STEM Seventh Grade scientists begin the year with a dive into the dynamic nature and complexity of ecosystems from structures to competition within. Students continue to acquire new knowledge with an investigative unit researching human dependence on natural resources and human impact on Earth to geoscience processes, including sea floor spreading and sustaining biodiversity and ecosystem services in a changing world. Students finish the year with a unit on characteristics of chemical reactions
and synthetic materials. JEWISH STUDIES
In Seventh Grade, the students take courses in Neviim (Prophets). In Neviim, they focus on Shmuel Alef and Bet. In these texts, the students advance in their textual skills to parse the text in the original Hebrew and they improve upon their general ability to analyze literature. In Shmuel Alef and Bet, the students learn about the prophet Samuel and the evolution of the nation of Israel from a tribal nation into a monarchy led by King Saul and later by David. The students analyze the strengths and challenges in the lives of the prophets and kings in these books in order to learn lessons in how to relate to others and how to deal with adversity. The 2nd trimester ends with a Lincoln-Douglas style debate where they have a debate on the righteousness or lack of righteousness demonstrated by King Saul’s career as it is documented in the TaNaKh. Next, in their 3rd trimester they learn Jewish history from the time of the Hasmoneans (Maccabees) to the beginning of “The Great Revolt” (66 CE). Simultaneously, they have a 2nd course that is called “Judaic Studies Seminar”. In this course, the students have a “voice” in the direction of their Jewish education at Levine. They get to choose 2 courses per year from a range of topics like Holocaust, “Heroes of TaNaKh”, Science and Torah, and Talmud Beit-Midrash. During 7-8th grade they must take the Judaic Seminar course that covers the period from המרד הגדול (“The Great Revolt” against Rome 66-73CE) until the Holocaust.
MIDDLE SCHOOL GRADES 5 - 8 | CURRICULUM GUIDE
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