Manitoba
MY CHILD IN SCHOOL
MY CHILD IN SCHOOL – Informed Parent, Involved Parent

GRADE 8

OVERVIEW

Grade 8 French Immersion children learn about many different topics. They work on thinking skills to interpret, compare, combine and choose ideas and communicate about what they are learning in more sophisticated ways. Instruction is in French for at least 50% of the school day. The required subject areas are: Arts Education, English Language Arts, French Language Arts, Mathematics, Physical Education/Health Education, Science, and Social Studies. Your child will have the chance to learn in many different ways - by themselves, with teachers and with other children.

ARTS EDUCATION: Dance, Drama, Music, and Visual Arts

Grade 8 children express themselves creatively and acquire and improve skills and language in one or more of the arts. They answer the questions “who”, “where”, “when”, and “why” about the arts. They think about the roles, the purposes, the meanings, the influence and impact of the arts in their own lives, in their communities, and around the world. Children learn to think critically and talk about their experiences with learning the arts.

ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS

Grade 8 children use language to listen, speak, view, read, write and represent. They evaluate their own points of view during discussions and compare the ways they understand what they read, hear and watch. They experience different kinds of expression such as magazine articles, diaries, commercials and videos. Grade 8 children think about their language learning; they identify what they do well and where they need to improve and then take steps to work on those areas.

FRANÇAIS

Grade 8 children improve their listening, speaking, reading and writing skills in French. They learn about techniques for communicating for different purposes and audiences. Children develop language skills as they participate in discussions, justify opinions and write paragraphs to tell stories or to inform. Grade 8 children learn to check that their ideas are expressed in a clear, logical, and interesting way.

MATHEMATICS

Grade 8 students solve a variety of mathematical problems involving elements such as surface area, volume, the Pythagorean theorem, percents, ratios, and rates. They multiply and divide fractions and integers and are introduced to square roots. They also create, graph and use algebraic equations in order to solve problems.

 

PHYSICAL EDUCATION/HEALTH EDUCATION

Grade 8 children learn about personal fitness planning and the effects of exercise. They learn rules, codes of behaviour, skills and techniques and use movement skills in a variety of physical activities. They develop an understanding of laws and policies for safe communities and basic first aid procedures. In Grade 8 children develop personal plans for active and healthy living.

SCIENCE

Grade 8 children investigate living things by studying cells and systems in organisms. They learn more about how light is produced and how it is transmitted and detected. They investigate the properties of fluids and apply their understanding by designing and constructing a working model that uses hydraulic (fluid) or pneumatic (gas) principles. In Grade 8, children learn about the properties of water and investigate bodies of water and the important fresh and salt water systems in the world.

 

SOCIAL STUDIES

World History: Societies of the Past

Grade 8 students explore world civilizations of the past up to the 19th Century. They study early hunter-gatherer societies, ancient societies, and the influences that have shaped the modern world. They explore the interactions of cultures and consider the enduring influence of the past on the present.