Schedule and Descriptions of Academic Exhibitions
Music: November, every other year, Grades 7 and 8
Each student will give an oral presentation, in which he or she will present a study of a program music. A written essay will accompany the presentation. Next year, students will give a comparable demonstration relating to the visual arts.
Art: November, every other year, Grades 7 and 8
The art exhibition includes a compare/contrast essay and oral presentation that compares two important works of art. Students' research begins with a visit to a major New York art gallery such as The Metropolitan Museum of Art and The Museum of Modern Art. After studying the Elements of Design, students are equipped with the appropriate vocabulary to analyze art works.
History and Government: February, Grade 7
A research topic relating to the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights will be assigned on the day of the presentation, and students will be given just one hour to gather facts and prepare. Each student will also give a prepared oral presentation. The prepared presentation should be in an area of interest to the student and must include appropriate citations.
Leadership and Servanthood: February, Grade 8
Each student will discuss a quality of leadership and/or servanthood, as exemplified by a notable person in history. Students will demonstrate the connections between the research and personal experience in leadership and service.
Science: April, Grade 7
Each student will explain a scientific investigation or phenomenon through and give evidence of an experiment or demonstration that meets good scientific habits, methods, and records. This presentation will be offered to a younger audience.
Mathematics: April, Grade 8
Each student will be assigned a problem on the day of the presentation, and students will be given just one hour to solve it. Each student will also give an oral presentation in which the student presents a problem to the committee and explains the concepts, strategies, and processes that are required to solve it. Finally, the students will submit a review sheet that demonstrates personal mastery of Algebraic concepts.
Literature and Writing: June, Grade 7
In a given hour, student will write an essay on a topic selected by the student from a pool of topics presented by the faculty. This on-demand task is to assess skills in organization and conventions. In addition, students will give an oral presentation about a book or books chosen by the student (and approved by faculty). In the planned presentation and accompanying essay, students will present a comparison of themes, characters, or authors.
Final Integrative Project: June, Grade 8
In the last exhibition that students make, we ask Eighth Grade students to respond to big questions of their own choosing and then present their answers to a committee of faculty, family members, peers, and, this time, even invited guests. Through individual exhibitions, students will share their considerations with regard to a topic of significance through a prepared talk, an essay and the presentation of an artifact (an original work of art, musical performance, speech, PowerPoint presentation, dramatic reading, etc.). As committee members ask important questions and give advice, students both express and gain insight, knowledge and skill through discussion and questioning.