8th Grade Course Descriptions - Johnston Community School District

Optional ElectivesFrench I – (meets Every Day All Year)In this class students will be developing language skills in listening, speaking, reading, and writing inFrench. Learning the French alphabet and numbers, verb forms, grammar points, and simpleconversations are some of the skills learned in this beginning class. Continuing to take Frenchthroughout high school can accrue 12 college credits for the French student.Spanish I – (meets Every Day All Year)In this class, students will be learning the fundamentals of the Spanish language and about severalHispanic cultures. Students will be able to communicate in the present and near future tenses aboutdaily activities in a conversational manner. With practice, students will be able to ask and answerquestions, understand spoken Spanish, and speak with an accent that a native speaker would understand.Students will be provided with a textbook and packets to use throughout the year.Foreign Language is not a Johnston High School graduation requirement. WorldLanguage is not usually required for students attending a two-year college. Most fouryearuniversities (including Iowa and Iowa State) require two years of the same foreignlanguage for admission. Eighth grade foreign language courses are recognized forcollege admission, but students do not earn high school credit.Band – (meets Every Day All Year)8th Grade Band is a performance-based class that focuses on the study and performance of various stylesof high-quality band literature. This literature is used as a vehicle to explore the concepts of tone,balance, blend, intonation, rhythm, technique, and articulation. Students will participate and perform inthree concerts each year. In addition to the full ensemble component, each student is required to preparefor and attend small group lessons. In this smaller setting, students continue to develop skills on theirspecific instruments. Band students may also elect to audition for Jazz Band, which meets Mondays,Wednesdays, and alternating Fridays.Mixed Choir – (meets Every Other Day All Year)In choir, all students have the opportunity to sing in a mixed group setting in which they will learn vocalfundamentals such as breath support, diction, vowel modification, and performance techniques. Solfegesyllables and hand signs will be used to enhance sight-reading skills and improve part-singing. Studentswill participate in three concerts performing a varied repertoire of songs.