AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) is a national program designed to develop college readiness in students school wide. AVID’s Mission Statement is to close the achievement gap by preparing all students for college readiness and success in a global society.” Our nation’s schools are full of students who possess a desire to go to college and the willingness to work hard, but many of them do not truly have the opportunity to be college-ready. These are often the students who will be the first in their families to attend college and are from groups traditionally underrepresented in higher education. To address this need, AVID has developed the AVID Elective course. For one period a day, students receive the additional academic, social, and emotional support that will help them succeed in their school’s most rigorous courses. AVID uses WICOR (writing, inquiry, collaboration, organization, and reading) as the building blocks of their curriculum; teaching students to think critically and take ownership of their learning. An AVID classroom is student centered environment where students learn to collaborate, question, and gain a deeper understanding of their learning.

Agriscience I, II, III

 
Agriscience I is designed to provide an understanding of the agricultural food system, environmental resources, and strategies used to produce and market agricultural products, and an exploration of research through the use of the scientific method. The student will take a closer look at agriculture and learn about the research and development of our food supply.

Agriscience II is designed for students that have already covered the basic introduction to agriculture. This course is designed to provide instruction that explores the tasks, training, education and physical requirements of a broad range of agriscience and natural resources careers. Students will develop competencies in the areas of agricultural literacy, importance of agriculture, the role of science, math, reading, writing, geography, history, and technology in agriculture, plants and animals, and sources of consumer goods from agriculture. Students will take a more in depth look into plants, animals, natural resources, and food science as they learn more about our food system.

Agriscience III is designed to provide an understanding of the agricultural food system, environmental resources, and strategies used to produce and market agricultural products, and an exploration of research through the use of the scientific method. The student will take a closer look at agriculture and learn about the research and development of our food supply.

Band 1

Students with little or no instrumental experience develop foundational instrumental technique, foundational music literacy, and aesthetic musical awareness through rehearsal, performance, and study of high-quality band literature. Instrumentalists work on the fundamentals of music notation, sound production, instrument care and maintenance, and personal and group rehearsal strategies. Public performances may serve as a culmination of specific instructional goals. Students may be required to attend and/or participate in rehearsals and performances outside the school day to support, extend, and assess learning in the classroom. This course may also require students to obtain a musical instrument (e.g., borrow, rent, purchase) from an outside source.
 

Band 2

Students with previous band experience build on instrumental technique, music literacy, and aesthetic response through rehearsal, performance, and study of a variety of high-quality band literature. Instrumentalists expand their knowledge of music notation, music theory, sound production, and personal and group rehearsal strategies. Public performances may serve as a culmination of specific instructional goals. Students may be required to attend and/or participate in rehearsals and performances outside the school day to support, extend, and assess learning in the classroom. This course may also require students to obtain a musical instrument (e.g., borrow, rent, purchase) from an outside source.
 

Band 3

Students with previous band experience expand on their instrumental technique, music literacy, and aesthetic response through rehearsal, performance, and study of a variety of intermediate-level, high-quality band literature. Instrumentalists extend their knowledge of music notation and theory, sound production, and personal and group rehearsal strategies. Public performances may serve as a culmination of specific instructional goals. Students may be required to attend and/or participate in rehearsals and performances outside the school day to support, extend, and assess learning in the classroom. This course may also require students to obtain a musical instrument (e.g., borrow, rent, purchase) from an outside source.

Chorus 1

Students with little or no choral experience develop beginning vocal technique and skills, critical and creative thinking skills, and an appreciation of music from around the world and through time. Public performances may serve as a culmination of specific instructional goals. Students may be required to attend and/or participate in rehearsals and performances outside the school day to support, extend, and assess learning in the classroom.

Chorus 2

Students build on previous choral experience to expand vocal, technical, musical, and ensemble skills through rehearsal, performance, and study of high-quality choral literature. Singers focus on increasing knowledge of music theory, music literacy, and aesthetic response. Public performances may serve as a culmination of specific instructional goals. Students may be required to attend and/or participate in rehearsals and performances outside the school day to support, extend, and assess learning in the classroom.

Chorus 3

Students with previous choral experience build intermediate-level knowledge of vocal technique, musical literacy, ensemble skills, and related musical knowledge through rehearsal, performance, and study of a variety of high-quality 2-, 3-, and 4-part choral literature. Public performances may serve as a culmination of specific instructional goals. Students may be required to attend and/or participate in rehearsals and performances outside the school day to support, extend, and assess learning in the classroom.

ELA courses utilize state-approved adopted instructional materials to teach the state benchmarks. The Curriculum and Digital Learning Department provides a scope and sequence for ELA Instruction, as well as supplemental instructional resources.

The Orange County ELA Team works to support schools and teachers in their efforts to provide rigorous curriculum and instruction to all students and ensure that all students throughout our diverse district have equal access to a quality education.

Exceptional Student Education (ESE) services plays an important part in addressing the needs of students with unique learning needs. Over 14 different ESE programs and related services are available for eligible students in preschool to 12th grade. The primary focus on each program is to provide the most appropriate educational services for the student through research-based instructional and behavioral approaches.
 

This course consists of the following content areas and literacy strands:  Financial Literacy, Economics, Mathematics, Language Arts for Literacy in History/Social Studies, and Speaking and Listening.  Content standards are designed to deepen students' understanding of personal financial literacy from an economic perspective.  A basic understanding of economics provides a critical framework to make informed decisions about budgeting, saving, and investing.  In learning basic economics, students come to appreciate that choices have costs and benefits, and that it is often necessary to sort through complex information and weigh multiple costs and benefits before arriving at a decision.  Emphasis will be placed on economic decision-making and real-life applications using real data.

The primary content for the course pertains to the study of learning the ideas, concepts, knowledge, and skills that will enable students to make sound personal finance decisions; to become wise, successful, and informed consumers, savers, borrowers, investors, risk managers, and future employees or employers; and to be participating and informed members of the global economy. 

Grade 6 Mathematics

In Grade 6, instructional time should focus on four critical areas: (1) connecting ratio and rate to whole number multiplication and division and using concepts of ratio and rate to solve problems; (2) completing understanding of division of fractions and extending the notion of number to the system of rational numbers, which includes negative numbers; (3) writing, interpreting, and using expressions and equations; and (4) developing understanding of statistical thinking.
 

Grade 6 Mathematics Advanced

In this Grade 6 Advanced Mathematics course, instructional time should focus on six critical areas: (1) connecting ratio and rate to whole number multiplication and division and using concepts of ratio and rate to solve problems; (2) completing understanding of division of fractions and extending the notion of number to the system of rational numbers, which includes negative numbers; (3) writing, interpreting, and using expressions and equations; (4) developing understanding of statistical thinking; (5) developing understanding of and applying proportional relationships; and (6) developing understanding of operations with rational numbers and working with expressions and linear equations.
 

Grade 7 Mathematics 

In Grade 7,instructional time should focus on four critical area: (1) developing understanding of and applying proportional relationships; (2) developing understanding of operations with rational numbers and working with expressions and linear equations; (3) solving problems involving scale drawings and informal geometric constructions, and working with two- and three-dimensional shapes to solve problems involving area, surface area, and volume; and (4) drawing inferences about populations based on samples.
 

Grade 7 Mathematics Advanced

In this Grade 7 Advanced Mathematics course, instructional time should focus on five critical area: (1) solving problems involving scale drawings and informal geometric constructions, and working with two- and three-dimensional shapes to solve problems involving area, surface area, and volume; (2) drawing inferences about populations based on samples; (3) formulating and reasoning about expressions and equations, including modeling an association in bivariate data with a linear equation, and solving linear equations and systems of linear equations; (4) grasping the concept of a function and using functions to describe quantitative relationships; and (5) analyzing two- and three-dimensional space and figures using distance, angle, similarity, and congruence, and understanding and applying the Pythagorean Theorem.
 

Grade 8 Pre-Algebra

In Grade 8, instructional time should focus on three critical areas: (1) formulating and reasoning about expressions and equations, including modeling an association in bivariate data with a linear equation, and solving linear equations and systems of linear equations; (2) grasping the concept of a function and using functions to describe quantitative relationships; (3) analyzing two- and three-dimensional space and figures using distance, angle, similarity, and congruence, and understanding and applying the Pythagorean Theorem.
 

Algebra 1 

The fundamental purpose of this course is to formalize and extend the mathematics that students learned in the middle grades. The critical areas, called units, deepen and extend understanding of linear and exponential relationships by contrasting them with each other and by applying linear models to data that exhibit a linear trend, and students engage in methods for analyzing, solving, and using quadratic functions. The Standards for Mathematical Practice apply throughout each course, and, together with the content standards, prescribe that students experience mathematics as a coherent, useful, and logical subject that makes use of their ability to make sense of problem situations.
 

Algebra 1 Honors 

The fundamental purpose of this course is to formalize and extend the mathematics that students learned in the middle grades. The critical areas, called units, deepen and extend understanding of linear and exponential relationships by contrasting them with each other and by applying linear models to data that exhibit a linear trend, and students engage in methods for analyzing, solving, and using quadratic functions. The Standards for Mathematical Practice apply throughout each course and, together with the content standards, prescribe that students experience mathematics as a coherent, useful, and logical subject that makes use of their ability to make sense of problem situations.
 

Geometry Honors 

The fundamental purpose of the course in Geometry is to formalize and extend students' geometric experiences from the middle grades. Students explore more complex geometric situations and deepen their explanations of geometric relationships, moving towards formal mathematical arguments. Important differences exist between this Geometry course and the historical approach taken in Geometry classes. For example, transformations are emphasized early in this course. Close attention should be paid to the introductory content for the Geometry conceptual category found in the high school standards. The Standards for Mathematical Practice apply throughout each course and, together with the content standards, prescribe that students experience mathematics as a coherent, useful, and logical subject that makes use of their ability to make sense of problem situations.

Beginning Orchestra

Beginning Orchestra offers instruction on violin, viola, cello, and string bass instruments with a focus on the skills necessary for long-term success. Fundamentals stressed include proper posture and playing position, development of characteristic tone quality and training in music literacy. All instruments should be provided for the students by their parents if at all possible, but there are a limited supply of OCPS instruments if there are financial concerns. Please feel free to contact the director for recommendations regarding instrument purchase or rental suggestions. This class is ideal for those who were unable or only partially able to participate in an instrumental music class during previous school experiences. Beginning Orchestra class may also be ideal for those already with experience but who may need a review and reinforcement of music reading, playing fundamentals and technique that are vital for lasting musical development. Students of any grade level are welcome. This orchestra meets daily as for approximately forty five minutes. These groups will perform in the Winter and Spring Orchestra Concerts. No audition is required for placement in the Introductory Strings—all that is necessary is the desire and motivation to study a musical instrument!

Intermediate Orchestra

Intermediate Orchestra is for students who already have an understanding of basic music reading, instrument assembly and maintenance, correct playing position and sound tone production. Instruction offers continued focus on the refinement of tone quality, technique, aural skills and music literacy. Similarly, select students may have the opportunity to transition to instruments that may not have been offered in previous school experiences. All instruments should be provided for the students by their parents if at all possible, but there are a limited supply of OCPS instruments if there are financial concerns. Please feel free to contact the director for recommendations regarding instrument purchase or rental suggestions. This orchestra meets daily as for approximately forty five minutes. These groups will perform in the Winter and Spring Orchestra Concerts.

READING 

This course provides instruction that enables students to accelerate the development of reading and writing skills and to strengthen those skills so they are able to successfully read and write middle-grade level text independently. Instruction emphasizes reading comprehension, writing fluency, and vocabulary study through the use of a variety of literary and informational texts encompassing a broad range of text structures, genres, and levels of complexity. Texts used for instruction focus on a wide range of topics, including content-area information, in order to support students in meeting the knowledge and demands of increasingly complex text. Students enrolled in the course will engage in interactive text-based discussion, question generation, and research opportunities. They will write in response to reading and cite evidence when answering text-dependent questions orally and in writing. The course provides extensive opportunities for students to collaborate with their peers. Scaffolding is provided as necessary as students engage in reading and writing increasingly complex text and is removed as the reading and writing abilities of the students improve over time.

6th Grade Comp. Science 1

Comprehensive science 1 is the first in a series of three consecutive science classes. This course introduces science, energy, force, weather, climate, the earth’s systems, and the living world. Some topics are explored in depth while others are introduced to serve as building blocks for comprehensive science 2 and 3. During this course students will explore science through everyday examples and experiences. Students will participate in activities and online laboratory experiences to apply what they have learned.
 

6th grade Life Science-Adv

Laboratory investigations that include the use of scientific inquiry, research, measurement, problem solving, laboratory apparatus and technologies, experimental procedures, and safety procedures are an integral part of this course. The national science teacher association (NSTA) recommends that at the middle school level, all students should have multiple opportunities every week to explore science laboratory investigations (labs). School laboratory investigations are defined by the national research council (NRC) as an experience in the laboratory, classroom, or the field that provides students with opportunities to interact directly with natural phenomena or with data collected by others using tools, materials, data collection techniques, and models (NRC, 2006, p. 3). Laboratory investigations in the middle school classroom should help all students develop a growing understanding of the complexity and ambiguity of empirical work, as well as the skills to calibrate and troubleshoot equipment used to make observations. Learners should understand measurement error; and have the skills to aggregate, interpret, and present the resulting data (NRC 2006, p. 77; NSTA, 2007).
 

Comp. Science 2

Comprehensive Science 2 is the second course in the m/j comprehensive science sequence. In this course, students explore: the foundations of science, energy, the earth and its features, the earth’s internal and external structures and how they change, the earth’s history, living things and how they change and interact, genetics and heredity, and the organization of the living world. Some of these topics are introduced and serve as a foundation for comprehensive science 3 and others are discussed in detail. Students will learn through real-world examples and virtually visit six different continents to see science in action all over the world. Students will participate in activities and online laboratory experiences to apply what they have learned.
 

Earth Space Science Honors

Earth and Space Science (ESS) explores the interconnections between the land, ocean, atmosphere, and life of our planet. These include the cycles of water, carbon, rock, and other materials that continuously shape, influence, and sustain earth and its inhabitants. ESS also explores the cyclical interactions between the earth system and the sun and moon.
 

Comp. Science 3

M/j comprehensive science 3 is an eighth-grade course that covers a variety of topics in the field of science. It begins with basic skills used in scientific investigations. Students will learn how to conduct a scientific investigation and use the scientific method when applicable. Students will also be able to demonstrate the skills used by scientists when conducting these investigations and communicating the results that they discover. This curriculum will develop the students' ability in scientific inquiry and apply these skills to experiments. The curriculum includes an overview of chemistry, earth and space science, and life sciences. Students will also be able to apply mathematical concepts that apply to the field of science.

World History

The primary content for this course pertains to the world's earliest civilizations to the ancient and classical civilizations of Africa, Asia, and Europe. Students will be exposed to the multiple dynamics of world history including economics, geography, politics, and religion/philosophy. Students will study methods of historical inquiry and primary and secondary historical documents.
 

Civics

The primary content for the course pertains to the principles, functions, and organization of government; the origins of the American political system; the roles, rights, responsibilities of United States citizens; and methods of active participation in our political system. The course is embedded with strong geographic and economic components to support civic education instruction.
 

US History & Career Planning

Primary content emphasis for this course pertains to the study of American history from the Exploration and Colonization period to the Reconstruction Period following the Civil War. Students will be exposed to the historical, geographic, political, economic, and sociological events which influenced the development of the United States and the resulting impact on world history. So that students can clearly see the relationship between cause and effect in historical events, students should have the opportunity to explore those fundamental ideas and events which occurred after Reconstruction.

Beginning Spanish

M/J Spanish Beginning introduces students to the target language and its culture. Students will learn beginning skills in listening and speaking and an introduction to basic skills in reading and writing. Also, culture, connections, comparisons, and communities are included in this one-year course.

This course shall integrate the Goal 3 Student Performance Standards of the Florida System of School Improvement and Accountability as appropriate to the content and processes of the subject matter. It also must reflect appropriate Next Generation Sunshine State Standards benchmarks and Florida Standards for English language arts and mathematics.

Spanish 1- High School Credit Course 

Spanish 1 introduces students to the target language and its culture. The student will develop communicative skills in all 3 modes of communication and cross-cultural understanding. Emphasis is placed on proficient communication in the language. An introduction to reading and writing is also included as well as culture, connections, comparisons, and communities.

AMMS STEM Academy

AGRISCIENCE • ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGY • MEDICAL SCIENCE

What is STEM?

STEM is an acronym for science, technology, engineering, and math. STEM education is not only critical for preparing our future leaders, doctors, rocket scientists, and game designers – it’s becoming more important for every type of job in the workforce. The problem is that most countries in the world aren’t producing enough STEM graduates. According to the U. S. Department of Commerce, STEM occupations are growing at 17%, while other occupations are growing at 9.8%. STEM degree holders have a higher income even in non-STEM careers. Science, technology, engineering and mathematics workers play a key role in the sustained growth and stability of the U.S. economy and are a critical component in helping the U.S. win the future. STEM education creates critical thinkers, increases science literacy, and enables the next generation of innovators. Innovation leads to new products and processes that sustain our economy. This innovation and science literacy depends on a solid knowledge base in the STEM areas.

Why STEM?

The National Science Foundation states, "In the 21st century, scientific and technological innovations have become increasingly important as we face the benefits and challenges of both globalization and a knowledge-based economy. To succeed in this new information-based and highly technological society, students need to develop their capabilities in STEM to levels much beyond what was considered acceptable in the past."

Our Goals & Mission:

To build STEM literacy for students at Apopka Memorial Middle School while providing real-world learning experiences and exposure to careers in science, technology, engineering, and math via the Project Lead The Way (PLTW) platform and curriculum.