Grade 7

Language is an integral part of life, and learning how to use it well helps us in everything we do. In Grade 7 Language Arts, students build their reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills so they can express themselves clearly and understand others. These skills help us learn, share ideas, and be part of our communities. But language is more than just a tool—it is a gift from God. He created communication, and by studying it, we learn more about Him and the abilities He has given us. Growing in our understanding of language prepares us for life and strengthens our relationship with God so we can serve Him and impact the world around us.

Language Arts 7 includes several units incorporating critical thinking, analysis, creative writing, research writing, comprehension activities, making connections and expressing ideas, all rooted in a Biblical Worldview. The two novel studies for this course are Carry on Mr. Bowditch by Jean Lee Latham and The Green Ember by S. D. Smith.

Pre-requisite(s):

The pre-requisite course to Language Arts 7 is Language Arts 6 or equivalent.

Materials and resources required:

Provided by NSA:

• Language Arts 7 Online lesson and assignment documents
• Carry On, Mr. Bowditch
• The Green Ember

Purchased by student:

• Language Power workbook, Level E (provided by NSA, invoiced to families for workbook cost).

Time Expectation

Students should expect to spend approximately five hours a week on this class.

Students will be evaluated on assignments, tests and discussions provided in the lessons. These will be submitted to the teacher for marking. Closed-book tests are given throughout the course. There is a final cumulative exam for this course.

Limited Submission Policy

During the last two weeks of the school year, Northstar has a limited submission policy. This means that students may only submit up to two items in addition to what is due that week. This includes assignments, quizzes and tests. 

Academic Integrity Policy

Academic Integrity is acting in ways that are honest, fair, and responsible in completing your school work and tests. Your submitted work must be produced by yourself, using your own words and ideas based on what you are learning in your course. The use of AI or other internet sources on assignments, tests, or quizzes, unless specified by the teacher, is considered cheating. Additionally, exams are to be supervised by an adult in the same room as the students and can see the student’s screen and workspace.

The breakdown of marks is as follows:

• Assignments: 65%
• Tests: 25%
• Discussions: 10%

Summary of Course Content and Activities

The content of Math 7 is organized around 8 major units

• Integers
• Fractions, Decimals and Percents
• Operations with Fractions
• Data Analysis & Probability
• Patterns and Relations
• Equations
• Measurement
• Geometry & Transformations

Philosophy statement for teaching this course

The new math courses in Alberta have been developed to give students time to understand the big ideas of math, and not simply memorize formulas and algorithms. This is a challenge in an online environment, but concepts are presented as much as possible in a way that encourages students to think through the ideas themselves. Manipulatives are used where available and appropriate, and technology is integral in many lessons.

Prerequisites

A strong background in Math 6 or equivalent is recommended.

Materials and Resources

Provided by NSA

• eText and Videos covering all lesson concepts

Purchased by Students

• A scientific calculator -  but it does NOT need to be a fancy one.
• Students will need a scanner for submitting work. (can be done with a cell phone
  app)

Forecasted amount of time required to complete each week's lesson

The course is organized around 36 weeks. Each week covers some course content, and then provides lots of time to work on practice problems. Each chapter students write a test. This would take ROUGHLY 4 - 6 hours a week, depending on the student.

Description of student evaluations, quizzes and tests.

Assignments 70%
Chapter Tests 20%
Final Exam 10%

Summary of course content and activities:

The five topics in grade 7 science are:

1. Interactions and Ecosystems is an introductory study of life.
   Students are introduced to the concept that all living things share
   basic commonalities.
2. Plants for Food and Fibre investigates the features and structures
   of plants, their functions, and their uses.
3. Heat and Temperature discusses the differences between heat and
   temperature and looks at devices that create and measure heat and
   temperature.
4. Structures and Forces focuses on the study of structures and the
   forces that act on them. Students look at functions and materials
   used as well as specific designs and their effectiveness.
5. Planet Earth examines processes that create the formations of the
   Earth's crust. The unit includes studies of rocks and minerals,
   erosion, plate tectonics, earthquakes, volcanoes, mountains, and
   fossils.

Philosophy statement for teaching this course:

It is important for students to learn about and develop an appreciation for the world that God has created. This encourages students to become good stewards of natural resources and provides them with an understanding of God's awesome design in the world. To accommodate a variety of learning styles, a variety of activities are provided, including opportunities for students to do hands-on activities and experiments.

Pre-requisite(s):

Science 6

Materials and resources provided by NSA, purchased by student, and/or recommended:

Provided by NSA:

• Science Focus 7 textbook
• Online materials

Purchased by student:

• Additionally, students will require a variety of easily obtainable materials such as salt, sugar, food coloring, seeds, soil, sand, straws, tape, newspaper, etc. for science experiments.

Forecasted amount of time required to complete each week's lesson:

Students should spend a minimum of 3 hrs per week on Science lessons and activities.

Description of student evaluations, quizzes, and tests:

Students are required to submit a variety of assignments for marking. These include research projects, experiment write-ups, crossword puzzles, unit tests, etc.

Labs and Written Assignments: 75%
Tests: 25%

Summary of course content and activities:

Grade 7 provides a comprehensive examination of Canadian history preceding and following Confederation. The concept of intercultural contact is introduced through an examination of migration and immigration.

Philosophy statement for and/or behind teaching this course:

Canada has a strong Christian history that we will explore as we learned about how Canada became Canada.

Major course goals:

The two main goals of this class are to learn about the important people, places, and events in Canada’s history before and after confederation.

Pre-requisite(s):

none.

Materials and resources provided by NSA, purchased by student, and/or recommended:

Provided by NSA:

• Our Canada textbook.

Forecasted amount of time required to complete each week's lesson:

Students should spend a minimum of six hours a week on this class.

Description of student evaluations, quizzes, and tests:

• Assignments – 70%
• Quizzes/ tests – 30%

Summary of Course Content and Activities:

Bible 7 is a yearlong, in-depth study about the book of Acts.  The overarching theme of the book of Acts is the role of the Holy Spirit in the lives of the Apostles as they spread the Gospel throughout Israel and into Africa, Asia, and Europe.  As students traverse the pages of Acts, they will encounter key people as the Gospel begins to spread from a local cluster of Christ-followers to larger gatherings of people that eventually become churches.  Students will research and create specific “resumes” for individuals, and they will also have the opportunity to “be creative” with explaining historical happenings.  The final project has students identify three Bible characters from the book of Acts who could potentially be church planters and has them plan and initiate video job interviews for those three candidates.

Philosophy Statement:

Acts 1:8 is the key verse for this course: “But you will receive power when the Holy spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and to the end of the Earth.”  Students will understand that the current Church came into being by followers of Christ who were empowered by the Holy Spirit to preach the Gospel to those who had never heard of Jesus, teaching them and making them disciples of the Son of God (Matthew 28:18-20).

Prerequisites:

There are no prerequisites for this course.

Materials:

Required technical materials are listed on NorthStar’s “At-Home Learning and Technology Requirements” webpage.

• https://www.nsaschool.ca/programs/technical-requirements
• Bible (ESV is preferred, but the NASB, KJV, NKJV, or NIV1984 will also work).

Forecasted Amount of Time:

3 hours per week.

Evaluation:

There are 4 reporting periods for Bible 7.  Report Card grades are based on the following:

• Assignments – 60%
• Quizzes – 20%
• Final Project – 20%

Summary of Course Content and Activities:

Through participation in this course, students will acquire a variety of skills related to both movement and physical activity; understand and appreciate the health benefits of living an active lifestyle as they both experience and participate in physical activity; learn the importance of interacting positively with others, both in the context of teamwork and sportsmanship; and assume responsibility for leading a healthy, active lifestyle.

There are 18 Health assignments to complete over the course of the year (one every 2 weeks).

There are 9 Monthly Activity Logs that students need to complete, tracking their physical activity over the month, and working to participate in at least 12 hours of physical activity per month. 

Philosophy Statement:

In Luke 2:52, Scripture tells us that “Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man.”  Just as Jesus had to learn and mature physically, students also need to grow into their own physical stature and learn social skills, in order to cope with the daily happenings in their lives.  To process life’s experiences correctly, students need to develop a biblical worldview, which is part of the content of this course.

Prerequisites:

Students taking HPE 7 are presumed to have reached the acceptable standard in Physical Education & Wellness 6 (PEW 6).

Materials:

Required technical materials are listed on NorthStar’s “At-Home Learning and Technology Requirements” webpage.

• https://www.nsaschool.ca/programs/technical-requirements
• Bible (ESV, NIV1984, KJV, NKJV, NASB).

Forecasted Amount of Time:

2-4 hours per week.

Evaluation:

Although HPE 7 appears as just one Moodle course, it is actually broken into 2 different courses for reporting purposes.

The mark for the Health portion of HPE 7 will consist of the average mark for all 18 Health assignments.

The mark for the Physical Education portion of HPE 7 will consist of the average mark for all 9 Monthly Physical Activity Logs (September – May).