Middle School

Nextide Academy – Middle School

Nextide Academy middle school program for grades 6, 7 and 8 inspires, motivates and prepares students for success in high school and beyond. Through our carefully designed curriculum, we orient our students to a Problem Based Inquiry (PBI) approach, a student-centered pedagogy in which students learn about a subject through the experience of problem solving. Our students have access to an award winning curriculum made up of interactive, media-rich content that is rigorous, actively engages students at their own pace and has been proven to improve student achievement. Our middle school students who demonstrate higher aptitude levels have access to our high school courses and can enroll in them after consulting with their respective student advisors.

Middle School Curriculum

All courses below are core and mandatory. Qualified middle school students will have access to high school level courses at the discretion of their respective student advisors.

Grade 6

English - EL601

Credits: 1.0
English – EL601 course provides astrongfoundationingrammarand the writingprocess.Itemphasizessimple butusefulcompositionandlanguagemechanicsstrategieswithmultipleopportunitiesformodelingpractical,real-worldwritingsituationsthatwillenablestudentstoimprovetheirwrittencommunicationskillsquickly.Throughavarietyofgrade-appropriatereadingselections,studentsdevelopaclearunderstandingofkeyliterary genresandtheir distinguishingcharacteristics.

Math - MA601

Credits: 1.0
Math – MA601 course provides students with a deep understanding and mastery of the objectives that will prepare them for algebra. It is aligned to Common Core State Standards, and is based on best practices in the teaching of mathematics and the disciplines of STEM learning. Students will develop 21st century skills as they master ratios and proportional relationships; the number system; number visualization; expressions and equations; geometry; and statistics and probability. The course is highly engaging while being easy for teachers to customize and manage.

Earth and Space Science - ES601

US History - UH601

Credits: 1.0
US History – UH601 couse covers the people who lived in the Americas before European settlers arrived, how the United States was founded, and how it grew and changed over time. The students may be familiar with some of the topics that appear in these lessons, but others will be new. Students should read all the content and think about it carefully as they work through the course.

Problem Based Inquiry - PB601

Credits: 1.0
Problem Based Inquiry – PB601 is a grade-level multi-disciplinary project that will be assigned, guided and graded by the student advisor based on the interests and strengths of the respective students.
Progress of the project will be reported and tracked on the Nextide Academy portfolio system that can be made public at the request of the student. The project will be graded at completion and the completed projects will remain as part of the student’s portfolio on Mahara even after the student graduates or leaves Nextide Academy. Students’ portfolios can be made available as a link on their resumes during college admissions and beyond to display their work in school.

Grade 7

English - EL701

Credits: 1.0
English – EL701 course Integrates the study of writing and literature through the examination of a variety of genres. Students identify the elements of composition in the reading selections to understand their function and effect on the reader. Practice is provided in narrative and expository writing. Topics include comparison and contrast, persuasion, and cause and effect essays, as well as descriptive and figurative language. Lessons are supplemented with vocabulary development, grammar, and syntax exercises, along with an introduction to verbal phrases and research tools.

Math - MA701

Credits: 1.0
Math – MA701 course comprise a total of six units, all of which include a variety of activities and are designed to provide teachers with maximum flexibility, and establish a solid foundation of math skills that will lead to improved achievement into high school. Concepts covered include: ratios/proportional relationships; expressions and equations using rational numbers; geometry; and statistics and probability. The courses were developed using proven instructional design principles and are not just highly interactive, but rigorous as well.

Life Science - LS701

World History - WH701

Credits: 1.0
World History – WH701 is an engaging course offering students an in-depth but easily understood view of the human experience, from the earliest civilizations through the Age of Enlightenment. Interactive features allow students to apply their mastery of lessons through such activities as customizing maps and designing feudal villages. An audio pronunciation guide assists students’ ability to say and remember the names of people and places. Frequent self-check practice questions and homework assignments prepare students for the accompanying assignments.

Problem Based Inquiry - PB701

Credits: 1.0
Problem Based Inquiry – PB701 is a grade-level multi-disciplinary project that will be assigned, guided and graded by the student advisor based on the interests and strengths of the respective students.
Progress of the project will be reported and tracked on the Nextide Academy portfolio system that can be made public at the request of the student. The project will be graded at completion and the completed projects will remain as part of the student’s portfolio on Mahara even after the student graduates or leaves Nextide Academy. Students’ portfolios can be made available as a link on their resumes during college admissions and beyond to display their work in school.

Grade 8

English - EL801

Credits: 1.0
English – EL801 course extends the skills developed in the English – EL701 course through detailed study of parts of sentences and paragraphs to understand their importance to good writing. Students also acquire study skills such as time management and improved test-taking strategies. Other topics include punctuation, word choice, syntax, varying of sentence structure, subordination and coordination, detail and elaboration, effective use of reference materials, and proofreading.

Pre-Algebra - PA801

Credits: 1.0
Pre-Algebra – PA801 course sharpens students’ arithmetic skills and illustrates abstract concepts by introducing linear equations, number patterns, the order of operations, linear inequalities, fractions, exponents, and factoring. Some basic components of geometry are discussed.

Note:
Qualified middle school students will have access to high school level mathematics courses at the request of the student and at the discretion of their student advisor (and/or pre-test results).

Physical Science - PS801

Credits: 1.0
Beginning with the first unit, Properties and Structures of Matter, the Physical Science – PS801 course is a comprehensive exploration of the physical world. of the course studies inanimate matter as well as topics in astronomy and geology, and broadens the student’s understanding of the states of matter by applying them to weather and atmosphere. Other units include; Forces and Motion; Energy and its Application; and Chemistry Fundamentals.

Civics - CV801

Credits: 1.0
Interactive, problem-centered, and inquiry-based, each unit in the Civics – CV801 course emphasizes the acquisition, mastery, and processing of information. Every unit features both factual and conceptual study questions, Instructional strategies include Socratic instruction, student-centered learning, and experiential learning. Topics covered range from Basic Concepts of Power and Authority and National Institutions of Government to analyses of society and citizenship.

Problem Based Inquiry - PB801

Credits: 1.0
Problem Based Inquiry – PB801 is a grade-level multi-disciplinary project that will be assigned, guided and graded by the student advisor based on the interests and strengths of the respective students.
Progress of the project will be reported and tracked on the Nextide Academy portfolio system that can be made public at the request of the student. The project will be graded at completion and the completed projects will remain as part of the student’s portfolio on Mahara even after the student graduates or leaves Nextide Academy. Students’ portfolios can be made available as a link on their resumes during college admissions and beyond to display their work in school.