Eighth Grade Curriculum

Note: To reinforce keyboarding skills ten minutes of each day must be devoted to keyboard drill and practice.

Computer Skill and Knowledge Review

Correctly operate the computer and its peripheral devices

Demonstrate proper keyboarding techniques

Demonstrate proper file management (locate, name, rename, save, retrieve, save/retrieve files of different software versions and platforms)

Use help screens and information bars

Perform troubleshooting of hardware and software problems

Word Processing Skills

Manage text (edit, format, font choice, size, style)

Use writing tools to improve composition

Format documents (page numbers, headers, footers, pagebreak, writing tools)

Copy, paste, and import text

Use drawing tools in text documents

Produce a multi-page document with acceptable format and accuracy

Create a format letter from rough draft

Change document layout (margins, landscape) and printer settings

Construct a personal resume

Graphics Skills

Use drawing tools to create graphics

Edit images

Import images to other applications

Use advanced graphics software to produce a graphics document

Use presentation software to produce slide shows and movies

Spreadsheet Skills

Enter and edit data (move, copy, paste, fill, cell and character formats)

Use formula operators and functions (add, subtract, divide, multiply, round, average, others)

Arrange and sort columns and rows

Format and print a spreadsheet report

Construct graphs and charts from spreadsheet information

Import spreadsheets into word processing documents

Data Base Skills

Create data bases

Interpret status panels/bars

Edit fields and records

Show data in different views

Sort information

Use calculations in data bases

Format a data base report

Produce a mail label report

Produce a mail merge document

Computer Communications

Demonstrate proper use of e-mail using LAN and WAN networks

Conduct search using Internet and LAN (school library)

Develop a personal homepage

Discuss computer networking

Download and save information from networks

Computer Ethics

Demonstrate adherence to the RCPS acceptable use policy

Discuss security issues related to hardware, software, and data

Discuss the importance of integrity and confidentiality of data files

Demonstrate ethical use of the Internet

Define and explain: shareware, freeware, public domain

Display knowledge of and respect for copyright laws and software

licensing agreements

Discuss software viruses and methods to detect/prevent them