Grade 7 Enrichment

Grade 7

Computer Science Image result for cs4ri image

Through the CS4RI initiative, Governor Gina Raimondo has declared that every student, at every level, has access to the new basic skill: computer science. Beginning in the 2017-2018 school year, The Pier School is now offering this brand-new course to all students in 7th grade for one semester, either fall or spring.



The  University of Rhode Island in collaboration with Code.org have developed a Middle School CS Discoveries course from which the Pier School will offer 7th graders:

Image result for cs discoveriesImage result for code.org logo INTERACTIVE GAMES AND ANIMATIONS
In this unit, students build coding experience as they create programmatic images, animations, interactive art, and games. Starting off with simple, primitive shapes and building up to more sophisticated sprite-based games, students become familiar with the programming concepts and the design process computer scientists use daily. They then learn how these simpler constructs can be combined to create more complex programs. In the final project, students develop a personalized, interactive program. Along the way, they practice design, testing, and iteration, as they come to see that failure and debugging are an expected and valuable part of the programming process.

Leadership

“You cannot lead others until you have first learned to lead yourself”  “Your ‘I Can’ is more important than your IQ” 
                                   Robin S. Sharma

Leadership is offered to selected students during the SOAR block, one day per week for the entire school year. This year, we are able to offer this course to two cohorts of 25 students. Students will gain introspection into how they learn and how they can learn better. Using the book SOAR by, Susan Krugar, students in this course will first explore strategies such as: time management, organization, project planning, communication skills and goal-setting to aid them through the tough transition from sixth to seventh grade, arguably the most difficult transition since coming to middle school. In addition, through group activities and individual thinking, students will explore what it means to be a leader, what it means to leave a legacy and explore their own identities and the identities of others to make sense of the world in which they live - and how they fit into that world. During the course, students will develop a website using Google Sites that celebrates what they’ve learned and their unique character both in school and out.