Mathematics

The sixth grade math curriculum provides students with opportunities to explore numerical relationship within expressions, equations, and inequalities. Students will develop critical thinking and reasoning skills to work with data investigations, fractions, ratios, and percents. In seventh grade, students will expand on the math curriculum to dig deeper into the concepts of expressions and equations, and will investigate the real-world applications of geometry and ratios, proportions, and percentages. Students will analyze and interpret data to determine probability. Eighth grade mathematicians will investigate rational numbers, integers, and radical numbers. They will use their thinking skills to solve equations and generate equivalent expressions. In all grade levels, student work is assessed based on the four IB MYP mathematics criteria: Knowing & Understanding, Investigating Patterns, Communicating, and Applying Mathematics in Real-World Contexts. At Kingsbury, math comes alive for students, and they find meaningful and memorable ways to interact with mathematical concepts.

Science

Following the New Michigan Science Standards, students in grades 6-8th study a mix of life sciences, physical sciences, earth & space sciences, and technology and engineering. Science in the MYP both prepares students for life as citizens with a global understanding of how science is conducted and why it matters to planet Earth. In all the grade levels, student work is assessed based on the four IB MYP sciences criteria: Knowing & Understanding, Inquiring & Designing, Processing & Evaluating, and Reflecting on the Impacts of Science. Middle school students are provided with many hands-on experiments, demonstrations, project-based learning opportunities, and collaborative innovation.

Social Studies

The sixth grade social studies curriculum invites students to investigate the world around them, both in physical features and in how humans interact with the environment. Students explore many of the factors that indirectly impact how humans interact with the world, such as culture, economics, and government. The seventh grade social studies curriculum engages students with a first-hand exploration of life in the ancient world. Students observe and discuss primary sources related to the growth of civilizations and empires, as well as investigate of the many forms of human interaction, such as conflict and cooperation. The eighth grade social studies curriculum takes students into an in-depth analysis of their roles and responsibilities of being an American citizen. Students assess the value and significance of primary source documents, such as the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution. Furthermore, students explore life in early America and its struggles to grow into a new nation, up through the end of 19th century. In all grade levels, student work is assessed based on the four IB MYP social studies criteria: Knowing & Understanding, Investigating, Communicating, and Thinking Critically. Middle school social studies provides students with ample opportunities to discuss, investigate, and analyze so to make connection between the past and the present.

Language Arts

The sixth grade language arts curriculum invites students to communicate ideas and perspectives with confidence, clarity, and collaboratively both in oral and written forms. The students explore a range of literature and dig deeper into comprehension by making inferences supported by evidence from a text. As seventh graders, students investigate the roles of individuals, events, and ideas over the course of a text and explore new words and phrases through the lenses of figurative, technical, and connotative language. Students expand and strengthen their writing skills through the processes of planning, revising, editing, and trying new techniques. The eighth grade curriculum welcomes students to literature exploration through the critical analysis of the structures of a text, central themes, and summarizing key details. Students will write persuasively and coherently to express their ideas in a developed, organized fashion. In all grade levels, student work is assessed based on the four IB MYP language and literature criteria: Analyzing, Organizing, Producing Text, and Using Language. Through the dynamic explorations of language arts, students will strengthen their reading, writing, speaking, and presenting skills in a variety of ways, connecting to existing interests, studying new areas, and harnessing their creative expression.