Deer Creek Middle School

Jeffco Public Schools

Deer Creek offers two pathways for students: STEM and Humanities.  Pathways lay out a set of courses to provide specific learning in key areas, through a combination of courses that are exclusive to the pathway and courses that are open to all students. 
6th grade introduces students to exploratory courses in both STEM and Humanities areas, in addition to core subjects of English Language Arts, Math , Science, and Social Studies.  In March of 6th grade, students select their pathway as part of their 7th grade course selection process. As students progress through 7th and 8th grade, more elective choices are available in both their selected pathway and among general electives.

6th Grade
6th grade begins the exploration of STEM and Humanities areas with the four core subjects of English Language Arts, Math, Science, and Social Studies, and two periods of exploratory classes each trimester:   

• Exploration of Engineering 1
• Exploring Computer Science 1
• World Languages and Cultures
• Visual Arts 1
• Family & Consumer Science 1
• Physical Education 6
  
• Alternatively, students may choose Concert Band, Orchestra, or Choir (which will replace three other exploratory classes).
• Some students may also have an Academic Support period in place of exploratory classes.

For the complete set of 6th grade exploratory classes, see the Course Guide.

From their interests and exploratory experiences, 6th graders decide on their pathway choice in March, as part of their 7th grade course selection process.

STEM 

The Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) pathway at Deer Creek focuses on providing students with experiences in engineering and technology beyond the core contents of science and math.  Through the engineering design cycle, students learn the process of ask, research, imagine, plan, create, test, improve, as they work on projects in the engineering classroom.  Both virtual and hands-on projects teach and reinforce the skills of critical & creative thinking, communication, collaboration, self-direction, agility and adaptability. Technology tools are combined with immediate application through the stages of design and fabrication.  

The STEM Pathway

7th graders in the STEM pathway continue with the four core subjects and additional STEM and general electives. 7th grade includes a total of six elective courses:

• Exploration of Engineering 2
•  One course from the Technology electives
•  One course from the Literature & Writing electives
•  Three general electives

To see all the electives offered for 7th grade, visit our Course Guide.

In 8th grade, students continue with the four core subjects and two electives each trimester. There are no electives required for the STEM pathway in 8th grade, giving students the most freedom to personalize their learning by choosing from 40 pathway and general electives. Among those electives are many STEM-related offerings, including:

• Exploration of Engineering 3
• Robotics 1 & 2
• Video Game Design
• Student Technology Leaders
• Digital Media Design & Production

 For the full catalog of 8th grade electives, visit our Course Guide.

Humanities 

The Humanities pathway at Deer Creek focuses on providing students with experiences in the arts, cultures, and communications beyond the core contents of language arts and social studies.  With over 40 exploratory and elective courses available to students in the Humanities pathway, students can tailor their learning and experiences to meet their personal, educational, and career interests. Through an array of project and elective options, students develop the lifelong skills of Civic & Global Engagement, Critical & Creative Thinking, Communication, Collaboration, Self-Direction, and Agility & Adaptability.   

The Humanities Pathway
7th graders in the Humanities pathway continue with the four core subjects and additional Humanities and general electives. 7th grade includes a total of six elective courses:

• One course from the Fine & Performing Arts electives
• One course from the Health & Applied Arts electives
• One course from the Literature & Writing electives
• One course from the Language & Cultures electives
• Two general electives

To see all the electives offered for 7th grade, visit our Course Guide.

8th graders continue their pathway with the four core subjects and two electives each trimester. There are no electives required in 8th grade for the Humanities pathway, giving students the most freedom to personalize their learning by choosing from 40 pathway and general electives. Among those electives are many Humanities-related offerings, including:

• Publication: Yearbook
• Graphic Design
• Digital Media
• Metal Jewelry
• Visual Arts 2 & 3
• Creative Writing
• Literature & Film
• Mythology & Folklore
• Food, Nutrition & Culinary Arts
• Cultural Cooking
• Culinary Creations
• Mentorship
• French 1 & 2
• Spanish 1 & 2
• Choir
• Concert Band and Symphonic Band
• Orchestra and Advanced Orchestra

 For the full catalog of 8th grade electives, visit our Course Guide.