8th Grade Math Learning Targets
Middle School Learning Targets - 8th Grade Mathematics (Math 8)
Communicates clearly and explains my reasoning so others can follow how a problem is solved.
- Use appropriate mathematical language
- Use appropriate forms of mathematical representation to present information correctly
- Move between different forms of mathematical representation
- Communicate through lines of reasoning that are complete and coherent
- Present work that is usually organized using a logical structure.
Reasons mathematically to solve problems in real-life context.
- Identify the relevant elements of the authentic real-life situation
- Select adequate mathematical strategies to model the authentic real-life situation
- Apply the selected mathematical strategies to reach a valid solution to the authentic real-life situation
- Explain the degree of accuracy of the solution
- Explain whether the solution makes sense in the context of the authentic real-life situation.
Recognizes patterns and describes them as relationships or general rules.
- Select and apply mathematical problem-solving techniques to correctly identify the pattern.
- Pattern is described as a relationship or general rule
- Verify the validity of these general rules.
- Conclusions are consistent with the correct findings.
Works with expressions and equations using integer exponents.
- Apply the properties of integer exponents using powers of 10 to generate equivalent numerical expressions.
- Perform operations with numbers expressed in scientific notation.
- Estimate very large or very small quantities using scientific notation with a single digit times an integer power of ten.
Analyzes and solves linear equations and systems of linear equations.
- Solve linear equations with one variable including equations with rational number coefficients, with the variable on both sides, or whose solutions require using the distributive property and/or combining like terms.
- Find, analyze, and interpret solutions to pairs of simultaneous linear equations using graphs or tables.
Defines, evaluates, compares, and uses linear functions to model relationships between quantities.
- Graph proportional relationships in authentic contexts. Interpret the unit rate as the slope of the graph, and compare two different proportional relationships represented in different ways.
- Write the equation for a line in slope intercept form y = mx + b, where m and b are rational numbers, and explain in context why the slope m is the same between any two distinct points.
- Understand in authentic contexts, that the graph of a function is the set of ordered pairs consisting of an input and a corresponding output.
- Compare the properties of two functions represented algebraically, graphically, numerically in tables, or verbally by description.
- Understand and identify linear functions, whose graph is a straight line, and identify examples of functions that are not linear.
- Construct a function to model a linear relationship in authentic contexts between two quantities.
- Describe qualitatively the functional relationship between two quantities in authentic contexts by analyzing a graph.
Investigates patterns of association in bivariate data.
- Formulate statistical investigative questions to articulate research topics and uncover patterns of association seen in bivariate categorical data.
- Collect or consider data using surveys and measurements to capture patterns of association, and critically analyze data collection methods.
- Analyze patterns of association between two quantitative or categorical variables and reason about distributions to compare groups.
- Interpret scatter plots for bivariate quantitative data to investigate patterns of association between two quantities to answer investigative questions.
Understands congruence and similarity using transformational geometry, triangle-angle relationships, and parallel lines cut by transversals, as well as, the volume of cylinders, cones and spheres.
- Verify experimentally the properties of rotations, reflections, and translations.
- Understand that a two-dimensional figure is congruent to another if the second can be obtained from the first by a sequence of rotations, reflections, and translations.
- Describe the effect of dilations, translations, rotations and reflections on two-dimensional figures using coordinates.
- Understand that a two-dimensional figure is similar to another if the second can be obtained from the first by a sequence of rotations, reflections, translations, and/or dilations.
- Use informal arguments to establish facts about interior and exterior angles of triangles and angles formed by parallel lines cut with a transversal.
- Choose and use the appropriate formula for the volume of cones, cylinders, and spheres to solve problems in authentic contexts.
Understands and applies the Pythagorean Theorem using rational and irrational numbers.
- Know that real numbers that are not rational are called irrational.
- Use rational approximations of irrational numbers to compare size and locate on a number line.
- Represent solutions to equations using square root and cube root symbols.
- Distinguish between applications of the Pythagorean Theorem and its Converse in authentic contexts.
- Apply the Pythagorean Theorem in authentic contexts to determine unknown side lengths in right triangles.
- Apply the Pythagorean Theorem to find the distance between two points in a coordinate system.