Middle School Program

Foundations is a year-long course that prepares 6th Grade students for the academic and technological demands of Middle School, and introduces them to two modern languages. Students learn study and self-regulation skills, including time management, planning, study strategies, organization, goal setting and metacognition. These skills are applied to their work in other courses.

Students also develop their proficiency with digital tools, including Northwest’s learning management system, Canvas, and a variety of project management tools, digital authoring tools, and collaborative technologies necessary for their academic success across the subject areas. Over the course of the year, students will also receive six weeks of instruction in both Spanish and Mandarin Chinese so they can more intentionally choose their language pathway starting in 7th grade.

The arts form a core element of our 6th grade experience. Students dive into the arts with introductory classes in each of our four arts disciplines: dance, music, theater and visual arts; students take two art classes each trimester.

Humanities 6 provides an interdisciplinary exploration of literature, writing, history, and geography, focusing on the human experience via themes of identity, place and community. Each trimester, we take on a new theme and engage in projects, books, and writing — individually and cooperatively — to master new skills and content.

A major emphasis in Northwest's curriculum is reading. In addition to the three major books students read, students select their own “choice books,” based on our themes, from book lists curated by our librarians.

The intended outcome by the end of the year is that students can (1) write creative and analytical papers; (2) discuss historical, philosophical and plot-based elements of a variety of literature; (3) analyze and interpret maps and identify constitutional laws of historical/modern time periods; (4) collaborate effectively with other students on projects and discussions, and (5) practice social-emotional strategies (e.g., RULER: Recognizing, Understanding, Labeling, Expressing and Regulating emotions) that encourage seeing emotions as intrinsically connected to learning.

The majority of content in 6th grade is built around writing, reading, geography, history and social-emotional learning (SEL) skills – all of which will be useful for students as they progress through each grade level.

Humanities 7 and Washington State History focuses on the continued development of reading and writing skills. Students work on creative, non-fiction and reflective writing, while receiving guidance and practice in grammar, vocabulary and revision skills. Concurrently, students work on reading skills as they explore a variety of texts, most of which are chosen for their connection to our larger curriculum.

The Social Studies component of 7th grade Humanities focuses on the history of the Pacific Northwest. This includes a study of various events, people, cultures, explorations and migrations that affected the Northwest. Students examine what happens when different groups inhabit the same space, and develop better understanding by exploring a variety of perspectives over the centuries.

Research skills are also a significant part of the 7th grade Humanities curriculum. Students learn and practice a variety of research skills each term, including reading for information, synthesizing information from a variety of sources, using databases and properly citing sources.

Humanities 8 is a global history and literature course focusing on three regions of the world: West Africa, the Caribbean and South Asia as case studies for exploring the interplay between geography, history, culture, literature and the arts.

The course begins with a brief unit introducing the course’s core skills through the study of a country currently on the students’ consciousness because of recent political or world events; recently, for example, our introductory unit focused on Afghanistan. In each unit, we cover foundational skills for studying history and literature — note-taking, identifying reliable sources for research, annotation, summary and synthesis, analytical reasoning, argumentative writing and creative writing.

In our units, students study a range of artifacts from ancient and modern literature and poetry, music and artwork, and primary sources, to scholarly articles examining the historical and cultural causes and consequences contributing to the political realities of each region. We work to develop these foundational skills throughout the year, centered around contexts and literatures from the countries of Nigeria, the Dominican Republic and India.

Math 6 begins with a study of area and surface area concepts. Next, students begin studying ratios, rates and percentages with an introduction using representations such as number line diagrams, tape diagrams and tables. Student understanding of these concepts expands by exploring fraction and decimal representations of rational numbers. They explore sums, differences, products and quotients using intuitive methods and efficient algorithms.

Next, students are introduced to equations and expressions including finding solutions for linear equations in one variable, and basic equations involving exponents. Student understanding of ratios and rates, combined with a basic understanding of equations, leads them to study proportional relationships with special emphasis on circumference and area of a circle as an example and non-example of proportional relationships. This is followed by looking at percentage concepts and applications such as sales tax, tipping and markup.

Math 7 Students begin the course examining rational numbers less than zero, expanding their understanding of arithmetic to negative numbers. Next, students study linear equations with one and two variables, and deepen their understanding of equivalent expressions. They then build on their understanding of proportional relationships from the previous course to study linear relationships. Students learn to express linear relationships using equations, tables and graphs, and make connections across these representations. They extend the definition of exponents to include all integers, and in the process codify the properties of exponents. Finally they learn about orders of magnitude and scientific notation to represent and compute with very large and very small quantities.

Algebra I  builds the mathematical foundation for all Upper School math courses. Students expand their understanding of linear equations, inequalities and systems of linear equations and inequalities. They use these representations to model relationships and constraints, but also reason with the concepts abstractly. Students write, rearrange, evaluate and solve equations and inequalities, explaining and validating their reasoning with increasing precision. Students deepen their understanding of functions, and their ability to represent, interpret and communicate about them — using function notation, domain and range, average rate of change, and features of graphs.

They also encounter categories of functions, starting with linear functions (and their inverses) and piecewise-defined functions (including absolute value functions), followed by quadratic functions. For each function type, students begin their investigation with real-world and mathematical contexts, looking closely at the structural attributes of the function, and analyzing how these attributes are expressed in different representations.

The course culminates with a close look at quadratic equations. Students extend their ability to use equations to model relationships and solve problems. They develop their capacity to write, transform, graph and solve equations, by reasoning, rearranging equations into useful forms and applying the quadratic formula. In solving quadratic equations, students encounter rational and irrational solutions, providing an opportunity to deepen their understanding of the real number system.

Geometry introduces logic and problem-solving in both two and three dimensions. Students begin learning the fundamentals of geometry, such as points, lines and angles, and build on those concepts by working with congruence and similarity in polygons. Next, students engage with triangles, where students are introduced to the Pythagorean Theorem, special right triangles and right-triangle trigonometry.

Logical reasoning is emphasized through justification of processes and writing proofs to defend reasoning. Properties of circles are then explored to solve for area, circumference, sectors, arcs and segments. Students work with geometric concepts in the coordinate plane, and learn to compute area and volume. Throughout the year, students reinforce skills learned in Algebra I, and connect it to geometry. Prerequisite: Successful completion of Algebra I.

Algebra II Students begin the course studying sequences, which is also an opportunity to revisit linear and exponential functions. Students represent functions in a variety of ways while addressing some aspects of mathematical modeling. This work leads to looking at situations that are well modeled by polynomials before pivoting to a study of the structure of polynomial graphs and expressions.

Students learn to perform arithmetic on polynomials and rational functions, and use different forms to identify asymptotes and end behavior. Students also study polynomial identities and use some key identities to establish the formula for the sum of the first terms of a geometric sequence. Next, students extend exponent rules to include rational exponents. They solve equations involving square and cube roots before developing the idea of a number whose square is expanding the number system to include complex numbers. This allows them to solve quadratic equations with non-real solutions.

Building on rational exponents, students return to studying exponential functions and establish that the property of growth by equal factors over equal intervals holds even when the interval has non-integer length. They use logarithms to solve unknown exponents and are introduced to the number and its use in modeling continuous growth. Logarithm functions, and some situations they model well, are also briefly addressed. Students learn to transform functions graphically and algebraically. Prerequisite: Successful completion of Geometry.

General Science introduces students to myriad opportunities for scientific study using thematic units that revolve around the theme of Energy. The course emphasizes scientific inquiry, engineering challenges, independent and group projects and creative problem-solving. Students learn research and reporting skills, as well as laboratory inquiry and safety skills. They are challenged to design experiments in order to answer their own questions about how things work.

The goal is for each student to see themselves represented in a scientific field and to imagine that there are many STEM fields available to them if they choose. Sample units include:

• Skills of the scientist
• Who can be a scientist—challenging stereotypes
• Work, Power and Simple Machines
• Engineering design
• Coding topics
• Energy forms and sources
• Electricity and circuits
• Chemistry topics and laboratory skills

Life Science 7 surveys the life sciences and is grounded in the Next Generation Science Standards. Each unit helps students build proficiency in science and engineering practices, and seeks to make connections between science domains using cross-cutting concepts. Topics include: Human body systems, plant reproduction, marine ecosystems and evolutionary biology.

Earth Science 8 aims for students to gain a basic understanding of planet Earth’s systems and characteristics as we now understand them. Topics covered include the history of science, oceanography, the atmosphere, erosion and soil development, and plate tectonics. We also explore sun, Earth and moon relationships, and how the above planetary processes show up elsewhere in the solar system.

Class discussions focus on the interaction between humans and these systems, emphasizing hands-on activities, cooperating on group projects, developing lab skills and using the scientific method. The course uses the textbook, Earth, What’s Inside? (published by Cengage Learning), as well as references from past and current periodicals, and various other texts.

Introduction to Chinese and Spanish Students are introduced to Spanish and Chinese as part of the Foundations course. Over the course of the year, students will receive six weeks of instruction in both languages so they can more intentionally choose their language pathway starting in 7th grade.

Seventh-grade students choose between Mandarin Chinese or Spanish

Spanish 1a (7th grade) is designed for students with little or no background in Spanish and is taught in Spanish. The course focuses on teaching the 5 C goal areas identified by the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages (ACTFL): Communication, Cultures, Connections, Comparisons and Communities.

Students learn at the novice level how to talk about themselves, school and family life, numbers, the alphabet, the weather and hobbies. They learn to share personal information, describe school classes, and discuss the diversity of people in Latin America and the Spanish-speaking world. Students engage in various listening, reading, writing and speaking activities.

By the end of this course, students reach the ACTFL Novice Mid level of oral proficiency. They acquire the following language skills: Ask and answer basic questions, make self-introductions and describe likes and dislikes.

Chinese 1a (7th grade) introduces standard Chinese (Mandarin). Students learn the Pinyin Romanization system and use acquired oral language skills in a variety of activities and games. While students focus primarily on oral proficiency, they also learn to read and write basic Chinese characters, and recognize these words in context.

By the end of this course, students reach the ACTFL Novice Mid level of oral proficiency. They acquire the following language skills: Ask and answer basic questions, make simple self-introductions and describe likes and dislikes. In addition, students deliver short oral presentations in Chinese, and engage in short reading and writing activities. These skills are employed within the framework of familiar contexts such as family, leisure activities, home and school life, and Chinese food, festivals, and traditions.

Films may include The Road Home (Wo de fuqin muqin) and Postmen in the Mountains (Na shan, na ren, na gou), which give insight into Chinese family life and society in rural communities. Each film is viewed with English subtitles, occasionally focusing on the Chinese dialogue for comprehension.

Spanish 1b (8th grade) is the second half of Spanish 1, and is taught in Spanish. The course focuses on teaching the 5 C goal areas of the ACTFL guidelines: Communication, Cultures, Connections, Comparisons and Communities. Students continue reviewing and engaging in conversations about themselves and family. They will learn at the Novice Mid-High levels how to talk about pastimes and sports, making plans, travel, food and shopping.

Students continue to learn what these activities look like in the Spanish-speaking world, allowing them to connect and compare their experiences. Students engage in various listening, reading, writing and speaking activities.

By the end of this course, students reach the ACTFL Novice High level of oral proficiency. They acquire the following skills: Asking and answering basic questions, engaging in simple conversations about their pastimes, hobbies, food, and shopping, in addition to being able to discuss their school and family life.

Chinese 1b (8th grade) This course continues where the 7th-grade Mandarin Chinese course left off. Students practice the Pinyin Romanization system and use acquired oral language skills through various activities and games. By the end of this course, students will reach the ACTFL Novice High level of oral proficiency. They acquire the following language skills: Asking and answering basic questions, making self-introductions, delivering several short oral presentations in Chinese, and engaging in reading and writing activities at this level.

These skills are employed within the framework of familiar contexts such as family, leisure activities, home and school life, Chinese food, festivals and traditions. Students also make a field trip to Chinatown, where they experience the culture firsthand. By the end of the course, students will have acquired the following skills:

• Asking and answer basic questions.
• Engaging in simple conversations about their pastimes, hobbies, food, and shopping.
• Discussing their school and family life.

Students are required to take one class in each discipline over 7th and 8th grades.

The Physical Education (P.E.) program in Middle School offers a wide variety of individual and team sports and activities for athletes of all abilities and experience levels.

Some activities are offered multiple trimesters, but most classes are seasonal.

Interscholastic sports teams practice during the school day in their P.E. Class. Games are played outside the school day, usually right after school. Teams may play on any day of the week. In addition to skills development, students work on building self-confidence, developing health and wellness tools, preventing injury and cooperating with classmates and teammates. Course offerings are planned as listed below but are subject to change due to facility availability and staffing needs.

The school offers two separate classes for Middle School P.E.: 6th grade P.E., and a combined 7th-8th grade P.E. class. This means 6th graders play on teams made up of only 6th-graders, while team sports and Variety P.E. classes for 7th and 8th graders will be mixed-grade classes/teams.

Student Requirements

• Students take physical education during all three trimesters of 6th, 7th and 8th grades.
• To facilitate our goal of engaging all new students in a fun and supportive team experience, all 6th grade students may choose to enroll in either cross country or soccer in the fall. If they are not comfortable playing in games or running in meets, students are allowed to be “practice players.” Beginning in the winter of 6th grade,  and continuing through 8th grade, all students signed up for teams are expected to play in games.
• Students take only one class at a time, so they can participate in either a team sports class or one of the other classes, but not both simultaneously.

The Northwest School competes with other schools and teams in soccer, basketball, ultimate, cross country, volleyball, and track and field. Students have practices during their scheduled physical education class times. Games and meets generally take place on weekdays immediately after school.

Soccer

Students do not have to be seasoned and skilled soccer players to join a team here. Beginners and club players are both welcome and encouraged. Soccer shoes, shin guards and shorts are needed. Games take place after school during the week. Teams may be divided into squads by skill and are set up to meet the needs of both beginners and highly experienced players. Offered in the fall.

Cross Country

Students have four great reasons to run cross country: To get in great shape, visit beautiful places (running in locales throughout Seattle), participate in exciting competitions (one or two 1.5-mile races each week), and be part of a fun team with lots of camaraderie. No previous experience is necessary, and the team is filled with runners at every speed level. Offered in the fall.

Basketball

Teams play games on weekday afternoons in the Crosstown Middle School League. Seventh- and 8th-grade teams are divided by ability and commitment levels. Home games take place in Northwest's 401 gymnasium. Basketball shoes, shorts and water bottle are needed. Offered in the winter.

Track and Field

Students learn and practice the wide range of track and field events: Sprinting, distance, jumping, throwing, relays and more. The team participates in four to five meets, scheduled on both afternoons and Saturdays. Offered in the spring.

Ultimate Frisbee

Discover why this game has become a Northwest School obsession and, at the same time, join a tradition of school excellence in the quality of play and spirit of the game. No previous disc or ultimate experience is required — just a lot of energy and enthusiasm. Tons of running is involved, so be ready. Class times are used for skills practice and scrimmages. Games are played against other teams on weekdays. Offered in the spring.

Volleyball

Learn the skills of this fun, exciting sport! Teams practice in Northwest's 401 gymnasium and play games on weekdays. At this time, the Cross Town Middle School League (CTMSL) is a girls’ volleyball league. Offered at D1 level in the fall and D2 and 6th-grade level in the spring.

Each year, we offer an interesting array of classes that are not team-sports-based. The specific classes we offer in any given year are determined by a combination of student interest, teacher interest and experience, and facility availability. Final details for 2023-24 will be determined in the future, but will likely be similar to the following options:

Lifetime Sports and Movement

A combined 7th-8th grade variety class that engages students in a number of athletic activities and promotes accessible fitness to students with a wide range of abilities and experience. These activities may include racquet sports (e.g., pickle ball and tennis), boxing and bowling. Offered in the fall and winter.

Yoga and Fitness 

A combined 7th-8th grade variety class that introduces students to the physical and mental benefits of yoga, as well as offering a variety of fitness activities in our Fitness Mezzanine. Offered in the winter.

Indoor Bouldering/Rock Climbing 

Students challenge themselves within the safe confines of the Seattle Bouldering Project. This class focuses on climbing efficiency and technique. Students work on strength, flexibility, balance and other aspects of physical fitness essential for climbing. There may be an option to participate in a climbing competition. No previous experience is required. Offered in the winter.

Urban Hiking 

In this class, students explore anywhere they can get to by foot. Some days, that means places in nature, other days urban locales and playgrounds. We meet people and pets, go up stairs and across bridges, see art and architecture, and sometimes eat tasty food. All that is required is an open mind, a generous spirit with classmates and a readiness to put one foot in front of the other.

DANCE

Jump Into Dance

THis course is an introductory level course to dance and movement concepts. In this class, students JUMP into learning about the foundations of movement and the creative process! Students explore and apply new movement principles such as space, time, energy and flow, through creative play that plants the seeds of their artistic voices!  

This course is offered in each trimester and is required for all 6^th grade students.  

MUSIC

Intro Band

Sixth-graders with limited or no prior experience can choose their instruments from flute, clarinet, alto saxophone, tenor saxophone, trumpet, trombone, baritone or percussion (drums AND mallet instruments).  

Middle School Intro to String Orchestra

The Middle School Intro to String Orchestra class offers sixth grade students’ instruction on violin, viola, cello, and string bass instruments, with a focus on the skills they need for long-term success. The course stresses musical fundamentals, such as proper posture and playing position, development of characteristic tone quality and training in music literacy. This class is ideal for students who were unable or only partially able to participate in an instrumental music class at a previous school. The Intro to String Orchestra class may also be ideal for those sixth graders with experience who may need a review and reinforcement of music reading, playing fundamentals and technique that are vital for lasting musical development. Students of any grade level are welcome. No audition is required for placement in the Introductory Strings; all that is necessary is the desire and motivation to study a musical instrument!  Prerequisite: None; beginners welcome!

Middle School Show Choirs

Middle School Choir/Show Choir - Trimester 1

The Middle School Choir/Show Choir is a non-auditioned Choir, offered in Trimester 1 (students joining the choir in Trimester 2 or 3 must audition). Students perform selections ranging from popular songs from television and movies, radio, etc., in addition to choral repertoire in various styles and languages. Trimester 1 focuses on building a foundation of musical terms, solfège, and rhythms. We encourage singers of all abilities in grades 6-8 to join this choir to explore choral music!

Middle School Show Choir - Trimesters 2 and 3

This advanced course promotes singing in a collaborative group. The class emphasizes teamwork, engaged participation and positive attitude, in addition to learning proper vocal technique. The choir will sing songs from a wide variety of styles, eras, and cultures, focusing on singing in two- and three-part music. This choir perform one to two times each trimester. Trimesters 2 and 3 center on more in-depth choral music learning with concentration on singing, choreography, and performance. Students perform in school concerts, with the possibility of travel to festivals or other events. Prerequisite: Successful completion of Trimester 1 Middle School Choir, or by audition and teacher approval.

THEATRE ARTS

Intro to Theatre

This class explores foundations of the art of theatre through creative drama, improvisation, and other interdisciplinary arts activities. Students learn to use their “theatre voice” to express aspects of their identity and their community. This class is required for all 6th grade students.

VISUAL ARTS

Introduction to Visual Art

This is a class designed for all sixth-graders to learn the foundations of the Visual Arts program at The Northwest School. A variety of projects introduce students to the elements of art (line, color, texture, shape, form). This course pushes students to explore and develop ideas, and express themselves through drawing, painting, sculpture, collaging, photography, digital drawing and more. Sixth-graders complete daily drawing assignments in sketchbooks, learn new vocabulary and examine contemporary and historically relevant artists. The course culminates with a large group project.  This class is required for all 6th graders. 

DANCE

Middle School Dance Ensemble

This two-trimester course emphasizes performance and community leadership. The course is designed to strengthen each participant’s dance and movement technique, choreographic skills, and artistry, and also building collaboration and ensemble skills while exploring a variety of contemporary movement forms. Strong commitment and dedication to the creative process are essential for this class. This is a great class for students who want to deepen their commitment to dance. No prerequisite.

Authentic Jazz

Jazz dance includes influences from African and Latin dances as well as Swing and even ballet. In this course students learn the history of Jazz dance from its roots in African-American social dance to the Lindy Hop and theater dance. Students learn upbeat and energetic dances, such as the Shim Sham and the Charleston, as well as classic moves like Apple Jacks, Mess Around and Tacky Annie. Students also learn choreography so they can create their own dances as well. Dancer’s work as an ensemble and perform for the community.

Dance for Musical Theater

The dance scenes in a play or movie advance the plot, bring a period to life or reveal a character. In this class, students learn dances from various musicals that illustrate each of these purposes. Students also create some choreography of their own and perform for the community. Excellent training for actors.No prerequisite.

Commercial Dance

Commercial dance is associated with show business and pop culture. Commercial dance is about entertaining audiences and telling stories. This includes dances for television, commercials, music videos, movies, popular dance trends and more; this style requires versatility. Students learn dances with movements from Jazz, Modern, Hip Hop and Funk styles. They dive in and explore quick, sharp isolations and syncopated rhythms. they create long lines and crisp shapes with their bodies, as well as leaps, jumps and turns. Dancer’s work as an ensemble and perform for the community.

MUSIC

Middle School Band

Intermediate band is for seventh- and eighth-grade students with at least one year of experience. Intro Band students move into this band in Trimester 3. Instrument options include flute, clarinet, bass clarinet, oboe, bassoon, alto saxophone, tenor saxophone, baritone saxophone, trumpet, French horn, trombone, baritone, tuba or percussion.

Prerequisite: At least one year of experience.

Middle School Show Choir

Middle School Choir/Show Choir  - Trimester 1

The Middle School Choir/Show Choir is a non-auditioned group in Trimester 1 (students joining the choir in Trimester 2 or 3 must audition). Students perform selections ranging from popular songs from television and movies, radio, etc., in addition to choral repertoire in various styles and languages. Trimester 1 focuses on building a foundation of musical terms, solfège, and rhythms. We encourage singers of all abilities in grades 6-8 to join this choir to explore choral music!

Middle School Show Choir - Trimesters 2 and 3

This advanced course promotes singing in a collaborative group. The class emphasizes teamwork, engaged participation and positive attitude, in addition to learning proper vocal technique. The choir will sing songs from a wide variety of styles, eras, and cultures, focusing on singing in two- and three-part music. This choir perform one to two times each trimester. Trimesters 2 and 3 center on more in-depth choral music learning with concentration on singing, choreography, and performance. Students perform in school concerts, with the possibility of travel to festivals or other events.

Prerequisite: Successful completion of Trimester 1 Middle School Choir, or by audition and teacher approval.

MS Popular Music 

This course focuses on the understanding and history of the multiple genres which encompass “Popular Musics.” We will look at contributing artists and events throughout the 20th century, how creative and socio-economic experiences helped shape modern music, and how those experiences and events got us to the music we listen to on a daily basis today. This class will include reading basic music notation, understanding the architecture of pieces of music, studying what makes great music great, songwriting, attaining basic musical skills, exploring digital audio workstation software, and much more. Active listening, critical thinking, and respectful discussion are key parts of the class. Prior musical experience is helpful but not necessary.

Middle School String Orchestra

This course is for seventh and eighth grade students who already understand basic music reading, instrument assembly and maintenance, correct playing position and sound tone production. Instruction centers on the refinement of tone quality, technique, aural skills and music literacy. Placement in the Middle School String Orchestra is by audition that includes the following requirements:

Prerequisite: Completion of Intro to string Orchestra OR by audition.

THEATRE

Middle School Theatre Production

This full-year course aims to strengthen students’ theatrical and acting techniques while building an ensemble and a sense of community through live performance. Students audition, rehearse and work toward staging performances of full-length plays and musicals. The performances reflect Applied Theatre pedagogy, with a strong concentration in critical thinking, student-centered dialogue and social justice issues that matter most to students. This class partners with the Middle School Stagecraft and Technology course to create full and innovative productions. We empower theatre students to inspire positive change and transformation of the world in which they want to be active participants.

Prerequisite: Successful audition or approval of theatre director.

Middle School Theatre Collective

Ancestral Storytelling

Ancestral Storytelling offers fun as a vital part of how students can locate their own identities through activities based on Theatre of the Oppressed. Students collaborate on creating short scenes and monologues to create a sense of belonging by examining how our personal connections, communities and values influence our relationships to our origins, and who we'd like to become in the future.

Suzuki and Viewpoints

Suzuki and Viewpoints presents an active exploration of the physical aspects of theatre related to time, space and kinesthetic awareness, as well as response to surrounding environments. Suzuki is a Japanese movement technique that strengthens an actor’s will and brings out each student's unique personality and stage presence. The experience can help students succeed at whatever challenges they may face in the world.

Young Playwrights Program

The Young Playwrights Program explores the fundamentals of writing for the stage. In this class, students collaborate in small groups and learn how to write original scripts, then the plays are performed by the opposite groups. The course is a wonderful way for students to find their own voice.

Middle School Stage Design & Technology

Middle School Stage Design & Technology introduces students to theatrical engineering and technology working together to produce events in the theater and around the school. This is a hands-on, project-based course open to all seventh and eighth graders interested in technology, carpentry, drafting and engineering, costuming, design, art, architecture, electronics and more. Some after-school, evening and weekend availability is required, depending on event schedules. Prerequisite: Completion of Middle School Theatre Production/Intro to Theatre or teacher approval.

VISUAL ARTS

Book Art: Zines

Do you like to write stories with a pen and pencil, make drawings on paper, or print your own original publications to share with your friends? If so, the zines class is perfect for you! Zines are independent, small-scale publications that use simple and affordable publishing techniques to share art, stories, comics, and ideas. In this class, we will create and share zines. Materials will include pens, pencils, paper, collage materials, scanners, copy machines, and simple bookbinding techniques. In each unit, we will study examples of zines in a range of techniques, genres, and visual storytelling styles. As students create their own zines, they will build new skills in drawing, collage, graphic design, and bookmaking. This class is particularly relevant to students who are looking for a creative and powerful way to tell stories and share social justice messages. No experience necessary.

Ceramics

This exciting and challenging hands-on ceramics course introduces students to the basics of ceramics and pottery. No experience is required, and students may take ceramics more than once in middle school. With each class, students embark on new, creative, diverse projects encouraging them to control the direction of their work. Students learn to employ the elements and principles of art and design as they create and explore the vast world of art. The course experiments with both ceramic sculpture and functional pottery (like cups, vases and bowls). The class offers more than 40 mesmerizing colors to glaze students’ masterpieces. Occasionally, students can integrate new materials into their artwork, including a bit of metal, wire and melted glass. Clay used in class easily washes off and doesn’t stain clothes. Students can keep whatever art they create or give it as gifts. Let’s get started and make our ceramic dreams come true!

Digital Animation 

In this class, students will learn to appreciate and create short digital animations with sound. Animation and motion design projects in this class will incorporate a range of experimental digital image-making skills including digital drawing, digital collage, working with layers, and using animation timelines. The primary software we will use is Procreate® on an iPad Pro. There will be options to work with Adobe® Photoshop® or Adobe® Animate®. We will explore animation for character animation, motion graphics, and fine art animation. There is no experience necessary, but students who enjoy digital art, stop motion animation, or digital comics will love this class!

Photography 

Would you like to capture exciting moments of people, landscapes, and objects through the lens of a camera? In this course, students will dive into photography fundamentals, exploring the essential skills to craft stunning images. During the beginning of the trimester, students will familiarize themselves with the basics of photography, delving into the elements and principles of composition. Through hands-on projects, they will curate individual portfolios featuring portraits, landscapes, interiors, and abstract compositions. In the second half of the trimester, students will master the art of printing their photographs for exhibition and delve into the traditional techniques of darkroom photography.

Stop Motion Animation

In this class, students will create two-dimensional and three-dimensional “desktop” stop motion animation artworks using a range of media and materials. As students create their own animations, they will gain skills in cinematography, puppet design, collage, drawing, storyboarding, and audio design. We will study historical and contemporary animation examples. Students will learn to use OSnap Pro®, Garage Band®, and Adobe® Rush® on iPad Pros. They will create individual and collaborative projects. No experience necessary! This class builds creativity and critical thinking skills while establishing lifelong confidence to experiment with all forms of animation.

Textiles Studio Art  

In this textile-centered class, students will dive into fabric dyeing, embroidery, and screen-printing techniques. Projects will include, dying a scarf using shibori, designing and screen-printing t-shirts, and even modifying garments. There will be lots of experimenting and learning about color mixing and textile techniques! Be ready to use your hands and create some beautiful textile art.