The seventh grade Language Arts student read several more Newberry Award Books. They complete comprehension checks in each lesson to respond to what they have read and engage in activities for developing vocabulary-building skills and strategies. As they read, students are required to use the writing process for writing business letters, summaries, and a research paper. They will also present a variety of speeches.

In seventh grade math, studentl determine the appropriate form of rational numbers to solve problems. In geometry,they develop formulas for finding area and volume of plane and solid figures, distinguishing the difference between surface area and volume. Seventh grade math students l use models to engage in equation-solving processes using inverse operations; graph linear equations and inequalities; use formulas to solve problems; read, create, and interpret graphs including box-and-whisker plots and stem-and-leaf plots; analyze data using the measures of center and spread; identify the misuses and influence of misrepresentations of data; compute probability of compound events; and design and conduct experiments to test theoretical probabilities, make predictions, and evaluate the actual outcomes.

In the seventh grade, Social Studies students begin the four-year historical sequence with a study of the ancient world. Students learn that each historic event is shaped by its geographic setting, culture of the people, economic conditions, governmental decisions and citizen action. Students also expand their command of social studies skills and methods.

Students in seventh grade science learn to describe interactions of matter and energy throughout the lithosphere, hydrosphere and atmosphere. They continue to develop skills of scientific inquiry, explain how matter can change forms and describe how energy is potential or kinetic and takes many forms. Students apply math skills to evaluate and analyze variables and data from investigations as they draw conclusions from scientific evidence. Seventh-grade students are able to recognize that technology can create environmental and economic conflicts, affect the quality of life, and that science and technology cannot answer all questions and cannot solve all human problems. Students access knowledge to explain how energy entering the ecosystems, such as sunlight, supports the life of organisms through photosynthesis and the transfer of energy through the interactions of organisms and the environment. (back)