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Sixth graders are placed in the Math 6 class. The course extends the Common Core State Standards for sixth and seventh grade to provide opportunities for progress through the Dresden District math offerings.

Math 7 is designed to consolidate number sense, enhance understanding of underlying mathematical concepts, and extend the skills of working with proportion, percent, probability, linear equations, and geometric relationships in problem solving.

Pre-Algebra has an extended topic sequence and proceeds at a faster pace than Math 7 with more complex multi-step problems. It is designed for students who have demonstrated computational fluency and have shown the ability to think more abstractly about mathematics.

Algebra 7 is a fast-paced honors course for students who have demonstrated a high level of skill with concepts, procedures, and notation, and who have shown the ability to stay organized and work independently.

Placement Criteria:

All seventh graders are eligible for Math 7.

In order to be selected for Pre-Algebra, the student must meet the following criteria:

• Score at least 60% on the Pre-Algebra Placement Test, and
• Math Department endorsement

In order to be selected for Algebra 7, the student must meet the following criteria:

• Score at least 85% on the Entrance to Algebra test, and
• Score in the 95th percentile or above on the Iowa Algebra Aptitude Test, and
• Math Department endorsement

Or

• Completion of Art of Problem Solving Courses (a grade of B is required)

  • Pre-Algebra 1
  • Pre-Algebra 2

Or

• Call the office to schedule Summer Placement Exam
• Score at least 85% on the Entrance to Algebra test
• Score in the 95th percentile or above on the Iowa Algebra Aptitude Test

Pre-Algebra 8th focuses on integers, expressions, equations, inequalities, ratio and proportion, plane and solid geometry, and problem solving. The goal is to solidify skills to prepare for grade 9 Algebra.

Algebra is designed for students already demonstrating mastery of pre-algebra topics, habits, and skills. The course covers linear equations, system of equations and inequalities, exponential functions, quadratic equations, and rational functions.Students heading to Algebra must learn new and abstract concepts quickly, connect to prior knowledge, and show an ability to utilize multiple problem-solving strategies. This course moves at a high school level pace with new information presented almost daily requiring immediate application and synthesis. Students taking this course who would like to enter the Honors track at the High School will be required to complete challenge work assigned throughout the year. 

Geometry X is a traditional Euclidean geometry course focused on reasoning, proof, and problem solving. Topics range from logical thinking, drawing conclusions, congruent triangles, lines in the plane, parallel lines, quadrilaterals, lines and planes in space, similar polygons, Pythagorean Theorem, trigonometry, circles, area, surface area, volume, and extension of coordinate geometry. 

Placement Criteria:

All eighth graders are eligible for Pre-Algebra 8th.

In order to be selected for Algebra, the student must meet the following criteria:

• Successfully complete RMS Pre-Algebra Course (test/quiz average 80% or higher), and
• Score at least 80% on the Entrance to Algebra test, and
• Math Department endorsement

Or

• Completion of Art of Problem Solving Courses (a grade of B is required)

  • Pre-Algebra 1
  • Pre-Algebra 2

Or

• Call the office to schedule Summer Placement Exam
• Score at least 80% on the Entrance to Algebra test

In order to be selected for Geometry, the student must meet the following criteria:

• Successfully complete RMS Algebra in seventh grade (test/quiz average of 85% or higher), and
• Score at least 80% on the Entrance to Geometry test, and
• Math Department endorsement

• Completion of Art of Problem Solving Courses (a grade of B is required)
  • Algebra 1
  • Algebra 2

• Call the office to schedule Summer Placement Exam
• Score at least 80% on the Entrance to Geometry test 

In the sixth grade, students experience science as an exciting process of inquiry and discovery. Students develop their skills and habits of mind in the classroom with laboratory activities, technology, and media center research. They learn to think as scientists and to appreciate how scientific knowledge relates to their own lives and the important role of collaboration and communication in the learning community. Perhaps even more importantly, students learn that science can include a wide range of experiences: active and quiet, fun and frustrating, easy and challenging. The Design Process (identify the problem, brainstorm, design, build, test and evaluate, share solution and redesign) is integrated in each unit. The content of sixth grade science is a mixture of physical and some life sciences, showing how these two disciplines are interrelated.

7th Grade Science has a major focus on ecology and helping students to understand some of the major ecological concepts about how our planet functions. These concepts include energy flow, cycling of matter (water and carbon especially), biodiversity, change (including natural selection), interrelationships, and adaptation. Connections to students’ lives and the world are woven throughout the curriculum. Real problems such as global warming, toxins in groundwater, and plastics in the ocean tie into the curriculum as do solutions such as biomimicry, green-engineering, and world climate summits. In addition, the science course ties into the 7th grade Civil War unit and delves into Civil War medicine through research and experimentation as well as infectious disease (then and now). 

Hands-on activities are numerous and range from experiments, simulations, using models, field studies, engineering design challenges, the scientific method, and more. Skills are developed in observing, experimenting, data analysis, graphing, seeing from others’ perspectives, rapid prototyping, and systems thinking (or you could put critical thinking). Art, writing, and science reading are woven throughout the year. Science classes are busy places full of investigation and learning.

The eighth grade science curriculum focuses on topics in earth science, and the acquisition of key skills and concepts. Topics covered include astronomy, chemistry, rocks and minerals, plate tectonics, earth history, map reading, natural resources, and other areas of current interest.

In class, students will use a variety of activities to develop key skills and concepts essential to effective problem solving. Active participation, data collection, organizing, and making reasonable conclusions are all emphasized. Effective display of data, and written and oral communication skills are practiced as students share ideas, take notes, draw diagrams, make graphs, write reports, and make formal presentations to their classmates. Independent effort is also important, and several long-term assignments are carried out at home as well as in class. Research skills, projects, and lab write-ups are all integral parts of the eighth grade year in science. Finally, an understanding of our planet and an awareness of the relationships between people and their environments will be studied. Thoughtful consideration of current environmental issues and other issues related to science and technology, and the creation of possible visions for the future of people and our planet help students to relate science to their own lives.

As part of our 7th-grade science remote learning unit our students and a good number of our staff participated in a Bioblitz. A Bioblitz is a challenge to find as many different living things as you can in a specific amount of time.  For this Bioblitz we surveyed as many different species as we could from home and nearby areas in May. We used an application called iNaturalist, a Citizen Science project, to collect observations and assign identifications. During the project participants cataloged more than 3000 observations of over 600 species. Numerous observations have reached “research-grade,” which is exciting and can be used for scientific research. This project was paired with virtual class sessions, assignments, and resources. We were fortunate to partner with Nathaniel Sharp from the Vermont Center for Ecostudies, who set up the project, and he is lent his expertise in Bioblitzing, iNaturalist, natural history, and field techniques to the experience.

Visit our iNaturalist project page to view the observations, photos, and additional information from this exciting experience in our local natural world.

Sixth grade:
By readings in the text, analysis of primary sources, use of web-based resources and applications, and classroom discussions, students begin to construct their understanding of the history of the Americas, how the United States came to be, and how we have developed into the global power that we are today. We study how people first came to this continent and why. We study exploration and settlement from Europe and the impact of two worlds colliding on both the peoples of the Americas, and those who came to explore and settle. We learn how difficult and rare it is to have the freedoms we have and marvel at how long we have been able to maintain them. We also appreciate that at the time our nation was founded, freedom was not for all those living in the Americas, and continues to elude many Americans today. Students take critical looks at events in the past, examining them from multiple perspectives, and connect these events to what is happening in our world today.

Seventh Grade:
A primary focus in seventh grade is for Norwich and Hanover students to begin to know each other and learn to work collaboratively. The course picks up where sixth grade social studies ended by focusing on the chronological study of United States history during the 19th century. Students view historical events through the idea that the United States was an experiment in democracy, founded on a series of value tensions that are continually being debated.  The curriculum focuses on a basic understanding of the tenets of the U.S. Constitution;  Westward Expansion and Settlement; the Industrial Revolution, events leading to the Civil War, Reconstruction, Immigration, and how the country became modernized as it entered the 20th century. Concurrent to this content, students address two essential year-long theme questions: 1) how we prepare for the unknown, and 2) what happens when two cultures meet. Embedded into chronological events are the narratives of marginalized populations. The institution of slavery takes a central role in the 19th century, influencing the events that lead us to war, and that continue to resonate through our society today. Students take an in-depth look at the Lewis and Clark Expedition investigating the interactions among explorers, settlers, and Native Americans. Students also analyze interactions between groups including the North and South prior to, during and after the Civil War, as well as how immigrants were treated and felt upon arriving in the United States, and their contributions to American culture.

Eighth grade:
The final year of middle school is a time when many students struggle with issues of freedom, responsibility, peer pressure, individuality, trust and prejudice. Through the study of world religions, golden ages along the Silk Route, and world and US history from 1900-1945, the eighth grade social studies curriculum challenges students to define themselves and their values with respect to historical events and their own society. Students analyze each time period and culture studied in terms of the dominant and emerging values of the era, sources of power and conflict, the choices individuals made, and the consequences of those choices. Students are introduced to this historical content by looking at five major religions of the world: Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. We then connect these religions to the study of golden ages along the Silk Route: Gupta in India, T’ang in China, the Abbasid in the Middle East, and the Renaissance in Europe. The second half of the year focuses on US and world history between 1900 and 1945 including the two world wars and the Holocaust.

Throughout the year, students are asked to compare historical decisions and events to contemporary issues in an attempt to discover what it means to be human themselves. Students look at art and artifacts to deepen and enhance understanding. We focus on case studies that challenge students to evaluate different perspectives and wrestle with competing truths. As students consider the role of individuals in history, they are ultimately compelled to reflect on their own roles and responsibilities as citizens. The eighth grade year-long theme for Social Studies is: “What Does It Mean to Be Human?”

This course places an emphasis on cultivating the discussion and analytical skills students need to be critical and independent thinkers. It seeks to provide students with a vocabulary for decision-making and understanding contemporary issues, especially during current event discussions throughout the year. Students learn that differences in opinion, beliefs and personality are not only acceptable, but important to the health of our society.