Overview of Grade 8 Sondra Reyes, Class Teacher Tamarack Waldorf School It is with great joy and honor that

I write this overview of our upcoming 8th grade year at Tamarack Waldorf School. The children have grown in ways I could never have imagined over these last seven years. I can really only anticipate with wonder what changes will occur in 8th grade, but I will strive to give you a clear, developmental picture of this age group, so, in a certain sense, we know what to expect and how to best meet the children. During puberty there is awakening in both boys and girls a love of the world and humankind. The social element, how do I t in with others and in this world, becomes very important to the child of 13 and 14. The capacity for logical thinking is awakening and the ability to form judgements is strong. Girls and boys face these developmental changes in much different ways. Boys are looking for friendship and connection, but feel the need to hide their thoughts and feelings from others. As parents and teachers we can meet boys in a delicate and subtle way, should empathize rather than being crude and direct. Boys have a reserve about them, a withdrawal from life that is a result of the relationship because astral body and ego. The ego is not absorbed by the astral body and therefore lacks independence. Boys are less forward than girls. A girls ego is absorbed by her astrality, and because of this, she lives less strongly than boys in her inner being. She takes her egopermeated astral body into her etheric, which directly affects her outward actions, behavior, and mobility. Girls will often demonstrate a courageous, rm demeanor, are self-assured, and do not withdraw into themselves. They are ready to meet the world unashamedly.

Adolescent boys and girls often have behaviors that seem challenging and puzzling to adults. Girls are confrontational, rebellious; boys can be rude, clumsy, and mischievous. The context of these behaviors of both boys and girls are rooted in embarrassment in revealing who they actually are, embarrassment in showing their true self, which, as we all know from going through these phases ourselves, is much different than what we as adults see of the children at this time. So what do we do? Meet the children with the curriculum. That is why, after all, you have made this journey through Waldorf Education. You trust in the curriculum to meet the developmental needs of your son or daughter. We will study many revolutionary changes in the postindustrialized world throughout our two history blocks that Kate Knuth will be teaching. Children will research biographies of an American luminary and a scientist, to really bring the human element to the fore when learning about science and history. By studying biography, children are given historical examples of individuals who used their intellect and will to contribute positively to the development of humankind. I cannot think of a better way to teach about the world than through biography. What else do we do? Meet the children with humor. Recognize and see what they are interested in, and what they do, but also show them we do not take it too seriously. React with a delicate grace, let them exhaust their rage, laugh a little (not too much) at their antics, and not be personally affected by these behaviors. We must continue to give them a strong example of our most upright human qualities, show them our striving, show them our humanity and our errors. And permeate all with love.

The students will complete three research projects this year. The rst will be during our history blocks of December and January. During these history blocks, students will choose and research an American luminary, reporting on their life and work, and give a picture of the world during the time in which the individual lived. The second research project will be a country in Asia and Africa that students will report on, comparing and contrasting the lands and peoples of the two countries they choose. The third research project will take place in early spring during our Physics and Meteorology block where students will choose a scientist and report on their biography and lifes work. The research element for all projects will need to be completed outside of school with all materials brought to school for a day or two of note taking and information gathering. More to come on these assignments. It is quite typical of all Waldorf Schools that students complete a nal project during their 8th grade year. The nal project for this class will center around volunteerism and service to the community. Students will have the opportunity to choose an organization that they connect to, and feel is making a positive difference in the community, complete 30 hours of volunteer service to the organization, and through their service, come to a deeper understanding of the impact of the work. This nal project will be completed during rst semester of the school year with presentations being given to parents and the community shortly before holiday break. Both Kate Knuth and I will help shepherd students through this process but most work will be completed outside of school. Students will be given in-school presentation practice days and days to put any visual aids for their presentation together. I have chosen rst semester completion of the 8th grade project rather than second semester simply because of all

the additional things happening second semester (graduation, class play, class trip). We will begin the year with a math review and algebra block, giving the children a rm foundation with which to work with math skills in tracks classes for the rest of the year. The following skills will be reviewed: * four processes with multiple digits * long division * rounding * measurement (linear, liquid, weight, money) * area and perimeter * four processes with fractions, mixed numbers and decimals * factoring, lcd and gcm * mental math * prime numbers * place value with decimals * convert fractions to decimals and reverse * percents, decimals and fractions * ordering fractions, decimals, mixed numbers * word problems with decimals * commission, discount, increase, interest * ratios and proportions * simple formulas and equations * the number line * inverse operations * order of operations * calculating averages * square roots * absolute value * integers and calculations with integers * commutative, associative and distributive properties New material * cube roots * scientic notation * real numbers * powers and exponents * Set theory * factoring of binomials and polynomials * FOIL method for distributing two binomials

* graphing linear equations * plotting points and graphing coordinates * understanding the coordinate grid Our second block of the year will be Anatomy and Physiology. We will begin with a review of the cardiopulmonary, reproductive, nervous and brain, and digestive systems. I will also go over the lymphatic system (not touched on in 7th grade). The major muscles and bones of the human body will be learned and studied in relation to the three-fold structure of the human; head, chest, and limbs. Drawing and the artistic will be a strong element during this block. Students will learn about the sense organs of the eye and ear, diagramming each. Memorization and identication of the muscular and skeletal structure will be tested at the end of the block. * development of medical science * three-fold human skeleton * head-skull, cheek, jaw, and teeth * chest-scapula, ribs, oating ribs * limbs-pelvis, femur, bula, bones of hands and feet * drawings with chalk on black paper * full body skeletal drawing * ear and eye * clay modeling of hands, feet, other Organic Chemistry will begin in November with an introduction to carbohydrates. Students will learn the differences between sugars, starch, and cellulose through a variety of demonstrations. Students will also study proteins, fats and oils. The following types of demonstrations and topics will be conducted and studied. CARBOHYDRATES * maple sugar candy * high fructose corn syrup * combustion of sugar * types of sugars

* starch and plants, study potato, prepare potato starch * testing for starch with iodine * combustion of starch, starch into glucose * cellulose studied through cotton wool, celery, and paper making PROTEIN * combustion of protein * egg whites * heating milk * testing for protein * cheese making FAT * rendering fat * common oils * oil and water * saponication of olive oil OTHER TOPICS * photosynthesis * honey and bees * the seven metals * gold, silver, copper, mercury, tin, iron, lead. * qualities and polarities * how they are used * where they are found * organ and planetary connections * where they are found in the human body Kate Knuth will step into the classroom during our organic chemistry block and be with the class throughout February. I will return to take the class at the beginning of March. The next block two blocks are History. The study of history will be undertaken in two blocks, spanning all of December and January. The focus of the rst block will be the great movement towards and founding of the United States, the rst Industrial Revolution, the Great Immigration to the United States, and the elements that led up to the American Civil War. The second block will take us from the Civil War through Americas increasing expansion west, into the 20th century and social, economic

and political issues of national and global signicance. Throughout, we will look at history through the lives of signicant individuals: leaders, inventors, pioneers, businessmen, activists, visionaries, and everyday folks. At the completion of the second block, at the end of January, each student will present research on an American luminary, as well as a written report. Topics covered: Irish Potato Famine of 1740-41 and pre-industrialized agriculture The Emigration to the New World, Indentured Servitude Textiles, Steam and Iron: The First Industrial Revolution The Cotton Gin, Slavery and the Industrialization of Agriculture The Colonies, the Boston Tea Party and the American Revolution The Constitution and the Declaration of Independence Irish Potato Famine of 1845-49 and the Melting Pot of America Abolitionism and Secessionism The Civil War and the Emancipation Proclamation Steel, Illumination, Literacy and Mass Production: The Second Industrial Revolution The Great Migration West, the Homestead Acts, Manifest Destiny The Railroad, the Telegraph, Mail Order, the Telephone Chief Joseph; Sitting Bull & the Battle of Little Bighorn; Wounded Knee Jim Crow Laws, Suffragettes, Labor Laws The 20th Century: WWI, the Dust Bowl, WWII, the Cold War The Civil Rights Movement and Nonviolent Civil Disobedience Biographies: 1706 1790 Benjamin Franklin 1743 1826 Thomas Jefferson

1765 1825 Eli Whitney 1791 1872 Samuel Morse 1809 1852 Louis Braille 1809 1865 Abraham Lincoln 1820 1913 Harriet Tubman 1820 1906 Susan B. Anthony 1835 1919 Andrew Carnegie 1839 1937 John D. Rockefeller 1840 1904 Chief Joseph 1847 1931 Thomas Edison 1856 1915 Booker T. Washington 1860 1935 Jane Addams 1863 1947 Henry Ford 1864 1943 George Washington Carver 1868 1963 W.E.B. DuBois 1869 1948 Mahatma Gandhi 1880 1968 Helen Keller 1882 1945 Franklin D. Roosevelt 1913 2005 Rosa Parks 1918 Nelson Mandela 1929 1968 Martin Luther King, Jr.

Geography of Africa and Asia will be studied beginning February 3rd. During the rst two weeks of this three week block Ms. Knuth will teach the countries and capitals of Asia and Africa, major climate zones of the earth and types of climates in Asia and Africa specically, ocean and wind currents, major rivers, mountains, seas of Asia and Africa that contribute to the economy, briey go over geography of Australia and Antarctica, and latitude and longitude will be reviewed. Students will draw each continents political and geographical maps. At the end of the block students will be able to locate the capitals and countries of Asia and Africa, locate different landmarks using latitude and longitude coordinates, locate all seven continents on a map, oceans, major seas, and complete a research project on a country in Asia and Africa, comparing and contrasting the geography, people, climate, and economies, and give a presentation. Ms.

Knuth and students will wrap up this block the week after Winter Break, geography presentations being the last two days of February. Meteorology and Physics will include a study of cloud types, local and global weather occurrences, barometric pressure, temperature, wind, structure of the atmosphere, and climate change. In Physics we will build on the topics of optics, heat, and electricity and bring in new ideas of hydraulics and aeromechanics. Our studies in physics will be experimental (students will learn via demonstrations done in class) and pragmatic, focusing on phenomena as they relate to our everyday lives. OPTICS * refraction * reection (mirror) * magnifying glass * eye glasses * telescope HEAT * convection ovens * radiant heat ooring * solar panels * air conditioners * car radiators and thermostat ELECTRICITY * electromagnet * electric motor * electric bell * telegraph * telephone * light bulb HYDRAULICS * pressure (formula) and blood pressure * water pressure related to depth * Archimedes principle (rising bottle, oating objects)

* Pascals principle and biography and Heimlich maneuver * hydraulic press (jaws of life and car brakes) * vacuum cleaners * Bernoullis principle PROJECT * Student completes a research project on an historical, scientic gure in one of the areas of physics that we studied, and present to the class. Written portion will be recorded in the students main lesson book, artistic could be to conduct a demonstration for the class related to the scientist. In April we will take up the study of Geometry with an emphasis on the ve platonic solids: cube, tetrahedron, dodecahedron, octahedron, icosahedron, and the calculation of surface area and volume of each. In addition we will review the names, shapes, and descriptions of all polygons, nd square measure and volume of all polygons, construct polygons using compass and straight edge, review angle bisection, use pi to nd area and circumference of circle, expand our study of the circle to the sphere, calculate volume of prisms, pyramids, cylinders and rectangular solids, and nd the area of irregular forms. This block is broken up by Spring Break, after which we will review all skills learned, nish main lesson book work, students will be tested on skills, and begin at the same time reading through the script of the class play. The class play is yet to be determined. I will look forward as I always do to observing it materialize, seeing the students transform the work, and being able to enjoy watching them work together on what has always turned out to be an amazing project. The 8th grade will share their work with the school on Tuesday, June 2nd, during the day, and with the parents on Tuesday night. Wednesday and

Thursday of this last week of school will be spent rehearsing for graduation, packing and cleaning. Graduation is Thursday night. Music will be sung and played daily as part of our morning exercises at the start of main lesson. We will be working with several historic poems throughout the year. Math and grammar will be taught during track classes during the week, as will art. Art topics will include anatomical drawings, self portraits, charcoal, foreshortening, drawing with pen, Japanese brush stroke painting, cloudscapes and landscapes, clay modeling, and many more projects throughout the year. Field trips will also materialize as the year progresses. I welcome parent suggestions for eld trips. Students will have the opportunity to teach and learn from a rst grader during reading buddies with Mrs. Marks rst grade class. We will begin this right away in the school year. Test preparation will also be a focus during track classes as I take very seriously the task of preparing students for whatever high school they plan to attend next fall. During my maternity leave I would like to truly take a step back from the class and spend time with Joe and our baby. I have communicated this to Kate Knuth and she feels ready to forge relationships with not only the students but parents also. Thank you for the honor it is to be your childs teacher. I look forward to spending this year with the students, and feel blessed to be one of their guides as they embark on the next chapter of their lives. Warmly, Sondra Reyes