Junior High Curriculum
Bible
With the Bible as the textbook and high-interest activities that make the Bible stories relevant and real for every student, the Encounter Bible curriculum nurtures each student's friendship with Jesus. A strong academic foundation based on Biblical teachings combined with "heart learning" where a student truly realizes how much he or she is loved by God creates a powerful environment that inspires service to others as a disciple of Jesus.
Literacy
Junior High students develop narrative, opinion, and informational writing skills using the learner-friendly writer's workshop presentation format of the Lucy Calkins Units of Study writing curriculum. Students practice drafting and then revising their writing to make it better. "When you think you're done, you've only just begun,” takes on a deeper meaning each time a powerful new writing tool is introduced and students look for ways to use it their compositions.
Teachers coach student authors toward grade-appropriate independence by helping them set goals, scheduling ample time to write, equipping them with checklists for self-evaluation, and providing opportunities for peer and instructor feedback. In addition, teachers show how published authors craft their writing and students acquire the skill of seeing the work of others with a "writer's eye." Teachers affirm the high value of student compositions with writing celebrations to conclude each unit. Students are motivated to practice spelling and keyboarding skills to make it easier to share their ideas and creativity with others.
The My Perspectives curriculum from Pearson builds reading skills and literacy confidence in RAA Junior High students with a program that provides a printed textbook, an interactive digital textbook, and online links to multimedia resources to fully engage learners. Assignments encourage the development of critical thinking skills and comprehension strategies.
Math
RAA's 7th grade math classes use the Big Ideas curriculum from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt to prepare students for the challenging demands of Pre-Algebra and Algebra. At the end of 7th grade students take a comprehensive test to determine their 8th grade math placement. Depending on the results of the placement test, students are assigned to either pre-Algebra or Algebra I for their 8th grade year. Both of these classes use Glencoe / McGraw Hill online digital textbooks. Teachers actively look for ways to incorporate hands-on activities to facilitate student learning in math.
Science
Science instruction is planned to engage and challenge each student while at the same time leading them to develop a love and curiosity for Science. Through inquiry, hands-on activities, and projects our students learn to explore God's creation while developing critical thinking skills. 7th graders study Life Science. 8th graders study Physical Science.
History
Students learn about History and the social world through classroom exploration and discussion of big themes in history. Projects, field trips, and primary sources are used to bring history to life. The Networks Social Studies program by McGraw Hill guides a balance exploration of history and society while teaching students to think like a historian. 7th grade students explore the history of the world. 8th Grade students learn about the history of the United States.