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seventh Grade Curriculum Overview

 

Reading/Writing

St. Pius X offers two levels of language arts classes in middle school. Accelerated and grade level students in seventh grade continue to develop writing, literary, and critical thinking skills using a variety of platforms. Voyages in English text and workbook provides instruction and practice in every area of grammar, usage, and mechanics, helping students build comprehensive skills for success on standardized tests and for developing essential lifelong skills beyond the classroom. The study of Latin and Greek roots, the Wordly Wise 3000 vocabulary program, and vocabulary within books and the broader curriculum support our word studies. and language inquiries. Students are challenged to think critically about textural structure, audience, author's purpose, and genre through class discussion and literary analysis as they read texts together as a class as well as through independent reading. Students are required to complete three writing assessments: narrative, expository, and opinion.

Math

Seventh grade math is taught at three ability levels. Level B follows the archdiocesan grade level standards for seventh grade. Level A follows the same guidelines in greater depth and at a faster pace. Seventh grade accelerated math is a Pre-Algebra class that thoroughly covers simplifying expressions, solving equations and inequalities, ratios, proportions, percents, and probability. It introduces linear functions and covers the basics of geometry. 

 

Science

Students in seventh grade develop an understanding of a wide range of topics in Earth and Space Science (ESS) following the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). Students study Earth's place in the universe, history of the Earth, Earth's interior and plate tectonics, weathering and erosion, weather and climate, and human impacts on the environment. Students explore the links between their Christian faith and scientific inquiry, understand the world they live in, and develop a sense of who they and others are as people respecting creation and their beliefs. Students learn to utilize the scientific method in their study of Earth Science by creating questions, doing research, forming a hypothesis based on experiment observations, analyzing and drawing conclusions, and then communicating their findings.

Social Studies

Beginning with the Etruscan culture, the students study ancient civilizations as they have directly influenced Western Civilization. Through a study of the roman Republic and Empire, students learn the foundations fo the American government and legal system. To accompany this emphasis on Western Culture, there is an emphasis on European geography. Students explore the beginnings and expansion of Islamic Empires with an emphasis on the golden age of Islam. Also, Islamic kingdoms of East and West Africa are studied. Students study medieval Japan and China before they focus back on Europe for an in-depth exploration of Medieval Europe, ending with the Protestant Reformation and the beginnings of European exploration.

Religion

Rooted in the Gospel of Jesus Christ as well as the teachings and traditions of the Roman Catholic Church, St. Pius X School seeks to foster in students' knowledge, respect and reverence for self, others, God, and God's creations. Students begin each day in prayer and pray throughout the day and Mass is celebrated weekly. The study of the Catholic faith is designed to inspire spirituality, critical thinking, prayer, compassion, and to live as Disciples of Christ.