In grades 6–8, known as the Logic Stage, students are encouraged to engage more deeply with their studies. At this age, young people are beginning to think independently and ask meaningful questions. At Veritas, we capitalize on this development to nurture and grow students’ capacity for reasoning. We help them make connections across disciplines and encourage them to form and defend opinions. Students are taught by teachers who are not only subject-matter experts, but also mentors to the young people they lead. The curriculum and faculty support students as they strengthen their identity in Christ and develop a heart for service.
Logic School Highlights:
This course covers the Old Testament books and stories from Kings to Malachi. In the study of the Old Testament, students will learn that God has revealed Himself through His Word and that He desires a relationship with every person. This can only be possible through the sacrificial blood of His Son, Jesus, who bridged the gap between God and man.
This daily course develops students’ reading skills and vocabulary through a traditional exploration of genres, including novels, short stories, drama, and poetry.
Sixth-grade grammar builds upon knowledge previously learned and emphasizes applying the skills necessary to understand the nine parts of speech, constructs of a sentence, careful placement of words in a sentence as they pertain to meaning, and new and varied roles of the parts of speech in a sentence. Students write essays and complete research in class.
This course will begin with the history of the early river valley civilizations, including ancient Mesopotamia, Egypt, India, and China. With a great emphasis on the study of the political, economic, social, and cultural developments of these civilizations. Other topics include the Israelite Kingdom, the classical Greek Civilization, the Rise of the Roman Republic to the downfall of the Roman Empire, the Byzantine Empire, the Rise of Christianity, the Islamic Civilization, African Civilizations, Imperial China, Medieval Europe, the Renaissance and Reformation, and end with the Scientific Revolution and Enlightenment time period.
The emphasis in this class is on teaching students how to think and learn while equipping them with the skills and tools to find the best solutions. The focus is on rational numbers and their operations, followed by equations and functions, geometry, square roots, and probability.
The course maintains a balance between mathematical concepts and procedures. Students will learn to identify and use geometrical shapes and equations. The textbook provides a variety of exercises, ranging from basic exercises that help students develop and practice skills to challenging ones that involve logical reasoning and problem-solving. In 7th grade, students are taught how to think mathematically and work with variables to solve problems, and our students soon realize that success in mathematics is not simply learning, rehearsing, and memorizing procedures that somehow lead to the “right answer”, but they see that the math they learn in school is highly correlated with the math they encounter in everyday life. With Bible integration, the aim is to help students see mathematics as part of the truth and order that God has built into reality.
Students study Earth Science in 6th Grade. Content includes Geology, The Dynamic Earth, Water and Water Systems, Meteorology, The Environment, and Astronomy. Students will develop science process, critical thinking, and scientific reasoning skills. Science process skills, such as observing, classifying, inferring, and experimenting, provide a framework for conceptualizing, testing, and evaluating ideas.
Students will produce two and three-dimensional artwork in a variety of media, including painting, drawing, fiber arts, clay, printmaking, and sculpture. We will explore both traditional art-making techniques and principles and contemporary modes of visual communication. In addition to hands-on art making, students will learn about art history as it relates to their history curriculum. We will use our critical thinking skills to assess and appreciate art from many different disciplines and genres. Elements of technology, math, science, and music will also be infused into the learning environment.
This Bible course will take us on a journey through the life of Christ through the Gospel of Matthew. Our 7th graders will understand how all four Gospels revolve around the story of redemption through Jesus Christ. Throughout this course, our 7th-grade students will recognize that Jesus’s love for them has no limits and that he seeks a personal relationship with each of us. The students will also study the Acts of the Apostles and the life of the disciples and will conclude that the influence Jesus has on the lives of people throughout the ages has never been surpassed; no other great leader has inspired so many positive changes in the lives of his followers, and those who allow him to transform their lives will experience fulfillment and joy as they follow His teachings.
The seventh-grade English program focuses on helping students develop strong reading, writing, grammar, and speaking skills. Students in this course strengthen their working knowledge of literary elements and devices; discuss Biblical, historical, and thematic connections to classic literary works; acquire more advanced vocabulary and grammar skills; and integrate an appreciation for classical authors with personal creativity as they share their own ideas and pieces.
This course surveys the American journey from the first Americans to the age of exploration and Colonial America, the growth of the Thirteen Colonies, and the establishment of a new nation through the American Revolution. The course will also focus on the Federalist, Jefferson, Jackson Eras, the Age of Reform, and conclude with the history of the Civil War and Reconstruction.
The course maintains a balance between mathematical concepts and procedures. Students will learn to identify and use geometrical shapes and equations. The textbook provides a variety of exercises, ranging from basic exercises that help students develop and practice skills to challenging ones that involve logical reasoning and problem-solving. In 7th grade, students are taught how to think mathematically and work with variables to solve problems, and students soon realize that success in mathematics is not simply learning, rehearsing, and memorizing procedures that somehow lead to the “right answer”, but they see that the math they learn in school is highly correlated with the math they encounter in everyday life. With Bible integration, the aim is to help students see mathematics as part of the truth and order that God has built into reality.
In Algebra 1, students begin by reviewing basic algebraic concepts and properties of integers. This is followed by units on graphing equations, polynomials, radical and rational expressions, quadratic equations, and probability and data analysis.
Students study Biology in 7th Grade. Content includes Life, Viruses, Bacteria, Protoctists, Fungi, Plants, Animals, The Human Body, Genetics and Heredity, and Ecology. Students will develop science process, critical thinking, and scientific reasoning skills. Science process skills, such as observing, classifying, inferring, and experimenting, provide a framework for conceptualizing, testing, and evaluating ideas.
Students will produce two and three-dimensional artwork in a variety of media, including painting, drawing, fiber arts, clay, printmaking, and sculpture. We will explore both traditional art-making techniques and principles and contemporary modes of visual communication. In addition to hands-on art making, students will learn about art history as it relates to their history curriculum. We will use our critical thinking skills to assess and appreciate art from many different disciplines and genres. Elements of technology, math, science, and music will also be infused into the learning environment.
This Bible course helps provide our students with a strong foundation in a Christian worldview, based on the infallible Word of God. Apologetics helps demonstrate to our students that our Christianity is credible, reasonable, and relevant. The Bible says that we’re to always be ready to give a “defense” (an apologia) to people who ask us about the hope we have as Christians. Thus, our students will be equipped to answer questions about why they believe what they believe and to defend their faith. They will also learn that Jesus cannot be equated with any person or power, for He is the supreme ruler of time and eternity, heaven and earth, humans and angels, and will come to realize that this King of Kings is to be given His rightful place as King of their lives.
The eighth-grade English program helps students pursue the skills needed for high school success, whether they choose on-level or Advanced Placement classes. Students in this course master a working knowledge of literary elements and devices, grammar rules, fiction and essay writing, and discussion skills. They continue to discuss Biblical, historical, and thematic connections to classic literary works; acquire more advanced vocabulary, including many terms from the legal and medical professions; and analyze how classical authors develop their own creative writing.
All eighth graders read several full works, including The Call of the Wild or Treasure Island, To Kill a Mockingbird, and Oedipus Rex. They write analytical and personal essays, a 1,300-word historical research paper with in-text citations and an annotated bibliography, and a 1600 to 3000-word short story or screenplay. They practice the Socratic Seminar and participate in a mock trial using textual evidence. In the spring, they act out and discuss A Midsummer Night’s Dream, scene by scene. By the end of the course, students have also completed their last two years of grammar study and memorized 200+ more vocabulary words and their Greek and Latin roots. These students enter high school more than prepared.
Students in grade eight study major turning points that have shaped the modern world, from the late eighteenth century through the present, including the causes and courses of the two world wars. They develop an understanding of the historical roots of current world issues and relate them to their historical, geographic, political, economic, and cultural contexts.
In Algebra 1, the students will begin by reviewing basic algebraic concepts and properties of integers. This is followed by units on graphing equations, polynomials, radical and rational expressions, quadratic equations, and probability and data analysis.
In Geometry, students will have a chance to develop their reasoning skills and problem-solving strategies. The students will learn to analyze geometric relationships in two and three dimensions and to make connections to algebra, probability, trigonometry, and discrete math.
IPC is a laboratory course designed to give students hands-on practical experiences and background in the structure of matter, atoms, the periodic table, acids, bases, and solutions, and chemical reactions (basic chemistry principles). Applications of everyday phenomena will assist students in becoming more scientifically aware citizens.
Students will produce two and three-dimensional artwork in a variety of mediums, including painting, drawing, fiber arts, clay, printmaking, and sculpture. We will explore both traditional art-making techniques and principles and contemporary modes of visual communication. In addition to hands-on art making, students will learn about art history as it relates to their history curriculum. We will use our critical thinking skills to assess and appreciate art from many different disciplines and genres. Elements of technology, math, science, and music will also be infused into the learning environment.
*High School Level Course – high school credits are given to students and are transferable upon graduation.
