Middle Years

In the Middle Years, students read a wide range of literary and informational texts, analyze how authors build meaning, and respond with evidence. They write for many purposes, narrative, persuasive and explanatory, refining their grammar, vocabulary and voice.

By Grade 8, they take part in thoughtful discussion and debate, research and cite sources, and present their ideas with growing confidence, preparing them for the demands of high school.

Across the Middle Years, students deepen all four strands of the Manitoba math curriculum. Number work moves into fractions, decimals, percents, ratios, rates and integers, with flexible mental strategies and a strong understanding of how the operations relate to one another.

Patterns and relations grow into real algebra, using variables, expressions and equations to generalize and solve, while shape and space covers area, surface area, volume, angles, the Cartesian plane and transformations. Statistics and probability round out the program as students collect, display and interpret data and reason about chance, building the reasoning and problem-solving skills that senior mathematics depends on.

In the Middle Years, students investigate across the life, physical and earth sciences, designing fair tests, gathering data and drawing conclusions.

They explore topics such as cells and ecosystems, forces and energy, matter and the Earth's systems, developing real laboratory skills and learning to reason with evidence.

The Middle Years follow the story of Canada and the wider world. Students learn about the peoples and events that shaped Canada to 1867, First Peoples, the fur trade and the rise of the Métis, in Grade 5, then Canada from Confederation to today, including immigration, the world wars and our diverse, bilingual, democratic society, in Grade 6.

The focus then turns outward to world geography, cultures and the rights of global citizenship in Grade 7, and to world history, from early societies to the influences that shaped the modern world, in Grade 8. Throughout, students think historically and geographically, weigh evidence, and reflect on their responsibilities as citizens.

Across the Middle Years, students deepen the same four learning areas of Manitoba arts education, Making, Creating, Connecting and Responding. They extend their command of materials, techniques and visual language, and use them to develop and communicate more sophisticated ideas with growing intention and personal voice.

They connect art to its historical, social and cultural contexts and use critical reflection to interpret and refine their work, building the technique, creativity and agency that carry into senior visual arts.

Manitoba combines physical and health education in one program built around five general learning outcomes, movement, fitness management, safety, personal and social management, and healthy lifestyle practices. In the Middle Years, students refine movement skills across individual, team and rhythmic activities and learn to set and monitor their own fitness goals.

They take greater responsibility for safe, fair play, develop the personal and social skills to manage relationships and emotions, and make informed decisions about nutrition, personal health and active living, important foundations as they approach adolescence.