Seventh Grade Curriculum Outlines
Mathematics
Students in grades 5-12 are tested and placed in the level of math they will be most successful in. Students who are accelerated will be tested and given the opportunity to take more advanced math levels. Saxon is a comprehensive system through pre-calculus, which emphasizes learning in small increments and review of all previously learned concepts throughout the year. Each night's homework consists of many different types of problems from all previous lessons.
- ♦ Math 8/7 (Saxon Publishers, Inc.)
- ♦ Algebra 1/2 (Pre-Algebra) (Saxon Publishers, Inc.)
- ♦ Algebra 1/Geometry (Saxon Publishers, Inc.)
- ♦ Algebra 2/Geometry (Saxon Publishers, Inc.)
- ♦ Advanced Math - Trigonometry, Pre-Calculus (Saxon Publishers, Inc.)
- ♦ AP Calculus - Advanced Trigonometry, Analytic Geometry (Saxon & Wang)
- ♦ Practical Math - Consumer Applications (Holt, Rinehart, Winston, 1998)
Many seventh graders take Pre-Algebra, using Saxon's Algebra 1/2 text. The course may be taken over two years, and accelerated students may qualify to take it in one year.
Science
- ♦ Studying Science
- ♦ The Chemistry of Living Things
- ♦ The Earth and Living Things
- ♦ Diversity of Living Things
- ♦ Heredity
- ♦ Classifying Living Things
- ♦ History of LifeFishes, Amphibians, and Reptiles
- ♦ Viruses and Monerans
- ♦ Support, Movement, and Covering
- ♦ Birds and Mammals [in Humans]
Social Studies
Why We Remember: US History through Reconstruction by Herman J. Viola (SFAW, 1998)
- ♦ The First Americans - Africa, Asia, and Europe in the 1400s
- ♦ Voyages of Exploration 1450-1610
- ♦ Life in the English Colonies 1600-1750
- ♦ The Years of Conflict 1754-1774
- ♦ The War of Independence 1775-1783
- ♦ Creating the Constitution 1776-1791
- ♦ The Westward Movement 1820-1850
- ♦ Americans at Mid_Century 1830-1850
- ♦ The Gathering Storm 1846-1861
- ♦ The Civil War 1861-1865
Language Arts (English 7)
Explorations in Literature (Scott Foresman, 1989) - A comprehensive text covering the short story, drama, nonfiction, autobiography, poetry. Critical thinking skills such as analyzing, understanding, predicting and supporting your opinion are emphasized. The following stories are read and discussed (as well as other selections and poetry):
- ♦ Ransom of Red Chief by O. Henry
- ♦ To Build a Fire by Jack London
- ♦ Rain, Rain Go Away by Isaac Asimov
- ♦ The Tell-Tale Heart by Edgar Allan Poe
- ♦ The Drummer Boy of Shiloh by Ray Bradbury
- ♦ The Medicine Bag by Virginia Driving Hawk Sneve
- ♦ The Lady, or the Tiger? by Frank R. Stockton
- ♦ The Bracelet by Yoshiko Uchida
Spelling
The McDougal, Littell Spelling program (1994) is organized to allow students to purposely and systematically discover and apply the patterns and principles that underlie the English system of spelling.
Accelerated Reader
A computer-based reading practice program, which allows students to read books that are at their individual level, and take tests on the books from the classroom computer. Students read one book per quarter. The student must pass a test on the book with a score of 75% or better.
English 7 (Grammar) (Houghton Mifflin, 1990)
In addition to the basic grammar workbook, the following topics are covered:
- ♦ Animal Farm (Signet, 1996)
- ♦ Going Solo (Puffin, 1999)
- ♦ The Giver (Laurel-Leaf, 1994)
- ♦ The Time Machine (Everyman, 2001)
Newspapers in Education (The Washington Times, every Monday, current events in science, culture, and social studies)
Enrichment extra credit math and science problems (logic, puzzles) are given weekly.
Long - Term Projects - Book report on The Giver for quarter 1. Research papers: one per quarter. For quarter 2, this is a biography of a Black History Month person. Topics for the other papers are under development. Language Arts class project: Each student contributes to a Poetry Collection (language arts) or an Ancestor Booklet (social studies). Depending on the year, one booklet or the other is worked on and published.
Additional Subjects.
Foreign Language (Korean or Spanish), Physical Education, Music, Art, Technology, and Character Education through a morning message daily.
Art
Seventh and Eighth Grade
Textbooks/Materials used: Video for perspective, Glass painting book, Printmaking, Paper sculpture, Curve Stitching, Books of classical paintings showing techniques of drawing the human body and face, How to draw from the right side of your brain.
Units and Topics: How to see with the right side of the brain and how to draw realistically, learn the proportion of the human face and human body. Draw life portrait. Learn the law of perspective: one point, two points, three points and multiple perspective, and atmospheric perspective and how to show depth with warm and cold colors, size, overlapping and shadow. With mosaic, glass paint and maks projects, learn how to recognize different styles in different cultures and how this reflects people's values and beliefs. Making them aware of how color, line shape, affect a composition. Lino-cut projects and learn about printing. Hand made paper projects with marble design and paper sculpture. Curve design with strait lines and learn to make a clean project with pen and rule. Three dimensional projects with wires.
Korean
The Korean language program is designed for students to develop and polish their skills in reading, writing, and speaking the Korean language. In addition, students will be able to identify Korean language and culture through a variety of special activities.
All students in middle and high school will have a chance to learn Korean in conversational dialogues and will be engaged in various activities throughout the year. The activities will include songs and projects that will give students the opportunity to make creative expression.
Middle school students are organized into two levels: beginner and intermediate. The lessons are oriented to teach more useful expressions in various situations.
Beginners (7th grade): students will attend class three times a week. They will learn basic conversation and develop their speaking, reading, and writing of the Korean language. They will learn Korean Reading I. They will study Korean cultural values, together with different cultural aspects between Korea and the USA.
Spanish
Materials used: Textbook: Paso A Paso A and B published by Prentice Hall; Spanish/English dictionary; visual aids and worksheets.
Music
Physical Education
Units and Topics:
- ♦ Understands principles of training and conditioning for specific physical activities
- ♦ Understands the critical elements of advanced movement skills
- ♦ Understands movement forms associated with highly skilled physical activities
- ♦ Sports: soccer, basketball, hockey, volleyball, football, kickball, softball
Technology
Programs used:
- ♦ Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, and Power Point
- ♦ Adobe Photo Shop
- ♦ Office 97 step by step (textbook)
- ♦ HTML
Units and Topics
- ♦ Student will experience keyboard skills appropriate to grade level
- ♦ Designing and creating multimedia projects using a variety of sources
- ♦ Advanced word processing skills
- ♦ Electronic encyclopedia
- ♦ Spreadsheet function
- ♦ Power Point Presentation
- ♦ Design and creation of database, Photo Editing, and Html Programming
