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Middle School Math Courses

All math courses are based on the CA Mathematics Standards.

MATH 6

Textbook: Big Ideas Math Course 1

Topics Taught:
  • Understanding and applying the concepts of ratios and unit rates, and using the correct language to describe them (for example, the ratio of wings to beaks in a flock of birds is 2 to 1, because for every 2 wings there is 1 beak)
  • Building on knowledge of multiplication and division to divide fractions by fractions
  • Understanding that positive and negative numbers are located on opposite sides of 0 on a number line
  • Using pairs of numbers, including negative numbers, as coordinates for locating or placing a point on a graph
  • Writing and determining the value of expressions with whole-number exponents (such as 15+32 )
  • Identifying and writing equivalent mathematical expressions by applying the properties of operations. For example, recognizing that 2 (3+x) is the same as 6+2x
  • Understanding that solving an equation such as 2+x = 12 means answering the question, “What number does x have to be to make this statement true?”
  • Representing and analyzing the relationships between independent and dependent variables
  • Solving problems involving area and volume

MATH 7

Textbook: Big Ideas Math Course 2

Topics Taught:
  • Rates, ratios, proportions, and percentages to solve multi-step problems
  • Identifying the unit rate of change in tables, graphs, equations, and verbal descriptions
  • Calculating the unit rates associated with ratios of fractions, including quantities measured in different units
  • Solving problems using equations to find the value of one missing variable
  • Applying the properties of operations to generate equivalent mathematical expressions
  • Solving multi-step word problems by adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing positive and negative rational numbers in any form (including whole numbers, fractions, or decimals)
  • Understanding that numbers cannot be divided by 0
  • Converting rational numbers to decimals using long division
  • Describing situations in which positive and negative quantities combine to make 0
  • Finding the area of two-dimensional objects and the volume and surface area of three-dimensional objects

MATH 8

Textbook: Big Ideas Math Course 3

Topics Taught:
  • Understanding that every rational number (such as ½, 0.3, 2, or -2) can be written as a decimal, but that the decimal form of an irrational number (such as 2 ) is both non-repeating and infinite
  • Applying the properties of exponents to generate equivalent numerical expressions
  • Determining the value of square roots of small perfect squares (such as 49= 7) and cube roots of small perfect cubes (such as 3 64=4)
  • Graphing proportional relationships and interpreting the unit rate as the slope (how steep or flat a line is)
  • Solving and graphing one- and two-variable linear equations
  • Understanding that a function is a rule that assigns to each value of x exactly one value of y, such as y=2x, a rule that would yield such ordered pairs as (-2,-4), (3,6), and (4,8)
  • Comparing the properties of two functions represented in different ways (in a table, graph, equation, or description)
  • Determining congruence (when shapes are of equal size and shape) and similarity (same shape but different sizes)
  • Learning and applying the Pythagorean Theorem (an equation relating the lengths of the sides of a right triangle: a2 + b2 = c2 )
  • Solving problems involving the volume of cylinders, cones, and spheres
 

ACCELERATED MATH 6/7A

Textbook: Big Ideas Math Advanced 1

ACCELERATED MATH 7B/8

Textbook: Big Ideas Math Advanced 2

ALGEBRA I

Textbook: Big Ideas Math Algebra 1

Note: The above descriptions were provided by National PTA Parent Roadmaps.