Holdrum Middle School ​

Eighth Grade Elective Course Offerings
2025-2026

21st CENTURY DRAWING
During this elective, students will draw with pencil, pen, charcoal, ink and digitally on tablets. The creative exploration done by students during this class will be representational, imaginative and allow for student’s personal interests to be investigated artistically. In addition to our physical and digital art-making this class will compare and reflect on the form, function and relationship between digital and physical drawing.

8th GRADE CHOIR
Are you looking for another school choir to get involved in (whether or not you’re already in our choral program)? Come on out for our 8th Grade Choir elective! This will be an in-school daily class that will meet for one trimester. We will choose songs of various styles, rehearse, and perform at the Spring Concert! We will also spend time learning how to use your voice in the best way to have the best sound possible. Come join us for a fun and engaging experience in 8th Grade Choir!

ARCHITECTURE
This course is designed for the student interested in building design. This class aims to give students a basic understanding of drafting and design through hands-on projects and activities. Students would learn about how to draft blueprints, survey buildings, build models, and about the different architectural styles.

AUDIO ENGINEERING AND ELECTRONIC MUSIC
This Course is open to all 8th grade students, regardless of previous musical experience. Students will create original musical recordings in a variety of musical styles. Through this class students will acquire basic digital music production skills, develop piano keyboard and percussion skills, and learn how to record both digital music and live audio using various types of microphones. 

BUSINESS & MARKETING
Students will focus on learning what goes into creating a successful business through a variety of activities. From brainstorming, researching, developing and preparing a business plan, product pricing, marketing and advertising, you will learn how to organize and promote your business and its products and services.

CERAMICS
In this course students use clay in a variety of building methods: hand building, coil, slab and some students use the potter’s wheel. Once ceramics students have grasped the fundamentals of these techniques they will be required to create a large scale final exam piece that explores function, expression and symbolism through the act of art-making. 

CREATIVE WRITING
“I have the best idea for a story.  If only I had enough time to write it!”  If you’ve ever made such a statement, this elective is for you.  Working in conjunction with the teacher, you will develop your own ideas for short stories—or even begin a novel! We will also look at the important features of short stories by reading some of the genre’s masterworks.  You will then incorporate those features into your own work.  End the year by exploring great works of fiction…and your own creativity.

DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY
Students will learn to see photographically through an exploration of the basic tools, techniques and aesthetics of modern digital picture making. Emphasis is placed on the creative use of camera controls and image editing using Photoshop. Students will be encouraged to discover the joys of the artistic investigation by exploring individual expression, communication and craftsmanship. There is no requirement for a student to have a digital camera to join this class.

HOLDRUM HAPPENINGS: WHMS PRODUCTIONS 
This course is a dynamic and interactive elective that will teach you about the world of production and digital media. In this course, students will learn the essential skills needed to create, film and edit. Throughout the trimester, we will cover the following: camera shots and angles, scriptwriting & research, interviewing & reporting, and video editing. If you think this elective is right for you, it is important to note that you will be taking on the responsibility of covering events both during school hours and before/after. Such events may include attending athletic games, extracurricular activities, and/or special events to capture highlights. This course blends creativity, teamwork, and technical expertise, giving students an opportunity to contribute meaningfully to school communications while gaining real-world media production experience

HOW DOES IT WORK?
What machine, company, or idea are you passionate about? If you are willing to do a deep dive into learning how “it” works through active, responsible research, building/creating a model and presenting your newly understood concept in an inventive way, this course is for you.

INNOVATION THROUGH AVIATION
This course is open to all 8th graders who are interested in learning more about the properties of flight and want to learn the basics of flying an aircraft.  Through virtual hands on experience, students will learn the science of aviation and understand why objects can fly.  We will explore the history of flight and look at the pioneers who paved the way for the modern technologies we have today.  Through physics, we will explore the conditions that allow planes to fly, factors that cause planes to stay aloft, move, navigate, and land.  Throughout the course, students will be using virtual flight simulators that mimic flying an airplane.  They are complete with steering wheel, throttles, pedals, and instruments that are part of an actual cockpit.  Students will apply concepts learned to successfully take off, fly, navigate, and land an aircraft.

INTRO TO COMPUTER PROGRAMMING: VIDEO GAME DESIGN
The areas of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) all rely on computer programming.  This course is an introduction to computer programming and looks at game design and development.  The game industry is one of the fastest growing segments of the entertainment market and an excellent field for career advancement.  In this course you will be introduced to the world of computer science.  You will learn mathematical and computational concepts while thinking creatively, reasoning systematically, and working collaboratively to design and program your own game.   Using Scratch, a graphical programming language developed at MIT, you will learn the fundamental programming concepts such as variables, loops, conditional statements, sequencing, iteration, and event handling.  By the end of the course you will have developed an idea for a game and used your problem-solving and project-design skills to develop your own game.

INTRO TO DIGITAL STOP-MOTION ANIMATION
If you’ve ever wondered how to make your own stop-motion animated shorts, this class is for you. Students will learn basics of writing a script, storyboarding, taking photos, uploading photos, and creating a movie by stringing together still images using Microsoft MovieMaker.  You will learn the difference between 2D and 3D animation, and will collaborate with classmates to create short animated movies of each type.  You will be getting creative and using different mediums—paper, ink, and real life objects like gummy bears or your classmates—for each mini movie you make. ​

MEDIA LITERACY & COMMUNICATION
This course is designed as an introduction to journalism and layout design. You will learn techniques for writing news articles, features, reviews, and opinion editorials. You will learn the basics of journalistic responsibility and importance of fair, impartial, and meticulous press. You will be asked to consider the role of the world-wide-web and other media in constructing news. Journalism will provide a collaborative learning environment. You will have the opportunity to work with Google Sites to build an online and real-time edition of the Hawk’s Eye school newspaper.  

MODERN MOVIE THEMES
In Modern Movie Themes, we’re going to focus on an overarching theme for the course:  Tolerance.  Each film we study this year will highlight this theme and we’ll cover several time periods and historical occurrences from the Civil War era, to World War II and the Holocaust, followed by an examination of the Civil Rights era as well.  After films we then complete projects in class such as designing a memorial, creating storyboards, or making an Instagram feed for a historic figure.  In this class we will view a variety of films from short animated clips, to documentaries, and full length feature movies.  

MYTHOLOGY
Learn about the heroes, gods and monsters of the ancient world in this elective. Using Ancient Greece as a starting point, you will explore other cultures that interest you as well. We will cover creation stories, the hero’s journey, the Trojan War, and other famous stories of mythology. In addition, we will have discussions on the deeper meanings of myths and their role in our society today. 

OUR GREEN EARTH
This course is designed for the student interested in living a more sustainable lifestyle. Students will have many opportunities to explore topics such as sustainable energy, waste management, global warming, and sustainable gardening from hands-on activities and experiments including composting and growing your own plants! 

PAINTING BEYOND THE BRUSH
During this full trimester elective students will immerse themselves in the fine art making of painting; with a physical and digital brush. Students will create a series of paintings with watercolor and acrylic paint that allow for skill and creativity to grow. Half of the trimester will focus on these traditional wet painting techniques, and the other half students will use digital painting techniques using photoshop. In the digital process students will see how they can build layers of color and form with ease and correct and undue all of their work through the benefit of the computer processor. The class will culminate in a final exam project where students will choose what medium will best work for a final creative design of their personal creation.

PERCUSSION ENSEMBLE
Djembes, bongos, xylophones, claves, tambourines, boomwhackers, and more! This class will allow students the chance to learn and experience the many ways that percussion instruments can be used. We will learn to play and record familiar and new songs using these instruments. Both experienced and new percussionists will be successful in this course. Get ready for a fun and interactive experience as we turn HMS students into a drumming ensemble!

PERFORMING ARTS
In this elective, students in grade 8 will have the opportunity to explore concepts in musical theater. They will experiment with the art form of playwright and physical theater while developing locomotive skills and learning creative expression. Students will discover acting, playwriting and cooperation skills as they create an original theater piece. In theater, the creative experience originates from a collaborative, improvisational process. Students will engage in a theater performance that showcases the targeted skills learned through this elective.

POP/ROCK UNPLUGGED
In this class, you will have the chance to learn both the keyboard/piano and the guitar/ukulele! All students will learn both instruments to start the trimester, and will later be given the choice to focus on either instrument or an equal combination of both. You will learn the music of your choice as individuals as well as in acoustic pop/rock bands, where there will also be the option to include vocalists and percussionists. We will have opportunities to record music individually and in bands so you can take your accomplishments with you to share with friends and family! **Prefer classical or jazz music? There's a place for all music styles here!  

SINGER/SONGWRITER WORKSHOP
Most (if not all) of today's popular singers and rappers write their own music. So...how do they do that? How do songwriters get their inspiration to create the music that you know and love? And how do they take a song that means so much to them and sing or rap it in a way that can only be done using their own unique voices? Join us in Singer/Songwriter Workshop as we explore all this and more! In this class, we will spend time exploring the stories behind the songs, getting basic training to use the piano and guitar/ukulele as songwriting tools, and using what we learn to write your own songs. We will also spend time learning how the voice works and providing opportunities to use it by singing songs that YOU enjoy. Join us as we turn HMS students into singer/songwriters!

WELLNESS FOR LIFE
An elective class for 8th grade students that aims to offer students tools to help them balance the many facets of their lives in an effective and focused manner.   Life can be stressful and overwhelming, and this course aims to offer tools to deal with the challenges that life presents.  Through yoga, mindfulness meditation, breathing techniques, and music listening, students will learn how breath, sound, and movement have the possibility to reduce stress, enhance focus, and improve personal wellness.  The class will also encourage students to investigate other elements of their lives, such as organization, sleep and diet, empowering student choice. 

WHAT’S ON YOUR PLAYLIST?
What music do you connect with? Who wrote the songs you love, and why? How does music benefit you in your life? This elective will explore all this and more as we listen to music, find out more about the people and stories behind the songs, and build playlists full of songs you connect with. Don’t be surprised if you find new artists and music that appeal to you! If you love to listen to music, this course is for you.