7th Grade Curriculum
Students develop skills in reading comprehension, advanced math, scientific investigation, and understanding 19th-century U.S. history and government, applying these in various contexts.
7th Grade Curriculum Highlights
- Students apply a wide range of strategies to comprehend, interpret, evaluate, and appreciate diverse texts in reading. They adjust usage of spoken and written language to communicate appropriately in different settings.
- In math, students demonstrate an understanding of variables, patterns, probability, ratios and proportions, rational numbers, absolute values, linear functions and advanced problem solving techniques.
- Science provides opportunities for students to continue to develop their ability to plan, design, and conduct scientific investigations in life and physical sciences.
- Social studies topics further develop students’ understanding of government and history of U.S in the19th century.
Middle School Expectations
- 7th grade students are held to higher expectations of responsibility and accountability for academic performance and Catholic values-based behavior, along with parental and institutional support.
- Integrated Technology – 7th grade students at St. Joseph participate in an enhanced technology curriculum. Students receive and use personal Chromebooks for daily classroom instruction. Students and teachers utilize Google classroom throughout the entire curriculum, including content and delivery, collaborative learning, independent research projects, teacher-student communication, assessments, and overall student literacy.
- In 7th grade, there are many opportunities for students to participate in various academic competitions such as math competitions, Geography Bees, and Scholastic Bowls at local Catholic high schools. St. Joseph School is proud of their exceptional track record at many of these academic competitions.
- Middle school religious studies require students to participate in an in-depth review of the Ten Commandments with an application to how they affect one’s morality, develop insights as to why all of life is worthy of reverence, explain how God calls us to act in a loving way toward one another using knowledge of the Beatitudes and Catholic Social Teachings, and explore virtues and works of mercy as a method of living the model Jesus gave us.
7th Grade Curriculum
Religion
- Textbook: Finding God: Following Jesus (Loyola Press)
- Daily Examen: Reflection on the day’s events to notice God’s presence
- Weekly School Mass: Active participation in Eucharistic celebrations
- Adoration: Silent prayer before the Blessed Sacrament
- Confirmation Preparation – Year One: service hours, retreat, and other steps toward Confirmation
- Bible: Old Testament (Creation, Exodus, Commandments, etc.), New Testament (Gospel Message, Jesus’ teachings, Church beginnings)
- Themes: Liturgical themes (Advent, Lent, Easter), Sacraments, Prayer rituals (Rosary, Our Father, Hail Mary)
- Assignments/Assessments: Quizzes/Tests, group projects, service projects
Social Studies
- Economics: Supply and Demand, Banking and the Federal Reserve, the government’s role in the economy, Capitalism, currency
- Governments: Federal and Illinois Constitutions and citizenship
- History: Studies of 19th Century themes/events, including U.S. expansion, slavery, social change and reform, the Civil War and Reconstruction, the Industrial Revolution and struggles for labor
- Skills: Comparison, cause and effect, note-taking, predictions, and research
- Assessments: Classwork, quizzes, tests, and projects
Science
- Life Science: Human nutrition, plant/animal cells, genetics, classification of living things
- Physical Science: Motion, forces, work and machines
- Projects: Invertebrate dissection, Six Flags Math and Physics Day, Rube Goldberg projects
- Assessments: Class participation, homework, quizzes, tests, research projects
Literature
- Skills: Comprehension, inferential thinking, evaluating fact/opinion, analyzing plot and purpose, identifying fantasy and legends
- Vocabulary: Weekly vocabulary with bi-weekly tests, using words in reading and writing
Reading
- Read selections in different genres that develop understanding of fiction, non-fiction, and poetry.
- Units of study include: The Giver (summer reading), Short stories, The Outsiders, Figurative Language, Poetry, Roll of Thunder. Hear My Cry, Of Beetles and Angels, and Literature Circles
- Learn a variety of reading strategies for comprehension including prediction, visualization, connection, questioning, clarifying and evaluating.
- Recognize and discuss literary elements:
- Plot
- Theme
- Characterization
- Conflict
- Setting
- Study vocabulary through readings.
- Respond to independent reading through regular book reports.
- Independent Reading/ Book Reports: Students are expected to always bring an independent reading book with them to class. Independent reading at home on a regular basis is always homework for this class. Students are to complete three book reports per a trimester using the required book report format. All book reports should be turned in on Google Classroom.
Language Arts
- Parts of Speech, Grammar, Phrases, Clauses
- Complex Sentence Structure and Type of Sentences
- Five Types of Writing
- Five Paragraph Essay
- Three Page Research Paper
- Oral Presentation
All students are required to retain all written work in their writing folder that remains in the classroom.
Math
- Number and Quantity: analyze proportional relationships; perform real number operations; use radicals and integer exponents
- Algebra: generate equivalent expressions; connect proportional relationships and lines; solve problems using linear equations and inequalities
- Geometry: understand geometric relationships and similarity; solve problems involving angles, surface area, and volume
- Statistics and Probability: analyze and compare populations; find probabilities of events
- Expectations: participate in class, organize notes and examples, show all work to support answers, collaborate with others, improve perseverance and communication of mathematical ideas and solutions
- Resources: Big Ideas Red Accelerated textbook (hardcover and online), iReady, IXL, one-on-one teacher support
- Assessments: classwork and participation, homework, quizzes, tests