This initial year establishes the foundation for each student’s continued success in English Language Arts (ELA). North Carolina's English Standard Course of Study defines appropriate content, resulting in a uniform set of standards for every state public school. These standards are the foundation of instruction and define what students are expected to know and what they should be able to do by the end of each grade. Individual schools and teachers make decisions about the texts they choose to meet those expectations. 

In seventh grade, teachers guide students through key reading standards and continue to help students develop vocabulary, comprehension, writing skills and speaking and listening skills. Students will read novels, short stories, poems, and a variety of informational texts to learn about broad themes that affect all people. Over the course of the year, students will learn to comprehend text of steadily increasing complexity. They will develop close reading skills and be expected to read independently. In 7th grade, students are taught writing and grammar through the three main types of writing: narrative, informational, and argumentative.

Seventh-grade math builds on the skills acquired in Elementary School by adhering to the N.C. Mathematical Content Standards and the Standards for Mathematical Practice. The content standards provide a clear focus of content that must be mastered at each grade level organized by Number and Quantity, Algebra, Functions, Modeling, Geometry, and Statistics and Data. Equally important are the Standards for Mathematical Practice, which describe the behaviors and mental habits of mathematically proficient students.

In 7th grade teachers focus on all mathematical operations for rational numbers including integer, fraction, and decimal operations. Students continue to develop proportional reasoning and develop the concept into the rate of change as a preparation for 8th-grade math. Another focus is on the pre-Algebra skills of algebraic expressions, equations and inequalities in one variable. Students will develop a conceptual understanding of all relevant information of triangles and circumference and area formulas for circles and other 2-D figures. Students will also examine cross-sections, surface area, and volume of 3-D figures. Statistics involves the understanding of random sampling, making inferences from population samples, and calculating measures of central tendency and then comparing them to make inferences between two sets of data.

The NC Science standards are organized into life, earth and physical science domains and are set up to allow students’ thinking about core concepts to become increasingly sophisticated over time. Elective science classes vary at each school.
In seventh grade, students can: 

• Forces and Motion
  • Explain how the motion of an object can be described by its position, direction of motion, and speed with respect to some other object. 
  • Explain the effects of balanced/unbalanced forces acting on an object. 
  • Illustrate the motion of an object using a graph to show a change in position over a period of time. 
  • Interpret distance/time graphs for constant speed and variable motion
• Energy: Conservation and Transfer
  • Explain how kinetic and potential energy contribute to the mechanical energy of an object. 
  • Explain how energy can be transformed from one form to another. 
  • Recognize that energy can be transferred from one system to another when two objects push or pull on each other over a distance (work).
  • Recognize that electrical circuits require a complete loop through which an electrical current can pass.
  • Explain how simple machines such as inclined planes, pulleys, levers, and wheel and axles are used to create mechanical advantage and increase efficiency.
• Earth Systems, Structures, and Processes 
  • Compare the composition, properties, and structure of Earth’s atmosphere. 
  • Explain how the cycling of water in and out of the atmosphere and atmospheric conditions relate to the weather patterns on Earth.
  • Explain the relationship between the movement of air masses, high and low-pressure systems, and frontal boundaries to storms (including thunderstorms, hurricanes, and tornadoes) and other weather conditions that may result. 
  • Predict weather conditions and patterns based on information obtained from weather data and maps, satellites and radar, and cloud shapes and types.
  • Explain the influence of convection, global winds and the jet stream on weather and climatic conditions. 
  • Conclude that the good health of humans requires monitoring the atmosphere, maintaining air quality and stewardship.
• Structures and Functions of Living Organisms
  • Compare the structures and life functions of single-celled organisms. 
  • Compare the structures and functions of plant and animal cells. 
  • Summarize the hierarchical organization of multicellular organisms from cells to tissues to organs to systems to organisms. 
  • Summarize the general functions of the major systems of the human body.
• Evolution and Genetics 
  • Explain why offspring that result from sexual reproduction have greater variation than offspring that result from asexual reproduction. 
  • Infer patterns of heredity using information from Punnett squares and pedigree analysis. 
  • Explain the impact of the environment and lifestyle choices on biological inheritance.

The NC Social Studies curriculum provides students with instruction in world history, American History, civic literacy, financial literacy, and NC history. The goal of the standards is to prepare all students to become career, college, and civic ready. Textbooks, digital tools, and other curricula are used to teach the standards. The Social Studies standards are currently under revision.  

Seventh graders study the world from the Age of Exploration to contemporary times to better understand the implications of increased global interactions. The focus is on the discipline of geography by using the themes of location, place, movement, human-environmental interaction and region to understand modern societies and regions. This course guides students through patterns of change and continuity with a focus on conflict and cooperation, economic development, population shifts, political thought and organization, cultural values and beliefs, and the impact of the environment over time. Students investigate the various factors that shaped the development of societies and regions in the modern world and global interactions.  The standards are organized around five strands: history, geography, and environmental literacy, economics and financial literacy, civics and governance, and culture. The strands are woven together in an integrated study that helps students understand the world in which we live.