The following courses make up the KMS 8th Grade Curriculum: Literacy/ELA, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies, and Physical Education.

Students also have the opportunity to take coordinated arts courses for two periods per day in Music, Art, Wellness, Foreign Language, Family & Consumer Education, and Technology Education.

BAND: This is an instrumental music experience for students in Grade 8. Band meets five days a week, all year long, and students are expected to commit to the full year. Students also receive small group instruction once a week in a lesson format. Included in the curriculum is a field trip to perform at the elementary schools. Band students also have the option to participate in an after school jazz ensemble, various honor bands, and the yearly Solo and Ensemble Festival. The prerequisite is participation in seventh grade band and/or consent of the instructor.

CHOIR: This is a vocal music experience for students in Grade 8. Choir meets five days a week, all year long, and students are expected to commit to the full year. 8th Grade Choir will give two or three concerts during the year, exploring a variety of different musical styles and themes. Choir students have the option of participating in the yearly Solo and Ensemble Festival. The prerequisite is participation in seventh grade choir and/or consent of the instructor.

Eighth grade students will continue to develop their art skills and be introduced to past and present artists. All courses include some drawing and design elements. Self and peer evaluation will complete the learning process, giving the student an opportunity to reflect on their work. Any number of courses may be selected. Students may be required to supply some materials.  All students should bring a small bag with a thin sharpie, pencil, and eraser to class which they will leave in their cabinets.

DRAWING I (Drawing and Illustration): (Offered Semester 1 and 2) Students will build on drawing skills learned in 7th grade drawing and/or their own drawing experience. Using a variety of drawing media, students will be introduced to the grid method, free hand observational drawing, sequential drawing, and purposeful use of color. Techniques are applied to a variety of subject matter and may include portraits, figures, perspective, or still life. Materials may include: graphite pencil, pen, charcoal, pastels, watercolor, ink, colored pencils, and paint. It is recommended that the student has prior drawing experience, as this is a more advanced drawing class. A 9x12 sketchbook with at least 30 pages is required for this course.

DRAWING II: (Offered Semester 2) (Prerequisite: Drawing I) In this course, students will examine ideas, materials, and processes through drawing and similar media. This course is designed for students who have taken Drawing I and would like to concentrate on refining previously developed skills. Students must be self-motivated, willing to experiment, and possess good time management. Students will continue to explore the grid method, free hand observational drawing, and purposeful use of value and/or color. Techniques are applied to a variety of subject matter and may include portraits, figures, perspective, radial design, still life or student choice. Materials may include: graphite pencil, pen, charcoal, pastels, scratch board, watercolor, ink, colored pencils, and paint. It is important that the student is prepared to focus during class and work hard as this is an advanced art course. 

This course requires a 9x12 sketchbook with at least 30 pages.

MULTIMEDIA I: (Offered Semester 1 and 2) Students will build on skills learned in 7th grade art courses, and/or their own art experiences. This course is designed for students who like to work in a variety of media both two and three dimensional. Multimedia I may consist of the following: ceramics, cardboard, origami, printmaking, fiber art, acrylic paint, and other media.  It is recommended that the student has prior art experience, as this is a more advanced art class.  Sketchbooks are recommended but not required.  

MULTIMEDIA II: (Semester 2) (*Prerequisite: Multimedia I) Students will build on skills learned in Multimedia I, and their own art experiences. This course is designed for students who have taken Multimedia I and would like to concentrate on refining their skills in various media, including three dimensional design. Materials may include: clay, metals, cardboard, paper-mâché, fiber art, printmaking, acrylic paint, digital art, and other media. It is important that the student possesses good time management and focus as this is a collaborative, advanced art course. A 9x12 sketchbook with at least 30 pages is strongly suggested for this course.

G.Y.M. :  Get Yourself Moving - This wellness course in 8th grade will include physical activity, personal wellness, and information about everyday routines that can prevent disease. Students will learn how maintaining a good wellness plan can reduce blood pressure, maintain a healthy body composition, and improve flexibility/strength. The ultimate outcome is to increase self-esteem and energy, which improves one’s mood and decreases stress. The course will include physical activity and information regarding the areas of cardiovascular endurance, stress management, and relaxation techniques. This course will take place in classroom, gym, and outside settings. Students do not need to have taken the wellness class in seventh grade to participate in the eighth grade G.Y.M. class.

For 8th graders to be able to take Spanish 8, they MUST have completed and passed Spanish 7A. 8th graders do not have the option to take Spanish 7A. Students MUST take Spanish in both seventh and eighth grade to be eligible for Spanish II at Germantown High School. Because, Spanish is a full year course, students are expected to commit to the full year.  Successful completion of the two-year middle school Spanish Program allows students to enroll in the high school Spanish II course preparing students to enter into the Spanish III program as sophomores. (Note: Enrollment in the Spanish II course requires middle school Spanish instructor recommendation.) Completion of seventh and eighth grade Spanish does not earn a high school credit.

SPANISH 8B: Students who successfully completed Spanish in seventh grade and have approval from the Spanish teacher are able to take Spanish B. This course continues to expand speaking and writing ability by describing people, location of places, seasons, weather and family. Cultural activities may include field trips and trying foreign foods. Spanish is an academic class; therefore, assessments will be used to evaluate student performance. Students who successfully complete both Spanish 7A and 8B will be able to enter Spanish II at Germantown High School with instructor's approval.

8TH GRADE FOODS: Students will be continuing their Culinary journey by being introduced to various cooking techniques which include the art of baking, breads/rolls, egg cookery, soups, stocks, and sauces along with various types of sandwiches. Students will work in cooperative groups as they prepare recipes that involve following directions and team work.  This challenging yet fun course is one step closer to being a successful chef!

ADVANCED FOODS: This class will build on all prior food classes and knowledge gained throughout their middle school career. Students will have a final opportunity to work in cooperative groups to create unique recipes. Units include the art of seasoning, salads/dressings, proteins, and global foods. During the semester there will be an emphasis on various careers within the food industry. Upon leaving this class students will be well versed and ready to tackle anything in the kitchen. Note: ** Prerequisite 7th grade Foods, 8th grade Foods, or have a teacher recommendation to take course #3019 Advanced Foods, in 8th grade.

Each Tech. Ed. course may be taken only once in 7th or 8th grade. Technology Education courses are one semester in length, meeting every other day.  These courses give students numerous learning experiences using hands-on activities, with exposure to practical technological concepts.

COMMUNICATIONS: (Same course as 7th grade) Begin the course by using an advanced page design program (Publisher) to create products used in the business world. Start a basic foundation of graphic design and how it relates to the advertising and marketing industry and careers that are available.  Along the way, you will learn the basics of ASL (American Sign Language) that allows you to start communicating with people on a whole new level. At the same time, you will be working in groups to deliver a portion of the KMS Daily Announcements. Students will work together in a small group to develop a radio commercial and understand all the behind the scenes steps involved in creating an effective message. Finally, you will put your graphic design skills back to work and create T-shirts using the heat transfer and screen printing methods and each process's role in today’s global marketplace.

TRANSPORTATION: (Same course as 7th grade) This class emphasizes a project based engineering style approach to problem solving.  Students will learn about spaceflight & aerodynamics by building and testing a flying model rocket. Air, rubber band and solid fuel are built both individually and in small groups. Drones and hovercrafts allow you to discover alternative modes of transportation through hands-on experience. Test your knowledge and skills on making a rubber band powered vehicle. You design, build and problem solve all the components for the test track. 

CONSTRUCTION SYSTEMS: (Same course as 7th grade) Students will design a “Dream” home, including interior decorating and exterior furnishing and landscaping, utilizing 3-D imaging software. Students will build a wooden model bridge, with material and weight limitations and perform a strength test. Students will build a 3/32” scaled model of a residential home wall and floor system. Six weeks of Construction, 4 weeks of Pre-Engineering (PLTW) and 8 weeks of Architectural Home Design.

MANUFACTURING : (Same course as 7th grade) Begin by building a basic foundation of shop safety, hand and power tools along with understanding measurement before choosing one of three projects to make (candy dispenser, bluebird house, tote box). Similar to real world manufacturing, students can work together to problem solve and help each other but everyone will build their own project. Without creating any sparks, you’ll get a chance to understand welding with a virtual welding machine. See what it takes to build and repair using metal. Experience the fabric printing process using the screen printing process as you make shirts and print on other substrates as well. Get a basic understanding of CNC manufacturing in your next project. Creativity will also play a role in your individual design. Take a look at some of the careers that may lie ahead for you and if you want to further pursue any courses offered at the High School.

PROJECT LEAD THE WAY:   AUTOMATION AND ROBOTICS – (A) (Same course as the 7th grade) In this course, students will learn the skills needed to construct a smooth-running, reliable machine that can follow instructions.  The class will start in the lab where students build various mechanisms to learn the many different ways mechanical energy is transferred.  They will learn how to transfer motion from wheels to other moving parts via building a float. Students then combine multiple mechanisms and electric motors into a project of their own design to race other student designs.

PROJECT LEAD THE WAY:  AUTOMATION AND ROBOTICS - (B): Robotics B is a continuation of the A course with an emphasis on programming. First, students will learn how to build a simple vehicle and make it move with some coding.  After that, students will learn how to integrate and code sensors into their builds by building something that moves up and down and something that spins with a motion sensor.  Students will continue to design different builds using prior knowledge of sensors to create a carnival ride and a design of their own choosing to end the year. Note: *Prerequisite: Automation and Robotics (A)

PROJECT LEAD THE WAY:  DESIGN & MODELING - (A): (Same course as the 7th grade) The semester will focus heavily on the design process and working through open ended projects to solve the problems.  We will start the semester by designing and ‘creating a shoe’.  They will also design an advertisement to go along with it.  Students will then learn to draw from perspectives and use that to create a puzzle cube.  We will then move to the 3D design side of things and do work in TinkerCAD to design our projects.  They will design projects like a birdhouse and a playground. 

PROJECT LEAD THE WAY:   DESIGN & MODELING - (B): Students will continue to focus on the design process and will also continue to learn about 3D Modeling software, but this time using a more advanced software called OnShape. We will start the semester by designing a desktop organizer and a piece of furniture while also creating prototypes of them as well.  Design will then be taken a step further when we do a Disney Imagineering unit to see how the world of Disney works.  Creativity and entrepreneurship will be challenged by taking on a Shark Tank challenge. Students will continue to use a combination of modeling and design to create and test a mag-lev vehicle.  Critical thinking, teamwork and problem solving skills are incorporated throughout the course. Note: *Prerequisite: Design & Modeling (A)