Archive
Seventh English
- English
The seventh-grade course blends vocabulary development, analysis, grammar, and creative writing. Students write several essays over the course of the year, both expository and creative in nature, in which content and syntax are critically analyzed. Another element of the curriculum is the accrual of sound study habits and self-discipline. Our study of grammar begins with a review of parts of speech and the elements of a sentence and continues to extend the study of punctuation, including commas and semicolons. Students grapple with the theme of identity; coming to terms with who they are, the community they live in and the identities of those around them. The literature studied and texts utilized: The Last Cuentista (summer reading), Ghost Boys, Little Worlds, Animal Farm, Of Mice and Men, Citizen, Poet X, Vocabulary Energizers and Writing and Grammar.
Ninth Ancient Civilizations
- History
9th grade history is a survey of political philosophy, ethics, sociology, and economics, and how these fields of study each inform human solutions for the modern world. The syllabus is designed to provide a historical foundation on which to build a contemporary and empathetic understanding of sustainability (specifically, as outlined by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals) in political, socioeconomic, and environmental contexts. Using pre-civilization, antiquity, and the current geopolitical landscape as vehicles for these conversations, the course seeks to develop individual and collaborative compassion, a capacity for analysis and persuasion, and a solutions-driven mindset to serve students both in their ninth grade and in future studies of history and human interaction.
The first trimester investigates early man and the Neolithic Revolution, exploring the economic and sociological factors that led to the first permanent settlements and civilizations, as well as the effects of permanent human settlement. Greece and Rome provide the underpinnings of the second trimester; students will use extensive primary source material and comparative analytics to learn how and why people are governed. The Harkness-style discussion model will be used extensively in each term, and students will write persuasive essays and complete summative group projects in debate and summit formats to assess skill development and understanding of material. In the final term, students will incorporate what they have learned throughout the year and in other disciplines to create a morally defensible and practical solution to a global sustainability challenge.
Ascend 8 Science
- Academic Support
Beginner Music Ensemble
- Arts
Beginner Ensemble is offered to students with little or no experience playing a musical instrument. It provides an opportunity to young musicians to perform in a small orchestral setting. Goals are to develop a cohesive musical group working to establish fundamental technique, good intonation, and a keen musical sense of performing together as a team.
Intermediate Music Ensemble
- Arts
5th Service Learning
- Citizenship
6th Service Learning
- Citizenship
School Stewardship
- Citizenship
Poquonook Solutions Project
- Citizenship
The Poquonook Solutions Project is the capstone effort of the broader, year-long ninth grade focus on the United Nations Global Goals for Sustainable Development. Named after the School’s most significant geographic feature, the mountain, the project is one that engages the students in purposeful, project based learning. During the last month and a half of their time at IMS, small teams of 9th graders use the framework of the SDGs to identify a real world issue, and then work to develop a real world solution to that issue. Employing research, design, and presentation skills, the team members collaborate as they work toward the Poquonook Solutions Symposium, during which they present their efforts to a panel of outside sustainability experts, who assess the solutions’ viability and relevance with an eye toward implementation.
Eighth Ethics
- Citizenship
Ethics is designed to be an introduction to the basic questions and issues of ethical philosophy and relies heavily on discussions in small group settings. Among the topics considered were Utilitarianism, Contractarianism, and altruistic behavior.