Curriculum Guide

LM offers services to ensure that students who learn differently are given a chance to realize their full potential through a focus on their academic, spiritual, and social growth. Students who might otherwise find it difficult to participate in the general education curriculum have the resources to achieve in the classroom through Individualized Academic Plans that create a roadmap for success. The Academic Support staff work with teachers to facilitate accommodations and differentiation of instruction to ensure that every student receives a quality education that meets their unique needs.

-Study Guide
-English 9 Foundations
-General Math

Through completing courses of study in Bible, students will
- integrate faith formation into everyday life as a citizen of God's kingdom
- be stewards of all that God has entrusted to us including creation, time, talents and treasure
- see and relate to every human being as a child of God and live into the promises of scripture with courage and humility
- seek to follow Jesus as a disciple who understands the call to mission and service

Courses:
Jesus’ Story
Global Christianity
Kingdom Living
Spiritual Formation

Through completing courses of study in Language Arts, students will
- be lifelong, reflective, and analytical readers
- write appropriately for various contexts, including work or business, education, and other life situations
- think critically and organize ideas in logical formats
- speak articulately and with poise in public speech

Courses:
English 9
English 10
Communication and Analysis
Career English
Advanced Writing
AP English Composition
AP Literature
Literature of the Bible
Themes in Literature
British Literature
US Literature
Journalism
Speech
Creative Writing
Yearbook

Through completing courses of study in Health and Physical Education, students will
- develop positive physical, mental, emotional, social, and spiritual health
- demonstrate competency in and apply knowledge of a variety of concepts, principles, strategies and tactics related to movement and performance.
- exhibit responsible personal and social behavior that respects self and others
- recognize the value of life-long physical activity and health

Courses:
Personal Health Strategies
Principles of Lifetime Fitness
Consumer Health
Driver Safety Education
Foundations of Individual and Team Sports
Fall Team Sports
Spring Team Sports
Weight Training and Conditioning
Lifetime Sports

Through completing courses of study in the Sciences, students will
- gain an appreciation for the natural world and develop an understanding of the fundamental theories and laws that guide it
- think critically when presented with scientific claims and learn to use reason based on scientific understanding
- make informed decisions about well being, relationships, and resources to achieve optimal quality of life
- develop the skills necessary to support a future career in science and agriculture

Agriculture Courses
FFA
Introduction to Ag Science
Forestry and Environment
Wildlife and Fisheries Science
Animal Biotechnology
Horticulture
Ag Business Economics

Family and Consumer Science Courses
Foods and Nutrition I
Foods and Nutrition II
Nutritional Science
International Cuisine
Child Development
Fashion and Design I
Fashion and Design II
Housing and Interior Design

Science Courses:
Environmental Science
Biology
Chemistry
Honors Chemistry
Physics
Honors Physics
Anatomy and Physiology
AP Biology
AP Chemistry
Advanced Environmental Science
AP Physics

Introduction to STEAM
Construction Technology
Power Technology Small Engines
Welding and Mechanics Technology
Metal Working
Drafting Technology
Woodworking
Robotics
Senior STEAM Study

Through completing courses of study in the Fine Arts, students will
- cultivate a lifelong appreciation for the visual and performing arts
- experience and understand music and art from across time and around the world
- see music and art as a form of praise and prayer
- analyze music and art and the creative making process

Art Courses:
Survey of Studio Art
Drawing
Painting
Two-Dimensional Design
Sculpture
Art in Action
Ceramics
Advanced Studio
Digital Photography
Digital Art

Music Courses:
Voice Class
Music Theory
Piano Lab
Concert Choir
Guitar
Campus Chorale
String Orchestra
Concert Band
Jazz Ensemble

Through completing courses of study in Math, students will
- demonstrate fundamental understanding of core mathematical concepts
- solve mathematics problems clearly, concisely and correctly
- be competent problem solvers who can transfer and apply skills to real-world problems
- collaborate and work with others

Business Courses:
Introduction to Business
Business Math
Personal Finance
Entrepreneurship
Business Analytics

Math Courses:
General Math
Algebra I
Honors Algebra II
Algebra II
Honors Geometry
Geometry
Pre-Calculus
AP Calculus AB
AP Calculus BC
Statistics
AP Statistics
AP Computer Science Principles
Computer Science Principles
AP Computer Science A

Through completing courses of study in Social Studies, students will
- solidify a national and global historical understanding as a means to better comprehend the present world, identify areas of passion and articulate a vision for the world
- build a base of historical thinking skills with a focus on thinking critically, recognizing casual relationships, analyzing change over time and building strong arguments
- practice the gift of curiosity to explore the vastness of history and social studies and, as a result, become practiced and interested learners to the people and stories around them
- model the teachings of Jesus by seeking stewardship, peace, compassion and reconciliation to local, national and global communities

Courses:
Global Studies
Recent World History
US History
Economics
Individual and Family Studies
Comparative Government
AP Modern World History
AP Psychology
AP US Government and Politics
AP US History
Honors Sociology

Through completing courses of study in World Languages, students will
- communicate proficiently in another language
- develop tools for lifelong language learning
- understand and appreciate another culture to become globally competent and culturally sensitive
- make connections between a student’s world and other cultures

German Courses:
German I
German II
German III
German IV

Spanish Courses:
Spanish I
Spanish II
Spanish III
Spanish IV
AP Spanish Language and Culture

ESL classes serve students who are learning English as a non-native language. The goal of ESL is to bring students to a level of English proficiency whereby they can participate fully in other academic courses and transition successfully to post-secondary education.

Initial placement for incoming students is based primarily on the English proficiency test score submitted with the student’s application (TOEFL iBT, TOEFL JR, ITEP SLATE or IELTS).

Movement between levels is determined by teacher recommendations, grades in ESL and other courses, and updated proficiency test scores. It is not uncommon for students to remain at the same level for multiple semesters. Since most colleges require a TOEFL iBT score of at least 80 for admission, students who desire to exit the high school ESL program are expected to score at least near that level.

Additional fees are charged for all levels of ESL. Fees are adjusted each semester to reflect the student’s current level. Please refer to our website or contact our business office for current ESL fees.

In fifth and sixth grade, students switch classrooms for subject-level content instruction. The fifth and sixth grade students have separate homerooms and are split for Bible classes, as well as Language Art classes. Fifth and sixth grade students combine for writing, math, engineering design, social studies, science, physical education and integrated arts classes.

Students in the Spanish Immersion program are in the “Maintenance Phase” of their Spanish language learning. They receive Language Arts and Social Studies instruction in Spanish and join the English language students for the rest of their classes.

Teachers authentically integrate faith into all subjects. All grades use Encounter, an Anabaptist faith formation Bible curriculum, with an emphasis on a commitment to following the life and teaching of Jesus. Students are supported in their faith journeys through group sharing, devotional times, and weekly chapel.

Seventh and eighth grade students have separate homerooms and combine for all content instruction.

Students in the Spanish Immersion program continue in the “Maintenance Phase” in addition to preparation for upper level high school Spanish classes such as AP Spanish. They receive Language Arts and Social Studies instruction in Spanish and join the English language students for the rest of their classes.

Teachers authentically integrate faith into all subjects. All grades use Encounter, an Anabaptist faith formation Bible curriculum, with an emphasis on a commitment to following the life and teaching of Jesus. Students are supported in their faith journeys through group sharing, devotional times, and weekly chapel.

LM teachers authentically integrate faith into all subjects. In addition, all grades also use Encounter, an Anabaptist faith formation curriculum with an emphasis on a commitment to following the life and teachings of Jesus. Encounter takes seriously a missional commitment to see where God is at work and to join with God in bringing healing and hope in the world. It seeks to help students understand that the Bible is the inspired book of the church that points beyond itself to the triune God revealed as Father, Son, and Spirit. The intention of this curriculum is to help students develop the biblical understanding and literacy essential to faith formation.

Key practices and goals:
- Provide an understanding of the development of the Bible and its literary genres
- Call students to experience the transforming power of God’s love
- Teach students tools to help them read the Bible through the lens of Jesus Christ, the living Word and full revelation of God
- Help students develop faith practices that will serve them beyond high school

Grade 5

Students in Grade Five are guided through a narrative from the book of Genesis to the life of the church today. Many stories are learned quickly over a brief period, so the goal is not to delve deeply into each one, but rather for students to build a framework on which to hang each story they encounter throughout the biblical narrative. Students will see how the church birthed a widespread Christian movement, including the Anabaptist movement, which continues today. Students will look for how they can continue God's story.

Guiding Questions: What does it mean to live in right relationship with God and others? Who is Jesus? What does it mean to
live in a faith community?

Grade 6

Grade 6 students are introduced to Jesus, focusing on the sociopolitical context in which Jesus lived and worked. Students explore the meaning of discipleship in relation to Jesus’ parables and miracles. This study focuses on the good news Jesus practiced and how Jesus’ words and actions affected those around Him. Students read Old Testament stories through the lens of the good news Jesus lived. The year concludes with a study of current global stories of people affecting their communities through the practice of the good news.

Guiding Questions: Who is Jesus? What is a disciple? What is the good news? What are the stories of God’s people today?


Grade 7 and 8

Year 1: Students will delve deeper into who Jesus is and was, focusing on the reactions of the people and groups who interacted with Him. Students will be exposed to the concept that Jesus was the fulfillment of the law. New Testament stories will be examined from a viewpoint of how people were transformed or reconciled as a result of hearing Jesus’ good news. The year will conclude with an introductory study to the diverse global church. As students study stories of God’s people (historical through present day), they will begin to articulate how God is transforming many communities through discipleship.

Guiding Questions: Who do people say Jesus is? How do biblical stories communicate God at work? What is the story of the
Global church?

Year 2: Students will incorporate the concepts/ideas learned previously regarding the identity of Jesus. The concepts will be applied to the story of the local and global church. Students will study how church practices of global denominations and local congregations are connected to their faith understandings. Focus will also be given to how the global and local church practices Jesus’ good news to all their neighbors. This often results in helping to form, inform, and transform others by practicing Jesus’ good news. Throughout the year, students will examine how their personal story connects with God.

Guiding Questions: How is the church a part of God’s transforming work around the world? Who are my neighbors? How do
we relate to our neighbors? How does my life connect with God’s story

Students have the opportunity to study World Languages. Learning to communicate with people of other languages and understanding their ways of life are essential skills in an increasingly interdependent world. As students listen to, speak, read, and write another language, they begin to develop a greater awareness and appreciation for the broad diversity of cultures in our world. Students in the Spanish Immersion program take an English writing course instead of these courses.

5th Grade: Students receive extra time in Language Arts instruction rather than a World Language.
6th Grade: Introduction to World Languages is a one semester class that explores communication, language, and culture, and introduces Spanish and German.
7th Grade: Students may choose between Spanish 1 or German 1.
8th Grade: Students may choose between Spanish 2 or German 2, or they may opt to take a study hall rather than a World language.

Year Long Courses:
- Music Ensembles: Students may participate in Choir, Band, or Orchestra ensembles. In 5th/6th grade participation in one of these is required. In 7th/8th grade it is optional to participate. Students in 5th grade will receive small group lessons in their chosen instrument.
- Physical Education: All students in 5th-8th grade have Physical Education (PE) several days a week.
- Volunteer Service: For 7th and 8th grade students who do not participate in music ensembles may participate in this group doing projects around campus.

Quarter Long Courses:
- General Music (5th-6th)
- Art (5th-8th)
- Health (5th-8th)
- Technology (7th-8th)
- Family and Consumer Sciences (7th-8th)

English Language Arts:
In Language Arts students develop their communications skill through extensive reading, writing, listening and speaking. Students read a variety of genres of authentic texts that are high interest and accessible. They work on writing pieces that practice the major styles of narrative, informational, and argumentative while developing skills in thesis statement construction, beginning research methods, sentence structure and vocabulary. Students in the Spanish Immersion program have Language Arts in Spanish with an additional course focused on English writing.

5th Grade: Seeks to build competent and confident readers who can decode accurately and fluently, while comprehending and discovering what they enjoy reading. They will spend time doing independent reading, as well as class book club studies. They will be writing fiction, narratives, informational, and opinion formats. Students will continue to receive direct spelling and grammar instruction.

6th Grade: Reading novels, short stories, poetry, focus on narrative writing.

7th/8th Grade Year 1: Reading novels and short stories. Writing focuses on a research paper and argumentative essays.

7th/8th grade year 2: Reading novels and short stories. Writing focuses on a narrative essay and informational writing.

The Math program works to develop conceptual understanding and problem-solving skills in arithmetic, data, probability, geometry, algebra, and functions. Students not only practice math skills, but they find innovative ways to apply this information to solve real problems. The Math curriculum is from Big Ideas Math. We offer several levels of math at each grade to be able to match students with their abilities.
5th- Math 5 or 6
6th- Math 6 or 7
7th – Math 7, 8 or Algebra 1
8th – Math 8, Algebra 1 or Geometry

Science is aligned to the Next Generation Science Standards that explore connections between physical science, life science, earth and space science, and engineering design. These standards promote science and engineering practices that explain and extend what is meant by “inquiry” in science and the range of cognitive, social, and physical practices that it requires. Students engage in practices to build, deepen, and apply their knowledge of core ideas across the various science domains.

5th/6th grade
Year 1 Topics: Light & Matter, Thermal Energy, Weather & Climate
Year 2 Topics: Plate tectonics & Rock Cycling, Natural Hazards, Earth in Space

7th/8th grade
Year 1 Topics: Cells & Systems, Metabolic Reactions, Matter Cycling & Photosynthesis, Ecosystem Dynamics & Biodiversity, and Genetics
Year 2 Topics: Matter & Periodic Table, Chemical Reactions, Contact Forces, Sound Waves, and Forces at a Distance.

The opening pages of scripture paint a picture of God as a Creator engaging human beings as active participants in developing, building, investigating and sustaining our world. Our Engineering Design curriculum, based on the Next Generation Science Standards for Engineering Design (6-8), provides students with the opportunity to develop a formalized approach to this creative process. This curriculum encourages students to further their understanding of analyzing, problem solving, and evaluating through a series of authentic problems. By engaging in these tasks, students will learn to evaluate and synthesize sustainable and effective solutions to specific problems.

Priority is given to projects and problems that can be addressed in the varied environment of our expansive 95-acre campus. Through these problems, students will develop hands-on building skills, begin developing their understanding of text-based coding, and develop real-world communication skills through audio and video creation.

5th & 6th and 7th & 8th grade students will progress through a two-year cycle of coursework:

In Social Studies, students work to become informed critical thinkers who can participate in a culturally diverse, democratic society in an interdependent world. Students explore their place in the world and in history through inquiry processes, data collection and analysis, collaboration, decision-making and problem solving. Students come to understand their community, nation, and world so that they can be builders of peace and compassion in the greater global community.

5th & 6th grade
Year 1: Origins of Civilization, Ancient Mesopatamia, Ancient Egypt, Ancient Israel, Ancient India, Ancient China, Ancient Greece and Classical Greece
Year 2: The Roman Republic and Empire, Byzantine and Islamic Civilizations, African Civilizations, American Civilizations, Empires of Asia

7th & 8th grade
Year 1: Geography, Civics and Government, International Issues, Economics
Year 2: U.S. History (Colonization through Reconstruction)