8th Grade

Math

The Eighth Grade mathematics program helps students develop the habits and skills necessary to continue learning beyond the course itself.  

Eighth Grade mathematicians mature as students by taking the time to understand concepts deeply, relating them to real-world observations, and working to generalize principles so that their mathematical practice becomes an integration of concrete experiences and the problem-solving power of abstract ideas. In day-to-day work, students are encouraged to express their thinking through clear, persuasive use of language, symbols, and graphics, to work towards understanding why various solutions do and do not work, to guess, check, defend, change their minds, and to change the minds of others. The primary curriculum for middle school math is Open Up Resources – Illustrative Mathematics, which is supplemented by rich problems, extensions, and practical assignments. 

Essential Questions

  • How can one idea answer many different questions?
  • What makes one solution better than another?
  • How does following up on mistakes empower me?

 

  • Learn more about our Math curriculum:
    Selector View Curriculum

    8th Grade Math

    • Rigid Transformations and Congruence

      • Recognize and apply characteristics of translations, rotations, and reflections to solve problems
      • Understand congruence as a result of rigid transformation
      • Use specific terminology and choose tools to determine congruence and extend this to the concept of proof
      • Develop abstract reasoning skills by working in purely geometric contexts

       

      Dilations, Similarity, and Introducing Slope

      • Draw dilations and understand similarity as a result of dilation
      • Use properties of similar figures to reason about them
      • Develop the concept of slope triangles and understand why the slope is constant everywhere on a line
      • Extend knowledge of geometric measurement with measuring tools, grids, and coordinates
      • Apply similarity with indirect measurement
      • Use knowledge of slope to write equations for lines

       

      Linear Relationships

      • Gain experience with proportional and non-proportional linear relationships and their representations as graphs, tables, and equations
      • Interpret coordinates of points on a graph in context
      • Develop a way to compute the slope of a line from any two distinct points
      • Develop the slope-intercept equation by geometrically translating a proportional relationship
      • Consider situations represented by negative slope

       

      Linear Equations and Linear Systems 

      • Write and solve equations, stating the meaning of variables, identifying assumptions, and selecting solution methods and representations
      • Determine the number of solutions for an equation or system of two equations
      • Use algebraic methods to solve systems of linear equations in two variables
      • Write and solve linear systems that represent contextualized problems

       

      Functions and Volume

      • Understand a function as a one-to-one relationship between inputs/independent variables and outputs/dependent
      • Express functional relationships as equations
      • Interpret functions represented as graphs, tables, descriptions, and equations
      • Use linear and piecewise functions to model real-world situations
      • Extend understanding of volume from right prisms and cylinders to cones and spheres

       

      Associations in Bivariate Data

      • Explore the need to use different representations to find and analyze patterns
      • Use scatter plots and fitted lines to analyze numerical data
      • Use frequency tables and bar graphs to analyze categorical data

       

       Pythagorean Theorem and Irrational Numbers

      • Explore algebraic and geometric strategies for proving the Pythagorean Theorem
      • Develop the definition of square root and irrational numbers from its geometric meaning
      • Apply the Pythagorean Theorem in 2- and 3-dimensions
      • Estimate square and cube roots using number line intervals and decimal approximations

 

The San Francisco School

Preschool through 8th Grade

300 Gaven Street

San Francisco, CA 94134

415.239.5065

hello@sfschool.org

Nondiscrimination Statement

The San Francisco School admits students of any race, color, and national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national and ethnic origin, or sex in the administration of its educational and employment policies, financial aid programs, and athletic and other school-administered programs.