PEABODY PUBLIC SCHOOLS,  PEABODY, MASSACHUSETTS

 

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY CURRICULUM

 

GRADE 7,  2002

 

Prepared by:

   Nancy Robie

 

 

Administrator of Instruction:

   C. Milton Burnett, Ed.D.

 

 

PEABODY PUBLIC SCHOOLS

SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY CURRICULUM

GRADE 7

 

 

COURSE OVERVIEW

 

The grade seven Science program at the Higgins Middle School concentrates on the study of earth and physical sciences.  The topics are taught through the use of process and critical thinking skills within a hands-on, guided inquiry lab approach to covering the curriculum.

 

The text used is the Science Explorer modular series published by Prentice Hall.  At the seventh grade level there are four student version texts available for each student.

 

Inside Earth:                                                   Weather and Climate:

            1.  Plate Tectonics                                           1.  The Atmosphere

            2.  Earthquakes                                      2.  Weather Factors

            3.  Volcanoes                                          3.  Weather Patterns

            4.  Minerals                                                         4.  Climate and Climate Change

            5.  Rocks

                                                                        Motion, Forces and Energy:

Earth’s Changing Surface:                                              1.  Motion

            1.  Mapping Earth’s Surface                       2.  Forces

            2.  Weathering and Soil                                  3.  Forces in Fluids

                 Formation                                                      4.  Work and Machines

            3.  Erosion and Deposition                             5.  Energy and Power

            4.  A Trip Through Geologic Time               6.  Thermal Energy and Heat

 

The Prentice Hall Explorer series offers rich resources for everything from student self-assessment to teacher guided interdisciplinary explorations.

 

This curriculum guide is designed to be a common core of information and activities to be provided for all seventh grade students to experience while allowing time for individual teachers to have autonomy in their classrooms.

 

 

STATEMENT OF PURPOSE

 

The grade seven Science program incorporates a wide variety of teaching techniques.  Students work both independently and cooperatively to understand the concepts put forth in the Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks and to gain the skills to effectively communicate their understanding.  The science standards covered during grade seven are outlined below.  The Instructional Units section of this curriculum guide also references these standards.

·        Strand 1 – Earth and Space Science, Standards 1-7

 

·        Strand 2 – Life Science, Standards 11, 12, 17, 18

 

·        Strand 3 – Physical Science, Standards 1, 2, 11-16

 

INSTRUCTIONAL UNITS – GRADE 7	STRAND 1 EARTH AND SPACE SCIENCE	STRAND 2 LIFE SCIENCE	STRAND 3 PHYSICAL SCIENCE	STANDARD
Inside Earth
Chapter 1: Plate Tectonics
Section 1: Plate Tectonics
Section 2: Convection Currents in the Mantle
Section 5: The Theory of Plate Tectonics
Discover: How do Scientists Determine What’s Inside Earth?	2,3,5
Discover: How Can Heat Cause Motion in a Liquid?
Discover: How Well do the Continents Fit Together?
Sharpen Your Skills: Creating Data Tables
Sharpen Your Skills: Predicting
Exploring: Earth’s Interior
Exploring: Plate Tectonics
Skills Lab: Hot Plates
Teacher’s Edition:
Building Inquiry Skills: Comparing and Contrasting, p. F20
Demonstrations: pp. F21, F22
Building Inquiry Skills: Observing, p. F26
Demonstrations: p. F26
Demonstrations: p. F44
Interdisciplinary Activities: Language Arts, p. F19
Integrating Physics, p. F23
Inquiry Challenge: pp. F43, F44

 

 

 

INSTRUCTIONAL UNITS – GRADE 7	STRAND 1 EARTH AND SPACE SCIENCE	STRAND 2 LIFE SCIENCE	STRAND 3 PHYSICAL SCIENCE	STANDARD
Chapter 2: Earthquakes
Section 1: Earth’s Crust in Motion
Discover: How Does Stress Affect Earth’s Crust?	5
Sharpen Your Skills: Measuring
Try This: It’s a Stretch
Skills Lab: Modeling Movement Along Faults
Teacher’s Edition:
Inquiry Challenge: p. F60
Building Inquiry Skills: Applying concepts, p. 56
Building Inquiry Skills: Inferring, p. 57
Including All Students: p. F57
Real-Life Learning: p. F59
Chapter 3: Volcanoes
Section 1: Volcanoes and Plate Tectonics
Discover: Where are Volcanoes Found on Earth’s Surface	5
Try This: Hot Spot in a Box
Skills Lab: Mapping Earthquakes and Volcanoes

 

 

 

INSTRUCTIONAL UNITS – GRADE 7	STRAND 1 EARTH AND SPACE SCIENCE	STRAND 2 LIFE SCIENCE	STRAND 3 PHYSICAL SCIENCE	STANDARD
Teacher’s Edition:
Including all Students: p. F90
Motion, Forces and Energy
Chapter 1: Motion
Section 1: Describing and Measuring Motion
Section 3: Acceleration
Discover: How Fast and How Far?
Discover: Will You Hurry Up?			11,12
Try This: Sunrise, Sunset
Skills Lab: Inclined to Roll
Exploring: Motion Graphs
Interdisciplinary Activities: Math Toolbox, p. M19
Interdisciplinary Activities: Science and History, p. M22
Interdisciplinary Activities: Social Studies, p. M20
Teacher’s Edition:
Building Inquiry Skills: Applying Concepts, p. M17
Inquiry Challenge: pp. M21, M35