7th grade Science
12 units matched to the Oregon State Standards.
Focus areas
- Chemical reactions
- Ecosystems and the flow of energy
- Earth's surface and resources
Units
Unit 1
Atoms & Elements
Elements versus compounds and mixtures, chemical symbols (H, O, Na, Cl, Fe, Au…), counting atoms in formulas like H₂O and C₆H₁₂O₆, metals and non-metals, and the basics of the periodic table.
Learning standard: 7.PS1.1 · atoms, elements, compounds and simple molecules
Unit 2
Mixtures & Solutions
Telling pure substances from mixtures, mechanical mixtures from solutions, solutes and solvents, comparing concentration, and choosing separation methods like filtering, evaporation, magnets and distillation.
Learning standard: 7.PS1.2 · properties such as solubility that tell pure substances and mixtures apart
Unit 3
Particles & Mixtures
The particle theory of matter, the states of matter, pure substances versus mixtures, and homogeneous versus heterogeneous mixtures.
Learning standard: 7.PS1.4 · particle models of pure substances and mixtures
Unit 4
Particles and Heat
Solids, liquids and gases in the particle model, faster particles when heated and slower when cooled, melting, freezing, evaporation and condensation, and why mass stays the same in a phase change.
Learning standard: 7.PS1.4 · how adding or removing thermal energy changes particle motion, temperature and state
Unit 5
Chemical Reactions
Practices signs of chemical reactions, how properties change when new substances form, conservation of mass, and devices that release or absorb thermal energy through reactions.
Learning standard: 7.PS1.2; 7.PS1.5; 7.PS1.6 · properties change in chemical reactions, atoms are conserved, and reactions can release or absorb energy
Unit 6
How Plants Work
The parts of seed plants and what they do, photosynthesis, gas exchange, transpiration and pollination, and how plant structures suit where a plant grows.
Learning standard: 7.LS1.6 · plant structures and photosynthesis in the cycling of matter and flow of energy
Unit 7
Ecosystems
Biotic and abiotic parts of an ecosystem, how they interact, and the limiting factors and carrying capacity that decide how many organisms an ecosystem can support.
Learning standard: 7.LS2.1; 7.LS2.2 · how resources limit populations and how organisms interact in ecosystems
Unit 8
Food Chains & Energy
Producers, consumers and decomposers, food chains and webs, how energy shrinks as it passes up a chain (about 10% each step), and what happens when part of a chain changes.
Learning standard: 7.LS2.3 · energy flowing through food chains and webs
Unit 9
Cycles & Succession
How water, carbon and nitrogen are cycled through ecosystems, why cycling supports sustainability, and the difference between primary and secondary succession.
Learning standard: 7.LS2.3; 7.LS2.4 · matter cycling in ecosystems and how ecosystems change after disturbances
Unit 10
Earth's Moving Surface
Practices plate tectonics and evidence from fossils, rocks and continent shapes, the rock cycle, and how processes at different speeds shape Earth's surface, including the Cascade volcanoes.
Learning standard: 7.ESS2.1; 7.ESS2.2; 7.ESS2.3 · the rock cycle, surface processes at different scales, and evidence for plate motion
Unit 11
Oregon Resources & Hazards
Practices why Earth's mineral, energy and groundwater resources are unevenly spread, and how scientists use data to forecast hazards and reduce their effects, with Oregon examples like the Cascadia Subduction Zone, tsunami maps for the coast, Cascade volcanoes and geothermal heat near Klamath Falls.
Learning standard: 7.ESS3.1; 7.ESS3.2 · why resources are unevenly distributed, and using hazard data to forecast events and plan safety
Unit 12
Biodiversity in Oregon
Practices why biodiversity and ecosystem services matter and how to compare solutions that protect them, with Oregon examples like marine reserves, kelp forests and urchins, beaver wetlands, salmon rivers and old-growth forests.
Learning standard: 7.LS2.5 · evaluating competing solutions for maintaining biodiversity and ecosystem services
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