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7/8th Grade Course Catalog

These elective courses are open to 7th and 8th grade students, unless specified otherwise in the course description. Electives marked with an * in the title are possible to be overenrolled, in which case students would be admitted through a lottery.
 
To learn more about an elective offering, click on the class name listed below. 
 
All students in the 7th/8th Grade Exploratory Wheel will take one elective course per quarter during the school year. The courses listed below may be included as part of the wheel. Courses are subject to change each year.
 
Spanish Language/Culture
This quarter-long course will invite students to make comparisons and connections between Spanish culture and American culture while exploring different aspects of food, music, traditions, festivities, and the geography of Spanish speaking countries. No previous knowledge of Spanish needed. (This course is NOT a requirement for placement into Spanish 1 for the next academic year)
 
Art Wheel
This quarter-long course exploratory wheel art class is designed for students to sample the full-year Art electives. Students will develop their creativity and artistic skills with engaging art and digital art projects, explore working with various mediums in art, and Adobe Illustrator software in Digital Art. At the end of this course, students will be filled with confidence and left with the urge to continue creating. Take a look at our photo album on our class website for a first hand look at student work that is created in Art Wheel. 

STEAM 101
STEAM in the 7th/8th grade wheel is an introduction to the engineering design process in which students will use STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math) disciplines to come up with solutions to solve various problems in some or all of the following topics: Roller coaster design, cardboard pinball machines, 3D design and printing, electricity, mousetrap cars, and an introduction to handheld tools with an emphasis on safety, communication, and teamwork. This class will prepare you for STEAM 101, which is a full-year elective for 7th and 8th graders.
 
Video Production Wheel
Seventh and eighth grade students perform in front of the camera in this active course. Students will experience all aspects of video production including writing scripts, acting in front of the camera, directing from behind the camera, and editing it all together in a professional quality studio. 
This year-long art course is open to 7th and 8th grade students. Students will have hands-on experience developing expressive and innovative art projects that keep students engaged. Students further develop their imaginations and explore a wide variety of media such as watercolor, acrylic paint, oil pastels, paper maché and graphite.  Students work in a creative environ- ment that will strengthen their passion for art. Take a look at our photo album on our website for a first-hand look at student work that is created in Art 7/8. 
Dance 7/8 is offered as a yearlong elective for PE credit. In dance, students will develop proficiency in the areas of ballet, hip-hop, lyrical, contemporary, jazz, and Broadway style movements. To reduce the risk of injury, tumbling is not a primary part of this class. Classes will consist of barre work, warm-up, center floor work, and traveling progressions, which are all designed to increase flexibility, strength, and technique. Students will also learn to create original pieces of choreography to further develop performance confidence and expression. Prior dance experience is not required. Performance opportunities are optional. Class placement is lottery-based.  An 8th grader who was not enrolled in Open Dance in 7th grade will receive priority in the lottery. PE standards such as running the mile are part of this course. 
Audition required for placement in this course. Previous dance experience recommended but not required. Email [email protected] in the spring for audition information.
 
The advanced dance class offers the same opportunities as Open Dance, but with more challenging technique at a faster pace of learning. Performance opportunities are required. PE standards such as running the mile are part of this course. 
In our year-long Digital Arts course, 7th and 8th grade students are introduced to various means of integrating art with technology. Topics covered include identity and brand development, editorial design, packaging, advertising, and electronic design including website and multimedia design. In addition, students will be introduced to the digital environment for digital arts; learning digital vocabulary, working with tablets and a stylus, scanning, saving, and file formats using Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop and other industry norm software. Take a look at our photo album on our class website for a first-hand look at student work that is created in Digital Arts. 
Students need to apply and be accepted into this course. If accepted, students will plan events for the student body including rallies, dances, spirit weeks, and much more. They will also work toward enhancing campus culture for all students and contributing to the Los Gatos community and society. This class will provide students with leadership skills, collaboration techniques, and real-world situations and give them the opportunity to apply their skills and make a difference on the Fisher Campus.
This project-based course will focus on the 21st-century skills required by careers of the future.  Students begin the year with foundational knowledge in engineering design, critical thinking, collaboration, and communication. Students will apply these skills to both teacher directed and individual projects. Topics and projects may include green energy, electricity, simple coding/robotics, 3D printing, laser cutting, hydraulics, flight, and an introduction to manual and power tools with an emphasis on safety, communication, and teamwork. There are new topics every year, so students can take STEAM in both 7th and 8th grade.
TA positions are available for students on a year-long basis and can be taken in lieu of a year-long elective course.  These positions are graded pass/fail and are not counted towards GPA. 
Seventh and eighth grade students perform in front of the camera in this active course. Students will experience all aspects of video production including writing scripts, acting in front of the camera, directing from behind the camera, and editing it all together in a professional quality studio. While one focus of the class is creating the daily morning announcements, students will also have the opportunity to explore their own interests in shorter video projects. While students will plan and research on their Chromebooks, video production students will edit their videos with WeVideo. In addition, students will have access to recording equipment such as Canon and GoPro cameras, wireless microphones, and more. Creative students who like to act, tell stories, and work in small groups are encouraged to sign up. The independent nature of the class requires students who act with integrity and are trustworthy. Students signing up for this class must be comfortable reading scripts and performing to the entire school.
The Fisher Yearbook staff work as a team to produce the RJF yearbook for their peers. Students will learn skills in photography, writing, reporting, interviewing, graphic design, and publication.  Students will use web-based layout software to create the 180-page full-color book for the Fisher community. In addition to the yearbook, students will design and produce a newspaper/magazine that will be released monthly. This publication will teach the importance of deadlines, research, and responsibility. 
This academic language course immerses students in French by providing continuous opportunities to listen, speak, read, and write while studying thematic units in culturally appropriate contexts. Upon the completion of the course, students will be able to participate in a basic conversation about their friends, school subjects, family/home, clothing/shopping, meals/foods, and sports/travel while indicating their preferences, likes and dislikes.

Students enrolling in French should meet the following prerequisite skills: 
  1. Minimum overall 2.5 GPA
  2. Minimum grade of a B- in English for the first three quarters of 7th grade.
  3. Highly motivated student with academic integrity
 
This one-year course is equivalent to 1 year of high school French; therefore, students will be challenged with rigorous coursework and should be self-motivated to work independently. Students will have up to 10 to 20 minutes of homework on a daily (in addition to other classes). This course is appropriate for students with no prior knowledge of French AND students with some prior knowledge and/or basic familiarity with the language.
 
For entry into French 2 at Los Gatos High School, a grade of B or better each quarter of French in 8th grade is recommended. Students who complete one year of French at Fisher should sign up for French 2 at Los Gatos High School. 
This course develops skills in listening, speaking, reading, and writing in Spanish in a culturally appropriate context. At the end of this academic course, students will be able to have a basic conversation with others using appropriate greetings, talking about school subjects, family and friends, clothing and shopping, activities, sports, foods, cultural activities, and much more!       
 
Students enrolling in Spanish should meet the following prerequisite skills: 
  1. Minimum overall 2.5 GPA
  2. Minimum grade of a B in English for the first three quarters of 7th grade.
  3. Demonstrate independent academic behavior and self motivation.
 
This course is a High School level class. As an academic course, students who enroll will be challenged with rigorous coursework. Students should anticipate 15-20 minutes of homework on a daily basis. This is in addition to homework given in core classes. 
 
Note 1: For entry into Spanish 2 at Los Gatos High School, a grade of B or better in each quarter during Spanish 1 year (8th grade) is required. 
 
Note 2: If the student is planning to take AP Spanish during High School the student MUST take Spanish 1 at Fisher.
 
Note 3: In addition, Spanish students who did not take Spanish 1 at Fisher and intend to begin Level 2 as freshmen will take a placement test. Placement may be determined by the results of this test plus teacher recommendation. 
This class is for any student interested in learning to play a band instrument without previous experience on the instrument or with reading music.  This class is appropriate for any student switching instruments or those new to band altogether.  We will have several concerts and fun events planned for this class.  It is never too late to learn an instrument - we welcome all grade levels in this class!  
 
Band instruments are; flute, oboe, clarinet, bass clarinet, bassoon, alto sax, tenor sax, bari sax, trumpet, french horn, trombone, euphonium, baritone, tuba, and percussion (percussion students will play both bells and snare drum). Piano and guitar are not options for band (but we encourage piano and guitar players to pick a band instrument and join). All percussion students must pass a note reading test or select a different band instrument.  
This course is open to 6th-8th grade students that have completed a beginning level band class or lessons on their band instrument.  Students will focus on developing individual skills as well as refining their ensemble playing.  This class will perform at school concerts, assemblies, community events and music festivals throughout the year.  Emphasis is placed on developing skills that prepare the student for advanced level ensemble class. 
 
Band instruments are; flute, oboe, clarinet, bass clarinet, bassoon, alto sax, tenor sax, bari sax, trumpet, french horn, trombone, euphonium, baritone, tuba, and percussion (percussion students will play both bells and snare drum). Piano and guitar are not options for band (but we encourage piano and guitar players to pick a band instrument and join). All percussion students must pass a note reading test or select a different band instrument.  
There are two audition band classes: Concert Band for the intermediate level (6th-8th) and Symphonic Band for the advanced level  (7th-8th).
 
These classes are for students who have had prior experience playing in a band class, take private lessons, or have an intermediate to advanced proficiency on their instrument. Students should be able to play 2-4 major scales and a chromatic scale on their instrument. Percussionists should be proficient on mallets and snare.  An enthusiastic attitude and a great work ethic are a must! These classes will perform often at an advanced level. Membership in these classes is contingent upon completing the prior year in Trojan Band or Concert Band, and/or an audition for new students or students wanting to skip a level. Band auditions are held in March and April. Please email Mrs. Anderson at [email protected] to audition for either band.
 
Band instruments are; flute, oboe, clarinet, bass clarinet, bassoon, alto sax, tenor sax, bari sax, trumpet, french horn, trombone, euphonium, baritone, tuba, and percussion (percussion students will play both bells and snare drum). Piano and guitar are not options for band (but we encourage piano and guitar players to pick a band instrument and join). All percussion students must pass a note reading test or select a different band instrument.  
This class is open to all students. The class will focus on basic performance skills, singing two-part and three-part music, vocal technique and musicianship.  If you are new to Fisher or would like to improve your singing skills in a group setting, this is a great class for you. We will attend performances throughout the school year as well as perform a wide variety of music for the school and community. 
These classes are for students who have had prior experience singing in a choral ensemble, take private voice, or are active in community/school musical theatre productions. There are two auditioned choir classes: Cambiata and Bel Canto. Choir auditions are held in the spring and will determine placement in the appropriate class. The choirs will perform often at an advanced level. An enthusiastic attitude and a great work ethic are a must! Membership in these choirs is contingent upon auditions, previous experience in Fisher's Treble Choir, and/or teacher approval.
The Musical Theatre class is open to 6th, 7th, and 8th grade students. Students will learn the history of Musical Theatre, audition skills, movement skills, and music skills. Fall semester will end with a showcase of scenes and spring semester will perform a show.

This class is for any student interested in learning to play a string instrument for the first time with no previous experience on the instrument or with reading music. This class is also appropriate for a current 5th grade student switching instruments in 6th grade OR a current 5th grade string player that needs more work on the foundation of holding the instrument and/or note reading. We will have several concerts and fun events planned for this class.  

This course is open to 6th-8th grade students that have basic music reading skills and instrument knowledge on a string instrument (violin, viola, cello, bass).  This class is a good fit for students who completed the 5th grade strings class as a whole and feel confident in the basic concepts and beginning note reading skills.  Trojan Strings will provide the foundational string techniques including characteristic tone quality of string instruments, rhythmic studies, bowing technique development, left hand finger patterns, scales, ear training, music reading, music vocabulary, music theory, music history, composer study, orchestral literature, and musical creativity. Emphasis is placed on developing skills that prepare the student for intermediate level string orchestra. Students will participate in at least two performances per year. 
This class is designed for students who have completed the Open String/Trojan Strings class and/or have taken private lessons for at least 1-2 years. In addition to the basic concepts covered in Open String/Trojan Strings, we will also learn; vibrato, tremolo, circle of 5ths, and complex rhythms/bow technique. A wide variety of music will be explored, as well as theory, music history, and ear training. This is an audition-based class. Auditions for the Intermediate Orchestra will be held in March and students will participate in at least two performances per year. 

The Advanced Orchestra is designed for students who have completed the intermediate orchestra or have taken private lessons for at least 2-3  years. We will continue to build on the musical concepts introduced in Intermediate orchestra, but with more complexity and intricacy. A wide variety of music will be explored, as well as theory, music history and ear training. Students will take musical understanding and playing to a new level and demonstrate their understanding at the many performance opportunities throughout the year. This is an audition-based class. Auditions for Advanced Orchestra will be held in March and students will participate in at least two performances per year. 

Chamber Strings is designed for students who would like to audition for Fisher’s top orchestra. Students playing at this level have taken private lessons for at least 3 years and/or completed the audition process with Mrs. Krijnen. These students are highly dedicated to learning their instrument and striving for excellence through music. Chamber Strings will perform at least 4-5 times per year at various events both during the week and on weekends. Please email Mrs. Krijnen at [email protected] if you would like to audition.