Grade Seven

Grade seven students use language as a vehicle to self-expression and to reflect their developing sophistication of ideas, concepts, and opinions. They study the origins of human beings and early civilizations as part of their social studies curriculum. In the science classroom, students expand on their understanding of systems and focus on systems and cycles to build a systems perspective. This focus on systems requires students to interpret information and apply concepts and skills in the broad context of the discipline, and thus make connections between different domains of knowledge. In mathematics, students develop algebraic thinking and operations on variables. The major focus is on having facility with understanding, representing, and applying rational numbers in multiple contexts; quantitative and spatial reasoning. Performance Tasks include: Letter to Posterity; History Repeats Itself Debates; Playground Project; Remote-Controlled Operated Vehicles (ROV); Cell-tastic Theme Park.

English Language Arts
Students in Grade 7 use language as a vehicle for thought, creativity, reflection, learning and self-expression, as a tool for personal growth, social interaction and for developing relationships beyond their school community. Students begin to comprehend more clearly aspects of their own culture and others by exploring the interdependence of human beings through a variety of interdisciplinary studies. As they explore the many facets of the language through the use of media and information technology they develop the skills involved in speaking, listening, reading, writing and viewing in a variety of contexts. They respond to a variety of texts, reading widely to promote a lifelong interest in language and literature. Students develop a critical and creative approach to studying and analyzing literature considering the role of literature both culturally and historically. Through reflection on the learning process in a variety of ways and at various stages students empathize with real people and fictional characters as and when appropriate.

Social Studies
Seventh graders study the origins of human beings in Africa and the early civilizations that flourished in the Mediterranean area. They study the religions, governments, trade, philosophies, and art of these civilizations as well as the powerful ideas that arose in the ancient world and profoundly shaped the course of world history. These ideas include monotheism, democracy, the rule of law, individual worth, personal responsibility, the alphabetic principle for a writing system, and scientific reasoning.

Mathematics
In grade 7, instructional time is focused on four critical areas: (1) developing understanding of and applying proportional relationships; (2) developing understanding of operations with rational numbers and working with expressions and linear equations; (3) solving problems involving scale drawings and informal geometric constructions, and working with two- and three-dimensional shapes to solve problems involving area, surface area, and volume; and (4) drawing inferences about populations based on samples. The major focus is on having facility on, understanding, representing, and applying rational numbers in multiple contexts- quantitative and spatial reasoning.

Science and Technology/Engineering
Systems and Cycles Students in grade 7 focus on systems and cycles to build a systems perspective using their understanding of structures and elements developed in earlier grades. A focus on systems requires students to interpret information and apply concepts and skills in the broad context of the discipline, and thus make connections between different domains of knowledge. Standards in grade 7 highlight interdisciplinary connections within and across domains since most natural and designed systems and cycles are complex and interactive. Students begin a process of building expert knowledge, moving from a more concrete to an abstract perspective and creating a foundation for exploring cause and effect relationships in more depth in grade 8. They have experience in observing structure of cells, body systems, matter, the Earth, measuring changes in energy, and applying these ideas to systems and cycles that span domains.

The Unified Arts
One of the primary goals of the unified arts instruction is to develop and expand children's natural abilities of perception, movement, interpretation, and appreciation of the forms, sounds, and language of creativity. The curriculum is designed to encourage a positive attitude and, perhaps, a lifelong interest in all of the unified arts disciplines. By participating in active experiences, working collaboratively with classmates and teachers, and presenting their work to the larger community, our students gain the technical and aesthetic foundation to be culturally literate citizens of the world.

World Language
Students will take Spanish and Latin in each of their three years at Monomoy Middle School. Students will expand on the Spanish language skills acquired at the elementary level. Spanish, as the nation's second language, gives every proficient speaker a valuable skill and a connection to world conversations. A foundational understanding of Latin opens the door to all Romance Languages and strengthens understanding of the roots of language and appropriate usage. Latin will extend skills addressed in the English Language Arts classes.

Visual Art
Using a variety of ways to explore, learn, and communicate, students develop their capacity for imaginative and reflective thinking. The visual arts includes drawing, painting, photography,
printmaking, and sculpture; the design fields include industrial, ceramic, textile, furniture, and graphic design. Visual arts is a continuously evolving field that also explores technologies such as film, video, and other electronic forms of image-making.

Music
Through music education students become fluent in the language of music as artistic, intellectual, and cultural expression. Performing, creating, and responding to music provide means for development and growth. Fluency in music brings understanding of contemporary and historical cultures, as well as self-knowledge. Music includes forms such as folk, popular, band and orchestral music, gospel music, oratorio, jazz, opera, and musical theatre.

Wellness
Our physical education program is designed to support students’ self-image, build sportsmanship, and provide a basis for a healthy lifelong attitude toward fitness. Our curriculum is carefully sequenced to match the stages of physical, social, and emotional development from year to year. In addition to athletic skills, our program encourages creative expression, builds social concepts such as sportsmanship, cooperation, and fair play, offers opportunities for leadership, encourages children to take risks, and fosters a sense of well-being in a non-competitive setting.

STEM
Students in grades five through seven engage in progressively more sophisticated engineering design challenges from the construction of simple name plates to bridges to air powered cars. Essential questions include: How do material characteristics affect tool choice and use? How do properties and characteristics of materials affect design and production in the building of prototypes? How can ideas be communicated through various media? How can you apply the Universal Systems model to transportation?