GRADE 7 PROGRAM

The Grade 7 Program has a modified core structure, which facilitates integration of different subject areas and prepares students for the transition to the high school program.

INTEGRATED ARTS

This course will integrate the study of visual arts, music and drama as students develop their creativity, ability to communicate, appreciation of the arts, critical-thinking skills and selfconfidence. The course will culminate in a class production, which will demonstrate each student’s artistic skill development in these three disciplines.

Students will learn to express themselves in visual ways and sharpen their powers of observation. In developing the ability to analyze and describe works of art from various historical periods and in different styles, they will also learn to understand and appreciate a wide variety of art works. The program will include studio activities in drawing, rendering, painting, sculpture, pottery and other three-dimensional construction, printmaking and design. The students will be introduced to various materials, media, techniques and subject matter.

Students will develop their conceptual understanding of music, critical listening skills and instrumental and vocal skills. Performance and composition will be the major focus. Explorations include those in music notation and terminology, manipulating the elements of music, conducting in a variety of meters, technical and interpretive skills in solo, duo and ensemble performance, ear training, an overview and critical analysis of music history with a focus on music from the Romantic era and consideration of the contributions of the music industry to society.

In drama, role-playing will be the key component of the course. Students will live through the experiences of others, learn to clarify their own point of view and develop their ability to think carefully. Students will create presentations in which they communicate their interpretation of situations and the motives of various characters. Students will engage in creating and critiquing works of drama and learn about ways in which the arts are interconnected.

Students will work both in a co-operative learning framework and on an individual basis. Information Technology will be utilized as a resource tool, as a means of expressing responses to music and as a tool for composition. Assessment/evaluation, based primarily on a four-level achievement rubric, will include input from the instructor, student peers and self-assessing portfolios.

INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY IN BUSINESS: BTT 1O

The expectations of this Grade 9 Business credit will be integrated into the various subject areas in Grades 7 and 8. Students starting Grade 7 in September 2007, will earn 0.5 credits at the end of the year. In Grade 8, they will earn another 0.5 credits. This reach-ahead credit will then be applied to their high school transcript when they begin their high school program in September 2009.

This course introduces students to information and communication technology in a business environment and builds a foundation of digital literacy skills necessary for success in a technologically driven society. Students will develop word processing, spreadsheet, database, desktop publishing, presentation software and website design skills. Throughout the course, there is an emphasis on digital literacy, effective electronic research and communication skills and current issues related to the impact of information and communication technology.

FRENCH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE

The aim of this course is “to develop basic communication skills in French and an understanding of the nature of the language, as well as an appreciation of the French culture in Canada and other parts of the world.” Passages 1 contains dialogues, narratives and activities which are relevant to student experience. Topics include radio, music, food, holidays and sports. The course is enhanced by computer, audio, video and Internet components.

HEALTH AND PHYSICAL EDUCATION

This physical education course exposes students to a variety of enjoyable activities and experiences that relate to a healthy lifestyle. The emphasis at this grade level is on team sports and activities that will not only develop sports skills but that will also provide a social environment to encourage desirable attitudes and behaviour through cooperation with peers. The following units of activity are offered: outdoor games, basketball, fitness, volleyball, badminton, tumbling/gymnastics and low-organization games. In health education, specific programs that focus on healthy living, growth and development, substance use and abuse and personal safety are introduced. Both the physical and health education components of the course allow the individual student to solve problems and make personal decisions related to their physical, social, intellectual and emotional development. The division of units encompasses the strands of Healthy Living, Fundamental Motor Skills and Active Participation as outlined in the Ontario Curriculum: Grades 1-8.

HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY

This course has two components. Through an investigation of the history of New France, Upper Canada and the Rebellions of 1837 in Upper and Lower Canada, the students will gain an appreciation and awareness of the rich history of our country and an understanding of its diversity. The second component is a study of the earth’s geography and a study of the various patterns found across the surface of the earth. This component includes physical characteristics, cultural features and economic conditions of the world. The course is intended to answer questions on how people live, and where and why people live where they do.

LANGUAGE

Students will read a selection of literary genres: short stories, plays, novels, biographies and poetry. Works include Shakespeare’s As You Like It, Washington Irving’s The Legend of Sleepy Hollow and Maya Angelou’s Graduation. A field trip to the Stratford Festival in October will give students the opportunity to experience “Shakespeare Live.” Writing will be in the form of responses to the literature, both traditional and e-mail letter writing and creative writing modes. Grammar and vocabulary lessons will improve the style and the structure of students’ writing. Public speaking, acting and directing will provide the students with opportunities for oral expression.

MATHEMATICS

As outlined in the Ontario Curriculum, the mathematics expectations are organized into five strands: Number Sense and Numeration, Measurement, Geometry and Spatial Sense, Patterning and Algebra and Data Management and Probability.

The Grade 7 mathematics program is designed to reinforce and introduce elements of general mathematics. Students will be prepared for further study in topics such as whole numbers, sets, factors, fractions, decimals, basic algebra and geometry, while becoming aware of their applications in the contemporary world.

A variety of instructional techniques are used to address the varied learning styles of the students. Whole class instruction, individual and small group activities, assignments and projects are a part of classroom activities. The use of technology (calculators, computers and the Internet) and manipulatives (concrete objects) are integrated when appropriate. Students are given the opportunity to explore mathematical solutions and are encouraged to develop their ability to communicate in the language of mathematics.

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY

In this course, the students will develop their understanding of the basic concepts of science and technology. As well they will develop the skills, strategies and habits of mind required for scientific inquiry and technological design. Finally, they will relate scientific and technological knowledge to their peers and to the world outside the classroom.

The course material will be divided into the following five strands: Life Systems: Interactions Within Ecosystems, Matter and Materials, Pure Substances and Mixtures, Energy and Control: Heat, Structures and Mechanisms: Structural Strength and Stability and Earth and Space Systems: The Earth’s Crust.