Grade 7 · Integrated Human Systems Science
Grade 7 marks the shift from analysis to prediction and control. Learners reason with proportional relationships, interpret nonlinear change, and revise models when predictions fail. Students are developmentally ready to understand that systems can cross thresholds where small changes cause large effects.
Continuing Anchor Ideas
These ideas now function as predictive lenses: students reference them to explain how feedback loops, rates, and decisions shape the future.
Systems change over time at measurable rates.
Students quantify how fast systems change and analyze trends over time.
Feedback loops can stabilize or amplify change.
Students identify loops that keep systems steady or drive runaway acceleration.
Thresholds can lead to rapid system shifts.
Students evaluate "tipping points" where small changes cause sudden, large effects.
Human decisions shape future system trajectories.
Students predict how today's choices alter the long-term path of a system.
Models are used to predict, test, and revise understanding.
Students use models not just to explain, but to forecast outcomes and refine their logic when predictions fail.
Grade 7 learners can reason with proportional relationships, rates, and multi-step causal chains. They can interpret graphs, identify nonlinear change, and revise models when predictions fail. They are developmentally ready to understand that systems can cross thresholds (tipping points).
What Grade 7 adds to the system: a shift from analysis to prediction. Students now treat systems as dynamic and sometimes unstable, using feedback and thresholds to forecast behavior.
Grade 7 Standards by Domain
Students analyze rates, model feedback loops, evaluate thresholds, and design adaptive strategies across human and natural systems.
7-HS1
Water Systems, Feedback, and Thresholds
Clean Water & Sanitation
Rates
Thresholds
- 7-HS1.1 Students analyze rates of water movement through natural and engineered systems.
- 7-HS1.2 Students model feedback loops affecting water availability and quality.
- 7-HS1.3 Students evaluate threshold events such as drought, flooding, or contamination.
- 7-HS1.4 Students design adaptive water management strategies based on predictive models.
Hands-on STEM expectation
Rate-based flow experiments, drought and flood simulations, adaptive system redesign.
7-HS2
Energy Systems, Demand, and Optimization
Affordable & Clean Energy
Transfer Rates
Tipping Points
- 7-HS2.1 Students analyze energy transfer rates and losses in systems.
- 7-HS2.2 Students model feedback between energy demand, supply, and efficiency.
- 7-HS2.3 Students evaluate tipping points in energy systems.
- 7-HS2.4 Students design energy systems optimized for changing conditions.
Hands-on STEM expectation
Energy demand modeling, efficiency curve analysis, optimization challenges.
7-HS3
Health Systems, Spread, and Intervention
Good Health & Well-Being
Spread
Feedback
- 7-HS3.1 Students analyze rates of disease spread in populations.
- 7-HS3.2 Students model feedback between behavior and health outcomes.
- 7-HS3.3 Students evaluate intervention effectiveness at different scales.
- 7-HS3.4 Students design health interventions using predictive models.
Hands-on STEM expectation
Spread simulations, intervention modeling, rate comparisons.
7-HS4
Infrastructure Performance and Failure Cascades
Industry, Innovation, & Infra
Cascades
Vulnerability
- 7-HS4.1 Students analyze performance rates of infrastructure systems.
- 7-HS4.2 Students model cascading failures across interconnected systems.
- 7-HS4.3 Students evaluate system vulnerability to stress.
- 7-HS4.4 Students design infrastructure systems with built-in adaptability.
Hands-on STEM expectation
Cascade simulations, stress testing, adaptive redesign challenges.
7-HS5
Urban System Dynamics and Growth
Sustainable Cities
Dynamics
Scalability
- 7-HS5.1 Students analyze how urban systems change with population growth.
- 7-HS5.2 Students model feedback between infrastructure, resources, and population.
- 7-HS5.3 Students evaluate urban thresholds related to congestion or resource scarcity.
- 7-HS5.4 Students design scalable urban solutions.
Hands-on STEM expectation
Growth modeling, congestion simulations, scalability challenges.
7-HS6
Production System Rates and Bottlenecks
Responsible Consumption
Bottlenecks
Throughput
- 7-HS6.1 Students analyze production rates and throughput.
- 7-HS6.2 Students model bottlenecks in supply chains.
- 7-HS6.3 Students evaluate feedback between demand and production.
- 7-HS6.4 Students design systems that reduce bottlenecks and waste.
Hands-on STEM expectation
Flow simulations, bottleneck analysis, throughput optimization.
7-HS7
Aquatic Ecosystem Change and Tipping Points
Life Below Water
Disturbance
Nonlinear Change
- 7-HS7.1 Students analyze rates of change in aquatic ecosystems.
- 7-HS7.2 Students model feedback loops in aquatic systems.
- 7-HS7.3 Students evaluate ecosystem tipping points.
- 7-HS7.4 Students design adaptive ecosystem management strategies.
Hands-on STEM expectation
Population modeling, disturbance simulations, adaptive planning.
7-HS8
Terrestrial Ecosystem Change and Thresholds
Life on Land
Instability
Adaptation
- 7-HS8.1 Students analyze rates of change in land ecosystems.
- 7-HS8.2 Students model feedback loops in terrestrial systems.
- 7-HS8.3 Students evaluate land-use tipping points.
- 7-HS8.4 Students design adaptive land management strategies.
Hands-on STEM expectation
Land-use change modeling, threshold simulations, management redesign.
Grade 7 throughline: Feedback loops and thresholds become expected tools. Students predict future behavior and revise models when reality diverges from the forecast.
Design and Practice Standards
Applied continuously, students move from descriptive models to predictive ones, using data to justify adaptive strategies.
- 7-DSP1 Students develop predictive models.
- 7-DSP2 Students analyze rates, trends, and nonlinear data.
- 7-DSP3 Students test predictions and revise models.
- 7-DSP4 Students justify decisions using evidence and projected outcomes.
What Grade 7 accomplishes
Students reason about future system behavior, not just past events. Feedback loops and thresholds become standard analytical tools, and prediction/revision is normalized to prepare for integrative synthesis in Grade 8.