Academics

While in our classrooms, your student will be learning about these topics and developing the ability to:

• Develop an understanding of aesthetics and art criticism
• Review and use the elements of art and the principles of design to produce works of art and demonstrates an understanding of composition
• Experiences techniques in a variety of art media: drawing, painting, printmaking, mixed media, and sculpture
• Solve visual problems
• Communicate artistic intent
• View art of different times and cultures
• Create a portfolio to record their critiques of art works and to develop, revise, and evaluate their works
• Be involved in creative endeavors which support the Minnesota Academic Standards in the Arts

While in our classrooms, your student will be learning about these topics and developing the ability to:

• Support ideas and arguments using evidence from multiple credible sources
• Use technology tools to communicate effectively with others
• Write complete, effective sentences.paragraphs, and essays for a variety of purposes
• Analyze the impact of a specific word choice on meaning and tone
• Read a variety of genres (including types of fiction, non-fiction, and poetry)and identify the components that make each unique
• Analyze literary elements and their contributions to the text
• Prove central theme and main idea by providing support details from text

While in our classrooms, your student will be learning about these topics and developing the ability to:

• think big and toward the future as they explore sustainable solutions to our energy needs and investigate the impact of energy in our lives and in the world.

While in our classrooms, your student will be learning about these topics and developing the ability to:

• Demonstrate a sound understanding of technology concepts, systems, and operations
• Understand and uses technology systems
• Transfer current knowledge to learning of new technologies
• Advocate and practice safe, legal, and responsible use of information and technology
• Exhibits a positive attitude toward using technology that supports collaboration, learning, and productivity
• Promote and model digital etiquette and responsible interactions related to the use of technology and information
• Use digital media and environment to communicate and work collaboratively, including at a distance, to support individual learning and contributes to the learning of others
• Communicate information and ideas effectively to multiple audiences using a variety of media and formats
• Creates original works as a means of personal or group expression
• Interact, collaborate, and publish with peers employing a variety of media and formats
• Select and use applications effectively and productively
• Demonstrate creative thinking, constructs knowledge, and develops innovative products and processes using technology
• Explore career opportunities

While in our classrooms, your student will be learning about these topics and developing the ability to:

• Follow safety procedures and rules during physical education
• Understand and appreciate various abilities by showing respect for self and others as a spectator and/or participant
• Recognize and value contributions of sound physical conditioning to performance and enjoyment of team sports and group activities
• Experience activities that help maintain physical fitness in the health related areas including: cardiovascular endurance, strength, muscular endurance, flexibility
• Perform basic swimming and survival skills in the pool
• Participate in the following sports including: tennis, track, softball, aerobics, social dance, soccer, basketball, Ultimate Frisbee, speed-a-way, football, team handball, volleyball
• Complete a fitness log tracking physical activity done outside of class

While in our classrooms, your student will be learning about these topics and developing the ability to comprehend:

• Surface area and volume
• Multiplying and dividing fractions
• Ratios and rates
• Fractions, decimals, and percents
• Angles
• Order of operations
• Probability
• Number Sense
• Math Facts

While in our classrooms, your student will be learning about these topics and developing the ability to:

• Develop correct vocal and instrumental techniques
• Understand melodic and harmonic singing
• Know the elements of music
• Use an instrument to experience performance, composition, and improvisation
• Demonstrate proper concert etiquette
• Demonstrate proper performance skills
• Experience performance through band, orchestra, or chorus

While in our classrooms, your student will be learning about these topics and developing the ability to:

• Use past failures to revise and improve design and experimentation
• Analyze data to accurately explain their findings in an experiment and show supporting evidence
• Use the appropriate tool and measurements so they can accurately describe, represent, and analyze phenomena in the physical world
• Create and interpret multiple types of graphs when provided an experimental process
• Create a model representation to explain processes

While in our classrooms, your student will be learning about these topics and developing the ability to:

• Interpret and use key features of a map
• Compare and contrast different points of view
• Analyze the cause and effect of a conflict
• Demonstrate effective collaboration skills
• Summarize main idea through clear and coherent writing on a topic
• Use text features to support comprehension of informational text
• Summarize the main idea of a topic

While in our classrooms, your student will be learning about these topics and developing the ability to:

• Develop an understanding of aesthetics and art criticism
• Review and use the elements of art and the principles of design to produce works of art and demonstrates an understanding of composition
• Experiences techniques in a variety of art media: drawing, painting, printmaking, mixed media, and sculpture
• Solve visual problems
• Communicate artistic intent
• View art of different times and cultures
• Create a portfolio to record their critiques of art works and to develop, revise, and evaluate their works
• Be involved in creative endeavors which support the Minnesota Academic Standards in the Arts

While in our classrooms, your student will be learning about these topics and developing the ability to:

• Be introduced to and use the design process to solve problems and understand the influence that creative and innovative design has on our lives. Students use industry standard 3D modeling software to create a virtual image of their designs and produce a portfolio to showcase their creative solutions

While in our classrooms, your student will be learning about these topics and developing the ability to:

• Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the impact of poetic devices, as well as tone and mood, on a verse stanza of a poem or as section of a story/drama
• Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases by using context clues, analyzing meaningful word parts, and consulting general and specialized reference materials
• Produce clear and coherent writing using the writing process in which the development, organization, and style are relevant to task, purpose, and audience
• Analyze a Fictional and Non-Fictional text
• Predict, make inferences, and draw conclusions, citing examples of textual evidence
• Gather relevant information from multiple print and digital sources; assess the credibility of each source; and quote or paraphrase the data and conclusions of others while avoiding plagiarism and following a standard format for citations

While in our classrooms, your student will be learning about these topics and developing the ability to:

• Personal Health and Wellness: Demonstrates understanding of the dimensions of health and wellness, identifies factors that affect health, analyzes risks and consequences to health, describes and understands the decision-making model ( DECIDE), identifies personal attitudes, values and beliefs that affect decision-making, develops a personal action plan to demonstrate the SMART goal setting strategy
• Mental Health: Identifies characteristics of mentally healthy people, understands how the following topics affect mental health and behavior: emotional needs, self-esteem, body image, personality types, stress and stress management, recognizes and copes with emotions in healthy ways Recognize and value contributions of sound physical conditioning to performance and enjoyment of team sports and group activities
• Social Health: Identifies characteristics of healthy and unhealthy relationships ( family, peers, friends), demonstrates understanding of effective communication skills, identifies and demonstrates coping skills for conflict ( bullying and cyber-bullying)

While in our classrooms, your student will be learning about these topics and developing the ability to:

• Follow safety procedures and rules during physical education
• Understand and appreciate various abilities by showing respect to self and others as a spectator and/or participant
• Recognize and value contributions of sound physical conditioning to performance and enjoyment of team sports and group activities
• Experiences activities that help maintain physical fitness in the health related areas of: cardiovascular endurance, muscular endurance, strength and flexibility

While in our classrooms, your student will be learning about these topics and developing the ability to comprehend:

• Use mathematical properties and order of operations to understand and generate equivalent expressions with integers
• Comprehend the concept of integers to compare and evaluate expressions
• Use number sense to assess and analyze the reasonableness of consumer math situations (ie. discounts, tips, tax, unit pricing, and interest).
• Solve real-world problems involving area and circumference of a circle and surface area and volume of cylinders
• Demonstrate an understanding of proportional relationships
• Statistics - Calculate, represent, and interpret data
• Solve and represent real-world problems using algebraic equations

While in our classrooms, your student will be learning about these topics and developing the ability to:

• Identify various musical styles
• Experience, evaluate, and assess music through the process of listening
• Recognize and demonstrate specific musical performances by sight, sound and definition
• Experience musical theatre
• Experience performance through band, orchestra, or chorus

While in our classrooms, your student will be learning about these topics and developing the ability to:

• Asking questions (for science) and defining problems (for engineering)
• Developing and using models
• Planning and carrying out investigations
• Analyzing and interpreting data
• Using mathematics and computational thinking
• Constructing explanations (for science) and designing solutions (for engineering)
• Engaging in argument from evidence
• Obtaining, evaluating, and communicating information

While in our classrooms, your student will be learning about these topics and developing the ability to:

• Map Skills - Identify and use components of maps (TODALSS - Title, Orientation, Date, Author, Legend, Scale, and Source)
• Cause and Effect - Analyze causes and effects of conflict, growth, and location
• Communication - Be able to justify a position or point of view and develop a thesis statement (written or orally)
• Citizenship - Understand rights, responsibilities, and duties of citizenship
• Historical thinking - Explore events from different perspectives (compare and contrast historical events from different perspectives)

While in our classrooms, your student will be learning about these topics and developing the ability to:

• Interact with multiple technologies while developing writing, analysis, argument and communication skills. The goal of this class is to continue developing students who are critical thinkers, readers, writers, and communicators in order to prepare for life after middle school. The focus is on developing individual critical thinking and reading skills, enhancing each student's research and writing abilities, and preparing students for future endeavors in high school and beyond

While in our classrooms, your student will be learning about these topics and developing the ability to:

• Apply reading skills to meet individual needs
• Select and use appropriate technology for educational and personal goals
• Analyze information in electronic and print media
• Use a variety of productivity tools to communicate
• Follow a systematic research process
• Recognize ethical practice in a global society

While in our classrooms, your student will be learning about these topics and developing the ability to:

• Create an electronic portfolio of career exploration
• Achieve high standard speed and accuracy level in touch typing
• Explore career interests and opportunities with MCIS Junior
• Learn internet safety tips of the ethical use of computers and social networking

While in our classrooms, your student will be learning about these topics and developing the ability to:

• Demonstrate knowledge about people, customs, and countries of the language
• Demonstrate comprehension of written and oral material using familiar vocabulary, phrases, questions, statements and commands
• Communicate orally and in writing using familiar vocabulary, phrases, questions, statements, and commands
• Use acquired vocabulary and grammar to write a multi-sentence composition

While in our classrooms, your student will be learning about these topics and developing the ability to:

• Develop an understanding of aesthetics and art criticism
• Review and uses elements of art and the principles of design to produce works of art and demonstrates an understanding of composition
• Experiences techniques in a variety of art media: drawing, painting, printmaking, mixed media, and sculpture
• Solve visual problems
• Communicate artistic intent
• View art of different times and cultures
• Create a portfolio to record their critiques of art works and to develop, revise, and evaluate their works
• Be involved in creative endeavors which support the Minnesota Academic Standards in the Arts

While in our classrooms, your student will be learning about these topics and developing the ability to:

• Trace the history, development, and influence of automation and robotics. They learn about mechanical systems, energy transfer, machine automation and computer control systems. Students use a robust robotics platform to design, build, and program a solution to solve an existing problem

   

While in our classrooms, your student will be learning about these topics and developing the ability to:

• Produce clear and coherent writing through the process of drafting, revising, and editing
• Produce writing pieces for multiple purposes and audiences
• Produce clear and coherent writing using the writing process in which the development, organization, and style are relevant to task, purpose, and audience
• Identify and analyze credible sources
• Read literature and/or informational text to determine the author's purpose and analyze the central idea or theme over the course of the text
• Determine what the text says explicitly and make logical inferences from it; cite specific textual evidence when writing or speaking to support conclusions drawn from the text
• Analyze how figurative language and literary devices contribute to the meaning of a text
• Actively participate in collaborative discussions and/or presentations

While in our classrooms, your student will be learning about these topics and developing the ability to:

• Mental Health Illnesses: Identifies sign and symptoms of the following, depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, eating disorders, and anxiety disorders
• Identify warning signs of depression and prevention of suicide
• Describe treatment options for mental illnesses and community resources for help and support
• Alcohol, Tobacco, and Other Drugs: understands the consequences of drugs and develops refusal skills in order to make healthy decisions, demonstrates comprehension of vocabulary, identifies the stages and types of addiction, describes consequences of alcohol, tobacco, and other drugs on the body systems, identifies the categories of drugs and the effect on the Central Nervous System, analyzes the influences of peer pressure and media, identifies community resources for help with substance abuse

• Human Growth and Development: Develop strategies to effectively communicate about sexuality, demonstrates understanding of the dimensions of sexuality including gender differences, stereotypes, and sexual orientation, identifies developmental changes during adolescence, identifies anatomy and physiology of male and female reproductive systems, develops personal boundaries for healthy dating relationships, understands and identifies reasons that abstinence is a healthy choice for teens, demonstrate comprehension of teen pregnancy prevention, understands the influence of society(family, peers and media) on sexuality and consequences of sexual activity, develops awareness and prevention of sexually transmitted infections ( including HIV/AIDS)

While in our classrooms, your student will be learning about these topics and developing the ability to:

• Understand basic structure of the human body system( muscular, skeletal, cardiovascular, respiratory
• Develop a fitness plan and incorporates goal setting into a lifetime fitness program
• Follow safety procedures and rules during physical education
• Understand and appreciate various abilities by showing respect for self and others as a spectator and/or participant

While in our classrooms, your student will be learning about these topics and developing the ability to:

• Write and solve equations and inequalities
• Understand slope and its applications to linear equations
• Represent linear relationships in multiple formats (e.g. verbal descriptions, tables, graphs, equations, written forms, etc.)
• Understand systems of equations and apply them in various contexts

While in our classrooms, your student will be learning about these topics and developing the ability to:

• Identify various musical styles
• Experience, evaluate, and assess music through the process of listening
• Recognize and demonstrate specific musical performances by sight, sound and definition
• Experience musical theatre
• Experience performance through band, orchestra, or chorus

While in our classrooms, your student will be learning about these topics and developing the ability to:

• Use maps and imagery to interpret earth and space concepts.
• When measuring, identify and apply scale and units
• Apply a systematic and logical approach to problem solving.
• Use models to interpret and evaluate earth and space phenomena
• Organize, analyze, arrange, and interpret data into an appropriate visual representations
• Apply mathematical concepts to scientific principles
• Engaging in argument from evidence
• Use evidence to support how human activities impacted earth systems over time

While in our classrooms, your student will be learning about these topics and developing the ability to:

• Define and identify effects of globalization
• Demonstrate comprehensive map reading skills using physical, political, and thematic maps
• Describe and explain how physical and environmental features affect human populations and cultural characteristics
• Demonstrate effective research skills through writing or a social studies focused topic for a variety of purposes and audiences
• Identify characteristics of different government systems and analyze relationships between individuals, government, and society
• Analyze the causes and effects of conflicts

While in our classrooms, your student will be learning about these topics and developing the ability to:

• Apply reading skills to meet individual needs
• Select and use appropriate technology for educational and personal goals
• Analyze information in electronic and print media
• Use a variety of productivity tools to communicate
• Follow a systematic research process
• Recognize ethical practice in a global society

While in our classrooms, your student will be learning about these topics and developing the ability to:

• Creates an electronic portfolio using the following tools: Google, digital multimedia, computer ethics, career planning
• Achieve higher standard speed and accuracy levels in touch typing
• Plan career interests and opportunities: MCIS website activities and portfolio
• Learn internet safety tips and the ethical use of computers, social networking

While in our classrooms, your student will be learning about these topics and developing the ability to:

• Demonstrate knowledge about people, customs, and countries of the language
• Demonstrate comprehension of written and oral material using familiar vocabulary, phrases, questions, statements and commands
• Communicate orally and in writing using familiar vocabulary, phrases, questions, statements, and commands
• Use acquired vocabulary and grammar to write a multi-sentence composition