Descriptions of electives classes, listed in alphabetical order by course name.
All courses are a single trimester unless otherwise noted; students may take
the same course more than one time per school year.
Table of Contents
Art 6
Choir 6
Choir 7/8
Computer Applications (6)
Creative Art – Sculpture/3D (7/8)
Creative Computing I (7)
Drama (6)
Exploration of Engineering I (6)
Exploration of Engineering II (7)
Exploration of Engineering III (8)
Graphic Design (8)
GT Elective
Instrumental Music – Beginner Band (6)
Instrumental Music – Concert Band (7)
Instrumental Music – Symphonic Band (8)
Instrumental Music – Orchestra 6
Instrumental Music – Orchestra (7/8)
Online French or Online Spanish (8)
Physical Education (6 and 7/8)
Publication Production: Newspaper (7/8)
Publication Production: Yearbook (7/8)
Robotics I (7/8)
Tech Theatre (7/8)
Theatre Arts Intermediate (7/8)
Video Game Design I (7/8)
Video Game Design II (7/8)
Visual Arts I (7/8)
Visual Arts II (8)
Art 6
Students will learn to connect, reflect, understand, and create through art. Students will create their own artwork, refine their techniques and strengthen their critical abilities using clay, paint, and pen and ink.
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Choir 6
Students will have the opportunity to sing a variety of choral styles and develop vocal techniques for both male and female voices. There will be a required evening performance at the end of the trimester.
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Choir 7/8
Students will have the opportunity to participate fully in all the aspects of vocal ensemble. Students will develop skills in vocal production, choral singing, care of the voice, reading rhythms, and pitches. In addition, they will learn solfège, sight-singing, ear-training, posture, choreography, and prepare for performances on stage. There will be a required evening performance at the end of the trimester.
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Computer Applications (6)
Required once during 6th grade, students will explore a wide range of applications, including (but not limited to) word-processing, spreadsheet, graphics, and database programs, and they may also cover the use of electronic mail and desktop publishing. Students acquire knowledge of and experience in the proper and efficient use
of previously written software packages. This course also includes keyboarding skills.
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Creative Art – Sculpture/3D (7/8)
Creative Art – Sculpture/3D courses cover the same topics as Visual Arts Level 1-3 courses, but focus on creating three dimensional works. Students typically work with several media, such as clay, ceramics, wood, metals, or textiles, but some courses focus only on one medium.
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Creative Computing I (7)
Creative Computing I develops personal connections to computing, by drawing upon creativity, imagination, and interests. Creative computing emphasizes the knowledge, practices, and fundamental literacies that students need to create the types of dynamic and interactive computational media that they enjoy in their daily lives. Students are exposed to digital design processes and production, 3D design and visualization, and digital animation.
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Drama (6)
Students will study theater arts, which includes pantomime, monologue, using the voice, stage presence, lighting and sound, and theater history. Students will:
- Develop skills in pantomime and body control.
- Improve voice control in reading projection, articulation and inflection.
- Memorize and perform a monologue and a scene.
- Participate in production of a play as actor or technician.
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Exploration of Engineering I (6)
Students will be introduced to the engineering design process. In this project-based format, students will build computer apps, design and build CO2 cars for competition, and apply engineering principles to build bridges.
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Exploration of Engineering II (7)
Exploration of Engineering II allows students to continue an exploration of engineering concepts, processes, and careers. Students will engage in sustained projects related to: electricity and electronics, automation, and mechanical engineering. Career exploration and leadership development will be emphasized throughout the course.
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Exploration of Engineering III (8)
Students will apply concepts learned in earlier levels of the course to larger sustained engineering design challenges across a variety of topics. Career exploration and leadership development will be emphasized throughout the course.
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Graphic Design (8)
Graphic Design provides students with an understanding of what graphic design is and the work that graphic artists engage in. This course will explore techniques that graphic artists use when creating quality communicative pieces. Students will learn how to visually communicate ideas through the use of typography, layout, photography, illustration, and other visual media. This course will also provide exploration of career opportunities in graphic arts and include the study of significant graphic artists, movements, and styles.
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GT Elective
Required once during the year for students with an Advanced Learning Plan (ALP), students choose projects, which may take many forms, and complete them under the supervision of a teacher. Projects involve planning, research, and a high degree of personal reflection. This class provides opportunities for independent, high achieving learners to explore areas of interest. This is a participatory class where students will be engaged in higher-level thinking and autonomous learning. The research process, project design and development, and presentation techniques go beyond the scope of conventional learning.
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Instrumental Music – Beginner Band (6)
Students in this year-long course will have the opportunity to improve their technique for playing brass, woodwind, and percussion instruments for the purpose of concert performances. There will be required evening performances at the school.
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Instrumental Music – Concert Band (7)
Students with at least one year of experience on a brass, woodwind, or percussion instrument will continue in this year-long course to improve their technique for performance. Emphasis will be on literature, standards, and growth in technical skill. There will be required evening performances at the school.
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Instrumental Music – Symphonic Band (8)
Students with at least one year of experience on a brass, woodwind, or percussion instrument will continue in this year-long course to improve their technique for performance. Emphasis will be on literature and growth in technical skill. There will be required evening performances at the school.
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Instrumental Music – Orchestra 6
Students in this year-long course will develop their technique with string, brass, woodwind, or percussion instruments for the purpose of concert performances. There will be required evening performances at the school.
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Instrumental Music – Orchestra (7/8)
Students with at least one year of experience on their string, brass, woodwind, or percussion instrument will continue in this year-long course to develop their technique. Emphasis will be on literature, standards, and growth in technical skill. There will be required evening performances at the school.
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Online French or Online Spanish (8)
Students in this year-long elective offered through Jeffco Virtual Academy will receive a general introduction to the language and culture, including sound system, pronunciation, functional vocabulary, cultural information and norms, and basic grammatical structures. Upon completion of this course, students will be able to provide basic information, understand simple statements and questions, and interact with and be understood with difficulty by someone accustomed to a language learner (novice-mid proficiency). Successful completion of this course will credit students with the high school equivalent of French 1 or Spanish 1 and allow students to take French 2 or Spanish 2 in ninth grade.
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Physical Education (6 and 7/8)
Students will develop and enhance a wide variety of physical skills and activities, along with increasing overall fitness levels including cardiovascular endurance, muscular strength, muscular endurance, agility, flexibility, and motor coordination. Students will have opportunities to develop a positive attitude toward physical activity, build a positive self-image, increase cognitive knowledge of health-related fitness, promote teamwork, and encourage good sportsmanship. Students are expected to dress out in activity-appropriate clothing (a PE t-shirt is part of school fees) and participate to the best of their ability on a daily basis.
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Publication Production: Newspaper (7/8)
Publication Production courses provide students the opportunity to explore careers in Journalism. Knowledge and skills gained by production of the school newspaper or other printed publication. Students gain experience in several components including reporting, editing, graphic design, production, photography, management, distribution and may focus on a single aspect while producing the publication.
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Publication Production: Yearbook (7/8)
Publication Production courses provide students the opportunity to explore careers in Journalism. Knowledge and skills gained by production of the school yearbook. Students gain experience in several components including reporting, editing, graphic design, production, photography, management, distribution and may focus on a single aspect while producing the publication.
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Robotics I (7/8)
Robotics I introduces robotics as an advanced application of computer science that can be used to solve problems in a variety of settings from business to healthcare and how robotics enables innovation by automating processes that may be dangerous or otherwise problematic for humans. Students learn through programming online simulators and a variety of robots with microcontrollers focused on how robots can be used to solve local and global problems.
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Tech Theatre (7/8)
Students will learn about aspects of theater production that take place off the stage: sound, lighting, basic set design and costume design. Guest speakers that work in the field will visit the class. Field trips may be offered during the course.
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Theatre Arts Intermediate (7/8)
Students will study theatre arts, which includes pantomime, monologue, using the voice, stage presence, lighting and sound, and theater history.
Students will:
- Develop skills in pantomime and body control.
- Improve voice control in reading projection, articulation and inflection.
- Memorize and perform a monologue and a scene.
- Participate in production of a play as an actor or technician.
There will be required day and evening performances at our school.
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Video Game Design I (7/8)
Students learn how to design, write, and test software using object-oriented software development environments. Students are introduced to the concept of humane game design and explore how computer programs and games can be used to communicate values, ideas, and thoughts. Students explore the idea of game and how this transfers to computers. Students learn how to convert their ideas into visual, audio, and story assets for their game software. Topics covered include fundamental design processes, use of variables in programming, program control and flow features, iterative statements, and incorporating files and graphics into software.
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Video Game Design II (8)
Students that have completed Video Game Design I will build upon the concepts, design fundamentals and programming as they continue to learn how to use professional software for game design. The course will include advanced programming and writing of scripts to enhance their video game.
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Visual Arts 1 (7/8)
Visual Arts 1 provides students with the foundational knowledge and opportunity to explore an art for or variety of art forms and to create individual works of art. Initial courses cover language, materials, and processes of a particular art form and the design elements and principles supporting a work of art. Although Visual Arts Level 1 courses focus on creation, they may also include the study of major artists, art movements, and styles. The course may also provide a discussion and exploration of career opportunities in the art world.
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Visual Arts 2 (8)
Students that have completed Visual Arts 1 continue building knowledge and opportunities to continue to explore an art form or variety of art forms and to create individual works of art. As students have become more adept, the instruction regarding the creative process becomes more refined, and students are encouraged to develop their own artistic styles. Although VSA2 courses focus on creation, they may also include the study of major artists, art movements, and styles. The course may cover the specific language, materials, and processes of particular art forms and the design elements and principles supporting a work of art, and may also provide a discussion and exploration of career opportunities in the art world.
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West Jefferson Middle School reserves the right to change course offerings based on enrollment and staffing.