Seventh Grade

English

The seventh grade English curriculum is part of a dynamic interdisciplinary Humanities program in the Middle School. Students study a variety of works - novels, poetry, essays, memoirs, short stories - that complement the topics and time periods being covered in the World History course. Browne Academy’s Music and Art programs frequently touch upon these same topics as well. The end result is an exciting and substantive immersion in modern world history from the Renaissance to the present day.

Students begin the year reading William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream and then stage their own production of the play. A field trip to see an evening performance at the Shakespeare Theatre in Washington, D.C. is another important component of this unit.

Next, students study literature written during and about the American Civil War including the speeches of Abraham Lincoln, the poetry of Walt Whitman, and Michael Shaara’s historical novel about the Battle of Gettysburg, The Killer Angels. The students then take a field trip to the Gettysburg battlefield in Pennsylvania where they are able to see firsthand the sites they have studied.

Other units during the year include World War I (highlights being the writing and video taping of a WWI newscast), World War II (including a field trip to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington), and The Modern Middle East (including an exploration of poetry written by Palestinian and other Arab authors).

The culminating project at the end of the seventh grade year is a joint history/English research paper that allows each student to make connections and pull together information he or she has learned from both classes during the course of the year.

Math

This course is designed to give students a full range of skills that will be honed and refined in eighth grade and then used in high school Algebra. The curriculum incorporates all of the foundation skills that are necessary for students to pursue college preparatory mathematics in high school. Students gain mastery with computations of rational numbers and use proportions to solve a variety of problems. Variables are introduced as well as the use of concepts such as solving two-step equations and inequalities; graphing linear equations; and organizing and interpreting data visually.

Real world connections and problem solving skills are integrated throughout all areas of study so that students can use their personal strengths to meet the challenges of higher mathematical study. All courses are founded upon the curricular and instructional guidelines and standards of both the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics and the State of Virginia Standards of Learning.

Science

Life science is the focus in seventh grade. The course begins with students extracting their own DNA and then breeding fruit flies to see the direct effect of genes. They then do reports on specific proteins for which DNA codes.

All subsequent course content is then related to DNA. Students study the cell, history of life on earth, classification of living things, population dynamics, single and multi-cellular organisms, plants, vertebrates and invertebrates, ecosystems, and the human body.

Major projects include making web pages for trees on campus, a science fair project, rat dissection, and making human body system videos. Field trips include the Potomac River with the Chesapeake Bay Foundation and the National Arboretum.

History III: The Modern World

The seventh grade Modern History class covers the historical period from the Industrial Revolution of the early 19th Century through the post-Cold War era with an emphasis on American History. Students explore the development of, and interaction between, different cultures during this time period. The purpose of the course is for students to gain a sense for how and why the societies developed, how these cultures had an impact on successive societies and how their influences continue today.

The students learn about the Industrial Revolution and its importance to the world. From there the class focuses on World History by discussing the compromises and conflicts of the 19th Century that led to the growth of a modern Europe. This leads the class to the idea of imperialism. We explore the causes of this movement and how it changed the world in both a positive and negative way. Students are introduced to the concept of social Darwinism through classroom simulations.

The class then explores some topics in U.S. History. The American Civil War is examined in more detail as we learn about the causes and effects of this conflict. A field trip to local Civil War battlefields (Fredericksburg and Gettysburg) is included in order to make this subject more understandable and alive for students. The next era, the Progressive Era is a topic with numerous long-ranging impacts on American society and we discuss how they have changed our nation for the better.

We then shift our focus back to World History. The World War I and II era from 1914-1945 is a vitally important time period for our world and its impacts are still being felt. We explore both wars and the causes and effects they both have made. This leads our class right into the Cold War era. The class learns about how the tensions between two superpowers (U.S. and U.S.S.R.) changed the world in which we live in today.

The students end the year learning about the modern history of selective countries in the world and the current conditions which exist. Countries which are covered include: South Africa, China, Korea, and countries in the Middle East. This gives the students a global perspective on how our nation affects and is affected by these struggles.

Each quarterly projects centers around the skill of persuasion. Students will learn throughout the year to take a stand on an issue and try to persuade the audience to think the same way. For example, at the conclusion of our World War I unit, the students will be given a country from the Paris Peace Conference in 1919. We will have our own peace conference where the students will try to gain territory and power for their nation by using their influence and persuasion. Understanding this concept and skill of taking a stand on a particular issue will prepare them for the Seminar class in eighth grade.

The History program is closely integrated with the English curriculum at Browne Academy. For example, the discussions and readings of The Killer Angels in English are linked to the students’ learning about the American Civil War in history class. Further integration of the curriculum is made possible in other disciplines such as Art and Music.

Technology

Seventh grade Technology classes occur in Browne’s Computer Lab three times a week in order to learn advance features in Microsoft Office 2003 applications. The true power of Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Access is explored in detail and is reinforced with a variety of projects completed independently by the student. The objectives of the seventh grade Technology program are to:

• Develop technical vocabulary about advanced Microsoft Office 2003 applications
• Create projects independently
• Master keyboarding skills with Type to Learn 3 for Networks while concentrating on proper hand placement and accuracy
• Process, store, and retrieve documents from the Browne network and the Internet
• Create complex documents in Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Access using advanced features, like formulas/functions in Excel and formatting styles in Word

French

Browne Academy’s seventh grade French program reinforces and solidifies listening, speaking, reading and writing in French, and explores the cultural and historical dimensions of the Francophone world. At the seventh grade level, emphasis is placed on the mastery of reading, writing, listening and speaking in French with a special focus on expanding conversational skills.

A video program is used in conjunction with the book in order to reinforce their level of cultural understanding and pronunciation. Taught by a native French speaker, students have lessons four times on a six-day rotating schedule and each class lasts fifty minutes. Students will create a power point project on a subject of their choice, and will present their project to the class. Activities include class lectures, class discussions, oral exercises, reading and writing tasks, and field trips and videos. Major issues in the Francophone world are addressed by sharing newspaper and magazine articles.

Spanish

The overall objective of the Browne Academy’s seventh grade Spanish program is for students to reinforce and solidify the skills to enter High School in Spanish II. Classes meet five times in a six-day rotating schedule. Major themes in the seventh grade are related to travel and shopping. The topics are community places, directions, transportation, ordering food, explaining past activities, daily routines and chores, and persuasion. A favorite student activity is to research Latin American countries as their travel destinations to produce a brochure. Students enjoy exploring Spanish mall web pages to discover their malls and role play shopping situations.

Art

Art is a language of visual images - we make visual images, and we study images. Through the study of the art of many lands and peoples, we learn how art can express the highest aspirations of the human spirit. Through art, we learn the meaning of joy of work - to work to the best of one’s ability, for its own sake, for the satisfaction of a job well done.

The visual art curriculum of the Middle School is thematically linked to the course content of each grade’s social studies course. Special events are also used to demonstrate the connection between the visual arts and other subject areas. The arts of other cultures or times are used to explore themes, materials and techniques. The artwork students create will not imitate, but will integrate what they have learned about these cultures with who they are today. Hands-on demonstrations, lectures, and reproductions introduce the lessons. Assessment and evaluation of student work is based on effort, application of new skills, creative solutions to assignments and class participation. Seventh grade students will learn about artists and cultures of the Industrial Age through the early 20th century.

Physical Education

The seventh grade P.E. program refines motor skills and game strategies while working to improve student cooperation and teamwork. Students in seventh grade are expected to have mastered beginning-level skills and show competency with intermediate level skills. Through a variety of activities, students work to improve their strength, flexibility, cardio-vascular endurance and general comprehension of game concepts. Students work independently, in small groups and in class games to improve their conceptual understanding. Seventh graders participate in core sport units including soccer, street hockey, flag football, basketball, softball, volleyball, lacrosse and swimming. Cooperative games, fitness activities and team building exercises supplement the core sports units to create a balanced curriculum. A strong emphasis is placed on sportsmanship, teamwork and effort.