Core Subjects at RMS

Russellville Middle School provides the highest quality instruction in all core subjects. The middle school builds on the academic fundamentals of K-5 and ensures a strong foundation for achievement in junior high and high school. Students benefit from a wide variety of exploratory classes in fine arts, band, physical education, computer technology, and the introduction to Pre-Advanced Placement courses. 

We offer the following accredited courses: 

6th Grade Math

The RMS math curriculum is focused on deepening and broadening students’ skills and knowledge in math. In middle school, students receive instruction at all grade levels in the four major math content strands of number sense, algebra, geometry, and probability and statistics. Students are given the opportunity to learn each concept, how concepts are interrelated, and to build upon their knowledge in all areas from course to course.

6th & 7th Grade English/Language Arts

The English departments for grades 5-8 will all be implementing a new English curriculum, starting in the 2017-2018 school year. This curriculum focuses on student engagement through reading, writing, and research. Our new English curriculum uses the "Understanding by Design" unit design, to ensure that teachers are leading students towards a specific, rigorous, relevant learning goal in every lesson and throughout the year. In the sixth-grade, students will read the novels Iqbal by Franceso D'Adamo, Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie, and Dragonwings by Laurence Yep. In seventh grade, students will read The Midwife's Apprentice by Karen Cushman, The Diary of Anne Frank, A Play by Francis Goodrich and Albert Hackett, and Touching Spirit Bear by Ben Mikaelsen, as well as experience literature circles where students get to select novels to read through together. 

6th & 7th Grade Social Studies

Sixth grade social studies is the launching point for world history from the beginnings of mankind up to the year 1500 CE (AD). Our goal is to give your child an exciting journey back through time while learning about the different cultures and civilizations that have transformed the world into what it has become today. Students will learn about history, geography, economics and civics using a wide variety of texts, maps, art, videos, documentaries, and internet resources. They will use what they learn to make informed conclusions, interpretive artwork, presentations, research papers and argumentative essays.  

6th & 7th Grade Science

Beginning with the 2017/2018 school year, we will implement the Arkansas K-12 Science Standards at RMS. These new standards will be asking our students to learn in new and different ways. There will be the main domains of science that include Earth, Physical and Life Science. Under each of these domains, the students will learn the core ideas of the subject matter but also crosscutting concepts, engineering practices, and work up to a performance expectation that is developed after several lessons. Crosscutting concepts are a way of linking the different domains of science while engineering practices are used to construct models for representing ideas and explanations. A performance expectation allows the students to show what they have learned at the end of instruction and an opportunity to construct and defend an argument to answer a question. Simply put, students need to be ready to have hands on experiences in science this coming year. They will be working in groups where they will be leading at times through the learning. Students who are able to ask questions, work with peers, and stay motivated will find the most success learning with these standards.