Arabic
During their time at DUCV, students in this phase undergo a significant transition towards secondary school. They continue their study of Arabic, building upon their existing proficiency to effectively navigate various situations, engage with diverse texts, and communicate about both their immediate surroundings and the Arabic-speaking world.
The learning focus expands to encompass the learners' personal experiences, imagination, and the broader global context. They establish connections across multiple subjects, exploring intercultural perspectives and teenage life-related experiences. Through a range of interactions, students express emotions, exchange and clarify viewpoints, describe actions and responses, as well as negotiate and make arrangements. They also develop the skill of reading, comprehending, and interpreting simple Arabic texts, with the ability to translate them into English.
Art
In Year 8, students are expected to analyse the visual conventions and viewpoints used by other artists to communicate their ideas. They apply this knowledge to their art making and explain how the display of an artwork enhances its meaning. Students also evaluate how artworks from different cultures, times, and places influence themselves and others. Additionally, they learn about the development of techniques used in traditional and contemporary styles in visual arts.
The Year 8 Art curriculum at DUCV focuses on exploring a story told through illustration. Students complete a unit of work called "Stories Without Words" based on Shaun Tan’s picture-story book "The Arrival." Through this unit, students learn how Tan uses real and imagined worlds, along with various real-life experiences, to develop his artworks. They explore art making in the subjective and cultural frames, using their imaginations and cultural and social perspectives to develop illustrations of characters that tell a story.
In addition to exploring different art styles and forms, students also research artists and art movements. They learn about the technical approach of various craft art techniques, explore popular artists who use these techniques, and practice them before planning and creating their works of art.
Students also learn about the importance of good photography in the media and how to apply the principles of design and composition to their photographs. They explore objects and their relationships within a photograph in relation to the elements and principles of design. Finally, students apply mixed media in their artwork by creating a collage using the photographs they have taken.
Throughout the year, students reflect on the influence of time periods, artists, and art styles on later artists and their artworks. They develop informed opinions about artworks based on their research of current and past artists, acknowledging that different views may exist among artists and audiences in different contexts of time, place, and established ideologies. Additionally, students extend their understanding of safe visual arts practices and choose to use sustainable materials, techniques, and technologies.
English
At DUCV the English curriculum is built around the three interrelated strands of language, literature and literacy. Our teaching and learning programs balance and integrate all three strands. Together, the strands focus on developing students’ knowledge, understanding and skills in listening, reading, viewing, speaking, writing and creating. Learning in English builds on concepts, skills and processes developed in earlier years, and our teachers revisit and strengthen these as needed.
In Year 8 students engage with a variety of texts for enjoyment. They listen to, read, view, interpret, evaluate and perform a range of spoken, written and multimodal texts in which the primary purpose is aesthetic, as well as texts designed to inform and persuade. These include various types of media texts including newspapers, magazines and digital texts, early adolescent novels, non-fiction, poetry and dramatic performances. Students develop their understanding of how texts, including media texts, are influenced by context, purpose and audience.
Students also create a range of imaginative, informative and persuasive types of texts, for example narratives, procedures, performances, reports and discussions, and continue to create literary analyses and transformations of texts.
Humanities
The Humanities and social sciences at DUCV involves the study of human behaviour and interaction in social, cultural, environmental, business, legal and political contexts. Through the study of Humanities students can:
- develop an understanding of human progress and the ways in which this has impacted on societies over time.
- explore important questions about the biological, physical and technological world.
- Be empowered to question, think critically, solve problems, communicate effectively, make decisions, and adapt to change.
- make reflective and informed decisions, to engage in ways that shape a better world through the wellbeing and sustainability of the environment, economy, and society.
Through a range of inquiry-based projects and an integrated curriculum, students view the world from a range of perspectives past, present and future. The Humanities strands allows students to develop respect for social, cultural and religious diversity.
Mathematics
Study of mathematics at DUCV focuses on following key areas:
- Numbers and Algebra
- Measurement and Geometry
- Probability and Statistics
Students’ develop the following proficiencies while engaging with the content:
- Understanding
- Fluency
- Problem-solving
- Reasoning
By the end of Year 8, students solve everyday problems involving rates, ratios and percentages. They describe index laws and apply them to whole numbers. They describe rational and irrational numbers. Students solve problems involving profit and loss. They make connections between expanding and factorising algebraic expressions. Students solve problems relating to the volume of prisms. They make sense of time duration in real applications. They identify conditions for the congruence of triangles and deduce the properties of quadrilaterals. Students model authentic situations with two-way tables and Venn diagrams. They choose appropriate language to describe events and experiments. They explain issues related to the collection of data and the effect of outliers on means and medians in that data.
Number systems, Index laws, Algebra, Ratios & rates and proportions, Measurements, Linear functions, Statistics and probability.
6 periods a week
Qur’an
Quran enhancement program at DUCV is to work towards every member within the school community to be Quran literate. This entails being able to read Quran with Tarteel and fluency, memorise minimum amount of Surah from the Qur’an, having an understanding of the Qur’an and continue to make Qur’an recitation as part of their protected daily routine. This will also promote the wellbeing of every member of the school community through the Divine light from the Qur’an.
5 periods per week
Curriculum Coverage
- Naathirah: Juz 1-30 (5 pages daily)
- Memorisation: (Al-Mulk and As-Sajdah, Revision Juz Amma)
Term 1
- Naathirah : (Juz 1-8)
- Memorisation : (Al-Mulk Ayat 1-15 and Revision An-Naas till Al-Ghasiyah)
Term 2
- Naathirah: (Juz 9-15)
- Memorisation: (Al-Mulk Ayat 16-30 and Revision An-Naas till An-Naba’)
Term 3
- Naathirah: (Juz 16-23)
- Memorisation: (As-Sajdah Ayat 1-15 and Revision An-Naas till An-Naba', Al-Mulk)
Term 4
- Naathirah: (Juz 24 -30)
- Memorisation: (As-Sajdah Ayat 16-30 and Revision An-Nas till An-Naba’, Al-Mulk)
Science
In Year 8, students are introduced to cells as microscopic structures that explain macroscopic properties of living systems. They link form and function at a cellular level and explore the organisation of body systems in terms of flows of matter between interdependent organs. Similarly, they explore changes in matter at a particle level, and distinguish between chemical and physical change. They begin to classify different forms of energy, and describe the role of energy in causing change in systems, including the role of heat and kinetic energy in the rock cycle. Students use experimentation to isolate relationships between components in systems and explain these relationships through increasingly complex representations. They make predictions and propose explanations, drawing on evidence to support their views while considering other points of view.
- Science
- Working with Scientific data
- Cells
- Body Systems
- Reproduction in plants
- Substances
- Physical and Chemical Change
- Energy
- Rocks and Mining
Tarbiyah
Islamic Tarbiyah at Darul Ulum College focuses on the theoretical aspects of Islam as well as the practical ordinances, so that students are able to better practice Islam themselves as well as convey it to others. Islamic Tarbiyah focuses on nurturing students in a manner in which they will adopt and incorporate Islamic morals and values into each and every facet of their daily lives.
The primary goal of Islamic Tarbiyah is to help our children grow to be the finest examples of Islamic behaviour in practice, and to become valuable members of their communities
Islamic Tarbiyah provides a framework for developing students' knowledge of the purpose of our existence in this world. It educates the students about their Creator and His attributes. It provides the knowledge essential to gaining true success i.e. the pleasure of our Lord. Students learn that Islam is a complete and the best way of life. It presents an environment conducive for the students to develop their Akhlaq (character).
3 periods per week
Islamic Tarbiyah at DUCV covers multi-dimensional key learning areas with significant theoretical aspects and practical applications.
Key learning areas to be covered in Semester One are:
- Islamic Jurisprudence [Fiqh]
- Islamic Beliefs [Aqaa-id]
- Etiquettes and Prophetic Traditions [Adab Sunnah]
- Islamic Theme: Taqwa [Fear of Allah] and Simplicity/ Gratitude
- Traditions of the Prophet PBUH [Ahaadith]
Key learning areas to be covered in Semester Two are:
- Islamic History [Taa-reekh]
- Autobiography of the Prophet PBUH [Seerah]
- Personal and Spiritual Development
- Etiquettes and Prophetic Traditions [Adab Sunnah]
- Islamic Theme : Daawah and Tabligh [Invitation and Propagation of Religion], Akhlaq [Character] and Ikhlas [Sincerity]
- Traditions of the Prophet PBUH [Ahaadith]
