Seventh grade
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 | The examples and perspective in this article may not represent a worldwide view of the subject. |
Seventh grade (called Grade 7 in some regions) is a year of education in the United States and many other nations. The seventh grade is the seventh school year after kindergarten. Students are usually 12 years old. Traditionally, seventh grade was the next-to-last year of elementary school. In the United States and most of Canada, it is usually the second or third year of middle school, or the first year of junior high school. In Quebec, it is usually the last year of elementary school, or the first year of high school.
In the United States, in mathematics, students focus commonly on an introduction to pre-algebra or the beginnings of algebra, including ratio, proportion, percent. New topics sometimes include scientific notation, concepts with negative numbers, and more advanced geometry. In some parts of the United States, such as Colorado, math may be mixed-grade according to the student's previous knowledge, so some students may already be in a 9th grade algebra course. In social studies, advanced pre-Civil War History is taught. Though American history is usually the norm, other cultures may be taught. In science, it is usually moderate-level biology. In some parts of the United States, seventh grade is the first school year in which students have different teachers for each of their subjects, and so they change classrooms at the end of each period.
In the state of Texas, seventh graders learn about Texas History. Examples are the Battle of the Alamo etcetera.
In some states of Australia, including Victoria, New South Wales, Australian Capital Territory, and Tasmania, Year 7 is the first year of high school, but it is actually the eighth year of schooling (Prep, 1 through 6 then Year 7). In Australia year 7s are aged 12-13 years old.
Its English and Welsh equivalent is Year 8, the second year of secondary education. The Northern Irish equivalent is Year 9 or First Form, also the second year of secondary education. The Scottish equivalent is Secondary 1 - the first year of Secondary education.
In Brazil now, the time for elementary school were recently raised from 8 to 9 years, and the minimum age required to the seventh grade was changed from 11 to 12 years old.
In France, the equivalent to Grade 7 is the Cinquième which, as the name implies, is five grades below the final grade of high school (the Terminale).