Grade 7 Math is an advanced sequence of learning that supports a scope and sequence that prepares students for high school level Algebra I in Grade 8. Students are immersed in a learning environment that encourages students to meet mathematical challenges head on and where errors are viewed as learning opportunities. Through small group, whole group, and differentiated instruction, students apply mathematical concepts to a variety of real-world experiences. Students also learn mathematics through games and engaging real life activities. We use Big Ideas Math materials to guide students as they explore, learn, and apply skills while honing the mathematical practices/habits of mind. Students in Grade 7 deepen and build on concepts introduced in Grade 6 by applying knowledge of rational numbers, algebraic concepts, ratios, proportions and percent. Students are also introduced to concepts relating to data and statistics, probability, and geometry.

Grade 7 Science focuses on biology where students explore cells, genetics, human body systems, ecology, and evolutionary theory. Across the year, students continue to expand their understanding and application of the Scientific Method, experimental design, and metric measurement. The year culminates with a STEAM project where students design a game to teach players about the functions and structures of different body systems.

In Grade 7 Drama and Public Speaking, students take a deeper dive into public speaking as they research, prepare, and present persuasive speeches on a variety of topics. Throughout the year students rehearse and perform short scenes by local and national playwrights where they develop skills such as character development, script analysis, and collaboration and teamwork. Improvisation and theatre games are infused throughout the year, allowing students to develop their skills in the core facets of “improv” (listening, creativity, and “yes, and...”). Units of study on superheroes and supervillains helps students study character development in an engaging and familiar medium. Students create original superheroes, sidekicks, and supervillains, and then write and present scenes and monologues featuring those original characters. The year culminates with students researching, rehearsing, and performing more advanced scenes from a variety plays and playwrights.

Physical Education in Grade 7 is where students build on previously learned movement skills with practical application to individual and team competitive activities and sports. The Middle School PE program focuses on developing movement and motor skills and social skills across a variety of movement activities. Students also learn to maintain a healthy lifestyle through individual and collaborative fitness components throughout the program, and they develop skills for communication, self-reflection, resiliency, empathy, leadership, and conflict resolution in a variety of physical activity settings. Class content and social emotional development are geared towards preparing students for their next challenge and promoting lifelong fitness.

In Grade 7 English, students are actively engaged in reading, discussing, and analyzing more complex literature and informational texts, including dystopian fiction, poetry, and argument texts via whole class and book club experiences. Students continue to use relevant evidence to support their analysis of texts, and they begin to incorporate more evidence to strengthen their points. Independent reading in Grade 7 continues to support and promote a lifelong love and habit for reading. In writing, students hone their narrative and expository writing techniques, and they develop clear and coherent writing to serve specific purposes and audiences. Creating cohesive, well-structured writing using relevant support and detail is a focus of writing in Grade 7 English while developing and expanding English language grammar and conventions.

Redwood Day offers language learning in Mandarin or Spanish designed for students learning an additional language who do not have native fluency in the language. Students are placed in the appropriate world language pathways based on class and placement assessments. New students to Redwood Day are assessed prior to or arrival for optimal placement.

In Grade 7 Spanish, building on the foundations developed in Grade 6, a focus is on developing students’ fluency and accuracy while balancing learning that develops knowledge of Spanish grammar and Spanish-speaking cultures. Students engage in reading (including reading two class novels), writing, listening and speaking in almost every class period, and have opportunities to communicate in Spanish without an emphasis on perfection. Special attention is given to building vocabulary and understanding and incorporating more complex verbs into students’ working memory. Alongside the acquisition of more complex verbs, continued expansion of vocabulary using thematic units allows students the chance to comprehend more complex language, to express their own likes and dislikes, and to engage one another in more complex interactions in Spanish.

Grade 7 Advanced Spanish is designed to target the four fundamental areas of foreign language study: listening, speaking, reading, and writing. The primary objective is to concurrently enhance students’ fluency in verbal communication and deepen their understanding of Spanish grammar. The curriculum seamlessly blends both established and contemporary concepts with a specific emphasis on conjugating regular and irregular verbs in the present tense, stem-changing verbs in the present tense, and grasping the nuances between ser and estar. In addition to routine readings and comprehension assignments (including reading three novels across the year in the target language), there is increased emphasis on daily practice of conversational Spanish through class discussions and other interactive activities. Key learning objectives for the second semester include transitioning from present tense discussions to past tense discussions, with a specific focus on distinguishing between preterit and imperfect tenses. As a culminating project, students will research a Hispanic artist of their choice and present their findings and observations to the class, conducted entirely in Spanish.

In Grade 7 Mandarin, students continue to develop a solid foundation in all essential areas of Mandarin language learning that includes an increasing knowledge of tones, character strokes, radical parts, and the structure of Chinese characters. Students build their comprehension by using Mandarin fluently in real-life conversations about family, pets, body parts, the weather, colors, preferences for food and drinks, description of appearances, prepositions and classroom objects, and common Chinese foods. At this level, learners increase their fluency in listening and speaking and further develop their reading and writing skills in Mandarin to where students are able to read and write short paragraphs. Beyond language proficiency, students gain understanding of cultural topics through project-based learning experiences.

Middle School art provides students space to continue practicing, experimenting, and reflecting on their creative expression both technically and conceptually. Students are introduced to and reacquainted with a variety of mediums as well as a diverse group of artists. They are asked to think about the impact of art on society as they become more aware of their own impacts on their communities. Grade 7 students, in Visual Arts, build on their understanding and application of the Elements of Art and Principles of Design throughout the year, with a focus on Value and Emphasis. Starting with an India ink landscape, units of study move towards more structure through a charcoal still life and self-portrait using a grid to assist with proportion. Students then explore printmaking through the collagraph and linocut process.

Grade 7 Wellness and Life Skills equips students with essential skills for personal growth, safety, and emotional well-being. Students learn how to recognize and address bullying and develop problem-solving and integrity-based decision-making skills. Topics include coping with stress, identifying warning signs of suicide and depression, navigating consent and harassment, and exploring the influences of peers, media, and culture on identity and beliefs. In ‘Media Literacy and Digital Citizenship,’ students explore concepts such as digital footprints, AI bias, and misinformation, and they learn the importance of seeking and evaluating multiple viewpoints and perspectives. The ‘Learning to Learn’ portion of this course focuses on brain anatomy and function, neuroplasticity, and understanding the value of neurodiversity and the strengths and challenges of common learning differences.

Grade 7 History focuses on world history and religion from approximately 500 to 1500 CE. Picking up where they left off in Grade 6, students study the rise and fall of the Roman Empire, European and Japanese feudalism, the spread of Islam, and West African Kingdoms. Particular attention is given to the structures of power in each society. In the spring, students engage in researching, designing, and creating a Remembrance Project where they explore memorials, monuments, and other public remembrances and how they symbolize historical people, events, and movements during the multi-week, interdisciplinary research and design project. 

Throughout the year, students build historical analysis skills, including determining how geography impacts the development of societies, understanding how historical events are related, analyzing primary and secondary sources, and making evidence-based connections between history and our current world.

In Grade 7 DBi, students learn to use the following DBi Lab tools and processes–TinkerCAD, 3D printing, Adobe Illustrator, and laser cutting to create projects for two collaborations: The Remembrance Project with History and the STEAM Fair with Science. An emphasis at this level is on 2D and 3D design. Students design and build 3D models and objects, applying these skills to make historical memorials and science-based prototypes. The course combines technical learning with creative problem-solving across different subjects.

In Grade 7 Music, students focus on playing and composing melodies as part of the ukulele curriculum. Starting by playing songs with just a few notes and rhythmic concepts, students gradually incorporate a greater number of notes and rhythmic concepts until they are able to play complex melodies. Once they are able to play the notes and rhythms, students begin to compose melodies using the ukulele and music notation software. They learn about melodic structure, lyric writing, and repetition, and apply these concepts to their original compositions. Peers learn to play each other’s pieces then evaluate them based on specific aesthetic criteria. At the end of the year, students collaborate (in small groups) on the composition, rehearsal and performance of original, full-length pop songs that they play on ukulele and sing. In seventh grade, students also learn about the history of the Blues through critical listening, discussion, and films about the tradition. In the fall, students choose a song democratically, rehearse it as a class, and then perform it at Generations Day and the Winter Concert.