7th Grade Weekly Curriculum

Note:

• This topic summary is intended for parents and tutors, to just give a quick sense of what is coming up.
• Mental math is not listed here, although up through grade 7, it is practiced during most lectures and sometimes for individual work.  

Week 1

Lecture Topics (new topics)
Start Arithmetic Review unit
Review of fractions and decimals;  Divisibility Rules;  Review of 6th Grade Mental Math Tricks

Individual Work (skills and review)
Work on the Arithmetic Review Sheets. 

Group Assignments (puzzles, etc.)
Play the game NIM

Week 2

Lecture Topics (new topics)
Review of fractions and decimals;  Divisibility Rules;  

Individual Work (skills and review)
Work on the Arithmetic Review Sheets;  Study the 6th Grade Math Tricks;  Study the Divisibility Rules  

Group Assignments (puzzles, etc.)
Discover the winning strategy for the game NIM;  Puzzles

Week 3

Lecture Topics (new topics)
Prime factorization;  Square roots (and other higher roots);  

Individual Work (skills and review)
Work on Arithmetic – Sheet #2 (from the workbook).

Group Assignments (puzzles, etc.)
Puzzles

Week 4

Lecture Topics (new topics)
Converting decimals ↔ fractions

Individual Work (skills and review)
Work on Arithmetic – Sheet #3 (from the workbook);  Begin working on 7th Grade Flashcards

Group Assignments (puzzles, etc.)
Age Puzzles;  Prime Factorization Puzzle

Week 5

Lecture Topics (new topics)
Begin Measurement unit.

Individual Work (skills and review)
Take Arithmetic Review Test;  Work on Measurement Sheet #1 (from the workbook)

Group Assignments (puzzles, etc.)
Puzzles

Week 6  (First week of Geometry Main Lesson)

Lecture Topics (new topics)
Geometric Constructions and Drawings;  Angle theorems (including ∠s in a Δ add to 180°);
Construction of a Pentagon in a Circle; 
Work on Measurement problems

Individual Work (skills and review)
Work on main lesson book pages (geometric constructions and drawings)
Work on Measurement Sheet #1 (from the workbook)

Group Assignments (puzzles, etc.)
Tear and Stack puzzle;  Digit Arithmetic puzzles

Week 7  (Second week of Geometry Main Lesson)

Lecture Topics (new topics)
More Geometric Constructions and Drawings;  Proof that ∠s in a Δ add to 180°
Golden Rectangle; 
More work on Measurement problems

Individual Work (skills and review)
Work on main lesson book drawings (related to topics from lectures and group work)
Work on Measurement Sheet #3 (from the workbook)

Group Assignments (puzzles, etc.)
Discovering the Pythagorean Theorem!!;  Triangle Constructions (SSS and SAS);  Vesica Piscis

Week 8  (Third week of Geometry Main Lesson)

Lecture Topics (new topics)
Give statement of the Pythagorean Theorem;  Laws of Triangle Constructions (SSS and SAS, etc.)
The Golden Ratio (Φ);  Geometric Drawings with Star Patterns from the 15-gon
More work on Measurement problems

Individual Work (skills and review)
Work on main lesson book drawings (related to topics from lectures and group work)
Work on Measurement Sheet #4 (from the workbook)

Group Assignments (puzzles, etc.)
Using the Pythagorean Theorem to solve triangles;  Introduction to Area; Chessboard puzzle

Week 9

Lecture Topics (new topics)
Start Ratios unit; Three Thoughts of a Ratio;  Measurement conversion practice;  

Individual Work (skills and review)
Work on Measurement – Sheet #5 and #6.

Group Assignments (puzzles, etc.)
Work on Measurement – Sheet #5 and #6;  Puzzles.

Week 10

Lecture Topics (new topics)
Measurement conversion practice;  Similar figures;  Ratio practice problems

Individual Work (skills and review)
Work on Measurement – Sheet #7.

Group Assignments (puzzles, etc.)
Puzzles

Week 11

Lecture Topics (new topics)
More ratio work, and ratio practice problems

Individual Work (skills and review)
Take the Measurement Test;  Work on Ratios (Part I) – Sheet #1 and #2

Group Assignments (puzzles, etc.)
Play the game Skedoodle

Week 12

Lecture Topics (new topics)
More Ratio work;  Proportion of the whole;  Decimal and Whole Number Forms of a Ratio;  Reciprocals

Individual Work (skills and review)
Work on Ratios (Part I) – Sheet #3 and #4

Group Assignments (puzzles, etc.)
Work on Ratios (Part I) – Sheet #3 and #4;  Puzzles

Week 13

Lecture Topics (new topics)
Two Thoughts of a Ratio in Decimal Form;  Four Ways to Write a Ratio;  Reciprocals of Ratios

Individual Work (skills and review)
Work on Ratios (Part I) – Sheet #5

Group Assignments (puzzles, etc.)
Work on Ratios (Part I) – Sheet #5;  Puzzles

Week 14

Lecture Topics (new topics)
More Ratio Practice Problems;  Converting between Whole Number Form and Decimal Form.

Individual Work (skills and review)
Work on Ratios (Part I) – Sheet #6
Shadow Problem: Calculating the height of a flagpole by using ratios;  

Group Assignments (puzzles, etc.)
Puzzles

Week 15

Lecture Topics (new topics)
Triple ratios;  

Individual Work (skills and review)
Work on Ratios (Part I) – Sheet #7

Group Assignments (puzzles, etc.)
Work together on the Ratios Practice Test;  Puzzles

Week 16

Lecture Topics (new topics)
Start the Percents unit; 
Percents Facts;  Two Basic Percents Problems;  Converting Decimals ↔ Percent

Individual Work (skills and review)
Take the Ratios Test.
Work on Percents – Sheet #1

Group Assignments (puzzles, etc.)
The Towers of Hanoi;  Factor Puzzles

Week 17

Lecture Topics (new topics)
More percents practice;  Percent increase/decrease problems

Individual Work (skills and review)
Work on Percents – Sheet #2;  Work on Percents to Fraction Conversion Flashcards

Group Assignments (puzzles, etc.)
(More complicated) Square Roots;  Puzzles

Week 18  (First week of Algebra Main Lesson)

Lecture Topics (new topics)
Signed Numbers;  Story of Gauss, and his series formula

Individual Work (skills and review)
Work on writing essays and creating main lesson book pages;
Work on research for Oral Presentation.

Group Assignments (puzzles, etc.)
Practice using temperature conversion formulas;  Galileo’s Law of Falling Bodies

Week 19  (Second week of Algebra Main Lesson)

Lecture Topics (new topics)
Simplifying expressions;  Combining like terms;  The Scale Puzzle;  Solving three-step equations

Individual Work (skills and review)
Work on writing essays and creating main lesson book pages;
Work on research for Oral Presentation.
Start Percents – Sheet #4

Group Assignments (puzzles, etc.)
Work on Algebra – Sheets #2-5

Week 20  (Third week of Algebra Main Lesson)

Lecture Topics (new topics)
Golden Rule of Equations;  Practice solving equations

Individual Work (skills and review)
Work on writing essays and creating main lesson book pages;
Give your Oral Presentation.
Finish Percents – Sheet #4

Group Assignments (puzzles, etc.)
Work on Algebra – Sheets #6-7

Week 21

Lecture Topics (new topics)
Thorough review of Percents;  Compound Interest;  Discount and Tax;  Percents practice

Individual Work (skills and review)
Take the Algebra Test;  Work on Percents – Sheet #1

Group Assignments (puzzles, etc.)
Puzzles

Week 22

Lecture Topics (new topics)
More Percents;  Finding percent increase or decrease;  More Percents practice

Individual Work (skills and review)
Work on Percents – Sheet #6

Group Assignments (puzzles, etc.)
Making a Math Clock;  Puzzles

Week 23

Lecture Topics (new topics)
Wrap with Percents;  practice for upcoming Percents test

Individual Work (skills and review)
Work on Percents – Sheet #7;  Take Percents Practice Test;  

Group Assignments (puzzles, etc.)
The game of NIM (variations) 

Week 24

Lecture Topics (new topics)
Start the Ratios – Part II unit;  Review Ratios from earlier in the year.

Individual Work (skills and review)
Take the Percents Test

Group Assignments (puzzles, etc.)
Work on Seventh Grade Math Tricks sheets

Week 25

Lecture Topics (new topics)
Five Thoughts of a Ratio;  Four ways to express a Ratio;  Proportional and Inversely Proportional

Individual Work (skills and review)
Work on Ratios, Part II – Sheet #2;  Work on Seventh Grade Math Tricks – Sheet #4

Group Assignments (puzzles, etc.)
Work on Ratios, Part II – Sheet #1;  Work on Seventh Grade Math Tricks – Sheet #3; 
Keep working on perfecting your strategies for NIM

Week 26

Lecture Topics (new topics)
The Four Ratios of a Square;  Inversely Proportional as related to rate and time, and a fulcrum  

Individual Work (skills and review)
Discover π and the Four Ratios of a Circle;
Work on Ratios, Part II – Sheet #3-4;  Work on Seventh Grade Math Tricks – Sheet #5

Group Assignments (puzzles, etc.)
Start Square Root Algorithm unit – do Sheet #1;  Puzzles

Week 27

Note:  During these last few weeks, we will be doing these three units somewhat simultaneously:
Rates, Geometry, and the Square Root Algorithm.

Lecture Topics (new topics)
Four Ratios of a Circle;  Intro to Rates;  Geometry: The Shear & Stretch
How can we predict the number of digits for the answer of a square root problem?
Squaring formula

Individual Work (skills and review)
Work on Rates – Sheet #1

Group Assignments (puzzles, etc.)
Work on Geometry – Sheet #1;  Work on Square Root Algorithm – Sheet #2;  Puzzles

Week 28

Lecture Topics (new topics)
Long Algebraic Method (for square roots);  Review rates – three formulas; Archimedes’ ratio for π.

Individual Work (skills and review)
Work on Rates – Sheet #2

Group Assignments (puzzles, etc.)
Work on Geometry – Sheet #2;  Work on Square Root Algorithm – Sheet #3

Week 29

Lecture Topics (new topics)
Review Pythagorean Theorem;  Angle Theorems and practice problems;  Average speed problems;
Square Root Identity;  Use the Long Algebraic Method to find square roots

Individual Work (skills and review)
Work on Rates – Sheet #3

Group Assignments (puzzles, etc.)
Work on Geometry – Sheet #3;  First part of Square Root Algorithm – Sheet #4;  Puzzles

Week 30

Lecture Topics (new topics)
Review everything for the past three weeks;  More practice with the Long Algebraic Method 

Individual Work (skills and review)
Work on Geometry – Sheet #4;  Work on Rates – Sheet #4

Group Assignments (puzzles, etc.)
Work on Rates – Sheet #5;  The train challenge problem (Rates); 
Continue with Square Root Algorithm – Sheet #4

Week 31

Lecture Topics (new topics)
Pythagorean Triples;  Short Algebraic Method (for calculating square roots)

Individual Work (skills and review)
Work on Geometry – Sheet #5

Group Assignments (puzzles, etc.)
Work on Geometry – Sheet #4;  Work on Rates – Sheet #6;  Work on Square Root Algorithm – Sheet #6

Week 32

Lecture Topics (new topics)
Review and wrap up.

Individual Work (skills and review)
Work on Geometry – Sheet #6

Group Assignments (puzzles, etc.)
Work on Geometry – Sheet #6;  Extra square root practice;  Mr York’s Bike Ride