Middle School Electives

Description: This course is designed for students who love art and are ready to get their creative juices flowing. Students work in a wide variety of mediums including drawing, painting, sculpting, and muraling. The goal is for student work to be entered into art competitions.

Description: This course is designed for middle school students who are either interested in learning to play the piano or want to continue learning how to play the piano. Basic knowledge of reading music is helpful but it is not a pre-requisite for the course. In this course, solo music is explored in addition to music for recitals. This is a great course for students who want to expand upon their piano repertoire and experiences. 

Description: This course is the top music ensemble at The Weiss School. In this course, concert band literature and solo/ensemble music are performed throughout the year. Some after school commitments including concerts and other performances are required for this course. Additionally, home practice is a part of each student's grade. 

Description: This course allows students to explore the world of competitive speech and debate. Events that are included in this course include Student Congress, Oral Interpretation, Public Forum, and Declamation. These events combine the interpretive and debate side of forensics and build organizational and research skills while teaching students to argue and listen effectively. While students are not required to participate in local and regional competitions, participation is encouraged in order to practically apply their skills in a real-world setting.

Description: This course allows students to build upon previously learned skills and expand upon their competitive event experiences. Events that are explored in this course include Lincoln Douglas, Duo Interpretation, Extemporaneous, and Original Oratory. Students who are competing members of The Weiss School Debate team are highly encouraged to enroll in this course and class time is devoted to preparing for tournaments in their chosen events while also learning new concepts. Students who would like to compete in the National Speech and Debate Association, which is a widely respected national honor society of speech and debate, are also strongly encouraged to join the after-school debate program for additional practice to prepare for tournaments and competitions.

Description: This course provides students with the opportunity to plan, develop, and produce the Friday Morning Show that is presented to The Weiss School students, faculty, and parents in the cafetorium on the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th Fridays of each month. In this course, students experience a behind the scenes perspective into the show production concepts of on-stage hosting, lighting, sound coordination, and theatrical performances.

Description: Students enrolled in this course develop a school newspaper in an electronic format. The objective of the course is to inspire students to read and write in styles that encourage the awareness of factual language in real contexts which enables students to cultivate the proficiencies to write effectively. This course enables students to become active producers of authentic information through the "process approach" that follows the stages of prewriting, composing, drafting, revising, editing, and publishing.

Description: Call for authors! This course allows students to explore and enhance their writing talents from multiple perspectives. From creative writing activities such as writing poetry, journals, short stories, and blogs to academic business style writing activities such as abstracts and proposals, this course facilitates student creativity. Collaboration with other classes and opportunities for publication and competition is provided.

Description: This course is based on current events as they occur around the world. Students research topics and situations to find their historical origin in an effort to interpret and understand them from an objective, fact-based point of view.  

Description: This course provides students with the opportunity to learn to function effectively in a global community, understand the nature of the modern national state, national goals, and how nations communicate and negotiate to facilitate these goals. Content include origins of the state system, role of power in politics in the nuclear age, world population, environment, human rights, terrorism, cultural differences, world trade, and technology. This course integrates the Model United Nations curriculum and builds a strong foundation for students interested in the Model United Nations club.

Description: 

Description: This course introduces students to the project management tools used for the design, manufacturing, integration, testing, and certification of the WeissSat-1 satellite. Students become familiar with the NearSpace Launch (NSL) and GlobalStar satellite communications network. Students consider the nature of and access to space and the benefits of a robust space program. The space environment and space-related geo-political relations are discussed. Students analyze and solve problems related to orbits and interplanetary flights, meet space professionals, consider ascent/descent principles, spacecraft subsystems, and space systems engineering. Students have the opportunity to support the development and testing of WeissSat-1, the CubeSat chosen by NASA to fly in space.

Description: This course provides students with the opportunity to use the Lego EV3 Robotics System and design and build robots and necessary attachments to carry out a multitude of progressively challenging tasks. Students will learn how to connect and leverage Lego building elements to accomplish certain tasks and learn how to program using sensory control and feedback to optimize robot designs. This course uses the yearly FIRST Lego League Robotics game as the focus of missions to be accomplished. Students may repeat this course if desired to improve skills as the Lego League game changes each year that provide students with different challenges.

Description: This course is for students who have a mindset for engineering to design and optimize solutions to problems. Special emphasis is given to systems integration including designing and building electro-mechanical devices from scratch, learning about tool care, the use and safety of tools, and working with a variety of materials, processes, craftmanship, and quality.

Description: This course is an introductory language course in Mandarin Chinese. The Weiss School Mandarin program uses a method of Chinese speaking which helps students develop their understanding and speaking skills of the Chinese language. In this course, a standard and logical Q&A pattern is composed of two or three questions that lead to negative answers, which then leads to a “what”, “where”, “how”, “which”, “who”, or “whose” question and answer session. Students also learn the Pinyin writing system and the fundamentals of Chinese pronunciation.

Description: This course focuses on simple Chinese words, phrases, and useful expressions for everyday Mandarin speaking. Students in the intermediate level become more proficient in the reading and writing of Chinese characters as pronunciation and speaking proficiency are emphasized. Students are introduced to the basic Chinese character components and the proper character stroke orders. Students develop skills in the four language skills of speaking, reading, writing, and listening in Chinese. Students also build and expand upon their vocabulary including topics such as colors, clothing, describing people, shopping, sports, and more. Students engage in oral drills that have an emphasis on reading and writing skills.

 

Description: These courses present the structure and grammar of the Spanish language and encourages conversation in Spanish. The various Spanish courses offered include: Beginning Spanish, Intermediate Spanish, Advanced Spanish, and Native Speakers Spanish.

Subject Area: Taekwondo

 

Description: This course is a continuance of the Beginner course and covers techniques designated for the intermediate level 5^th – 3^rd Geup trainees. Enrollment in this course counts towards training hours for rank advancements.

Description: This course equips students with the skills, knowledge, and attitudes essential to engaging in regular lifelong physical activity. Students participate in a variety of physical activities including general physical fitness and a variety of individual and team sports that promotes physical education, teamwork, and cooperation among peers.