Picture by Tom	Special Events
	The eighth grade is the final year under the guidance of the main lesson teacher. After that students will have a different teacher for each subject area. In the eighth grade students come to grips with present day life by looking at the personalities and forces of today. But to understand the present it is necessary to first gain a perspective of the past. Students and teacher explore earlier times including the American and French Revolutions and the Industrial Revolution. Through stories and biography students take a look at representative democracy in its infancy and learn about some of the brilliant personalities that shaped American history. Because they have journeyed through the preceding ages - developing an understanding of the Greeks, the Romans striving for law, the deep reverence of the people of the Middle Ages, and the powerful individuality of the Renaissance - students begin to see how the formative years of our modern times had its roots in the past. Science studies include organic chemistry, anatomy, physics and nutrition. Eighth grade students, who are experiencing a growth spurt, explore the mechanics of the human body including the skeleton and supporting muscle. The ear and eye are also studied. Simple mechanics is broadened to include the steam engine and hydraulics which were among the first developments of the Industrial Revolution. Also studied are the internal combustion engine and the introduction of the assembly line which lead to economic growth on a world-wide scale. World geography is explored from an economic point of view: the "have" and "have not" nations, the problems of development and resources, and the new interdependence of man on a global scale. Students are introduced to China and Russia, and climatography and meteorology may also be studied. An overview of art history is presented. Mathematics study includes bookkeeping, business math, algebra, and geometry Students construct mobiles of the five regular Platonic solids, explore linear equations and algebraic sentences, and apply their knowledge of algebra to practical problems such as horsepower and Fahrenheit-Centigrade comparisons. The geometric concepts of the locus in ellipse, hyperbola, and parabola are introduced. A rich and varied study of the language arts include a continuation of reading, spelling, and grammar with a special focus on the composition and presentation of scientific reports. Waldorf grades classes perform plays each year, but in Eighth Grade the production is usually longer. Many classes perform a Shakespeare play in their last year of grade school. Specialty classes include foreign language, woodworking, pottery, modeling, music, handwork, painting, and movement. Music study will include ensemble work, note reading, and music theory. Continue scrolling through the grades to better understand the phases of development and learning that Waldorf students experience. Early Childhood | 1st grade | 2nd grade | 3rd grade | 4th grade | 5th grade | 6th grade | 7th grade | 8th grade |Specialties | Back
Sandpoint Waldorf School Where the love of learning that lasts a lifetime . . . begins. P.O. Box 95, Sandpoint, ID 83864 (208) 265-2683 e-mail: sws@coldreams.com