CORE The Middle School Core Program was established to create a collaborative forum in which teachers plan and implement an interdisciplinary curriculum for students. Students meet with their core teachers eight periods a week, sometimes for a double-period block of time. The Core topic of study at each grade level is as follows: Sixth grade -The Individual in Society; Seventh grade - United States History; and Eighth grade - World Cultures. Students are assigned to a base teacher (one member of the Core group), but may have the opportunity to study with other Core teachers as well. The purpose of this collaborative venture includes: 1) the integration of the history curriculum with reading and writing; 2) a standardization of expectations, skills, and concepts by teachers of the Core Program; 3) an opportunity for teachers to learn from one another by sharing their strengths and expertise at planning meetings; and 4) the inclusion of organization, oral communication, writing, technology, and research. Members of the Core team are selected for the strengths and areas of interest they bring to the program. By building a program in collaboration, these teachers learn from each other while creating rich and comprehensive experiences for their students. SIXTH GRADE: The sixth grade Core curriculum focuses on an interdisciplinary theme of the individual in society. Specifically, the following areas of study are covered: America in the '50s, the Holocaust, and a literature-based unit that incorporates the theme of the individual. These topics are explored through the integration of social studies, geography, literature, writing, computers, field experiences, and community resources. THE LANGUAGE ARTS PROGRAM balances structured grammar and spelling lessons with a variety of reading, writing, and oral assignments. The literature has been carefully chosen to reflect the themes of the social studies curriculum. Students are simultaneously exposed to three works of literature during the course of each unit. The process includes reading aloud, independent reading selections, and an in-class novel. Writing is taught as a process. Through each draft, students revise and edit their work to produce a finished product of which they can be proud. Teacher input and peer editing are essential to the success of the program. In addition to expository writing, students experiment with different writing genres. These include creative writing, letter writing, journal entries, and poetry. IN THE SIXTH GRADE, the curriculum is enriched with activities and experiences that reflect and address the needs of students. The school year begins with a creative writing program centered on the experience of a Native American youth. Students immerse themselves in this coming-of-age simulation, a theme that is prevalent throughout the year. ADDITIONALLY, OUTSIDE SPEAKERS are brought in throughout the year to engage students in discussions and activities that pertain to an individual unit of study. Past topics have included the American Tortoise Rescue, the American Red Cross, Chinese dough art with David Kim, and local community service advocacy. Along these lines, students are encouraged to become involved in their greater community. IN RECOGNIZING THAT THE COMMUNITY SERVES as an extension of the classroom, sixth graders have the opportunity to explore the world around them in relation to the curriculum. Some examples of this include the following: a field trip to a Native American theme park, a tour of the Skirball Museum, a look at Chinese art and artifacts at the Pacific Asia Museum, an excursion to Universal Studios to view a multi-media, a live presentation based on the life of Anne Frank, and a visit to the Museum of Tolerance. SEVENTH GRADE: The seventh grade Core uses an interdisciplinary approach to U. S. history and language arts and centers on the theme of "coming of age." Students read personal narratives, primary and secondary historical documents, drama, poems, and novels. Writing assignments, debates, on-line research, and other projects are designed to encourage students to draw connections and see patterns between the literature and the historical eras being studied. The goal of the Core curriculum is for students to become life-long learners. To accomplish this, assignments focus on mastery of content as well as on mastery of the necessary reading, writing, study, and critical thinking skills. THE U.S. HISTORY COMPONENT of the curriculum surveys U.S. geography, the Constitution/ Revolution, the Civil War, the World Wars, and the Great Depression. In addition, throughout the year students choose from several historical subjects including the progressive era, JFK's presidency, the history of child labor, and Native American History. These brief electives occur once a trimester, giving teacher and student the opportunity to explore a particular area of high interest. For the most well rounded comprehension of each historical time period, students are exposed to a variety of primary sources including newspapers, maps, journals, diaries, letters, speeches, textbooks, documentaries, and web sites. The literature is directly related to the historical era being studied. For example, when studying the causes and effects of the Great Depression, students read the plays of Clifford Odets and Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird. Students also interact with relatives and residents of local senior homes to interview and record their memories of living through the Great Depression. THE CORE WRITING PROGRAM emphasizes writing as a process. Students write regularly in and out of class on topics directly dealing with the history and/or literature being studied. Topics are chosen to develop comprehension of the material as well as close reading skills. After writing two or three in-class writing assignments and receiving teacher responses, students select one to rewrite for a formal essay grade. These writing assignments include expository, persuasive, descriptive, and narrative forms. Students also write formal papers. For example, students compose a five paragraph essay on the class system of Maycomb in To Kill a Mockingbird as well as a lengthy research paper on the direct and indirect causes of World War I. Students write, revise, and edit several drafts of their papers with the assistance of peer and teacher responses. IDEALLY THE CORE THEME in seventh grade allows students to identify with distant historical figures and events as they proceed through their own personal development. The goal of seventh grade Core is to give the students skills to see beyond the immediate, to develop an alert, curious mind, and to foster a love of reading. EIGHTH GRADE: The Core program at this level is an interdisciplinary approach to culture which integrates English and history in its curriculum. Students are introduced to the diverse cultures of Latin America, Russia, India, Africa, and the Middle East through literature, non-fiction essays, and contemporary events. The Core Reader, a collection of myths, folklore, poetry, and short stories selected by the Core team, serves as a launching pad for students to explore historical events and literary forms pertinent to our culture and social studies. A study of the art of Latin America, Africa, and the Middle East is also a featured element of the Core program. In the past, students have taken field trips in order to deepen their awareness of Mexico's celebration of The Day of the Dead (a trip to L.A.'s Olvera Street) and to understand South Africa's transition from apartheid to democracy (a performance of Athol Fugard's Valley Song). BY THE END OF THE CORE PROGRAM, students are expected to have mastered sentence and paragraph structure and the five-paragraph essay form. These are taught through assignments ranging from journal writing to in-class writing to six formal essays, including a five-paragraph research paper. Language skills are also tied to cultural studies whenever possible, with vocabulary drawn from the text and from selections of literature. An independent grammar and spelling curriculum is also integral to Core. The program presents a standardized set of language skill expectations that are tested in a comprehensive exam upon completion of the course. THE CORE PROGRAM ALSO PROVIDES for three sub-units (rotations) which, drawing from cultural studies, primarily emphasize other writing skills such as autobiographical writing, dramatic writing, and an examination of aspects of Shakespeare’s works. Longer works of fiction are also included, such as Sandra Cisneros' The House on Mango Street, Alan Paton's Cry, the Beloved Country, Naguib Maufouz's Fountain and Tomb, and Athol Fugard's play, Master Harold and the Boys.