7th Grade Course Descriptions 2021-2022

Sun Prairie Middle Schools Patrick Marsh & Prairie View TH

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GRADE

COURSE DESCRIPTION CATALOG 2021-2022 Annual Notices includes Policy JB

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NOTICE OF NONDISCRIMINATION POLICY Sun Prairie Area School District No student may be unlawfully discriminated against in any school programs, activities or in facilities usage because of the student’s sex (gender identity, gender expression and non-conformity to gender role stereotypes), color, religion, profession or demonstration of belief or non-belief, race, national origin (including limited English proficiency), ancestry, creed, pregnancy, marital or parental status, homelessness status, sexual orientation, age, or physical, mental, emotional or learning disability. Harassment is a form of discrimination and shall not be tolerated in the district. It is the responsibility of administrators, staff members and all students to ensure that student discrimination or harassment does not occur. This policy does not prohibit the provision of special programs or services to students based on objective standards of individual need or performance.

Homeless children, unaccompanied homeless youth (youth not in the physical custody of a parent or guardian) and youth residing in the District shall be provided with equal access to the District’s educational programs, have an opportunity to meet the same challenging State of Wisconsin and Sun Prairie Area School District academic standards and shall not be segregated on the basis of their status as homeless. The District shall establish safeguards that protect homeless students from discrimination based on their homelessness.

Students who have been identified or regarded as having a disability under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the American with Disabilities Act (ADA) or the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA), shall be provided reasonable accommodations in educational services or programs or facilities. When program or classroom modifications are necessary in order to provide a disabled student with equal opportunity, they will be made as required by law. Facilities modifications necessary to provide for appropriate access and participation for persons with disabilities shall be made to the extent required by law.

The district also shall provide for the reasonable accommodation of a student’s sincerely held religious beliefs in accordance with established Board policies. Any modifications or accommodations granted under this policy shall be provided to students without prejudicial effect. School Board Policy: IND, Accommodating a Student’s Beliefs.

It is the intent of the Sun Prairie Area School District to comply with both the letter and spirit of the law in making certain discrimination does not exist in its policies, regulations and operations. Grievance procedures have been established for students, their parents, and employees who feel discrimination has been shown by the Sun Prairie Area School District.

Specific complaints of alleged discrimination including those under Title IX, Section 504, the Americans with Disabilities Act or the Wisconsin Pupil Nondiscrimination Law (Wis. Stat. 118.13) should be referred to: the Sun Prairie Area School District Office, Attention: Assistant Superintendent of Operations (Title IX Coordinator), at 501 S. Bird Street, Sun Prairie, WI 53590. This individual may also be reached by calling 608-834-6500.

If a student or parent/guardian would prefer to have this information translated into Spanish, please contact us at 608-834-6620. Si un estudiante, padre ó guardian prefiere tener esta información traducida en Español, por favor contactenos en el 608-834-6620.

If a student or parent/guardian would prefer to have this information translated into Hmong, please contact us at 608-834-6630. Yog tus me nyuam lub xiv los yog niam thiab txiv/tus neeg muaj cai saib xyuas tus me nyuam xav tau qhov ntawv ntawm no ua lus Hmoob, thov hais rau peb paub rau ntawm 608-834-6630.

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SUN PRAIRIE AREA SCHOOL DISTRICT CITIZENSHIP Purpose Statement Regarding Citizenship: The majority of skills our students learn are not academic. The Sun Prairie Area School District highly values the importance of personal responsibility, work habits and productivity, collaboration, and personal integrity. We track student progress of these components because they are necessary for the long term success of our students and their ability to become productive citizens.

Sun Prairie School District Citizenship Rubric Rubric Components

Component Descriptions M--Consistently Meets Expectations

S--Sometimes Meets Expectations

R--Rarely Meets Expectations

Personal Responsibility How a student prepares to be a productive member of class

Punctuality – 0 or 1 unexcused tardies and/or absences Classroom Materials – Consistently prepared for class.

Punctuality – 2 or 3 unexcused tardies and/or absences Classroom Materials – Sometimes prepared for class.

Occasionally needs to go get supplies or borrows from others.

Punctuality – 4 or more unexcused tardies and/or absences Classroom Materials Rarely prepared for class.

Regularly borrows materials or goes to locker.

Work Habits and Productivity What work a student produces for a class and how it is produced

Work Completion Consistently completes and hands in work on time.

Promptly arranges for and completes work after an absence.

Work Ethic – Consistently puts forth best effort: Self advocacy: seeks assistance, asks questions when needed.

Engagement - Consistently engages in classroom activities; demonstrates interest and curiosity in learning. Uses electronic devices appropriately.

Work Completion - Sometimes completes and hands in work on time. Needs a reminder to arrange for and complete work after an absence.

Work Ethic – Sometimes puts forth good effort: does not always seek assistance or ask questions.

Engagement – Sometimes stays on task and follows directions. Needs few reminders to stay on task. Electronic devices occasionally a distraction.

Work Completion – Rarely completes and hands work in on time. Missing work. Does not meet deadlines.

Work Ethic – Rarely puts forth good effort. Student work is inconsistent.

Attempts/Turns in work.

Engagement – Rarely focuses on classwork and needs regular reminders to attend to the classroom tasks. Electronic devices regularly a distraction.

Collaboration and Personal Integrity How a student works with others in the classroom and interacts within the classroom environment.

Teamwork – Consistently provides, values, and listens to ideas while encouraging all team members.

Interaction - Consistently communicates with students and staff appropriately; respects the physical environment.

Safety – Consistently follows classroom safety expectations and guidelines.

Teamwork – Sometimes provides, values, and listens to ideas while encouraging all team members.

Interaction - Sometimes communicates with students and staff appropriately; respects the physical environment.

Safety – Sometimes follows classroom safety expectations and guidelines. Immediately corrects behavior when reminded.

Teamwork –Rarely provides, values, and listens to ideas while encouraging all team members.

Interaction - Rarely communicates with students and staff appropriately and to respect the physical environment.

Safety – Regularly needs to be reminded to follow rules, has difficulty following expectations and guidelines.

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SUN PRAIRIE AREA SCHOOL DISTRICT’S STANDARDS-BASED RUBRIC The information below serves as a FRAMEWORK to provide detail about how elementary and middle school scores relate to each student’s current level of achievement.

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3

2

1

0

Extended Mastery of Standards

Mastering Standards

Approaching Standards

Limited Understanding of Standards

No Evidence

Student needs improvement to meet proficiency:

Student:

Student consistently exceeds proficiency. ➢ Demonstrates a deeper understanding of the standards ➢ Evidence of learning extends to higher-level thinking strategies or creative connectedness ➢ Evidence of learning exceeds gradelevel expectations

Student consistently meets proficiency: ➢ Demonstrates understanding of the standards ➢ Evidence of learning contains few or minor errors ➢ Evidence of learning meets gradelevel expectations

Student is approaching proficiency: ➢ Demonstrates basic understanding of the standards with gaps and errors ➢ Evidence of learning is inconsistent or incomplete ➢ Evidence of learning is below gradelevel expectations

➢ Evidence of learning is significantly below gradelevel expectations

➢ No Evidence to assess

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CORE CLASSES – SEVENTH GRADE

Registration: 7th grade students will automatically be scheduled for the required courses.

LITERACY 7 Course Length: Year Our blocked literacy program emphasizes readers and writers workshop specifically using the Columbia University Teachers College Project’s Units of Study for Reading and Writing. The goal of this class is to teach students skills and strategies that apply and relate to content area classes as well as to encourage students to read and communicate widely on their own. Throughout the course, students will move through units of study including argument, information, poetry, and narrative writing and reading.

Along with stressing the importance of writing in many different styles, the class will focus on grammar usage, conventions, and spelling. Students will see a variety of techniques used to teach these foundations of language ranging from notes and activities to individualized conferencing and goal setting within their own writing. Students will then use their language and writing skills learned to write across the curriculum.

Students will also engage in a multitude of texts from various genres. Student work will focus on increasing the volume and stamina of texts at an independent level. Students will be given time each day to engage in reading self-selected books in order to provide practice in reading and to promote reading as a lifelong activity. Students will engage in individualized and small group conferences in order to improve their reading abilities.

MATH 7 Course Length: Year Math is offered with the needs of every pupil in mind. Mathematics is concerned with numbers, with ways of representing them, and with ways of operating upon them. Our system for using numbers is a decimal system where each number has both digital and positional value. The ways of thinking with numbers reflect the law of the operations we perform. The major reasons for studying mathematics include: 1. To guide pupils in discovering the meaning, order, and logic of our decimal number system.

2. To build a clear understanding of the operations.

3. To develop problem solving ability.

4. To develop skills for effective mental and written computations.

5. To encourage the growth of desirable attitudes and work habits in mathematics.

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SCIENCE 7 Course Length: Year Science students learn that science is everywhere. Through investigation, questioning, and reasoning, students gain new knowledge in the units of Ecosystems and their Interactions, Structure and Function, and Genes and Molecular Machines.

Technology is also used throughout the year to enhance student learning and create a scientific mind. Students share their ideas within labs and use that information to understand how it affects their daily lives. As scientists, students will face complex questions requiring scientific thinking, reasoning, and the ability to make informed decisions. Scientific and engineering knowledge prepares students for the future and helps them acquire the skills they need to understand their world.

SOCIAL STUDIES 7 Course Length: Year The rights and responsibilities of American citizens is the foundation of 7th grade Social Studies.

Important historical events and documents such as The Declaration of Independence, The Revolutionary War, The Constitution, Westward Expansion and events that led to the Civil War are examined. The correlation between these events and our modern government will also be studied.

Geography, economics, citizenship, and Civil Rights are other important themes that will be covered during the year. The three branches of our national government and how they impact the daily lives of Americans will be examined along with a focus on the election processes that is involved in all levels of government. Current events and how they affect the world we live in will also be studied.

PHYSICAL EDUCATION 7

Course Length: Year (Every other day) Field Trip Fee: $5.00 The seventh grade physical education program is designed to meet the needs of physical fitness and motor skills of this age level and to help students acquire knowledge of physical activity and its components. The activities are also planned to complement the physical, emotional, and social growth of each individual.

The seventh grade activities include: soccer, track & field, physical fitness, racquet sports, social dance, basketball, lacrosse, in-line skating, volleyball, badminton, cross-country skiing, biking, ice skating, and ropes courses.

Students will be required to have physical education clothes to participate in activity, preferably shorts and a T-shirt. Sweatpants and sweatshirts are acceptable.

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ELECTIVE CLASSES – SEVENTH GRADE

Each seventh grade student will be required to take elective classes. (Students assigned to intervention classes may have fewer electives.)

ART DISCOVERY

Course Length: 1 Semester Course Fee: $10.00 Students will continue to develop their skills as an artist through the exploration of a variety of TwoDimensional and Three-Dimensional art. Materials may include, but not limited to: graphite, colored pencil, ink, oil/chalk pastels, paints (watercolor and acrylic), clay, paper mache, college, and fiber. Art students will be tasked with creating original content in tandem with the utilization of references and research techniques explored in the course. Art history and various forms of critique are integrated into instruction as a framework of the curriculum. Projects across 7th grade art courses will see differentiation from semester to semester within content, though the same materials from course to course may be explored. The individual courses do not have prerequisites.

ART ADVENTURES

Course Length: 1 Semester Course Fee: $10.00 Art students will focus on further developing art skills, vocabulary, creativity, and concepts of design.

Two-Dimensional lessons may include painting (watercolor and acrylic), collage, drawing, and printmaking. Three-Dimensional projects may include ceramics and other sculptural media experiences. Art history, art appreciation, and art criticism are integrated into the lessons as a framework of the curriculum. Projects across 7th grade art courses will see differentiation from semester to semester within content, though the same materials from course to course may be explored. The individual courses do not have prerequisites.

FITNESS AND WELLNESS 7 Course Length: 1 Semester This class is designed to provide students with an opportunity to learn and participate in movementbased activities as well as creating a personal fitness plan. Activities may include aerobics, dance, yoga, water exercise/aerobics, weight training, relaxation, pilates, power walking, nutrition, stability ball, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, biking, fitness-related activities, as well as self-defense concepts and skills. Information will be provided on self-esteem and body image by using the Internet, as well as using guest speakers to discuss these topics. These activities are designed to provide motivation to develop and maintain a healthy, active lifestyle. It is our hope to continue a partnership with the local health clubs and other health-related organizations within our community in order to support our students and their families.

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AND COMPUTERS 7 Course Length: 1 Semester Students will use a computer and other hardware (cameras, camcorders, production equipment), software, and the Internet to organize and create information. We will also access and share information from a variety of print, non-print, and electronic formats with an emphasis on appreciation and creative expression of literature and information. Students will demonstrate skills and concepts learned through a variety of projects and activities. Digital citizenship will also be discussed.

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SPANISH 7 Course Length: 1 Semester Introduction to Spanish is a course designed to provide an exploratory experience for students with concepts of the language. Topics that will be studied include geography, currency, food, holidays, music, art, biographies, and travel. This course will introduce students to a World Language experience that will prepare them to be successful in any World Language they choose to study. All 7th graders are welcome to sign up!

TECHNOLOGY IN ACTION 7

Course Length: 1 Semester Course Fee: $20.00 Technology in Action employs concepts of designing, manufacturing, problem solving, and risk management. The knowledge gained from this class will help the student with future career planning.

Using “hands-on� learning, the students design and construct many different projects. A few of the projects that the students will create include the following: Cribbage Board, CO2 Dragster, H20 Rocket, Name Block, Cantilever, and Solar Car. TECHNOLOGY IN OUR WORLD 7

Course Length: 1 Semester Course Fee: $20.00 Technology in Our World incorporates technology and engineering into the areas of alternative energies, design, modeling, and robotics. Going into each area, the students will learn how systems, human ingenuity, and the impact of technologies are incorporated into each. The students will develop and test projects that will show them how each of these concepts are interrelated. A few of the projects include the following: Balloon Buggy, 3-D Tic Tac Toe, Ping Pong Collector, Solid Fuel Rocket, Mag-Lev Vehicle, Wind Powered Buggy, and Model Shed.

TEENS IN ACTION 7

Course Length: 1 Semester Course Fee: $20.00 Have you ever wanted to get involved in a worthy cause? Do you want to make a difference in the lives of others? If so, this class is for you! Being a member of this class will allow you to practice food-lab skills, exciting sewing techniques and teamwork/cooperation skills while helping others.

Typical projects may include AIDS baby blankets, holiday reach-out recycled jean stockings and getting to know the elderly through a nursing home visit. Teens in Action is a semester elective that is designed to help you learn to reach out to our Sun Prairie community!

TEENS IN CHARGE 7

Course Length: 1 Semester Course Fee: $20.00 Take charge by getting organized in the kitchen. Learn to safely prepare delicious and healthy foods for you and your family to enjoy. Take charge by organizing your personal space. Learn efficient room arrangements and sew projects that show your personal style. Take charge by learning the skills for keeping relationships healthy. Make new friends and keep the old!

BAND 7 Course Length: Year Seventh Grade Band is a chance for students to build upon the skills that they started in sixth grade and to use these skills to learn more complex and interesting music. Students also have many more opportunities to participate in fun and exciting performances throughout the school year with their new set of abilities on their instrument. Seventh grade band meets every day and students also 8

receive one small-group lesson per week to work on the specific skills that they need to be successful on their unique instrument.

Students signing up for the first time in seventh grade will receive additional instruction on an individual basis in order to learn the fundamental music skills needed to be a part of the ensemble.

Once they have achieved a comfortable level, they will join the full band for rehearsals.

Performances include four concerts throughout the year, school assemblies, a band festival in February, Band-O-Rama in April, an elementary school tour, the Memorial Day Parade in May. Specific dates for these events will be available at registration. Other optional fun performances include seventh grade Jazz Band, Sun Prairie Middle Level Honors Band, special holiday ensembles, high school basketball pep band night, District Solo & Ensemble Festival, and band camps.

Attendance and participation in all concerts, lessons, and rehearsals is mandatory.

BAND FEE: Students who elect to rent a school-owned instrument, and all percussionists, will be assessed a fee of $25.00 per semester. Additionally, students may need to purchase a dress uniform shirt to wear as their concert uniform at the start of the school year. This cost is estimated at $18.50.

CHORUS 7 Course Length: Year Seventh grade chorus meets daily and continues to build upon the concepts of sixth grade chorus. It strives to provide students with the opportunity to learn and develop their individual musical skills as well as ensemble skills. Students will engage in the curriculum goals of healthy tone production, relaxed breathing, reading rhythmic notation and solfège, ear-training, and overall musical knowledge. These concepts are reinforced through singing a variety of music in several concerts throughout the year. Individual progress for chorus students will be enhanced through several small group lessons each quarter and the use of our special facilities (computer lab, recording studio, keyboards, and practice rooms).

Attendance and participation in all concerts, lessons, and rehearsals is mandatory. Extra-curricular activities include the district solo/ensemble festival and special ensembles for singers and choir chimes.

CHORUS FEE: In Choir, we pride ourselves in looking our best so we can perform our best. The choir uniform consists of black pants and black shoes (provided by the student) and a red choir polo which is purchased through the school. The $12.00 helps to cover the cost of the choir polo. This cost is subject to change. Already have a choir polo and wondering why you are charged the same amount?

That money is applied to a secondary t-shirt we purchase in the spring for the annual Sing Out Retreat.

ORCHESTRA 7 Course Length: Year Orchestra is offered for seventh grade students who play the violin, viola, cello, or bass. Orchestra meets every day and students also participate in small group lesson instruction. The course refines previously learned skills, introduces new technical skills, and continues to incorporate music theory and music history. Students are required to practice. All students must rent or provide an instrument and purchase the required method book. Students perform a variety of music representing various 9

musical styles including classical, pop jazz, and folk/fiddle tunes. There are several formal concerts during the year, and students may also participate in the Wisconsin School Music Association Solo and Ensemble Festival. The orchestra also performs at community functions upon request. Students with no previous experience playing a string instrument must have permission from the instructor to register for this class.

ORCHESTRA FEE: A $50.00 per year fee is charged for students using a school owned instrument as their only instrument. A $25.00 per year fee is charged if the instrument is only used at school.

Additionally, students may need to purchase a concert shirt to wear as their concert uniform at the start of the school year. This cost is estimated at $12.00.

RESOURCE 7 Resource classes are offered on days opposite of a student’s Physical Education class. Students will use this time to finish classwork, complete assignment notebooks, make up tests or quizzes, communicate with teachers and read.

INTERVENTION CLASSES*: Middle school offers a wide range of regular education and special education intervention classes for students who need additional instruction in subjects such as literacy, math, and organizational skills.

Students are referred to these classes through an SST (Student Support Team) or through the IEP (Special Education) process if a student qualifies for special education services. Decisions are based on present level of academic progress and functioning according to classroom-based observations and assessments, as well as standardized assessment scores. The intervention classes change from year-to-year based on needs and availability. *A staff member will contact you if an intervention is scheduled.

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WHERE TO GO FOR HELP STUDENT SERVICES TEAM School Counselor – The School Counselor provides assistance in all school-related activities and helps students build their academic, personal/social, and career readiness skills. The counselor may help students with scheduling, concerns arising from a class, emotional and social growth, conflict resolution with peers or staff, and academic and career planning (ACP).

School Psychologist – School psychologists are uniquely qualified members of school teams that support students' ability to learn and teachers' ability to teach. They apply expertise in mental health, learning, and behavior, to help children and youth succeed academically, socially, behaviorally, and emotionally. School psychologists partner with families, teachers, school administrators, and other professionals to create safe, healthy, and supportive learning environments that strengthen connections between home, school, and the community.

School Social Worker – The school social worker consults with teachers and parents on student issues related to academic, social, emotional, behavioral or mental health. The school social worker also acts as a liaison between home, school and community services.

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