Because our accelerated program has only been in existence for a few years and is being introduced from the lower grades year by year, students in seventh grade will not have fully reached the grade-ahead level in all areas that are planned for the future until the 2010-2011 school year. In the 2009-2010 school year, their Language Arts, Math, Science, Spanish, Art, and Music curricula will, therefore, be similar to what is detailed in the Sixth Grade Curriculum Overview. Upon full acceleration, the curriculum will include the following:

Seventh Grade Curriculum Overview
 

Language Arts
In seventh grade, students read novels, short stories, dramas, nonfiction, classical mythology, and poetry which support cultural diversity and the study of American and world history. They continue their study of Shakespeare and his works. Comprehension and thoughtful consideration of the literature’s meaning are stressed at all times. Seventh grade students write expository essays of various forms including research reports, persuasive and informational compositions, comparison and contrast essays, short stories, letters, an autobiography, and poems. Students write and speak with an attention to standard English conventions, including sentence structure, grammar, punctuation, capitalization, and spelling. They are also encouraged to practice public speaking and to develop confidence when presenting things to others.

Research tools, including the dictionary, thesaurus, atlas, and encyclopedia are used as aids in the writing process. Sentence structure, punctuation, capitalization, spelling, and grammar are stressed in drills and writings. Spelling and vocabulary are expanded through word studies and vocabulary-building exercises.

Mathematics
Seventh graders normally study Pre-Algebra I or Algebra I according to their advancement level. This includes the properties of real numbers, polynomial arithmetic, equivalent equations and inequalities, integer exponents, relations, functions, and graphs, linear equations and functions, rational expression, and quadratic equations and functions. If in Algebra, they gain a solid foundation during this year. They use a variety of supplemental websites, books, and resources to make use of their emerging math skills, and solving word problems and group problem solving continue to be emphasized.

Some students enter Hilldale during middle school and are not as advanced; sometimes mathematics is simply not a student's strong point; and sometimes mathematics is a passion and an area in which a student truly excels. For such students, we provide an opportunity to work individually at a lower or higher academic level.

Science
In seventh grade, students continue their in depth look at topics which were first presented in their earlier years, thus spiraling their learning toward greater depth and breadth. They study with a science specialist who also incorporates science in the news and various group internet possibilities.

This year, students focus this year on life and chemical science concepts including the chemical building blocks and chemical interactions involved in life. They learn about the chemical basis of matter and change, including atoms, molecules, compounds, and elements. They also focus on astronomy, including gravity, stars, and galaxies, and on sound and light. Hands-on experiments, reading literature, and videos are a regular part of the curriculum. Each year the students do an individual science project for the annual Science Fair, helping them to learn the important concepts of observation, prediction, gathering information, recording results, creating a display, and presenting the material to others.

Social Studies
Seventh grade students continue their in depth study of American history since the Civil War with a personalized slant aimed at critically reviewing the reasons events may have occurred and the consequences of people's actions, particularly during the late nineteenth and the twentieth centuries. Students participate in a variety of projects and activities as they focus on these areas. They also broaden their study of Civics, to better understand our country's government.

Spanish
Seventh graders continue their study of Spanish while they complete what would normally be taught in the second half of a third year high school course. and read early Spanish readers. Opportunities to make use of their Spanish skills are provided through internet websites and pen pals. Students have Spanish three times a week.

Art
Students in sixth grade continue to challenge themselves as artists under the tutelage of an art specialist. They also continue their study of art history by looking at the artistic periods known as Impressionism, Post-Impressionism, Expressionism, Abstraction, and Modern American Painting. Students have art class once a week.

Music
Seventh graders continue to increase their knowledge of basic elements of notation, rhythm, melody, form, and timbre by applying them in instrumental instruction on the recorder and various percussion instruments. They learn to synchronize with a group as both an instrumentalist and a singer, and they learn about vocal ranges and harmony. They continue their study of orchestral instruments and various famous composers and develop basic compositional skills through group and individual projects, learn the basics of harmony and melody, and solidify basic singing skills. They also study classical music from the Romantic to the Nationalist periods and from the American Blues and Jazz traditions. Students have music once a week.

Physical Education
The physical education curriculum for seventh grade increases students' basic knowledge and skills in sport activities. They gain precision with increasing control and accuracy. They develop habits of teamwork, learn how to apply the basic rules of various sports, and participate in the Presidential Physical Fitness Program each year. Students have physical education 2-3 times a week.

Technology and Research
Seventh grade students develop solid keyboarding skills in our computer laboratory. They also use the lab for internet research, word-processing and in depth reports in Science and Social Studies classes. In addition, students have weekly internet-based assignments to support the emphasis on current events across the curriculum. They are exposed to the computer several times each week.

Character Education and Debate

Seventh grade students talk about many character issues presented in their books. In particular, they discuss independence and identity, meeting challenges, and what matters in life, issues presented in their literature textbook. They also study debate techniques while looking at various issues of relevance to them at this age.

Environmental Education and Community Service
Seventh  graders work together to determine a service learning project based on a community need, and then work together to complete it. This provides an opportunity to cooperate, plan, and show their caring spirits while they help someone else in the community. An example of a past project is research into local organizations which reach out to the homeless, learning how homelessness can affect children, and volunteering to help at a homeless shelter and to interact with homeless children. This project is integrated with social studies and language arts. The sixth grade also does some sort of project which promotes environmental awareness. One project concerned cleaning up a neighborhood area which had become overgrown and littered. The school was honored for its participation.