7th grade curriculum
Growing Minds. Deepening Inquiry. Expanding Perspectives.
Seventh grade at Laurel Hill School is a powerful year of academic expansion and personal evolution. Students take their foundational skills and stretch them—into longer essays, deeper debates, broader scientific concepts, and more complex historical analysis. Guided by dedicated teachers and enriched through collaborative learning, seventh graders refine their voices, embrace intellectual challenge, and begin to see themselves as young scholars and active citizens.
English Language Arts
Literature as Mirror. Writing as Dialogue.
The 7th grade English Language Arts curriculum continues to build students’ ability to read deeply, write with nuance, and speak with clarity. At the heart of the program is literature—stories that challenge thinking, provoke emotion, and open windows into other worlds.
Reading & Literary Analysis
Students explore a diverse collection of novels and texts, including:
Nothing but the Truth – ethics, media literacy, and truth
Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry – race, justice, and historical perspective
Walk Two Moons – grief, growth, and empathy
Macbeth – ambition, fate, and the human condition
Short stories, plays, poems, and nonfiction texts from the Language of Literature anthology supplement novel studies. Students explore key literary elements: symbolism, narrative structure, conflict, theme, and voice—with increasing independence and sophistication.
Writing
Response Logs: Weekly entries invite students to respond personally and analytically to literature, with one selected randomly for grading to encourage authentic reflection.
Formal Essays: Students master the five-paragraph structure and begin to write extended essays such as comparison-contrast, cause-and-effect, and literary analysis.
Creative & Informational Writing: Assignments may include research reports, opinion statements, short stories, and poetry. Drafting, revision, peer editing, and teacher conferencing are central to the writing process.
Grammar, Vocabulary, and Spelling
Weekly grammar instruction covers complex sentence structures, verb tenses, modifiers, and usage—preparing students for formal writing and standardized tests.
Vocabulary study is tied to literature, helping students learn meaning through context, reinforce understanding through daily use, and test weekly.
Spelling assignments are leveled and assessed weekly.
🎭 Shakespeare Festival
Seventh graders bring Romeo and Juliet to life through study, scene work, and dramatic performance. Through Elizabethan language and costumed creativity, students interpret, rehearse, and perform for the school community—connecting timeless themes of love, loyalty, and tragedy with their own developing perspectives.
Mathematics
Analyzing Patterns. Communicating Reasoning. Building Confidence.
Seventh grade math continues to develop core skills while introducing more abstract concepts and applications. The focus is on problem-solving, logical reasoning, and collaborative exploration.
Core Concepts Include:
Ratios, proportions, and percent
Expressions, equations, and inequalities
Area, volume, and surface area of 2D and 3D figures
Probability and statistics
Introduction to functions and graphing on the coordinate plane
Integer operations and rational numbers
Instructional Approach
Problem of the Day journals build stamina and versatility in thinking.
Math Lab sessions offer hands-on, team-based challenges—like building scale models or analyzing data sets to inform a real-world decision.
Technology Integration includes graphing tools, simulation apps, and digital platforms for exploration.
Creative projects encourage students to apply math in artistic, scientific, or civic contexts.
Scholastic Math Magazine enriches classwork with real-life applications.
Benchmark and spiral reviews ensure long-term retention and skill mastery.
Science
From Atoms to Earth: Unraveling the World Through Inquiry
Seventh grade science is an exciting blend of chemistry and Earth science, offering students the chance to engage with both the microscopic and macroscopic wonders of the natural world.
Chemistry (Fall Semester)
Students use a Regents-level high school chemistry text to explore:
Atomic structure and subatomic particles
Isotopes and the periodic table
Physical and chemical properties of elements
Mixtures, solutions, and chemical reactions
Hands-on labs and modeling activities reinforce abstract concepts and encourage students to think like chemists.
Earth Science (Spring Semester)
Topics include:
Formation of Earth and geologic time
Rocks, minerals, and plate tectonics
Renewable and non-renewable resources
Climate change, glaciation, and New York State’s geological history
Students engage in field studies around campus, collecting and analyzing rock samples, observing erosion patterns, and discussing environmental challenges. High-level math applications are integrated into lab work, introducing tools such as graph interpretation and metric conversions.
Social Studies
American History Through Global Lenses
Seventh grade social studies explores the birth and development of the United States, building from a global foundation and extending through major formative events.
Core Topics Include:
The World in 1500 and global influence on North America
Age of Exploration and European colonization
The 13 Colonies and foundations of American society
The American Revolution: causes, battles, and outcomes
The U.S. Constitution and creation of the republic
The early years of the New Republic
Students use political, economic, and social (PES) lenses to analyze history, connecting historical trends with modern relevance. They engage in structured research, current events analysis, and collaborative projects.
Essential Skills:
Document-Based Questions (DBQs)
Primary source analysis
Oral presentation and structured debate
Essay writing and project creation
Use of political and thematic maps
🎭 INTERACT Projects
Continental Congress: Students take on delegate roles to debate independence, draft resolutions, and experience the urgency of revolution.
Lewis & Clark Expedition: Through journals, maps, and teamwork, students simulate the Corps of Discovery’s epic journey.
Civil War Reenactment: As soldiers and citizens, students analyze major battles, reenact historic moments, and explore 19th-century American life through art, music, and drama.
Seventh grade at Laurel Hill School is bold, dynamic, and intellectually thrilling. Students grow into independent thinkers and expressive communicators, ready to tackle deeper challenges with confidence, purpose, and heart.
