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7th Grade
Welcome to Seventh Grade
May/June : What is Grade 7 Studying?
ELA
Module 4: Topic Build Background Knowledge: Plastic Pollution
During the month of May 7th grade scholars will end unit 3 of the Harlem Renaissance. The final project will require students to complete a community-based project that represents the key features of the Harlem Renaissance. Students will have the option of selecting a notable musician, literary work or art piece that was part of the unit’s study. Students will then begin a new module that explores the topic of plastic pollution. In Unit 1, the topic of plastic pollution and how it affects humans, animals, and the environment will be studied. In addition, students will study the documentary A Plastic Ocean. They will also work collaboratively to complete and engage in discussions to compare the film and transcript portrayals of subjects as well as to evaluate the speakers’ arguments. In the second half of Unit 1, big ideas will address where and how plastic pollutes, as well as what can be done about plastic pollution. The unit of study will also require that they analyze the text Trash Vortex for the author’s purpose and central ideas. Furthermore, students will then learn how to analyze the text to discover how the author distinguishes her position from that of others. During the end of unit assessment, scholars will answer selected questions and construct responses that demonstrate their understanding of central ideas as well as the author’s purpose and how it is conveyed in various texts.
Illustrative Math:
Students will explore Unit 7: Angles, Triangles, and Prisms. Students will investigate whether sets of angle and side length measurements determine unique triangles or multiple triangles, or fail to determine triangles. Students also study and apply angle relationships, learning to understand and use the terms “complementary,” “supplementary,” “vertical angles,” and “unique.” The work gives them practice working with rational numbers and equations for angle relationships. Students analyze and describe cross-sections of prisms, pyramids, and polyhedra. They understand and use the formula for the volume of a right rectangular prism, and solve problems involving area, surface area, and volume. Students should have access to their geometry toolkits so that they have an opportunity to select and use appropriate tools strategically..
Science:
The genetics unit introduces students to how traits are passed from one generation to the next and how organisms inherit characteristics from their parents. Students will explore key concepts such as DNA, genes, and chromosomes, and how these structures carry genetic information. They will learn the difference between inherited and learned traits, as well as how dominant and recessive alleles influence an organism’s phenotype. Through tools like Punnett squares, students will predict the probability of certain traits being passed on, while also examining variation within a species and how genetic diversity occurs.
Understanding genetics is important because it helps explain how living things grow, function, and evolve over time. In modern society, genetics plays a major role in fields such as medicine, agriculture, and biotechnology. Scientists use genetic knowledge to develop treatments for diseases, improve food production, and even explore gene editing technologies. By studying genetics, students gain a deeper understanding of themselves and the world around them, while also learning how science can be used to solve real-world problems and make informed decisions about health and the environment.
Social Studies:
Our 7th grade Social Studies students will complete their unit on Westward Expansion by exploring the push and pull factors that motivated people to move across the United States during the 1800s and led to people immigrating to the United States. Students will also examine the causes and effects of the U.S.-Mexican War and how the acquisition of new territories raised important questions about the expansion of slavery in the United States.
As the month continues, we will begin our Civil War unit, where students will investigate the growing tensions between the North and South and the events that ultimately led the nation into war. Through discussions, primary sources, and class activities, students will build an understanding of how political, economic, and social differences shaped this pivotal period in American history.