Middle School
Overview
Middle School Curriculum
Students in the Middle School share essential, formative experiences with their peers through core curriculum classes, while retaining flexibility and freedom through robust elective offerings in the arts, computer sciences, dance, and more. Middle School encourages students to think critically and independently, to seek out new experiences, and to act as custodians of their own School community by sharing in responsibility for the growth and care of campus. Building upon the competencies and analytical understandings that come from essential studies in adolescent development and curricular programming, SLA emphasizes experiential learning, curiosity driven pedagogy, and direct and sustained service work through our Service & Justice Garden Program.
Detailed Course Descriptions
Middle School
Literature & Writing
LITERATURE & WRITING 6
Narratives of Service & Justice, Challenge, and Hope
This course introduces students to novels, short stories and poems that explore the SLA community through our school’s Service and Justice themes. Using such texts as Orbiting Jupiter, Come On In, and The Giver, students explore stories of migration, the carceral state, environmental justice and housing justice so that they can speak and write about questions they’ll consider through their educational lives at SLA, such as:
How does belonging happen (or not)?
What is my responsibility in constructing welcoming, inclusive and sustainable societies?
What is justice?
How much of a difference can young people make in addressing the challenges our society faces and elevating counternarratives?
How do we create written and spoken messages that both challenge and provide hope to a population?
Students will explore these questions in their own drafting, conferencing, editing and revising.Expository and analytical writing assignments will build towards longer form essays, and students will engage in student-led discussions and inquiries, oral argumentation, projects, creating poetry, and presentations. In reading, students will focus on analyzing for the main idea, textual evidence, point of view, and tone while considering the audience and exploring big questions. Finally, students will grow their literary proficiency in vocabulary, spelling, grammar, and the use of literary devices.
LITERATURE & WRITING 7
Literature for Reading the World
What is literature? Who makes it? What is it for? This course asks us to consider these questions while building critical reading, writing and analytical tools. We take the speculative literature of Southern California as a jumping off point, reading graphic novels, short stories, and essays that explore themes such as power, gender and class. We discuss the unique futures envisioned by these authors, and think about how they made their predictions by studying their present conditions. We use techniques like observational walks and forum theater to observe and critically read our own conditions in present day Los Angeles. We then imagine how the social and historical trends we have observed might shape the world of tomorrow, developing tools of investigation, critical analysis and persuasive writing along the way.
Finally we will engage the hopeful and revolutionary work of poets who read the world and sought to change it. Each student will write zines, poems, vignettes, essays and short stories emerging from the themes we generate together as a class.
LITERATURE & WRITING 8
Reading America, Reading LA
What is the American dream? For whom has that dream been a nightmare? This course asks students to continue building on the thematic investigation and critical analysis tools learned in 7th grade, with a focus on synthesizing and defending an original argument. Moving from speculative to realist explorations of authoritarianism, struggle and liberation, students will begin to interrogate the idea of the American dream. Students will examine classic American novels, plays and poetry that explore themes of race, gender, class and power, then write a major thematic upper school level essay built around an original argument. Students will learn to contextualize these works by critically engaging poetry, speeches, and other writings from historical liberation movements. In the second semester we will focus on Los Angeles, using a book of short stories, essays and poetry to investigate the sunshine and shadows of our city. Throughout the course students will build preparatory skills and thematic grounding needed for rigorous upper school humanities courses.
Middle School
History
HISTORY 6, FALL SEMESTER
The Origins of Humanity
This course analyzes the mysteries of the prehistoric world. After exploring the major social sciences, we begin to uncover the discoveries and advancements of the earliest humans. Focusing on the paleolithic and neolithic eras, students will examine the remains of ancient hunter-gatherer societies. We begin to discuss how those particular societies live and how it differs from our current lifestyles. We will examine how humans adapted to their environments, travel across continents, and begin to farm. In turn, creating the first permanent settlements.
Considering the lack of writing during the paleolithic and neolithic eras; students will be archeologists, paleontologists and anthropologists during this semester. Most assignments will be project-based. They analyze the development of humans, create presentations on early agricultural tools, and decode the cave painting left by early humans. Through these immersive projects and their accompanying written reflections, students practice the important skills of observing, questioning, and drawing reasonable conclusions.
HISTORY 6, SPRING SEMESTER
Impact of the River Valley Civilizations
This course examines the major river valley civilizations across Asia, Africa, Americas and Europe. It will start by discussing the first centers of agriculture and how geography affected the lifestyles of the different river valley civilizations. On top of discussing their major achievements and contributions to our modern society, we will be using the eight features of a civilization to analyze where our world systems come from. Whether that's the social classes in Egypt and India, or the government structure in Mesopotamia and China, students will begin to explore the inequalities given towards women, children, and lower class citizens across all the river valley civilizations. This way, students will begin questioning how the creation of the world systems contribute to the inequalities we see today. It is also important for us to connect these ancient civilizations together to recognize cultural diffusion and the influences they had on each other. With writing available, the students will officially become historians. They will continue to analyze digital artifacts from the first semester, but will be introduced to primary sources. These sources will primarily be taxes, law systems, and some of the earliest pieces of literature. Using the author's purpose, we will question these sources by asking “Why was this made?” On top of primary source analysis, students will do presentations of the earliest empires, create their own law systems, and research on the oldest religions and wonders of the ancient world.
HISTORY 7, FALL SEMESTER
Empires of the Mediterranean
This course will start with the rise of the two most popular religions in the modern world, Christianity and Islam. We will examine the impact of these religions, and how centralized governments and cultures changed due to their influence. After the fall of Rome, we will analyze the culture and achievements of the major empires of the Mediterranean. We will also examine how these empires were influenced by Christianity and Islam and the improvements they made towards human rights and advancements in technology. We will also closely look at their interactions with other empires, and how their governments treated their diverse group of subjects. This way, students will see how these empires were connected to each other through trade and warfare.
Students will continue to read primary sources for analysis. They will be introduced to personal letters and public messages from world leaders of the time to identify the purpose and tone of the source. Students will be creating effective secondary sources through strong research of primary sources. Through a scaffolded, multi-step process, students will be able to display an accurate portrayal of the world’s events through various research papers. By the end of the semester, students know how to gather information, analyze and organize evidence, and then synthesize that evidence to create claims.
HISTORY 7, SPRING SEMESTER
Afro-Eurasia: Civilizations and their Legacies
This course will examine the deeper parts of Africa, Asia and Europe during the 8th-15th Century. They’ll learn of each of their cultures and achievements with a focus on their further interactions with each other. They will compare the trade routes in the Saharan and the Atlantic, and how the empires of the Mediterranean influenced these trades. We will also explore the post-isolationism of China and how the silk road influenced trade with Western Civilizations. The course ends with the Age of Exploration and the colonization of the Americas during the mid-15th Century. Preparing them for the current momentum of history that will be learned in US History 1.
This course focuses on facilitating critical thinking skills by examining the history of the systemic issues we face today. Students will get opportunities to do public speaking on the world’s conflicts, and write informative and persuasive essays on the many civilizations we’ll cover throughout the course. By the end of the year, students are comfortable thinking critically, questioning what they read and interpret, and expressing their original ideas with clarity and confidence.
HISTORY 8, FALL SEMESTER
US History I: How The World Created America
This course analyzes the history of pre-columbian America and the European superpowers during the Age of Exploration. With the focus of the founding of the British colonies, we examine how European colonization impacted the indigenous inhabitants in the Americas. We analyze the voyages of different European explorers, the rivalries of the European Superpowers, and the lands they claimed and conquered. We also analyze the Triangular Trade and the institution of slavery during the colonial period. With these inquiries, students will have a well-rounded understanding of the founding of America and how the world contributed to its creation.
This course is to honor and uplift the voices of the ones who lost their homes in the United States due to European imperialism. We also look to uplift the ones who were taken from their homes to do forced labor to generate the wealth of America. Students will learn how the systemic issues we face today are a product of the history we learn in class. As students learn about the foundations of the United States, they also interact with a multitude of diverse perspectives that portray the scope of experiences and opinions of Americans, ranging from individuals in positions of power to the systematically disenfranchised. They will do presentations on Native American tribes and slave codes for enslaved Africans. They will also write informational essays on Spain, France, England and Portugal's colonization of the Americas. Lastly, they will analyze primary sources of the founding of the 13 British Colonies.
HISTORY 8, SPRING SEMESTER
US History II: The Civil War and the 20th Century
The course has a strong focus on the creation of the United States and their relationship with the world’s superpowers. Starting with the French & Indian War through the War of Independence, we learn about how the 13 Colonies found themselves as a new nation as they gained independence from the British. We will explore the challenges they faced afterwards and their internal struggles throughout the 19th Century. Towards the end of the semester, students will have a foundation of knowledge on the U.S. Constitution, westward expansion, the U.S. Civil War, and the Reconstruction Era. Students also take a look at revolutions during the 18th-19th Century such as the French, Haitian, and Latin American Revolutions. They will examine how the American Revolution influenced these significant changes and how these changes influenced America when it comes to foreign affairs. The second semester focuses on developing students’ content literacy skills, including writing, reading, and public speaking.
Middle School
Science
SCIENCE 6
Understanding Matter: Chem 101
How do we understand and make meaning of the land that we call home? What are the natural properties of the air we breathe, the water we drink, and the land we use for farming and shelter? Students in this course explore the changing landscape of Los Angeles as a site for scientific discovery. From the microorganisms in the soil to the macro exploration of space flight, students study the foundations of chemistry, focusing on the inherent properties of matter and how that matter reacts in both stable and ever-changing conditions, all the while connecting their coursework to the needs of our community.
Students deepen their understanding of matter through field studies and experiments, orienting themselves to the natural world they call home: Los Angeles. From wildfire assessments in Griffith Park to chemical analysis of the LA River, from shooting stars in Topanga Canyon to the “Scrap Sculptures” that litter the city, students deconstruct how humans affect the nature of matter overtime, identifying more sustainable ways of living moving forward. At the culmination of the course, students will use their knowledge of matter to investigate the health of Earth’s most vital natural resource, soil, and use their findings to offer suggestions for future leaders who steward the land.
SCIENCE 7
Matter in Motion: Physics 101
Most of the things happening around us, at the fundamental level, are based on mechanics. Grade seven students learn about “Matter in Motion” by observing types of motion and developing the skills to explain that motion in terms of forces, energy, and momentum.
Units begin by analyzing the operations of familiar wonders happening around us. What are the mechanics of kicking a soccer ball or riding in a car? What are the forces, energy, and momentum involved to create motion? Students then apply this information to explain the unfamiliar, including the ways in which the planets, stars, and galaxies operate, how electricity can be transferred down a phone line, or how a flash drive can store information technology.
Students use the knowledge they gain during each unit to engineer, design, and/or adapt various technological solutions that humans use to interact with our universe, including conducting energy audits on campus to ensure SLA is as “green” as possible; building, designing, and adapting circuits, lights, and soundboards; and working to combat accessibility issues faced by Disabled members of society by engineering solutions.
SCIENCE 8
Living Matter: Biology 101
In nature there is no MVP; each member of the team is reliant upon all others. This course takes a deep dive into the interconnectedness of systems on Earth. Our journey starts at a microscopic level, where we analyze the structure and function of cells. From there, we pull back to study specific body systems (digestive, skeletal, muscular, respiratory) to gain a full understanding how each part of the human body—small and large—works together to create a functioning whole.
We build on this understanding of the interconnectedness of systems within the human body by turning our attention to systems around us. From the food chain in an ecosystem to the delicate process of reproduction in plants, we again analyze the different parts contributing to the whole and assess the consequences of what happens to the system if a single aspect is compromised.
Lastly, we examine how life has changed throughout the history of Earth. We learn the principles and evidence for evolution and analyze the cause-and-effect relationship between an organism and its environment. We study the basics of the human reproductive system and how different environmental factors affect our development at the fetal stage.
Students walk away from this course having internalized that nothing in nature stands alone. Small or large, complex or simple, each part contributes to and receives from something larger than itself.
Middle School
Math
MATH 6
Foundations of Mathematics 1: Our Number System
Algebraic, geometric, and statistical mastery rely on a strong command of how numbers work. In this first foundational course, students develop the confidence and capacity to reason fluently with numbers, make reliable estimates, and understand how to apply rates and ratios to real situations they encounter every day. Students learn how to work and reason fluently with numbers by making sense of integers, fraction division, the coordinate plane, percentages, decimals, equivalent ratios, and unit rates. When learning new procedures and skills, students are not only expected to demonstrate accuracy, but also to justify why those procedures make mathematical sense.
Students also learn how to summarize statistical data with graphs and numbers, make probabilistic predictions, represent patterns with expressions, and solve simple linear and exponential equations. Students develop these skills and understandings through rich problem sets, Desmos-based investigations, collaborative challenges, and short mini-projects that apply these skills to recipes, games of chance, and making estimates of very large and small quantities encountered in our world.
MATH 7
Foundations of Mathematics 2: Problem Solving and Proportionality
As students prepare for their journey into algebra, they must develop the capacity and confidence to solve richer problems involving numbers, graphs, expressions, equations, words, or data. In our second foundational course, students develop their problem-solving capacity by taking a deep dive into understanding proportional relationships. By tackling rich problem sets, classroom activities, and Desmos investigations, students apply proportional thinking to solve problems involving complex fractions, circles, dilations, angles, triangles, prisms, and multi-step probability.
Students also increase their problem-solving skills by mastering more techniques and properties to handle negative numbers, rational numbers, algebraic expressions and linear relationships expressed in graphs, equations, tables and words. Through in-class studies and data collection activities, students also learn the value of random sampling in preventing bias in estimating features of populations.
MATH 8
Integrated Mathematics I: Algebra and Introductory Geometry
A student’s journey into advanced mathematics is fundamentally an exploration of detecting, describing, and making conclusions from patterns. In this course, the first in SLA’s Integrated Math Series, students are introduced to foundational skills and ideas in introductory algebra, geometry, and data analysis. We develop a thorough understanding of linear equations, inequalities, and systems, and we explore linear and exponential functions represented with graphs, numbers, and algebraic notation.
Students develop their skills in representations in the coordinate plane, rigid transformations, and compass and straight-edge constructions to create and prove simple theorems in geometry. They investigate how to represent data in one and two variables by using visual, verbal, and numerical measures of center and spread. They also explore bivariate relationships in data with scatter plots, correlation, and linear regression models. Students develop more skills with irrational numbers (square and cube roots) and the Pythagorean Theorem. They use these skills to increase their working knowledge of special right triangles and Pythagorean triples, which are used frequently in future studies of algebra and geometry.
Middle School
Languages
Spanish I
This year-long course is designed as an introduction to the language, culture, and traditions of the Spanish-speaking world for students in grades six and seven with little or no background in Spanish. Communicative units focus on basic greetings and introductions, school, family, hobbies, travel, food, and celebrations. Through music, games, short films, stories, and projects, students discover basic grammar, develop conversational vocabulary, and learn to communicate and ask questions in the present tense.
By the end of the year, students possess communicative and literacy skills within the Novice-Low to Novice-Mid range of the ACTFL (American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages) proficiency scale (A1 of the CEFR scale), meaning that they are able to express and understand Spanish about themselves, others, and the topics covered in class using words, phrases, and some short sentences.
Spanish II
This year-long course is a continuation from Spanish I that immerses Middle School students with Novice-Low to Novice-Mid level proficiency (A1-A2 per the CEFR) into the culture, history, and traditions of the Spanish-speaking world. Communicative units reinforce content, structures, and skills from Spanish I, while presenting opportunities to delve deeper into Hispanic culture, history, and geography.
Students continue to discover basic grammar, develop conversational vocabulary, and learn to communicate and ask questions in the present, the preterite, and the imperfect—with an introduction to the subjunctive mood. Topics include daily routines, consultations, technology, living spaces, and food. By the end of the year, students possess communicative and literacy skills in the Novice-High (A2 per the CEFR) range of the ACTFL proficiency scale, meaning that they are able to express and understand Spanish using phrases, sentences, and strings of sentences.
Spanish III
This is a year-long intermediate course for students who possess a Novice-High (or A2 and beyond, per the CEFR) Spanish language ability. Students delve into the history, culture, and politics of the Spanish-speaking world while moving toward an Intermediate-Low (B1) language proficiency. Through daily interaction and communication in Spanish, students expand their basic interpersonal communication skills and build on their ability to communicate using strings of sentences and transition words in the present, past, and future tenses.
Students build a wider vocabulary and strengthen their ability to describe, narrate, and express opinions in Spanish. In addition to daily communication, students study music and short films and explore units centered on a large variety of topics, such as the environment, art, local American politics and history, culture, and literature—including works such as Don Quijote de la Mancha and authors such as Julia de Burgos. Through this communicative context and inquiry-based exploration of Spanish-speaking cultures, students progress to an Intermediate-Low language (B1) ability, foster skills to become more independent language learners, and develop a greater understanding of the historical and political issues that shape the Spanish-speaking world today.
Middle School
Visual & Performing Arts
VISUAL ART 6, SPRING SEMESTER
Ways of Seeing
In Ways of Seeing, students are introduced to art-making as a means of describing and interpreting the world around them. Students train their hands to document the world as they see it from observation, memory, and their imaginations. Students have a variety of opportunities to experiment, explore, and share in their learning with peers in exercises like exquisite corpse and blind contour, and collaboratively in a group stop-motion animation project. We start every class with a sketchbook prompt, and students are introduced to the discipline of keeping a daily sketchbook for documenting their ideas, sketches, and progress. Students are also introduced to ways of interpreting works of art and given opportunities to share about their own experiences creating; they support and learn from their peers in unit takeaways and reflect on their progress and processes orally and in writing.
VISUAL ART 7, FALL SEMESTER
Art Through Different Lenses
In Art Through Different Lenses, students learn and discuss the many different ways of knowing and understanding the world through an interdisciplinary approach to art. This course explores the many ways other disciplines such as math, science, history, and literature and writing inform and rely upon art practices in media such as drawing, painting, collage, and sculpture. We start the class with a deep dive into math and art, examining the relationship between the two in pattern and repetition: in architecture, fabric design, braiding, and tile work, just to name a few. In our exploration of science, we discuss the ways in which we use experimentation in art practice to gather data about materials and processes, and the role of observational skills in both disciplines. Students continue to build upon technical drawing skills from Ways of Seeing, and continue the discipline of using a sketchbook to draft and workshop ideas.
VISUAL ART 8, FALL OR SPRING SEMESTER
Point of View
In Point of View, students explore more deeply artistic styles, processes, and modes of communication. Throughout the course of the semester, we ask ourselves, “What do I want this work to say?” and “What is the difference between what I want to communicate and what the viewer interprets?” Students process these questions individually in self-reflective writing and spend time as a group discussing what resonates with them most. These exchanges and opportunities for reflection help students make sense of their own processes and practices as they evolve their personal style and approach to projects. We spend the semester exploring portraiture and the many facets of how we represent parts of ourselves in our work: figuratively, abstractly, and symbolically. Students begin the course by determining their own “rules” for art-making and end the course with a mixed-media project inspired by NASA’s Golden Record. This class prepares students for the rigor of Upper School visual art electives.
MUSIC 6–8
Band
This course is an introductory study of ensemble playing in commercial genres including rock, soul, pop, and country focusing on 1950–2020. Students learn the fundamentals of music through studying band instruments, music notation, ear training, scales, harmony, and rhythm. Throughout this semester course, students play multiple instruments as they learn the basics of drums, bass, piano, and guitar. The bulk of the class periods focus on developing necessary skills to participate in a live performance at the end of the term. With the use of peer-to-peer modeling, this class emphasizes band ethics, personal responsibility, and generosity.
THEATRE 8, FALL SEMESTER
Playwriting
In this performing arts course, students explore a range of dramatic styles for writing monologues, scenes, and short plays. Crucial to the study of playwriting, students are encouraged to develop their unique voice and style in a workshop environment with consistent feedback from their peers. Workshops are guided by the questions: What draws us into this work? What connections do we make? Where do we want to know more? Students are assessed on their ability to write, workshop, revise, and produce their own original work in a writing portfolio and staged reading at the culmination of the course.
Middle School
Physical Education
Middle School Physical Education
The physical education courses provide students with the opportunity to learn and develop sports-related skills with an emphasis on teamwork and cooperation. The courses place a great focus on components related to health, wellness, and fitness. Students are encouraged, through the virtue of curiosity, to discover movement activities that give them true joy to enhance their overall health and wellness. Themes of these courses are self-management, positive social interaction, group dynamics, and physical literacy.
Units in the grade six course include: physical fitness; hand-eye coordination sport skills (handball, throwing and catching, juggling, flag football); striking sports skills and lead-up games (badminton, wiffle ball, pickleball); dribbling skills (basketball and soccer); and line dance.
Units in the grades seven and eight courses include: physical fitness; accessing valid and reliable information; team-building activities; refining throwing and catching sport skills (ultimate frisbee, baseball/softball, lacrosse); volleying skills and games; dribbling skills and games (soccer and basketball); combative sports skills (martial arts, self-defense); track and field (long jump, relays, sprints); and multicultural dance.
Middle School
Electives
Computer Science
Computer Science: Scratch Programming and Game Development offers students an engaging introduction to the world of computer programming. Students will dive into fundamental programming concepts, mastering the use of loops, conditional statements, and variables. Through the dynamic and user-friendly Scratch platform, students will have the opportunity to work on their own unique projects that explore the core principles of coding, animation, and interactive game design.They will learn to transform their imaginative ideas into tangible projects, honing their skills in storytelling and digital artistry.
This course is not just about coding; it's about problem-solving. We will tackle coding challenges that require us to apply logical thinking and coding skills to overcome real-world problems. Most of our curriculum is based on CS First, an easy-to-use computer science curriculum offered by Google. Additionally, students will engage in peer-reviewed Scratch projects, learning from their peers' creations and drawing inspiration from their work.
Join us on this thrilling journey of exploration, creativity, and coding mastery, where students not only acquire technical skills but also develop problem-solving abilities and artistic expression in a collaborative learning environment.
Music Production
Music Production offers an engaging exploration of music creation and community building through hands-on experience with Ableton Live and the Ableton Push. Students develop practical skills to produce complete audio works tailored to their own stylistic and genre choices.
Beyond personal creation, the course delves into the rich history of influential music producers, the evolution of music genres, and foundational production styles. Through collaborative group discussions, constructive critiques, and analyses of iconic works, students refine their artistic and technical abilities.
The course culminates with a transition from the studio to the stage, where students showcase their creations in dynamic settings such as “Beats Lunch” and other school-wide concerts, celebrating their growth and fostering our vibrant musical community.
Dance
The Middle School Dance Elective at SLA introduces students to the basics of jazz, ballet, and hip hop, as well as allows them to move their body in a fun and creative way. This elective includes a substantial warm up, dance technique across the floor, and retention of group choreography. Students not only learn and perform choreography as a group, but have the chance to work in smaller pairs or groups to choreograph their own work as well. Students are tasked with a research presentation, requiring them to present their findings on a chosen style of dance and dive into the life of famous dance icons.
Over the course of the semester, students learn about the history of dance, as well as participate and perform a variety of choreographic phrases. They are challenged with improving coordination, spatial awareness, confidence, memorization, and team building skills. It is a fun and lighthearted class that hopefully leaves the student feeling inspired and capable.
Self-Defense
Self awareness is self defense. This empowering course focuses on teaching students how to protect themselves and escape dangerous situations and self-protection techniques borrowing many elements from various martial arts. The various martial arts will include Wado-Ryu Karate, Jiu jitsu, Kajukenbo (Karate, Judo/Jiu jitsu, Kenpo, & Chinese Boxing Kung fu) & Wrestling. In addition to the physical skills required to learn effective self-defense, students learn how to use discipline, respect, self-control, and teamwork. Skills and techniques learned through martial arts teach students lifetime lessons.
Middle School Course of Study
Grade Six
Grade Seven
Grade Eight