Middle School Electives (Grades 7–8)

The electives program at Sanford Middle School provides a well-balanced educational experience that will prepare students for future success. Students will gain exposure to courses including art, music, math, science, technology, marketing, programming, and health. The course offerings will aid student development, skills, and confidence in a manner outside the traditional classroom setting. The program combines both required and elective classes and occurs over the seventh- and eighth-grade years. It is student centered allowing each student to choose his or her path, and dovetails with the upper school program. Some courses will be one semester long and others will occupy a full year (or two semesters).

By the end of eighth grade, all students are required to have completed:

One year-long Health & Wellness course
One semester-long visual arts course, and band or chorus or one semester-long performing arts course.

Advanced Smartphone Photography

Become better picture takers and art makers. Images will be captured via smart phones (you provide) and iPads (we provide). Images will be pushed beyond just the initial shot through photo editing apps, traditional collage, and other media yet to be discovered as a means of making a final work of art.

**Digital Photography 101 highly recommended as a pre-requisite
Amazing American Women

Dive through history to examine the wonderful contributions women have accomplished through time. Explore the stories of incredible women of American history while considering their place in the lineage of our country.
Art Lab

Are you curious as to how and where the art materials you use every day are made? How do we live with purpose in a healthy community with a shift from consumers to creators and deepen our sense of place? Come learn about and make your own art materials and tools by foraging, digging, picking, pounding, and cooking a variety of substances found on Sanford's beautiful campus. Once made, the focus will shift to experiments with the developed materials to create art.
Art Sensory

Get all your senses involved as we explore new paths to making art. A jump start to boost your creativity as a skill to be practiced. Push the limits of your ability to generate ideas. Become better problem solvers and explorers. Lots of non-traditional art materials and genres.
Movies vs. History

In this elective, students will explore some favorite childhood movies and compare them to actual history. Movies such as Pocahontas, Mulan, and Anastasia will be viewed and put under the microscope for historical accuracy. Historical inaccuracies will be examined and the reasons why the creators made specific changes will be discussed.
Ceramics

Get messy making artwork with clay in this spring semester course! You will explore the media of clay and produce both sculptural and functional work. This course will focus on hand building techniques, creating work inspired by concepts, and allow for personal expression.
Concert Chorus 7/8

The Concert Chorus sings a varied repertoire of challenging, yet suitable choral literature. Students learn to apply the essential elements of singing, including proper posture, breathing, diction, and blending while singing in three parts. This ensemble performs at two school concerts each year and all members have the opportunity to audition for Junior All-State Chorus.
Creative Writing

Students who enjoy to creatively think and write will appreciate this elective where we spend time using different techniques and ways to craft different writing pieces. From fiction, to poetry, to drama, creative writing is the perfect opportunity for student writers out there.
Drawing

Learn to draw from observation using a variety of helpful techniques to strengthen compositions. Practice and build an understanding of how light shapes form, and how to accurately draw threedimensional forms. You will be surprised how much progress your drawing skills will make in just one semester, whether you are a beginner or advanced artist!
The Good Place and Moral Philosophy

Have you ever wondered where we go when we die? Me neither. Good thing NBC’s decorated sitcom The Good Place offers us a take on where we go and why. At the same time, it allows us an easy and fun way to explore components of moral philosophy, including moral imperatives, the doctrine of double effects, and the happiness pump.
History of Pop

Students will listen to and learn about popular music of the past century. Primarily focusing on American and British popular music of the 20th and 21st centuries, genres and eras of music covered will include but are not limited to: Tin Pan Alley, jazz, blues, rock, folk, country, disco, funk, electronic, pop, alternative, rap/hip-hop, dance, R&B/soul, and singer/songwriter. This is a listening-based class that will involve constructive discussion about the evolution of music and how it relates to the culture of its time
Household Arts

This elective will introduce basic household life skills in a project-driven curriculum. Units will include basic household and cooking skills, hand sewing, simple sewing machine skills, personal finance and budgeting, and simple woodworking projects. The planning and decision making required by these hands-on experiences will benefit students now and in the future.
How the Mind Works

Curious about why we do the things we do? In this elective, we’ll explore how your mind really works, including: how unreliable your perception and memories can be, how psychology plays into your everyday life, and the difference between the mind and the brain. Learners will gain valuable knowledge about human intellectual development, and how that plays a role both inside and outside of school.
Introduction to Acting and Improv

This class is designed to provide an introduction to the basics of stage acting. Students will gain basic skills in acting, improvisation, visualization, breathing, and relaxation, as well as a working vocabulary of theatre terms. No previous acting experience is required. The class will take students outside of their comfort zones and each student will be asked to perform monologues and scenes in front of the class.
Introduction to Guitar

Students in the Introduction to Guitar class develop basic skills and understanding of guitar technique through hands-on performance projects. Students learn how to write and read music, perform chord progressions, and read simple guitar tablature.
Material Culture

Material culture refers to the physical objects, resources, and spaces that people use to define their culture. In this elective, students will get a chance to study materials from homes, neighborhoods, schools, churches, restaurants, stores, and more from different time periods. We will look at how objects and their purpose have changed over time with advances in technology. Analyzing different materials will give us insight into the ideas, habits, and values of different cultures. Students will also have the opportunity to explore a culture of their own choice.
Math of Sports

In Math of Sports, students will understand the hidden math behind much of what drives modern sports. Why do so many NBA teams shoot 3-pointers now? What is the obsession with launch angle in MLB? And when does it actually make sense to go for it on 4th down? All of these questions can be answered with math!
Middle School Yearbook

Students will learn multiple facets of journalism including Photoshop basics, time management, and photography. Their work will be included in the Sanford School yearbook.
MS Music Technology

Students will familiarize themselves with elements of the digital audio workstation. Through music creation with GarageBand and Reason, music notation and arrangement with Sibelius, and sound recording and editing with Reason, students will learn the basic concepts of music technology. Students will also explore a production of both live and electronic music. Using the new Music Technology Lab, this class will provide handson experience for real world electronic music making. The course is a semester-long course and will be offered in each term for two different groups of students.
Nursing 101

Interested in the human body and how it works? Considering a career in the medical field? This course will introduce you to basic human anatomy and physiology, nursing skills, and the fascinating world of health care. Students will practice using medical terminology and taking vital signs while also learning about the human body and various medical diseases.
Outdoor Adventures

This will be a hands-on student-led elective and topics of study will vary depending on student interest. Students will craft old-school cane fishing poles, learn how to find natural bait, and catch and release fish from our pond. Additional activities will include: hiking in our woods, playing manhunt, learning how to build and sustain a fire, basic car maintenance, knot tying, and outdoor team building challenges.
Painting

The painting class will explore light, color, composition, and a variety of media and techniques. You will learn to reproduce images in your own expressive and personal style.
Photography

This course will teach the basics of making artistic photography and move beyond the typical selfie-and snapshot. Become better picture takers and visual artists through this exciting medium. Images will be captured via smartphones (you provide) and iPad (we provide). Different genres of photography will be explored such as product, portrait, journalistic, and self-expressive.
Printmaking

The art of making multiples using additive and subtractive methods of printing will be explored. The possibilities are endless!
Programming

Students will explore fun technologies, such as CAD design and programming, Google Sketch Up, Alice, and Scratch, as well as other coding opportunities. Students will create their programs and present all work to their peers. The course is a semester long course.
Health & Wellness

This required year-long course for seventh and eighth-grade students concentrates on issues of wellness and on the concept of health as a continuum. Topics discussed throughout the semester include: fitness and nutrition, communicable and chronic diseases, drugs, alcohol and tobacco issues, body systems, eating disorders, character education (resisting peer pressure, internet safety, and peer interactions) as well as other current health topics. The class lessons will be supplemented by guest speakers, novels, and hands-on lessons. All students are required to take this course during either the seventh or eighth-grade year.
Robotics

Students will be introduced to mini Spheros, Dash and VEX IQ robots. They will program each robot to complete missions in this project-based elective. The drag-and-drop programming, either using an application or software on our middle school lab computers, will introduce such commands as loops, repeat, if then else statements and many more.
Solar Car

Students will be divided into three teams to build a solar car with specific guidelines. A portfolio will be kept to document the design process. Additionally a log will document completed work, materials used, and adjustments made to the original design. Once complete, the teams will compete against each other to determine which two cars will be entered in the Annual Junior Solar Car Sprint Competition in Delaware.
Soldering Kits and Electrical Engineering

Students will be exposed to electrical engineering by completing kits that require students to use soldering techniques to create circuit boards. Throughout the process, students will learn about the different parts of the circuit boards. Planned kits: European Siren, Fiber optic kit, FM scanner radio, and more.
Sports in Society

Should we pay college athletes? Should protest be allowed in sports? Should football be banned? What do participation trophies do to motivation? Should women athletes make as much as men? These are the questions that we will be exploring in this elective. Those who say sports and politics don’t mix are missing out on all of the fun. How we view sports is often a window into how we view the world; therefore, in this class we will allow one to inform the other or even explore how they might contradict. We will examine these issues through documentaries, magazine features, and podcasts. We will also produce our own writing/videos/podcasts on provocative topics that most interest us.
STEM Exploration

In this semester-long course, students will be guided to produce their own ideas, objects, and structures according to certain specifications using concepts and skills from math, science, and technology. Working in both the computer lab and maker space, students will have hands-on, project-oriented goals to complete.
The Art of Leadership

Leadership, often thought of as an innate skill and talent that people are born with, is instead a skill that can be learned, nourished, and mastered. This course will explore the different traits that contribute to effective leadership. By examining different case studies of storied leaders, students will come to their own understanding of what makes a great leader and how every student in the class can improve on their leadership skills.
Technology in Marketing

In this semester-long course, students will learn the history of advertising and marketing, how it is used to reach consumers, and why it is important to businesses. Using desktop publishing, videography, podcasting, webdesign, and more, students will create their own advertisements individually or in teams. The course will be offered in one semester. Students may only take the course once.
To Infinity and Beyond

In this elective students will learn about all aspects of space. From planets, stars, and black holes to the life of an astronaut.
Woodworking

Wood shop introduces students to basic woodworking practices. Students will expand their knowledge of and experience with woodworking techniques through projects and lessons. Students will learn about and safely use hand tools, power tools, and woodworking machinery. Projects will be tailored to student ability allowing them to gain confidence and expertise. Learners will gain valuable life skills as they design, create, and craft their final products.
Zoology

Zoology is the study of animals. In this elective, students will explore how animals are classified and learn about different species. Through projects, games, and activities we will learn how about animal behavior and how animals survive day to day. Lastly, students will explore Chapel Valley to learn about the animals right here on Sanford's campus.
Adulting 100
Anger is a Gift

Much more than catchy tunes and memorable lyrics, protest songs harness the frustration, fear, and hope that artists feel by turning them into powerful pieces of music. These songs change thoughts and inspire movements. However, they would not have been possible without the observant and articulate artists who turned their thoughts into words by putting pen to paper. Together, we’ll explore what inspired these songs and why they are so powerful. Then, we’ll examine the world around us to discover what is making us tick so we can harness our own reactions by making our own protest songs.
Art and Nature
Art Exploration
Art N' Nature

Artists have always looked to nature to examine the relationship between art and science. From the greatest painters of yesteryear to some of today’s most promising talents, nature has undeniably proven itself to be one of the most treasured muses known to humankind.
Arts and Crafts

This course will allow students to explore different art mediums such as creating crochet masterpieces, making handcrafted bracelets, and much much more. All students need are some provided art supplies and a willingness to try new things.
Brain Twisters

Sudoku, Nerdle, Set, Equate, 24, and much more! Learn about puzzles and games that involve numbers. We will learn to do different puzzles and games that involve patterns and some that involve words as well. Collaboratively and individually, we will test ourselves, stretch our minds, and try different puzzles!
Career Explorations
Chopped Art

This design thinking course will exercise students’ brains with short daily exercises to complete in an allotted amount of time. The emphasis is on generating and exploring ideas and solutions. Final projects will expand on one of the prompts to fruition.
Collage
Concert Band 7/8
Culture Beyond Language
Discovering the World
Discovering the World Through Cinema

This course will concentrate on the presentation of different cultures, traditions, and languages from around the world. Students will watch movies from different countries on different continents. They will concentrate on the cinematic medium to examine the approach of producers in capturing cultural elements. At the beginning of the course, students will take a quick look at how producers use lights, camera angles, sounds, and sceneries to capture their audience's attention and narrate the stories. Students will also have an open discussion following each movie. Students will be encouraged to compare and contrast their cinematographic and cultural observations between countries and the United States.
Ecology

In this elective, students will explore how animals are classified and learn about different species. Through projects, games, and activities students will learn how about animal behavior and how animals survive day to day. Lastly, students will explore Sanford’s Chapel Valley to learn about the animals right here on Sanford's campus.
Engineering
Environmental Crisis
Escape Artist
Fiber Arts
Happenings of Broadway
Hispanic Festivities
Hispanic Festivities
Hispanic Food and Culture

¡Vamos a estudiar los países hispanos! Students will explore Latin America through food, traditions, and culture in this course. They will compare traditions in various countries and learn about some places that make countries unique. Students do not need to be a Spanish student to take this course. They just need a love of travel and culture!
History of Food
History of Food
History of Sports
Introduction to Piano

In this hands-on introductory class, students will learn beginning piano skills and fundamentals of music literacy, including basic notation, rhythms, time signatures, and intervals. Each student will be provided a class keyboard and set of headphones to use at school. Prior piano or music experience is not required. The course progression and content will be individualized for each student.
Latin American Folktales
Let's Road Trip
Memory
Metals
Mixed Media

While collage usually means to "assemble," this studio art course will combine the art form of collage with mixed media to create unique 2 and 3-dimensional works of art using a plethora of traditional and non-traditional art materials.
Modern Explorers
More than Music
Mythology

Students will explore how myths are used by cultures to explain the world around them. Students will also be exposed to mythology from all over including Greek, Chinese, African, Native American, Korean, Mayan, Jewish, Spanish, Australian mythology, and more. The class will incorporate many student choices in what they research and learn through stories, discussion, and movies!
Our Story
Percussion Exploration

This performance-focused class gives students the opportunity to learn basic percussion techniques and apply them to performing percussion literature. Previous musical experience is not required, but students can expect to learn fundamental music concepts, including an introduction to note-reading. The class will be structured in a group-learning format and will perform a concert at the end of the semester.
Personal Finance

Students will learn money management techniques such as how interest rates work, what to think about when choosing a loan, and the difference between good and bad credit. This will be done through interactive games and activities as well as discussions. By the end of this course, students will be able to create a basic balanced budget and have a new understanding of the importance of knowing the value of a dollar.
Philosophy

In this course, students will explore and learn about the foundations of journalism including journalistic standards, reporting, researching, and publishing. As a result, the students will publish their own school newspaper a few times over the course of the semester.
Philosophy in Media
Printmaking
Recycled
Rock Band
See Spot

Explore the magical world of children’s books! Stories that may seem simple at first glance actually have many layers that can educate and entertain children, teenagers, and adults. Students who like to read, draw, and write, this class will give you a place to do that using children’s books as models. Be a kid again and enjoy children’s books!
Shark Tank
Smartphone Photography
Song Writing

Students will create their own music similar to what they hear on the radio! They will have the opportunity to explore and study how contemporary and famous singer/songwriters create and write music. Students will learn introductory music production skills such as recording and basic mixing. Additionally, they will learn and practice strategies for how to write their own lyrics and songs. This is a performance and composition-based course that requires students to sing or rap, make music electronically or play an accompaniment instrument like a guitar, ukulele, or piano. At the end of this course, students will have their own mini album of original songs they created from start to finish.
Sports Media
Sports Psychology
Stock Market
Stockmarket
Strategic Board Games

How have natural disasters changed our world? What possible disasters await in the future? During this class, students will explore the most destructive tsunamis, earthquakes, volcanoes, and fires that have occurred here on earth both pre-historic and during human lifetimes. One of the most famous tsunamis of recent history was “caught on camera” by vacationers in Thailand during the devastating tsunami that hit areas of the Pacific Southwest in 2004. Students will watch and discuss those events in order to better understand just how fragile our world is and how powerful nature can be during times of natural disaster.
Team Building

Students will engage in team-building activities that will help build their communication and leadership skills. The semester will begin with teacher-driven activities. By the end of the semester, students will design and lead their own group activities.
The World Around Us
What is Justice

Does it mean equality, equity, and/or fairness? In this course, students will explore the meaning of justice, what justice looks like in different societies, and what justice should look like at Sanford. Students will watch documentaries, participate in mock trials, and take part in debates to better understand the meaning of justice in our world.
Wheel Throwing
World Music Drumming

Students will be introduced to percussion music of different cultures from around the world. In this performance-based course, students will perform music from different countries spanning the globe in a percussion ensemble setting. Students will also participate in discussions about the countries, customs, and culture that the music comes from. At the end of the semester, students will participate in an informal concert showcasing what they have learned in class.