2008-09 Course Description

ENGLISH

The seventh grade English curriculum includes units that develop skills in reading comprehension, writing, listening, thinking, and speaking. The study of literature includes novels, short stories, plays, poetry, and mythology. Literature units sharpen student thinking skills, increase knowledge, and deepen one’s understanding of human issues and social values. In grammar, emphasis is on knowing how to identify and properly use the eight parts of speech. Writing is an essential part of the literature unit. Students will learn how to write clear, concise sentences and paragraphs. Compositions will include writing stories, using dialogues, writing newspaper articles, and writing to show comparisons and descriptions. Creative writing is also part of the poetry unit. There is a strong emphasis on interpersonal communication skills, asking students to listen with an open mind.

FAMILY and CONSUMER SCIENCE

During first trimester, students receive an introduction to Family and Consumer Science and its wide range of course areas. The students are exposed to child care, nutrition, cooking and laundry skills. Students also learn how to use the sewing machine and basic sewing techniques, and complete a sewing project.

MATH

The Switched on Schoolhouse curriculum is used to investigate topics of study such as variables, similarity, ratios, proportions, percents, comparisons, integers, rational numbers, linear relationships, probability, and three-dimensional measurement. This curriculum is centered around students investigating new topics and ideas in a group setting. Students work together first with new material and problem solve before the class summarizes what they have learned together. The focus is not on memorizing properties and formulas of math but rather on knowing the how and why behind mathematical concepts. The problems in the book always have a real-life context to make is applicable and relevant to students. Students also get a chance to work with graphing calculators and Microsoft Excel.

PHYSICAL EDUCATION 7

Units of activity include proper warm up, physical fitness, basketball, tumbling, hip hop dance, bowling, swimming, tennis, baseball, horse riding and gymnastics.

SCIENCE 

Life science is the study of living things in the world around us. How these living things relate to each other and to their environment is an important part of this study. Life science is not simply a collection of facts, but also includes learning to think logically like scientists. Students will practice using some of the skills and tools of the life scientist. For example, students will learn how to use a microscope to observe and identify protozoan life in pond water.

This course introduces the basic concepts of the cell, including its structure and function, and organization. Living organisms, ranging from the simplest bacteria to complex animals, are surveyed in all five kingdoms. Environmental concerns and its protection are also examined. Course work includes hands-on activities, lectures, demonstrations, films, and independent projects.

SOCIAL STUDIES 

The study of history furnishes a wealth of material that can help students learn to appreciate the cultural diversity of the United States. Students will receive a broad view of the people and events that have contributed to the foundation of this country and the smooth operation of our system of democracy.

Our first and second trimesters on history will focus on the systematic study of the cause and effects of human action on our past and present. Emphasis will show how historical facts may be arranged, analyzed, and used in preparing historical accounts. Our period of history that we will concentrate on will be Post-American Revolutionary War, 1776, to reconstruct after the Civil War, 1865.

Our third trimester is devoted to economics. Economics is the study of how individuals and nations make choices about how to use scarce resources to fulfill their wants. We will study how to make wise choices with our limited resources. Also, we will study supply and demand, factors of production, economic systems throughout the world, our market economy, advertising, business structures in our system, the stock market, business cycles, money and banking, and careers in economics.

COMPUTER APPLICATIONS

This course provides students the opportunity to become familiar with and explore a variety of computer applications. Basic touch keyboarding instruction is provided early in the course followed by applications using the Microsoft Office Suite ®. Students will learn to use the computer as a problem-solving tool to complete a variety of projects. In addition, students will have an opportunity to demonstrate an understanding of computer concepts through integration of their computer knowledge by composing and producing documents for other classes.