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Curriculum
The following section provides an overview of the core curriculum at ASMS. Please address any curriculum questions to your child’s teacher or Rachel Wood.
English Language Arts
The New York State English Language Arts (ELA) Core Curriculum contains four standards that are met in a variety of ways at each individual grade level. Our English Language Arts program is a comprehensive program with a focus on writing, reading, listening, speaking, vocabulary, English grammar, and spelling.
Grade 6 English
With our adoption of the Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory’s 6+1 Trait Writing Program here at The Alternative School for Math and Science, our students’ writing is taught and evaluated on ideas, organization, voice, sentence fluency, conventions, and word choice. At the year’s end, each student will have included a minimum of six writing samples in their portfolios. These will include such writing styles as short story, compare and contrast, persuasive essay, and poetry entries. All of which follow the process writing approach from pre-write to published copy.
English grammar and parts of speech will be taught, practiced, applied, and assessed throughout the year. A broad range of literary texts and genres will be studied as a class and independently to meet New York State’s requirement of 25 books per year across all content areas and standards. In an effort to hone their presentation skills and their comfort level before an audience, presentations will be demonstrated by our students throughout the year in association with several activities. Such elements as voice clarity, eye contact, and pace will be emphasized. Through the use of our Wordly Wise Program, new vocabulary will be introduced and applied to further enhance their word choice in written work and oral presentations.
Grade 7 English
The seventh grade ELA curriculum builds upon the sixth grade course of study. Again, with our adoption of the Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory’s 6+1 Trait Writing Program, our students’ writing is taught and evaluated on ideas, organization, voice, sentence fluency, conventions, and word choice. Students will become much more proficient at recognizing and implementing the six writing traits at this level. Each student will have included a minimum of six writing samples in their portfolios demonstrating their progress throughout the school year. These will include such writing styles as personal narrative, short story, compare and contrast, persuasive essay, and a thesis-supported essay. All of which follow the process writing approach from pre-write to published copy. English grammar and parts of speech will be taught, practiced, applied, and assessed throughout the year. A broad range of literary texts, novels, and a variety of genres will be studied as a class and independently to meet New York State’s requirement of 25 books per year across all content areas and standards. In an effort to hone their presentation skills and their comfort level before an audience, presentations will be culminating requirements for several activities. At the seventh grade level, the students progress to the next level of our Wordly Wise Program, where they are exposed to new vocabulary to apply in their writing and oral presentations to further enhance their word choice. Extensive journaling will be coupled with the interpretation of various literary pieces completed throughout their course of study
Grade 8 English
The eighth grade ELA curriculum builds upon and strengthens the skills acquired at the seventh and sixth grade levels. This entire three-year program is a comprehensive and well-planned implementation of the New York State ELA Curriculum Standards. Writing assessment will continue to be evaluated using the Northwest Regional Educational Laboratory’s 6+1 Trait Writing Program, assessing each writing piece on the ideas, organization, voice, sentence fluency, conventions, and word choice. Recognizing and implementing the six writing traits at this level will become second nature and students will begin to demonstrate their particular style of writing. Each student will have included a minimum of six writing samples in their portfolios demonstrating their progress throughout the school year, as was done in sixth and seventh grades. These will include such writing styles as memoir, short story, compare and contrast, persuasive essay/speech, a research report, and responsive essays. All of which follow the process writing approach from pre-write to published copy. English grammar and parts of speech will be taught, reviewed, and the instruction will be extended with more advanced applications throughout the year. A broad range of literary texts, novels, and a variety of genres will be studied as a class and independently to meet New York State’s requirement of 25 books per year across all content areas and standards. Literary analysis of advanced devices, such as irony, complex characterization, and conflict will be included. Presentations will continue to be culminating requirements for several activities. At the eighth grade level, our students advance to the highest level of our Wordly Wise Program, with continued exposure to new vocabulary to further enhance their word choice. Extensive journaling will also continue to be emphasized in relation to literature and personal reflection
Mathematics
The mathematics curriculum at ASMS has been developed consistent with standards established by the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM) and the New York State Core Curriculum Standards for Grades 6 through 8. These two sets of standards are well aligned with each other and establish a vision of mathematics education that consists of both mathematical tasks and questions designed to stimulate mathematical thinking and to promote discussion among students. At ASMS, students are expected to:
Explore mathematical relationships
Develop and explain their own reasoning and strategies for solving problems
Use problem-solving tools appropriately, and
Listen to, understand, and value each other’s strategies.
The content areas studied at all grade levels are organized into six strands: Number, Algebra, Geometry, Measurement, Data/Statistics, and Probability. Students at each grade level encounter mathematics in each of these content strands, although the Number strand is progressively de-emphasized as the emphasis on Algebra and Geometry increases through Grades 6-8. A strong correlation is established and maintained between the mathematical concepts studied at each grade level and those applied in the ASMS Science units. This linkage provides further opportunity for students to deepen their understanding of mathematics through integrated activities, units, and grades.
Grade 6 Math
ASMS uses the Mathematics in Context (MiC) curriculum for Grade 6, as it is well positioned to both emphasize the meaning and utility of the mathematics the students are learning and to improve students’ abilities to articulate and explain their own thinking. The MiC curriculum in Grade 6 consists of eight units organized and aligned with the six content strands identified above (Number, Algebra, Geometry, Measurement, Data/Statistics, Probability). Although each of the strands is addressed, significant emphasis is placed on the Number strand as a central goal of the course to ensure students have a firm foundation in their understanding of numbers and their basic computation skills. This foundation is essential, as it facilitates acquisition of key concepts in pre-algebra, geometry, and probability.
By the end of Grade 6, students will be able to comfortably perform all operations with fractions and decimals and apply these skills in problem-solving situations. They will fluently convert between fractions, decimals, and percents, and will begin using ratios and proportionality relationships in problem-solving. Students will apply these concepts to situations where pattern recognition and use of symbols are critical to being able to solve the problem, and they will be able to develop and use informal strategies for solving algebraic equations. Work in the Geometry and Measurement strands will enable students to accurately use traditional calculation methods to find the area, volume, and surface area of regular polygons, cylinders and prisms, and to use transformation strategies to estimate the area of irregular shapes. By year end, students will be able to demonstrate their understanding of chance and probability by computing chance and finding the number of outcomes in 2 or 3 event situations.
Grade 7 Math
Students starting Grade 7 have mastered many of the basic mathematical skills needed to progress toward algebra, but their understanding and reasoning about these basic concepts is still rudimentary. Students need to mature in their mathematical thinking by continuing to apply their skills in a wide variety of problem-solving situations, especially those that require integration of several concepts. ASMS uses Holt, Rinehart, & Winston Math Course 3 curriculum for Grade 7, as it provides the needed practice with existing skills and exposure to situations that utilize multiple skills to solve.
By the end of Grade 7, students will be able to comfortably conduct all operations with rational and irrational numbers and apply these skills appropriately to solve problems. They will build on this foundation of numbers and operations to write and evaluate algebraic expressions, solve two-step algebraic equations and inequalities, and explore the relationship between linear equations, tables, and graphs on the coordinate plane. Work in the Statistics strand will support concurrent investigations in the Science classroom, and will include exploration of different methods of data collection, use of appropriate analysis tools, and learning how to select the best method for representing data. By year end students will be able to use a variety of methods to calculate chance for dependent and independent events, including permutations and combinations, and will be able to select appropriate models to simulate an event. Students will have a strong foundation in the geometry of lines, planes, and 2-D and 3-D figures.
Grade 8 Math
By 8th grade, ASMS students are positioned to succeed in algebra, with emphasis on writing and solving linear equations, inequalities, and systems of equations in two variables (both algebraically and graphically), writing and solving quadratic equations (both algebraically and graphically), and using an algebraic approach to a wide variety of problem-solving situations. Students will explore the mathematics behind a variety of functions, including exponential growth and decay. The curriculum has a strong geometry component, as algebraic reasoning is used to understand the properties of triangles and other polygons, including right triangles and the use of trigonometry. A significant emphasis is placed on learning to use available technology, and students will use both desktop programs such as EXCEL and their graphing calculators for data analysis, simulations and modeling, and exploration of functions. By year end, Grade 8 students should be able to meet the requirements of their intended high school and demonstrate successful completion of a standard Algebra 1 course.
Science
Students at ASMS experience science through a research –based curriculum program designed and developed at the Lawrence Hall of Science, University of California at Berkley. Known as Foss, the central tenet of the program is that students should learn science by doing science. The inquiry –based program has been nationally field tested to ensure that all investigations and activities are engaging and age appropriate for middle school students from diverse backgrounds.
Each year students at ASMS complete four 9-12 week curricular units which have been sequenced to ensure that they will meet the New York State Learning Standards for Middle Level Science. There is also strong alignment between the learning goals of the FOSS program and the National Science Education Standards.
Although the emphasis for each of the units of study is different, the unifying concepts and processes or the “big ideas” in science are addressed multiple times to build understanding across grade levels. For example, measurement is a skill that is required of students in each of the units. Naturally, measurement skills required of eighth graders will be more sophisticated than those of the sixth grade students. Likewise, the unifying concept of form and function is revisited a number of times to make sure that students can explain how form relates to function and how function related to form throughout the natural world.
Grade 6 Science
Students begin the sixth grade year with a combination unit, Variables/Models and Design that allows them to discover relationships between objects and events by designing and conducting controlled experiments. They also learn about different kinds of scientific models and why models are so important in advancing science. In the second unit of study, Earth History, sixth graders investigate the processes of erosion and deposition and how they contribute to the formation of sediments, sedimentary rock, and land forms. They also explore the physical properties of rocks to discover that soils are often found in layers, with each having a different chemical composition and texture. Sixth grade students complete their first year of middle school at ASMS with the Diversity of Life unit. Students learn about characteristics that are common to all living organisms. The unifying concepts of form and function is emphasized in this unit as students become familiar with biological structures and functions at different levels of organization.
Grade 7 Science
Students begin their seventh grade year by extending the life science knowledge they acquired in sixth grade to include an understanding of Populations and Ecosystems. By raising milk weed bugs in a supportive habitat, students learn about reproductive potential and factors that ultimately limit the population growth of a species. They also develop and understanding of the underlying mechanisms of change in populations (genetics) and discover that organisms best adapted to their environment tend to survive and pass their traits to subsequent populations. The second major unit of study in 7th grade is electronics. The Electronics unit provides students the opportunity to work slowly and systematically with electronic components to build circuits, measure and monitor electric properties and construct meaningful explanations for the powerful interactions taking place in their systems. Seventh grade students complete the year with the Weather and Water unit. Students monitor local weather conditions by using instruments to measure temperature, atmospheric pressure, humidity, wind direction, and speed. They also learn how the shape of the Earth and its relationship to the Sun affect weather around the world.
Grade 8 Science
The ASMS 8th grade science curriculum begins with the Force and Motion unit. Students learn about the interactions that occur between matter and energy. They investigate a variety of objects and are able to describe those objects based on their position, direction of motion, and speed. As their conceptual understanding of force and motion becomes more sophisticated, they explore what happens to an object that is acted upon by more than one force. Planetary Systems, the second unit of study, familiarizes students with maps and images in a variety of scales to develop a sense of planet Earth and its place in our solar system. Students also explore the celestial geometry and motions that produce day and night and seasons on Earth using three dimensional models, printed materials and multimedia simulations. The third unit, Chemical Interactions, allows students to investigate different chemical interactions. Substances react chemically in characteristic ways with other substances to form new substances. Students complete their middle school science experiences at ASMS with a Research Symposium unit in which they design, conduct, and present the results from a full inquiry.
Health
ASMS defines health as a combination of physical, mental/emotional, and social well-being. These three elements make up the sides of what we call the “health triangle”. Students will discover the factors that influence health and develop the skills necessary to take more responsibility for their own health. They will learn how to balance the health triangle and achieve wellness in the three areas of health. They will also learn to recognize and avoid unnecessary health risks.
Some questions to which your child will find answers as we study these topics are: What does it mean to be healthy? How can I keep my physical, mental/emotional, and social health in balance? How do heredity and the environment affect health? What other factors affect health? Your involvement in your child’s health education is important. To help you reinforce what we are doing in class, parents will be asked to participate in communications with their child during each unit covered in this course. Below is a list of topic areas we will discuss during health:
Health and Wellness
Managing Mental and Emotional Health
Body Systems
Physical Activity and Fitness
Eating Responsibly
The Stages of Life
Adolescent Growth and Development
Medicine and Illegal Drugs
Infectious Diseases
Noninfectious Diseases
Health and the Environment
Grade 6 Social Studies
Over the course of 6th grade, students will become able to demonstrate how geography can affect a community or region, able to organize data in a logical and meaningful way through oral and written reports, and use maps to answer geography questions and the geographic impact on history.
In 6th grade world history, students develop an understanding of world cultures and civilizations including an understanding gained through analysis of important ideas, social and cultural values, beliefs and traditions. Students define concepts of culture and civilizations as well as are able to explain how the natural environments of the river valley civilizations (eg: Tigris-Euphrates, Nile, etc) developed and changed society. Students also learn to identify different ethnic, religious and socioeconomic groups.
They develop an understanding of timeframes, explore different periodizations across time and cultures, and focus on important turning points in world history. They are able to establish a chronology of historical events. Students will be able to discuss the utility of the following historical periods: the beginnings of human society, early
civilizations to 1000 BC; classical traditions and major religions from 1000BC-300AD; expanding zones of exchange and encounter 1000-1500; hemispheric interactions between1450-1770; the age of revolutions 1750-1914; and the twentieth century.
6th graders will learn the aspects of geography in a physical setting and develop the ability to explore the impact that geography has on important historic, economic and environmental questions and issues. They will be able to explain how groups of people living in different geographic regions throughout the world interact with their structured environments.
Becoming aware of geography in a cultural setting will help them develop and apply the skills of asking and answering geographic questions, of analyzing theories of geography of developing methods of acquiring, organizing, and analyzing geographic information.
Grade 7 Social Studies
History of the United States and New York / Part I (Discovery until 1865) will be the major focus for the 7th grade curriculum. They will be able to explain the ideas embodied in the Declaration of Independence, Constitution, and The Bill of Rights by using the American Experience from 1776 until 1865.
Students will be able to illustrate the connections and interactions of people and events across time from a variety of perspectives by using mapping exercises, photographs, graphs etc, by using a variety of sources such as historic and contemporary events, and by recognizing the reasons for periodizing history. Students will leave 7th grade knowing the designations of the following historical periods; Three Worlds and Their Meeting in the Americas(Beginnings to 1607), Colonization, Settlement and Communities(1607-1763), The Revolution and the New Nation (1763-1815), Expansion and Reform (1801-1861), and Crisis of the Union: Civil War (1850-1865).
7th graders will be able to recognize and explain the development of the major social, political, economic, cultural and religious developments in the United States by researching major events and themes, by reading about ordinary people in historic time periods. Students will also be able to demonstrate the skills of historical analysis including the ability to explain the significance of historical evidence, weigh the importance, reliability, and validity of evidence. They will learn these concepts by either using an author or artist’s main point of view and be able to comment on how it creates historical knowledge or historical opposition or by using another author or artist’s main point of view to show how historical perspective has changed.
Grade 8 Social Studies
History of the United States and New York / Part II (1865-Present) will be discussed throughout the curriculum. Students will develop an understanding of American culture, its diversity and multicultural context. They will be able to explain the ideas embodied in the Declaration of Independence, Constitution, and The Bill of Rights from the era of reconstruction (1865) to the present. 8th graders will be able to describe how massive immigration, forced migration, changing roles of women, and internal migration led to new social patterns and conflicts.
Students will be able to illustrate the connections and interactions of people and events across time from a variety of perspectives by using mapping exercises, photographs, graphs etc., by using a variety of sources such as historic and contemporary events, and by recognizing the reasons for periodizing history. In addition 8th graders will leave ASMS knowing the designations of the following historical periods; Crisis of the Union: Reconstrution (1850-1877), The development of Modern America (1865-1920), Modern America and the World Wars (1914-1945), and Contemporary America (1945-present).
By researching major events, themes, and by reading about ordinary people in historic time periods, students will recognize and explain the development of the major social, political, economic, cultural and religious developments in the United States. They will be able to demonstrate the skills of historical analysis including the ability to explain the significance of historical evidence, weigh the importance, reliability, and validity of evidence. To conclude the year, 8th graders will create a multi-media presentation, on a specific era from the American Experience (Grades 7 and 8) and present this to show why this topic is important in American History.
Foreign Language
ASMS students are required to study a foreign language and may choose between French and Spanish. The competencies students are expected to achieve are similar for both languages.
Grade 6 Foreign Language
Initial emphasis is on assimilation of proper pronunciation through the use of color and alphabet. Students will learn to communicate about the date, the weather, themselves (age, personal description, their personal likes and dislikes) and their family relationships. Lexical themes covered include leisure activities, academic interests, personality traits, body parts, descriptive adjectives expressing physical appearance, food, and pets. They will also acquire skills necessary for expressing their opinion, gathering information, and responding to requests for information. Of interest for comparison, contrast, or considerations of mutual influence, aspects of Geography, History and the more salient aspects of culture and society will be introduced on a regular basis.
Grade 7 Foreign Language
Year 2 is composed of a curriculum much like that of Year 1 but has an ever increasing thrust toward more precision and elaboration in students’ verbal communication and a greater emphasis on written expression. Heavy reliance on role play aims at creating an authentic exchange of information. Initiation to conjugation of verbs from Groups 2 and 3 begins, and students work to acquire grammar skills using a greater variety of pronouns and indirect constructions.
Grade 8 Foreign Language
Year 3 will include the study of excerpts from French and Spanish literature in addition to a continued effort at improving verbal and written communication. The study of multimedia documents as well as pedagogical documents written simply will increase the students’ knowledge of the country’s civilization and history.
Art
The ASMS art curriculum is designed and developed using the national visual standards and a student-directed learning approach called Arts PROPEL, a five-year collaborative effort involving Harvard Project Zero, the Educational Testing Service (ETS), and the teachers and administrators of the Pittsburgh Public Schools.
The student-directed approach art curriculum is developed through a series of curricular units that integrate creative self-expression, process and production, perception, reflection, and assessment skills. Students are given a problem and are encouraged to explore and investigate their ideas and the ideas of other artists and cultures. Through peer and whole class discussions students examine artwork critically by answering questions that require students to describe, analyze, interpret and judge artwork. This type of learning develops critical thinking skills that will enrich process and production skills.
Student assessment is an integral part of the learning process. It involves keeping a sketchbook and portfolio folder. Over time, the portfolio keeping process allows students to see personal growth; ideas begin to take form, and students' artwork exhibits articulate meaningful expression.
Information Skills
The information skills curriculum provides students with the knowledge and skills required to be a functional user of computer hardware, software, networks, and the internet. Info skills allows ASMS students to excel in the ASMS digital world. Our curriculum uses hands on step by step exercises that guide students through procedures and commands. They are presented immediately following a topic explanation and provide basic instructions on the most productive method of using a feature. Students then use hands on, step by step guided exercises presented after an exercise. These exercises provide extra practice and reinforcement or may present an alternative method of completing a task.
Music
All students at ASMS sing in chorus and participate in the instrumental music program. Each student is scheduled for a weekly 25-minute private lesson on their band instrument and participates in the ASMS band. The music department performs several concerts each school year. Attendance at these performances is required of all students. ASMS music students also have the opportunity during the school year to participate in All County Band, Area All State Band and Honor Band. Both chorus and band perform musical works of varying styles and levels of difficulty.
Physical Education
ASMS students receive physical education instruction from the Corning Family YMCA staff. The physical education program is structured to include gymnasium sports, gymnastics, outdoor sports and games, aquatic classes, and fitness. All students will be given a physical fitness evaluation at reasonable intervals throughout the year, with an emphasis on continued improvement.
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