Summer Courses for Grades 6-8

Through reading, analyzing, and responding in writing to both contemporary and classic texts, students will develop critical literacy skills, improve comprehension, and hone their critical thinking and writing abilities in this summer course. With engaging readings and lively, relevant discussions, students can expect to understand the fundamentals of organization, style, and content in order to analyze an author’s intent -- and, in turn, strengthen their own writing skills. Enhanced by lessons on grammar, mechanics, and vocabulary, this course will also focus on composing narrative, expository, and argumentative works.

(1 credit)

Through reading, analyzing, and responding in writing to both contemporary and classic texts, students will develop critical literacy skills, improve comprehension, and hone their critical thinking and writing abilities in this summer course. With engaging readings and lively, relevant discussions, students can expect to understand the fundamentals of organization, style, and content in order to analyze an author’s intent -- and, in turn, strengthen their own writing skills. Enhanced by lessons on grammar, mechanics, and vocabulary, this course will also focus on composing narrative, expository, and argumentative works.

(1 credit)

Bienvenue to this summer introductory French class! Students will embark on the exciting journey of language acquisition by studying the fundamental building blocks of French, focusing on the four key areas of world language study: listening comprehension, speaking, reading, and writing. Extensive use of authentic materials (video, audio, images, texts) will provide students a contextualized and interactive presentation of the vocabulary and the linguistic structures, setting them up for success in future language learnings. Students can expect to work collaboratively and independently as they formulate and test hypotheses about different aspects of the French language, all the while developing metacognitive strategies to process and negotiate the meaning of new vocabulary. Consistent and relevant francophonic references and materials will further immerse students as they start their foray into French language and culture.

(1 credit)

Using the tools introduced in earlier work, this summer class will build on existing francophone concepts and provide students with fresh insights and understanding of French language and culture. Using many forms of francophone media, from music to film to news articles and more, students will increase their access to various French concepts while exploring more sophisticated vocabulary, grammar, and structure concepts. With a goal of helping students not just learn French, but learn to love it, students will interact with each other and the culture in new ways, applying their content language through exciting projects -- such as recording podcasts, exchanging correspondence with francophone students, creating an itinerary for a trip, analyzing modern French movies, and more. By the end of the course students will demonstrate ability in discussing current events in French, conversing or debating with French speakers, and identifying the nuances of the language. Departmental permission required.

(1 credit)

In this summer course that introduces students to a range of basic Mandarin vocabulary and grammatical concepts, students can expect to form a clear understanding of the fundamental building blocks of language study: listening comprehension, speaking, reading, and writing. From the Mandarin alphabet and numbers to basic descriptions of people, places, food, animals, and more, this course lays the necessary groundwork for a thriving, immersive Mandarin experience. Extensive use of authentic materials (video, audio, images, texts) will provide students a contextualized and interactive presentation of the vocabulary and the linguistic structures, setting them up for success in future language learnings. Students can expect to work collaboratively and independently as they formulate and test hypotheses about different aspects of the Mandarin language, all the while developing metacognitive strategies to process and negotiate the meaning of new vocabulary.

(1 credit)

Using the tools introduced in earlier work, this summer class will build on existing Mandarin concepts and provide students with fresh insights and understanding of Chinese language and culture. Using many forms of Chinese media, from music to film to news articles and more, students will increase their access to various concepts while exploring more sophisticated vocabulary, grammar, and structures. This course emphases spelling with the pinyin system, tone accuracy, numbers, calendar components and time, basic greetings, character writing, and grammatical structures. With a goal of helping students not just learn Mandarin, but learn to love it, students will interact with each other and the culture through in-class writing drills, engaging quizzes, conversation practices, and grammar drills, building on their ability to converse in the language. Departmental permission required.

(1 credit)

Bienvenidos to this summer course that introduces students to a range of basic Spanish vocabulary and grammatical concepts. From the Spanish alphabet and numbers to basic descriptions of people, places, food, animals, and more, this course lays the necessary groundwork for a thriving, immersive Spanish experience. Students will learn concepts behind feminine and masculine nouns, plural, negatives, present-tense verbs, and the irregular verbs “to have” and “to be.” A range of Spanish reading strategies will be introduced and students will develop an understanding of both oral and written Spanish words, including a special focus on pronunciation and intonation.

(1 credit)

Using concepts from Spanish 1, this summer course will advance students into more sophisticated levels of Spanish language understanding. From conversational topics on daily routines, shopping, and finding one’s way around to planning parties, playing sports, and participating in leisure activities, the Spanish vocabulary in this course will further immerse students in this popular and useful language, setting them up for a solid understanding of concepts and phrases. Students will cover conjugation of regular and irregular verbs, making negative statements, possessive adjectives, reflexive verbs, the preterit tense, and the immediate future -- and will use their new skills to make comparisons between their own cultures and those of the Spanish-speaking world. Departmental permission required.

(1 credit)

This summer introductory course to Algebra will introduce students to abstract mathematics concepts and thinking, and enable them to begin developing an understanding of pro-numeration concepts. By applying mathematical expressions, equations, and graphs to a variety of real-life examples, students will begin to see how algebraic concepts show up in their daily lives. They can expect to learn graphing, order of operations, linear equations and inequalities, logic, rational and irrational numbers, radicals, proportions, application of percentages, and more, and they’ll be given ample and varied opportunities to demonstrate their knowledge. Departmental permission required.

(1 credit)

Introducing students to the elementary rules of mathematics is the core of our rigorous Algebra I course in which students build a strong foundation for future mathematics. Through explorations into solving and graphing linear equations and inequalities, as well as simplifying exponential, radical, and polynomial expressions, students will discover the awe-inspiring theories behind math, and can expect to master concepts like quadratic and radical equations. During the summer, students will get the opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge through collaborative work, unit exams, and investigations. Departmental permission required.

(1 credit)

In this summer course, students will focus on the theorems of Euclid and the exploration of formal proofs as they strive to not just understand their concepts and properties, but to connect them to the application of numerical and problem-solving solutions. Students will progress through the study of triangle properties and into the three basic trigonometric ratios, working on problems involving two- and three-dimensional objects and the calculation of area, surface area, and volume. The Honors section of Geometry takes a deeper look into these concepts and offers more challenging assignments and projects. Departmental permission required.

(1 credit)

In this summer overview of the four basic elements of the Earth system -- atmosphere, hydrosphere, geosphere, and biosphere -- students will be introduced to a range of Earth science concepts, including geology, meteorology, oceanography, climatology, environmental science and astronomy. They can expect to develop an understanding of the physical world in which we live, including applications of how the earth sciences have had a direct effect on our lives, and the ways humans impact the environment.

(1 credit)

By exploring matter and energy through chemistry and physics topics, students in this summer course will conduct labs and simulations, analyze their findings, and develop an appreciation for the world of science. Students can expect to dive in to topics like atoms and molecules, the periodic table of elements, chemical reactions, motion and gravity, forms of energy, and much more, supplemented by engaging class discussions and independent work.

(1 credit)

A look at the beginnings of the United States through to its present-day positioning forms the core of this summer course for middle schoolers. Students can expect to better understand a variety of compelling historical questions, including the role the new environment played in establishing societies in America, the effect the first settlers had on Native American communities and cultures, the Constitutional Convention and the compromises it required among parties, and the U.S.’s role in world affairs, both past and present. Exploring patterns of population, uses and abuses of power, spiritual life and moral codes, science, technology, and the environment, and much more, students will develop the historical thinking skills to prepare them for future studies in history and related subjects.

(1 credit)

From understanding humans’ earliest ancestors to the eventual emergence of cities, societies, and empires, topics covered in this introductory study of world history help students explore how civilizations were established and how the past can serve as a platform for modern-day understanding. Students can expect compelling discussions and readings on social classes, belief systems, trade, the causes and consequences of cities’ developments and collapses, and how natural disasters and political failures play a role in a city’s longevity.

(1 credit)

Understanding how computer programming can be used as a tool for problem solving is the foundation of this introductory course, where students will explore Python, one of the most widely used and versatile programming languages in the world. Through challenging and exciting coding assignments, students will discover procedural programming through Python, covering such constructs as loops, condition statements, variables, data types, lists, and functions. From challenges like code breaking to solving puzzles through simulations, this summer course will lay a solid groundwork for students interested in coding, and serves as a launchpad for more advanced Computer Science courses. No previous programming experience required.

(1 credit)