Grade 7

Grade 7 art students develop an awareness of art as a force in shaping opinion, as a career, and as an influence in one’s quality of life. Grade 7 art makes cross-curricular connections as students plan, execute, and complete unique works of art that expose personal experiences, ideas, and feelings. Students learn about the purposes and functions of art and develop an understanding that artists are innovators and discoverers.

In Grade 7 English, students implement strategies for analyzing fiction and nonfiction texts. Through self-reflection and discussion, students explore the coming-of-age theme and its impact on literature and their own lives. They apply their knowledge of complex and well-structured paragraphs to planning and composing academic essays. Grammar and vocabulary are studied on a weekly basis.

Grade 7 mathematics makes use of three different sections to offer a range of curricula from fundamentals to honors. Students are placed based on their retention of math concepts from previous years as demonstrated on several measures. The goals of all Santa Catalina Middle School math classes are to build skills, confidence, and habits to enable success in high school math no matter the level. Students work toward mastery and retention of concepts in the following courses:

• Algebra 1 Honors
• Pre-Algebra 7
• Math 7

Grade 7 music provides a variety of musical opportunities and experiences twice per week. Students develop their music fundamentals such as rhythm, melody, form, tempo, dynamics, and harmony. They will incorporate these fundamentals through exploration of vocal technique and Orff instruments, ear training and sight singing, music theory, stage presence, and general musicianship. All students participate in two musical concerts a year.

In Grades 6 through 8, P.E. is five days a week during first period so students can begin their day with physical activity, helping them to be awake and alert for their academic classes that follow. The curriculum follows a five-week rotation to allow students to participate in a variety of units that cover swimming, field sports, court sports, and dance. Additionally, students are periodically tested on multiple components of the California Physical Fitness Test as well as basic swim safety. Students who choose to participate on an after-school sports team or the dance team practice during P.E. two days per week.

Grade 7 religion provides an overview of the world’s wisdom traditions, including a study of the person of Jesus, the Christian faith, and the New Testament. Building on the introduction in Grade 6 to Judaism, Hinduism, and Buddhism, students study the basic beliefs and practices of the major world religions, including Christianity and Islam, in order to develop an understanding of faith and the common components of religious traditions. Students gain experience with the many forms and purposes of prayer, and each student prepares and leads a prayer for the middle school assembly.

Grade 7 science meets three times a week, with one session a 90-minute lab block, and uses the Cambridge Physics Outlet (CPO) program to learn about life science. Students study taxonomy, ecology, cytology, zoology, nutrition, botany, microbiology, and genetics. While working on these subjects, students develop skills necessary to be successful in science. Students participate in hands-on labs, activities, and direct instruction.

Using the Teachers' Curriculum Institute (TCI) program, students study the collapse of the Roman Empire through the Age of Exploration. Students study medieval life in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, China, and Japan. They have the opportunity to learn more about this time with hands-on activities involving fiction, historical documents, art, and drama. Students build skills in studying and analyzing historical information, academic writing, and critical thinking.

Grade 7 Spanish is offered in two separate sections to offer grade-level and accelerated paths for students. Students are placed based on past Spanish experience and a placement test. Both paths work to develop student listening, speaking, reading, and writing skills in an immersion classroom where Spanish is spoken most of the time. The goal of the Middle School Spanish program is to produce students with the study skills, vocabulary, and grammar needed for placement in Spanish 2 or above at the high school level.

Technical Arts is a class that blends technology, design, and engineering. In Middle School, students strengthen their understanding of the tools and concepts of digital literacy and creative use of technology. Students further their confidence with challenging, collegial, and often self-directed projects while actively engaged in various technical practices such as sketching, image editing, computer programming, 3D modeling, CAD modeling, 3D animation, and digital fabrication.

Throughout the year, students develop the skills of innovation, collaboration, prototyping, and testing ideas to increase creativity in the technical arts and other areas of school life. Their efforts guide them to become “adaptive” learners, capable of embracing a mindset that will prepare them to become creative lifelong learners.