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Humanities Module One

7th Grade Humanities integrates Language Arts and Social Studies, with two framing year-long essential questions: “What are my rights?” and “What are my responsibilities?” as well as a focus on what strong readers and writers do.
Reading. In the first module we are launching our reading workshop. In a workshop model of reading, students select appropriate texts to read independently – including at least 30 minutes of reading nightly – and apply the reading strategies that the class learns together in group read-alouds and modeling of what strong readers do. In conferences with their teachers and reading partner work, students are pushed to engage more deeply with literature. The first module focuses on deep analysis of characters in our books.
Writing. The writing work in the first module focuses on persuasive essay writing. Following the stages of the writing process, each class will complete personal essays explaining why something near and dear matters to them. Through this process, students will learn critical writing techniques and conventions. They will then apply these writing strategies to their lawyer arguments for the mock trials in the social studies portion of class.
Social Studies. The first module of social studies concentrates on the creation, contents, and interpretation of the U.S. Constitution. We begin by exploring the function of laws in society, including constructing a “Class Constitution.” The module culminates with students’ participating in two mock trials, a brief Fourth Amendment case followed by a major First Amendment trial that students will perform at Manhattan’s U.S. Courthouse. In the trials, students apply critical thinking, oral presentation and persuasive argumentation skills.

Math Module One

In 7th grade math this module, your child will be focusing on proportion, probability and integers. Within proportion, we will be focusing on equivalency and making sure students know fraction, decimal and percent equivalencies. Then in the module, we will learn about theoretical and experimental probability and what makes a game fair. The module will culminate in a project where students design their own spinner game and form a circle graph to show the probability results. Our questions for the year are: ‘What patterns do you see in the real world?’ and ‘Does it make sense?’ We will be exploring these questions as much as possible and also will devote Fridays to learning new techniques in problem solving. Each week your child will then be asked to write-up their Problem of the Week (POW) to show their understanding of the problem and clearly communicate a rationale that proves their solution. We are looking forward to a rewarding and creative year!

Science Module One

The essential question for the first module of seventh grade science is, “What is our world made of?” In pursuit of that knowledge our students will be studying chemistry. They will have the opportunity to learn about the elements of the periodic table, the particulate nature of matter, and the role of chemicals in our daily lives. Through various investigations the class will cover the following key points:
• Elements are the fundamental building blocks from which all matter is made.
• Matter is composed of particles that are in constant motion.
• Energy can be transferred from one location to another.
• Matter exists in three phases.
• There is always evidence of whenever a chemical reaction takes place.

Art Module One

Seventh grade artists are exploring the Principles of Art. Our projects this module include negative space collage and organic shape drawing. Seventh graders will build their art journals as well by storing descriptions of each project along with their own sketches. We also include the critique process in the classroom so that students learn to analyze both their own work and that of famous artists in terms of balance, harmony, proportion, rhythm, contrast and variety. Our goal in the TSMS Art room is to provide diverse material and exploration opportunities for our students so that all types of artists are able to develop their unique creative abilities, utilizing their individual learning style.

Spanish Module One

We are beginning this module with a review of Spanish. Students will also learn about Spanish-speaking countries and their influence in the world. In class, we will focus on honing conversational skills by giving students real-life situations. We will be using an array of authentic materials, of which I will provide photocopies, from text-books to newspapers. Students will be able to develop their critical-thinking skills and make connections to their own academic subjects.

Technology Module One

During their first module Technology class, seventh grade students begin to build expertise in the applications they use in their academic work at TSMS. In a directed series of assignments and projects, students practice typing, learn how to properly format papers, create presentations, conduct Internet research, and write research papers. Additionally, students use our computer lab resources to express themselves creatively with graphic design, animation, game design, and basic web design. Overall, students are encouraged to experience the computer both as an academic tool and a venue for active self-expression. Students are encouraged to see themselves as active creators of computer and web based media, not as solely consumers.

Physical Education Module One

The 7th grade students are exploring the game of soccer. The instruction integrates skills such as dribbling, shooting, and trapping, along with vocabulary and rules designed to prepare the students to play. In addition, the students are exploring various modes of conditioning including aerobic (like jogging and jumping rope) and strengthening exercises (like push-ups).

Seventh Grade Curriculum Archive