Seventh Grade

The Seventh grade child is looking deeply into the world and their self. In developing their intellectual capacities, the student’s emotional life becomes richer. Students question boundaries and see that life does not come with stated directions. A sense of leadership and joy develops in the idea of giving back to others; students can then move through this stage with a sense of lightness and purpose. Adolescents focusing only inward can feel heavy if other stimuli are not introduced. Group experiences and initiatives draw out a sense of communal responsibility from within.

The teacher, a lifelong learner, works to deepen and broaden her lessons in discovery; the world is interesting and beautiful. In the age of the explorers, the Reformation, the Renaissance, people delved into the unknown, coming out with a new experience of the world. 7^th grade History is taught through biography and human emotion, inviting the student to feel as the figure did in portrayed events. In a historical period of doubt, students reflect on their own doubts. Seeing the courage and unique traits in their subjects, students find their own; they apply the lessons to their present life, to ideas for the future. The social chemistry of the class shapes developing individuality, thus inspiring sensitivity to one another. In this stage, the child is strengthened in both the meeting of their self as well as that of the world.

As limbs are in new proportion to muscles so students explore mechanics. The children experiment with levers, inclined planes, simple machines from classic and modern machinery. Inorganic chemistry embraces the power of fire, moving through bases and acids. The class studies the processes of the human body: digestion and nutrition, respiration, circulation, and reproduction. Just as 7th graders experience many dramatic changes in their own bodies, so too they learn these amazing intricacies.

Language Arts emphasizes more complex thoughts within paragraphs. Creative writing offers individual expressions of the world and one’s self. The teacher showcases writing styles, showing freedom and skill in precise portrayal of a feeling or image.

In Geometry, the biographies of the ancient mathematicians demonstrate pioneering spirit. In art, astronomy, math, religion, Enlightenment thinkers revel in new ideas and perspectives. A specialized math instructor now teaches Pre-algebra and Algebra in 7th and 8th grade.

In music, students create beautiful ensemble works. Ballads and Elizabethan pieces enhance recorder instruction; the ensemble begins tenor recorder in the 7th grade. The 7th and 8th grade combined Choir sings in three and four parts works from varied periods. The 7th and 8th grade students play together as an Orchestra. Art focuses on perspective, and the use of black and white. Half of the year, the students embroider embellished needle cases in Handwork, tied in with their Renaissance and poetry studies. In Spanish the students dig deeper into conjugations and enhance speaking skills. Movement class instills sportsmanship into the 7th grader at an age where developmentally, it might be easy to be negative about one’s own skills or those of a peer. Teachers help to provide positive examples. Trimester classes continue with Woodworking, Gardening and Songwriting. The introduction to Mandarin continues.