SeventhGradeMath/Science

20132014Syllabus
The scientist is not a person who gives the right answers, he's one who asks the right
questions.
~Claude Lvi-Strauss

Instructor:ShawnKessler
skessler@hightechhigh.org
760.759.2756
KesslerWebsite:https://sites.google.com/a/hightechhigh.org/wolvesandwaves/
OfficeHours/Location:Tuesday3:154:15Room205

MathLearningObjectives:
Throughouttheyearourgoalistogrowandchallengeourknowledgeinthefoundationsleadingtoalgebra.Within
thisfield,wewilldeepenourunderstandinginnumbersenseandworkwithstatisticsinvolvingratios,proportions
andpercents.Wewillexploregeometricprinciplesandhowobjectsoccupyspace.Finally,wewillexplorehowto
write,solveandgraphlinearequationscreatingvisualmodelsofthexandyrelationshipsandhowunderstanding
themcanberelatedtooureverydaylives.

ScienceLearningObjectives:
Toincreaseourknowledgeandunderstandingoflifeprocesses,mostimportantlytherelationshipbetween
structureandfunction.Wewillinvestigatethisintricaterelationshipincellsandgenetics,tissuesand
anatomyallthewaythroughcompleteecosystems(macro).

EssentialQuestions:
1. Howdoweusemathandscienceinoureverydaylives?
2. Howcanweusetheconceptswelearntobetterourselvesandtheenvironmentaroundus?

GradingPolicy:Studentgradeswillbecomprisedofthefollowingcategories:
Projects/Tests
Smallerprojects/quizzes
Classwork/Homework/Participation
*GradesareupdatedandpostedthroughPowerschool(Powerschool.hightechhigh.org/public).Youwillreceiveone
gradeformath/science.

LateWork/ExtraCredit:Lateworkwillnotbeaccepted.However,studentsmayadvocateforthemselvestoreceive
extra
support.Inthecasethatastudentfeelshe/sheneedsextrahelp,Iencouragethemtomeetwithmeassoonas
possibletodiscusstheirneedssowecandevelopasupportstrategy.Toaddressthediverseneedsoflearners
differentformsofsupportwillbeinplace.Thesesupportswillincludeextrahelpsessions,afterschooltutoring,peer
tutoring,orafamilyconferencetodevelopanactionplanspecifictothestudent'sneeds.Extracreditwillbegivenin
theformofChallengeOptionsallowingstudentstheopportunitytoraisetheiroverallprojectgrade.Extracreditwill
notbegiventoreplaceassignments.

AbsencePolicy:HTMNCdoesnothavebells,somakesureyouareawareofwhattimeitisandwhenclassstarts.
Classtimeisvaluable,sopleasedonotwasteitbycomingtoclasslateorunprepared.
*Ifabsent:PleasecallHTMNCandnotifyMrs.Wallaceofyourabsence760.759.2750
Youareresponsibleforanyworkthatyoumiss.Checkwithafellowclassmateand/oremailmetofindout
whatneedstobecompleted.

ContractPolicy:
Ouracademicprogramdiffersfromotherschoolprograms.Studentsareoftenworkingonprojectsandcollaborating
ingroups.Missedgroupworkoftentimescannotbemadeupatalatertime.TheteachersandstaffatHTMNC
supportachallengingandpersonalizedcurriculum.Toreceiveacademiccreditforabsencesoffive(5)daysormore,
studentsarerequiredtohaveanindependentstudycontract.TocoordinatethiscontractparentsmustemailCindy
Wallace(cwallace@hightechhigh.org)andtheirstudent'steachersatleasttwo(2)weekspriortotheabsence.Dueto
thenatureofprojectbasedlearning,contractworkmaynotbetheexactassignmentsastudentwouldreceivewhile
attendingclass.Thismeansthatacontractwillincludecurrentprojectandhomeworkassignmentswiththeaddition
ofworksheets,essays,andreading.Whilecompletingworkforacontract,studentsshouldbepreparedtocompletea
significantamountofworkwhileabsent.Allcontractworkisduethedaystudentsreturntoschool.
ClassExpectations:Allstudents,aswellastheteacherwillbeexpectedtocometoclassreadytolearn!This
includeshavingclassmaterialsreadyandrequiredworkreadytoreview.Everyoneinvolvedshouldbesupportiveof
asafe,interactiveandfunlearningenvironment.

Supplies:
1.Two1inch3ringbinderswewillbedoingportfoliosforeachprojectinfirstsemester,soitisimperativethatyou
organizeyourworkintoabinder.
2.WritingutensilpencilHaveonewithyoueveryclass!
3.Homeworkagenda(thiscanbeusedinallclasses)
4.AnindependentreadingbookReadwhenyouarefinishedearlywithanassignmentinclass.

TheConstitutionoftheStateofCaliforniarequiresthatweprovideapubliceducationtoyoufreeofcharge.Subjecttocertain
exceptions,yourrighttoafreepubliceducationmeansthatwecannotrequireyouoryourfamilytopurchasematerials,supplies,
equipmentoruniformsforanyschoolactivity.Manyfamilieshavebeenaskingwhatsuppliestheirchildmayneedduringthis
schoolyear.Below,Ihavearecommendedlistofsuppliesthatyourchildmaybringtoschool.Pleasenotethatifyourchild
doesnotbringtherecommendedsupplies,theschoolwillprovidethesuppliesforhim/her.Ifyouhaveany
questions/commentsaboutthis,pleasecontactSusanBattistuzormyself.
CourseOutlineforMath/Science*
Alloftheconceptslearnedthisyearwillbeintroducedandrevisitedoften.Ibelieveinscaffoldingallmaterialto
ensurerelevanceandmastery.Thelistbelowgivesyouanideaofwhatwillbecovered.Ourtimespentinclasswill
beusedlearningnewconceptsalongwithmasteringtopicscovered.Withineachsubtopic,challengeopportunities
willbeavailableforstudentswhomasteraconcept.

7
th
gradeScience/MathProjects
ProjectTitle

Dates*
MyMathWindows 8/268/30
JumpingJackLab 9/39/6
It'sAlive....orisit? 9/99/20
TheWonderofSeedsGerminationandSeedlingGrowth
Inquiry
Compostology

9/2310/15

Minutetowinit
DesignonaDime
TheBirdsandtheBees

*CourseOutlinewillbefollowedasbestaspossible,however,issubjecttochange.

7
th
gradejudomathdisciplines
JudoMathisaselfpacedmathprogram,thereforeitisdifficulttoassigndatestothefour
differentdis
Discipline1 RationalNumbers
Yellow Propertiesofaddition/subtraction
1.Addingandsubtractingintegersonnumberline(7NS1a)
2.Additiveidentity/inverse(7NS1a/b)
3.Subtractionasinverseofadding(7NS1c)
4.Addingandsubtractingfractionsanddecimals(7NS1d)
5.Associativeproperty(7NS1d)

Orange Propertiesofmultiplication/division
1.Rulesformultiplyingsignednumbers
2.DistributiveProperty
3.Rulesfordividingsignednumbers
4.CommutativeProperty
5.Multiplyinganddividingrationalnumbers(7NS2b/c)
6.Applications(7NS3)

Blue RationalNumbers
1.Numberline(review)
2.FractionSense(review)
3.ImproperandMixedNumbers(review)
4.Convertingbetweenrationalnumbers(review)
5.Addingandsubtractingfractions(7NS2c)
6.Multiplyinganddividingfractions(7NS1)
7.Fractionapplications(7NS1)

Black Rates/unitrates
1.Ratios(review)
2.Ratesandunitrates(review)
3.Ratioswithfractions(7RP1)
4.Applicationswithratesandunitrates(7RP1)

Green

Discipline2 Proportions/Algebra
Yellow ProportionalThinking
1.Introtoproportions
2.Determiningproportionality(tables,equivalentratios)(RP2a)
3.Proportionalityconstant(RP2b)
4.Proportionsinequations(RP2c)
5.Proportionalityingraphs(RP2d)
6.Interest,tax,gratuity,fees(RP3)
7.Percentincreaseanddecreaseandpercenterror(RP3)
Orange Linearexpressions
1.LinearRelationships:2situations(7EE1)
2.LinearExpressions(7EE1)
3.MovingfromsequencestoExpressions
4.Combiningliketerms(7EE1)
5.ExpandingLinearExpressions(7EE1)
6.FactoringLinearExpressions(7EE1)
7.Rewritinglinearexpressions(7EE2)

Blue Allaboutequations
1.ConvertingbetweenRationalNumbers(review7EE3)
2.Writingequationsfromagivensituation(7EE4a)
3.Solvingonestepequations(7EE4a)
4.Solvingtwostepequations(7EE4a)
5.Multistepequationswithdistributiveproperty(7EE4a

Black Allaboutinequalities
1.Defineinequality
2.GraphingInequalities
3.Solveandgraphonestepinequalities(7EE4b)
4.Solveandgraphtwoormorestepinequalities(7EE4b)

Green

Discipline3
Geometry
Yellow Scale(introducedinrationalnumbersdiscipline)
1.Whatisscale(tietoratio)(7G1)
2.Freehandwithscaleandskewedsale(7G1)
3.Scalingup(7G1)
4.Scalingdown(7G1)
5.Reproduceascaledrawingwithadifferentscale(7G1)
Orange Constructions/angles
1.Drawingshapeswithgivenconditions(7G2)
2.Investigatingtriangles(7G2)
3.ComplementaryAngles(7G5)
4.SupplementaryAngles(7G5)
5.Vertical/adjacentangles(7G5)
6.Solvingforangles(7G5)

Blue Area
1.2Dvs.3D:slicing3Dshapestoget2Dshapes(7G3)
2.CircleVocab(7G4)
3.WhatisPi?(7G4)
4.Areaofacircle(7G4)
5.AreaofPolygons(7G6)
6.Areaofirregularshapes(7G6)
http://map.mathshell.org/materials/download.php?fileid=826
http://illuminations.nctm.org/LessonDetail.aspx?ID=L573(Activityrelatingcircumferencetoarea)
Black Surfacearea&volume
1.SurfaceArea1(7G6)
2.SurfaceArea2(7G6)
3.Volume1(7G6)
4.Volume2(7G6)
5.VolumeandSurfaceAreaapplications(7G6)
http://map.mathshell.org/materials/lessons.php?gradeid=24,findingvolumeofirregularshapes
comprisedoffamiliarshapes)http://illuminations.nctm.org/LessonDetail.aspx?id=U175
Green

Discipline4
Probability
Yellow Randomandrepresentativesampling
1.Whatisstats?(vocabulary,etc)(7SP1)
2.RandomSampling(7SP1)
3.RepresentativeSampling(7SP1)
4.Makinggeneralizationsaboutapopulation(7SP2)
5.Makingpredictionsbasedondata(7SP2)
Orange Measuresofcenterandmeasuresofvariability
1.Measuresofcenter(7SP3&4)
2.Comparingmeasuresofcenter(7SP3&4)
3.Measuresofvariability(7SP3&4)
4.Comparingmeasuresofvariability(7SP3&4)
Blue ChanceProcesses
Calculating/ApproximatingProbability
1.UsingorganizedLists(7SP8)
2.Usingtables(7SP8)
3.Usingtreediagrams(7SP8)
4.Usingsimulation(7SP8)

Black
Calculating/ApproximatingProbability
Probabilityofcompoundevents()

Green