T.H. ROGERS VANGUARD
EIGHTH GRADE COURSE SELECTION WORKSHEET
SCHOOL YEAR 2014-2015
8
Name _______________________________________________________________________________________________________
Last
First
MI
Student I.D. _________________ Phone_____________________________ Email _______________________________________
Parent Signature ________________________________________________ Date ________________________________________
The T.H. Rogers Vanguard program is an advanced academic course of study in which the
curriculum is expanded and enriched beyond the basic district proficiencies. The middle school
schedule includes a 47 minute eight-period instructional day on Mondays; students will meet
with all of their classes. On Tuesdays through Fridays, students will have four 85 minute ‘block’
periods; they will meet with four block teachers on Tuesday/Thursday (A-day), and the other
four block teachers on Wednesday/Friday (B-day). Block periods will followed by a 55 minute
Homeroom/Study Lab on Tuesday/Thursday and a 55 minute TPSP period on
Wednesday/Friday.
SUBJECT
UNIT
Pre-AP/GT English 8
1.0
Foreign Language*
1.0
Pre-AP/GT Math 8 or
1.0
Pre-AP/GT Algebra*
Pre-AP/GT U.S. History
1.0
To the right is the required course list for 8th grade. A unit (1.0) is a full- year course;
1/2 unit (.5) is a one-semester course.
Pre-AP/GT Science 8/IPC
1.0
Important Notes:
-A forthcoming matrix will be used to determine Algebra students.
-Only Algebra students are eligible to enroll in IPC.
Physical Education
1.0
Electives
2.0
The TPSP (Texas Performance Standards Project) is an initiative designed to challenge the ability of gifted/talented students. The goal of TPSP is to guide
gifted/talented students to create a professional quality product that reflects the use of research-based standards. All students will be assigned to a TPSP
class during Period 9B on the “B” Day block for 55 minutes in the 2014-15 school years. The majority of the TPSP project will be done at school and in a
collaborative group.
For the 2014-15 school year, all students will be assigned to a structured study-hall/lab during Period 9A on the “A” Day block for 55 minutes. This is
designed to allow students to have a structured period at the end of the school day to begin their homework or, when needed, assignment to labs to
further strengthen their skills in areas where they need additional assistance.
FOREIGN LANGUAGE FOR NEW INCOMING 8TH GRADERS: Please check the language you have completed at your pervious campus.
___ Spanish
___ French
___ Mandarin Chinese
___Other: _____________________
ELECTIVES: Placement in electives is dependent upon a sufficient number of students enrolled and on our ability to achieve a conflict-free academic
schedule. Courses in bold Italics indicate teacher approval required. You will be contacted if there is a need to change your selections.* Course with an
asterisk and bold denotes high school credit.
Class
Rank Choices
Teacher
Teacher Signature
(Rank choices 1-13) Important Note: Please select only one level of Orchestra class.
Advance Orchestra (Full Year)
L. Anderson
(Required)
Chamber Orchestra (Full Year)*
L. Anderson
(Audition Required)
Intermediate Theatre 8 (1 Semester)
A. Cleveland
(Not required)
Advanced Theatre 8* UIL One Act Play (1 Semester)
A.
(Audition Required)
Art 8 (1 Semester)
T. Tata
(Not required)
High School Credit Art I (Full Year)*
T. Tata
(Required)
Broadcast Media (1 Semester)
E. Agustin
(Required)
Public Speaking 8 (1 Semester)
A. Cleveland
(Not Required)
Chess (1 Semester)
E. Agustin
(Not Required)
Name That Book (1 Semester)
S. Hatley
(Not Required)
Photography 8 (1 Semester)
T. Tata
(Required)
Robotics
S. Martin
(Required)
Introduction to Latin (Not a Foreign Language Credit)
S. Cruz
(Not Required)
Ceramics 8 (Spring Semester Only)
L. McClusky
(Not Required)
Cleveland
8th Grade Texas Performance Standard Project Selection
All 8th grade students are required to complete a (Texas Performance Standard Project) TPSP project.
You will need to choose from the choices listed below. List your choices 1-5, with 1 your first choice,
2 your second, and so on. You may not be assigned to your first choice. Time to complete your
project will be provided during the 9B period the first semester.
____Science Fair
Science Fair TPSP will spend the semester investigating a science topic using the scientific method. After
collecting and analyzing data to arrive at conclusions based on their particular experiment, students will create a
tri-fold board display to document their experiment as well as present their experiment to fellow students.
____History Fair
History Fair TPSP will choose a historical topic related to the National History Day annual theme, and then
conduct primary and secondary research. Students will research through libraries, archives and museums,
conduct oral history interviews, and visit historic sites. After analyzing and interpreting sources, and drawing a
conclusion about the significance of your topic, students will then be able to present their work in one of five
ways: as a paper, an exhibit, a performance, a documentary, or a web site
____Social Justice and Activism
Students will build background knowledge about social justice and will hone critical thinking skills. The class will
lead to understanding that people experience injustices, why and how people take action to address injustice,
recognizing how experiences are shaped by membership in groups defined by race, gender, socioeconomic
status, culture, ethnicity, ability, recognizing how the historical moment and the social context shape
experience, developing empathy for people whose experiences differ from their own, and learning to take
action.
____Creative Writing
Creative Writing TPSP will focus on the analysis of at least 3 fiction writers and their style, and the development
of the student’s’ own novel (1st 50 pages) or short story (Flash, SciFi/Fantasy, or Fiction) for Rogers’ annual
Scholastic Writing competition. Participation in this class will provide guidance for, but is not a guarantee of,
entry into the competition. NOTE: students interested in Scholastic should visit the website, artandwriting.org,
this summer and read some sample stories. Students interested in the novel category should start this summer!
____TPSP Film and Documentary-Making
Students will create fictionalized retelling of historical events or documentaries on a teacher-approved subject
of the student’s choice. Films will be based on extensive research and must have a clear thesis statement. It
should cover a relevant topic with a purpose, which deals with conflicting data, attempts to solve societal
problems, and/or offers multiple perspectives on the topic. Students will learn filming and editing techniques,
creation of storyboards, interview techniques, plagiarism avoidance, and movie-editing software (Magix).