Through a wide range of texts, eighth grade English Language Arts students learn to understand the context, author’s purpose, audience, and tone of writing. In addition to reading Greek and Shakespearean classics, the reading in this class will explore the dueling concepts of insiders & outsiders, oppression & courage, and individual & cultural identity. Supplementing these novels, students will also explore the rhetoric of significant speeches of overlapping Social Studies units. Anchor texts each year often include To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee and The Book Thief by Markus Zusak.

Algebra 1 is a foundational high school mathematics course designed to build the skills, understanding, and confidence students need for future study in advanced math, science, and real-world problem solving. Throughout the year, students will learn to analyze relationships, model situations using algebraic expressions and equations, interpret graphs, and communicate their reasoning with clarity and precision. Algebra serves as the gateway to higher-level mathematics, including Geometry, Algebra 2, Precalculus, and beyond. It also supports critical thinking in subjects like science, engineering, economics, and computer programming. Most importantly, Algebra 1 helps students develop logical reasoning and problem-solving habits that extend far beyond the classroom.

Eighth Grade Physical Science explores the nature and behavior of matter, atomic structure, and chemical reactions. Students investigate the laws of motion, conservation of mass, and properties of elements and compounds through experiments that build understanding of the fundamental principles governing the physical world.

Eighth Grade Modern U.S. History explores democracy and the struggle for representation, territorial expansion and its consequences, civil liberties versus government power, the fight for equality and civil rights, and the social impact of war, providing insight into America’s evolving identity.

As a continuation of 7th grade French, 8th grade French challenges students to communicate with greater fluency, accuracy, and confidence while exploring more complex ideas and authentic cultural topics. Students compare the past and present, discuss social issues and media, tell and interpret stories, and imagine the future through conversations about innovation and possibility. Through engaging projects, students create advertisements, record suspenseful stories, and design imaginative solutions to real-world and fictional challenges. Special experiences, including Lessons & Carols and the Alabama French Convention, provide opportunities for performance, collaboration, and meaningful communication beyond the classroom.

In 8th grade music, students develop a deeper understanding of the Romantic era and its defining characteristics, including emotional expression, dramatic contrasts in dynamics, and expressive musical phrasing. Through guided listening, students analyze how musical elements like tempo, articulation, and dynamics are used to communicate mood and intensity. Students also strengthen their performance skills by applying expressive techniques in singing and instrumental work, focusing on interpretation and emotional communication. Sight-reading activities build fluency and confidence in reading music in one- and two-part textures, improving rhythm accuracy and pitch recognition. In addition, students develop technical proficiency on the alto recorder, refining fingerings, breath control, and tone while also understanding its historical role in music and ensemble performance.

Eighth Grade students work with a variety of materials and subjects in their artworks. Many class assignments are open studio, self-directed and independent but we do work on some teacher-selected assignments to review important skills that students can carry to high school art classes and beyond. Once again students use a sketchbook to practice and reflect. The final project for eighth grade art is a self portrait that is displayed at the school graduation ceremony.

Our eighth grade religion course is a culminating course that pulls together a study of the Christian faith with an emphasis on the Episcopal traditions and the Cathedral Church of the Advent.