Seventh grade language arts focuses on narrative structure. Students learn different frameworks for analyzing the structures of stories and apply those frameworks to novels, films, and even nonfiction writing. In addition to ongoing independent reading, students read a whole class novel to support their study of narrative structure. In writing, during the first semester students encounter nonfiction journalistic writing such as feature stories, profiles, and critical reviews. Students have an opportunity to write using the forms and styles of these genres through projects such as faculty profiles. In the second semester, students complete a long-term book podcast project that incorporates reading, writing, and technology. For this project students choose two fiction novels by a single author and write, record, edit, and publish a podcast exploring the literary elements of their selected books. Vocabulary instruction is expanded to etymological inquiries into our word lists, and grammar studies focus on the logical relationships between words and phrases in a sentence.

Pre-Algebra students begin to lay the foundation for the secondary math curriculum. Students are introduced to integers, fractions, square roots, step equations, linear equations and decimals and are taught how to solve basic equations using variables. Students are exposed to the fundamentals of algebra and build a foundation for future algebraic exploration.Item description

Students expand upon their abstract thinking skills in 7th Grade Life Science. As much of the material in this course focuses on processes that cannot be seen with the naked eye, students develop higher level critical and abstract thinking skills. Association and application to daily life and processes they are familiar with is prioritized, as is further self-awareness from a biological perspective. Students develop greater proficiency in note-taking and problem solving within the context of individual work and also group laboratory projects. Major topics in Life Science include cellular biology, microbiology, genetics, taxonomy, zoology, anatomy, physiology, and botany.

Seventh grade history presents a time-line oriented approach to the bigger picture of world history. Building on concepts covered throughout the Lower School and during their sixth grade year, students dive deeper into world history through the study of the five millennia. Active discussion around current national and global events is a critical component of students' studies.on

Seventh grade French focuses on the francophone world which includes: French regions, including typical architectural styles and products, world travel and exploration of arctic, North African, and Asian countries. Grammatical structures include the imperfect tense, the simple past tense with avoir and être of regular and irregular verbs, the demonstrative adjective, questions with Quel, additional practice with interrogative adverbs in questions, professions. Seventh grade students also have the opportunity to join the French Club and participate in the French Convention as members of the group choral presentation.

Seventh grade students continue to expand on chordal building and analyzing through the movement of inner parts, identifying and composing basic chord movement and cadences using the rules of tonal harmony. They also begin to learn about the Classical era of music, expanding on the forms of the Baroque period into those of the Classical period.

Seventh grade students expand upon the skills they have developed in lower school and the previous upper school years. Students create artworks in major art processes such as drawing, painting, collage, printmaking, ceramics, and photography using the elements of art (line, shape color, texture, value, form and space) to create artworks reflecting teacher and individually selected themes. Students study contemporary artists as well as artists from art history and begin to work on visual journal activities incorporating illustration and writing to respond to open ended prompts.

Our seventh grade religion course focuses on the traditions of the Episcopal faith.