Grade 8 is a fully semestered program. All students take:

Computer Science

Computer Science 8

Students will continue to build upon their knowledge and hands on computer experience that came from the previous level. Students will be able to further sharpen and hone those skills during this course. The course will mainly focus on project work, as students will be using their skills and experience to create various products. Different computer applications will be used throughout this course to give students a breadth of the various different careers that may be possible in this field, including an immersive robotics experience. The major emphasis of this course is on the development of the student’s technical learning skills, building the student confidence in learning new computer applications and concepts.

English Literature

English Literature 8

This course will involve creative writing, essay writing, short story and poetry reading, reading response activities and journal writing. This course is aimed at enhancing the student’s knowledge and appreciation of the literary and cultural aspects of the English language. It is designed to build upon the student’s basic language skills so as to enable them to express their feelings and opinions coherently both in formal and creative writing and in oral presentation. Students will be encouraged to read, write and think critically. Students will also examine the various media works and the techniques used in them, and create media works.

French

French 8

Students will continue to build their knowledge of spoken French through listening, speaking, reading and writing activities. Students will be familiarized with the basic vocabulary as well as the linguistic and grammatical rules necessary for effective communication, written as well as spoken. (Prerequisite: French 7)

Geography

Geography 8

In this course students will build on what they have learned in earlier grades about Earth’s physical features and processes in order to explore the relationship between these features/processes and human settlement patterns around the world. They will focus on where people live and why they live there, and on the impact of human settlement and land use on the environment. They will enhance their ability to apply a geographic perspective to their investigation of issues, including issues related to human settlement and sustainability and to global development and quality of life. In addition, students will study factors that affect economic development and quality of life on a global scale and will examine responses to global inequalities. Students will be introduced to new types of maps and graphs, including choropleth maps, scatter graphs, and population pyramids, and, at the same time, will continue to develop their ability to use a variety of sources, tools, and spatial technologies to study various geographic issues.

Global Issues and Citizenship

Global Issues and Citizenship 8

This course introduces students to a range of topics surrounding issues of local and global concern. Course material will be examined through an integrated arts and humanities lens, with a focus on discussion and activity. The goal of this course is to increase student awareness of world issues, building a foundation upon which students can talk about and act upon their growing knowledge and understanding of a changing global environment. Topics include pollution, global warming, gender and oppression, religion and culture and globalization.

History

History 8

In this course students will build on their understanding of earlier Canadian history, examining how social, political, economic, and legal changes in Canada between 1850 and 1914 affected different groups in an increasingly diverse and regionally distinct nation. They will explore experiences of and challenges facing Canadians around the beginning of the twentieth century and will compare them to those of present-day Canadians. Students will examine the internal and external forces that led to Confederation and territorial expansion and of the impact of these developments on long-time Canadians, including First Nations, as well as new immigrants. Through an examination of inequalities in the new nation, students will learn that many of the rights and freedoms we have in Canada today are the result of actions taken by people in this era to change their lives. Students will develop their ability to apply the concepts of historical thinking as well as the historical inquiry process, using both primary and secondary sources to explore the perspectives of groups on issues of concern to Canadians from the mid-nineteenth century to the eve of World War I.

Mathematics

The study of Mathematics in Grades 7 and 8 includes five areas: Number Sense and Numeration, Measurement, Geometry and Spatial Sense, Patterning and Algebra, and Data Management and Probability.

Mathematics 8

In this course students will perform all operations with whole numbers, decimals, integers, fractions, and rational numbers. They will solve problems involving percent, rate and proportions. They will calculate perimeters and areas; do volume unit conversions; calculate area and circumference of circles, and calculate volume and surface areas of cylinders. Student will sort quadrilaterals by geometric properties; construct circles; investigate relationships among similar shapes; determine and apply angle relationships for parallel and intersecting lines; relate the numbers of faces, edges, and vertices of a polyhedron; apply the Pythagorean relationship geometrically and plot the image of a point on the coordinate plane after doing a transformation. Students will also translate statements into algebraic equations; find the term number in a pattern algebraically and solve linear equations involving one variable. Finally students will collect organize and display data using histograms and scatter plots; use measures of central tendency to compare sets of data; compare experimental and theoretical probabilities and calculate the probability of complementary events. (Prerequisite: Mathematics 7)

Physical and Health Education

The underlying goals of the Physical and Health Education program at Metro Prep are to:

• improve overall fitness and motor development;
• increase motivation to be physically active; and
• provide an enjoyable, successful experience in exercise and sport.

Physical and Health Education 8

This course will provide each student with the basic skills to actively participate in various sports as well as provide health lessons designed to increase the student’s knowledge, awareness and understanding of many contemporary issues and topics.

The health units include: Healthy Eating (relate healthy eating practices with nutrients and making good choices when it comes to meals and snacks); Personal Safety and Injury Prevention (reduce risk of injuries, assessing situations for potential danger and the impact of violent behaviours); Human Development and Sexual Health (decision making regarding sexual activities, reproduction, relationships and intimacy); Substance Use, Addictions, and Related Behaviours (identify the warning signs of substance misuse, abuse and addiction and consequences that can occur; examine mental health and stress management).

The physical education unit includes fundamental movement skills and active participation in such activities as basketball, floor hockey, soccer, baseball and volleyball.

Science and Technology

Science and Technology 8

This course is organized into four strands, the major areas of knowledge and skills in the curriculum. In grade eight the four strands with combined topics are:

• Understanding Life Systems: Cells
• Understanding Matter and Energy: Fluids
• Understanding Structures and Mechanisms: Systems in Action
• Understanding Earth and Space Systems: Water Systems

Visual Arts

Visual Arts 8

This course includes the study and exploration of the visual arts and dramatic arts. The visual arts component focuses on theory, art history and studio production. Studio projects will include two- and three-dimensional projects. The drama component will comprise the study of the elements of drama through creative activity. Role playing, improvisation, pantomime and movement will be explored.

Writing Skills

Writing Skills 8

The aim of this course is to provide the means that will enable the student to understand the process of writing. The student will learn to apply conventions of language in order to express ideas, feelings, and information clearly and precisely. Listening and speaking skills will also develop as the student learns to communicate more freely using bias-free language. The student will know how to direct questions and talk through ideas to clarify thinking, promote reflection, and generate ideas for written work. Spelling, grammar and composition are consistently interwoven over a five-day cycle to help the student reach his/her potential in English language skills.