The Core Curriculum of a Northbrook Academy student includes Math, English, Social Studies and Science.

About Our Math Curriculum
Northbrook is proud to have adopted a pre-algebra math program published by Saxon, an imprint of of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Supplemental Publishers. This Saxon math program is both comprehensive and unique because of its continuous practice and repetition of learned concepts. This revisiting of material empowers students; they KNOW their math skills have confidence in their abilities. We have adopted the excellent structure of the McDougal Little Algebra 1, Algebra 2, and Geometry and are thrilled with these online books at classzone.com

We use a placement exam to determine which math level a student should begin study while at Northbrook. Students in 6th grade usually start with one of the Saxon math books for Math 7/6 or Algebra 1/2. Seventh graders typically are placed into Algebra 1/2 or McDougal/Little Algebra 1. Eighth grade and ninth grade students are usually studying Algebra 1 or Algebra 2. The wonderful math books are only guides; our curriculum is customized to meet the needs of our students and is enhanced by the small class sizes. A We have encouraged gifted Math students to take the SAT exam in 7th grade for national recognition through the John Hopkins Center for Talented Youth. Each year we have had the honor of a number of Northbrook students earn national distinctions for their Math skills.

About Our Science Curriculum
We believe in hands on learning and that science students should be able to get their hands dirty. Whether we are dealing with LIfe Science, Earth Science or Physical Science or Biology,; we find that students that work on their own experiments are more likely to internalize information. You can lecture about density, but actually measuring out the volume and density using a triple beam balance to find mass leaves a more lasting impression. Our science program uses many texts including those from the Glencoe 15 Book Series and the Prentice Hall online Biology 1 course,, but the curriculum only uses books as guides and is driven by hands on lab work. We might be collecting and analyzing water from a local lake or pond, or dissecting a bullfrog. Students get involved in as much as they can and very often learn important lessons from their mistakes. One thing is certain --in Northbrook science classes, students will have many opportunities to get their hands dirty!

About our English Curriculum
The goal in sixth grade English is to challenge the students to develop their communication and thinking skills beyond the elementary school level. Grammar is the foundation of which effective communication and thinking skills are built, and the focus this year is on the parts of speech. This knowledge enables the students to use the words presented in spelling and vocabulary lessons in context. Comprehension at both the literal and interpretive level is developed by reading selections from a literature textbook which exposes the students to a variety of literary genres. Select novels broaden their knowledge of the world and encourage them to think beyond their usual frame of reference. Writing assignments serve not only to present the opportunity to develop compositional skills, but also to become more analytical thinkers.

Expectations rise as the seventh grade English course begins to prepare students for the challenges of high school. With the appropriate amount of guidance, students are encouraged to work more independently, taking responsibility for the quality of their work. The emphasis in grammar is on verb tenses and writing more complex sentences. Building upon this knowledge, students express themselves more accurately and employ a variety of sentence structures to express their thoughts in a more mature and interesting manner. Expanding their word knowledge, by exposing them to continued spelling and vocabulary lessons, results in less repetitiveness in their writing. The development of reading comprehension remains a major focus; in order to demonstrate their understanding of reading selections, students learn to write complete and clear responses to questions pertaining to their reading.

The objective of the eighth grade English program is to broaden and develop students’ communication and thinking skills through an integrated study of grammar, spelling, writing, and literature. Students read more complex literature including: Tom Sawyer, Romeo and Juliet, To Kill a Mockingbird, and A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. These works not only challenge their comprehension skills and develop their vocabulary, but also expand their points of view. Students are exposed to the Harkness method and are asked to contribute to literature discussions in which they invoke inquiry and analysis supported by liberal use of quotations. Writing exercises focus on narrative, descriptive, and expository writings. Students also complete a literary comparative analysis. The year is culminated by using the classic MLA methodology along with modern word-processing technology in order to complete a scholarly independent research paper.

Our 9th grade English expands upon the grammar, vocabulary and literary analysis completed in prior years. There is a much more intense focus on literary discussions and most testing is done in the form of written responses. Select novels broaden their knowledge of literature and ehance their understanding of the world. Developing analytical writing skills is a major focus of this course. Students will compare literature and authors and produce papers that are thesis drivenand cited with proper MLA footnotes.

About of Social Studies Curriculum
World History is introduced to the students in grade 6 and continues in the seventh grade. We begin with the study of the rise and fall of the Roman Empire. Included in this unit is an examination of the origin of Christianity and how this faith impacted not only the Roman Empire, but also western civilization in general. The early Middle Ages are then introduced, the focus being on the rise of the Germans, the Franks, and the Anglo Saxons. Throughout the year, students are learning to read carefully both for information and ideas and to speak effectively in class discussions. They are also continuing to improve their expository writing; they demonstrate their comprehension of the material taught by explaining it clearly, sequentially, and accurately in their own words.

The focus of eighth grade social studies is the history of the United States. Since our students come from various public and private schools, they do not share a common background in American history. For this reason, we begin our instruction with a review of the periods of exploration and colonization. This is followed by the study of the events leading up to the War of Independence. A unit devoted to the Constitution examines the compromises made in its writing, the responsibilities of the three branches of government, and the Bill of Rights. The presidencies of Washington, John Adams, and Jefferson are then introduced. Skills essential to the study of history, such as reading comprehension and expository writing, are emphasized throughout the year. The development of the ability to comprehend cause and effect relationships in history and to approach the connection between current events and the past are major goals in our program.

9th grade social studies includes a study of the four major religions of the United States. This course also includes many activities and discussions about current events.

<top>