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The goal of
language arts teaching in the Middle Years is for students
to develop into effective and efficient communicators who
are able to adapt reading and writing strategies across a
wide range of texts and genres. Through extensive reading of
a range of texts, supported by strategic lessons and
discussions, students become familiar with written language
structures and features, develop their vocabularies, and
read for meaning more efficiently and effectively. In Middle
Years English classes students are engaged in activities
designed to deepen their understanding of texts, increase
their ability to generate ideas and knowledge for their own
use and meet academic and interpersonal challenges across
the curriculum. Enjoyment in reading is a key element of
the programme, and teachers are encouraged to choose
literature from a wide range of genres, including novels,
short stories, plays, poetry, autobiographies, essays,
pamphlets, posters, films, newspapers and periodicals.
Social studies
courses in the Middle Years focus on human history and how
the actions of the past continue to impact the present and
future. Students examine the variety of ways in which people
strive to deal with the forces that shape their lives. The
curriculum addresses significant events; critical moments;
key individuals; and the political, social, economic and
aesthetic/cultural dimensions of history. The programme of
study aims to present a balanced and unbiased representation
of people and perspectives, past and present. Concepts of
geography, economics, government, culture and society are
interwoven into inquiry-based units of study.
Mathematics in the Middle Years aims to give students an
appreciation of the usefulness, power and beauty of the
subject. The language of mathematics enables people to
model events and situations, and provides a key to
understanding the world in which we live. With the rapid
pace of technological development, it is difficult to
foresee the mathematical knowledge that students will need
during their lifetime. Therefore it is essential that
students are equipped with a solid base of mathematical
knowledge, related skills and attitudes to enable them to
adapt as their needs arise. For this reason, many of the
skills learned in mathematics are applied in other Middle
Years subject areas. Teachers seek opportunities to link
mathematical skills to teaching and learning throughout the
curriculum. For example, science and social studies
teachers ask students to use mathematical skills and the
concepts of graphical representation in class projects.
Science courses
in the Middle Years science focus on the development of
scientific knowledge to enable students to investigate,
understand and explain the world in which they live.
Students develop an awareness of global issues and a sense
of their responsibilities as individuals towards others and
towards the natural and man-made environment. It is
expected that students’ engagement, interest and enjoyment
in science will foster a positive response to science and
contribute to the development of opinion-forming and
decision-making as well as ethical-reasoning skills.
Students continue to develop their understanding of the life
cycle in the Middle Years. They acquire a basic knowledge
of the body’s needs and its functions, and adopt personal
habits that promote physical health and wellness. They
develop an appreciation of the sacredness and delicate
balance of life, and understand how life experiences differ
from one culture to another. The ALS curriculum integrates
traditional subjects, including science, health, nutrition,
hygiene and physical education, to enable students to learn
and apply their knowledge of the human body and its growth
and development as they form good health habits and respect
for life.
Opportunities for aesthetic appreciation continue to be
provided to students through fine arts in the Middle Years.
Students understand that people respond to beauty and can be
expressive through a variety of artistic media. They
explore the rich variety of artistic expression, learning
about various works of art, recognizing the benefits of
making art, and discovering some of the ways in which visual
and performing arts have evolved in different cultures.
Students begin their study of fine art by viewing the beauty
around them – the shape of buildings, the setting of the
sun. They watch artists at work and talk about their own
art. They view famous paintings, comparing form and
colour. They learn
about musical expression and how to make music in a variety
of ways. They learn to use their language skills to express
their aesthetic sensitivity through poetry, debate and
various other media.
The ICT curriculum in the Middle Years
has four strands: foundations, information acquisition,
problem-solving and communication. Through the study of
technology applications foundations, including
technology-related terms, concepts, and data input
strategies; students learn to make informed decisions about
technologies and their applications. By using technology as
a tool to support individual and group work in solving
problems, students learn to select the technologies
appropriate to tasks, synthesize their knowledge, create
solutions and evaluate results. Students communicate
information in different formats, and to diverse audiences.
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