Home

 

District 279

 

Administration

 

Parent Access

 

MY VIEW

(staff only)

 

Media Center

 

Virtual Media
Center

 

Departments

 

Counseling Office

 

Tipline

 

 

 

 

The Arts || Humanities | Language A | Language B || Mathematics | Physical Education || Sciences

 

|Technology-FACS | S.E.M | Special Education | ELL

The arts

 

Visual Arts

As Visual Arts teachers, we are committed to helping students find their place in the world around them through self expression and through set examples from historical artistic cultures and movements. We strive to help students develop an ethical foundation in which to live and work, how to develop ideas and observe the world around them, and help increase a fundamental understanding of art concepts.

 

As seventh, eighth, and ninth grade artists, students will continue to develop skills and knowledge through many disciplines of art, while focusing on issues and influences from the world in which they live to become more aware as world citizens and discover how art relates to their life experiences and others.

Students will develop their artwork through "The Creation Process" of art making where they will Investigate the problem (the Essential Question), plan the strategy or gather their ideas, create the artwork, and then evaluate and reflect on their work.

Students will explore Art History, Art Criticism, Aesthetics, & Creation experiences. Through this exploration, students will develop answers to Essential Questions that will directly relate to the five areas of interaction from the MYP IB philosophy of learning. Participation in the MYP arts will enable students to experience and develop curiosity, interest and enjoyment in their own creativity and that of others. It will also enable them to explore through the process of arts, acquire and develop skills needed for the creation of arts, and use the language, concepts and principles of art.

 

Holistic Learning

The MYP fosters holistic learning through the arts by offering distinctive ways of learning where seeing, feeling, hearing, thinking and creating are combined in a powerful form of visual, aural and tactile effective communication. The holistic approach implies the needs to learn through the arts, learn about the art, and create art. It ensures coordination of subject matter across all the arts and with other subjects and the areas of interaction. This approach encourages awareness of the contribution the arts make to society and quality of life and provides opportunities for expression in different modes – oral, written, visual, aural and kinesthetic. The holistic approach encourages reflection and opinion through the exposure to different forms of art representation and examines world issues, materials, and concepts through the arts.

 

Intercultural Awareness

MYP arts promote how traditions, history and beliefs have influenced the way in which work of arts are formed and valued in society. This awareness exists through influences from own culture, others’ culture, and perspectives on world issues.

 

MYP arts provide students with the ability to explore and communicate their discoveries, thoughts and feelings individually and/or collectively. It allows students to express themselves in an authentic and active manner, and gives them the tools to understand the language of arts and how issues, thoughts and feelings are communicated through the work of others. Students will also develop their ability to communicate their ideas through symbolism, artistic choices, focus and structure. Students should be using the arts as a tool for exploring issues and/or concepts. For example, drawing a landscape in a city and/or country may be a way to approach the concept “nature versus human construction.”

 

Back To Top

Humanities

Introduction

Our school mission, “Cultivating scholarship, virtue, and excellence in a global community,” serves as the driving spirit behind all of the educational experiences our students encounter during their course of study at North View Junior High. As Social Studies teachers, we are committed to helping students build life long habits of scholarship, an ethical foundation in which to live and work, and a fundamental understanding of civic discourse. Imbued with a sense of civic responsibility and inspired with a deep sense of purpose, our students routinely engage in community service, meaningful study, and analysis of current events.

Philosophical Approach to Teaching and Learning

Our approach to teaching and learning centers on a synthesis of research on effective teaching methodologies, literature from the various branches of the social sciences, and the Approaches to Learning promulgated by International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme. Rather than focus on rote memorization, we emphasize the process by which communities construct knowledge and historical narratives. As such, students develop the skills necessary to evaluate the subtleties of historical bias and the frameworks upon which geographers and historians construct knowledge. Our goal is to help students build their own historical narratives based on their unique backgrounds, experiences in diverse environments and those common to humanity and our Republic. At the heart of this approach are rigorous academic challenges and authentic community based opportunities for students to practice scholarship and service to others. It is through these experiences that students find the inspiration to engage in a life-long discovery of what is means to be human.

7 th Grade World Geography and Minnesota Studies

During their first year at North View Junior High, students study the fundamental concepts of geography and other disciplines within humanities. Among these are the five themes of geography, a critical lens by which students analyze and interpret the various ways in which humans interact with each other and their environments. In addition, students master the use of thematic maps, charts, graphs, and other analytic skills central to the geographic discipline. Through rigorous regional studies of the world, students develop an expanding awareness of diverse cultures, adaptive strategies, and environmental impacts of human activity on our ecosystems. Building on the ideas presented in other disciplines at North View Junior High, this course challenges students to develop a holistic view of knowledge as they continue to increase their sense of place and personal connection to their communities and larger world beyond.

8 th Grade American History and Government

(American History: Reconstruction to the Present)

During their 8 th grade year, students complete their middle-level introduction to American history and complete an introduction to American Government. Students learn to evaluate historical bias, various narrative models, and thematic strands. Using a dialectical approach, students examine numerous interpretations of historical events and processes, enhancing their ability to appreciate history through a variety of perspectives. Assignments challenge students to consider modern day dilemmas with historically informed ideas about the past. Interdisciplinary units are also under development which we feel will accentuate the learning experiences of our students. During the third trimester, students examine the roots of American Government, the fundamentals of civic discourse, U.S. foreign policy, and comparative government. As the year progresses, specific IB Areas of Interaction will be consistently stressed to enable students to build a holistic view of knowledge.

9 th Grade American History

(American History: Exploration through World War II)

The first of a two part high school level American History Course and building on the concepts learned in 8 th grade, this course helps students penetrate further the historical dilemmas of the American past. Using numerous case studies, simulations, debates, writing assignments, and role plays, students continue to develop their interpretive and evaluative skills. In addition, students begin a broad study of research based analysis – culminating in their participation in History Day midway through the year.

 

History Day

History Day is a unique event that affords students the opportunity to pursue an historical area of interest independently. It is an intensive two month unit taught concurrently with Language A (English) classes. Under the guidance of their instructors and support services staff in the building, and tutors from the Minnesota History Center, students engage in an authentic research project using a wide variety of primary and secondary sources. This interdisciplinary unit includes instruction in the steps of the research process, writing an essay, completing a visual or performance project, writing an annotated bibliography, and presenting the information to the public. Students who have developed high quality projects often participate in the regional History Day competition sponsored by the Minnesota History Center. History Day is truly a culmination of learning that has taken place throughout the students’ experience in Humanities and is a rigorous preparation for the IB Independent Project that takes place in 10 th grade.

 

 

 

 

 

Back to Top

 

Language a

Overview

The Language A department at North View looks forward to getting to know each of our students in the seventh, eighth and ninth grades. We will be spending the year exploring the topics of literature (fiction and non-fiction, drama, and poetry), composition, and speech while working to meet all the state, district and IB requirements. Should any materials be offensive, there is a district policy allowing alternative reading/viewing assignments.

 

Philosophical Approach to Teaching

All students can learn to read and write well. Reading literature and writing are not separate skills but part of a larger approach to learning about our world and our place in it. On this journey and through rigorous investigations of such essential questions and concepts as – What is a hero? What is justice? What is responsibility? What is loyalty? – students at North View learn how to think critically, analyze texts, and write reflectively about their learning. In group work or individual practice, thoughtful inquiry is encouraged and developed in our students as they make the transition between elementary and high school.

 

Grade level highlights

Beyond a developmentally appropriate approach to teaching spelling and grammar, each grade has specific foci.

 

Grade 7: The focus in 7 th grade is on the following:

Grade 8: The focus in 8 th grade is on the following:

Grade 9: The focus in 9 th grade is on the following:

 

IB interdisciplinary units:

Grade 7: The Clay Marble and SE Asia in Humanities

Four Miles to Pinecone and Minnesota in Humanities

Grade 8: The Westing Game and Earth Science/Forensics in Science

“Flowers for Algernon” and Approaches to Learning/Multiple Intelligences.

The Diary of Anne Frank and World War II in Humanities and Pollution in Science

Grade 9: The Odyssey and the New World in Humanities

To Kill a Mockingbird and Racial Segregation in Humanities

**Other units may be added as the year goes on.

Back to Top

Language b

Language B mission statement:

Developing the world language skills needed to become active participants and communicators to cultivate scholarship, virtue and excellence in a global community.

 MYP Areas of Interaction and the 5 C’s

While insisting on the thorough study of various academic subjects, the Middle Years Programme of the International Baccalaureate Organization also accentuates their interrelatedness and encourages a holistic view of knowledge. The MYP fosters intercultural awareness to promote better understanding of and respect for other cultures as well as concern for international issues. The MYP also stresses the importance of communication through a command of one’s own language, world language acquisition, and the appreciation of different modes of thinking and expression. Students are challenged to explore the five areas of interaction which include: approaches to learning, community and service, health and social education, environment, and homo faber. These areas of interaction provide a means of broadening student experience, placing learning in context and helping students to develop attitudes and values based on knowledge and skills.

The MYP IB programme aligns perfectly with the national standards of world languages, the guiding principles used by the North View Junior High Language B staff. To develop effective communication across linguistic and cultural boundaries, we incorporate the 5 C’s of world language education: Communication, Cultures, Connections, Comparisons, and Communities. The standard of Communication prepares students to learn the language through the use of all four modalities: speaking, listening, reading and writing. A language must encompass the study of culture; otherwise a student simply acquires a repertoire of vocabulary that lack context and meaning, which leads to inaccurate language skills. Through the standard of Cultures, students learn about the practices, products and perspectives of the culture studied. The Connections standard reinforces and increases student knowledge of other disciplines through the study of the foreign language. The standard of Comparisons asks students demonstrate understanding by comparing the language and culture studied with their own. Finally, the standard of Communities encourages students to use the language both in and outside the school setting, promoting life-long learning, as students use the language for personal enjoyment and enrichment.

Back to Top

 

Mathematics

 

Physical Education

 

 

GUIDING QUESTION: What makes a good sport?

 

RATIONALE

The purpose of physical education is to provide students the opportunity to acquire the skills needed to make positive decisions about a healthy, physically active lifestyle. This achieved through the medium of movement – regardless of innate and learned abilities, culture, or gender. A student’s growth and development is guided through quality participation in the psychomotor, cognitive and affective domains of learning.

 

THREE MAJOR DOMAINS OF LEARNING AND OUTCOMES

Psychomotor: Physical education includes the development of all physical skills. Physical education promotes the opportunities to develop skills through the application of physiological and biomechanical principles. Motor and fitness skills are developed and provide students with the skills necessary for continued participation in leisure and recreational activities.

 

Outcomes

 

Cognitive: Physical education includes knowledge, understanding, and application of information necessary for choosing activities the promote a healthy lifestyle. Physiological, biomechanical, and social principles provide a foundation for movement. Through individual and group activities, one acquires skills in problem solving, decision making, and creativity. Knowledge of language, rules, strategies, and etiquette are taught and emphasized at all levels. Through various activities the student is exposed to cultural knowledge and the history of some activities.

 

Outcomes

 

 

Affective: Physical education includes the social aspects of learning. Skills essential for positive group interaction and communication are an integral part of the program. Development of self-respect and respect of others is emphasized at all levels. Learning from the experiences of success and failure, good sportsmanship, fair play, and competitive and cooperative actions are high priorities.

 

Outcomes

 

AREAS OF INTERACTION

 

Approaches to Learning

Physical education provides opportunities for all types of learners to be successful. Instruction is given visually through demonstrations, through verbal instructions, and kinesthetically by allowing the students to experience and practice the movements and activities being taught. This allows students learn how they learn best.

 

Environment

The environment has a major impact on physical activity. Temperature, wind speed and direction, playing surface, size of playing area, equipment, and the other people playing the game are factors in how successful the activity will be. Students, along with modified activity rules, will learn how to adjust their game strategies and physical activity based on environmental conditions.

 

Health and Social Education

One of the main objectives of physical education is to promote a healthy lifestyle and learn how to work not only as an individual but as a team. Many of the activities students will learn not only reinforces positive social skills, but are activities that can be used well into their adult years.

 

Community and Service

There are many opportunities to use the knowledge and skills learned in physical education. Youth and high school sports are always looking for people to help keep stats, be scorekeepers and especially at youth levels to teach sports and games.

 

Homo Faber

Many games and sports involve creativity. They require a person or people to design the game, make rules, come up with strategies and improvise during the game. Creativity is encouraged and emphasized to strategize before and during games. Students will learn the history of some sports and have the opportunity research and design their own games.

 

7 TH, 8 TH, 9 TH CURRICULUMS/ACTIVITES

*This is only a guide to the activities we teach in PE.

Rules & Expectations

POLICIES

Physical Education Attire

It is important to wear appropriate clothing for physical activity for safety and good hygiene. Appropriate clothing includes athletic shorts, t-shirt, sweatpants, windpants, sweatshirt, and tennis shoes. Clothing must be school appropriate. No short shorts, tank tops, drug or sexual references, bare midriffs or tight clothing. All students are expected change their clothes.

 

Failure to Comply with Attire Policy: Loss of 5 points per day not dressed. This will result in a lower grade.

 

GRADING

 

A = 90% - 100%

B = 80% - 89%

C = 70% - 79%

D = 60% - 69%

F = 59% & Below

 

Students are graded on 10 points per day. They receive 5 points for participation and 5 points for changing into appropriate PE clothes. Also, at the end of each unit will be a quiz of approximately 10-20 points.