Grade Seven Curriculum
Literacy, Reading and English
Theme: Windows & Mirrors
Summer Reading
Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson
The Outsiders by SE Hinton
Literature Selections
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
A selection of novels, short stories, and poems that deal with facets of identity
Skills
- Socratic and teacher-led discussions
- Paragraph/essay structure: analytical & persuasive writing
- Reflective writing, guided by essential questions
- Close reading through annotations (literary analysis, thematic connections)
- Grammar (memorization and application)
Math
- Solving equations
- 2-D and 3-D geometry
- Ratios and proportions
- Probability
- Exponents
Skills
- Problem solving
- Abstract thinking
- Recognizing patterns
- Communicating verbally and in writing
- Mathematical organization
Learn more about the mathematics program
PE and Athletics
Interscholastic athletics
- Fall: soccer, field hockey, football, cross-country
- Winter: basketball, hockey, wrestling, squash
- Spring: lacrosse, track, baseball, softball, tennis
Skills
- Developing sportsmanship and appreciation of sports
- Team problem solving and building camaraderie
- Understanding strategy, concepts and rules
- Competing against 30+ schools in the Boston area
Affective Education
Key concepts
- Social connection and comfort
- Emotional consideration
- Personal confidence and identity
- Academic self-awareness
360 Program
- Deconstructing challenging scenarios and formulating an action plan for accountability
- Understanding how effective communication and flexibility decreases tension
- Developing awareness of the process of identity formation in self and others
- Learning about executive function skills necessary for academic success, including learning styles, memorization, studying, test-taking strategies, organization and management of materials, time and space, attention, reading strategies, note-taking
Instructional Technology
- Google Sketchup and Makerbot in 3-D geometry study; student-created instructional videos
- Google Sketchup and Makerbot in study of cells and human biology
- Using Google Docs platform throughout curriculum
- Science Motic Software (camera and microscope)
Science
- Ecology (interaction of living things; Earth’s ecosystems)
- Cells and heredity (characteristics, necessities of life, diversity of cells, cell structure/function, DNA, cell cycle, protein synthesis, Mendelian genetics, probability)
- Human biology (organization of structure; musculoskeletal, cardiovascular, digestive and reproductive systems)
Skills
- Model of inquiry (process skills)
- Data analysis (observational analysis, graphs, independent variable/dependent variable, recognizing cause/effect)
- Homeostatic mechanisms and equilibrium
- Using lab equipment; experimental design
- Conducting targeted internet searches to advance knowledge
- Finding and using online resources to aid learning
- Self-directed inquiry
Visual Arts
- “Creature by design”
- “It’s alive” collage
- Surrealism
- Phobias and Photoshop
- Nonsense inventions
- Systematic organization
- Making connections, visualizing changes; recombination and design
Performing Arts
Stagecraft
- Technical theatre, including set, lighting, prop, and costume design
- Theatrical research project and presentation
Skills
- Theatrical team building and collaboration
- Basic construction for theatre
- Demonstrating understanding of fundamental skills important to each area of theatrical production: acting, directing, design, technical production
Music
Chorus
- Performance based; all Middle School grades mixed together
- Various types of music performed, in various groupings
- Continued improvement in vocal sound; emphasis on sight-reading
Wind and String Ensembles
- All Middle School grades mixed together in separate wind and string groups to perform varied musical selections
- Emphasis on ensemble togetherness, sight-reading and technique
General Music
- Taught in separate grade-level sections
- Music history and music theory; includes some performance
- Emphasis on musical elements
- Opera, percussion playing, folk dancing
- How to listen to music
Library and Research
Library and research skills are integrated throughout core academic classes.
Social Studies
Central Theme: Facing History and Ourselves, Human Rights, and Global
Perspectives
- Identity, Membership, and “Us vs. Them”
- National Identity and World War I
- Weimar Republic and the Rise of Nazi Party
- Holocaust and Human Behavior
- Human Rights and Social Justice
- Personal Responsibility, Legacy, and Choosing to Participate
Skills
- Active reading: analyzing primary and secondary sources
- Geographic literacy
- Supporting arguments (written and oral) with evidence
- Synthesizing and analyzing ideas from history
- Integrating technology (Chromebook, video, Google Drive and Classroom)
- Library research (selecting sources, analyzing validity, note-taking, proper citing)
- Connections: text-to-text, -to-self, -to-world
- Time management
- Formulating discussion questions about cultures/beliefs/experiences different from one’s own
- Collaboration
- Presenting on current events
- Student-led discussions and seminars
- Understanding multiple perspectives
Spanish
Vocabulary and topics
Clothing, shopping, getting around the city, dining, family, describing a house, household items and chores, planning a party, sports, health and wellness, parts of the body
Grammar
Stem-changing verbs o-ue and e-i, direct and indirect object pronouns, ser or estar, ordinal numbers, affirmative tú commands, personal a, special verbs: jugar, saber, conocer, preterite of -ar, -er, -ir verbs
Culture
Focus on Spain, Ecuador, Dominican Republic, Day of the Dead celebration
French
Vocabulary and topics
Describing your city, asking and giving directions, family and home, activities (sports, games, leisure), clothes, travel, dining
Grammar
Pronouns, immediate future, irregular verbs, regular -ir verbs, negations, past tense, imperative, direct and indirect pronouns
Culture
Authentic cultural settings visited through reading and discussion: Paris, France, French-speaking Canada, the French Caribbean and French-speaking Africa (especially Senegal); documentary about The Louvre
Latin
- Verbs: present, imperfect, future and perfect tenses; active voice: all
- Nouns: declensions, 1, 2, 3 (all genders)
- Adjectives: all declensions; personal pronouns; compound sentences
- Grammatical analysis; connections between English and Latin syntax;
- Introduction to Roman history and daily life of first-century Rome
