Building a Strong Foundation for Secondary School

Our Middle School students are engaged in a program of academic study which emphasizes broad exposure to each subject while systematically providing the basic skills for high school and beyond. Teachers use a variety of approaches in the classroom that encourage creativity, collaborative work, and problem solving. Students benefit from small class sizes that allow teachers to meet students at their level and challenge them to grow academically and personally. Students take a range of academic classes, including Humanities instruction incorporating English and history, mathematics, science, and French. In addition, Middle School students are engaged in offerings from the Imagination Lab and STEAM program, Outdoor Learning, physical education, the arts (including instrumental music instruction and band), woodworking, service learning and civics engagement.

With an enthusiastic emphasis on experiential learning, BCD is proud to offer a variety of hands-on, immersive experiences for our Middle School students each year. Each opportunity broadens the students’ understanding of themselves, their community, and the greater world around them.

Quebec trip to practice French skills
Close-Up Washington DC to explore the role of civics
Imagination Lab Design Challenge
Community Service
Speaker Series
Interscholastic Sports
The Middle School Group Project

Math

In Middle School, the math program emphasizes problem solving and empowers students to think mathematically, both inside and outside the classroom. Pre-algebra, algebra, geometry, data analysis, probability, and some advanced math topics are included. The program spirals as it reinforces past math topics and introduces new ones. In Sixth Grade the topics covered are exponents,prime factorization, rational numbers, ratios, percentages, algebraic expressions and basic concepts in geometry. In Seventh Grade the students delve more deeply into algebra learning about algebraic manipulations, inequalities and number patterns. They also dive into graphing, slopes proportions, data handling and probabilities as well as further topics in geometry. In Eighth Grade, students learn linear equations and quadratic functions, data analysis, exponents and scientific notation, topics in geometry such as coordinate geometry, congruence and reflection. Upon leaving BCD, students are ready to enter either Geometry or Algebra 2.

Humanities

The Middle School Humanities curriculum focuses on building reading, writing, and critical thinking skills through a blended study of history and literature. In Sixth Grade, students break from the blended model and have an opportunity to read a number of different genres in an English class. Sixth Graders study the question “Who Am I?” from different angles as they read science fiction, dystopian literature, novels in verse, and short stories. In Seventh Grade, students study American history and think critically about the founding of the United States, reading novels that bring to light the experiences of those who did not have all the rights guaranteed in the Constitution. They end the year focused on the Constitutional Convention, in which they examine the decisions that were made in 1787 and propose changes to create a “more perfect union”. In Eighth Grade, students examine power on the world stage, including the Holocaust and colonialism in Asia and Africa. They also end the year with a narrative writing unit, thinking deeply about a moment of change.

In the Middle School, students develop age-appropriate foundational skills in historical thinking, close reading, making an argument, using textual evidence, and structuring essays. Students reflect and think critically in discussions, journal writes, and creative projects. Vocabulary, grammar, and mechanics are taught and practiced in context.

French

French instruction in the Middle School offers a robust French curriculum that begins in the Sixth Grade with basic conversational skills in the present tense. Students become conversant with introductions, numbers 1-100, weather, dates, family, town/city/house vocabulary, sports and leisure activities. They also study regular -er verbs, and the most common irregular verbs (etre, faire, avoir). At the end of the year, students should be able to write and converse on predictable topics necessary for navigation in French speaking countries. These topics include self and family, daily activities and personal preferences, ordering food and making simple purchases.

Seventh Grade students continue instruction with the goal of achieving intermediate-mid ACTFL standards by the end of the year. Students learn vocabulary related to food, clothing, home, town, activities, and directions. Students study the irregular verbs aller and venir as well as the regular groups of -ir and -re verbs. In addition, they learn how to speak and write in the past using the passe compose. By the end of the year, students initiate reading texts and books in French.

Each student will adopt a region of France and will report on the cultural and historical aspects of that region throughout the course of the year.

Eighth Grade continues the development of speaking skills, focused on the use of the past tense and differentiating between the past and imperfect tenses. Students will work on providing more detail and advanced grammar to their written and spoken language while building and reinforcing vocabulary. Reading skills become more fluid as they read more complex texts such as “La revolution francaise: observation d’une gargouille de Notre Dame.”

By the end of the year, students are able to express themselves in a more personal and meaningful way. They will be able to ask and answer pertinent questions and produce structured sentences in the present, past, and future.

Science

Sixth Graders are ready for more abstract concepts and love exploring the “What ifs”. Topics include the Universe, Stars and Galaxies, electromagnetic radiation, nuclear fusion, the periodic table of elements, and exploring space.

In Seventh Grade, students learn the physics of moving objects. This is a dynamic year-long course. Major topics include Newton’s Laws of Motion, including inertia, force, friction, mass and weight as well as action/reaction with a focus on momentum, collisions, and conservation of momentum and energy.

In Eighth Grade, students begin the year with physical science and answer the questions of What is Matter and What are the Properties of Matter? Major topics include volume, mass, density, boiling points, melting points, solubility, the separation of mixtures. In the spring, they shift to Ecology. This section includes energy flow, population growth, sustainability, nutrient cycles, ecosystems, and diversity in a community.

Science skills developed include reading for information; collecting, understanding and analyzing data; making observations; writing lab reports; graphing; presentations and projects; and note taking and study skills.

Geography

In Sixth Grade, students undertake a year-long course in Geography. Students learn the basics of geography through the introduction of map skills, along with a study of Earth, its climates and ecosystems, peoples and the environment, culture and society, economics, trade, government, and citizenship. In the final part of the course, students use this foundational understanding to focus on the geographic characteristics of global regions and then individual countries.

Skill development includes reading for information, building research skills, citing references, understanding maps, note taking, and creating engaging and informative presentations.

Imagination Lab

Students have a double period in the Imagination Lab to allow them to work on more complex STEAM projects that can incorporate engineering, design, robotics, and more.

Art

Middle School students dive deeper into each project by creating initial designs and problem solving to develop more conceptual ideas. Building on skills they have learned, new mediums and techniques are introduced such as stone carving, mold making, and casting. In the ceramics studio, they design and create a dinnerware set for a specific cuisine or favorite meal. In sculpture, they pull ideas from nature that evolve into stone sculptures. In painting, they imagine dramatic wall murals to enhance a space. Through each project, the goal is for each student to gain confidence in their skills and learn to appreciate art and design that is all around them.

Music

Students in Middle School have the opportunity to participate in a music technology course which focuses on music composition. The course enables Middle School students to create their own music while learning about different genres, music history, and music theory. Students also learn about the influences of music in film and learn about the process of creating film scores as well as the importance of Foley Art. Students may participate in the concert band. Students choose from a selected list of wind and percussion instruments. Small group lessons are held once a week during the school day and student musicians meet once a week as an entire ensemble. Concert band provides the opportunity for students to engage with other musicians while learning to work together, and follow conductor cues in a traditional setting.

SEL

In Middle School, students continue SEL in mixed grade meetings led by homeroom teachers. They continue to explore themes of empathy and self-awareness, increasingly focused on collaboration and kindness.

Shop

Students work on woodworking and other projects based on their skill levels and understanding of safety protocols. Instruction is based on a solid grasp of the fundamentals of tools usage and safety protocols.

Outdoor Learning

In Middle School, the focus is the learning and application of survival skills. This includes hands-on activities, such as building trails and campsites. The academic themes include Identifying Poisonous & Invasive Plants, Outdoor Exploration, Forest Forensics, Maple Tapping, Navigation, and Camping. Each theme will feature lessons and activities designed to challenge the students and develop specific skills needed in the wilderness.

Physical Education

In Middle School, the focus shifts to developing strength, endurance, and coordination. These skills will be honed throughout the year as students participate in a variety of sports and challenges. Students will also participate in many team-oriented activities, creating a learning environment that requires strong communication and cooperation. An emphasis will consistently be placed on teamwork and sportsmanship as they learn to compete with integrity and respect for others.