Grade 7

Summary of course content and activities:

Language Arts 7 includes four units with vocabulary, creative writing, and grammar activities throughout. The four units are the following:

• Short stories: Suspense writing
• Novel Study:  Carry On Mr. Bowditch
• Poetry
• Novel Study:  The Diary of Anne Frank

Philosophy statement for and/or behind teaching this course:

As students develop in their understanding of Language, it is important to provide them with a broad range of language experiences so that they may become better communicators.  Language Arts 7 seeks to provide this experience through a variety of learning activities, as well as through the short stories, novel studies, and poetry that will be studied.

Pre-requisite(s):

The pre-requisite course to Language Arts 7 is Language Arts 6 or equivalent

Materials and resources provided by NSA, purchased by student, and/or recommended:

Provided by NSA:

• Language Arts 7 Online lesson and assignment documents
• LITERATURE: Timeless Voices, Timeless Themes, silver level
• Carry On Mr. Bowditch
• The Diary of Anne Frank

Purchased by student:

• Language Power workbook, Level E (provided by NSA, invoiced to families for workbook cost).

Forecasted amount of time required to complete each week's lesson:

Students should spend a minimum of five hours a week on this class.

Description of student evaluations, quizzes, and tests:

Students will be evaluated on specified assignments provided in the lessons. These include projects, creative writing, grammar exercises, group discussion involvement etc. These will be submitted to the teacher for marking. Closed book tests are given at the end of each unit. There is no final cumulative exam for this course. There is a unit exam at the end of the year.

Summary of Course Content and Activities

The content of Math 7 is organized around 8 major units

• Integers
• Fractions, Decimals and Percents
• Operations with Fractions
• Data Analysis & Probability
• Patterns and Relations
• Equations
• Measurement
• Geometry & Transformations

Philosophy statement for teaching this course

The new math courses in Alberta have been developed to give students time to understand the big ideas of math, and not simply memorize formulas and algorithms. This is a challenge in an online environment, but concepts are presented as much as possible in a way that encourages students to think through the ideas themselves. Manipulatives are used where available and appropriate, and technology is integral in many lessons.

Prerequisites

A strong background in Math 6 or equivalent is recommended

Materials and Resources

Provided by NSA

• eText and Videos covering all lesson concepts

Purchased by Students

• A scientific calculator -  but it does NOT need to be a fancy one.
• Students will need a scanner for submitting work. (can be done with a cell phone
  app)

Forecasted amount of time required to complete each week's lesson

The course is organized around 36 weeks.
Each week covers some course content, and then provides lots of time to work on practice problems. Each week students write a test.
This would take ROUGHLY 4 - 6 hours a week, depending on the student.

Description of student evaluations, quizzes and tests.

Assignments 70%
Chapter Tests 20%
Final Exam 10%

Summary of course content and activities:

Science 7 includes five units with hands on activities.

1. Interactions and Ecosystems is an introductory study of life. Students are introduced to the concept that all living things share basic commonalities.
2. Plants for Food and Fibre investigates features, and structures of plants and their functions and uses.
3. Heat and Temperature discusses the differences between heat and temperature, and looks at devices that create and measure heat and temperature.
4. Structures and Forces focuses on the study structures and the forces that act on them. Students look at functions and materials used as well as specific designs and their effectiveness.
5. Planet Earth examines processes that create the formations of the Earth's crust. The unit includes studies of rocks and minerals, erosion, plate tectonics, earthquakes, volcanoes, mountains, and fossils.

Philosophy statement for teaching this course:

It is important for students to learn about and develop an appreciation for the world that God has created. This encourages students to become good stewards of natural resources and provides them with an understanding of God's awesome design in the world. To accommodate a variety of learning styles, a variety of activities are provided, including opportunities for students to do hands-on activities and experiments.

Pre-requisite(s):

Science 6

Materials and resources provided by NSA, purchased by student, and/or recommended:

Provided by NSA:

• Science Focus 7 textbook

Purchased by student:

• A variety of household materials such as salt, sugar, food coloring, etc., seeds, soil, sand

Forecasted amount of time required to complete each week's lesson:

Students should spend a minimum of 3 hrs per week on Science lessons and activities.

Description of student evaluations, quizzes, and tests:

Students are required to submit a variety of assignments for marking. These include research projects, experiment write-ups, crossword puzzles, unit tests, etc.

Labs and Written Assignments: 30%
Tests: 30%
Group Discussions: 10%
Everyday Practice: 30%

Summary of course content and activities:

Grade 7 provides a comprehensive examination of Canadian history preceding and following Confederation. The concept of intercultural contact is introduced through an examination of migration and immigration.

Philosophy statement for and/or behind teaching this course:

Canada has a strong Christian history that we will explore as we learned about how Canada became Canada.

Major course goals:

The two main goals of this class are to learn about the important people, places, and events in Canada’s history before and after confederation.

Pre-requisite(s):

none.

Materials and resources provided by NSA, purchased by student, and/or recommended:

Provided by NSA:

• Our Canada textbook.

Forecasted amount of time required to complete each week's lesson:

Students should spend a minimum of six hours a week on this class.

Description of student evaluations, quizzes, and tests:

• Assignments – 70%
• Quizzes/ tests – 30%

Summary of course content and activities:

Bible 7 is a yearlong course on the book of Judges. In addition to the twelve military leaders of Israel, students study the lives of Ruth, Eli, and Samuel presented during this period of Biblical history. Leadership principles are woven into each lesson as students study both the positive and negative qualities of each individual.

The student text (Daring Deliverers: ACSI) is a complement to the direct study of the Bible passages referenced. As students participate in this study, they will engage in a variety of learning activities including group discussions, individual projects and activities, and personal Bible study. Regular times throughout the year will be provided for review and evaluation.

Philosophy statement for and/or behind teaching this course:

The course is designed for students to come to understand the condition of humankind and the mercy of God with new clarity and depth.

Pre-requisite(s):

No formal pre-requisites. Students should come with a desire to learn from God's Word.

Materials and resources provided by NSA, purchased by student, and/or recommended:

NO MATERIALS PROVIDED BY NSA

Recommended but not required:

• The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens, Sean Covey. Excerpts from this book will be used throughout the course. Students may wish to read the entire book after seeing some of the excerpts in the lessons

Forecasted amount of time required to complete each week's lesson:

Three to four hours per week are required. This includes reading the lessons and completing the assignments.

Description of student evaluations, quizzes, and tests:

Students will have occasional quizzes and tests that will count approximately 30% of the final grade. Written assignments, projects, and group discussion activities will count for the remaining 70%.

Summary of Course Content and Activities

Through participation in this course students will:

• acquire a variety of skills related to both movement and physical activity.
• begin to understand and appreciate the health benefits of living an active lifestyle as they both experience and participate in physical activity.
• learn the importance of interacting positively with others, both in the context of teamwork and sportsmanship.
• assume responsibility for leading a healthy, active lifestyle.

Philosophy statement for teaching this course

'And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.' Luke 2:52 It is important as we learn and grow that we not only develop our understanding of God and the world He created, but also our physical stature and social skills. The aim of this physical education program is to enable individuals to develop the knowledge, skills, and attitudes necessary to lead an active, healthy lifestyle.

Prerequisites

Students taking PE 7 are presumed to have reached the acceptable standard or better in PE 6. Students taking PE 8 are presumed to have reached the acceptable standard or better in PE 7.

Materials and Resources

Purchased by Students

• Microsoft Office 2016 especially Word and Excel
• Bible

Forecasted amount of time required to complete each week's lesson

Students can expect to complete the course in about 3 hours per week over thirty-six weeks.

Description of student evaluations, quizzes, and tests.

There are three major grading periods. 70 hours of physical activity are required for the successful completion of this course.
The final mark at the end of the year is based on the following:

1. PE log - 60%
2. Assignments - 40%

INTRO TO CODING (GR. 7-9)

Summary of course content and activities:

In Intro to Coding, students will explore block-based programming code as well as program with Scratch.  We may also explore Python. Coding allows students to use their creativity and problem-solving skills. Students will program a virtual Ferris Wheel or program a virtual robot. This class will take 2-3 hours a week and has 12 lessons. No coding experience is needed but this class is also good for those with some previous coding experience. 

LEARNING WITH MINECRAFT (GR. 7-9)

Summary of course content and activities:

Learning with Minecraft is a 12 lesson option course that will take a minimum of 2 hours per week. Students who enjoy playing the game will want to spend more time building, however! Students will use Minecraft to recreate scenes from poetry or books, create models in Minecraft to represent actual buildings like the Eiffel Tower, they will also learn to take screenshots and screen videos. One of the assignments is showing the parents the Minecraft world they create and explaining why Minecraft is a great way to learn. There are more challenges that students will have and badges that they can earn.
 

TECH TOOLS (GR. 7-9)

Summary of course content and activities:

10+ Apps Every Student Needs will cover the following:

• Digital Citizenship: Appropriately using digital technology like cell phones, computers, and websites.
• Word Clouds: A great tool to summarize information or pick out important ideas.
• Screen Captures: How to use screen capture software on your computer.
• Online tools for bibliography creation.
• Google slide.
• Web page design (2 weeks).
• Meme-making: So much fun!
• Making comic strips.
• Making timelines.
• Study tools: Things like how to build a jeopardy game.
• Piktochart: Infographics, reports, and presentations.

This is a 12-week course and will require about 2-3 hours per week.

Summary of course content and activities:

In this Foods course, students will explore basic food and kitchen safety, Canada's Food Guide, making nutritious snacks, planning meals and cooking basic meals. Students will learn some baking skills and develop a heritage food meal. They will be expected to complete several assignments and assessments as well as two projects.  No previous cooking or baking skills are required.

Summary of course content and activities:

In Music, students will start with setting a baseline of musical ability.  During the semester, they will be completing practice logs and sending in video performances. They will also learn to complete musical critiques and do some research on a musical instrument and career.  They will be submitting samples of their theory learning and evidence of music appreciation.  In order to be successful in this course, students should already be or plan to be involved in some type of regular music lessons. 

Summary of course content and activities:

In Outdoor Education, students will explore outdoor safety, proper outdoor clothing,  fire building and safety, bear safety, shelter building, identifying animal tracks, ORV safety and environmental stewardship. They will be required to do some research and create some projects.  They will also need to have opportunities to try new outdoor activities and plan and execute a day trip such as a hike or canoe trip.  No previous outdoor experience is required.