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Social Studies
Over the course of the year the 7th grade will be engaging in the use of primary
source documents and role playing to have an experiential historical experience. The
historical time period that we will focus on is 1789 to 1865. In the
first trimester the students will learn how to interpret primary source documents
and differentiate between primary and secondary sources using the ratification
of the Constitution, the Bill of Rights and September 11th as examples. The
students will then experience life in 18th century Philadelphia through the
lens of the Yellow Fever epidemic of 1793.
In the second trimester we will shift gears and explore
the Louisiana Purchase and become explorers on the
Corps of Discovery led by Lewis and Clark. After
Lewis and Clark make their way back to St. Louis, the
students will embark on a new journey. In the
third trimester the journey will take us back to our
hometown of Philadelphia. The students will learn
about the Civil War through the eyes of slaves. They
will examine the role of Philadelphia as an abolitionist
city and a stop on the Underground Railroad.
The year will take us on many journeys. Social
studies will be an experience in connecting with history
because we are all part of history each and every minute
of every day.
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7th
Graders restoring the American Chestnut
Green Woods students will play a key role in introducing a blight resistant American Chestnut and restoring the northeastern forest. More...
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7th and 8th Grade Math
Instruction in our 7th and 8th grade math class is differentiated based on where the students are at the time. Math groups are fluid. Students practice critical thinking skills in both a whole-group and small-group instructional setting allowing them to work collaboratively to solve problems. Our goal is for all of our students to feel confident and yet challenged. Pre-Algebra Math instruction involves the study of a range of concepts from Equations and Inequalities to Set Theory and Discrete Math. The completion of the topics will vary with each of the student groups. Students in Algebra 1 utilize different forms of technology to learn the standards-based scope and sequence of Algebra 1. Topics explored in this class will range from Patterns in Algebra to Transformations of Functions. In Technology class, through the use of interactive websites, our students get to apply math concepts while also enhancing their technology skills.
Life Science
7th Grade began the year by learning about the basic building blocks of life: cells. Next we investigated heredity, genetics and DNA. Then we began our survey of the kingdoms of life by learning about bacteria, which include both some of the nastiest and the most beneficial of unicellular organisms. This was linked to the 7th grade ELA and Social Studies unit on Fever. As we progressed through the year, we learned about increasingly complex organisms. This led to investigations on the diversity of life in ecosystems and biomes. Our “Citizen Science” project for the year was monitoring the local bluebird trails. It was exciting seeing which birds moved in, the battles for territory, and who managed to hatch eggs. Earlier in the year we enjoyed a fantastic visit to the Franklin Institute to see “Body Works” which primed our curiosity for our final unit of the year on the human body system. |
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Language Arts
This year 7th grade enjoyed a tremendous opportunity to create a play and puppet show with Artist in Residence, Jean Jaffe from the sculpture department of the University of the Arts. Beginning in September, students from the 4th and 7th grade developed and wrote an original script called “The Quest for the Golden Feather,” a mystery set at Smith’s Run in the forest surrounding Green Woods. In art, students created masks for each of the play’s animal characters. On Museum Night, the show was presented to parents and the student body and was very well received. Students enjoyed many novels this semester including The Misfits, Red Moon at Sharpsburg, and Drums of War. 7th grade really advanced in the research department as they wrote a very substantial informational paper on the topic of their choice. The reports were fascinating with topics ranging from Green Day to Multiple Personality Disorder.
Social Studies
This spring, the seventh graders turned their attention to the study of America’s Western expansion, fueled by the Gold Rush and “manifest destiny.” We were amazed by the story of Harriet Tubman, who showed tremendous courage as a conductor on the Underground Railroad. Tubman fearlessly walked many of her “passengers” as far as Canada. In 11 years, Tubman guided 70 slaves to freedom, including her parents. Reading her story prepared us for our study of slavery and the events which precipitated secession and ultimately the Civil War. The 7th grade students created anti-slavery posters urging immediate abolition. Using texts, photos and documentaries, students gained a real understanding of the hardships endured by both the North and the South. Students recognized the sacrifices made by President Lincoln in order to preserve the Union. Students studied poems about Lincoln’s death including Whitman’s “When Lilacs Last in the Courtyard Bloomed.” Next year’s social studies will begin with Reconstruction and continue through to the present.
Pre-Algebra and Algebra
7th Grade Mathematics has started out the year working on writing and evaluating algebraic expressions, using integers to solve equations and inequalities, evaluating expressions with exponents and graphing equations to display the relationships and patterns between two variables. We have been working with rational and real numbers, writing equivalent rational numbers and solving equations and inequalities with rational numbers. In the next months we will be working with collecting, displaying, and analyzing data, identifying sampling methods and organizing data in tables and graphs. We will also be working with plane geometry, constructing plane figures, understanding the use of angle relationships and line relationships, classifying unknown angle measures in polygons and use properties of congruent figures to solve problems.
7th Grade: Life Science
7th Grade began the semester by learning about Taxonomy and Classification – and why we need them. Then we began to work our way through the multi-cellular Kingdoms of life: fungi, plants, and all the fascinating phyla of animals. As we learn about increasingly complex organisms, we’ll finish out the year by learning about possibly the most interesting animal of all – ourselves.
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