Learning Previews - Grade 7 - May 2018

Learning Previews - Grade 7 - May 2018
Posted on 05/15/2018
7th Grade Accelerated Math Pathways: Mr. Devlin

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In this unit, students learn to understand and use the terms “reflection,” “rotation,” “translation,” recognizing what determines each type of transformation, e.g., two points determine a translation. They learn to understand and use the terms “transformation” and “rigid transformation.” They identify and describe translations, rotations, and reflections, and sequences of these, using the terms “corresponding sides” and “corresponding angles,” and recognizing that lengths and angle measures are preserved. They draw images of figures under rigid transformations on and off square grids and the coordinate plane. They use rigid transformations to generate shapes and to reason about measurements of figures. They learn to understand congruence of plane figures in terms of rigid transformations. They recognize when one plane figure is congruent or not congruent to another. Students use the definition of “congruent” and properties of congruent figures to justify claims of congruence or non-congruence.

7th Grade On Grade Level Math: Mr. Devlin

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In this unit, students use concepts and skills from previous units to solve three groups of problems. In calculating or estimating quantities associated with running a restaurant, e.g., number of calories in one serving of a recipe, expected number of customers served per day, or floor space, they use their knowledge of proportional relationships, interpreting survey findings, and scale drawings. In estimating quantities such as age in hours and minutes or number of times their hearts have beaten, they use measurement conversions and consider accuracy of their estimates. Estimation of area and volume measurements from length measurements introduces considerations of measurement error. In designing a five-kilometer race course for their school, students use their knowledge of measurement and scale drawing. They select appropriate tools and methods for measuring their school campus, build a trundle wheel and use it to make measurements, make a scale drawing of the course on a map or a satellite image of the school grounds, and describe the number of laps, start, and finish of the race.

Social Studies: Ms. Motto

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This month 7th Graders will be embarking on an exploration of the last two major religions we will study this year, Judaism and Christianity. We will investigate the amazing narratives and apply their lessons to current issues in our world. Students will demonstrate an understanding of the rights and responsibilities of belonging to a community. Students will grapple with the question: Why should we learn people’s stories? Next, we will conclude our year with a study of Ancient Rome and Christianity. Students will identify & analyze how the values of Ancient Rome and Christianity spread, evolved and were challenged. Additionally, we will assess how the values of a state or faith reinforce and/or challenge our own beliefs. The big questions we will be answering are: What are the benefits and limits of (a) a republican system of government and (b) an empire? What happens when values of state and church are in conflict with each other or our own values? How did the teachings of Jesus challenge people's thinking?

ELA: Ms. Gonzalez

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Our 7th grade readers and writers will begin reading and discussing S.E Hinton’s The Outsiders. Readers are expected to read the book at home as well as in class. They are allowed to read ahead with the understanding they will be rereading sections in class. In addition to their reading, they are also gathering notes on what they noticed and what they thought about it. To help your reader think about what stood out to them, ask them if they saw the following:
–Memory moments (characters having flashbacks)
–Things that happen again and again
–Words of the Wise (advice being given or personal philosophies)
–Tough questions being asked
–Aha moments (things the main character suddenly realizes)
–A character doing something unexpected

The above list of noticings is a transferable skill for understanding any fictional text. At the conclusion of our reading, students will show their understanding of the themes, conflict, settings,and characters through a group reenactment of a key scene. They will be responsible for picking out the scene, drafting a script, revising, and editing. Each student will have a role to play whether it’s a character or “a stage hand.” Our librarian, Ms. Musher will be helping us during this portion of our unit. It will be a great way to end the year!

7th Grade Science: Mr. Mahoney
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As we wrap up the year in science we will be completing our weather unit and dabbling in a little design engineering based on what we have learned. After investigating additional weather conditions, including pressure, humidity, and lift, students develop a model of a storm that shows what happens to matter and energy before, during, and after a storm. They then use their model to explain patterns in the weather condition data from a real storm in the Northeast. We will complete the year with two design challenges that will have students looking at the the role matter and energy play in the environment around them. Students will work together to come up with solutions that include their understanding of how energy is transferred and how it impacts matter.
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