The Sharon Academy

The middle school cycles through a two year curriculum.  We believe that "less is more" and have limited our studies to seven units throughout the two years. 

Year A:

In this year, the middle school curriculum examines the themes of identity, responsibility and action through four content themes: Human Rights, Food and Hunger, Energy, and Disease.  

The year begins with the theme of Human Rights.   From the Social Studies perspective, we explore our rights as citizens of the United States and of Vermont, and compare our rights to citizens of other countries.  This includes a study of founding documents and their relevance to our lives.  In science we study the levels of organization of the human body from cells to organ systems and basic genetics. We apply this knowledge to debate human rights issues. In health we look at human development from conception to birth, building on the content learned in science class and again using this information to stimulate discussions about human rights issues. In language arts, students read To Kill a Mocking Bird by Harper Lee and The Crucible by Arthur Miller. Themes in these books deal with prejudice and justice. The culminating writing project for this unit is a persuasive essay on a student chosen topic involving civil liberties.

The Human Rights unit is followed by a study of issues surrounding the theme of Food and Hunger.  In social studies we examine the cost of food in America in economic terms. We research hunger in Vermont, in the U.S., and worldwide, and learn how hunger has influenced history.  We look at the organizations and institutions that address hunger.  We spend twenty-four hours in The Global Village at Heifer International to learn about world hunger.  Finally, we study the concept of eating locally grown food.  Nutrition and digestion are explored in science and health. Students learn about the nutritional value of various food groups. Students build models of the digestive system (from recycled materials), conduct calorie experiments, learn about chemical and physical digestion, analyze their personal diets and learn what it means to be malnourished.  In language arts, students read The Good Earth by Pearl Buck or Black Potatoes: The Story of the Great Irish Famine by Susan Bartoletti.  These books have themes that have to do with agrarian societies and the impact of food on history.

Next we move into the study of energy.  The unit opens with a showing of the documentary “An Inconvenient Truth” to introduce students to the connection between energy consumption and climate change. From the social studies perspective, we study the history of human energy use.  This includes a study of the industrial revolution in Vermont and the US, and the ways that humans have harnessed electrical power.  In science, we define energy and study the basic principles of electricity and electrical generators. We also look at the composition of the atmosphere to understand the term “carbon footprint” and to draw connections between climate change and energy use. Students visit local homes and businesses who are reducing carbon emissions through conservation and/or technology. In Language Arts, students read October Sky by Homer Hickam, a coming of age story about boys growing up in a coal mining town.  For a culminating project, students write a research paper, design a poster and give an oral presentation on various types of energy sources to generate electricity. 

We end the year with a study of contagious diseases. During this unit, we examine how plagues, attitudes towards illness and medical technology have affected Vermont, the United States, and world history.  In science, we study the biology of infectious disease. Students conduct experiments using agar plates for growing micro-organisms. We study the immune system and find out how to limit the spread of infectious diseases. There is an emphasis on HIV/AIDS throughout this unit and a sex education unit that emphasizes prevention of STDs. In language arts, we read When Plague Strikes, by James Cross Giblin, and The Apprenticeship of Lucas Whittaker, by Cynthia DeFelice.  Each student is responsible for a research project on a contagious disease.

Year B:

This year's curriculum examines the themes of identity, responsibility and action from three content areas:  My Home in Vermont, Beliefs, and The Origins of Man.

The first theme, My Home in Vermont, asks students to reflect on how Vermont's cultural traditions, physical landscape, climate and biome help to shape who they are as individuals.  Students study the history of the settlement of Vermont as well as the culture, laws, and government of Vermont in order to discover the role of history, tradition and government in their own lives.   In science students study the geological and biological landscape of Vermont comparing and contrasting this to other areas of the world. In this unit we spend a good deal of time outdoors, climbing a mountain, mapping using GPS, learning tree species and making observations in a nearby forest. In Language Arts we read literature that stimulates discussion about setting and identity.  Students create picture books that describe themselves as Vermonters.  Students study the artist Andy Goldsworthy and create art from the Vermont landscape. 

The second theme of the year asks students to consider their identity through the lens of world beliefs.  Students ask themselves how science, religion and family values shape who they are and what they believe.  The social studies curriculum focuses on major world religions and the traditions and cultures that have arisen from these religions.  Book selections include Shabanu, by Suzanne Fisher Staples, the story of an Islamic teen growing up in the desert of Pakistan, Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi, a graphic novel about the Iranian revolution through the eyes of a an adolescent, The Devil's Arithmetic by Jane Yolen, the story of a young girl coming to terms with her family's ordeal during the Holocaust and, Lord of the Flies by William Golding, an allegorical classic that questions the innate nature of man.  Students also read creation stories from five major world religions. Students write a personal essay entitled "This I Believe."  Science class examines the difference between science and religion.   Students learn how scientific theories develop from a body of evidence and are subject to change.  Students are asked to think about the influence of science in shaping both their beliefs and their daily routines.  Students learn about scientific thinking through exploring various laws of physics. In this unit students also study basic chemistry to look at life and the universe through a scientific lens.

The third theme of the year examines identity from the perspective of the origin of the human species.  In Social Studies class students begin the unit by learning about the controversy surrounding the study of evolution.  Students are introduced to the various viewpoints that explain the existence of humans. Students then study the evolution of man from early hominids through the emergence of modern man.  In science, we differentiate humans from other species by doing an in-depth study of the classification system of life and by comparing and contrasting the physical characteristics of species. We also introduce the theory of evolution and natural selection and look at the evolutionary relationships that humans have with other organisms.  We look at the different ways that scientists gather evidence to infer that the earth and its inhabitants have changed over time.  In Language Arts, students read A Bone from a Dry Sea by Peter Dickinson, a fictional story that illustrates the work of paleontologists and the controversial theory of the "aquatic ape."  We read Eva, also by Peter Dickinson, a story that deals with the theme of human identity, and Inherit the Wind, a play based on the Scopes Trial, which deals with the teaching of evolution in public schools.    

The two year curriculum also includes projects that lie outside of our integrated units. Examples are an annual science fair project and the writing of poetry and short stories within the language arts curriculum.  

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