After spring break, the seventh graders had the opportunity to dissect frogs in Science class.  We had just finished our chapter on fish, amphibians, and reptiles.  Students observed the outside of the frog, and they tried to determine the gender.  Students learned that looking at the thumb pad of a frog can distinguish a male from a female.  The class then opened the abdomen of their frog, and looked for all of the organs.  The main goal of the dissection was to compare a frog's anatomy to our own.  Students enjoyed the experience, and everyone realized it was not as gross as they thought it would be!

Since Christmas break, the 7th graders have been keeping busy with projects and learning interesting new material. Here is what is happening in some of your student's classes: 

Geography: We have finished the chapters on Central and Southeast Asia. We have started a chapter on the Great Lakes and their importance to the US and Canada. We will be moving more quickly through the geography chapters (so as many chapters as possible can be covered) and plan to read through a chapter in as close to a week as possible. 

English: The seventh graders just started a large research/writing/technology unit.  They'll be creating websites based on the National History Day theme for this year:  Debate and Diplomacy: Successes, Failures, and Consequences. This project will mean a lot of work, but also a lot of learning!

Religion: We are studying the Acts of the Apostles in the New Testament.  We will then go on to cover the Letters of the New Testament with a concentration on the life of Saint Paul.

Science: The seventh graders have just finished a chapter on Protists and Fungi.  We are now beginning a plant unit over the next couple of weeks which will include talking about types of plants, plant reproduction and processes. After the plant unit we will begin our unit on animals which will eventually lead to the biggest lab of the year, dissecting frogs.  The students are already talking about it!

Math: The seventh grade classes are currently studying exponents.  They are learning the rules for multiplying and dividing exponents, and the meaning of negative exponents.    

We hope everyone had a wonderful holiday season.  We wish you all a happy new year filled with abundance, joy, and treasured moments.

We hope everyone is having a wonderful November!  Here is an update on what the 7th graders are learning in some of their classes.

Math- Seventh grade is learning more about exponents, including the rules for simplifying with exponents and how they are used in prime factorization of numbers.

Literature- The seventh graders have had their second test of the year in Literature, on James Thurber's "The Night the Bed Fell."  It was a little more challenging than the first test.  They are currently working on Jim Kjelgaard's "The Tiger's Heart."

English- The seventh graders just finished a small unit on sentence structure.  We're now decorating and labeling Thanksgiving turkeys with multiple adjectives as part of a grammar unit.

Science- The students are in the middle of learning about heredity.  We are looking at patterns of inheritance, and how to predict the traits offspring will have based on the genetic makeup of their parents.  Students have been participating in an activity where they model patterns of inheritance to create a crazy creature from another planet.  Their next test will be on Tuesday, November 23rd.

We will keep you updated on what else is going on in seventh grade.  We hope everyone has a blessed, and Happy Thanksgiving!

Janell Paschal and Abby Mallory