top of page

Live
2 day / week classes

Distance Learning

Digital curriculum provided

Virtual Conference

Schoology learning management system

top

English 7

English 8

​

​

Spanish 1

German 1​

Math 6
Math 7

Math 8

Algebra I

Middle School Art

​

Science 7

Science 8

​

​

Military Science

Academic Pentathlon

World History 7

US History 8

​

​

English

English

English 7

Monday & Wednesday

11:00 am - 12:00 pm​

​

Monday & Wednesday

1:30 pm - 2:30 pm

​

Tuesday & Thursday

1:30 pm - 2:30 pm

​

​

English 7 Integrates the study of writing and literature through the examination of a variety of genres. Students identify the elements of composition in the reading selections to understand their function and effect on the reader. Practice is provided in narrative and expository writing. Topics include comparison and contrast, persuasion, and cause and effect essays, as well as descriptive and figurative language. Lessons are supplemented with vocabulary development, grammar, and syntax exercises, along with an introduction to verbal phrases and research tools.

​

Required Novels:

  • Holes & The Giver (1st semester)

  • Persepolis & The Outsiders (2nd semester)

English 8 

Monday & Wednesday

12:30 pm - 1:30 pm

​

Tuesday & Thursday

10:00 am - 11:00 am 

​

Tuesday & Thursday
10:00 am - 11:00 am

​

​

English 8 extends the skills developed in English 7 through detailed study of reading strategies and writing mechanics, with the objectives of gaining an in-depth understanding of a variety of texts and to write both informally and academically.  Students are guided in The Writing Process as they develop, edit and publish informal and formal essays. This novel-based curriculum uses selected hard-copy novels, excerpts from longer works and selected poetry. The Edmentum curriculum is interwoven in the course as applicable. Students also acquire study skills such as time management and improved test-taking strategies. 

​

Required Novels:

  • Esperanza Rising & Chains (1st Semester)

  • Farewell to Manzanar & Code Talker (2nd Semester)

Math

Math

Math 6

Monday & Wednesday

1:30 pm - 2:30 pm

​

Tuesday & Thursday

9:00 am - 10:00 am

​

​

Math 7 builds on material learned in earlier grades.  Course topics include ratios and rates, fraction and decimal operations, and signed numbers. Students continue to build their algebra skills by plotting points in all four quadrants of the coordinate plane and solving equations and inequalities. Geometry topics include area, surface area, and volume, and statistical work features measures of center and variability, box plots, dot plots, and histograms. Real-world applications facilitate understanding, and students are provided multiple opportunities to master these skills through provided practice problems, assigned weekly activities, and weekly mastery checks

Math 7

Monday & Wednesday

10:00 am - 11:00 am

​

Tuesday & Thursday

11:00 am - 12:00 pm

​

Tuesday & Thursday

12:30 pm - 1:30 pm

Math 7 builds on material learned in earlier grades, including fractions, decimals, and percentages, and introduces students to concepts they will continue to use throughout their study of mathematics. Among these are ratios, proportional relationships, algebraic expressions, two-step algebraic equations, algebraic inequalities, area, surface area, volume, statistics, and probability. The course is based on the Common Core State Standards Initiative and on a modern understanding of student learning in mathematics.  Real-world applications facilitate understanding, and students are provided multiple opportunities to master these skills through provided practice problems, assigned weekly activities, and weekly mastery checks

Math 8

Monday & Wednesday

10:00 am - 11:00 am

​

Monday & Wednesday

11:00 am - 12:00 pm

​

Tuesday & Thursday

12:30 pm - 1:30 pm

​

​

Math 8 is designed to enable all 8th graders to develop a deep understanding of math objectives and to prepare students for success in high school Pre-Algebra or Algebra 1 courses.  The first semester includes the study of objectives in transformations, linear equations, systems of equations, and functions.  The second semester focuses on scientific notation, roots, the Pythagorean Theorem, volume, statistics, and probability.  The course is based on the Common Core State Standards Initiative and on a modern understanding of student learning in mathematics.  Real-world applications facilitate understanding, and students are provided multiple opportunities to master these skills through provided practice problems, assigned weekly activities, and weekly mastery checks.

Algebra I 

Monday & Wednesday

12:30 pm - 1:30 pm

​

Tuesday & Thursday

9:00 am - 10:00 am

**This course will fulfill the Algebra I high school requirement. Students are still required to take 2 years of Math in grades 9-12.**

​

Students in the Algebra 1 course will expand on their knowledge of integers and the real  number system gleaned in their Pre-Algebra course by simplifying expressions using the correct order of operations, as well as solving equations, systems and inequalities. Graphing technology will be employed throughout the course to graph, interpret, and analyze functions, lines, and more advanced relations. In addition, students will utilize graphing technology to compare linear, quadratic, and exponential models to solve problems and interpret data using statistics and probability. 

​

Prerequisite: Pre-Algebra equivalent

​

*Please review these steps that must be completed in order for a 7th / 8th grader to be enrolled in Algebra I with HSVA-Live!

Science

Science

Science 7

Monday & Wednesday

12:30 pm - 1:30 pm

​

Tuesday & Thursday

10:00 am - 11:00 am

This inquiry- and lab-based course is designed to support modern science curriculum and teaching practices. It robustly meets NGSS learning standards associated with a seventh-grade integrated science course (NGSS Appendix K: Modified Conceptual Progression Model, p. 19), focusing on cells, the life cycle, nutrition, chemical reactions, force fields, and energy.  Each lesson includes one or more inquiry-based activities that can be performed online within the context of the lesson.

Science 8

Monday & Wednesday

10:00 am - 11:00 am

​

Tuesday & Thursday*

1:30 pm - 2:30 pm

​

*2 sections at this time

This inquiry- and lab-based course is designed to support modern science curriculum and teaching practices. It robustly meets NGSS learning standards associated with an eighth-grade integrated science course (NGSS Appendix K: Modified Conceptual Progression Model, p. 19). Content topics include genes and adaptations, evolution, energy and the Earth, the Earth’s changing climate, waves, and technology and human impacts on the Earth.

Each lesson includes one or more inquiry-based activities that can be performed online within the context of the lesson. In addition, the course includes a significant number of hands-on lab activities. 

​

​

Social Science

Social Studies

Social Studies 7

Monday & Wednesday

1:30 pm - 2:30 pm

​

Tuesday & Thursday

12:30 pm - 1:30 pm

In Middle School World History, learners will study major historical world events from early human societies through to the present day. Multimedia tools including custom videos as well as videos from the BBC, custom maps, and interactive timelines will help engage learners as they complete this year-long course. They will explore the development of early humans and early civilizations. They will be introduced to the origins of major world religions, such as Hinduism and Buddhism. Also, learners will study the medieval period. Historical thinking and geography skills will be taught and utilized throughout the course. 

Social Studies 8

Monday & Wednesday

1:30 pm - 2:30 pm

​

Tuesday & Thursday*

11:00 am - 12:00 pm

​

*2 sections at this time

In Middle School U.S. History, learners will explore historical American events with the help of innovative videos, timelines, and interactive maps and images. The course covers colonial America through the Reconstruction period. Learners will develop historical thinking and geography skills, which they will use throughout the course to heighten their understanding of the material. Specific topics of study include the U.S. Constitution, the administrations of George Washington and John Adams, the War of 1812, and the Civil War.

World Language

World Language

Spanish 1 

Tuesday & Thursday

9:00 am - 10:00 am

**This course time is for 7th and 8th graders only and will count as an elective on the high school transcript. It also counts for one of the two years of foreign language required for a-g.**

​

In Spanish 1A, students will be introduced to several common situations in which people communicate, such as exchanging names and greetings, describing people by physical and personality traits, and describing family members and aspects of social life. Students will start with basic sentence structures and grammatical tools, and they will learn to communicate by listening, speaking, reading, and writing in Spanish as they learn new vocabulary and grammar. They will also learn about some regions of the Spanish-speaking world that the central characters of each unit are visiting.

​

In Spanish 1B, students will be introduced to several common situations in which people describe how to earn, save, and manage money, modes of urban transportation, various seasons and the associated weather conditions, food, clothes, and activities. They will also describe various art forms, plays, concerts, and movies. Students will discuss health and well-being and travel and tourism. They will build on what they learned in the Spanish 1B course to communicate by listening, speaking, reading, and writing in Spanish as they internalize new vocabulary and grammar. Students will also learn about some regions of the Spanish-speaking world that the central characters of each unit are visiting. They will build on this semester's work as they advance in their Spanish studies: everything that they learn about a language and the cultures in which it is spoken will serve as a foundation for further learning.

 

German 1 

Monday & Wednesday

1:30 pm - 

German 1 emphasizes communication, basic grammar and syntax, and simple vocabulary so that students can read, write, speak, and comprehend on a basic level. Students will explore people, regions, and culture.

​

Art

Art

Middle School Art

Wednesdays

9:00 am - 10:00 am

​

+ Studio Hour (optional)

Mondays

12:30 pm - 1:30 pm

Middle School art is an art course designed to introduce students to 2D studio art and digital art techniques. This course will teach students the design elements and principles needed to create a work of art, explore artistic inspirations, travel back in time to explore art in different cultures, and gain insight about the art of critiquing. Students will also learn about the evolution of art, the basic principles of art and design, and the role of art in politics and society. Additionally, students will actually create their own digital art and make it come alive.

​

Required Supplies:  Basic Art supplies (paint, paintbrush, colored pencils, pencil, glue, paper, eraser, scissors, etc.) and recycled items from around the house.

Electives

 Electives

Tuesday & Thursday​

8:00 am - 9:00 am

​

+ one Friday / month for in-person activities

​

​

Military Science incorporates the fundamentals and principles of the California Cadet Corps (CACC) and is organized as a quasi-military system. The CACC provides applied leadership opportunities for cadets by allowing them to conduct training for junior cadets, to perform as leaders in the cadet military units, and to demonstrate proper behavior and citizenship at their schools and in their communities. As part of their training, cadets provide assistance and support to the school and community. Examples include color guards, participation in parades, charitable event support, serving as student leaders, peer mentors, and escorts or monitors for activities. During class time, students will learn military subjects, broaden their understanding of citizenship, build leadership capacity, and develop a wellness practice. This learning will occur through daily lessons, physical fitness programs, wellness activities, and service projects.

​

Academic Pentathlon

Thursdays

2:30 pm - 3:30 pm

This course is designed to prepare students for the Academic Pentathlon Regional Competition put on by the network of Independent Study of Schools.  Students will work through the provided thematic curriculum using the online platform Schoology and participate in a weekly office-hour meeting with their Sequoia Grove coach and teammates.  The Pentathlon Competition includes subject-area tests in Fine Arts, Literature, Math, Science, and Social Science, as well as an essay.  We will end our competition season with an exciting virtual team Super Quiz with questions from across every subject area we have studied.  The theme for the 2023-2024 school year is Technology & Humanity. 

bottom of page