LANGUAGE ARTS
Seventh grade students will identify the elements of a short story, identify and distinguish between internal and external conflict and state the climax in a short story. Students will read and discuss various genres of literature. The students will develop an understanding of Greek mythology. Students will increase knowledge of vocabulary and spelling through various activities and literature. They will increase knowledge of grammar through a more extended study of parts of speech. The students will implement the writing process through various forms of writing: creative, personal narrative, expository, compare and contrast essay, and argumentative. Students will do research and present their discoveries in a variety of ways.
ENGLISH
Students study the parts of speech including the uses of nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, and prepositions. This is in addition to sentence structure and fluency and the proper use of mechanics. The writing process is enhanced through the use of the Six-Traits writing program. The students compose paragraphs, essays, stories, and a “Me Book” narrative project. They also write a research paper in which they learn the process of research, note taking, outlining, organizing, and citing information.
RELIGION
Seventh grade religion consists of Sadlier”s We Live our Faith as Disciples of Jesus, the Family Life program, and Prove It! Jesus, and Prove It! Prayer. The life and message of Jesus are explored in the four Gospels with emphasis on understanding and praying the scriptures. The students will identify that Jesus calls his followers to live lives of compassion, care, and concern for all human beings, especially those in need. The students are also introduced to the writings of St. Paul, other New Testament letters, and the Book of Revelation. The students examine the creed as the summary statements of our beliefs. They will have an opportunity to develop and practice the healthy attitudes, moral values, and virtues of Christian family life. The students will understand the meaning of and need for prayer in the Christian life.
MATH
The students will demonstrate the basic operations of addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division of whole numbers, decimals, fractions, and integers with an emphasis on pre-algebra concepts, solving equations and inequalities. The students will use logical sequences to solve algebraic equations and inequalities and apply the order of operations rule. The concepts and applications of ratio, proportion, and percents are reinforced and mastered. The students will classify, measure, and find congruence of angles and sides along with finding area and perimeter of polygons and circles. Special projects are given quarterly to apply the skills being taught and challenge all students.
SCIENCE
The seventh grade will utilize the scientific inquiry and engineering design processes throughout the science curriculum. Students will focus on cells and heredity including cells, cell processes, evolution, genetics, and heredity. The students will study plate tectonics, earthquakes, volcanoes, the building up and breaking down of the earth, the rock cycle, and geologic time. The students will explore the various body systems including: the digestive system, nervous system, respiratory system, excretory system, reproductive system, endocrine system, circulatory system, bones, muscles, and skin.
SOCIAL STUDIES
The students will demonstrate an understanding of American history and link history to modern day events. Students will show an appreciation for other beliefs, customs, institutions, and other cultural traits of people around the world. Students will discuss modern events happening around the world and how it affects humans and the environment. Students will also participate in Model UN where they will find solutions to help solve world problems.
LITERATURE
The seventh grade students analyze different literary genres through short stories, novels, and plays. There is a study of both fiction and non-fiction and an extensive discovery of Greed mythology. Students learn to identify the theme, conflict, climax, and resolution of various readings. In addition to comprehension, they discuss inferences of the readings and use context clues to determine new vocabulary meaning. These skills and strategies are then used in independent reading.
VOCABULARY
Students study vocabulary in contest as well as word skills dealing with synonyms and antonyms through a supplemental vocabulary book.
ART
Seventh grade art studies color and color theory in depth. Students will use complementary, analogous, warm and cool colors to create a color composition. Students will also create a 10-part value scale and use value in a shaded pencil still-life drawing. Students will use various media and tools to create two and three-dimensional artworks. Students will recognize various artists and art styles and art of different cultures and periods of history.
COMPUTER
The students will understand common uses of technology in daily life. They will use Google Classroom as a form of communication and completing assignments for their teachers. The will use the Google Suite for Education apps including Google Docs, Drawing, Slides, Forms, and Sheets to apply word processing, spreadsheet, and multimedia software to illustrate curriculum topics centered on math, science, social studies, and language arts. The students will apply advanced word processing techniques in multiple page documents with emphasis on formatting styles, editing, and outlining procedures. The students will apply general spreadsheet formulas to create a variety of graphs related to the data. The students will use several multimedia software applications including formats using slides, text, and photos. They will learn and practice proper email techniques and etiquette. The students will utilize various search engines to research a topic and discern appropriateness of the site. The students will continue to master correct two-handed typing form and improve their typing accuracy and speed. They will continue to learn coding skills and participate in the Hour of Code.
SPANISH
Students learn prayers such as Hail Mary (Ave María) and Our Father (Padre Nuestro). They practice greetings, expressions of courtesy, and conversations (questions and answers). In addition, the curriculum includes vocabulary and writing, subject pronouns, adjectives, the verbs to go (Ir) and to like (Gustar), days of the week, weather expressions and holidays, numbers zero to one hundred. Student learns about Spanish speaking countries and the history and heritage of Spanish culture. Student learning takes place using games, videos, Students are tested, quizzed and graded on class participation and homework.
LIBRARY SCIENCE
Students in seventh and eighth grades will be encouraged to explore books with more complex themes and vocabulary. They will display knowledge of literary genres. Students will learn to evaluate internet websites and authoritative sources, collect, organize, and present data using a variety of presentation formats. They will be expected to correctly cite all sources used during their research. Students will practice research protocol using reliable sources and databases. They will gain a better understand of what it means to be media literate and how to discern the sources from which they get their daily information.
MUSIC
Seventh grade students will sing and play instruments in a variety of tempos, dynamics. They will work with music software and create their own compositions. The students will experiment with a variety of tone colors and movements to accompany songs. They will study the history of Blues, Jazz, and early Rock.
PHYSICAL EDUCATION
Students will show mastery of hand-eye coordination and motor skills. The students will also begin to display a developed ability level in strength, endurance, agility, and flexibility. They will continue to demonstrate responsibility to help make physical education safe, efficient, and fun. The students will attempt to create simple games and teach them to the class. They will continue to progress in leadership abilities as leader of Field Day teams and to show good sportsmanship and fair play.