Teachers expect more than individual mastery of information. Seven Hills students work a great deal in teams, collaborating on experiments, investigations, and problem solving.
One highlight of the sixth grade’s Insect Day was students and parents working together on experiments with termites.
the tribe, determining the group’s current status and ultimately forming a hypothesis about what might happen to the tribe in the future. Students planned and carried out research using the extensive digital collections from the Library of Congress website as well as carefully selected information from additional web resources and collected print materials. With this work, students created extensive photo essays of their tribes for display in the Middle School. Seventh grade science students are studying the carbon cycle as part of their study of climate change. The students set up experiments in biochambers in which they monitored the carbon dioxide and oxygen levels as plants germinated, grew, died, and decayed. Before the experiment began, the students used their understanding of the carbon cycle, photosynthesis, and cellular respiration to predict in the form of graphs what the changes in the carbon dioxide and oxygen levels would be over time in the biochambers. Fifth graders did a hands-on inquiry into “how many kids fit into a one million centimeter cube?” They discovered the answer when they explored “how large is one million,” starting with a centimeter cube that represented one unit. As part of Unit I ’s study of Scientific Inquiry, students experimented to see what happens when a popcorn kernel is heated. The students created an hypothesis and recorded the results. Unit I students were also challenged to build a solid, sturdy, tall structure out of toothpicks and gumdrops that could withstand a “shake.” The Unit worked in teams and collaborated with each other to come up with the best design.
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Eighth grade science Team Survivor Challenges are creative ways to engage students in the exploration of different principles in chemistry and physics. Students work in pre-assigned teams to meet specific challenges, like using simple machines to keep a marble in motion for exactly 20 seconds. The purpose of each event is to challenge the students to be creative, apply scientific knowledge, and work as a group to solve problems. Team Survivor Challenges include Metric Mysteries, Forensic Fibers, White Powders, Egg Drop, Marble Motion Machines, and What Floats Your Boat. Fifth graders studied a new unit in math on Financial Literacy, simulating the stock market process. The 8-10 week unit included learning and applying decimal computation, group work researching stocks, investing in the stock market, calculating investor fees in transactions, and tracking investments. Physics students experimented with different vehicle designs, materials and weights in the annual Running of the Gravity Cars.