Electives & Music Department

Health [Trimester] (7th Grade) {Required} - Students learn about stress, nutrition, personal differences, substance abuse, body image, relationships, human sexuality, and risks associated with sexually transmitted infections. (Students may be exempt from the HIV/Human Sexuality Units through a waiver.)

Human Sexuality Unit:

As with all units we cover in this class, the goal is to help students make informed, healthy choices. In this unit, we want to assure you that ABSTINENCE IS STRESSED AS THE HEALTHIEST CHOICE for a large number of reasons. The goal is to help students see why it is the healthiest choice.

The lessons in Health 7 teach:

• Facts about HIV/AIDS and other STIs

• How HIV and other STIs are and are not transmitted.

• The impact sexually transmitted infections can have on a person’s life. • How to evaluate the health risks involved with different behaviors.

• The advantages of Abstinence.

• To apply the skills needed to avoid/escape situations that place them at risk for becoming infected with HIV/Other STIs.

• The importance of planning ways to stay safe, healthy, and free of HIV and other STIs.

• How to apply what they have learned in order to become positive peer role models. • How to locate resources and get help, if needed.

• Male/Female Anatomy Terms I have attached the unit objectives to this letter.

The documents used are available for you to preview, if you wish, by visiting the Beagle Middle School website at Human Sexuality Health Unit

Visual Art - Exploratory- This is a one-trimester class focused on allowing the students to experience the elements and principles of design through a variety of mediums. Projects could include mediums in colored pencil, pencil, oil pastel, marker, scratchboard, clay, plaster, or paper mache.

Visual Art - Mixed Media- This is a one-trimester course focused on design and color through a variety of media/materials. Projects will be based on the elements and principles of design and will allow students to explore their creativity and enhance their artistic skills. Projects may include collage, clay, cardboard sculpture, paper mache, and drawing

Visual Art - STEAM Based - Students would do projects combining Art and Science. The projects could include paper sculpture, clay sculpture, wire sculpture, and drawing/painting while researching different topics. This would include both individual and group projects.

Creative Crafting- Creative Crafting is a one-trimester course that is a craft-based Art course intended for students who are interested in the creative process, but not interested in the fine art aspect. Students will explore the Elements of Art, experiment with a variety of art materials, and create FUNctional as well as decorative pieces. Projects may include the use of hot glue, fabric, yarn, paint, cardboard, and the like.

Band - Students learn and play instruments together in a class that is suited for their individual playing ability, from beginning through advanced. Beginning Band is for those participating for the first time...no music-reading experience required! If you have already been learning your instrument, please reach out to the band teacher to discuss possible advanced placement in the 8th Grade Band.

For more information please visit the Beagle Band website: https://sites.google.com/glcomets.net/beagle-band/Home

Choir - Have fun singing and learning the basics of music reading in Grand Ledge Middle School Choirs! Choirs are gender separated for a great learning environment for all singers. Grand Ledge Middle choirs perform four concerts throughout the year: Fall, Holiday, Festival, and our Spring Pop Concert. Solo opportunities are available throughout the year as well. 

• To learn about 7th Grade Choir click here. 
• To learn more about 8th Grade Choir click here.

Intro to Acting:

Action! Are you interested in improv, acting, and performance? Well, you've come to the right place. This class teaches the many skills needed to become a better actor and performer. This is a performance-based class where you will perform in front of other students. You will end the trimester by performing a memorized play for an audience of your peers. So, if you're looking to get out of your comfort zone and improve your performance skills, this is the class for you!

Musical Theater:

Do you love to sing, dance, and act? If so, Musical Theater is the class for you! This one-trimester class will go through the casting, rehearsing, and production process of musical theater scenes and songs leading to an end-of-the-trimester performance! This is a performance-based class where you will perform in front of other students.

Action! Are you interested in improv, acting and performance? Well, you've come to the right place. This class teaches the many skills needed to become a better actor and performer. This is a performance-based class where you will perform in front of other students. You will end the trimester by performing amemorized play for an audience of your peers. So, if you're looking to get out of your comfort zone and improve your performance skills, this is the class for you!

Intro to Acting Action! Are you interested in improv, acting and performance? Well, you've come to the right place. This class teaches the many skills needed to become a better actor and performer. This is a performance-based class where you will perform in front of other students. You will end the trimester by performing amemorized play for an audience of your peers. So, if you're looking to get out of your comfort zone and improve your performance skills, this is the class for you!

Intro to Acting Action! Are you interested in improv, acting and performance? Well, you've come to the right place. This class teaches the many skills needed to become a better actor and performer. This is a performance-based class where you will perform in front of other students. You will end the trimester by performing amemorized play for an audience of your peers. So, if you're looking to get out of your comfort zone and improve your performance skills, this is the class for you!

Intro to Acting Action! Are you interested in improv, acting and performance? Well, you've come to the right place. This class teaches the many skills needed to become a better actor and performer. This is a performance-based class where you will perform in front of other students. You will end the trimester by performing amemorized play for an audience of your peers. So, if you're looking to get out of your comfort zone and improve your performance skills, this is the class for you!

**High School French 1 (8th grade ONLY) [Year Long] - This a very rigorous course, taught at the 9th Grade Level, and the final grade will transfer to high school transcript. French 1 is an introductory course to one of the most popular languages in the world. Students will learn French through a variety of listening, reading, writing, and speaking activities. Some objectives will be colors, numbers, days/months, greetings/goodbyes, and ways to exchange basic information about self and others. As students learn the French language, they will learn about Francophone countries as well.

**High School German 1 (8th Grade ONLY) [Year Long] - This is a very rigorous course, taught at the 9th Grade Level, and the final grade will transfer to high school transcript. German 1 is an introductory course to German language and culture. Students will learn German through a variety of listening, reading, writing, and speaking activities. Some objectives will be colors, numbers, days/months, greetings/goodbyes, and ways to exchange basic information about self and others. As students learn the German language, they will learn about the German culture and its contributions to society.

**High School Spanish 1 (8th Grade ONLY) [Year Long] - This is a very rigorous course, taught at the 9th Grade Level, and the final grade will transfer to high school transcript. Spanish 1 is an introductory course to the second most popular language in our country. Students will learn Spanish through a variety of listening, reading, writing, and speaking activities. Some objectives will be colors, numbers, days/months, greetings/goodbyes, and ways to exchange basic information about self and others. As students learn the 

Looking for an Elective?  Want to make a new friend and help them be successful in their class?  Try being a LINK. 

LINKS is an elective course that provides students an opportunity to support and model academic and social skills from one peer to a peer with a disability.  This course may be taken multiple times. There is a focus on leadership skills, understanding and adapting to individual differences in the school setting, written and verbal communication skills, modeling social experiences, and advocating for others. 

Physical Education (Gym Class) [Trimester or more] This course is designed to teach and develop skills, so students can play (with confidence) many team and individual sports. It also contains a fitness component, in which cardio and strength are targeted, as well as numerous lifelong skills units.

STEM - App Creators (Project Lead the Way) - This unit will expose students to computer science by computationally analyzing and developing solutions to authentic problems through mobile app development, and will convey the positive impact of the application of computer science to other disciplines and to society.

STEM - Automation and Robotics (Project Lead the Way) - Students trace the history, development, and influence of automation and robotics as they learn about mechanical systems, energy transfer, machine automation, and computer control systems. Students use the VEX Robotics® platform to design, build, and program real-world objects such as traffic lights, toll booths, and robotic arms.

STEM - Computer Science for Innovators and Makers (Project Lead the Way) - This course will allow students to discover computer science concepts and skills by creating personally relevant, tangible, and shareable projects. Throughout the course, students will learn about programming for the physical world by blending hardware design and software development. They will design and develop a physical computing device, interactive art installation, or wearable, and plan and develop code for microcontrollers that bring their physical designs to life.

STEM - Introduction to Engineering Design and Modeling (Project Lead the Way) - Students discover the design process and develop an understanding of the influence of creativity and innovation in their lives. They are then challenged and empowered to use and apply what they’ve learned throughout the unit to design a therapeutic toy for a child who has cerebral palsy.

STEM - Introduction to Computers--This one-trimester course teaches students technology skills to be successful in their core classes. Students will build knowledge and learn new tech skills for the 21st century. Cyber safety, being a positive tech citizen, keyboarding skills, and gaining knowledge of the Google and Microsoft Suite programs will be a strong emphasis.

STEM - Medical Detectives/Crime Scene Investigation (CSI) - Fingerprints. Handwriting. Chromatography. The world of law enforcement is increasingly making use of science to better solve crimes. This course focuses on some of the forensic science techniques and practices that can be used to help solve crimes. Starting with how clues and data are recorded and preserved, students will examine how various elements of the crime scene are analyzed and processed. Students will also play the role of real-life medical detectives as they collect and analyze medical data to diagnose diseases. They solve medical mysteries through hands-on projects and labs, measure and interpret vital signs, examine nervous system structure and function, and investigate disease outbreaks.