Grade 6

Grade 6 students are exposed to a number of major literary forms—myths, legends, novels, drama, and poetry—and the terms with which we talk about them. Students learn the elements of the analytical paragraph to build a solid foundation for critical writing, focusing on topic sentences, outlines, and the incorporation of quoted material. Lessons in sentence structure, grammar, and mechanics reinforce basic writing skills; concerted, consistent work with vocabulary expands boys' word choice. The boys also demonstrate their learning through performance from short plays to memorization projects.

Grade 7

Focusing on the themes of personal and collective identity and what it means to be a man, fine art (painting, photography, and sculpture), poetry, personal vignettes, plays, and novels give boys differing perspectives on these themes. The boys continue to develop their close reading skills and grammar. They continue to work with the analytical paragraph and are introduced to other structures for critical writing that prepare them to make arguments that extend beyond a single paragraph. Throughout the year, the boys develop their creative writing skills and focus on showing as opposed to telling through vivid character and setting descriptions to bring their short fiction to life.

Grade 8

Building on their work in past English classes, grade 8 boys learn to read closely and contextually. To read closely is to lavish attention upon the intricacies of the verbal structures and to grasp the structural inner workings in order to see the literary work as an aesthetic object. To read contextually is to discern, recover, and appreciate the various contexts that influenced the work’s initial creation as well as consider the reader’s response. Essentially, students read and respond to historically and culturally significant literary works to discover the multiple ways of seeing and being to consider the ideals of citizenship and leadership. Through frequent critical and creative writing assignments alongside regular grammar and vocabulary exercises, students gain perspective, confidence, and voice.

Grade 6: The Ancient World

This course introduces students to the foundations of world history and to thinking about the past like a historian. They spend time exploring the commonalities and differences of various ancient civilizations—among them Egypt, India, China, Greece, and Rome. Students will interpret the achievements of different societies and cultures spread across vast distances. Particular emphasis will be placed on understanding each civilization’s art, architecture, literature, politics, government, warfare, and geography. Throughout the year, students will also learn historical thinking skills, such as understanding maps, taking Cornell notes, interpreting historical documents, and crafting analytical essays. Topics include: the origins of world religions and philosophies, the impact of geography and trade, the development of democracy, and the legacy of ancient civilizations.

Grade 7: American History, Part 1

This course begins a two-year sequence for Grades 7 and 8. Students will examine American history from the colonial era to the antebellum era. Throughout the course, they will become historians as they develop their reading comprehension, interpret historical documents, develop their analytical writing skills, and consider the role of perspective in the telling of historical events. Students will begin the course by exploring the factors that brought civilizations of the Americas, Africa, and Europe together to create a “new world.” Next, they will examine the causes of the American Revolution and its connection to other revolutions that swept through the Atlantic world in the late 18th and early 19th century. The students will then study in depth the United States Constitution and the establishment of the Republic.

Grade 8: American History, Part 2

This course examines American history from the Civil War to the present-day. Throughout the course, students will evaluate a variety of sources and draw connections between history and current affairs. Students will continue to hone their skill as historians as they interpret historical documents, such as newspapers, political cartoons, photographs, speeches, and political pamphlets. Major assessments will have students work on creating thesis-driven essays, supporting their ideas with document-based evidence, using research databases to find credible evidence, and synthesizing insights from a variety of sources. Topics will include: sectionalism, slavery and abolition, the expansion of civil rights, industrialization and labor, political reform, women’s rights, world wars, popular culture, and globalization.

Grade 6

In Grade 6, the mathematics vocabulary and fluency with rational numbers continue to expand, and terms dealing with symbols and notation are presented. Variables, expressions, equations, and inequalities are learned with an emphasis on modeling relationships to solve problems. In addition, the application of more sophisticated statistics and geometry topics grows, and the emphasis on the boys justifying their conclusions and communicating their ideas continues.

Grade 7

Seventh-grade students work extensively with the rational number system and further develop the skills necessary for understanding algebra and more advanced arithmetic concepts, including exponents. Continuing to build on their work with rational numbers, variables, equations, and inequalities leads to the use of algebraic expressions, modeling problems, an exploration of linear relationships and equations, and proportional relationships. Students’ understanding of geometry expands to include angle properties, circles, volume, and surface area. Supporting one’s conclusions and communicating ideas clearly is threaded throughout the year.

Grade 8: Algebra I

This first-year algebra course covers a deeper analysis of linear equations and functions, linear inequalities in one and two variables, linear systems, polynomial operations (including factoring) and equations, rational expressions and equations, radical expressions and equations, and quadratic functions. Applied problem-solving is emphasized heavily throughout the course in order to promote the appreciation of mathematics as a language used to describe real-world phenomena.

Grades 7-8: Deep Problem Solving Course

DPS is a collaborative problem-solving class for students who are beyond their math grade-level coursework. In this course, students work together on rich and challenging non-curricular problems, some of them over an extended period. Students will acquire and hone problem-solving and communication skills (defending conjectures). The course culminates in each student completing a major independent project on a mathematical topic of choice. The comfortably placed student will be a creative mathematical problem solver and an active, motivated learner with an unusually solid mathematical background.

Grade 6

The Grade 6 Science course delves deeper into the process of science focusing on experimental design, data analysis, and scientific reasoning. Students will plan investigations to explore the relationships among energy transfer, type of matter, mass, and changes in particle motion and temperature. Students develop models to predict changes in particle motion and state of a substance when thermal energy is added or removed. Students will also investigate the conservation of matter during heating, cooling, or mixing substances, providing evidence for this fundamental principle. Students explore the cellular composition of living organisms, constructing models to describe cell function and the interconnectedness of cellular systems through the study of flowering plants. Students will study Earth's systems, including the cycling of water, formation of air masses, and how both impact weather and influence weather forecasts.

Grade 7

In Grade 7 Science, students engage in an integrated curriculum that weaves together physical, life, and Earth science through hands-on inquiry, data analysis, and evidence-based reasoning. Throughout the year, students deepen their understanding of experimental design and use models, investigations, and argumentation to explain complex scientific concepts. Students begin by exploring the classification of matter as pure substances and mixtures and then use models to describe the atomic composition of simple molecules and extended structures. Through data analysis, they investigate chemical reactions—examining properties of substances before and after interactions—and explain how mass is conserved in these processes. They also take on a design challenge to create and refine a device that either releases or absorbs thermal energy through chemical changes. In life science, students explore how the human body functions as a system of interacting subsystems made of cells. They will use the learning from this unit to be scientists-in-action as they carry out research projects related to this topic and present it at the annual Science Expo. They analyze how genetic and environmental factors influence the growth of organisms and model how food is transformed through chemical reactions to support multiple levels of life; including constructing explanations for how photosynthesis drives the cycling of matter and flow of energy in ecosystems. As Earth and environmental scientists, students model the cycling of Earth’s materials and the energy flow that drives geological processes. They study ecosystems to understand the effects of resource availability, interactions among organisms, and how biodiversity and ecosystem services can be maintained. Students evaluate human impacts on the planet—investigating climate change, examining patterns in natural resource distribution, and designing ways to monitor and reduce those impacts. To wrap up the year, students explore concepts of energy and forces through rocketry — tying together previous studies of physical science through case studies, simulations, and engineering processes. Throughout the course, students develop as scientists by asking compelling questions, constructing models, analyzing data, and using evidence to support claims. They are challenged to think critically about the systems that shape our world and the role humans play in influencing them.

Grade 8

This course is an introduction to physical science and develops the formal aspects of physics and chemistry within a broader context of big data in the physical world. The language, methods, and concepts of physical science are refined with attention paid to the relationship between mathematics and science in experiment and theory. Motion, forces, energy and thermodynamics form the backbone of the physics concepts, which link to chemistry through the study of atomic structure, the Periodic Table of elements, chemical formulas, and chemical reactions. At the end of the year, students use large public data sets to create an infographic about a topic of their choosing to share at the STEAM Expo.

Grade 6

Latin

Middle School Latin at Browning is a multifaceted experience. At this introductory level, students encounter the language through the reading approach of the Cambridge Latin Course, along with excerpts of authentic and unedited Latin, Greek, and Hebrew literature about the Romans, as they learn the basics of Latin nouns and verbs - along with a robust list of English derivatives of Latin vocabulary - through stories about ancient Pompeii in Unit 1. Cultural topics include daily life, the diversity of the population in this port town, and the history of enslavement in the Roman world, with regular trips to the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Greek & Roman galleries.

French

Students study vocabulary related to the family, the classroom and leisure activities. The class covers the present tense, the near future, negative and interrogative expressions, adjective agreement, the possessive forms, and the definite and indefinite articles. Cultural units focus on daily life, and a major project on the art, history, literature or geography of a French-speaking country is completed, based on Reporters 1B by Klett World Languages. Reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills are all developed.

Spanish

This course begins with exposure to comprehensible input storytelling and high conversational engagement. Students study vocabulary related to the family, the classroom and leisure activities. The class covers the present tense, the near future, negative and interrogative expressions, adjective agreement, the possessive forms, definite and indefinite articles, and direct and indirect object pronouns. Students speak and write in the target language and develop their listening skills through various reading, writing and conversational activities. Students use the textbook Reporteros and read the comprehensible input novel, El Chico global.

Grade 7

Latin

Latin 1 aims to bring the student’s reading comprehension to a high novice level on the ACTFL (American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages) scale, by deepening the student’s internalization of Latin grammar, syntax, and vocabulary. Students continue to develop their faculty for speaking, hearing, writing, and especially reading the language through extensive reading of level-appropriate, comprehensible texts, while simultaneously furthering their study of Rome’s history and cultural influence. The main text is Cambridge Latin Series Unit One and the beginning of Cambridge Latin Series Unit Two.

French

French 7 begins with the novel Jean-Paul et ses bonnes idées as students review the grammar and vocabulary covered in Grade 6 French, and discover cultural aspects of France. The class moves onto the novel La France en danger et les secrets de Picasso. Each chapter of the book includes a related grammar, cultural, and vocabulary lesson. Over the course of the year, students will study the basic elements of language (the present tense, the futur proche, adjective agreement, articles, interrogative, possessive and demonstrative adjectives, how to ask a question, and negation) and vocabulary related to everyday activities. Students develop reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills, as well as cultural competency.

Spanish

The goal of this course is for students with prior knowledge of basic Spanish to develop their listening, speaking, reading and writing skills. Students begin to expand their use of the language in a variety of contexts. They are encouraged to speak and write in the target language and develop their listening skills through various listening comprehension exercises. In grammar, the class covers negative and interrogative expressions, possessive adjectives, ordinal numbers, the forms and uses of ser and estar, the present tense of stem changing, irregular, intransitive and reflexive verbs, the rules of the infinitive, and the past tense of regular verbs. Enrichment of vocabulary and cultural awareness is emphasized. Students will use the textbook Reporteros and a comprehensible input novel, Agentes secretos de Picasso, to develop culturally authentic fluency.

Grade 8

Latin 1

Latin 1 aims to bring the student’s reading comprehension to a high novice level on the ACTFL (American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages) scale, by deepening the student’s internalization of Latin grammar, syntax, and vocabulary. Students continue to develop their faculty for speaking, hearing, writing, and especially reading the language through extensive reading of level-appropriate, comprehensible texts, while simultaneously furthering their study of Rome’s history and cultural influence. The main text is Cambridge Latin Series Unit One and the beginning of Cambridge Latin Series Unit Two.

French

The course continues to introduce boys to the richness and culture of French-speaking countries through a representative sampling of various situations from daily life through material in Reporters 2 by Klett World Languages. Emphasis is placed on oral and writing skills. Comprehension of the fundamental structures of the language is the aim of this program. Object and relative pronouns are introduced, and the goal is for students to finish the year with a fluent command of the present, future and past tenses of regular and irregular verbs. In addition, special attention is given to basic French expressions and verbal idioms, with reference to their English counterparts. This class meets four times a week.

Spanish

Students are expected to master beginning Spanish grammar and simple oral and written expressions. The class focuses its efforts on the four basic skills: reading, writing, speaking and listening in Spanish. The first part of the course is a thorough review of previous grammatical topics. During the second part of the year, boys explore the uses of direct and indirect object pronouns, the preterite tense, and imperfect past tenses. Vocabulary enrichment and cultural awareness are emphasized through the study of Spanish speaking countries, famous people of Hispanic descent and several short stories. Additionally, the boys use Reporteros and the comprehensible input novel, 48 Horas, to further develop language skills and culture.

The Arts Program

Grade 6
Grade 6 Art is devoted to enhancing each student’s creativity, technical ability, and work ethic, while at the same time teaching the elements of good design and composition. Boys explore art using two- and three-dimensional media. Activities within each unit include drawing, painting, building 3D sculptures, and ceramics. For their three main projects, 6th graders will make ceramic rattles, watercolor grid paintings, and cardboard architecture models. Each unit is broken into phases designed to improve the understanding of the individual elements and principles of the process. Content for these units uses visual aids and imagery produced by historically significant as well as contemporary artists. There are also a number of cross-curricular components which further enrich the program.

Grades 7 and 8
The Grade 7 and 8 art courses derive their content through a survey of historical art movements including Ancient Art, Impressionism, Cubism and Abstract Painting. The related projects include ceramic sculpture and acrylic painting. A main project in 7th grade is working with clay to build their own car. Boys in Grade 8 focus on monochromatic painting and sculpture. They use clay to create a ceramic hand from observation and create self-portraits from life, considering what makes them unique as individuals and expressing what they discover in their paintings. Students choose their own inspirational piece from the MET and corporate chosen components into their hand sculptures. Frequent critiques of their work develop critical thinking skills. There are also a number of cross-curricular components which further enrich the program.

The Music Program

Grade 6
In Grade 6, students begin by exploring poetry as song. Memorizing and delivering poems facilitates the composure necessary for performing music for an audience, and exploring the stories of young poets and songwriters reveals the power of music and the arts to endure, cope, and heal. The boys increase their sight-singing and ear-training skills and their knowledge of music theory. Building on the Lower School music program, they will sing a more advanced treble repertoire involving two and three parts, and perform as an ensemble for their peers, allowing them to experience the joy and demands of live performance. An introductory unit on the voice change gives students vital information as to what they can expect in the years ahead as they transition from boys to young men. A final unit on musical theatre in collaboration with the English department, deepens their appreciation for this uniquely American art form.

Grade 7
In Grade 7, students continue to explore, memorize and deliver poetry as song. The students continue developing their sight-singing and ear-training skills and their knowledge of music theory. A more advanced unit on the voice change reviews and expands vital information in real time, as many of them are now experiencing the start of the change. They sing a repertoire involving mixed voices with a focus on understanding how different cultures honor and celebrate the transition from childhood to adulthood. They also learn the djembe as a part of the ensemble performance. A unit on musical theatre, in collaboration with the Art department, further deepens their appreciation of this uniquely American art form. A final unit gives students the opportunity to utilize AI to discover (and verify) the musical influences of their favorite musical artist/band. The unit culminates in a multi-media presentation for their classmates.

Grade 8
In Grade 8, students not only continue to explore, memorize and deliver poetry as song, but they compose a poem themselves. As an ensemble, they sing a repertoire exclusively for changing voices. One of the pieces is a senior song that they will sing at the Grade 8 Celebration ceremony in June. The students continue developing their sight-singing and ear-training skills and their knowledge of music theory, now quite advanced. A more sophisticated unit on the voice change reviews and further expands vital information in real time, as they are all now experiencing the start of the change. They also continue to study musical theatre. A final unit gives students the opportunity to utilize AI to discover (and verify) the musical influences of a classical or jazz composer assigned to them, which they will present to peers, parents and faculty.

Middle School Chorus
Boys with an inclination for, and a love of, singing are invited to be a part of this performing ensemble. The repertoire is advanced in the volume of pieces learned, musical sophistication, and the range of genres and world traditions. Performance opportunities at Browning include music assemblies, coffeehouses, the Holiday and Spring Concerts, and other Browning events when called upon. Performances outside of Browning include the Interschool Choral Festival, a performance at Six Flags, and other appearances around the city as opportunities arise. There may also be touring opportunities outside of the New York area. With this Middle School ensemble there is a high standard not only for how the boys sound, but also how they comport themselves in front of an audience. Because people hear with their eyes, the skill of “letting the body sing” along with the voice is paramount. A professional demeanor with the choristers’ entrances, exits, bows and handshakes with their audience is developed, preparing the boys not only for live performance, but for life.

Ovation Orchestra
The Browning Ovation Orchestra provides an opportunity for students who play orchestral instruments to perform in the Holiday Program, the Middle School Music Recital, and special assemblies for the Parents’ Association and Lower School boys. Focus is placed on building technical mastery on the instrument, developing a unified ensemble sound, and achieving greater fluency in reading music.

Middle School Rock Band
“Rock Band Browning” is for students interested in performing popular musical genres who have some experience playing standard rock instruments (guitar, bass, drums, keyboards). Performance opportunities at Browning include music assemblies, coffeehouses, the Holiday and Spring Concerts, and other Browning events when called upon. Performances outside of Browning include a performance at Six Flags, and other appearances around the city as opportunities arise.

Library and Media Literacy

The Browning Library supports the school curricula and provides access to information, technology and literature for all students. Teachers and librarians collaborate to introduce the boys to specific print and electronic resources to assist their research. Through our library media literacy program, we aim to empower students with the knowledge, skills, and attitudes necessary to become informed, critical, and responsible participants in a digital and information-driven society. By embracing this philosophy, we strive to create an inclusive and engaging learning experience that prepares students for success in their academic pursuits and beyond.

Grade 6

In Grade 6, Media Literacy classes provide students with a comprehensive understanding of intellectual property rights including copyright and fair use. Students also explore ways to become responsible creators and consumers of various types of media. They learn about media production techniques, digital citizenship, online safety, and the ethical considerations of sharing and using media content. Through engaging lessons and hands-on activities, students develop the necessary skills to navigate the digital landscape responsibly.

Grade 6

In Grade 6, boys will engineer and program Lego Spike Prime robots. They will problem solve, troubleshoot, and learn logical thinking as they work on team building exercises as they collaboratively build and program their robot through a variety of challenges. They will apply real-world applications, like geometry, to the mechanics of programming their robot in the physical world.

Grade 7

In Grade 7, coding is approached as an important and evolving form of literacy. Throughout the semester-long course, students will use Micro Bit and cover topics including programming, problem-solving, and physical computing. Students will learn about building their own websites using HTML and CSS. Skills crucial to success in multiple settings are built into this class so that students develop the communication, collaboration, and resourcefulness useful for computing.

Grade 8

In Grade 8, students will have the opportunity to learn more about physical computing by building their own robotic animals using Hummingbird Bit Bot. Students will gain a deeper understanding of the design thinking cycle and user-centered design. They will develop the skills needed to conduct meaningful interviews for data collection and analyze this data to design a product tailored to a real-life client. This process will foster perspective-taking, empathy, and the ability to create meaningful and impactful products throughout the course.

Grade 6

During the fall, the students may play on an interscholastic soccer team, which practices twice a week on Randall’s Island with a double period of physical education (PE), or remain at school for their regular PE class. In the winter, boys may play on an interscholastic basketball team, or they will join the intramural program that runs twice a week, as well as participate in the regular physical education program. Boys on the team practice during their scheduled class period and play games after school. For the boys continuing in the regular program, the coaches present a variety of activities to promote skill development for other sports. In the spring, the boys may participate in an optional intramural baseball program which takes place on Randall’s Island twice a week with a double period of PE.

Grades 7-8

Boys in Grades 7 and 8 have the option of playing on an interscholastic athletic team or participating in the physical education (PE) program each semester. If a boy joins a team, he does not attend PE classes until the season has concluded. Boys taking PE have class four days a week and participate in a variety of activities in school, including indoor soccer, volleyball, basketball, lacrosse, floor hockey, team handball and wiffle ball. Boys also continue to develop their skills for each of these sports. Beginning in Grades 7 and 8, the boys are introduced to the Fitness Center one day each week. They learn how to exercise properly with cardiovascular machines and weights and how to design an exercise program for their specific needs.

Team Sports

Grade 6 participates in interscholastic competition in soccer and basketball and intramural competition in soccer, basketball and baseball. Grades 7 and 8 participate in interscholastic competition in soccer, cross country, squash, basketball, baseball, table tennis, indoor track, tennis, golf and track.

Grade 6

In this one semester course, students will focus on the three foundational dimensions of health and wellness: physical, mental, and social wellness. Students will cultivate skills to create health enhancing goals, analyze external influences, access valid information/facts about health, think critically to make responsible decisions, and enhance their personal communication skills including healthy technology use.

Grades 7-8

In this one semester course, students will continue deepening their understanding of themselves, others, and the world around them through the physical, emotional, social, financial, intellectual, occupational, and multicultural dimensions of health. Students will routinely engage in individual reflection, class discussion, and projects in order to best apply the skills they learn throughout the semester.