Ms. Daria Hankewych
Eighth grade is a busy year as we prepare students for high school entrance examinations and the U.S. Constitution Test. The English curriculum consists of two components: formal grammar and writing. In grammar, we review all the parts of speech and their functions in sentences. Our writing units are often taught in a cross-curricular manner with history and/or reading and focus on a variety of topics such as newspaper articles, book reports, essays and a formal research paper. Independent reading is also stressed. Spelling and Vocabulary comprise the Language Arts curriculum. The goal is to gather knowledge of new word meanings and spellings, as well as recognize patterns such as Greek and Latin roots.
Grade 8 social studies cover U.S. history through the Civil War. Modern history is covered through a series of decade projects. Also in Grade 8, students cover material on the U.S. and Illinois Constitutions, as well as a unit on U.S. geography.
History is researched and taught at St. Nicholas in many ways: primary sources, current events assignments, projects, Internet investigations, and field trips. The main goal is for our students to gain a clear understanding of the past and correlate it to current affairs. Teaching our students how to recognize lessons learned from history and apply them to present day will provide our children with the skills and confidence to make noble decisions and create a positive impact on society in the future.
I can be contacted by email at grade8@stnickschicago.org