Connie Leddicotte (Language Arts)

Shirley Vestal (Social Studies)
Kirsten Bowden (Math)

Lin Harp (Science)

The seventh-grade program at Magellan is designed to build upon the skills and experiences introduced in the earlier grades.

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Language Arts

The goals of the seventh grade language arts  program are to mature and polish communication skills, to nurture critical thinking, to motivate academic risk-taking, and to increase student ownership of learning. Reading books with settings in Africa and Asia, students participate in whole-group activities, literature circles, seminars, and independent reading activities. These activities are designed to improve reading comprehension and literature analysis according to plot, setting, character, mood, and theme. Learning experiences and mini-lessons emphasize grammar, sentence structures, vocabulary enrichment, and comprehension skills. Poetry and short story units focus on the use of literary devices as well as foster creativity and imagination. Writing activities, which are integrated into all aspects of language arts, specifically focus on argumentative writing.

Social Studies

Africa, Asia, and Australia are the focus for seventh grade social studies. Using evidence gathered from a variety of sources (geographic, literary, artistic, and historical), students develop a framework with which to effectively explore cultures. Students learn through a variety of projects, field trips, and speakers, each of which is designed to immerse students into the cultures of Africa, Asia, and Australia.

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Math

Guided by a problem-solving middle school philosophy, the curriculum incorporates a wide range of activities and a variety of approaches designed to help students think critically and creatively as well as to develop their basic skills. To best meet the educational needs of all students, we offer three courses of math study. Students are placed either in seventh-grade math, pre-algebra, and algebra based on their level of skill. These courses encourage mastery of computational skills as well as provide problem-solving strategies that enhance students' abilities to make practical applications of these concepts in everyday life.

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Science

Science in the seventh grade focuses on a wide variety of topics that students can directly apply to their everyday lives. Students build on themes that they are exposed to in earlier years as well as being introduced to new subjects. Genetics/heredity and weather are continued in more depth this year along with the new topics which include the following: cellular processes and tissues, the human body, healthful living (nutrition, alcohol, tobacco, and drugs) and an introduction to physics. As students have a wide variety of learning styles, an assortment of teaching techniques are used including note taking, labs, role play/simulation, cooperative groups, discussions, and hands-on projects to reach all students. One example of the activities students participate in is a mock trial pertaining to a real-life leukemia case, which serves as a transition between the cellular processes/ tissues and genetics units. Another example of student learning is when students take on the hat of their teacher and teach mini-lessons covering one or two systems of the human body; students are given the opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge and learn from each other.