Gainesville Junior High School
Reading, Language Arts
1st 6 Weeks
August 7-September 13
7th Grade Reading, Language Arts
8th Grade Reading, Language Arts
English I
Unit 01: Foundations of Reading and Writing for Young Scholars
At the end of the this unit, students will be able to: Use annotations and notes to make predictions, generate questions, make connections, identify key ideas based on text evidence, summarize and paraphrase, etc.to understand an author’s message
Focus on understanding the author's background, author’s purpose, intended audience, and context before attempting to understand text meaning in self-selected texts.
Understand a text by creating and sharing personal connections derived from annotations and evaluating ideas in other texts
Practice fundamentals of research
Practice the stages of the writing process to produce formal correspondence and a reflective personal essay
2nd 6 Weeks
September 17-October 25
7th Grade Reading, Language Arts
8th Grade Reading, Language Arts
English I
Unit 02: Literary Texts: Analysis and Composition
At the end of the this unit, students will be able to: Read multiple fictional, literary/narrative nonfiction, poetry, and drama texts to identify and analyze the similarities and differences in genre characteristics, literary elements, and literary devices
Discuss the Authors’ message in text.
Analyze perspectives and themes represented in the texts through note taking and annotating
Utilize text evidence to support their inferences
Create, revise and edit two literary texts of their own
3rd 6 Weeks
October 29-December 20
7th Grade Reading, Language Arts
8th Grade Reading, Language Arts
English I
Unit 03: Informative Texts: Analysis and Composition
At the end of the this unit, students will be able to: Identify the author’s purpose, intended audience, and thesis as well as how the author uses evidence, facts, and details to support a thesis through close reading strategies, such as note taking and annotating
Summarize and paraphrase texts as part of the comprehension process and utilize text evidence to support understanding.
Research by reading a variety of sources to gather and synthesize reliable, credible information
Brainstorm, plan, draft, revise, and edit multi-paragraph informational essays
4th 6 Weeks
January 7-February 14
7th Grade Reading, Language Arts
8th Grade Reading, Language Arts
English I
Unit 04: Argumentative Texts: Rhetorical Analysis and Composition
At the end of the this unit, students will be able to: Analyze a variety of argumentative texts in order to identify and explain each author’s claim and key ideas as well as how their use of evidence, rhetorical devices, logical fallacies, and treatment of counterarguments.
Utilize close reading strategies such as note taking and annotating to support their comprehension of sources, including analyzing the rhetorical situation of each text (author’s purpose, intended audience, context, occasion, and topic), the thesis/claim, genre characteristics, and author’s craft
Evaluate source material to determine whether a text is reliable, unbiased, and credible
Apply author’s craft, rhetorical devices, and genre characteristics to their own writing products to communicate ideas effectively
Brainstorm, plan, draft, revise, edit, and publish a verbal/multimodal argumentative presentation with researched support
5th 6 Weeks
February 18-April 4
7th Grade Reading, Language Arts
8th Grade Reading, Language Arts
English I
Unit 05: Finding Connections across Literary, Informational, and Argumentative Texts
At the end of the this unit, students will be able to: Identify similarities and differences in the authors’ messages, application of genre characteristics, and use of author’s craft
Utilize close reading strategies, such as note taking and annotating, to make connections between the texts and reflect on how the authors use genre to support their purposes
Apply genre characteristics and author’s craft to their own writing products.
Brainstorm/plan, draft, revise, edit, and publish original texts in multiple genres of their choice
Demonstrate a holistic understanding of editing
Engage in discussions to analyze texts. They also engage in the peer review process
6th 6 Weeks
April 8-May 22
7th Grade Reading, Language Arts
8th Grade Reading, Language Arts
English I
Unit 06: Producing Genres Authentically in a Real World Context
At the end of this unit, students will be able to: Research and locate credible primary and secondary sources and read a variety of texts, including multimodal, on a chosen topic with the purpose of collecting and evaluating information on the topic.
Utilize close reading strategies, such as note taking and annotating, to support their comprehension of sources.
Apply the author's craft, including multimodal elements, to their own writing products to communicate ideas effectively.
Brainstorm, plan, draft, revise, edit, and publish a multimodal research product that includes credible and clear information, employing a variety of modes, such as images, charts, audio, and/or video to effectively communicate their message/ purpose
Engage in a peer review process to discuss and share ideas about their presentations and to gain feedback on how to improve their final presentation.
History
1st 6 Weeks
August 7-September 13
7th Grade Texas History
Unit 1 Theme: Thinking Like a Historian
Unit Goals: Students will be introduced to or review the four historical thinking skills of narration, interpretation, explanation, and judgment by using those skills in the context of a familiar story.
Unit 2 Theme: Natural Texas and its People (1200s-1800s)
Unit Goals: Students will study the physical geographic regions of Texas and compare the major physical geographic characteristics of those regions. Students also study about the many American Indian groups that lived in Texas and about how the physical geography of Texas influenced their lifestyles.
Unit 3 Theme:Exploration and Early Colonization of Texas (1519-1821)
Unit Goals: Students will study the early expeditions of Spanish and French explorers to Texas and about the mission-presidio system instituted by the Spanish government to colonize Texas.
8th Grade American History
2nd 6 Weeks
September 17-October 25
7th Grade Texas History
Unit 4 Theme: Mexican Colonization and the Empresario System (1821-1836)
Unit Goals: Students will study challenges Spanish officials had in managing East Texas, about Mexico’s efforts to gain independence from Spain, about the empresario system instituted by the Mexican government, and about how society in Texas was changed by the Anglo migration to the region.
Unit 5 Theme: Unrest and Revolt in Texas (1821-1836)
Unit Goals: Students will study the attempts by Mexican officials to control the settlers in Texas, the changes in the Mexican government that affected Texans, and the events of the Texas Revolution.
8th Grade American History
3rd 6 Weeks
October 29-December 20
7th Grade Texas History
Unit 5 Theme: cont. Unrest and Revolt in Texas (1821-1836)
Unit Goals: Students will study the attempts by Mexican officials to control the settlers in Texas, the changes in the Mexican government that affected Texans, and the events of the Texas Revolution.
Unit 6 Theme: Republic of Texas and Early Statehood (1836-1861)
Unit Goals: Students will study the issues faced by the leaders of the Republic of Texas, the events that led to annexation of Texas by the United States, the causes and consequences of the war between Mexico and the United States, and about the migration of European immigrants to Texas in the mid-1800s.
8th Grade American History
4th 6 Weeks
January 7-February 14
7th Grade Texas History
Unit 7 Theme: Texas during the Civil War and Reconstruction (1861-1876)
Unit Goals: Students will learn the reasons for Texas secession, the experiences of Texans in the Civil War, and the changes to Texas’ society that resulted from Reconstruction. Additionally, students examine the concept of federalism and other principles of the U.S. Constitution and how these principles are reflected in the Texas Constitution.
Unit 8 Theme: Cotton, Cattle, Railroads and Closing the Texas Frontier (1866-1900)
Unit Goals: Students will study the conflict brought about by westward expansion in Texas, the development of the cattle industry in Texas, the expansion of railroads in Texas, and the changes in the agriculture industry in Texas.
8th Grade American History
5th 6 Weeks
February 18-April 4
7th Grade Texas History
Unit 9 Theme: Modernizing Texas in an Age of Oil (1900-1929)
Unit Goals: Students will learn about the devastation of the 1900 hurricane that hit Galveston, the early development of the oil industry, the participation of Texans in reform movements, and the effects of the First World War in Texas.
Unit 10 Theme: Texas during the Great Depression and World War II (1929-1950)
Unit Goals: Students will learn how the Great Depression and Dust Bowl came about, how leaders from Texas contributed on the national level to address the effects of the Great Depression, and how the Second World War affected Texans.
8th Grade American History
6th 6 Weeks
April 8-May 22
7th Grade Texas History
Unit 11 Theme: Civil Rights and Conservatism Brings Changes (1950-Present)
Unit Goals: Students will learn about the events and issues that bring about the Civil Rights Movement, the leaders of the movement, and the changes brought about by the movement, specifically in Texas. Students will also examine the role Texans played in the national government during the late twentieth century, as well as examining the changing political patterns in Texas that reflected growing diversity and a shift to conservatism.
Unit 12 Theme: Contemporary Texas (1950-Present)
Unit Goals: Students will complete their study of Texas history by examining the economic patterns, cultural patterns and changing demographic patterns in contemporary Texas. Students will study about the economic boom that has characterized Texas for the latter half of the twentieth century and twenty first century, the multiethnic contributions and the challenges Texans face as demographics change in Texas during the twenty first century.
8th Grade American History
Mathematics
1st 6 Weeks
August 7-September 13
7th Grade Math
Unit 1: Numbers and Operations
Sets, subsets, & operations with rational numbers
Operations with rational numbers & basics of personal financial literacy
Unit 2: One-Variable Equations and Inequalities
One variable two-step equations and inequalities
Equations and equalities with geometric attributes
8th Grade Math
Unit 1: Value and Magnitude of Rational Numbers
Number sets
Ordering rational numbers
Unit 2: Statistics with Univariate Data
Scientific notation
Mean absolute deviation
Unit 3: One-Variable Equations, Inequalities and Their Applications
Modeling one variable equations & inequalities
Solving one variable equations & inequalities
Algebra I
2nd 6 Weeks
September 17-October 25
3rd 6 Weeks
October 29-December 20
4th 6 Weeks
5th 6 Weeks
6th 6 Weeks
Science
1st 6 Weeks
August 7-September 13
7th Grade Science
Scientific method & lab safety
Unit 1: Investigating cells structures and function
Characteristics of living things & virtual dissections
Microscope skills & introduction of cells
Cell theory & cell analogy
Eukaryotic vs. prokaryotic cells
Structure & function of cells/cell organelles
Plant cells vs. animal cells
8th Grade Science
2nd 6 Weeks
September 17-October 25
7th Grade Science
8th Grade Science
Unit 2: Investigating Chemical Formulas & Reactions
Identify the parts of a chemical formula
Identify evidence of a chemical change
Compare chemical formulas
Determine evidence of chemical changes as it relates to the law of conservation of mass
Unit 3: Investigating Force and Motion
Unbalanced forces and their impact
How unbalanced forces change the speed or direction of an object's motion
Observe and differentiate between speed, velocity & acceleration
3rd 6 Weeks
October 29-December 20
7th Grade Science
8th Grade Science
Unit 3 cont: Investigating Force & Motion
Newton's laws of action and reaction
Newton's laws of force and acceleration
Create a product to demonstrate the application of Newton’s laws
Unit 4: Investigating Global Weather Patterns
Temperature variations around the earth
Characterize air masses, air pressure, & wind effects
Weather maps & trends of weather systems
Interaction of sun, atmosphere, & ocean
Hurricanes
4th 6 Weeks
January 7-February 14
7th Grade Science
8th Grade Science
Unit 5: Investigating Forces that Change the Earth
Plate tectonics & relation to Newton’s Laws
Interpreting topographic maps & satellite views
Deconstruct a mountain model to create a topical map
Unit 6: Investigating the Sun, Earth, & Moon
Tidal movements and models with chart tidal data
Relate tide data to lunar phases
Effects of Earth’s tilt rotation
Explain the causes of seasons
Create a model to describe the interactions between the sun, moon, & earth
5th 6 Weeks
February 18-April 4
7th Grade Science
Unit 6 cont: Investigating Flow of Energy
Build models of energy flow in an energy pyramid/food web
Unit 7: Investigating Organisms and Their Environment
Biodiversity & ecosystems in biomes of the world
Biodiversity & adaptations within Texas ecoregions
Primary vs. secondary succession
Ecological succession projects/presentations
8th Grade Science
Unit 7: Investigating Components of the Universe
Using a spectroscope & understanding waves (how they look & are measured)
Components of the universe & star classification
Galaxies & the life cycle of a star
Unit 8: Investigating Interdependence Among Living Systems
Analyze how competition for resources affects organisms in an ecosystem
Investigate & explain the interdependence of organisms