7th Grade Math

By Shannon

With the start of the new year came the start of new math territory, Linear Growth! Linear growth, or the consistent growth or decay of a pattern, is the most prevalent thread in seventh grade math and in the Algebra 1 course as a whole. As seventh graders, students begin to lay the foundation for future work with linear trends in seventh and eighth grade!

In winter term, students focused on building connections between linear patterns in a graph, in a table, and in a y=mx+b equation. Students officially defined slope and learned of the y-intercept. They learned how to find both in each of the three main representations. We discussed that just two points can make a line and how to use that information to piece together each representation. As students began to build up these technical skills, the application of real life scenarios was introduced. This allowed them to puzzle through how to find the relevant information in a word problem and use their skills to make predictions, answer questions, and use data to influence theirs or others’ decisions. Next week, you’ll see my assessment on the winter term progress report, based on class assignments and warm-ups, contributions to class and group discussions, homework assignments, projects, quizzes, and performance in group challenges and pairs quizzes.

Spring term is focused on solidifying all the above ideas. We will do so through Linear Inequalities, Proportional Relationships, and an exposure unit on intersections of lines (otherwise known as Systems of Equations, which they will return to more thoroughly in 8th grade). The course markers for spring term include:

- Can you identify slopes and y-intercepts of lines and apply your knowledge in tables, graphs, and equations?

- Can you determine if a pattern is linear and/or proportional given a table, graph, and equation?

- Can you apply your knowledge of linear trends to graph linear inequalities?

- Can you identify proportional situations and apply appropriate strategies to answer questions about them?

- Can you correctly set up and solve problems involving percents, including percent increase or decrease?

You may notice that some of the spring course markers look fairly similar to some of the winter benchmarks. That's intentional, as these skills and concepts around Linear Growth continue to develop.

FAQ:

What if my child really seems to be struggling with new skills?

That’s okay! We will continue to build on these skills in the upcoming units. They will get a lot of practice and there are other options, too! Encourage your student to attend Math Cafe on Wednesday afternoons. This is a smaller setting designated for students to get help on math from myself and other students. Students can also schedule regular or one-off meetings with me at park trip to review material and seek clarification. Finally, if they are stuck on something at home, have them email me to initiate conversation and we will pick it up in class the next day! Would you like more to do at home? Look on google classroom for relevant Khan Academy videos and resource links to practice pages. These are typically also posted in the Content Library of OneNote - more on this below.

What if my child is mastering new skills quickly?

Great! Extension assignments are available to all students as they begin to demonstrate mastery. I review work regularly and initiate conversations with students when I feel they are ready to dig deeper. Students can and are encouraged to initiate these conversations with me, as well. Once an extension plan is created, these assignments due dates will be added to their google classroom and may replace the typical homework assignment for that week. The goal is not to simply give students more rote problems to complete but to expose them to new content that deepens their understanding of the content we cover.

I want to help at home but I’m used to referencing a text book. How can I see and understand what's going on in math class?

Here is a view-only link to the seventh grade math Content Library from OneNote. The Content Library is where I will post all assignments, class notes, warm ups (which have great example problems!), and homework. The ‘Helpful Links’ section has course outlines, unit learning targets, and links to resources pages. In essence, the Content Library is the ‘textbook.’

7th Grade Math Content Library

In addition, I can send you a view-only link of your student’s notebook upon request, where you can see their work and, often, my comments.

Finally, if you ever have any questions, please don’t hesitate to email me!