7th Grade Course Descriptions

CORE COURSES:

English (Grade 7 Reading SOL Test)

At the seventh-grade level, students will deliver multimodal presentations individually and in collaborative groups. Students will study word origins and roots and begin identifying connotations. There is a continued emphasis on reading comprehension by comparing fiction and nonfiction texts with an increased emphasis on nonfiction reading. Students will plan, draft, revise, and edit writing in a variety of forms with an emphasis on expository and persuasive writing. Students will be expected to have greater control over the conventions of writing. Students will find, evaluate, and select appropriate resources for an oral, visual, written, or multimodal research product.

Math (Grade 7 Math SOL Test)

The seventh-grade standards continue to emphasize the foundations of algebra. Students who successfully complete the seventh-grade standards should be prepared to study Algebra I in grade eight. Topics in grade seven include proportional reasoning, integer computation, solving two-step linear equations, and recognizing different representation for relationships. Students will apply the properties of real numbers in solving equations, solve inequalities, and use data analysis techniques to make inferences, conjectures, and predictions.

Integrated Math 7/8 (Placement Scores on IIAT and SOL Tests Required) (Grade 8 Math SOL Test)

The Integrated Math 7/8 course combines both the Math 7 and 8 curricula to reiterate foundational algebra and geometry concepts.  Students continue to emphasize, extend, and gain proficiency in algebraic concepts and skills including operations with rational numbers, proportional reasoning, applying the properties of real numbers while solving multi-step equations and inequalities, and using data analysis techniques to make inferences, conjectures, and predictions. New concepts will include integer computation, graphing linear equations, visualizing three-dimensional shapes represented in two-dimensional drawings, and applying transformations to geometric shapes in the coordinate plane. Students will verify and apply the Pythagorean Theorem and represent relations and functions using tables, graphs, and rules.  These integrated standards provide a more solid foundation for those students planning to take Algebra I in grade eight.

Civics and Economics (Civics and Economics SOL Test)

During this course students will identify the rights, duties, and responsibilities of citizens; and personal character traits, such as patriotism, respect for the law, and a sense of civic duty, that are necessary for effective participation in an increasingly diverse democratic society.  Students will explore the roles citizens play in the political, governmental, and economic systems in the United States. Students will examine the constitutions of both Virginia and the United States; and describe the structure and operation of government at the local, state, and national levels. Students will investigate the process by which decisions are made in the American market economy and explain the government’s role in the economy.  Students who complete this course will take the Civics and Economics SOL Test. 

Health and Physical Education

Students in grade seven generate and choose positive alternatives to risky behaviors.  They use skills to resist peer pressure and manage stress and anxiety.  Students are able to relate health choices (e.g., nutritional, physical activity) to alertness, feelings, and performance at school and during everyday activity.  Students learn to exhibit a healthy lifestyle, interpret health information, and promote good health.  In grade seven, students also continue to develop competence in modified versions of game/sport, dance, and recreational activities.  They vary movement during dynamic and changing game situations.  Recreational pursuits become an additional curriculum option, broadening lifetime physical activity.  The ability to analyze skill performance through observing and understanding critical elements (isolated, small parts of the whole skill or movement) is increasingly apparent, as is the application of basic scientific principles of movement and personal fitness.

Life Science

The life science standards emphasize a more complex understanding of change, cycles, patterns, and relationships in the living world. Students build on basic principles related to these concepts by exploring the cellular organization and the classification of organisms; the dynamic relationships among organisms, populations, communities, and ecosystems; and change because of the transmission of genetic information from generation to generation. Inquiry skills at this level include organization and mathematical analysis of data, manipulation of variables in experiments, and identification of sources of experimental error.

ELECTIVE COURSES:

Chorus

The main emphasis of grade seven chorus is to develop good singing habits and to direct the students toward a positive choral experience.  The Vocal/Choral Standards of Learning require performance, creativity, and investigation at a fundamental level.  Students explore ways in which the content of the various disciplines, within and outside the arts, are interrelated with those of music.  Students are exposed to music fundamentals of notation and simple sight singing.  Students will be given vocal demonstrations by the instructor and then have the opportunity to improve their vocal ability through the singing of vocal exercises as well as a wide variety of choral literature.  

Band (Year Long)

Developing basic musicianship skills continues to be a priority at the seventh grade level. Students will begin to use more articulations and bowings, perform scales and music at a more difficult level.  Ensemble skills will become more developed as students participate in band and concert settings. Students will describe concepts common to music and other disciplines, and will be involved in discussing various cultures, styles, composers, and historical periods.  After-school opportunities will be available for such activities as All County and All District Band and small group ensembles.

Art

Grade seven art continues to emphasize exploration, analysis, and investigation of the creative process.  Students develop technical skills that empower them to communicate ideas visually, with the focus on realistic representations of their environment.  Students acquire knowledge that permits them to identify art styles and the periods to which they belong.  In addition, they become aware of a variety of art careers that they may consider.  They develop inquiry skills and vocabulary as they explore the meaning of works of art through analysis of subject matter, themes, and symbols.  Students develop an increased awareness of the nature of art and of their relationship to it as they explore the meaning and value of works of art.

Hand Bells

Seventh grade students will learn music theory and proper hand bell techniques.  This course will include performance and reading music.

Introduction to Technology 7

Students explore past and present inventions and look for future inventions.  Students will develop marketing strategies for selling their product or inventions.  Students will also examine early inventions and their impact on our daily living.  Students will make models of inventions, maintain a journal, and produce an advertising campaign for a product.  Students will be introduced to the following curriculum areas through the following modules:  CNC Manufacturing, Computer Graphics and Animation, CADD, and Energy, Power and Mechanics. 

Agri-science Exploration

This course is designed to assist students in exploring science as it relates to agriculture.  Through instructional activities, students will have an opportunity to develop an understanding of human relations, communication, and the importance of agriculture.  Students will explore agriculture through investigations, problem solving, scenarios and brainstorming.  Students will work individually as well as in teams to complete assignments and projects.  Students enrolled in Agri-science at the seventh grade level are given the opportunity to become members of the FFA Chapter.  FFA members participate in several extracurricular activities, including leadership conferences, state and national conventions, community service activities, career development events at the local, state and national levels, recreational events and many more educational experiences.

Introduction to Foreign Cultures 7

This course takes the student from the conversational aspect and expands on vocabulary building in the focus languages.  Students will realize that perspectives, practices, and products of the focus countries are interrelated and compare basic elements of the focus languages to the English language.  After they have successfully completed this class, students should be well-prepared to make an informed choice about which language or languages to pursue in high school and college.

Inventions & Innovations 7

Students will gain an understanding of the importance that innovation has on technology and our society.  Students will learn the engineering design process and how it is utilized to continuously improve existing technology and they will gain an enhanced understanding of this principle through intermediate project-based and hands-on learning activities. Students will use coding to program robots, incorporating the principles of innovation to improve and enhance their robotic projects. Students will also participate in intermediate engineering design and construction projects in order to learn how to take a design idea, sketch it out, and create an actual model or prototype of that design.

Career Investigations REQUIRED*

This course allows students to explore career options and begin investigating career opportunities. Students assess their roles in society, identify their roles as workers, analyze their personal assets, complete a basic exploration of career clusters, select career pathways or occupations for further study, and create an Academic and Career Plan based on their academic and career interests. This course also helps students identify and demonstrate the workplace skills that employers desire in their future employees.

Computer Science Discoveries 

An 18-week exploratory course that empowers students to create authentic artifacts and engage with computer science as a medium for creativity, communication, problem solving, and fun. Students will learn problem solving techniques, coding, web development, animations and games, and the design process.

Career Investigations 7 - GO TEC - LPMS Only
This course allows students to explore career options and begin investigating career opportunities using Major Clarity.  Major Clarity will be an integral part of each student's academic plan through graduation. Students assess their roles in society, identify their roles as workers, analyze their personal assets, complete a basic exploration of career clusters, select career pathways or occupations for further study, and create an Academic and Career Plan based on their academic and career interests. Students will be exposed to the basics of the 8th grade GO TEC Career Applications curriculum.