7^th Grade Curriculum

Reading

Text: Literature. Prentice Hall.

The students will continue to comprehend, appreciate, and understand the relevance of various forms of literature. They will be analyzing through class discussions and study guides each short story, nonfiction essay, poem, play, and novel that we read. This will help to prepare them for high school literature classes.

Spelling/Vocabulary

Text: Vocabulary Workshop. Sadlier Oxford.

Spelling and vocabulary skills are vital to success in high school and college.

Each chapter will be completed in 2 week intervals. The first week is devoted to spelling.

The spelling tests will be given on Fridays. The second week will concentrate on the definitions/meanings of the list words. Definition tests will be given on Fridays.

Religion

Text: Christ Our Life. Loyola Press.

The text will focus on Jesus the man, the teacher, Jesus as the path to the Father, and Jesus’ role in our faith-filled lives. The students will also come to see how our Christian/Catholic values can make a difference in their lives and in the world around them. Reading and studying of the Bible will further develop students’ understanding of our faith. Various papers and projects will be assigned with an emphasis on Dominican saints.

Math

Text: Prentice Hall Mathematics. Prentice Hall.

Math is a bit like learning a sport or a musical instrument. Students will only get better if they practice and apply themselves to the task. Please encourage your child to be neat and precise in his or her work.

We use the Prentice Hall series in our Math program, but there will be material drawn from other sources as well.

Expectations:

-Come in, sit in assigned seat, and have the math notebook open to start class.

-Come to class ready to learn and willing to work.

-Notes are vital to success. Any sample problems done in class should be copied into the notebook.

-Seek help when it is needed. It’s easier to keep up than catch up.

History

Text: American Nation. Prentice Hall.

Topics for 7^th grade American history are as follows:

-The nation’s geography, elements such as land formation and climate.

-The exploring of America and its surrounding territories by the Europeans.

-Establishing of colonies in the northeastern region.

-America’s fight for independence against England.

-The undertaking of a new nation and a new government. The trials and tribulations that went along with this daunting task.

-Western exploration and the settlement of people along the Mississippi River and beyond.

-The threat the War Of 1812 posed to the young nation.

-The turmoil caused by the issue of slavery over thirty years.

-Influx of immigrants causing unrest in many of America’s major cities.

-The nation dividing seems inevitable as slavery causes tension.

-Violence breaking out in the west and the east is a precursor to war.

-The Civil War begins.

English

Text: Language Arts Today. Macmillian/McGraw-Hill.

Both composition and speech will be taught with evaluation based on content, organization, and mechanics. Emphasis is placed on writing a clearly developed paragraph consisting of a topic sentence, supporting details, and a concluding sentence.

This will make an easy transition to the writing of an essay. Also, each month students will deliver one oral presentation with evaluation on content, organization, and delivery.

Grammar is taught extensively. As we progress through the text, students will be tested regularly.

Science

Text: Life Science. Glenco, 1999.

The class will consist of the following topics:

1. Cells, cell processes, and reproduction

2. Classification of living things

3. Viruses and Bacteria

4. Protists and Fungi

5. Sponges, Cnidarians, types of worms

6. Mollusks, Arthropods, and Echinoderms

7. The Human Body (including heredity)

8. The Peak Energy Program

Students will participate in lab exercises following a safety contract. The lab contract rules will be strictly enforced to protect all involved. Behavioral problems will not be tolerated. The number and intensity level of the lab exercises will be dependent upon the equipment available and budget constraints.

Homework will consist of assigned text pages, text review questions, and text created worksheets. Additional handout readings with questions, small reports, and special projects will be assigned during the year.

Grades will be based on homework, class assignments, labs, projects, quizzes, and chapter tests. Lab grades are equal in value to quiz grades. All quizzes and tests are to be signed by a parent. They must be returned within 3 school days. The papers are saved in a file for each student. This way they are available should any concerns dealing with grades occur.