7th Grade Overview

In the Created for Greatness leadership program students will:

• Focus on the Cardinal Virtues: prudence, justice, self-control, and courage

• Identify how the Cardinal Virtues apply to their own lives
• Study the virtues of the mind and the will: faith, hope, and charity
• Explore the foundations of missionary disciples by teaching religion lessons to their 1st grade buddies each month
• Integrate virtues in everyday interactions, schoolwork, and subject areas

Students are called to strive for excellence in all areas, but especially in the “more excellent way” described by St. Paul in 1 Corinthians: charity.” – Sr. John Thomas, Religion and Communications teacher

In ENGLISH the students will:

• Analyze the structure of a story and how the author shapes the content and style
• Determine central ideas and themes in a variety of literature
• Practice the conventions of standard English grammar and its correct usage
• Write to explain ideas and information clearly using the Institute for Excellence in Writing program (IEW)
• Use the IEW writing process to strengthen skills by planning, drafting, peer-revising, peer-editing, and rewriting
• Write a properly cited paper
• Engage in creative writing assignments, collaborative activities, and more

Novels: Johnny Tremain, Call of the Wild, Tangerine

In RELIGION the students will:

• Engage in the Created for Greatness program (details above)

• Begin logic and Catholic apologetics
• Study the Gospel of Matthew and the New Testament’s historical context, inspiration, authorship, stages of formation, and literary aspects
• Examine God’s means of revelation
• Recognize the relationship between doctrine and devotions (Rosary, Lectio Divina, etc.)
• Participate in monthly Socratic Seminars
• Explore life choices, prayer, relationships, and more through Dynamic Catholic’s Decision Point program
• Attend weekly school Mass and monthly Adoration, and participate in Reconciliation

 “By rooting them in God's transforming love, Catholic education enables our students to love and to transform the world.” -- Sr. John Thomas, Religion and Communications Teacher

In SCIENCE the students will:

• Design solutions to everyday problems through Project Lead The Way (PLTW) engineering units

• Focus on biomedical issues into today’s world
• Use the scientific method to design testable hypotheses and experiments
• Examine life science topics including:
• Viruses, bacteria, protists, and fungi
• Populations, communities, ecosystems, biomes, and living resources
• Land and soil, plants, and seed plants
• Human body systems, cell processes, and genetics
• Conduct their own experiments for the school science fair
• Practice scientific inquiry through weekly science labs

In MATH the students will:

• Study Pre- Algebra OR Algebra 1

• Pre-Algebra:
• Integers, equations, inequalities, rational numbers, and proportions
• Functions, geometry, measurement, data analysis, polynomials, and transformations
• Algebra 1:
• Linear equations and functions
• Exponential and quadratic equations, polynomials, and radical equations/functions

In HISTORY the students will:

• Explore American history topics spanning the Civil War to the Cold War including:
• The expansion of government, American leadership, Civil Rights, the impact of technology global economy, and Minnesota history
• Evaluate leaders in history, their political or military leadership, and discuss what virtues they possessed or lacked (Created for Greatness)
• Expand critical thinking and historical thinking skills through debates

In COMMUNICATIONS the students will:

• Engage in Socratic Seminars, collaborative discussions that foster critical thinking and teamwork

• Use logos, pathos, and ethos (Aristotle’s Rhetorical Triangle) to compose and deliver speeches/presentations
• Practice public speaking skills
• Conduct safe and effective research using search engines, identifying reliable sources, and understanding plagiarism
• Have a weekly vocabulary workshop based on Latin and Greek roots

In PHYSICAL EDUCATION/HEALTH the students will:

• Practice sportsmanship, skill development, team sports, physical fitness, and conditioning
• Study nutrition and wellness, body systems, diseases, conflict management, and first aid
• Examine how nurturing our bodies and helping them grow prepares us for a lifetime of serving God and others through physical fitness

In TECHNOLOGY the students will:

• Acquire skills in technical reading, writing, and drawing
• Practice 3D modeling and design using Sketchup
• Continue to practice programming skills using MIT Scratch
• Create music and video using Garageband and iMovie

In ART the students will:

• Study artists as they relate to projects, and learn about their media, style, and techniques
• Practice one- and two-point perspectives
• Attend the Stillwater Art Guild
• Participate in an art scavenger hunt followed by a compare/contrast writing assignment
• Project examples include: M.C. Escher tessellations, Wayne Thiebaud dessert drawings, Claes Oldenburg clay food group project, and Van Gogh sunflowers in oil pastel

In MUSIC the students will:

• Create world music projects focusing on other cultures and their folk music
• Study music history covering the Baroque era
• Learn an advanced level of theory knowledge