Grade 7 Curriculum


MATHEMATICS
The middle school math program is designed to:
1. Have students strive to be honest, responsible and self-confident; develop good study habits; put forth their maximum effort; develop a sense of humor and recognize their strengths;
2. Develop the students' awareness of the value of math in our society and its place as a science;
3. Have all students reach a level of proficiency with math that will enable them to apply what they know in every day life;
4. Have most students reach an additional understanding of theoretical math and an appreciation of the logical and orderly development of math concepts; have most students increase their future success in algebra and geometry;
5. Strengthen the students' ability to read in the content area and to question, reason and attack new problems;
6. Promote the integration of mathematics with other disciplines in the curriculum;
7. Promote the integration of mathematics with available technology
8. Promote communication of mathematical ideas in a variety of forms.

During a typical math class, a lesson is presented and an assignment is usually given. This assignment is corrected and discussed in the next class period. Friday assignments are kept at a minimum. No parent should have to introduce new material to a student. Math League is an activity open to any interested student in sixth, seventh and eighth grade. It competes five times a year. In our subdivision, our students compete with teams from surrounding towns. The Carlisle Team has consistently placed in the top half of the Eastern Massachusetts Math League. Participation in Math League promotes accuracy, sharpens reasoning, builds confidence and poise, and provides experience for future testing and competition.

CONTENT
Concepts
In the seventh grade program, topics are introduced through everyday applications and are taught within the context of problem solving. The students will continue to study numbers and numeration system, computing and problem solving, properties, geometry, graphs, integers, number theory, fractions, decimals, ratios, proportions and percents, metric systems, probability, statistics. New concepts will be introduced including irrational numbers and the real number system, sequences, square roots, absolute value, exponents and scientific notation, pyramids, prisms, cones, cylinders and spheres, and elementary algebra.

Problem Solving
Sequential problem solving strategies and approaches are integrated into the mathematics curriculum, with specific objectives at each grade level. In middle school, the following problem solving steps will be consistently applied:
1. Understand the Problem
2. Devise a Plan of Action
3. Carry Out the Plan
4. Look Back and Validate

For Grade 7, the problem solving steps above will be taught using the following problem solving strategies:
Make the Problem Simpler
Read and Restate the Question
Eliminate Unnecessary Information
Find the Needed Information
Find and Solve Sub-Problems
List Information in a Sequential List
Make a Data Table
Draw a Diagram Representation
Write an Equation
Work Backwards
Estimate the Solution
Select the Appropriate Operation
Engage in Cooperative Problem Solving

MATERIALS
The Problem Solver, Creative Publications
Daily Tune Ups (DTU)
Selected Continental Math League (CML) problems
Fascinating Fibonacci

Textbook:
Gateways to Algebra and Geometry, McDougall, Littell