Welcome to Seventh Grade Oconomowoc Area School District

A Parent Preview of what you and your child can expect in Seventh Grade A Word About Seventh Grade What will your child be learning this year? How can you help your child be successful in school? These are important family questions! This brochure was created to explain the major academic expectations held by our District for students in Seventh Grade. You’ll also learn more about homework, how Wisconsin and our teachers measure learning progress, home/ school communications, common behaviors for 12– and 13-year-olds and much more. Welcome to Seventh Grade! Together, we can help your child reach their full potential and get the most out of their Seventh Grade experience.

Academic Expectations Study Skills Expectations As you review this brochure, * Use of assignment notebook please note that we can’t include * Completion of assignments in a timely manner everything your child will be learning due to space limitations. Measuring your Child’s Learning Progress Please contact your child’s teachers *Wisconsin Knowledge & Concepts Examination— at any time during the school year Criterion-Referenced Tests: Tests in reading and for more information. mathematics are given each November to seventh grade students. These tests are used to identify your child’s Your Child’s reading and mathematics levels as compared to Homework statewide proficiency standards for seventh grade While there is a lot of learning going students. Test results indicating your child’s proficiency on in school, it is very important for levels will be sent to parents. your student to continue the *District assessments in reading, writing, math and learning process at home. Daily technology homework deepens your child’s *Quarterly Report Cards understanding of what is being *Daily classroom work, including projects, tests, and taught in the classroom and assignments reinforces the study skills needed *Individual student portfolios to really learn the concepts and materials presented by the teacher. Ways Families Can Get Involved 1. Volunteer in your child’s classroom and school Daily Homework Expectations: 2. Attend conferences Recommended homework time: 45 3. Join your child for lunch to 60 minutes including 4. Share information about your career or hobbies  Daily reading / writing with your child’s classroom  Content reinforcement 5. Volunteer to be a tutor  Projects 6. Join the Parent Teacher Organization or Association  Research 7. Monitor your child’s homework 8. Contact your child’s teachers with questions or concerns

Revised July 2014 Welcome to Seventh Grade Page 2

Some developmental characteristics displayed by many 12-year-olds

 Are calm and secure and have risen to a new level of washing the car, and cleaning the garage. comfort and achievement at home and school.  Desire to earn money, in addition to an allowance,  Exhibit a high degree of enthusiasm and may still and may do so through neighborhood jobs and show extremes of behavior, such as caution or babysitting. daring, really liking something or absolutely hating  Begin to be less involved in family activities. This it. decrease will continue through adolescence.  Like to figure out the pros and cons before making  Having friends and best friends is a high priority. decisions. Enjoy the support, pleasure and increased harmony  Have an enormous appetite or what seems to be a of friendships. “bottomless pit.” Show interest in cooking and  Demonstrate a wide variety of interests in school- baking. work. Many enjoy math, social studies, and science,  Typically sleep between nine and ten hours. especially experiments. Art, music, and gym are also favorites.  Are branching out from typical household chores to more difficult tasks, such as dusting, cooking,  Love to participate in plays and to read parts aloud. Some developmental characteristics displayed by many 13-year-olds

 Are looking inward in search of self-understanding less interested in television. Many boys prefer and acceptance. playing video games to watching TV.  Display a need for privacy and isolation that is a  Tend to be better organized and use time more necessary part of growing up. efficiently.  Tend to be withdrawn, sensitive, and  Some are demonstrating an interest in writing uncommunicative. imaginative stories or writing about themselves.  Worry a lot about body, physical features, and  Enjoy discussing world affairs in social studies and general personality. may like reading news magazines and newspapers.  Typically sleep between nine and ten hours.  Are fascinated by various topics in science,  Show a varying interest in friends from one day to especially hands-on experiments. the next. Friendships may be less close than at age twelve.  Enjoy two popular pastimes – telephoning and movie going.  Show a greater interest in reading and seem to be These excerpts from: Understanding Your Child Birth to Sixteen by David Elkind; and Your Ten-to-Fourteen-Year-Old by Louise Bates Ames and Francis Ilg,Sidney Baker

Seventh Grade Courses

CORE COURSES MATH—ALGEBRA 1 READING/LANGUAGE ARTS The content of Algebra 1 is organized around families of A balanced literacy approach is used in 7th grade Language Arts functions, with special emphasis on linear functions. As students to develop skills and concepts in the areas of reading and learn about each family of functions, they will learn to represent writing using the readers/writers workshop as the model for them in multiple ways – as verbal descriptions, equations, instruction. Writing units include literary essay, research, tables, and graphs. They will also learn to model real-world memoir, and a strong emphasis on argumentative writing. situations using functions in order to solve problems arising Reading units parallel with the writing units. The goal of from those situations. The curriculum and instruction engages instruction is to support students as they grow as readers and students in active learning, adapts lessons to different teaching writers who think critically and communicate effectively for a and learning styles, integrates differentiated practice, and uses variety of purposes. ongoing assessments to measure student progress. In depth SOCIAL STUDIES – World Geography instruction will be provided allowing students to develop and Students will encounter many unique and assorted cultures on master content of the Algebra 1 text in both 7th and 8th grade. their journey through the World’s Eastern Hemisphere. The five Units of study include: Expressions, Equations, and Functions; themes of Geography will be their vehicle as they set off to Properties of Real Numbers; Solving Linear Equations; Graphing uncover the vast wonders of Asia, Africa, Middle East, Australia, Linear Equations and Functions; Writing Linear Equations; and and Europe. Map skills, technology and current events will also Geometry and Statistics and Probability. be integrated into the curriculum. (Seventh Grade Courses, continued) Page 3 SCIENCE PERSONAL FINANCE/DECISION MAKING/ Students will have an understanding of scientific methods and CAREER EXPLORATION procedures. They will explore the building blocks of the world This course will have students build foundations for making around them through an integrated approach emphasizing intelligent, life-long, personal financial decisions and develop a biological, physical, and earth science. This course emphasizes realistic understanding of economic issues. Student lessons will a lab/hands-on approach to understanding concepts. Units of include the basics of budgeting and allocating funds, making a Emphasis include: Laboratory Safety and Metric Measurement personal budget, paying taxes, making decisions about credit, (concepts of lab safety, metric measurement, equipment use, exploring personal goals and having opportunities to explore scientific method); Cells and Heredity (concepts of cell parts, cell careers. functions, cell division, patterns of heredity, DNA, and modern genetics); The Earth’s Surface ( the rock cycle); The Changing GATEWAY TO TECHNOLOGY EDUCATION (PLTW) Earth (concepts of plate tectonics, earthquakes, mountain and This course is a combination of parts from the Project Lead the volcanoes, and geologic history); Matter and Energy (concepts Way curriculum. Project Lead the Way gives students the ability of matter, properties of matter, and energy). to learn about engineering through hands on activities and WORLD LANGUAGE/PE projects. In this course students gain knowledge about design (Alternate World Language with Physical Education) and modeling. Using 3D computer modeling programs such as Students select either German, Spanish, or Mandarin Autodesk Inventor and Google SketchUp, students will create a GERMAN variety of 3D models while learning about the design process. In this course students will build upon what they learned in the Students will then apply the design process and build different th th 5 and 6 grade exploratory classes. The students will acquire prototypes. Students will leave class with a solid understanding the language via a methodology called TPRS, (Teaching Proficiency through Reading and Storytelling). Students will of design and modeling. become the “actors” in the telling of short stories and culminating stories will be summarized by the students working MUSIC EXPLORE COURSES in teams using only pictures, (no notes allowed!). Topics will vary as appropriate to this beginning level of language BAND acquisition. The course meets every other day for the entire This course focuses on large group ensemble performance while year. continuing individual skill development. Students will also SPANISH receive small group lessons as part of this course. Home This course provides basic instruction of Spanish language and practice is required. Band and jazz band (an intermediate school culture through immersion. Students will focus on exploring club activity) will have multiple performances throughout the thematic units of beginning Spanish language acquisition. The school year. class requires students to participate in and out of class. The ENCORE BAND focus is on four major areas of interaction (reading, writing, This course provides an enhanced instrumental experience for speaking, and listening). those who want to take their playing to the next level. As an MANDARIN extension of band, this class will continue to focus on instru- This course provides basic instruction of Mandarin language and mental technique, additional performance music including culture through immersion. Students will focus on exploring chamber ensembles, and preparation for the WSMA solo & thematic units of beginning Mandarin language acquisition. The ensemble festival in March. This class may also incorporate focus is on four major areas of interaction (reading, writing, music technology. Students must be enrolled in BAND in order speaking, and listening). to be able to enroll in ENCORE BAND. This course meets every other day all year, opposite of BAND. PHYSICAL EDUCATION CHOIR This course offers a wide variety of sport and fitness This course will be on large group performance with an empha- experiences. Weather permitting, units are taught outdoors first sis on age-appropriate study of choral performance according to and fourth quarters, second and third quarters units are taught the State Standards. Students will also study the history and indoors. Each quarter has a mixture of individual and team context of the wide variety of music literature presented. activities that foster skill development and fitness to support Performances in concerts throughout the year is required. Wisconsin state standards. Concerts may be performed at the Intermediate Schools, OHS, EXPLORE COURSES or the greater Oconomowoc community. ART ENCORE CHOIR In this course students will further develop their artistic skill and This course will serve students seeking additional challenges in ability through a variety of art experiences. They will work choral music. The curriculum may combine choral singing with towards a set of artist objectives as they move through the term. playing instruments, movement, the use of solos and small Classes meet every other day for a semester. groups, self-rehearsal techniques, and will use literature from a COMPUTER APPLICATIONS wide variety of musical genres. Participation in concerts throughout the year is required. Concerts may be performed at In this course students learns unique and exciting technologies the Intermediate Schools, Oconomowoc High School or the for creating and sharing information. Students create an greater Oconomowoc Community. Encore students may be Infographic on digital citizenship; exploring the value of visual eligible to participate in the annual Wisconsin State Music representation of information. In another unit they produce an Associations Solo and Ensemble Contest. Students must be informational video, learning how to mix audio, images, text, enrolled in CHOIR in order to be able to enroll in ENCORE video and other media into a movie. Students also learn the CHOIR. This course meets every other day, opposite of CHOIR. animation process, giving them another way to present information or steps in a process. This course provides students ORCHESTRA with a foundation of computer skills needed for today and This course will develop advanced skills on their instruments, as lifelong learning. well as explore string and full orchestra repertoire. Technical skills and musicianship will be emphasized.

OASD Intermediate Schools Oconomowoc Area School District Nature Hill Intermediate 569-4940 850 Lake Drive Curriculum & Instruction Office

W306N7077 Brown Street Oconomowoc WI 53066-1197 Silver Lake Intermediate 560-4300 555 Oconomowoc Parkway

Phone: 262-560-2116

John Flannery Director of Curriculum & Instruction

Visit our Web site: www.oasd.k12.wi.us

Ways we keep in touch  District Web site—www.oasd.k12.wi.us  Open House in September  Parent/Teacher Conferences (fall and spring)  Quarterly grade report and progress reports  Field trip notices/permission forms  Parent/Teacher notes, phone calls, e-mails  Monthly on-line school newsletter  District school calendar

Field Trips and Special Events Home/School Communications It is the philosophy of the Oconomowoc Area School We welcome your partnership in helping your child District to encourage activities that extend the achieve success in school. By working and talking learning environment and augment curriculum. together, we can create a very positive learning These activities may include: environment. Each staff member has mail and e-mail.  Attending a theater performance Please feel free to contact your child’s teachers or  Trips related to units of study at locations like a the office with any questions or concerns. theater or the Milwaukee County Zoo  Enjoying school assemblies  Participating in school clubs and extracurricular activities