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Throughout the year, seventh graders assume increasing responsibility for their individual learning and contributions to the life of the school. Our goal is for the girls to solidify their academic, artistic, and athletic skills, to gain self-knowledge, to deepen their love of learning, to enhance their appreciation for and understanding of the world beyond Nashoba Brooks, and to strengthen their voices as young women.
In Grade 7 we focus on developing the following skills:
Critical reading
Essay and journal writing
Collecting and analyzing data
Managing long-term assignments
Debating
Giving presentations
Learning by revision
Learning language and cultural awareness
Working independently and collaboratively
Building self-awareness
Strategies for solving problems
Click on an item below to see a summary of Grade 7 work in that subject area. Please note: Each subject includes a guiding question or questions, some of the topics we address in that area, and an overview of some of the skills we work to build through this subject.
Students can arrive as early as 7:30 AM and spend time with friends in the Dining Commons.
The school day starts promptly at 8:25 AM. In Grade 7, the day begins with either Homeroom or Advisor meetings and a typical day may include:
Social Studies
English
Spanish
Snack & Recess - students bring their own snacks
Latin
Mathematics
Visual Arts
Lunch & Recess - the School provides lunch
Science
Drama
Structured Study
Seventh graders are dismissed at 3:35 PM on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays, and at 12:30 PM on Tuesdays.
Students in Grades 5-8 also have the option of being part of our intramural athletic teams which have practice and games after the end of the school day (M, W, Th, F until 4:50 PM).
We offer a number of fee-based External Programs that allow students to stay as late as 5:30 PM.
Identity and Worldview: What influences how I perceive the world? How do social forces condition individual lives?
Topics of Study:
Poetry and prose • Close reading of novels (which may include Elatsoe, Prairie Lotus, When Life Gives You Mangos) • Poetry unit • The Writing Process • Expository essay • Literary analysis essay • Introduction to Interactive Fiction Coding (TWINE) • Poetry Podcast • Grammar, Mechanics and Usage • Introduction to Socratic-style discussions and Harkness Method • Journaling
Skills We Teach:
Recognizing and employing literary devices used in poetry and prose • Making inferences and drawing conclusions • Comparing and contrasting characters and/or literary selections • Text annotation • Becoming a critical reader and writer • Organizing, developing, analyzing, supporting, and synthesizing ideas in oral and written discourse (essays, journals, research, public speaking, discussion, debate) • Building vocabulary through context
Use of the library in Grade 7 is incorporated into subject area classes.
Skills We Teach:
Evaluating books and online resources • Citing sources • Creating works cited and notecards for research • Finding and using the most appropriate digital and print resources for research
How can I represent patterns and relationships that model real-world phenomena?
Topics of Study:
Integers/Rational numbers and the Number Line • Properties of Rational Numbers • Algebraic Expressions • Algebraic Equations and Inequalities • Direct and Inverse Proportion • Angle Properties and Straight Lines • Geometric Construction • Volume and Surface Area • Graphing • Statistics • Probability • Pythagorean Theorem
Skills We Teach:
Computing with integers, fractions and decimals • Simplifying expressions • Solving one variable equations • Solving problems involving discount and interest • Using tables, graphs, and equations • Solving problems involving volume, perimeter, area, and surface area • Graphing on the coordinate plane • Interpreting and analyzing data • Problem solving skills • Preparing for a cumulative exam
What is life? How are humans related to all living things on Earth? How do we, as scientists, investigate the living world?
Topics of Study: Characteristics of living things • Cells • Microscopy • Heredity & genetics • Evolution • Classification • History of Life • Computer coding • Human Body Systems • Senses science fair
Skills We Teach: Designing scientific experiments • Computer coding • Microscopy • Collaborating • Graphing • Designing and building models • Making observations • Analyzing evidence • Drawing conclusions • Sharing results via presentations
What does it mean to be a part of a global community? How does geography impact the world we live in? How are current events connected to the (physical and human) geographical characteristics of places? What is our responsibility as global citizens?
Topics of Study: The Five Themes of Geography • Foundational map skills • Human rights and citizenship • Population • Migration • Settlement patterns • Cultural geography in the 21st century • Continent spotlight (Political and Physical Cartography) • Model UN Global Challenge
Skills We Teach: Being open and responsive to new and diverse perspectives • Defining, prioritizing and completing tasks • Framing, analyzing and synthesizing information in order to solve problems and answer questions • Using digital technology, communication tools and/or networks appropriately to access, manage, integrate, evaluate, and create information • Assuming initiative and shared responsibility for collaborative work • Utilizing time efficiently and managing workload
How does studying Spanish help us better understand and communicate with others locally and globally? How do universal themes such as food, sports, health, and vacations in the Spanish-speaking world compare with our own personal and collective experiences in the United States?
Topics of Study:
Food and eating habits • Sports • Emotions and characteristics • Health and wellness • Vacations in the Spanish-speaking world
Students will be able to:
Compare and contrast eating habits in some Spanish-speaking countries with their own • Talk about sports • Discuss likes and dislikes • Talk and write about personality, conditions and emotions using the verbs ser and estar • Identify parts of the body and talk about minor illness and health • Talk and write about summer and winter vacations
Why is Latin relevant today? What connections can we make between ancient Greco-Roman civilization and the modern world?
Topics of Study: Word order and sentence patterns for more complex sentences • Expanding knowledge on the functions of nouns, verbs, and adjectives • Present infinitive active • Functions of pronouns • Imperfect and perfect tenses • Expressions of time • Use of prepositional phrases • Neuter nouns • English vocabulary derived from Latin • Contributions to Western civilization through investigation of ancient art and mythology • Art and geography of the ancient world • Historical understanding of the Roman Empire (specifically Roman Britain) and Daily life in Rome ca. AD 64
Skills We Teach: Comprehension of more complex Latin through practice in reading • Translating Latin to English and English to Latin • Memorization of vocabulary and recognition and production of derived English words • Making connections between Latin passages and cultural information sections • Comparing/contrasting diverse cultures and civilization contemporaneously and across the centuries
At Nashoba Brooks School, educational technology is meaningfully integrated into all content areas to enhance student learning.
Skills We Teach: Using G Suite for Education, computer software, and iPad applications across content areas to support learning • Managing a device • Problem Solving • Using Google Classroom • Developing independence with music production software • Incorporating advanced video editing techniques • Using various coding languages across disciplines • Collaborating digitally across platforms • Increasing understanding of netiquette and digital footprint • Considering the impact and appropriate use of social media
How do actors meld music and dance with dialogue in a play production format? How do theatre artists develop character, belonging, and community when working on a musical?
Topics of Study: Musical Theatre Performance
Skills We Teach: Reading a script • Auditioning • Character development • Memorizing lines • Taking direction • Developing self-confidence • Using one’s voice, body, and face effectively to portray characters • Moving to music • Singing in character • Collaborating toward a common goal • Sharing the stage with third grade students
What are stereotypes in our society, how are they perpetuated and how do they impact us? How can one critically analyze information surrounding them to form a personal value system? How can we connect with our community in a positive and constructive way?
Topics of Study:
Genders in Media • Social Media Literacy • Managing Academic Stress • Stereotypes of Poverty and Homelessness • Healthy Relationships • Human Sexuality
Topics of Study: The Grades 3 & 7 Musical • Dancing through the Decades • Popular music
Skills We Teach: Auditioning • Singing on stage • Developing confidence as performers • Taking risks • Collaborating with 3rd graders and peers • Learning to appreciate the complexities of diverse composition techniques • Composing movement to music • Composing harmonic and melodic ideas using popular music
How do I see the world — what is my point of view?
Topics of Study: Observational drawing • Point of view • Making and using a viewfinder • Learning to use a grid system to scale up artwork • Acrylic self-portrait painting • Altered books
Skills We Teach: Elements of art • Arranging compositions to show a point of view • Painting techniques • Observational drawing • Altered books • Grid and scale
Situated on a beautiful 30-acre campus in historic Concord, Massachusetts, Nashoba Brooks School enrolls all genders in Preschool through Grade 3, and students identifying as girls in Grades 4 through 8. Nashoba Brooks is an independent school designed to build community, character, and confidence in its students.