Middle School

 

Middle School (7th and 8th grades) at Good Shepherd School is a time when rational inquiry takes center stage in students’ development. Students are taught to deduce conclusions, to establish relationships between subjects, to detect the assumptions of a statement, and to challenge fallacious arguments.

Accordingly, it is in Middle School when algebraic concepts and equations are introduced in mathematics, when writing moves from clear and accurate expression to convincing argument, and when formal logic is studied.

In addition, it is a time for students to move from catechesis (being taught about the Faith) to theology (understanding why Catholicism is beautiful, true and good).

 

Language Arts

Language Arts in the Middle School transitions from focusing on the mechanics of writing (i.e., grammar, spelling and syntax) to cohesive argument and thesis-driven papers. Students are trained to use the elements of good grammar and style in order to argue a coherent claim.

  • Grammar for the Well-Trained Mind, by Susan Wise Bauer and Audrey Anderson

  • Vocabulary from Classical Roots, by Educators Publishing Service

  • Writing with Skill, Student Workbook Level 2, by Susan Wise Bauer

 

Literature

Students read perennial literature from the ancient world as well as more recent works of fiction. Books rotate between accessible, enjoyable stories and challenging classics - all which have the potential to transform the moral imagination of the reader. More is asked of Middle School students, as they are expected to read carefully, prepare questions for discussions, compare and contrast authors’ styles, and write analytical essays. Literature is selected to broaden students’ understanding of the world and instill the transcendental qualities of truth, beauty and goodness.

  • Animal Farm by George Orwell

  • The Time Machine by H.G. Wells

  • The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis

  • A Comedy of Errors by William Shakespeare

  • The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom

  • A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens

  • Junia: The Fictional Life and Death of an Early Christian by Michael E. Giesler

  • Excerpt from Quo Vadis by Henryk Sienkiewick

  • Son of Charlemagne by Barbara Willard

  • Crossbows and Crucifixes by Henry Garnett

  • The Red-Blood Crescent by Henry Garnett

  • “The Raven” by Edgar Allen Poe

 

History

As an overview of Western civilization, history in the Middle School serves both to understand the world as it is, where it came from, and finally one’s place in such an inheritance.  Students are taught to understand people, events and movements in their own terms rather than in modern categories. Moral realities of good and evil, virtue and vice, and wisdom and folly are explored in the context of historical events.

Beginning with Greek and Roman biography, Year A history covers a brief overview of Western paganism, the advent of Christianity in the Roman world, the decline of Rome, and the Dark Ages and Medieval Era through the Renaissance and Enlightenment.

The Year B course picks up with the Scientific Revolution, the founding of America, the French Revolution, and Napoleonic Wars through the Victorian Era and the American Civil War, First and Second World Wars, and finally the Cold War.  The year culminates in a research project on an era of the student’s choosing, and a presentation given by the students to their Upper Elementary and Middle School classmates.

Year A

  • A Light to the Nations, Volume I, edited by Catholic Textbook Project

  • A History of Christendom, vol. 1: The Founding of Christendom by Warren H. Carroll

  • A History of Christendom, vol. 2: The Building of Christendom by Warren H. Carroll

  • A History of Christendom, vol. 3: The Glory of Christendom by Warren H. Carroll

Year B

  • A Light to the Nations, Volume II, edited by Catholic Textbook Project

  • A History of Christendom, vol. 4: The Cleaving of Christendom by Warren H. Carroll

  • A History of Christendom, vol. 5: The Revolution Against Christendom by Warren H. Carroll

 

Math

Students take Pre-Algebra and Algebra I in Middle School.  Before progressing to more advanced mathematics in high school, it is important that earlier concepts are mastered and practiced. In each class, algebraic concepts are introduced alongside traditional mathematics, as they move from what is either self-evident or mechanical (e.g., addition, long-division) to what must be logically deduced (e.g., solving an equation).

  • Math Mammoth 7 by Maria Miller

  • Elementary Algebra by Harold R. Jacobs

 

Latin

When learning our native tongue, we never learn what a noun is before we learn our first nouns: “Mama,” “Dada,” “bottle”, etc.  In the Middle School, we study Latin in the same way – by putting the experience of the language before a discussion of grammar.  Our Latin program challenges students to speak simple Latin from the first day of class, with grammar introduced as experience is built.  A study of the culture of ancient Pompeii accompanies the course, allowing the students to consider day-to-day life in the Roman Empire.  Ecclesiastical Latin also is studied, with each class beginning with a recitation of the Pater Noster, Ave Maria and Gloria Patri.

  • Cambridge Latin Course, Unit 1, Fifth Edition, Cambridge University Press

 

Theology

By Middle School, students have “graduated” from their years of Catechesis of the Good Shepherd.  Seventh Grade commences the two-year preparation period for students to receive the sacrament of Confirmation. Drawing on the Sacred Scriptures, tradition, the Catechism of the Catholic Church, and writings from Church Fathers and theologians, students are challenged to ponder the “faith and reason” aspect of our knowledge of God.

These are years where students tend to gain a more mature grasp of their faith. With that newfound interest come many questions. Relying on the teachings of the Magisterium as well as other publications such as Council documents and papal encyclicals, a considerable amount of time in theology class is spent exploring what the Church teaches vis a vis the questions posed by the students.

In addition to preparing students to receive the sacrament of Confirmation, we also study the founding of the Church, the divine and human natures of Christ, and divine revelation. Considerable time is spent on studying the Church Fathers, and students complete research papers related to a Church Father, and the significance of the Fathers to the Faith and the development of doctrine.

  • The Holy Bible, Revised Standard Version, Second Catholic Edition, Ignatius Press

  • Catechism of the Catholic Church, Second Edition, Libreria Editrice Vaticana

  • www.vatican.va for Papal source documents

  • Spirit of Truth: Living as a Disciple of Christ, Sophia Institute

  • Spirit of Truth: The Communion of the Faithful, Sophia Institute

  • Sealed in Fire: The Sacrament of Confirmation, Sophia Institute

  • The Faith of the Early Fathers, Volumes I, II and III, selected and translated by William A. Jurgens

 

Apologetics

As students prepare to matriculate from Good Shepherd School, an Apologetics course is taken in Eighth Grade.  Apologetics is the study of how to confidently defend the Catholic Faith, and is focused on common objections to Christianity today.   This course explores the scientific evidence for God as well as philosophical proofs of His existence, the historicity of Jesus’ miracles and Resurrection, reasons to be Catholic, why an all-loving God would allow suffering, and medical evidence for our transphysical soul.  A component of this class is public speaking, which encourages the student to verbalize their learning in impromptu, extemporaneous and manuscript speeches.  Public speaking on topics of faith, science and reason occurs within the class and among the broader Lower and Upper Elementary students.

  • Speak the Faith: A Public Speaking Course on Faith, Science and Reason by Robert Spitzer S.J., Ph.D., Sophia Institute

 

Science

Middle school students study Biology as well as Physical Science in a 2-year cycle. The steps of scientific inquiry are reinforced through hands-on investigations and data analysis, which allow for the identification of sources of error as well as the ability to reach conclusions.

Biology focuses on the characteristics and needs of living things, cellular structure and function, genetics, changes in organisms over time and the human body. Students use microscopes and perform dissection to examine the form to function relationship of both cells and organs.

Physical Science introduces the fundamentals of Chemistry and Physics with the study of the properties of matter, changes in matter and the forces that act on matter.

The scientists that contributed to the understanding of these concepts are an integral part of our studies, as they provide inspiration and a model of scientific thinking and action.

 

Logic

Every school seeks to impart “critical thinking” to its students, especially at the Middle School level. At Good Shepherd School, informal logic and the study of fallacies allows students to recognize illogical arguments they encounter all the time. More importantly, it helps them to avoid such fallacies in their own thinking. On the other hand, formal logic studies the art of the syllogism. These studies train the mind to draw valid conclusions from premises, to identify the premises of an argument, and to carefully find the point of disagreement should we differ from the conclusion.

  • The Art of Argument, Classical Academic Press

  • Traditional Logic I, Memoria Press

  • Traditional Logic II, Memoria Press

  • Socrates Meets Jesus: History’s Greatest Questioner Confronts the Claims of Christ, Peter Kreeft

 

Art

Fine Arts: In the Fall semester, students prepare for the annual Art Show, which features an artist whom the students find inspiration from or attempt to copy.  Examples in previous years have included Vincent Van Gogh and Claude Monet.

 

Music: Students participate in the music program, as they learn musical notation and scales, and practice their voices on classical, folk and liturgical songs.

 

 

Woodworking  

We know that the human hand is a wonderful and exquisite instrument to be used in a hundred movements exacting delicacy, direction and force; every such movement is a cause of joy as it leads to the pleasure of execution and the triumph of success. We begin to understand this and make some efforts to train the young in the deft handling of tools and the practice of handicrafts. - Charlotte Mason

 

Taken in Seventh Grade, the Woodworking Program at Good Shepherd School offers students a unique opportunity to build wood-based projects in a safe, structured environment at a local woodworking shop.  Students learn to use a variety of tools, design projects and execute that plan to completion.  Students build basic cabinetry and projects that support the school's needs, such as Christmas tree ornaments for each child, and tables and cabinets for school use.