Middle School Curriculum & Assessment

Humanities is the study of the human experience. Students in ISK’s Middle School Integrated Humanities Program explore diverse human experiences throughout the world, in both modern times and in history.

ISK Humanities integrates English Language Arts and Social Sciences. The English Language Arts program is skills-based, focusing on reading, writing, language, and speaking and listening taught within the workshop model. The Social Science program applies ELA skills into Units of

Study with both historic and modern lenses. Students in the Humanities program learn to analyze, reason, communicate and take action to make informed choices and provide solutions for a better world.

ISK’s Middle School planning structure for Humanities is benchmarked on Common Core standards and 21st-century capacities aligned along a 6-8 scope and sequence. While units of instruction in each grade level vary, students learn essential skills in reading, writing, speaking and listening, language, and inquiry skills on a continuum of core competencies. Our units are taught in an interdisciplinary fashion to support longer, in-depth conceptual inquiry. Over an eight-day cycle, students receive a Humanities block of instruction every day, rather than separate History and English Language Arts classes. Our Units of Study apply the C3 Framework which emphasizes four major Social Studies conceptual domains (geography, history, economics, and civics) explored through a research inquiry arc. Our program applies the Workshop model which places student choice and voice at the heart of our program.

The science program at the International School of Kenya is an integrated program, aligned with the Next Generation Science Standards for Middle School. Teachers lay a foundation of knowledge, and engage students’ own interests and curiosity to help guide the learning.

Science students engage in collaborative, inquiry-based investigations through questioning, modeling, analyzing data, using mathematics, and constructing explanations based on evidence. The focus of the class is on science and engineering practices and engineering design problems are integrated into the class throughout the year.

Our Middle School Mathematics program follows the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics, balancing both conceptual and practical problem solving. The program is designed to reinforce and develop students’ mathematical foundations through exploration, conceptual understanding, and a practical problem solving approach. Middle School mathematicians are challenged to practice foundational skills, think deeply about mathematical concepts, and apply strategies and processes to solve a variety of rich, authentic problems. The below mathematical practices guide the development of mathematical thinking:

1. Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them.
2. Reason abstractly and quantitatively.
3. Construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others.
4. Model with mathematics.
5. Use appropriate tools strategically.
6. Attend to precision.
7. Look for and make use of structure.
8. Look for and express regularity in repeated reasoning.

ISK values language learning as an essential skill for lifelong learning in an interconnected world. ISK recognises that the learning of languages is not linear and the Middle School offers a language program tailored to the individual needs of each student within the languages of French and Spanish. Our Middle School program is designed for students acquiring an additional language, and we encourage students to expand beyond a heritage/native language. Students across the Middle School are levelled each year according to their abilities in speaking, listening, reading and writing, and assigned a course based on their proficiency. Within these classes, students participate in a range of activities to develop their linguistic skills and explore the cultural nuances of countries that speak this language. The program emphasizes continuous input in the target language, introducing students to grammar, pronunciation, vocabulary, and culture. As students progress through the program, emphasis continues to be placed on developing communicative competence both orally and increasingly in writing, while providing more extensive exposure to grammar and reading.

The ISK Physical Education & Health (PE & H) program motivates students to become competent and confident through a lifelong understanding and appreciation of physical activity. We believe that:

• Engaging in a diverse range of activities - both individually and as part of a team - allows us to develop physical literacy skills.
• It is important to create an awareness of personal fitness as part of lifelong healthy living.
• By developing personal fitness goals, each person can achieve their own potential through a lifelong design cycle.
• Self-confidence, discipline and a positive self-image are developed through strong physical literacy.
• Participation in physical activities allows us to develop interpersonal skills.

Middle School PE and Health Education focuses on: motor skills, motor concepts, physical fitness, and health. Students will engage in a range of activities, both individually and as part of a team that allows for the development of physical literacy skills. By focusing on standards and skills development, students are encouraged to explore and learn about themselves and find a passion for being active - in their own personalized way. Health activities are embedded in the units, where students are exposed to the essential principles for living a healthy lifestyle: developing health literacy, making well-informed, healthy choices, and developing behaviors that contribute to the wellbeing of self and others. Over the course of Middle School, students learn more about the Health Triangle, mindfulness, self-esteem, good personal hygiene, puberty, the body and reproduction, substance use, mental health, and decision-making.

Students are provided rich opportunities to develop their passions for the arts in Drama, Music and Visual Art courses. As sixth graders, students take one quarter each of Drama, Drumming, Art, and Kenyan Studies. They also have a choice of a year-long ensemble course for either Band or Choir. Seventh grade students take one semester of art and one semester of drama, and have the option to continue in Band or Choir. As eighth graders, students have full choice of how they will meet their arts requirements, with a wide variety of arts electives to select from.

Music classes endeavor to develop student capacities for creating, reading, writing, and understanding music. Students will prepare for concerts by rehearsing with others and improving their practice habits. Music classes are assessed based on these standards: creating, presenting, responding, and connecting. All sixth grade students take a quarter-long African Drumming course, and also a year-long ensemble course. As students move to seventh and eighth grades, we see many of them continue in our ensemble music courses.

Beginning Band

This band is intended for students who are just starting out on their instruments up to students that have shown improvement to the end of first year capacity. The year starts with a review to the basics of playing the instruments, and quickly moves to more advanced repertoire and skills. Frequent concerts will be held to showcase development.

Concert Band

This band is intended for students that have shown mastery of 2 years of playing in an ensemble. Some review is done at the beginning of the year, and musical styles from all the ages will be covered. Frequent concerts will be held to showcase development.

Concert Choir

This choir is intended for students that are just starting out in singing to much more advanced singers. A variety of styles are dealt with that help students improve their skills in independent singing, sight singing, and maintaining harmonic lines. Frequent concerts will be held to showcase development.

Art classes aim to encourage all students to produce creative work, develop ideas, and record their experiences. Through enquiry and exposure to art history and contemporary art from around the world, students will draw and paint and experiment with art craft and design techniques. Students will evaluate and analyse creative works using the language of art, craft and design to enable them to engage in meaningful artmaking. Each unit will include the stages of Inspiration, Design, Creation, Reflection and Presentation.

All Grade 6 students are required to take one quarter of art, and all Grade 7 students take one semester of art. Grade 7 and 8 students have additional opportunities to enrol in specialized art elective courses to deepen their knowledge and understanding of theatre. These include: Art Explore, Art 8, and New Designers (a sewing and fabrics course).

Drama is a practical subject that encourages discovery through experimentation, the taking of risks, and the presentation of ideas to others. It results in the development of both theater and life skills; the building of confidence, the fostering of creativity, and the development of proficiency in collaboration.

The Middle School Drama program at ISK gives students the opportunity to make theater as Creators, Designers, Directors, and Performers. This program emphasizes the importance of working collaboratively to research, create, prepare, present, and critically reflect on Theater. Students will gain a richer understanding of themselves, their community, and the world through the study of Theatre.

ISK’s Middle School Drama program structure is rooted in the National Core Arts Standards and 21st century capacities aligned along a Grade 6-12 scope and sequence. The program is designed so that students can build upon their knowledge and skills each year, or enter and exit the program as desired due to their unique passion and interests.

All Grade 6 students are required to take one quarter of drama, and all grade 7 students take one semester of drama. Grade 7 and 8 students have additional opportunities to enroll in specialized theater elective courses to deepen their knowledge and understanding of theater. These include: Theater Production, Technical Theater, Theater for Social Change, and Theater for Young Audiences.

We also have a rich electives program for students to choose from in 7th and 8th grades. The electives courses provide students opportunities to pursue a variety of creative endeavors, using a project-based and service learning approach. In 2020-21, electives offerings include:

How to Train Your Robot
Photojournalism
Yearbook
New Designers (sewing and fabrics)
Game Design
Theater for Social Change
2D & 3D Design
The Changemaker Project
Healthy Chef
Model United Nations
Ted Talks
Roots & Shoots
Theater for Young Audiences
Art Explore
Tour de Friends (biking)
Literary Magazine
Genius Hour

In addition to academic achievement and habits of learning, the report card also includes a narrative comment. This provides feedback about progress, specific and anecdotal information about the learning journey, and further elaboration on any of the scores indicated in the Habits of Learning or Academic Achievement.