English

Reading

Reading Comprehension

• Practices reading comprehension strategies such as summarizing, using context clues, re-reading, asking and answering questions, making predictions, and visualizing.
• Identifies figurative language and literary devices and analyzes their meaning in a text

Reading Informational Texts

• Determines an author’s argument and point of view
• Applies critical thinking to evaluate the author’s use of evidence
• Cites textual evidence to support claims and inferences
• Determines central ideas and analyzes their developments
• Analyzes context clues to determine the meaning of words and phrases
• Examines text connections and how they contribute to meaning
• Evaluates conflicting arguments and ideas.
• Analyzes the use of text features such as headings, graphics, and captions.

Reading Literature

• Reads novels, short stories, and poems from diverse backgrounds and genres
• Compares, contrasts, and analyzes literary characters
• Identifies and analyzes recurring themes in literature
• Identifies the literary devices that define a writer’s style
• Analyzes how elements of plot and literary devices work to drive action
• Analyzes the growth of literary characters and the events that lead to their development
• Compares and contrasts adaptations of original texts

Writing

Writing Process

• Uses the writing process to produce clear, focused, and thorough writing pieces under various writing types: informative, argumentative, and narrative
• Establishes a formal style
• Applies appropriate transition words and phrases to create cohesiveness and flow
• Produces several multi-paragraph writing pieces, practicing brainstorming, drafting, revising, editing, and publishing

Informative Writing

• Creates a thorough topic sentence or thesis statement that gives insight to the topic
• Develops their topic with specific facts, details, quotations, and examples
• Correctly cites other sources to support their ideas
• Uses domain vocabulary words to further explain and explore their topic
• Creates a conclusion that adequately completes their writing piece

Argumentative Writing

• Develops a strong claim that is supported and argued through the piece
• Organizes supporting reasons and contributing evidence logically
• Provide counterclaims, reasons, and evidence
• Applies transition words and phrases to create cohesion
• Creates a conclusion that is relevant and supports claims

Narrative Writing

• Establishes a clear point of view that is maintained throughout the work
• Introduces realistic, complex characters that are developed throughout the narrative
• Organizes and develops plot sequences that unfold naturally and logically
• Presents a conflict that is fitting and engaging and that leads to a narrative climax
• Includes dialogue, pacing, specific details, and sensory language to engage readers
• Uses figurative language such as metaphors, similes, alliteration, and onomatopoeia to add substance to their narrative
• Provides a resolution that fits the story and ties up loose ends

Vocabulary

• Uses context clues to understand the meaning of a word or phrase
• Identifies common Greek or Latin affixes and roots as clues to the meaning of a word
• Practices research in dictionaries on websites and in dictionaries to gain access to definitions
• Uses synonyms and antonyms to practice higher-level vocabulary
• Understands word connotations when choosing words

Grammar

• Explains the function of verbals and their functions in a sentence
• Uses verbs in both the passive and active voice
• Recognizes and corrects shifts in verb voice and mood
• Recognizes correct spelling and punctuation

Religion

The Marks of the Church from the Beginning

• Recognizes the Apostles’ Creed carries on the faith of the Apostles
• Comes to know the holiness of God through the Sacraments
• Understands that as Catholics we are called to welcome all people
• Acknowledges the call of the baptized to serve the Church

The Growth of Christendom

• Understands the 24 traditions of the Catholic Church
• Recognizes that the essential signs and words of the liturgy have remained the same
• Views God as the ruler of all things and the utmost authority
• Participates in prayer as a means of healing and understanding

The Age of Faith and Beauty

• Nourishes beliefs through expressions of faith
• Views the Eucharist as an act of Thanksgiving for salvation
• Resolves to love all people as ourselves
• Uses prayer to express and develop piety

Reason, Rebellion, and Reform

• Understands true reform begins with each person’s heart and seeking God’s truth
• Celebrates The Sacrament of Penance and Reconciliation as a sign that God is merciful and welcomes us back to Him
• Comprehends that we choose to accept or reject God based on our choices
• Recognizes the Holy Spirit at work in the Church

Returning to the Roots of Christianity

• Understands God reveals Himself today through Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition
• Experiences God’s holiness through liturgical participation
• Comprehends that social justice is the Gospel of life Jesus preached
• Respects humanity through prayer and action

Physical Science

Topic: Matter

• Develop visual models to describe atoms, properties of matter, and the 4 states of matter
• Identify and categorize the different types of molecules
• Analyze and understand the benefits and risks of chemical use and know that synthetic materials come from natural resources

Topic: Types of Energy

• Interpret and then solve kinetic energy, potential energy, and heat and temperature problems.
• Provide a claim, evidence, and reasoning to support explanations of the law of conservation of mass and/or energy and its relationship to kinetic energy, potential energy, heat, and temperature.

Topic: Energy and Waves

• Describe the different parts of a wave and its relationship to energy.
• Explore reflection, absorption and transmission and provide models to explain the phenomenon of light and color.
• Construct and interpret graphical displays of data to describe the relationship of kinetic energy to its mass and speed of an object

Topic: Force and Motion

• Applies mathematical rules and formulas
• Compare and contrast different Newton’s laws and how they are applicable on the local level and universal level.
• Investigate and interpret friction and the interaction of force and mass.

Topic: Electricity and Magnetism

• Gather and make sense of
• Ask questions to determine cause and effect relationships of electric or magnetic interactions between two objects not in contact with each other
• Develop a model to describe that when the arrangement of objects interacting at a distance changes, different amounts of potential energy are stored in the system.
• Define a simple design problem that can be solved by applying scientific ideas about magnets.

Social Studies

Social Studies is an important tool in helping us understand our world today by learning about other cultures and world events. All classes include an examination of the impact of economics, politics, and social history on the development of societies. In Social Studies classes, at Christ Cathedral Academy, students are taught to use primary and secondary sources to analyze and evaluate the past. Student’s analysis of historical events and world cultures will help them become more socially conscious and globally aware citizens.

8th Grade History

United States History is a study of the critical events, issues, and individuals in United States History from Colonialism to 1880. It begins with a selective review of the colonial period and the American Revolution. The major focus of the year is the development of the Constitution, the impact of the Westward Movement, and the struggles of the Civil War and Reconstruction.

All units include an examination of the impact of economics, politics, and social history on the development of the United States. The five themes of geography (location, movement, region, place, and human-environmental interaction) are woven into all the units, with emphasis on how geography affected the development of the growing nation.