7th Grade Syllabus
Topic 1: Living Things in the Biosphere
In this topic students will explore living things, including how and why organisms are classified. Students will also learn about viruses, bacteria, fungi, plants and animals and how organisms from these various groups impact humans.
Lesson 1: Living Things
Lesson 2: Classification Systems
Lesson 3: Viruses, Bacteria, Protists, Fungi
Lesson 4: Plants and Animals
Topic 2: The Cell System
The organization and development of living things, in particular their cells, students use models to recognize cell structures and conduct investigations to understand cell structures and functions.
Lesson 1: Structure and Function of Cells
Lesson 2: Cell Structure
Lesson 3: Obtaining and Removing Materials
Lesson 4: Cell Division
Lesson 5: Photosynthesis
Lesson 6: Cellular Respiration
Topic 3: Human Body Systems
How much human bodies and their systems interact is the main idea that frames this topic. Students will demonstrate the interactions among several systems and learn how the nervous system sends and receives messages throughout the body. This topic supports student understanding of the importance of making healthy lifestyle decisions with regard to their physical and nutritional health.
Lesson 1: Body Organization
Lesson 2: Systems Interacting
Lesson 3: Supplying Energy
Lesson 4: Managing Materials
Lesson 5: Controlling Processes
Topic 4: Reproduction and Growth
The diversity of ways in which living things reproduce and grow is the context that frames this topic. While learning how plants and animals reproduce and grow, students will come to recognize the importance of environmental factors in the growth of all living things, including themselves.
Lesson 1: Patterns of Reproduction
Lesson 2: Plant Structures for Reproduction
Lesson 3: Animal Behaviors for Reproduction
Lesson 4: Factors Influencing Growth
Topic 5: Ecosystems
Patterns of interactions between living and nonliving things in an ecosystem, and how these interactions affect resource availability are the main ideas that frame this topic. While studying organisms interactions in ecosystems and limiting factors that affect their populations, students begin to recognize the connection among features of an ecosystem, human and natural events, and overall health of an ecosystem, including the availability of resources.
Lesson 1: Living Things and the Environment
Lesson 2: Energy Flow in Ecosystems
Lesson 3: Cycles of Matter
Topic 6: Populations, Communities, and Ecosystems
The impact of ecosystem changes on a region’s biodiversity is the context that frames this topic. While studying organisms interactions in ecosystems and factors that affect their populations, students recognize the importance of biodiversity for sustaining life on Earth.
Lesson 1: Interactions in Ecosystems
Lesson 2: Dynamic and Resilient Ecosystems
Lesson 3: Biodiversity
Lesson 4: Ecosystem Services
Topic 7: Genes and Heredity
This topic details with patterns of reproduction and inheritance. Students will identify how offspring receive traits from their parents.
Lesson 1: Patterns of Inheritance
Lesson 2: Chromosomes and Inheritance
Lesson 3: Genetic Coding and Protein Synthesis
Lesson 4: Trait Variation
Lesson 5: Genetic Technologies
Topic 8: Natural Selection and Change Over Time
In this topic students will explore the processes that explain how organisms change over time. Students will investigate factors that drive natural selection and learn about evidence that supports the scientific theory of evolution.
Lesson 1: Early Study of Evolution
Lesson 2: Natural Selection
Lesson 3: The Process of Evolution
Lesson 4: Evidence in the Fossil Record
Lesson 5: Other Evidence of Evolution
Topic 1: Living Things in the Biosphere
In this topic students will explore living things, including how and why organisms are classified. Students will also learn about viruses, bacteria, fungi, plants and animals and how organisms from these various groups impact humans.
Lesson 1: Living Things
Lesson 2: Classification Systems
Lesson 3: Viruses, Bacteria, Protists, Fungi
Lesson 4: Plants and Animals
Topic 2: The Cell System
The organization and development of living things, in particular their cells, students use models to recognize cell structures and conduct investigations to understand cell structures and functions.
Lesson 1: Structure and Function of Cells
Lesson 2: Cell Structure
Lesson 3: Obtaining and Removing Materials
Lesson 4: Cell Division
Lesson 5: Photosynthesis
Lesson 6: Cellular Respiration
Topic 3: Human Body Systems
How much human bodies and their systems interact is the main idea that frames this topic. Students will demonstrate the interactions among several systems and learn how the nervous system sends and receives messages throughout the body. This topic supports student understanding of the importance of making healthy lifestyle decisions with regard to their physical and nutritional health.
Lesson 1: Body Organization
Lesson 2: Systems Interacting
Lesson 3: Supplying Energy
Lesson 4: Managing Materials
Lesson 5: Controlling Processes
Topic 4: Reproduction and Growth
The diversity of ways in which living things reproduce and grow is the context that frames this topic. While learning how plants and animals reproduce and grow, students will come to recognize the importance of environmental factors in the growth of all living things, including themselves.
Lesson 1: Patterns of Reproduction
Lesson 2: Plant Structures for Reproduction
Lesson 3: Animal Behaviors for Reproduction
Lesson 4: Factors Influencing Growth
Topic 5: Ecosystems
Patterns of interactions between living and nonliving things in an ecosystem, and how these interactions affect resource availability are the main ideas that frame this topic. While studying organisms interactions in ecosystems and limiting factors that affect their populations, students begin to recognize the connection among features of an ecosystem, human and natural events, and overall health of an ecosystem, including the availability of resources.
Lesson 1: Living Things and the Environment
Lesson 2: Energy Flow in Ecosystems
Lesson 3: Cycles of Matter
Topic 6: Populations, Communities, and Ecosystems
The impact of ecosystem changes on a region’s biodiversity is the context that frames this topic. While studying organisms interactions in ecosystems and factors that affect their populations, students recognize the importance of biodiversity for sustaining life on Earth.
Lesson 1: Interactions in Ecosystems
Lesson 2: Dynamic and Resilient Ecosystems
Lesson 3: Biodiversity
Lesson 4: Ecosystem Services
Topic 7: Genes and Heredity
This topic details with patterns of reproduction and inheritance. Students will identify how offspring receive traits from their parents.
Lesson 1: Patterns of Inheritance
Lesson 2: Chromosomes and Inheritance
Lesson 3: Genetic Coding and Protein Synthesis
Lesson 4: Trait Variation
Lesson 5: Genetic Technologies
Topic 8: Natural Selection and Change Over Time
In this topic students will explore the processes that explain how organisms change over time. Students will investigate factors that drive natural selection and learn about evidence that supports the scientific theory of evolution.
Lesson 1: Early Study of Evolution
Lesson 2: Natural Selection
Lesson 3: The Process of Evolution
Lesson 4: Evidence in the Fossil Record
Lesson 5: Other Evidence of Evolution