Grade 7 curriculum
New York State learning standards outline what a student should know and be able to do by the end of the grade level. There are also additional skills that a well-rounded student should possess. Listed below are examples of academic expectations for sixth grade students. These should be viewed holistically and are not meant to determine promotion or retention; a student may demonstrate or be on track for proficiency without having mastered every skill. Teachers intervene as appropriate to support skills development.
Core classes
Students will:
- Continue to develop as readers, writers, listeners, speakers and thinkers;
- Strengthen comprehension and analytical skills;
- Broaden academic vocabulary and develop as strong writers; and
- Engage in a comprehensive research project and discussions driven by reading material that aligns with students’ readiness and interests.
Books seventh-graders will read include A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park and Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson.
Grade 7 Honors English Language Arts
This course follows the same learning standards defined by New York State for grade 7 but explores these skills with greater depth. This class is reading- and writing-intensive.
Students will:
- Develop understanding of and apply proportional relationships;
- Develop understanding of operations with rational numbers and work with expressions and linear equations;
- Solve problems involving scale drawings and informal geometric constructions, and work with two- and three-dimensional shapes to solve problems involving area, surface area and volume; and
- Draw inferences about populations based on samples.
Grade 7 Math Accelerated
This course covers all of the grade 7 Math standards and priority standards from the grade 8 Math standards to prepare students who may accelerate to Algebra I.
Students will:
- Build on science inquiry, measurement and graphing skills;
- Explore the properties of matter;
- Examine periodic tables and trends;
- Learn about energy and energy transformations;
- Engage in the study of cells, including microscopic structures and their functions;
- Study genetics, including cellular and organism reproduction; and
- Expand their knowledge of the structure of the universe.
Students in grade 7 and 7/8 Science complete a science project and have the opportunity to participate in the Joseph Henry Science Fair.
Grade 7/8 Accelerated Science
This course covers learning standards from grade 7 and grade 8 Science. These learning standards and units are selected to prepare students that may accelerate to Living Environment in grade 8. In addition to covering grades 7 and 8 Science standards, students will explore the content with greater depth and rigor.
Students will:
- Study the United States from the settlement of North America by Native Americans through the Civil War, with a focus on people, events and places in New York;
- Learn about the development of cultures, civilizations and empires;
- Understand interactions between societies;
- Identify and analyze enduring issues to make connections between historical and current events.
Grade 7 Honors Social Studies
This course covers the same learning standards as grade 7 Social Studies, but in greater depth using more challenging information sources.
Other required classes
Art introduces students to elements of art and design historically and today, emphasizing the arts as a pathway for community and global connections.
General Music introduces students to fundamental music concepts using different instruments such as piano, drums and ukulele. Students create, write, perform, respond to and analyze music with basic music theories.
Band gives students the opportunity to build on the skills built in grade 6. As students develop more musical independence, they will be able to perform more complex and diverse pieces.
Advanced Band is available to students who want to tackle more challenging music. The class is enrolled by grade level or audition.
Chorus students explore basic vocal techniques in a variety of musical genres, including two-part and three-part singing, music reading, vocabulary and theory, building on the skills gained in grade 6 Chorus.
Orchestra provides students the opportunity to use the skills acquired in elementary Orchestra. Musical independence is highlighted as teachers shift emphasis from single-line melody in all instruments to individual sections.
Advanced Orchestra is available to students who want to tackle more challenging music. The class is enrolled by grade level or audition.
Students may be scheduled for Band and Chorus, or Orchestra and Chorus, but not Band and Orchestra. Instrumental students will be required to attend lessons in addition to their scheduled ensemble period and be responsible for making up any other missed class work.
Select seventh-graders take English Enrichment to enhance their literacy skills with strategies taught by a reading teacher. Resources, assignments and projects are selected with students’ individual strengths and interests in mind.
Grade 7 FACS helps students to have a better understanding of themselves, their families and their environment. It is designed to give students the skills necessary to become productive, independent adults. Units of study include cooking and nutrition, clothing management and sewing, human development and career exploration.
Select students will receive Math Content Enrichment to reinforce the grade-level curriculum and instruction. Resources, assignments and projects are selected with students’ individual strengths, areas of need and interests in mind.
Select students will receive Math Skills Enrichment to develop foundational skills necessary to access grade-level curriculum and instruction. Resources, assignments and projects are selected with students’ individual strengths, areas of need and interests in mind.
The goal of Grade 7 Physical Education is to expose students to a wide variety of physical activities, allowing them to identify those they enjoy as a vehicle towards achieving lifetime fitness and health.
This course is designed for students in grade 7 who need support to enhance their foundational literacy skills. Students have the opportunity to work with a reading teacher in a small group in order to enrich reading ability.
Grade 7 Technology students explore basic concepts and the history of technology. Major areas of focus include the engineering design process, design and drawing, systems and materials processing.
Students can choose one of the language offerings in their school. These courses explore the culture(s) where the language is spoken and learn basic vocabulary, reading, speaking and writing skills in the target language.
Electives
Advancement Via Individual Determination – AVID for short – is a national kindergarten-high school initiative designed to increase the number of students who enroll and succeed in college and beyond.
Students meet daily in the AVID elective class and focus on these academic skills and content: writing, inquiry, collaboration, organization and reading (WICOR). Students also engage in student-centered, inquiry-based tutoring sessions facilitated by regional college students. These activities support students in becoming college and career ready.
This course provides an introduction to the world of business. Major areas of focus include computer literacy for the workplace and business communications.
