Junior High School (G7-G9)
Overview
The Junior High School - Middle School Program (G7-G9) at KCISEC is designed to create a passage from primary school to high school for students to ensure growth and success. Students are encouraged to strengthen their academic skills, including time management and note-taking, along with leadership and organization, in order to be highly effective High School Program students.
Curriculum
KCISEC Junior High School follows the American Curriculum with Common Core State Standards for both English and Math. Physical Education, along with Chinese Literature, Sciences, and Music/Art/Design classes allow a balance of curriculum to fully engage the mind and body of the student. Psychology and Morality and the Law creates a dynamic interaction with teachers and peers in study, comprehension, analyzation, and discussion, all in an English-rich environment, to better improve the English of all students, regardless of their proficiency level.
Major subject course list
ENGLISH CLASSES
The Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts are the culmination of an extended broad-based effort to fulfill the charge issued by the states to create the next generation of K-12 standards in order to help ensure that all students are high school ready in literacy. Students who meet the standards develop the skills in reading, writing, speaking, and listening that are the foundation for any creative and purposeful expression in language. The most important and demanding tasks of this department are improving the reading, writing, and critical thinking skills of our students. To that end, the Middle School English curriculum is designed to strengthen verbal understanding, enhance literary experience, and encourage broad appreciation and mastery of the English language. Students educational needs are met regardless of their proficiency level, with classes established to foster growth and challenge students to reach goals and experience progress, generating success and encouraging students to create new goals to strive for. English classes in the form of Language Acquisition, Reading, and Writing are a combined skills integration focused on improving on all four skill areas of English: listening, speaking, reading, and writing. Students will practice new vocabulary in writing and speaking, also focusing on increasing listening and reading skills and strategies with an intensive focus on vocabulary development.
http://www.corestandards.org/ELA-Literacy/
MATH CLASSES
Based on the Common Core State Standards, the math course reflects the importance of focus, coherence, and rigor as the guiding principles for mathematics instruction and learning. The standards call for learning mathematical content in the context of real-world situations, using mathematics to solve problems, and developing "habits of mind" that foster mastery of mathematics content as well as mathematical understanding. Mathematics is a progressive, high school and college preparatory program. It emphasizes the development of math concepts, problem solving, critical thinking, and computational skills. Comprehensive and suitably challenging, this curriculum is designed to provide students with the math background necessary for high school math coursework. Overall, the standards demonstrate a commitment to providing a world-class education for all students that supports high school readiness.
http://www.corestandards.org/Math/
HISTORY & GEOGRAPHY CLASSES
The tenets for historical literacy in Common Core require students to: determine and evaluate the key ideas and concepts from a text; to comprehend how historical context can affect the assessment of a source; to assess arguments and criticize claims by drawing on relevant information; and to reach a reading and comprehension proficiency of historical texts. Geography is related to people and places, and the complex connections between them. These classes help students explore and understand these connections and their ultimate impact in society and culture.
The Historical Thinking Standards align with the Common Core, but also detail how to develop not only historical literacy but also historical thinking and understanding. Historical thinking skills are an essential tool for learning historical content. By cultivating historical thinking skills, students can thoughtfully examine the historical record upon which any historical narrative is based, assessing the validity and point of view of those narratives. Historical thinking also involves research skills. Students should learn to look for historical evidence, analyze historical records, and construct a research-based narrative. Thinking Standards.
SCIENCE CLASSES
In grades 6-8, the science curriculum is incorporated as a successive, high school and college preparatory program. (NGSS - Next Generation Science Standards) It is the goal of this department to: create learning experiences that emphasize the importance of logical, quantitative, and qualitative thinking; accentuate critical observation and analysis; and encourage a meaningful awareness of our environment. This program includes laboratory opportunities as well as instruction for the use of appropriate equipment and procedures. Laboratory activities are designed to apply the scientific method in solving problems in a teacher-led environment of inquiry and exploration.
CHINESE CLASSES
The Chinese Program is communication-oriented and proficiency-based. We believe that language, including grammar and vocabulary, must be learned in context with the target language used whenever possible. The skills of listening, speaking, reading and writing, as well as critical thinking, must be continually developed in a student-centered classroom. Authentic materials and situations should be used as often as possible. Language learning strategies must be taught, and risk-taking by students encouraged so language learners have the tools with which to handle unfamiliar materials. Furthermore, we believe that an awareness of the Chinese culture must also continually grow and that authentic culture must be embedded in the instruction. Both Mandarin learning and assessment should focus on successful communication. Finally, we believe that learning a language should be fun as well as meaningful and that the student should feel successful while learning.
PHYSICAL EDUCATION
The Physical Education and Health Department is dedicated to the belief that personal well-being is based on the development of physical, mental, emotional, and social health. To meet this goal, the structure of the PE & Health course is dedicated to enhancing these areas and developing a healthy lifestyle. The students will work towards developing intrinsic motivation that fosters a healthy lifestyle. The interaction of classroom work and active participation will give the students a connection between theory and application. KCISEC will provide students with the opportunity to learn about a variety of challenges and activities designed to have interactive fun, improve gross motor skills, and instill an appreciation for teamwork.
SOCIAL SCIENCES
Chinese curriculum.