Who Is the Culprit?
Engaging in a crime scene investigation, students will collaboratively examine the evidence, make inferences about their observations, and write a detailed description of the crime. Students will then read an informational text about investigating a crime scene and answer inference questions.
Analyzing Bar Graphs: Candy Machines
Working in groups, students will examine a bag of candy to determine if the machine that bags the candy is working properly. They will organize data on the colors of the candy in a frequency table and a bar graph. They will calculate the fraction of each color in the bag and compare the fractions to a quota set up by the factory to determine if the machine needs maintenance. Students will create a report about their findings, write a question that requires students to interpret data represented in a bar graph, and reflect in their journals.
Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) Vertical Alignment
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Biodiversity
Students will explore biodiversity concepts through several activities including a video, a card sort, think-pair-shares, food webs, and four corners.
Building a Watershed
Students will model the effects of human activity on watersheds.
Uses of Energy Lab
Students will rotate through lab stations equipped with objects and videos as they explore the uses and conversion of five different types of energy.
Going on an Expedition
Students observe how dunes and canyons are created through agents of erosion by weathering and erosion.
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Area of Composite Figures
Student groups will work collaboratively using the appropriate formulas to find the area of simple figures and combine the area of each shape to find the area of composite figures in real-world situations.
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Main Idea
Students will identify supporting details and the main idea in a passage.
Modeling the Path of Digestion
Students model the path of digestion using household items.
Diagramming Dinosaurs
Students will use a verbal representation to explore a constant rate of change in the size of dinosaurs over a period of time and represent their data by graphing.
Crime Scene Inferences
In learning stations, students use textual evidence and personal schema to generate inferences, make generalizations, and draw conclusions to support understanding about expository text.
Dividing Fractions
Students will model dividing unit fractions and whole numbers.
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Measurement Properties for 2-D and 3-D Shapes
Students will be able to use a problem-solving model, tools and techniques, communication, representations, relationships, and justifications when solving problems involving two-dimensional and three-dimensional shapes. Students will integrate content knowledge and skills so that students are prepared to use mathematics in everyday life, society, and the workplace.
Manifest Density
Students will design a foil boat and add mass to test relative density.
Students describing how they got their boat to float.
Inferring: It’s a Beast!
Using a digital forum, seventh-grade students will collaboratively generate authentic inferences about character motivation. Students will utilize textual evidence and draw from personal schema in order to make logical connections across multiple genres.
Inference in the Real World: Using Clues to Identify Key Details
Students will actively read as a critical component; they will infer in expository text.
Modeling and Solving Two-Step Equations
Students will use various materials to create models of two-step equations. Then, they will take an equation, create their own model, and solve for the variable from the model.
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Equations and Inequalities
Using a graphic organizer, students will write and solve a one-variable, two-step equation using the distributive property. They also will draw a picture and justify their solution.
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Does Paper Have Volume?
Students will be involved in a problem-solving lesson to determine if paper has volume, find the volume of a piece of paper and a ream of paper, and determine how many pieces of paper will fit inside their classroom.
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Discovering the Ratio of Pi
Students will discover the ratio of pi by relating the circumference to the diameter of various circles. Students will use this ratio to approximate the formulas for circumference.
Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) Vertical Alignment
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