SEVENTH GRADE DEVELOPMENT
As the developing students stretch themselves in awareness, the focus of study is the Age of Exploration, Renaissance and Reformation. The study of individual biographies of the struggles of people in these ages meets the wondering, developing teens. They yearn for courage and understanding. Now chemistry is taught, physiology, and perspective. Algebra is introduced as well as expanding geometry and formulas as they relate to physiology and physics studies. Geography expands to continents outside of North America. These ever-widening circles of learning in all the basic academic subjects and also in the arts help the students through this time of adolescence. Perspective drawing is added to the arts but helps the budding adult see things anew. In addition, the  historical developments of the ages mentioned above, resound in the individual development of each student.

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SEVENTH GRADE CURRICULUM

LANGUAGE ARTS
Writing

• Paraphrasing skills
  
• Elements of style
  
• Form and structure of various poetic styles
  
• Research, writing, and oral presentation of reports
  
• Five-paragraph essay
  
• Students continue to work toward independence in self-editing
  
• Dictations
  

Reading

• Students read one book a month as assigned by the teacher
  
• Reading for information in content areas as provided by the teacher
  

Speaking

• Daily speech work
  
• Class play
  

MATHEMATICS

• Pre-Algebra:  Operations  and properties on positive and negative numbers, powers, roots, and exponents,  evaluating expressions and formulas,  solving basic equations, word problems. 
  
• Geometry:  Geometric drawing, area, similar figures, the number pi, properties of triangles. 
  

SCIENCE
Physics

• All of the Sixth Grade physics topics are covered in greater depth
  
• Simple Machines
  
• Current electricity
  

Chemistry

• Combustion, heat transformation
  
• Acids, bases, salts, and the lime cycle
  

Physiology

• Systems of the body -digestion, respiration, circulation, and reproduction
  

Astronomy

• Solar system, constellations, geocentric and heliocentric models, 
  

SOCIAL STUDIES
Geography

• Geography of Africa, South America, or Asia - land configurations, countries, history and culture
  
• Geography of Europe - may be covered in history blocks
  

History 

• Renaissance artists, scientists, politicians
  
• Age of Exploration
  
• The Reformation
  
• Elizabethan England
  
• Biographies of historical figures
  

ART
Painting

• Painting themes come from main lessons
  

Drawing

• Perspective drawing
  

Modeling

• Children model from main lesson topics
  

FOREIGN LANGUAGE
FRENCH AND GERMAN

• Continued expansion of all material from previous years
  
• Continued grammatical structures
  
• Use of the dictionary
  
• Explore text and include conversion of direct/indirect speech
  
• Cultural and historical elements
  

HANDWORK

• Animal making
  
• Working from patterns
  
• Creating new patterns
  

ORCHESTRA

• Students have the opportunity to play wind instruments or different string instruments
  
• Rehearse and perform with the advanced string ensemble
  
• More advanced repertoire in a number of musical genres
  
• Third position is emphasized
  
• Advanced music theory
  
• Music history
  

WOODWORKING

• More complex projects such as jewelry boxes or animals
  

GARDENING

• Six weeks of gardening in the fall and six weeks in the spring 
  
• Seed starting and prepping soil for planting in the spring
  
• Harvesting produce and seeds, planting fall crops, and preparing beds for winter
  

GYM

• Continuing skills from previous years
  
• Cardiovascular fitness
  
• Gymnastics
  
• Discipline, responsibility, and sportsmanship
  
• Grades are given for jump rope, mile run, and gymnastics test