Pasadena Waldorf’s Middle School Curriculum
As students arrive on the cusp of adolescence, the rigorous PWS Middle School program challenges their emerging thinking, reasoning, and inquiry. On an ever-deepening base of foundational skills, students explore the world without and within. Continuing artistic work in diverse fields of fine, practical, and performing arts hones the powers of perception and develops skillfulness in the context of a rigorous practice. Pasadena Waldorf Middle School students also have opportunities to experience themselves within the context of a wider social group during curricular and extra-curricular activities that bring together the whole the middle school.
Core curriculum includes:
History. From Rome, through the Middle Ages, the Renaissance, Age of Enlightenment, revolutions, industrialization, and into modern times students trace the development of Western civilization to the present.
English. Foundational skills in vocabulary, grammar, composition, and writing of reference papers are developed. Elements of poetry and figurative language, including ballads, sonnets, epics, Chaucer and Shakespeare, short stories, modern American and British novels and plays are explored.
Geometry. Geometric drawing with instruments, plane geometry, solid geometry, and Platonic solids.
Mathematics. Percents, ratio, proportion, areas, formulas, algebra from the simple equation through quadratics, powers and roots, binary system, inequalities, numerical trigonometry, probability, logic and problem-solving.
Geography. Western Hemisphere and the poles, Europe, Africa, the Middle East, Asia, oceans and winds of the world, world economic geography.
Natural sciences. Mineralogy, geology, astronomy, meteorology, human physiology and anatomy.
Physics. Optics, acoustics, heat, electricity, magnetism, hydraulics, mechanics.
Chemistry. Combustion, lime cycle, acids, bases and salts, metals, and chemistry of foodstuffs.
Pasadena Waldorf School, 209 East Mariposa Street, Altadena, (626) 794-9564 or visit www.pasadenawaldorf.org.
