent/Easter, and Ordinary Time
• Determine how the Eucharistic Liturgy prepares the faithful for how to be in the world--a people of welcome, service, and prayer
• We Pray Catholic prayer and traditions are an important aspect of the life of the church
• Explain the need to show our appreciation for the Word of God by attentive listening and responding to it in life
• Defend the need for active and conscious participation in liturgy and other prayer experiences
• Experience all forms of prayer
• Experience community prayer by praying in a group, attending prayer services or liturgies, and visiting the church
• Locate and use a variety of liturgical planning resources for liturgies and other prayer experiences
• Compose prayers for specific events, celebrations, and prayer services
• Learn the responses of the liturgy as prayer
• Explain why prayer is central in a Catholic Christian life, particularly in celebration of the liturgy
• Defend how the Psalms, which are prayers Jesus prayed while on earth, remain an important part of Catholic worship today
• Articulate the practical role of prayer in sustaining a God-centered life
• Justify how each person develops a relationship with God through personal prayer
• Recite and explain the traditional prayers of the Church
• Acknowledge and show appreciation for the traditional prayers of the Church
• Explain how moral values come from the teachings of Jesus
• Describe the communal aspect of sin
• Prove how the Ten Commandments, Jesus' Great Commandment of Love, the Beatitudes, and Jesus' teachings are the foundation to be used in the process of making good, moral decisions
• Assess how Christian values help each person make social, economic, and political choices that build the kingdom of God
• The Catholic Social Teachings can be applied to personal and societal situations
• Describe how Jesus faced prejudice during His life on earth and defend His response as model for Christians today
• Demonstrate how Jesus models love, respect, and reverence for human life
• Examine the importance of participating in society and contributing to the common good, and defend the need to advance the common good in society
• Compare and contrast how the Church has addressed social justice issues and how more needs to be done
• Justify why, as Christians, each person is called to put the poor first
• Communicate why the Beatitudes are a blueprint for a Christian life
• Dramatize what it means to be a sign of contradiction to society's values
• Explain how, by virtue of Baptism and Confirmation, every Christian is called to service and that this call is fulfilled through a variety of lifestyles and ministries
• Demonstrate how being a Christian influences our values and priorities
• Document the underlying issues of labor disputes and legislation in place to protect workers
• Defend the need to be committed to world peace and how to work for it
• Show how a consumer culture impacts each person and the earth and how we can use our personal talents to care for the earth
• Describe how God calls each person by name
• Articulate and examine reasons for believing in God
• The Church is the People of God, the Body of Christ, and the Community of Faith
• Explain the history, work, and role of religious orders and the call to religious life today
• Demonstrate how, through baptism, each person is called to be active participants in the community of faith
• Articulate how the Catholic Church is a global community
• Show how the heritage of various cultures enrich the experience and tradition of the Church
• Express how each Christian, single, married, cleric, or religious, is called by Baptism to follow Christ and minister to others
• Show how lay women and men contribute to their faith community through their parish community, as well as their daily witness to Gospel values
• Explain how ordained priesthood, diaconate, and religious life are specific responses to the Baptismal call to minister in a special way to God's people
• Describe how all family members develop in mind, body, and spirit through communication
• Defend how life within the Catholic Christian family is the responsibility of each member
• Explain the need for respect of the reproductive function of the human body
• Explain the nature and importance of sexuality as a divine gift, a fundamental component of personality, and an enrichment of the whole person - body, emotions, soul
• Justify how chastity is a virtue that develops a person's authentic maturity and makes him or her capable of guiding the sexual instinct in the service of love and integrating it into his or her psychological and spiritual development
• Explain the human and Christian values that sexuality is intended to express
• Defend the need to respect the moral norms regarding sexuality that are taught by the Church
• Justify why chastity is a virtue that develops a person's authentic maturity and makes him or her capable of guiding the sexual instinct in the service of love and integrating it into his or her psychological and spiritual development
• Examine the human and Christian values that sexuality is intended to express
• Identify the moral norms regarding sexuality that are taught by the Church
COMMUNICATION ARTS
• Draw conclusions, infer, and analyze by citing the textual evidence that most strongly supports an analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text
• Using appropriate text, determine the theme(s) of a text and analyze its development over the course of a text
• Analyze how specific word choices and sentence structures contribute to meaning and tone
• Analyze how literary devices are used to develop setting, reveal character, advance the plot, and contribute to meaning
• Analyze the extent to which a filmed or live production of a story or drama stays faithful to or departs from the text or script, evaluating the choices made by the director or actors
• Explain how themes reflect historical and/or cultural contexts
• Read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poems, independently and proficiently
• Compare and contrast information presented in different mediums and analyze how the techniques unique to each medium contribute to meaning in literary and informational texts
• Read and comprehend informational text independently and proficiently
• Explain the central/main idea(s) of an informational text and analyze its development over the course of a text
• Analyze how an author's choice concerning a text's form or overall structure contributes to meaning
• Identify and explain the author's use of symbols in literature and their effect on the overall meaning of a story or character development
• Read a wide range of literature from many periods in many genres to build an understanding of the many dimensions of the human experience
• Participate as knowledgeable, reflective, and creative members of a variety of literacy communities
• Establish a personal connection within various forms of literature in regards to personal faith, family, and community
• Analyze and interpret characters' motivations and roles in connection to real-world situations and people or groups
• Analyze how differences in the points of view of the characters and the audience or reader create dramatic irony
• Understand how literature serves as a vehicle through which different perspectives of the human experience can add valuable insight and knowledge
• Conduct research to answer a question (including self-generated question)
• Use the writing process to produce clear/coherent writing
• Develop narratives, including poems, about real/imagined experiences that establish/maintain a consistent point of view
• Develop informative/explanatory writing
• Develop argumentative writing
• Review, revise, and edit writing with consideration for the task, purpose, and audience
• Introduce the topic, maintain a clear focus throughout the text, provide a conclusion that follows from the text; add or delete content and change organization to achieve one's purpose
• Use a variety of appropriate transitions to clarify relationships, connect ideas and claims, and signal time shifts
• Use technology, including the Internet, to produce/publish writing, present the relationships between information and ideas efficiently, and interact/collaborate with others
• Demonstrate a command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage.
• Respond to others' questions and comments with relevant evidence, observations, and ideas
• Acknowledge new information expressed by others, including those presented in diverse media and, when warranted, qualify or justify their own views in light of evidence presented
• Speak audibly and to the point using conventions of language as appropriate to task, purpose, and audience when presenting, including appropriate volume, clear articulation, and accurate pronunciation at an understandable pace
• Make consistent eye contact with a range of listeners when speaking, using effective gestures to communicate a clear viewpoint and engage listeners
• Plan and deliver appropriate presentations based on the task, audience, and purpose integrating multimedia into presentations to clarify information, strengthen claims and evidence, and add interest
• Effectively participate in Socratic seminars including reading, note-taking, and question planning
MATH
• Pre-Algebra
• Algebra
SCIENCE
• NGSS Forces & Interactions
• NGSS Energy
SOCIAL STUDIES
• American History through 1870
• Beginning settlements through Civil War
• Reconstruction through Modern history
• Civics (Governmental Systems & Principles)
• Settlements
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