SEVENTH GRADE COURSES

Required Courses

• Math- Pre Algebra , Pre Algebra Essentials, Fundamentals of Algebra (teacher recommendation)
• Language Arts
• Science
• Social Studies

Elective Choices

• Encore-
• Physical Education
• Health
• Career Exploration
• Computer Applications- 
• Art-  
• CPR
• Computer and Information Literacy-
• Music and Influences -
• Choir-
• Band-
• Jazz Band-
• Gifted Encore

Class Choices:

Depending on the students interest they will need to select anywhere from three to nine elective sections.  Most electives will switch on a trimester basis with a few switching twice during the twelve week trimester. 

Notice in the schedule to the right, if students take band, Jazz band or gifted they limit the amount of other electives they can take, because these are full year courses.

When placing students into electives, we make every effort to place them in one or more of their choices.  However, based on the number of students interested in the course, and how the courses are arranged in the daily schedule, spots may be limited.  It is at the discretion of the counselor and administration as to how many students are permitted to take a specific course.

Language Arts

700 Seventh Grade Language Arts

Grade Placement:   7                Meets: Daily 55 Min.    Duration: Year Long

7^th grade Language Arts is designed to present all traditional forms of communication skills including writing, speaking, reading, listening, and research.  Students will be required to work on their own and in cooperative learning groups.  This course allows students to progress at a challenging pace.  Students will be exposed to grammar and usage units, spelling lessons, an interdisciplinary PowerPoint research project with science, and write comparison/contrast, persuasive and personal narratives.  Students will also read various novels throughout the year and discuss in cooperative group settings.  Summer reading is required.

Seventh Grade Language Arts Encore

Grade Placement:  7                 Meets: Daily 43 Min.      Duration: Year Long Rotation

In 7th grade Language Arts Encore, the students will improve test-taking skills, comprehension strategies, and their approach to different forms of text.  This will be achieved through 20 minute mini-lessons.

Mathematics

711 Pre- Algebra Essentials-7^th Grade

Grade Placement:  7                 Meets: Daily 55 Min.     Duration: Year Long

This course is designed to create a solid foundation in mathematical skills and to meet the 7^th grade standards for math.  Students will be preparing to take the 7^th grade Math Achievement Test. Summer math packet is required.

712 Pre-Algebra-7^th Grade

Grade Placement:  7                 Meets: Daily 55 Min.     Duration: Year Long

Prerequisite: Standardized Test Scores, a B average (or higher) in 6^th grade math, and/or teacher recommendations.

Pre-Algebra will be a more rigorous course than the above-mentioned Math Essentials.  The course outline parallels the indicators and benchmarks for 7^th grade mathematics as directed by the State of Ohio Department of Education.  Students in this class will be preparing for Algebra 1 as 8^th graders. Summer math packet is required.

710 Fundamentals of Algebra- 7^th Grade

Grade Placement: 7                  Meets: Daily 55 Min.       Duration: Year Long

Prerequisites for this course: Accelerated or advanced on 6^th grade OAT test, high score on the Iowa Algebra Aptitude test(given in 6^th grade), identified gifted in mathematics, successful completion of the 7^th grade Pre-Algebra Final Exam.

This is a high school credited course.  Topics include:  solving various types of equations, solving linear inequalities, proportions, graphing relations, functions, inequalities, elementary statistics, solving systems of equations, polynomials, factoring, and solving and graphing quadratic equations. Summer math packet is required.

7130 Seventh Grade Mathematics Encore

Grade Placement:  7                 Meets: Daily 43 Min.     Duration: Year Long Rotation

Students will use a variety of mental math strategies to improve their ability to compute mentally.  The topics covered in this encore will directly support and parallel the 7^th grade math achievement test.  A variety of mediums may include worksheets, flash cards, playing cards, technology, games, and other teacher created activities.  Students will be evaluated in a two-fold manner, 1) Pre-Tests and Post-Tests, 2) Verbally in each class session.  Data from student achievement tests will be used to identify individual strengths and weaknesses.

Science

721 Seventh Grade Science

Grade Placement:  7                 Meets: Daily 55 Min.     Duration: Year Long

Seventh grade science will consist of many hands-on laboratory investigations using the scientific method to explore the state mandated curriculum.  Students will be required to use higher level thinking skills and inquiry in these labs.  The learner will be required to keep a science binder that will be periodically checked.  Topics in the seventh grade science curriculum include the following:  Ecology, Cells, Heredity, Human Biology and Health, Monerans, Protists, Fungi, and Plants and Animals.  During the beginning of the school year, the metric system and the scientific method are explored. 

7130 Seventh Grade Science Encore

Grade Placement:  7                 Meets: Daily 43 Min.     Duration: Year Long Rotation Students will be using the scientific method and inquiry based learning to design and create several science projects.  Cooperative learning is a large component of this class.  All activities are designed to extend the basic science curriculum and are linked to the state science standards.  Examples include:  tower building, egg drop, and water rocketry.

Social Studies

731 Seventh Grade Social Studies

Grade Placement:  7                 Meets: Daily 55 Min.     Duration: Year Long

This course is a continuation of the state standards on learning about ancient cultures that students began in the sixth grade.  In the seventh grade, students will learn about ancient civilizations and the transition to the modern world, covering the time period of 1000 BC to 1750 AD.  The civilizations and time periods that will be covered are as follows: China, Greece, Rome, Western Africa, Egypt, Feudal Japan, Middle Ages, Renaissance/Reformation, and The Age of Exploration.

7130 Seventh Grade Social Studies Encore

Grade Placement:  7                 Meets: Daily 43 Min.     Duration: Year Long Rotation

This course will focus on building the geography knowledge and skills that are expressed in the state standards.  Topics may include: the five themes of geography, map reading skills, types of maps, latitude and longitude, orienteering, map construction, reading charts and graphs, and the parts of a map.

Electives

743 Health-Elective

Grade Placement:  7                 Meets: Daily 43 Min.     Duration: 12 weeks

7^th grade health is based upon a holistic approach to wellness which includes components of physical, mental, and social development.  Healthful living is a life-long process, which requires that an individual make responsible decisions based on accurate information, personal beliefs, and an understanding of the consequences of their decisions.  Students will study and learn valuable decision making skills, sexual abstinence, understanding of body systems and how they work, personal health, stress management, how to deal with emotions, and communication skills.  In addition to the healthy skills students will learn the harmful effects that drugs, alcohol, and tobacco have on your body.

741 Physical Education-Elective

Grade Placement:  7                   Meets: Daily 43 Min.     Duration: 12 weeks

The students will be involved in a variety of activities that promote physical growth while taking individual abilities and differences into consideration.  These activities will include a variety of fitness activities and testing, individual sports, along with small group and team activities.  All students will be required to dress appropriately for class (shorts, sweats, tennis shoes, t-shirt or sweat shirt).

771 Art-Elective

Grade Placement:  7                   Meets: Daily 43 Min.    Duration: 12 weeks

Art will provide an opportunity for each student to express their own personal creativity.  Students will use various medium & artistic techniques to create their own personal work.  The classes will encourage students to think, discover and develop the skills of problem solving, observation, critical and creative thinking.

742 Computer Applications-Elective

Grade Placement: 7                    Meets: Daily 43 Min.     Duration: 12 weeks

Students will develop a firm foundation for building keyboarding skills by learning the operation of word processing activities that will help each of them reach optimal competencies for high school, college and their work profession.

Students will increase speed and accuracy through daily assignments.  Students will format documents such as paragraphs, letters, reports, tables, spreadsheets, outlines, and numbered lists.  Students will use Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.

761 Concert Band-Elective

Grade Placement: 7                    Meets: Daily 43 Min.  Duration: Year Long

The goal of the 7^th and 8^th Grade Concert Band is to continue the musical development of third and fourth year instrumentalists.  Materials covered include good tone production, finger/sticking technique, articulation, intonation, blend, breathing, rhythm, expression and music theory.  Private lessons and participation at solo and ensemble contests are strongly encouraged.  The full band meets daily and has four yearly requirements outside of school hours, which will include an honor band audition, two concerts and large band contest.

762 7^th Grade Jazz Band Ensemble-Elective
Grade Placement:  7                 Meets: Daily 43 Min.                Duration: Year Long

7^th Grade Jazz Ensemble is an introduction to jazz performance.  Music is selected and performed with a variety of style and improvisation in mind.  Private lessons are strongly encouraged.  The jazz ensemble meets daily and has three yearly requirements outside of school hours which will include a jazz honor band audition and two concerts.  Jazz students are required to be enrolled in 7^th grade concert band.

746 7^th Gifted Encore- Elective
Grade Placement:  7                 Meets: Daily 43 Min.                Duration: Year Long

This course is designed to meet the cognitive and social/emotional needs of the gifted student. The students will practice and learn higher-level thinking skills through the study of various topics.  Some of the units explored in this course include:  advertising and the use of propaganda, the science and folklore of trees, pirates and shipwrecks, harvest festivals around the world, building an inflatable walk-in cell model,  logic puzzles and problem solving, a mock trial, wildlife forensics, and knighthood.  This course is multi-disciplinary and expands upon the seventh grade state standards in all subject areas.  This class is designed to provide a cognitive outlet for the gifted student by offering more freedom than is generally possible in the regular classroom.  Students are encouraged to express individual thoughts, creative thinking, and to find connections between multiple disciplines.

751  7^th Grade Chorus-Elective

Grade Placement: 7                  Meets: Daily 43 Min.                Duration: Year Long

Chorus members will continue to develop their young and changing voices through daily vocal exercises and the study of selected pieces from the choral repertoire.  A variety of styles and languages will be learned, memorized, and performed.  Students will be expected to participate in at least three out-of-school concerts throughout the school year.  There are opportunities for performing as a soloist and in a small ensemble.

744 Music and its Influence Yesterday and Today -Elective

Grade Placement: 7                  Meets: Daily 43 Min.                Duration: 12 weeks

Sharpen your reading and writing skills while listening to music!  This course is designed to give students a sampling of how the different types and styles of music have changed over the years, from chant to jazz and beyond.  In addition, there is a focus on how music is used in different mediums and how it affects you. 

766 CPR-Elective

Grade Placement:  7                 Meets: Daily 43 Min.                Duration: 6 weeks

Students are trained through the American Red Cross for acquiring life-saving skills in Adult CPR with AED and First Aid.  Upon successful completion of this course, students will be given a card to acknowledge they have the skills and knowledge necessary to be able to care for victims in a variety of emergency situations. 

745 Computer and Information Literacy-Elective

Grade Placement: 7                  Meets: Daily 43 Min.                Duration: 12 weeks

Students will navigate a computer network, accessing and saving files on both a local computer and network folder; learn basic Microsoft Office functions, focusing primarily on Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint; and design Internet web pages using the Simple Text or Notepad application and HTML program code.  8^th grade students will be exposed to a more rigorous program.

754 Career Education-Elective

Grade Placement: 7     Meets: Daily 43 Min.     Duration: 6 weeks

This course helps the student achieve proficiency in decision making.  The class teaches the students problem-solving as an essential skill for career planning and lifelong learning.  Students use self-knowledge, educational, and career information to set and achieve realistic career and educational goals.