by MS Instructional Coach Christy Mactavish 

Seamlessly weaving a Christian worldview into a school curriculum is a challenging feat. Much research attests to this challenge; however, when done well, it transforms a "required school subject" into a kaleidoscope of God's majesty, where students learn that knowledge is not separate from God but rather from, through, and for Him. Teachers inspire awe and wonder of the Lord at each grade level in the CPA Middle School as students learn to filter all they know through His Truth, foundations, and purposes for their lives. They cultivate the seedlings nurtured in the Lower School by revealing God's fingerprints throughout their core subjects. 

Sixth Grade students step into middle school, seeming so young compared to the eighth graders. Beginning an essential transition, they attend more classes with more teachers, requiring more responsibility. During this crucial year, teachers establish foundational Biblical definitions within their subjects so questions, connections, and ideas can lead students back to God's Word. 

Beginning with Bible classes, Sally Weatherly and Keri Perry guide students through a survey of the entire Bible. Classes also explore fundamental questions about the Triune God, human nature, and sin together through the New City Catechism. Defining the Upper and Lower Stories told throughout the Bible, the image of a beautiful tapestry illustrates a metaphor for both. God's greater narrative–Creation, Fall, Redemption, and Restoration–is the Upper Story on the front of the tapestry. Humanity's story, the Lower Story, is represented by the various colors of yarn intertwined and messy on the back of the tapestry. Closely exploring the Lower Story together within each subject is where sixth grade teachers and students find themselves pointed back to the immeasurable grace of God.
 

Math classes highlight God's careful attention to detail. When starting the year, they lead their students to the Creation story and marvel at the harmony with which each day unfolds. Then, pondering Galileo's famous quote, "Mathematics is the alphabet with which God created the universe," students watch Disney's Donald Duck in Mathmagic Land and find that math is in everything! Throughout the year, students grapple with the language of sixth-grade math. From positive & negative numbers, linear equations, and time to dimensions & proportions, they begin to see how Math reveals the infinite attributes of God. 

Sixth-grade science teachers Coach Tom Gerlach and Coach Jay Benard reinforce those infinite attributes by challenging students to consider God's word as something to own for themselves. Students start the year comparing the textbook definition of science, or "the study of the natural world, and the knowledge gained in that process," with Romans 1:20: "For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse." Through discussion, Tom Gerlach and Jay Benard lead students to see that Earth Science is the study of the "good Earth" God created and its place in the universe.

Always prompting students to consider why they believe what they do, God's foundation takes center stage as they explore Creation, using hands-on experiments and projects that honor students as active, creative image-bearers. The annual earthquake project challenges students to build a structure using Elmer’s glue and popsicle sticks to see if it will withstand a mock earthquake. Mr. Gerlach shared that one year only one structure withstood the test; it was the only one with the foundation firmly glued to the ground. Asking students how this outcome might speak to a meaningful life lesson, he guides them to the metaphor that "life is gonna give you earthquakes." Then, straightforwardly, he invites them to ponder, "What will your foundation be built upon?" 

World Geography students literally and figuratively find their place in the world. Understanding "every tribe and every nation" is at the heart of each unit as students learn about the history, geography, economy, and government of various cultures worldwide. Learning fundamental beliefs about different religions helps students see the impact of those beliefs on culture. Instructors explain that, at the core, studying religions through a lens of empathy, rather than criticizing, plants seeds of knowledge that equips students to engage with different people. Students explore the idea that the love of Christ can come through curiosity, and we are called to love our neighbors as ourselves, but we can't do that without understanding them.

Fostering this curiosity further, sixth-grade English teachers Suzanne Gregory, Connie James, and Leslie Ponder help students dive into the messiness of the Lower Story as they consider how all peoples' stories are integral to God's greater narrative. Students discover how the basic plot structure–setting, character, events, climax, falling action, and resolution–parallels the Biblical Upper Story of Creation, Fall, Redemption, and Restoration. While the individual practice of Sustained Silent Reading (SSR) builds reading stamina as students discover stories that capture their imaginations, the intentionality of whole-class novels affords explicit instruction in analyzing the power of the written word. 

Their study of Mildred Taylor's Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry illustrates this process beautifully. As students return to 1933, Jim Crow, Mississippi, in the middle of The Great Depression, they examine imagery and figurative language contributing to character and plot development. Teachers scaffold the historical context through small group and whole class discussions and encourage students to connect to society today, ask questions, and challenge ideas. The fall of man is juxtaposed with the need for restoration when discussing important themes around family, friendship, courage, and justice. The true power of these discussions lies in the teachers' abilities to engage their students, hear their thoughts, and guide them to the real-world implications of the text.

With students more accustomed to the rhythms of middle school, seventh grade teachers add to the building blocks established in sixth grade and stretch students with cross-curricular projects, integrating themes and content learned across Bible, History, and English.

Bible teachers walk students through the Old Testament and reveal how both testaments depend upon each other for the story of the Bible to be complete. Two critical guiding questions lead their course: 1) What does each story teach about God? & 2) How does each story point to Christ? These questions help reveal the one true hero throughout the story–Jesus! Using the CASKET EMPTY timeline as their guide, students produce beautiful works through creative assignments and explore their artistic writing and drawing gifts. These "beautiful works" fashion a year-long portfolio and helpful reference as they study their core subjects.

Math and Science classes continue to encourage students to see God's incredible order, thought, and design found through Creation. Students are challenged to think like mathematicians, as they approach each problem with a “'What do I already know” mentality, bringing their thinking to the forefront of solving. 

Then, students revel at the miracle of Life Science with Diane Wright and Ryan Smith as they connect Scripture and Biblical guiding questions to the basic concepts of Life Science. Talking with Ms. Wright, her passion for her work is palpable; her face lights up when she explains the delicate balance required for homeostasis, the importance of the stomach lining, or the giant red-eye traits passed down to tree frogs. With every topic, from cells and plants to frogs and the human body, students explore how it all points back to a Divine Creator. 
 

World History with Danny Keck and Ryan Smith dives into ancient civilizations. Starting with Ancient Mesopotamia, or the Cradle of Civilizations, students learn through embedded storytelling how quickly the history they are investigating places them in direct alignment with the Old Testament story of Abraham. Mr. Keck says, "There is no escaping Biblical integration because everything in our curriculum, from Mesopotamia and Egypt to the Greeks and the rise of Rome, share intricate historical throughlines with the Bible." 

Tying History and Bible together, English classes use the research process and expository writing to synthesize all they learn. The project, called 'A Walk through History,' engages students in an inquiry about a world-historical event, person, or society. Their research explores how their chosen topic fits into God's Timeline and whether it represents the Fall of Man, Redemption, or Restoration. Additionally, Biblical stories are read alongside their short story unit to help students compare God’s Word with the themes derived from man's stories. This cross-curricular nature of these projects requires deep critical thinking that integrates more than one subject and highlights the interconnectedness of their learning. 

Eighth-grade students continue to explore that interconnectedness, even though classes reflect preparation for upper school as they split into Honors and College Prep. Several cross-curricular projects with History, English, and Bible occur. In addition, a capstone learning expedition celebrates the contributions of the men and women who served at home and on the war front during World War II. This expedition is capped off with their trip to Washington, DC, where they visit the Capitol and various monuments and honor those who served.  
 

With Bible leading the way, students study the life of Jesus and the New Testament. A brief overview of the Old Testament leads to the 400 years of silence and its ramification. Then, students are guided through a thoughtful examination of the Gospel. Looking at Jesus' life--his miracles, parables, and prayers--students contemplate what it means to be a believer and consider how an identity in Christ is based on how their loving God and Father truly sees them, not how the world sees them.

A study of Biblical justice challenges students to consider what it means to be the living body of Christ. As they learn about retributive, restorative, and distributive justice, students discover that Biblical justice encompasses all three. Through lessons that meet students where they are and connect them with their families, teachers, and the surrounding community, eighth grade Bible challenges students to pull from all they have learned in Bible at CPA Middle School. 

Bruce Francis, who teaches Physical Science with Jay Benard, exclaims, “Science does not exist without God! I can’t teach science without showing how God’s hand is on every aspect, down to the smallest particle of matter.” As students explore everything from states of matter and the classification of matter to solutions and energy, interactive labs solidify their learning. Every week, students discuss videos from the Creation Institute that debate evolution from a Creation standpoint and memorize verses that connect with each topic of study. Coach Francis states, “When students know Scripture, they can know the science better because it helps them interpret the world more comprehensively and logically.”

Patrick Jordan, Andrea Arndt, and Chris Brian survey US History with their students, beginning with the Colonies and moving through the 1970s with Nixon. Mr. Jordans explains, “Mark Twain once said, ‘History doesn’t repeat itself, but it rhymes,’ and our goal in US History is to share how stories help fill the hole in the hearts of humanity--especially the true stories.’” Students explore parallels to the life of Christ as they look for the rhythms found through historical throughlines, whether in the Mayflower Compact, the Declaration of Independence, or the Constitution. 

Mr. Jordan continues, “Stories of sacrifice permeate US History, so we also use the Medal of Honor Program to examine characteristics like heart and commitment and show respect to those who sacrifice for the greater good of the country.” Through storytelling and Socratic discussions, students reflect on the decisions made in the making of the country. Using the guiding question, ‘Are we moving in the right direction?’ students learn the answer is sometimes yes and sometimes no, realizing it’s possible to have growth and still not arrive. 
  
Finally, eighth grade English immerses students in classical literature, where they analyze characters for God’s image-bearing traits and the image-marred. According to Graham Donovan’s Teaching Redemptively, God's image-bearing characteristics include being relational, active, creative, purposeful, moral, free, and responsible; however, the image-marred because of sin shows itself through broken relationships with God, with others, and with self.  

At the beginning of the year, students read George Orwell’s Animal Farm and see the image-marred on full display while learning about Joseph Stalin, whom they know about in history class. At the end of the year, their study of Harper Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird becomes a powerful setting for working out their understanding of all aspects of Biblical justice, tying back to what they learned in Bible class.  In Writing and Grammar, students also delve into a World War II inquiry, where they research various topics, complementing their study in US History class. 
 

While the words above only scratch the surface of how CPA Middle School teachers integrate a Christian worldview, one thing is sure: every teacher and administrator’s deep hope is for students to see and know the LORD.

While change naturally presents obstacles and can generate fear, love begets love. Christ’s love for each student, teacher, staff member, and administrator that serves or has served in the CPA Middle School abounds. As new leadership and new iterations of the school naturally evolve, Christ in the hearts of leadership, Christ in the work of teachers, and Christ at the center of the curriculum will and should, no doubt, remain. To God be the Glory!