Scope and sequence · Practical
Grade 7 Gardening & Animals
A year of real horticulture, husbandry and field science for twelve- and thirteen-year-olds: microclimates and season extension, wildlife management, soil formation and soil life, animal training, plant physiology, poultry, swine, horses and bees, orchards and greenhouses, and step-by-step plant diagnosis.
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What to cover
32 of 32 lessons are MUST COVER. They are tested on the unit tests and exams, or are skills the SAT/ACT relies on. OPTIONAL lessons are enrichment. Do them if time allows. The course is complete when the MUST COVER lessons are done.
Unit 1: Harvest and the Seasons
- MUST COVER 1.1 Climate Zones and Microclimates · unit test
- MUST COVER 1.2 Season Extension: Cold Frames, Row Covers and Greenhouses · unit test
- MUST COVER 1.3 Harvest and Post-Harvest Handling · unit test
- MUST COVER 1.4 Seed Saving, Heirlooms and New Varieties · unit test
Unit 2: Wildlife
- MUST COVER 2.1 Field Identification and Tracking · unit test
- MUST COVER 2.2 Deer Biology and Management · unit test
- MUST COVER 2.3 Small Mammals Underground: Mice, Moles and Voles · unit test
- MUST COVER 2.4 Predators and Protecting Livestock · unit test
Unit 3: Soil Science
- MUST COVER 3.1 Soil Formation and Parent Material · unit test
- MUST COVER 3.2 Soil Structure, Porosity and Water · unit test
- MUST COVER 3.3 Soil Microbes: Bacteria, Fungi and Actinomycetes · unit test
- MUST COVER 3.4 Building Soil: Cover Crops, No-Till and Manure · unit test
Unit 4: Pets: Behavior, Training and Care
- MUST COVER 4.1 Animal Behavior and Training: Reinforcement · unit test
- MUST COVER 4.2 Dogs: Breeds, Working Dogs and Care · unit test
- MUST COVER 4.3 Cats: Health and Behavior · unit test
- MUST COVER 4.4 The Aquarium as an Ecosystem · unit test
Unit 5: Plant Physiology
- MUST COVER 5.1 Water Movement and Transpiration · unit test
- MUST COVER 5.2 Mineral Nutrition and Deficiencies · unit test
- MUST COVER 5.3 Photoperiod: Short-Day and Long-Day Plants · unit test
- MUST COVER 5.4 Plant Hormones: Auxin, Cuttings and Ethylene · unit test
Unit 6: Farm Animals and Bees
- MUST COVER 6.1 Poultry Science: The Egg, Incubation and Showmanship · unit test
- MUST COVER 6.2 Swine · unit test
- MUST COVER 6.3 Horses: Anatomy, Care and Riding Safety · unit test
- MUST COVER 6.4 Beekeeping: Colony Management, Swarms and the Honey Harvest · unit test
Unit 7: Planting: Greenhouse, Containers, Orchard and Field
- MUST COVER 7.1 Greenhouse and Seed-Starting Operations · unit test
- MUST COVER 7.2 Containers and Repotting Large Plants and Trees · unit test
- MUST COVER 7.3 The Orchard: Planting and Pruning Fruit Trees · unit test
- MUST COVER 7.4 Field Crops and Farm Machinery · unit test
Unit 8: Plant Health: Diagnosis, Pathogens, Pests and Abiotic Problems
- MUST COVER 8.1 Diagnosing Plant Problems Step by Step · unit test
- MUST COVER 8.2 Fungal and Bacterial Pathogens · unit test
- MUST COVER 8.3 Insect Pests and IPM Thresholds · unit test
- MUST COVER 8.4 Abiotic Problems: Frost, Sunscald, Drought, Nutrient and Chemical Injury · unit test
36-week pacing calendar
From the course’s own 32-week pacing guide, with catch-up and review weeks added to fill a 36-week (180-day) year.
| Week | Plan | Done | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | Session 1: Lesson 1.1 Climate Zones and Microclimates: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 1.1 hands-on project and nature journal | ||
| Wk 2 | Session 1: Lesson 1.2 Season Extension: Cold Frames, Row Covers and Greenhouses: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 1.2 hands-on project and nature journal | ||
| Wk 3 | Session 1: Lesson 1.3 Harvest and Post-Harvest Handling: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 1.3 hands-on project and nature journal | ||
| Wk 4 | Session 1: Lesson 1.4 Seed Saving, Heirlooms and New Varieties: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 1.4 hands-on project and nature journal Session 3: Unit 1 review and portfolio project | ||
| Wk 5 | Session 1: Lesson 2.1 Field Identification and Tracking: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 2.1 hands-on project and nature journal | ||
| Wk 6 | Session 1: Lesson 2.2 Deer Biology and Management: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 2.2 hands-on project and nature journal | ||
| Wk 7 | Session 1: Lesson 2.3 Small Mammals Underground: Mice, Moles and Voles: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 2.3 hands-on project and nature journal | ||
| Wk 8 | Session 1: Lesson 2.4 Predators and Protecting Livestock: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 2.4 hands-on project and nature journal Session 3: Unit 2 review and portfolio project | ||
| Wk 9 | Session 1: Lesson 3.1 Soil Formation and Parent Material: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 3.1 hands-on project and nature journal | ||
| Wk 10 | Session 1: Lesson 3.2 Soil Structure, Porosity and Water: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 3.2 hands-on project and nature journal | ||
| Wk 11 | Session 1: Lesson 3.3 Soil Microbes: Bacteria, Fungi and Actinomycetes: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 3.3 hands-on project and nature journal | ||
| Wk 12 | Session 1: Lesson 3.4 Building Soil: Cover Crops, No-Till and Manure: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 3.4 hands-on project and nature journal Session 3: Unit 3 review and portfolio project | ||
| Wk 13 | Session 1: Lesson 4.1 Animal Behavior and Training: Reinforcement: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 4.1 hands-on project and nature journal | ||
| Wk 14 | Session 1: Lesson 4.2 Dogs: Breeds, Working Dogs and Care: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 4.2 hands-on project and nature journal | ||
| Wk 15 | Session 1: Lesson 4.3 Cats: Health and Behavior: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 4.3 hands-on project and nature journal | ||
| Wk 16 | Session 1: Lesson 4.4 The Aquarium as an Ecosystem: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 4.4 hands-on project and nature journal Session 3: Unit 4 review and portfolio project | ||
| Wk 17 | Catch-up and review week (no new lessons) | ||
| Wk 18 | Session 1: Lesson 5.1 Water Movement and Transpiration: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 5.1 hands-on project and nature journal | ||
| Wk 19 | Session 1: Lesson 5.2 Mineral Nutrition and Deficiencies: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 5.2 hands-on project and nature journal | ||
| Wk 20 | Session 1: Lesson 5.3 Photoperiod: Short-Day and Long-Day Plants: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 5.3 hands-on project and nature journal | ||
| Wk 21 | Session 1: Lesson 5.4 Plant Hormones: Auxin, Cuttings and Ethylene: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 5.4 hands-on project and nature journal Session 3: Unit 5 review and portfolio project | ||
| Wk 22 | Session 1: Lesson 6.1 Poultry Science: The Egg, Incubation and Showmanship: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 6.1 hands-on project and nature journal | ||
| Wk 23 | Session 1: Lesson 6.2 Swine: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 6.2 hands-on project and nature journal | ||
| Wk 24 | Session 1: Lesson 6.3 Horses: Anatomy, Care and Riding Safety: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 6.3 hands-on project and nature journal | ||
| Wk 25 | Session 1: Lesson 6.4 Beekeeping: Colony Management, Swarms and the Honey Harvest: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 6.4 hands-on project and nature journal Session 3: Unit 6 review and portfolio project | ||
| Wk 26 | Session 1: Lesson 7.1 Greenhouse and Seed-Starting Operations: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 7.1 hands-on project and nature journal | ||
| Wk 27 | Session 1: Lesson 7.2 Containers and Repotting Large Plants and Trees: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 7.2 hands-on project and nature journal | ||
| Wk 28 | Session 1: Lesson 7.3 The Orchard: Planting and Pruning Fruit Trees: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 7.3 hands-on project and nature journal | ||
| Wk 29 | Session 1: Lesson 7.4 Field Crops and Farm Machinery: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 7.4 hands-on project and nature journal Session 3: Unit 7 review and portfolio project | ||
| Wk 30 | Session 1: Lesson 8.1 Diagnosing Plant Problems Step by Step: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 8.1 hands-on project and nature journal | ||
| Wk 31 | Session 1: Lesson 8.2 Fungal and Bacterial Pathogens: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 8.2 hands-on project and nature journal | ||
| Wk 32 | Session 1: Lesson 8.3 Insect Pests and IPM Thresholds: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 8.3 hands-on project and nature journal | ||
| Wk 33 | Session 1: Lesson 8.4 Abiotic Problems: Frost, Sunscald, Drought, Nutrient and Chemical Injury: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 8.4 hands-on project and nature journal Session 3: Unit 8 review and portfolio project | ||
| Wk 34 | Catch-up week: finish any MUST COVER lesson not yet done | ||
| Wk 35 | Catch-up week: finish any MUST COVER lesson not yet done | ||
| Wk 36 | Year-end review, portfolio and records |
Grading: Hands-on projects 35%, Nature journal 20%, Unit reviews 20%, Portfolio projects 25%. Scale: A 90–100, B 80–89, C 70–79, D 60–69, below 60 not yet passing (redo and resubmit).