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Curriculum Overview
Language Arts
The Massachusetts State Frameworks are the guiding principles of the Language Arts curriculum. The Frameworks mainly emphasize reading, writing and some media production and analysis. Broadly speaking, the 7th grade curriculum seeks to: Develop reading and literary skills through the study of in-class literature and independent reading and strengthen writing skills through spelling, reading, grammar and writing practice. A variety of instructional (lecture, working in groups, using technology) and assessment methods (presentations, test, projects) are employed.:
Literature
7th Grade Literature Units, nature journaling, short stories,, censorship (research), mythology, and poetry.
Independent Reading
Each month students are expected to read one book at his/her level under each of the specified genres. The books are selected during class time, but most reading should take place outside of class. A project or test will be given at the end of each month to check for comprehension and analysis.
Writing
Students write everyday in different ways (in journals, open responses, etc.). They are frequently asked to do multiple drafts. Below are some writing skills and genres that are focused on in 7th grade.
· Skills- Parts of Speech (nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, pronouns, conjunctions, prepositions, interjections, articles
· Spelling-
· Technical Skills-
· Genres five-paragraph essays, journals, assorted book reports, letters (business and friendly), open-responses, nature journaling and final pieces, survey questions, interview questions, censorship research projects, poems, myths and descriptive paragraphs.
English as a Second Language (ESL)
English language learning students (ELLs) learn the same curriculum as all other students. Teachers in the Martha’s Vineyard Public Schools are trained or in the process of being trained in Sheltered English Instruction (SEI), which enables them to make the mainstream curriculum comprehensible to English language learners as they learn English. All content in the core subjects of language arts, math, history/social studies, and science is taught in English, using SEI strategies to make the material accessible and the learning environment welcoming, stimulating and inclusive for learners from different cultures and languages. The language arts curriculum is supplemented by English language development (ELD) classes taught by ESL teachers and is aligned with the Massachusetts DOE’s “English Language Proficiency Benchmarks and Outcomes for English Language Learners” and “English Language Arts Frameworks”.
Mathematics
In alignment with the Massachusetts Frameworks, students will meet PreK-6 expectations through…
Review of basic equation
· Fractions, decimals and percents
· Ratio and proportion
Algebra
· Write algebraic expressions to represent situations and patterns
· Apply the distributive property to expand expressions and to factor out a common factor
· Solve single-variable equations in which the variable appears on both sides
· Recognize a linear relationship from a written description, a table, a graph or an equation
Geometry
· Understand volume and surface area
· Understand similarity and scale factor
· Understand and apply the relationships between scale factor and the surface areas and volumes of three-dimensional figures
· Plot points in all four quadrants
· Apply the distance formulas
Number Sense
· Operations with signed numbers
· Positive and negative integer exponents
· Percent operations
Data and Probability
· Calculate probabilities in situations involving multipart outcomes
· Understand the purpose of sampling
History/Social Science
In alignment with the Massachusetts State Frameworks, students in the seventh grade study the origins of human beings and ancient civilizations. Early Mesopotamian civilizations, Egypt, Greece, and Rome are studied,: their religions, government, trade, arts, and accomplishments. Students also study the philosophies of these ancient cultures and how their ideas shaped the course of world history.
Human Origins
· Describe how the invention of agriculture related to settlement, population growth, and the emergence of civilization
· Identify the characteristics of civilization
Mesopotamia
· Identify polytheism
· Describe the important achievements of Mesopotamian civilization
Egypt
· Describe the role of the pharaoh as god/king and class structure
· Summarize important achievements of Egyptian civilization, including hieroglyphic writing and monumental architecture
Ancient Israel
· Describe the monotheistic religion of the ancient Israelites
Greece
· Explain why the government of ancient Athens is considered the beginning of democracy
· Describe the myths and stories of classical Greece
Rome
· Describe the government of the Roman Republic and its contribution to the development of democratic principles
· Describe the origins of Christianity
Science
7th Grade students in the MVPS will participate in the required components of the Science Curriculum as stated in the Massachusetts Curriculum frameworks. Utilizing skills based on previous learning, students will strive to meet the objectives of Earth and Space Science, Life Science , and Physical Science. The learning standards within each strand, as written by the state, are organized by a 6-8-grade span and grouped by subject area topics. Units may include but are not limited to:
· Life Science: classification, structure of cells, systems in living things and their environments, energy and living things, sexual vs. asexual reproduction, evolution and biodiversity, changes in ecosystems over time
· Physical Sciences: the nature of matter and energy - especially heat energy, particle motion, general chemistry, density and volume/mass/weight relationships, and the motion of objects.
· Earth/Space Science: age, origin, and structure of the earth, solar system, and universe, changes in organisms and ecosystems from environmental and geologic changes, weather, and climate changes over time.
The science curriculum in the middle grades emphasizes open investigation, hypothesizing, gathering data and drawing sound conclusions from it.
World Language: Spanish
In the seventh grade, students build on vocabulary and grammar skills of writing and communicating in complete Spanish sentences, writing poetry, exploring Spanish-speaking countries and cultures, learning necessary arrangements for planning a trip abroad, and expressing likes, dislikes, and preferences. By the end of seventh grade, students should feel comfortable writing a ½ a page in Spanish with the vocabulary that they have acquired.
Computer Technology/ Media
In the MVPS, 7th Graders use the school libraries and technology labs as places to conduct research that supports their academic studies. Students will be honing their skills at internet research, web site evaluation, touch typing, word processing and spreadsheets, graphic arts and digital image work, database software, multimedia presentation software (such as iLife Suite), desktop publishing, and multimedia programs, in order to support cross-content academic studies.
Art
By seventh grade Art students make a leap to more mature thinking & creating,
as they further develop previously learned skills and concepts.
Although still working within group assignments, more individual response and
expression is expected, and encouraged.
Projects may include:
· Sculptural works in tooled metal, clay, mosaic and mache explore form and texture.
· Acrylic and Watercolor Painting: themes are explored with researched references, both instill life and fantasy. Advanced level work using composition and color is expected.
· Drawing : with inks, color pencil, charcoal, often on- site nature subjects.
· A recycle-design assignment usually combines many medias for a fun way
of rethinking. Previous years have been one of a kind lamps, chairs, and mirrors.
· Printmaking
Assessment is ongoing, both in individual as well as group critiques, and Performance assessment by exhibition at annual art shows.
Music
In 7th grade the music program is primarily vocal based and may include but is not limited to the following:
· Music composition, pitch, melody, form, and rhythm.
· Reading and singing in three and four part harmony.
· Relating musical style to significant events during the time which the
· music was composed.
· Discussion and analysis of significant musical terms such as syncopation,
· transpose, a cappella, D.C, al Fine, coda and improvisation.
· Recognizing different forms of singing.
· Exposure and critique of contemporary music.
· Study of the evolution of the American Musical Theatre and the “Blues”.
· Participation in various concerts, school musicals and District choral Events.
All Island Band Program
Between the third and fourth years of lessons, instrumental students audition for acceptance into the All Island A Band. The All Island A Band rehearses two times per week at a designated rehearsal sight, from 7:30-8:30A.M. Transportation is provided to and from each rehearsal. The A Band performs three concerts per year in December, March and May and at the Great East Music Festival. During the second half of the school year a select group of A Band students are invited to participate in the All-Island Jazz Ensemble. Each year members of the All Island A and B Bands participate in an annual fundraising event in order to pay for their off-island transportation and festival costs.
Industrial Arts
7th Grade students in the MVPS participate in the required components of Industrial Arts set forth in the Engineering portion of the Science/Technology Engineering Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks. Students may build scale model bridges or furniture for construction technologies, model airplanes for transportation technologies, assembly line construction for manufacturing technologies, and mechanical arms for biotechnology. Students may also work on wood working projects designed by students and/or teachers.
Physical Education
In 7th Grade Physical Education, students participate in the required components set forth in the Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks.
Students participate in activities that build motor skills. These include both basic manipulative and advanced physical skills. This is in the form of team sports which may include: soccer, football, basketball, volleyball, tennis, and softball. Students also work on fitness skills. They learn to apply basic principles that promote physical fitness, decrease sedentary style, and relieve mental and emotional tension. Students work on personal and social competency skills by learning to use movement concepts and beginning game strategies to aide and improve individual and team performance.
Health/Social-Emotional Learning
7th Grade health and guidance curriculum covers a wide variety of topics in the MVPS. These topics may include: career education, human growth and development (healthy relationships, puberty changes, STD’s, HIV/AIDS, self-image/esteem, stress, depression) alcohol refusal skills, risky behavior, discrimination, harassment, internet safety, nutritional health & fitness, and dating violence/abuse. They may also include nutrition, eating disorders, and even a look at the impact of advertising in their lives.
Responsive Design:
Several of the Vineyard schools are committed to the Responsive Designs model to teaching and learning for the Middle School. This fosters a learning and teaching environment based on these principles: social learning is as important as academic learning; we learn best through exploration, discovery, practicing, and applying what we learned both socially and academically; the greatest cognitive growth occurs through social interactions within a supportive community; students need to learn and practice a set of personal/social skills to be successful (cooperation, assertion, responsibility, empathy, and self-control); addressing the physical, emotional, social, and intellectual needs of the students is as important as addressing the content we teach; and trust among adults is a fundamental necessity for academic and social success.
Family and Consumer Science
The 7th grade Family and Consumer Science program is based on both the National Standards and the Massachusetts Comprehensive Health Curriculum Frameworks. All activities prepare students to be active, contributing and satisfied members of society through relevant and essential experiences. While emphasizing the integration of family, work and community, students gain knowledge of careers, skills and practices that will prepare them for a variety of roles and responsibilities.
Units on breakfasts, fast foods, and healthy snacks focus on expanding a nutritional awareness based on the USDA Food Pyramid and The Dietary Guidelines. These units go hand in hand with units on food safety and sanitation.
Units on personal finance focus on skills that enable students to manage financial activities in everyday life.
Other units on clothing include fabric, cutting and using patterns, hand-stitching, and proper use of the sewing machine.
Home/School Connection
Help your child develop good study habits by: establishing a regular routine for completion of homework and providing a quiet, uninterrupted space for homework completion.
Keep informed of your child’s progress by: reading newsletters that come home, attending parent conferences, Back to School Nights, and other Middle School events, ask your child about the best and worst parts of their school day.
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