Mathematics

This math course emphasizes three critical areas. First, students will develop fluency with addition and subtraction of fraction and create an understanding of the multiplication and division process of fractions. Next, they will extend division to 2-digit divisors while integrating decimal fractions into the place value system and continue the understanding of operations with decimals to hundredths, and fluency with whole number and decimal operations. Students will also develop an understanding of geometry and measurement.

Students in 7th grade will begin with the number system, learning to add, subtract, multiply and divide integers and rational numbers. Students will also learn how to calculate unit rates, identify proportional numbers, find percent of increase and decrease, and apply percent in real world situations. Students learn to write and solve one and two-step equations and inequalities and finally, model and create geometric drawings and calculate circumference, area, surface area and volume of composite figures.

This math course begins with the four critical areas of development associated with the 7th grade curriculum, and expands into six additional areas to help prepare students for Algebra. Here, students will explore statistics by analyzing and comparing various displays of data and by making inferences from random samples and populations. Students learn principles of probability and how to make predictions. They will broaden their understanding of the number system as they work with exponents and use scientific notation. Students will investigate proportional and nonproportional relationships, graph them and solve linear equations. In the last two units, students explore the realm of Transformational Geometry and gain an understanding of Measurement Geometry, as they investigate angle relationships in parallel lines and triangles, and calculate volume of cylinders, cones and spheres.

The 8th grade math course is comprised of six different units. The first unit focuses on the number system of real numbers, rational and irrational numbers, and affords opportunities to work with exponents and scientific notation. In Unit 2, students will delve into proportional and nonproportional relationships and functions, learning how to write linear equations and functions based on real-world situations. In the third unit, students will learn multiple ways to solve linear equations and systems of linear equations. The fourth unit exposes students to Transformational Geometry, where they investigate concepts of transformations and congruence, as well as transformations and similarity. In Unit 5, they will enter the realm of Measurement Geometry, analyzing angle relationships in various applications, the Pythagorean Theorem and volume. Finally, in the last unit, students explore statistics, making predictions and interpreting scatter plots and two-way tables.

This math course serves as a bridge from previous math courses to Algebra 1. Students review concepts including, but not limited to, rational numbers, decimals, mixed numbers, prime numbers, number systems, operations with negative numbers, percent, powers, and basic geometry. Basic algebra concepts are enhanced, such as naming a variable, expressing real-life applications with algebraic expressions, substituting numbers for variables, and solving basic equations. More difficult equations, involving the distributive property and combining like terms, are solved. More algebra concepts are introduced, such as absolute value, slopes of lines, equations of lines and graphs of lines.