Grades 5-8

We take math seriously. More importantly, we believe that a student should always work at the highest level of their ability. Beginning with our youngest students, we carefully plan a student’s path through their math journey at Chapin to maximize each student's mathematical potential - and prepare them at every step of their education. 

Keeping Students on the Right Path
Our younger students can take classes that match their math skills while preparing them for their academic future. Our older students have many options that fit perfectly into preparation for high school, college, and career pathways. 

An advanced mathematical student will most likely follow this path: 

• 6th Grade Advanced Pre-Algebra → 7th Grade Algebra 1 →8th Grade Geometry

On-level students might follow two potential paths:

• Path One: 6th Grade Pre-Algebra → 7th Grade Algebra Part 1 → 8th Grade Algebra Part 2
• Path Two: 6th Grade Pre-Algebra Part 1 → 7th Grade Pre-Algebra Part 2 → 8th Grade Intro to Algebra

Most Chapin students have already completed Algebra before high school, and all are prepared for it by graduation. Students need to be ready for the next step in their math career, whatever that means for the individual. 

Successful science programs centralize their education around inquiry and inquiry-based designs. Critical thinking and analysis skills are the backbone of the Chapin experience as students incorporate scientific reasoning into their everyday lives. The Chapin science program emphasizes scientific inquiry, hands-on, and experiential learning. Classroom experiences should generate intrigue and wonder within the diverse branches of the scientific world. Exposure to the diversity of the scientific fields expands a student’s scientific foundation and inspires many Chapin students to pursue careers in the STEAM fields.

Grade 5

• How is energy transferred on Earth?

Students will discover the relationship between potential and kinetic energy along with physical and chemical properties of substances. The applications of energy transfer to organisms in an ecosystem as well as the patterns and formation of weather are also explored.

Grade 6

• How is Earth related to the universe?

Through a diverse set of hands-on activities, students will continue to develop laboratory skills while also discussing different types of celestial objects. They will delve into the differences between wave types, water distribution, water movement, and the effects of celestial bodies on our Earth.

Grade 7

• How does our Earth’s past influence its present and future?

Students will discuss the origins of life, cells, heredity, and genetics, alongside the origin of the Earth’s landmasses, plate tectonics, and related natural disasters. Additionally, students will each identify a topic to develop a guided, independent science experiment to be presented at the Chapin Curriculum Fair.

Grade 8 

• How are systems related?

Students will dive head first into the complexities of organisms, including dissections, to discuss the systems within organisms. Students will also discuss the interactions between substances that lead to bonding, compounds, and reactions. Finally, Chapin culminates the science program with discussion of forces and Newton’s laws, leading to how simple machines function and the creation of Rube Goldberg machines.

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Chapin’s Humanities program is the study of the stories, events, and experiences that form our shared--and individual--humanity. Humanities integrates traditional English and Social Studies classes, allowing students to draw content from history, current events, civics, and culture and fuse it with the study of literature, close reading, annotation, grammar, vocabulary, and writing instruction. Through discussion-based learning, students connect historical and social facts with the works of literature they read while building arguments to answer their grade’s essential questions.

Our texts are novels, stories, poems, journalism, videos, historical accounts, and  primary sources, which allow us to explore the essential questions: 

GRADE 5
Essential Question:

• What does it mean to be civilized?

Expansion Questions: 

• What is a civilization? Example: How has the cycle of civilization impacted the evolution of human society? 
• Who determines what it means to be civilized and how do they define that?
• What changes allowed civilizations to emerge and expand?
• How do "civil rights" or the rights of a citizen connect to a "civilization" or being "civilized?"

 

GRADE 6
Essential Question:

• How does culture impact individuals and societies?

Expansion Questions:

• What role does culture play in our sense of identity?
• How has culture created convergence, divergence, and conflict within and among societies?

 

GRADE 7
Essential Question:

• In what ways is power gained, kept, and resisted?   

Expansion Questions:

• What are different types of power?  
• What are ways power is utilized?     
• How are those who are without power or who have less power impacted?

GRADE 8
Essential Question:

• What does "all [people] are created equal" mean?  

Expansion Questions:

• How has the understanding of this evolved for different groups of people and individuals?
• How have people struggled to achieve equality?     
• How can equality be measured?       
• Why does inequality persist?

 

The Upper School Discovery Classes provide students in grades 5-8 with opportunities to investigate and pursue additional areas of interest not usually covered in the academic program.

Each trimester students are presented with a variety of choices. Selections vary from trimester to trimester, but have included: Art of the Interview, Boys Ensemble, Beginner Ukulele, Book Club, Bridge Building, The Chapin Gazette, Exploring Fractals, Geography Explorers, Graphic Design, Instrumental Ensemble, Louvre Heist (escape room), Non-bake Cooking, Robotics, Sewing, Shakesperience, Visual Story Telling, and Yearbook Photography.

Students are also encouraged to explore their interests in the broad range of co-curricular classes, character development, art, and technology courses offered at Chapin.