Elective Course Descriptions

Technology Applications
This course will introduce and expand students’ knowledge of the PC.  Beginning and intermediate keyboarding skills will be taught.  Students will build speed and increase accuracy through various projects and activities.  Computer projects will include posters, newsletters, poetry, and portfolios of their work.  These computer skills will prepare students for the more advanced 8^th grade Keyboarding class.

Art
Surprise yourself with an art ability you did not know you had.  Or take the opportunity to advance your art skills.  Learn to draw, mix your own colors, create modern designs, and participate in various contests.

Exploring Spanish (Offered Spring Semester Only)
“¿Habla Español?”  This twelve week-course is designed to introduce, maintain, and expand student’s Spanish language skills.  The emphasis of the class will be vocabulary development, simple grammar, and cultural explorations.  Students will be involved in a variety of lessons, games, and activities, that will build their vocabulary and grammar skills in Spanish.

Exploring French (Offered Fall Semester Only)
The emphasis of the class will be vocabulary development, simple grammar, and cultural explorations.  Students will be involved in a variety of lessons, games, and activities, that will build their vocabulary and grammar skills in French.

Choral Music
This class is open to any student on campus no matter what their ability or level.  They will learn the fundamentals in vocal technique from proper support to vowel formations. There will be an emphasis on Classical, Pop, and Jazz.  Students will be exploring Show Choir concepts, including dancing and stage presentation.  We will perform regular concerts for the school, parents, at least two festivals, and school plays.  There will be a $20.00 activity fee per year.  Concerts and home practice makes up the majority of the grade.

Band
This is the first step in our instrumental music program.  Students will learn basic music instruction and master their chosen instrument.  Beginning Band will perform in various concerts for parents and the school.  We will perform regular concerts for the school, parents, at least two festivals, and school plays.  There is an intermediate and advanced level band for musicians with prior experience.

Theater Arts
Are you interested in acting?  This is a chance to try many areas of drama, including choric verse, pantomime, and improvisation.  Students will write, direct, and act in plays as well.  There is an intermediate class available for students with prior drama experience.

Creative Writing
Imagine switching places with someone else, just for a few hours!  How would life be different?  How might you act knowing you had such newness?  Next, imagine you are a famous newspaper columnist, or the person who writes speeches for the President of the United States. Continue to think of such scenarios, leaving only your imagination to limit you.  A class called Creative Writing will be able to bring all of this to you… and MORE! The students will focus on the writing process, by doing such things as brainstorming possibilities, writing drafts, peer-editing work, revising drafts, and sharing work with the rest of the class.  Students will not only be learning “HOW” to write, but they will also be challenged with the amazing capability of “LIKING” to write.  As Collin McCarty once wrote, “Increase the chances of reaching your goals by working at them gradually.”  This class will be an excellent place to try.

Odyssey of the Mind
The Odyssey of the Mind teaches students to learn creative problem-solving methods while having fun in the process. For more than twenty years, this unique program has helped teachers generate excitement in their students. By tapping into creativity, and through encouraging imaginative paths to problem solving, students learn skills that will provide them with the ability to solve problems -- great and small -- for a lifetime. The Odyssey of the Mind teaches students how to think divergently by providing open-ended problems that appeal to a wide range of interests. Students learn how to identify challenges and to think creatively to solve those problems. They are free to express their ideas and suggestions without fear of criticism. The creative problem-solving process rewards thinking "outside of the box." While conventional thinking has an important place in a well-rounded education, students need to learn how to think creatively and productively.

Journalism
The ultimate aim of the journalism course is to produce students who can write articles fit for publication in a newspaper/periodic publication.  This means that students will learn to write for the purpose of disseminating information responsibly and efficiently , write for a specific audience/readership, gather information for articles from a variety of sources, understand newspaper administration and roles, and meet publication deadlines.

The Art of Origami
Most of us will remember folding paper cups, salt cellars (we called them 'cootie' catchers or 'fortune tellers') and paper balloons as children in elementary school. There is more to origami than these simple models would lead us to believe. Origami comes from the Japanese words for folding, ori, and the Japanese word for paper, kami. 

Students in this class will complete other mathematical projects such as kite-making, bridge building, and straw houses.  This is an exciting hands-on class.  Students are engaged in projects daily.

Robotics
Technology is important in today's world. There can be no doubts about that! It is vital that students learn that technology is not something that is created by others that does "magical" things for them. Technology is something they must understand how to use and how to control.  That is the purpose of introducing a robotics program in our middle school. We want our students to understand how technology works, how it is used to solve real - world problems, and how it is within their power to make decisions to control technology.

Multi-Media
Students will investigate and increase their understanding of graphic design.  They will create and manipulate digital graphics using photo-editing software.  These graphics will be integrated with MS PowerPoint to produce advanced animation techniques.

Math Counts/Academic Pentathlon
The Academic Pentathlon encourages scholastic excellence among students who represent a wide diversity of personal and academic backgrounds and interests.  Only 7th and 8th grade students participate in middle school. (Math Competitions/UIL Competitions)

Habitat for Hamilton
The students in the course design a habitat for the Hamilton community. Projects include a small pond, gardening, landscaping, study of natural plants, and more. If you have a love for the outdoors and appreciate nature or wish to learn, this is the class for you!

Speech and Debate
Speech/debate is a year-long course designed to allow students the maximum number of opportunities to perfect their research, analysis, and public speaking skills in an educational environment of competition. Students learn and review basic and advanced oral communication skills in the classroom and apply those skills at interscholastic speech and debate tournaments. Students strive to gain and enhance a complete understanding of two-man cross-examination policy debate, Lincoln-Douglas value debate, oratory, extemporaneous speaking, dramatic interpretation, humorous interpretation, prose reading, poetry reading, and student congress. Students will be expected to assist and evaluate one another, as well as to accept the evaluation of tournament judges. Ethics, research, analysis, organizational, and delivery skills are taught, demonstrated, and monitored. This course is competitive in nature and requires members to travel on weekends to forensic tournaments.