English Language Arts
Scholars at Collins Middle School will be enrolled in English Language Arts classes each year for all three years. All teachers use Common Core State Standards to guide their content and instruction. As scholars advance through the grades and demonstrate concept achievement in reading, writing, speaking, listening, and language, they are able to exhibit the following with increasing fullness and regularity:
- Scholars demonstrate independence.
- Scholars build strong content knowledge
- Scholars respond to the varying demands of audience, task, purpose and discipline.
- Scholars comprehend as well as critique.
- Scholars value evidence.
- Scholars use technology and digital media strategically and capably.
- Scholars come to understand other perspectives and cultures.
Our core content is highly vetted, state approved and teacher adapted content materials based on the Pearson Savvas curriculum MyPerspectives.With our collaborative planning, teachers ensure that scholars have a welcoming environment and meaningful interactions with their peers while participating in our ELA curriculum.
At all grade levels, teachers will use data from MCAS, STAR Reading Assessments, and classroom mastery checks to support scholars in their learning.
Curriculum Overview By Each Grade
6th Grade
7th Grade
8th Grade
Math
Scholars at Collins Middle School are enrolled in a general mathematics class all 3 years with the opportunity for an accelerated path in 7th and 8th grade. The teachers use the Common Core State Standards to guide their instruction and content. The major concepts at the middle school level prepare scholars for high school algebra and geometry.
Through collaborative planning our teachers bring the curriculum to life by centering the ideas and themes around scholar interests, there is an abundance of opportunities for scholars to participate in meaningful discussions where they learn to engage in healthy debate, defend their arguments, and learn that there are often many ways to solve a problem.
Outside the general math classes, scholars have the opportunity to engage with mathematics in enrichment, interventions, and clubs. There is even a math team that competes against other schools!
Curriculum Overview By Each Grade
Grade 6
- Rates, ratios, unit rates, and percentages.
- Operations and number theory
- Rational numbers
- Expressions, equations and inequalities.
- Statistics
- Geometric measurements such as area, surface area and volume
Grade 7
- Integers and rational numbers
- Rations, percents, and proportional relationships.
- Expressions and equations
- Statistics and probability
- Geometry
Grade 8
- Congruence and similarity
- Exponents, radicals, and scientific notation
- Linear equations and functions, Bivariate data
- Examples of functions from geometry
- Intro to irrational numbers using geometry
Science
Middle school science strives to actively engage scholars utilizing hands-on investigations to explain natural phenomena in earth, space, chemistry, physics, and life science.
Curriculum Overview By Each Grade
Grade 6
In grade 6 scholars will conduct investigation and develop and use models to explain phenomena related to light energy, sound, smell, eclipses and lunar phases, ecosystems, weathering and erosion.
Grade 7
Grade 7 scholars further develop models, conduct investigations, and process data and observations to explain phenomena related to cells and body systems, chemistry and property of matter, energy transformation, weather and climate change.
Grade 8
By grade 8 scholars are able to build on previous knowledge to use models, evidence, and data analysis to construct arguments to explain more complex phenomena. Topics include earth’s changes, passing down of traits, motion of objects, and energy from food sources.
Social Studies
Social Studies at Collins Middle School follows the Massachusetts History and Social Science Curriculum Frameworks.
During the 2021-2022 school year, courses in grades 6 and 7 will be piloting and migrating to new curriculum units written by Primary Source and sponsored by DESE. These units will be inquiry-based and incorporate analysis of primary and secondary sources. It will be culturally responsive and include connections to current events and civic engagement. In 6th and 7th grade scholars will be studying complex societies of the ancient world and world geography.
In grade 8 scholars engage in a year of civic learning. The units are designed to incorporate the historical knowledge and civic practices to equip all scholars to participate in civic life as youth and adults. The year culminates with a scholar-led action civics project with local, regional and national topics.