LANGUAGE ARTS

LANGUAGE ARTS - REGULAR

This course will cover the prescribed curriculum. Students will acquire a better understanding of the grammar and mechanics of the English language. The students will be able to express themselves in writing. The primary emphasis will be on paragraph and essay writing. Students will develop reading skills in the areas of comprehension, vocabulary, appreciation and recognition of the various types of literature. Students will have weekly vocabulary and spelling assignments.

LANGUAGE ARTS 7 - ENRICHED

This course will cover the prescribed 7th grade curriculum. Emphasis will be on interpretation rather than comprehension in literature. In writing, the emphasis will be on developing a five paragraph essay from a clear thesis statement. The students will be expected to show through their writing a knowledge and understanding of the rules of grammar.

LANGUAGE ARTS 7 - GIFTED

The students in this class must have qualifying scores on the identification matrix. The students will be expected to master the grammar curriculum. The students will write essays, book critiques, short stories, descriptive paragraphs, poems, letters and dialogue. They will be expected to read many and varied literary selections and to respond critically to them in group discussions, as well as in writing. Additionally, the students will be expected to master challenging vocabulary.

Students must qualify for the Anchorage School District gifted program in order to be considered for entrance into this class.

MATH

BASIC ESL MATH

This course is designed for ESL students who are not yet literate in the content areas of math and English; who are non-English-proficient or limited-English-proficient (NEP/LEP); and who need targeted assistance in accessing the content and language of mathematics curriculum. This course covers addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division of whole numbers, fractions and decimals; estimation, percents, solution of word problems, calculator applications and mathematics content vocabulary development. This course should not be taken by any ESL students who have successfully completed Pre-Algebra or Math 7 with a "C" or better (in US schools) or any higher math course.

MATH 7

This class is a continuation of sixth grade math with in-depth study of fractions, decimals, percent, and some basic geometry. The large majority of incoming seventh graders qualify for this class.

PRE-ALGEBRA

Students who have exceptional math ability and are self-motivated are placed in pre algebra class. This class prepares them to take algebra in the 8th grade. Entrance is based on academic achievement, teacher recommendations and a score of 90 percentile on standardized tests.

ALGEBRA

This course reviews and extends the use and understanding of the fundamental operations on real numbers as well as expressing quantitative statements in the language of algebra and solving simple equations and inequalities. The second semester covers factoring polynomials, the use of rational expressions in equations, coordinate graphing, irrational numbers, and the solution of simple quadratic equations. Student must have completed pre-algebra program with a grade of A or B.

SCIENCE

SCIENCE 7

This is an integrated thematic program in which the processes of scientific inquiry are infused throughout all science learning. Students explore areas of life, chemical, physical and earth science.

Basic Course Outline: Cells and Heredity
Chemical Building Blocks
Earth's Waters
From Bacteria to Plants
Environmental Science

SCIENCE 7 - GIFTED

In addition to the goals and objectives of Science 7, the Gifted students will be involved in accelerated studies. Although there will be an emphasis towards acceleration, there will also be enrichment that aims at a more intense study of a subject. It is to be noted that the program will always emphasize quality rather that quantity. Activities will include extensive technique development in scientific method, problem solving and laboratory situations. Writing in the science curriculum will be stressed and students will work in depth on experiments and projects of their own interests. This will include a yearly project in an area of science that they particularly enjoy. They will learn to use the library, write a paper, carry out a long-term experiment and give a presentation. Students must qualify for the Anchorage School District Gifted Program in order to be considered for entrance into this class.

SOCIAL STUDIES

SOCIAL STUDIES 7

This course concentrates on physical and political geography, introduces students to various cultures in the Eastern Hemisphere and focuses attention upon people and their relationship to their environment. Interrelationships and the interdependence of people in various physical settings are stressed. Second semester, nine to twelve weeks are devoted to Alaska history and geography. Suggested time lines allow some flexibility relative to the number of weeks allocated per unit. However, nine to twelve weeks will be devoted to the Alaska unit.

SPANISH IMMERSION

SPANISH IMMERSION SOCIAL STUDIES 7

This social studies course is for students who have participated in an elementary Spanish immersion program and desire to continue their Spanish language study in an immersion setting. Native speakers of Spanish are also encouraged to enroll in this course which will greatly enhance their own Spanish language reading, writing and speaking skills.

SPANISH LANGUAGE IMMERSION

This Spanish language course is for students who are in the Spanish immersion program or are native speakers of Spanish. Students will increase and refine their communication skills in Spanish through conversation, vocabulary building, grammar, composition, and appropriate Spanish literature. Thematic units of study integrating culture and the arts from various Spanish-speaking countries will supplement this rich language learning environment for students. This course takes the place of an elective.

SPECIAL EDUCATION

Federal law regarding the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA)
determines the qualifications for special education services. Elementary special education teachers meet with the students' parents and with the Romig Middle School special education staff to ensure appropriate class placement. Romig's regular education teams work well with special education teachers and students. We strive to put as many students as possible on regular education teams with special education support.

Romig Middle School special education classes offer a continuum of services depending on individual student needs. Classes offered in special education include: reading, language arts, math, science-social studies, study skills, affective-social skills and life skills.

ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE

BEGINNING E.S.L./ENGLISH

This is an intensive beginning English as a second language (E.S.L.) course designed for monolingual speakers of another language (i.e., students who speak little or no English). Course content includes instruction and activities in listening, speaking, reading and writing. Placement is by testing.

INTERMEDIATE E.S.L./ENGLISH

This is an intermediate English as a second language (E.S.L.) course designed for bilingual students who are predominately speakers of another language. Course content expands upon the content in Beginning E.S.L. including instruction and activities in listening, speaking, reading and writing with emphasis on oral and written comprehension and expression. Placement is by testing.

ADVANCED E.S.L./ENGLISH

This is an advanced English as a second language (E.S.L.) course designed for bilingual students who may appear fairly verbally fluent in English, but need strengthening in speaking, reading and writing skills. Placement is by testing.

TUTORIAL E.S.L./ENGLISH

This is an advanced English as a second language (E.S.L.) course designed for bilingual students who may appear fairly verbally fluent in English, but need strengthening in speaking, reading and writing skills. It continues to develop skills covered in Intermediate E.S.L. Placement is by testing

PHYSICAL EDUCATION

P.E. is a required course for all students. Students who have a physician-documented limitation may be excused from P.E. The activities offered at the seventh grade level are usually introductory and encourage lifelong skills. The program offers a wide variety of individual, dual, and team activities. The units most often included are basketball, volleyball, tumbling, dance, strength training, and aerobic fitness.

ART EXPLORATORY

Art Exploratory is primarily an introductory course utilizing the elements and principles of design as a point of departure for experimentation with a variety of media including pencil, paint, plaster, clay, drawing and sculpture. Passing this class is a requirement for Expanded Art. A supply fee is required.

BAND - INTERMEDIATE

Designed for students previously in beginning band who have a working knowledge of fundamentals of music theory including key signatures (scale study), counting, rhythms and knowledge of fingerings. The "Yamaha Band Student Book," parts 1, 2, and 3 is the basic method book. Dedicated effort (group and self discipline) is expected.

BAND - ADVANCED

The major performing group in middle school. All members are chosen by the band director on the basis of performance, experience, dedication (self discipline) and instrumentation. At least three performances plus participation in the music festival are expected. This is usually the largest band group.

BUSINESS EDUCATION AND MARKETING: COMPUTERS
Learning to live with technology is a part of this course, that provides hands-on exploratory experiences for students to better understand contemporary technology being used in the fields of business and marketing. Computers are used to introduce spreadsheets, database, graphics and much more.

CHORUS

This course is for students with little music experience. Fundamentals of choral music will be stressed, including note reading, part-singing, interpretation, individual and group response to direction and basics of vocal technique. There may be limited performance opportunities throughout the year.

DEVELOPMENTAL/READING

This class is designed for students reading below grade level. Placement is based on a CAT reading score at the 30th percentile or lower and teacher recommendation. Students who have difficulty doing work and completing it, who have trouble comrehending written materials, who need vocabulary enhancement, who have little tolerance for difficulties in the text and who are poor writers will benefit from this class and should be recommended for developmental reading.

DRAMA

This course emphasizes the many techniques that humans use to communicate and interact, from the very simple to the very complex. Students will also be studying drama and the discipline of acting. They are expected to actively participate in small and large group activities.

FAMILY AND CONSUMER SCIENCE

This semester course is designed to give students a conceptual view of family and personal relationships. Students will be learning by selecting the projects that most interest them using the newest computer software, equipment, and research materials. The following areas will be explored during classroom activities; children, foods, and nutrition, sewing and clothing care, careers, living environments, and personal finances.

FRENCH IA

Students are active participants in language learning experiences which assist in developing proficiency in listening comprehension, speaking, reading, and writing of French. Vocabulary is presented in thematic topics such as greetings, classroom, calendar, weather, alphabet, colors, numbers, telling time, sports, family, buildings, animals and professions. Units of study introduce the culture of France and other Francophone countries and integrate basic grammatical structures to support linguistic competency in both French as well as English. This course will help prepare students to live in our increasingly diverse world by developing an appreciation for cultural and linguistic differences. NOTE: Students who successfully complete French IA may choose to enroll in Middle School French IB or re-enroll in high school French I since French 1A is the equivalency of one high school semester.

JAPANESE LANGUAGE & CULTURE

Conversational language through fun activities, games, drama, songs, and poems. Students learn to speak about family, professions, hobbies, sports, musical instruments, food, home, school, city, transportation, colors, pets, shopping, and clothing. Students learn about Japanese culture through Japanese cartoons and movies for kids, guest speakers, and visitors from Japan. Students celebrate Japanese holidays in class. They will learn how to make (and eat) Japanese food.

KEYBOARDING

This course is highly useful for both personal and vocational needs. Students will work toward mastery of the keyboard by touch and be introduced to typing manuscripts, reports, business and personal letters, tabulation, centering, rough drafts and compositions.

MATH PROJECTS

This course provides math understanding, and enrichment through participation in activities that improve math skills and application. Students are engaged in various math projects, games, math application. The activities are developed to make students think and have fun doing math.

MATH SUPPORT

This course is designed to help students strengthen their basic skills in mathematics. Students needing intense remediation in the basic operations - adding, subtraction, multiplication, division, and fractions are encouraged to take this class. (Note: Students scoring 30 percentile or below on the California Achievement Test will be assigned this as an elective.)

ORCHESTRA

Usually for student beginning string instruments at the middle level; also for students who have had some experience and need introduction to ensemble playing and more individualized work in skills and note reading.

ORCHESTRA -CONCERT

Performance oriented. Designed for the student capable of playing competently in the upper positions, using vibrato and who has displayed understanding of ensemble playing (is attuned to balance, musical style, responsive to conducting, good intonation, etc.). Members are selected on the basis of performance, experience, dedication (self discipline) and instrumentation.

PEER MEDIATION

Student leaders are selected to be taught mediation skills. Once these skills have been learned, a sense of community achieved, and mediators have signed their own non-violence contracts; students may use the class period as a study hall if they are not mediating a problem.

*Class limit 20 - Students chosen on the basis of being natural leaders among peers, interest on their part, and willingness to sign behavior contract. (non-violence)

SCHOOL BUSINESS PARTNERSHIP

Students learn entrepreneurial skills to develop a successful business and school community partnership. The school business partnership class offers opportunities for career exploration, collaborative networking, mentorship connections as well as volunteer opportunities. Students are involved with business community and social issues and assume leadership roles which strengthen and enhance their success.

SCIENCE/ART

Students in this science and art class will explore the natural world doing activities that integrate art and science. The lessons engage students in the scientific process of observing, comparing and describing natural phenomena and in the artistic process of perceiving, creating and evaluating. This course connects the concepts of art and science in meaningful ways.

SCIENCE PROJECTS

In this elective students will generate projects of their own interest, then organize and carry out experiments to answer their questions. They will also read and discuss scientific and mathematical writings, which have had major impacts on the growth of scientific thought.

SCIENCE/ROCKETRY

This elective will teach students about aerodynamics, airplanes, and rockets. Students will build a glider, a rocket from scratch, and an Estes Model Rocket. At the same time students will be learning about stability, circuits, currents, the space program, laws of motion, orbits, trajectories, and altitude tracking.

SCIENCE OLYMPIAD

Science Olympiad is devoted to improving the quality of science education as well as increase student interest in science. The Science Olympiad class is designed to help students prepare for the Alaska State Science Olympiad competition. The tournament consists of rigorous academic interscholastic competitions. The competitions are similar to popular board games, sports competitions, and TV shows. All science disciplines are included in the competition. In the class, we will practice for as many of he events as possible before the competition.

SCIENCE BIOLOGY WILDLIFE

This elective covers topics that deal with wildlife populations and their interactions with the surrounding ecosystems. Concepts such as adaptation, habits, biomes, predator-prey, and population fluctuations will be addressed.

SPANISH IA

This full-year course is an intensive introduction to the Spanish language using the Total Immersion method. This results in the accelerated development of comprehension skills. The teacher speaks no English during class. Students will learn to listen, to understand, to speak, to read, to write, and to sing in Spanish. Cultural customs and traditions of Spanish-speaking countries will be introduced. Students will have opportunities to create projects, to view Spanish films and videos, to use Spanish computer programs, and to participate in enrichment activities. Students are expected to be self-motivated, self-disciplined, and to actively participate in all activities with minimal usage of English. This is part- one of a two-year sequence. Students who successfully complete Spanish IA in the 7th grade will be eligible for Spanish IB in the 8th grade.

WORLD CULTURES

This courses uses the REACH (Respecting Ethnic and Cultural Heritage) Progam. The lessons and activities prepare the students to live effectively and positively within a culturally diverse world.

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Typical Seventh Grade Schedule

Language Arts
Math Team Classes
Social Studies
Science
Physical Education
Elective
Elective