Course Descriptions

 

Social Studies/History

The sixth grade social studies curriculum includes the study of ancient civilizations, including Mesopotamia, Egypt, Greece, and Rome, the Middle Ages, the Renaissance, the Reformation, and their relationships to the present day.  Map skills are also incorporated throughout the year. 

The seventh grade curriculum examines world geography including the physical and cultural aspects of the world’s regions.  Tennessee History is also a focus of this course. 

United States History in grade eight examines the people and events that shaped the history of the United States, beginning with European exploration and ending with Reconstruction.  Special emphasis is given to the standards and learning expectations outlined by Williamson County and the state of Tennessee.

Language Arts

The sixth grade language arts curriculum includes the study of grammar, mechanics, spelling strategies, vocabulary skills, and the writing process.  Content reading across the curriculum using literary techniques is emphasized. 

Seventh grade language arts focus on the development of writing skills through daily journals, essay writing, peer editing, and the study of the writing process.  Spelling, vocabulary, novels, short stories, mythology, poetry, drama, public speaking, and Socratic seminars are also part of the curriculum.    

Eighth grade communication arts encompass reading, vocabulary, writing, and speaking skills.  Short stories, novels, dramas, poetry, creative writing, research-based writing, and forensics are explored as well.

 

Mathematics

The sixth grade math curriculum is the study of fractions, decimals, percents, and integers, and how these relate to real world experiences. 

General mathematics and pre-Algebra are the focus of seventh grade math.  Basic operations with integers, ratios, proportions, statistics, geometry, and solving equations are the major areas of study. 

Algebra I A is the standard math course offered to eighth grade students.  It is equal to one half-year of the high school Algebra I curriculum.  Students study the algebraic concepts covered in the ninth grade course, but move at an eighth grade pace.  The course also examines geometry, properties of numbers, measurement, and statistics. 

Algebra I Honors is an optional high school level course that is offered to selected eighth grade math students on the basis of teacher recommendation, Terra Nova scores, and past school performance.  This course moves at an accelerated pace, and students must retain a B average each grading period to remain enrolled.  Students who pass a course-based credit test at the end of the school year can earn high school credit.

 

Science

Sixth grade science studies include:  magnets and motors, electricity, waves, plants, ecology/biomes, adaptations, food chains/webs, oxygen and the CO2 cycle, the universe, earth features, rocks and minerals, plate tectonics, fossils, and biological change. 

Seventh grade earth and space science encompass the water cycle, weather and climate, catastrophic events, and wind and oceanic conditions and patterns.  In physical science seventh graders survey elements, mixtures and compounds, and properties of substances; and they perform calculations of mass, volume, density, and temperature.  Seventh grade life science explores classification systems, cell structure and function, photosynthesis and respiration, and body systems. 

Eighth grade Physical Science is designed to be an introduction to chemistry and physics.  Topics include the structure and properties of matter and the forms and properties of energy.  Also studied are genetics and inheritance, as well as earth’s resources.  Students have the option of taking an end-of-course exam for high school Physical Science credit.

 

Related Arts

Spanish languages classes focus on listening, speaking reading and writing skills, as well as exposure to the diversity of culture associated with a foreign language.  Using Spanish, students play games, role-play, and assemble a personal photo album.  In addition to the Spanish survey classes that are part of the related arts rotation, Heritage also offers an eighth grade Honors Spanish, which is a yearlong Spanish I class.  Students who complete the course successfully receive high school credit and placement in Spanish.

The band program at Heritage Middle offers members an applied fine arts experience. Enrollment is open to all.  Students begin in the 6th grade and progress on a yearly basis.  Most students provide their own instruments.  More expensive instruments are provided by the school system.  Membership in the band provides numerous performing opportunities through participation in concert band, pep band, and various small ensembles. 

The general music program at Heritage Middle School gives students exposure to various elements of music through hands on experiences.  The students will spend time in the Yamaha Music In Education keyboard lab where students will be introduced to the fundamentals of music and the basics of MIDI(musical instrument digital interface) technology.  Students will become part of the music making process by using this new resource. Topics addressed will include Steady Beat, Rhythm, Style, Dynamics, Timbre(sounds), Pitch, Chords, Tempo, Performance, Range, and very basic piano skills.  Additionally, students will have a limited, introductory experience with the acoustic guitar.  Students will learn basic chords and be given the opportunity to research chord charts for appropriate songs by their favorite artists and to learn to play these songs.  Students will also be exposed to the world of a music critic.  Students will discover what makes up a music review verses a newspaper article and have the opportunity to write reviews of performances by today’s pop artists by utilizing “The Grammy Scorecard” and video footage of musical performances by the current year Grammy winners.   Students will also study the American Musical, its origins as an alternative to opera, and its evolution from early classics to modern productions.

In technology classes students build and develop basic keyboarding skills.  Eighth grade students are given the opportunity to test out of the high school keyboarding classes.  The technology teachers work closely with academic teachers to enhance science, math, social studies, and language arts units.  Students learn Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, and Excel, and produce projects that reflect research in academic areas utilizing traditional and Internet sources.  Remedial and enrichment math programs are also part of the curriculum.

The Family Living curriculum in grade six includes:  communication, food and nutrition, safety and sanitation in the kitchen, reading recipes, measuring ingredients, childcare, and avoiding health risks.  Grade seven encompasses interpersonal relationships, conflict resolution, food and nutrition, working in the kitchen, food preparation, home environment and the economics of staying in school (Junior Achievement).  Eighth graders study time and energy management, money management, parenting, caring for infants (Baby Think It Over), sexually transmitted diseases, decisions in dating, consumer issues, food and nutrition, and personal economics.

Heritage Middle School's art program provides visual stimulation and hands on experimentation.  Students in each grade level are introduced to art vocabulary, famous artists and their work, and a variety of different techniques and media.  Students discuss, analyze, and evaluate well-known art, the artwork of their peers, and their own work. Student work is displayed throughout the school, and students are encouraged to enter artwork in the annual school art show.


Special Programs

Heritage Middle’s developmental guidance program is an integral part of the total educational program.  It is comprehensive in nature and includes sequential activities organized and implemented by two certified school counselors with the active involvement and support of parents, students, teachers, and administrators.  Mr. Flynn works primarily with the sixth grade, while Mrs. Farris works mainly with the seventh and eighth grade.  The program is designed to address the needs of all students by helping them to acquire competencies in career planning and exploration, knowledge of self and others, health, interpersonal skills, and academic development.  Through class activities, discussion and role-play, students explore multiple intelligences, communication, anger management, conflict resolution, healthy decision-making, drug and substance abuse, and healthy relationships.

Both counselors work to promote student excellence through classroom guidance, personal counseling, crisis counseling, small group counseling, support team services, 504 services, consultation, and referrals to community resources.

The library houses a print collection of 8,000 volumes, 35 periodicals, and a wide variety of online encyclopedias and resources.  A certified library media specialist and full time library technician assist students with research and development of school projects.

Heritage’s special education program provides services to both learning disabled and gifted students.  Students participate in inclusion programs with support from both special education teachers and aides.  The school’s gifted consultant provides enrichment activities to that population of students.