Chippewa Middle School 7Th Grade Scheduling Packet 2019/2020
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Chippewa Middle School 7 th Grade Scheduling Packet 2019/2020 Dear Parent/Guardian and Student: Welcome to Chippewa Middle School! The staff is looking forward to working with you and your student during the next school year. This course description booklet is the first step in planning for the coming year. We hope the information is helpful as you make decisions about your course selections. Enclosed in this packet, you will find a course description for all seventh grade classes offered at Chippewa Middle School for the 2019-2020 school year. The registration form is attached to this packet. This form is due to your student’s homeroom teacher by March 27, 2019. Required courses: Language arts, social studies, mathematics, science and physical education are taken by all students. Elective choices range from a full year to a single trimester course. Parents if you feel you have unique information that would assist us in the placement of your child, please use the back of the registration form to communicate your concerns. It is helpful for us to have this information early for planning purposes. Please know that we will take parental input into thoughtful consideration, but cannot guarantee placement in a particular classroom, with a specific teacher, or with certain friends. A parent orientation meeting will be held for parents of incoming seventh graders on Wednesday, March 20 at 6:00 p.m in the Chippewa Auditorium. Although we have suggested dates based on last name, please know if you have a scheduling conflict you are welcome to attend the other evening. Available staff will be introduced, a brief overview of our program will be given and we will be happy to answer any questions that you may have at that time. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me at 706-4801 or Alison Evenson, our counselor, at 706-4807. The staff is looking forward to working with you now and in the coming year. Sincerely, Jody Noble Principal 2 NON-DISCRIMINATION POLICY It is the policy of the Okemos Public Schools not to discriminate on the basis of sex, race, national origin, or creed in its educational programs or activities. This means that all students have an equal opportunity to participate in all classes and activities without regard to their sex, race, country of birth, or beliefs. These policies are required by Title IX of the 1972 Education Amendment, and other Federal Civil Rights legislation. Inquiries regarding compliance with Title IX may be directed to John Hood, Assistant Superintendent for Instruction, at 4406 North Okemos Road, Okemos, Michigan 48864, telephone 706-5007, or to the Director of the Office for Civil Rights, Department of Health, Education and Welfare, Washington, D.C. th 7 GRADE ACADEMIC 2017-2018 REQUIRED COURSE DESCRIPTIONS Online Experience To support the online requirement in the Michigan Merit Curriculum, students will be involved in structured learning activities that utilize technology with intranet/ internet-based tools and resources as the delivery method for instruction, research, assessment and communication. These activities may include one or more of the following: webquests, blogs, wikis, podcasts, video casts, online research, online field trips, online simulations, educational gaming, electronic portfolios, test preparation and career planning tools. A minimum of 2 hours in each academic class per school year will be required. 3 LANGUAGE ARTS The English Language Arts Program follows the Common Core Curriculum and Standards adopted by the State of Michigan. The curriculum is designed to develop effective skills in communication and to promote the understanding and appreciation of literature, language, viewing, speaking, listening, and the writing process. The lessons will require students to use critical thinking skills to analyze literature and to make authentic connections to the real world. Instruction will be given to enhance the proficiency of reading and the mechanics of writing. In addition to reading non-fiction articles and essays, the students will read short stories, novels, plays and poetry. th Materials used in 7 Grade Language Arts: th ● Prentice Hall Literature Series – 7 Grade Edition ● Various novels ● The Daybook of Critical Reading and Writing MATHEMATICS The K-12 mathematics program is based on the assumption that each student is unique and should be encouraged to develop a level of mathematical maturity consistent with his/her ability which will enable the student to function effectively in society. Varied learning experiences are provided. TH 7 GRADE MATHEMATICS The curriculum follows the Common Core State Standards and is organized around “big ideas” and the relationships between them. Students will be encouraged to learn and practice problem-solving strategies while connecting topics within mathematics to other math topics and with other school subjects. Students will also grow in their ability to reason and communicate effectively with graphic, numeric, symbolic, and verbal representations. Current technology, especially the graphing calculator, will be introduced in this course, which is preloaded on student devices. Computation with and without calculators will be taught, reviewed and emphasized during the 7th grade year. The math department supports the use of calculators and students will be expected to provide their own for class each day. While calculators are not appropriate with all instructional materials, there will be many opportunities to use them. The topics covered in seventh grade include: Algebra (tables, graphs, equations and variables) Linear Relationships (expressed in words, tables, graphs, and symbols) Rate, Ratio, Proportions, Percent, and Proportional Reasoning Rational Number Computation Geometry (similarity, congruence) Statistics and Probability Non-routine problem solving 4 TEXT: Mathematics Course 3 ………………………………… Holt Mathematics (2007) Connected Mathematics….. Project 2nd Edition ……… Prentice Hall (2006) Stretching and Shrinking Comparing and Scaling Moving Straight Ahead Algebra I This mathematics course has been designed to provide advanced mathematics students with the background and skills to enter a high school math honors course. Traditional algebra, real life applications, interactive lessons, and current technology have been woven into this course. Students enrolled in this course are expected to maintain an 85% or better average. Failure to maintain this expected grade will indicate a need to switch to the Math 8 class. The topics covered in Math 8 Honors include: ● Algebra (linear, inverse, quadratic, and exponential relationships, symbolic representation and manipulation, solving equations and inequalities) ● Geometry (Pythagorean Theorem, two-dimensional measurement, three-dimensional measurement, and transformations) ● Number Concepts (rational and irrational numbers, radicals, introduction to imaginary numbers) ● Statistics (sampling, comparing, and making predictions, data collection and analysis) ● Probability ● Scientific Notation This class is intended to provide an intensive and accelerated option for 7 th grade students, which leads to Geometry Honors. Students in this course have taken accelerated math classes since 5 th grade as identified by a placement opportunity at the end of 4 th grade. TEXT: Algebra 1 …………………………………………………... Holt Mathematics (2007) Algebra 2 ………………………………………………….. Holt Mathematics (2007) Connected Mathematics …… Project 2nd Edition …..…. Prentice Hall (2006) Growing, Growing, Growing Looking for Pythagoras Frogs, Fleas, and Painted Cubes Thinking with Mathematical Models 5 SCIENCE The science program provides an opportunity for students to become immersed into the world of life science. Specifically, students will become acquainted with the processes of scientific inquiry, problem solving, modeling of real life phenomena, and an awareness of one’s self and interactions with the environment. The seventh grade curriculum is based upon the life science objectives from the Next Generation Science Standards. The required benchmarks include objectives from organization of matter, cells, ecosystems, heredity, and biological evolution. Text: Explorer - Animals ……………………..Prentice Hall 2009 Explorer - From Bacteria to Plants Explorer - Cells and Heredity Explorer - Environment SOCIAL STUDIES Okemos Middle School Social Studies emphasizes the curriculum standards and benchmarks adopted by the State of Michigan. Each Michigan content strand (history, geography, civics, economics, inquiry, decision-making, and citizenship) is integrated into the curriculum content of each year. Seventh grade studies the geography and ancient and modern cultures of the Eastern Hemisphere. Students are introduced to and given opportunities to use a variety of skills. These skills include using maps and the globe, reading skills using content themed novels, thinking skills, communication, art, music, math, and citizenship skills. Photographs, maps, charts, graphs, videos and other illustrative materials are used. Students are given opportunities to understand the importance of attitudes and beliefs ...... their own, those of other individuals and groups, and those of society in general. Text: Prentice Hall World Studies Series …………………..Copyright 2008 Ancient World, Asia and the Pacific, Africa Teachers’ Curriculum Institute - Geography Alive……Copyright 2006 6 SECTION 21f OF THE STATE SCHOOL AID ACT OF 2013 Okemos Public Schools strongly believes that face-to-face classroom instruction at the middle and high