Grade 7

English

 

In Grade 7 English, students study the art of language. By reading other people’s works of art (Books! Poems! Short stories!), as well as creating our own, students find texts that speak to them, discover new authors, revisit old ones, and push themselves to discover the many ways that writers create their art. By the end of this course students will have learned terms such as: point of view, alliteration, assonance, theme, iambic pentameter, and much more.

Math

 

Grade 7 Math continues to build on the momentum of the previous year, exploring algebra, geometry, and probability and statistics. Students will focus on rational numbers and operations; writing, simplifying, and factoring algebraic expressions; direct and inverse proportions; angle properties and geometric constructions; volume and surface area; and other practical and conceptual math applications.

American History

 

What is American freedom? In Grade 7 History, students explore the many ways people have answered this question throughout American history. Beginning with the settlement and formation of the United States, students study key turning points in the nation’s growth through the lenses of class, race, and gender. As the year unfolds, students will also study current events and geography as they connect with the past.

Science

 

Grade 7 Science is all about life. Students ask key questions about the characteristics and requirements of living organisms; study species and organism classifications, similarities, and differences; examine the interaction of living things, both with each other and with the environment; ask what individual species need to survive and thrive; and take a look at how the human body is unique and what is needed to make it healthy and whole.

Middle School World Languages

All students in Grades 6-8 are required to take French or Spanish. Additionally, all 7th and 8th Graders are required to take Latin I. New 7th and 8th graders to Lincoln should register for Level 1 Language courses in Upper School unless they have previously studied the language. (A placement test may be necessary.) Looking ahead: To meet US graduation requirements, all students must complete three years in the Upper School of one language.

Spanish or French

Middle school French and Spanish take students on an exciting trip to new cultures while introducing them to basic grammar, language functions and everyday vocabulary. Individual and collaborative activities provide ample opportunity for the students to develop and use the language creatively and personally. Evaluation of student performance is based on participation and on frequent skills testing (listening, speaking, reading, and writing) throughout the year. Each year builds upon the other, allowing students to reinforce the old and incorporate the new.

Latin

 

The Latin program in grades 7 & 8 offers our students an opportunity to study the world of the ancient Romans through their language and culture. As they examine the lives and language of the ancient Romans students learn about this important source for the intellectual and legal culture in which they find themselves today. Through their efforts to learn to read and write the Latin language students learn the origins of technical terminology used today in many fields of study throughout the world, and they are encouraged to employ a form of the scientific method as they parse out the meaning of sentences written in Latin.

 

Tech Tools

Tech tools is a course that dives deep into all the applications and tools needed for students to present their course work in a 21st century manner. Students learn the creativity, critical thinking, problem solving, and decision-making skills necessary to utilize technology to enhance their school projects. Students will gain the ability to create professional presentations and improve oral communication skills by using word [rocessing, presentation, spreadsheet, and multimedia tools.

This course also dives into computational thinking—a way of solving problems, designing systems, and understanding human behavior that draws on concepts fundamental to computer science, and which is essential to understand and internalize in order to flourish in the 21st century world.

 

Visual Arts

 

The middle school art curriculum blends an appreciation for art history and contemporary art with a focus on the elements of art and principles of design. Students learn about the different functions and purposes of art and create their own artworks in various materials including still-life drawing, collage, ceramics, painting, sculpture, and printmaking. Artworks created in class address problems that challenge students to think about personal and self-expressive uses for art and to be innovative and original in their work. Students utilize technology in their classes to do research for their projects and improve their art-making practice.

 

 

 

Throughout their time in the studio, students also learn to present and curate their own artwork and display it school-wide as well as in the classroom, challenging them to consider how we look at artwork in society.

Music

In Grade 7, we take a look at the popular music industry and research how the industry puts out music for consumption—where, who and what controls what we get to hear, and who actually writes the songs that the artists sing. Guitars will also be used in class with each student getting a chance to play and learn about this classic instrument.

Drama

For one third of the year, students in Grade 7 create a theatrical experience together. Working on stage and backstage, students continue to learn skills in acting, improvisation, stage craft, and ensemble. All students learn proper theater terminology and learn to take and notate stage direction.

Academic Support

Academic Support is available to all Middle School students. The goal is to develop a plan for each student that enables her to reach her learning potential in a supportive and empowering environment. We believe academic support should be a team effort between the Learning Skills Specialist, teachers, and advisors to help students develop the strategies they need to become independent learners. The Learning Skills Specialist works in concert with classroom teachers and parents to monitor students' progress, work on organizational skills, modify study strategies, set goals, and make additional recommendations when appropriate.

Physical Education/Health

 

Through exposure to a broad variety of activities, each student in the Lincoln School Physical Education program is encouraged to build her physical potential. The goal is to develop each student's competency and confidence in basic skills, her understanding of and appreciation for a variety of team and individual sports and her appreciation for physical fitness, fostering a desire to participate in physical activities throughout life.

 

Typical sports skill offerings include soccer, field hockey, football, basketball, volleyball, lacrosse, team handball, badminton, and softball. The units emphasize skill development, game strategies, positioning and rules. Other activities include personal fitness challenges, yoga, walking, jogging, and contemporary dance. Recreational games, team building activities and intramural opportunities are included throughout the year.