7th Grade Curriculum

First quarter is primarily a review of parts of speech and the fiction story elements. Additionally, we incorporate Patterns of Power to teach sentence structure. While learning the process of Writer’s Workshop, students will write a piece in which they experience the writing process from pre-writing to publishing. Scholastic Scope magazine is used monthly as a common text throughout the year.

Second quarter’s focus is upon non-fictional texts, with an emphasis on text structure and writer’s craft. The MEE paragraph (Main idea, Evidence, Explanation) is used to encourage textual support in writing. A collaborative research project is key to the quarter’s assessments.

Third quarter will focus upon critical thinking, with the emphasis upon an interactive mystery unit. Lit circles are used as a means of encouraging collaboration as we continue our study of non-fiction reading and writing.

Fourth quarter focuses upon public speaking and debate for language arts, incorporating a research element into the debating. The Hero’s Journey is explored in reading, using a variety of texts.

7th Grade ELA Skills

The 8 mathematical practices are used as a foundation to becoming a better mathematician in sixth grade. Students will persevere when solving problems, think about numbers in a variety of ways, use mathematical thinking to explain answers, model/show work, select and use tools to solve problems, review work and strategies used for accuracy, use the structure of the problem when solving, and find and use mathematical patterns.

Additionally, instructional time will focus 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.

Students will explore various content standards through a workshop approach to math instruction where emphasis is placed on developing a concrete understanding of a skill and transitioning to an abstract fluency.

OMS Math Department Curriculum Guide

Our 7th grade science curriculum focuses on students developing skills used universally by scientists and engineers. During first semester, students use these skills while exploring the cycling of matter and energy in ecosystems and how organisms interact with other living things and nonliving factors in their environment. Second semester the focus shifts to chemistry, where they will deepen their understanding of states of matter and thermal energy transfer. The year concludes with a study of geologic changes to the earth, including the rock cycle, weathering, and erosion.

Science Curriculum Map

The 7th grade curriculum will focus on American History from the Exploration & Discovery of North America, Colonial America, the American Revolution, and the U.S. & Illinois Constitutions. Current events will be embedded into the curriculum throughout the school year.

Social Studies Curriculum Map

Students will learn more about elements of art and how to apply them to create artworks. Such as how to Apply advanced color relationships to artwork. For this skill, students will know primary colors, secondary colors, complementary color pairs, tertiary colors, and Color mixing with primary colors. Students will also expand art making practice and technique in 2D and 3D media. They will create artwork using a digital medium and by using non-traditional media. Lastly they will analyze how art reflects changing times, traditions, resources, and cultures by investigating personally relevant meaning for creating art.

The 5 physical education and health standards are used to engage students through instruction and active participation. The first semester focuses on building character and mature fundamental patterns through various sport and skill units. The student centered goals/expectations that will be met during this time include: utilize a variety of motor patterns while manipulating objects, demonstrate cooperative strategies during physical activity, follow regulations and safety procedures while engaged in physical activity and encourage others to do so, understand how to set a realistic health-related fitness goal, and apply leadership skills in various settings during structured group physical activity. The second semester will begin with a health unit focusing on injury, illness, and other dimensions of wellness. The student centered goals/expectations that will be met during this time include: explain how to build and maintain healthy relationships, recognize that all of the body’s systems interrelate and impact each other, and identify choices that have a positive and negative influence on a healthy lifestyle.

7th Grade App Creators uses a hands-on approach to introduce students to the field of computer science and the concepts of computational thinking. Students will actively investigate computational thinking through the creation of mobile apps. Students are challenged to be creative and innovative, as they collaboratively design and develop mobile solutions to engaging, authentic problems. Building enthusiasm for computer science while learning real-world skills related to app creation is a primary goal of the course.

Students will explore how technology plays a role in their mental and physical well being, along with the impacts technology can have positively and negatively.

Additionally, students will focus on building their foundation for correct typing techniques by learning letter and punctuation keys, utilizing all ten fingers.

Students will deepen their basic level of note/rhythm reading and vocabulary, and begin to broaden these topics. Students will also expand their knowledge about vocal/instrument specific techniques, and perform music appropriate for the skill and instrumentation of the ensemble. When applicable, students will be exposed to broader instrumentation and part independence based on the scope/current skills of the ensemble.

OHMS Choir