2024-2025

TMS Related Arts

(Including Career & Technical Education (CTE) Offerings)

TMS 6th Grade Related Arts

• Physical Education 6: The physical education program at TMS provides the opportunity for students to learn a variety of sports and sport-related movements, as well as develop the basic concept of fitness testing, based on the required state standards for sixth grade. Students’ skill levels will be assessed on five components: Motor Skills, Cognitive Components, Fitness and Physical Activity, Personal and Social Responsibility, and Values of Physical Activity. Emphasis is placed on active participation, positive social interaction during all fitness and sports activities, and the development of a healthy and physically active lifestyle. 

• Wellness 6: This course is designed to teach students about the various aspects of health and fitness. Throughout the course, students learn about all the components that go into being healthy including the different types of exercise as well as their benefits, nutrition, mental health, and so much more. Students will also learn the basics of strength training, aerobic training, balance and stability training, coordination and agility training, and flexibility and mobility training.

• Health 6:  This course is an exploratory class intended to spark interest in pursuing our Introduction to Health Science 7 and Health Science Education 8 classes. Upon completion of this course, a proficient student will understand the components of healthy lifestyles and relationships, communication skills, relationship development, technology uses, and healthcare career exploration.

• Fundamentals for Art 6: This course will focus on the Elements of Art, and projects will be centered around seven key vocabulary words. This will help students refine skills learned in elementary school and help secure a good foundation in the basis of art for the following years.

• Digital Art 6:  

• Band 6: This is Beginning Band: The class will meet as woodwinds or brass/percussion daily.  Students will learn how to read pitch and rhythm, play instruments, and make music as a group. There will be two band concerts.

• Chorus 6: A non-audition, year-long introductory course designed to review previously learned elementary music content. This is a singing and performance-based class where students will refine their musical knowledge and continue their music education to adapt to a choral setting. Two large after-school performances (a fall and a spring concert.) are required for this course. Other smaller performances may occur during the school day, and other optional performance opportunities may be available.

• Music 6: This non-performing music class is designed to be a music appreciation course that teaches students about the “ingredients” of music such as melody, harmony, notation, texture, style, rhythm, and form. Students will also explore music history, instruments, music technology, music careers, composition, music genres, dance, and theatre. The goal of general music is to build a lifelong appreciation of various styles of music in an engaging and interactive classroom setting. Student input regarding areas of interest is considered when creating units of study.
• Computer Science Discoveries 6: Web Design: In Web Development, students are empowered to create and share content on their web pages. This course centers around basic web design using HTML. Students are also introduced to problem-solving as it relates to programming while they learn valuable skills such as debugging, using resources, and teamwork. After the unit, students will have created a personal website they can publish and share.

• STEM Explorers 6: This is a course for middle school students to search for answers to “What is STEM?” Students will understand science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) as a collection of interrelated disciplines, rather than a series of isolated fields. Students will discuss how the STEM disciplines work together to investigate the world, define problems, and create optimal solutions to benefit society. In this course, students will explore the history of engineering and technology; they will be introduced to the practices of science and engineering; and they will explore various STEM fields to empower them to make an informed decision when selecting a career pathway in high school.

• Career Exploration 6: In this course, students will use multiple platforms to explore different careers of interest, review career clusters, understand career pathways, and start developing their academic career plans. They will take a career inventory assessment and a learning style assessment to help them understand what they need to be successful in an academic setting. Students will review study skills, etc. to help understand what will work best for them individually.

TMS 7th Grade Related Arts

• Physical Education 7: The physical education program at TMS provides the opportunity for students to build on prior knowledge of sports and sport-related movements based on the required state standards for 7th Grade, as well as improve on previous fitness testing results. Students’ skill levels will be assessed on five components: Motor Skills, Cognitive Components, Fitness and Physical Activity, Personal and Social Responsibility, and Values of Physical Activity. Emphasis is placed on active participation, positive social interaction during all fitness and sports activities, and the development of a healthy and physically active lifestyle.

• Advanced PE 7: An interactive course that incorporates the five health-related components of fitness and other fitness concepts; physiology, introduction to weightlifting, wellness, and many other topics related to healthy living. This course is designed to enhance lifelong skills for physical fitness. 

• Principles of Art 7: This course will focus on the Principles of Art and our projects will be centered around eight concepts and ideas. This will help refine and enhance basic skills learned in previous years, emphasizing abstract ideas that will help students better expand their art.

• Advanced Digital Art 7:

• Band 7: 2nd year band students will meet as woodwinds or brass/percussion twice a week and as a full band class on Fridays. Students will continue their progress in learning to read rhythms and pitches, gain greater skills on their instruments, and make music as a group and as individuals. Students can participate in the local/regional honor band. There will be 2 band concerts and an evening performance with the THS band.

• Instrumental Music 7:   This course helps students develop techniques for playing basic Guitar and Bucket drums.  It will include an introduction to reading different forms of music notation.  There is an emphasis on tone production, timing, rhythms, basic hand techniques, and playing in a group.  Also included are experiences in creating and responding to music.

• Chorus 7: A non-audition, year-long, singing and performance-based class where students will continue scaffolding prior music knowledge to strengthen and broaden their choral music education. Students will be introduced to more challenging grade-appropriate literature which prepares them for 8th grade chorus. Two large after-school performances (a fall and a spring concert) are required for this course. Other smaller performances may occur during the school day, and other optional performance opportunities may be available.

• Computer Solutions 7: Computer Animation: In Interactive Animations, students create programmatic images, animations, interactive art, and games. Starting with simple, primitive shapes and building up to more sophisticated sprite-based games, students become familiar with the programming concepts and the design process computer scientists use daily. They then learn how these simpler constructs can be combined to create more complex programs. In the final project, students develop a personalized, interactive program.

• STEM Innovators 7: This is a course for middle school students to understand the relationship between STEM and innovation, as well as explore the possibilities of “What could be?” Students will understand why innovation is important and how it benefits society. Students will learn how innovation requires creativity and leads to discoveries and technologies that make life better for humans. Students will identify past innovations and what inspired their creation, continue learning the practices of science and engineering, and reinforce the specific practices of developing and using models; planning and carrying out investigations; and analyzing and interpreting data.

• Career Exploration 7: This course will focus on career exploration as well as preparation regarding the student’s academic and career planning. Students will use multiple platforms to learn and understand different career pathways, specific career opportunities in each pathway, and the education and skills needed for specific careers. Students will develop an academic career plan which they will continue to add to and develop throughout their academic career.

• Intro to Health Science 7: Intro to Health Science is a prerequisite course for Health Science Education (offered in 8th grade) which is the initial foundational course for all the Health Science programs of study and is designed to prepare students to pursue careers in Health Care. In this course, students will be introduced to healthcare occupations, health science terminology, and ethical obligations, and will begin to understand the skills needed/required for careers in this pathway.

TMS 8th Grade Related Arts

• Physical Education 8: The physical education program at TMS provides the opportunity for students to build on prior knowledge of sports and sport-related movements based on the required state standards for 8th Grade, as well as developing an individual fitness plan. Students’ skill levels will be assessed on five components: Motor Skills, Cognitive Components, Fitness and Physical Activity, Personal and Social Responsibility, and Values of Physical Activity. Emphasis is placed on active participation, positive social interaction during all fitness and sports activities, and the development of a healthy and physically active lifestyle. 

• Strength and Conditioning 8: Strength and Conditioning will emphasize muscular strength, endurance, flexibility, conditioning, and safety. The core lifts in this course include parallel squats, cleans, and bench presses. Weight room safety, warm-up/cool-down procedures, lifting technique and safety for all lifts, major muscle identification, and individual goal setting are all important components of this course. In addition, students will monitor and improve their fitness levels by participating in the “Bigger, Stronger, Faster” program utilized by THS.

• Art Exploration 8: This course will focus on multiple types of art creation and mediums. Projects will be centered around differences in the ways one can create meaningful art. We will also begin the transition from dependent to more independent-based projects to help students prepare for art in the high school setting.
• Media Arts 8:

• Band 8: Third-year band students will meet as woodwinds or brass/percussion twice a week and as a full band class on Fridays. Students will continue their progress in learning to read rhythms and pitches, gain greater skills on their instruments, and make music as a group and as individuals. Students can participate in the local/regional honor band. Students will also participate in a Tennessee High School band event on the first Saturday in October. There will be 2 band concerts and an evening performance with the THS band.

• Instrumental Music 8:  This course helps students develop basic Guitar and Bucket drum techniques.  It will include an introduction to reading different forms of music notation.  There is an emphasis on tone production, timing, rhythms, basic hand techniques, and playing in a group.  Also included are experiences in creating and responding to music. 

• Chorus 8: A non-audition, year-long, singing and performance-based class where students will continue scaffolding prior music knowledge to strengthen and broaden their choral music education. Students will perform intermediate literature which will prepare them for high school performance opportunities. The focus of this class will be to prepare students for high school performance groups. Two large after-school performances (a fall and a spring concert) are required for this course. Other smaller performances may occur during the school day, and other optional performance opportunities may be available.

• Music 8: This non-performing music class is designed to be a music appreciation course that teaches students about the “ingredients” of music such as melody, harmony, notation, texture, style, rhythm, and form. Students will also explore music history, instruments, music technology, music careers, composition, music genres, dance, and theatre. The goal of general music is to build a lifelong appreciation of a variety of styles of music in an engaging and interactive classroom setting. Student input regarding areas of interest is considered when creating units of study.

• Computer Solutions 8: Physical Computing: In Physical Computing, students explore the role of physical devices in computing. Using App Lab and Adafruit’s Circuit Playground, students develop programs that utilize the same hardware inputs and outputs that they see in the smart devices, looking at how a simple rough prototype can lead to a finished product. Then, students explore how physical devices can be used to react to the world around them using a “maker” mindset to create prototypes with everyday materials.

• STEM Designers 8: A middle school course that trains students to define problems and methodically answer the question, “What is the solution?” Students understand that engineering design is a process of developing solutions to problems and challenges to meet the needs of society. Students continue to apply the practices for science and engineering learned in STEM Explorers and STEM Innovators; however, STEM Designers place more emphasis on practices such as using mathematics and computational thinking; designing solutions; engaging in argument from evidence; and obtaining, evaluating, and communicating information. Students will learn how both innovation and engineering design result in new technologies that benefit humans.

• Life Skills 8:  Life Skills 8 is an exploratory class designed to help students evaluate career options based on the alignment of skill sets, academics, and personality.  Students will also demonstrate an understanding of soft skills and hard skills that are needed to be successful in pursuit of a career and successful in life. Upon completion of this course, proficient students will use their knowledge of individual strengths combined with career interests to meaningfully research pathways to postsecondary and work success, including the creation of high school coursework plans, career preparation materials, and ideal employee profiles.

8th Grade High School Credit Related Arts Classes

To be eligible to take a High School Credit Related Arts Course, the following criteria are required: A/B Average in All-Academic Classes in 7th Grade, high work ethic (as reported by 7th-grade teachers), and Satisfactory Attendance. All High School Credit Related Arts courses count towards your student's High School GPA. If a student signs up for a High School Credit course and decides they want to drop the class, they must do so within 5 days of the course start date. They must contact Mr. Stevens in the 8th-grade Guidance Office to make the change.

• Health Science Education 8: Health Science Education is the initial foundational course for all the Health Science programs of study and is designed to prepare students to pursue careers in Health Care. Upon completion of this course, students will be able to identify careers in healthcare-related fields, compare and contrast the features of healthcare systems, explain the legal and ethical ramifications of the healthcare setting, and begin to perform foundational healthcare skills. This course is a High School Credit Course. Students who take this course will earn an elective credit toward their high school credits. This grade will be recorded on their high school transcript and factor into their high school GPA. * See the criteria for high school credit courses below.

• Introduction to Marketing and Entrepreneurship 8: This course helps students prepare for the growing complexities of the business world by examining basic principles of business, marketing, entrepreneurship, and finance in addition to exploring key aspects of leadership, ethical and social responsibilities, and careers. Through guest speakers, projects, and hands-on activities, students learn how to start a business and create their first business plan. If you are thinking about owning your own business or majoring in business, marketing, or finance in college, this is the class for you! This course is a High School Credit Course. Students who take this course will earn an elective credit toward their high school credits. This grade will be recorded on their high school transcript and factor into their high school GPA. * See the criteria for high school credit courses below.

• Career Advising and Planning 8: Career Advising and Planning is a course designed to show mastery of strategic career advising and planning through (a) articulating personal academic strengths and applying them to specific career and education requirements; (b) evaluating career options based on the alignment of skill sets, academics, and personality; (c) understanding the components of financing postsecondary education and beyond; and (d) engaging in experiential learning that can support career advising and planning. Upon completion of this course, proficient students will use their knowledge of individual strengths combined with career interests to meaningfully research pathways to postsecondary and work success, including the creation of high school coursework plans, career preparation materials, and ideal employee profiles. This course is a High School Credit Course. Students who take this course will earn an elective credit toward their high school credits. This grade will be recorded on their high school transcript and factor into their high school GPA. * See the criteria for high school credit courses above.
• Computer Science Foundations 8: