This year, students will be studying mathematics from the Connected Mathematics Program (CMP) materials. CMP aligns to the Common Core State Standards for Mathematics and prepares students for college and careers, as this curriculum is problem centered. This means students will investigate mathematical ideas within the context of a realistic problem, as opposed to looking only at numbers. Some problems involve real-world applications or unusual situations, while others are purely mathematical. A problem’s context provides a vehicle for understanding and remembering the mathematical concepts. CMP is also aligned to the Standards for Mathematical Practice found within the Common Core State Standards. Students will be expected to reflect on the practices used within their investigations. The Mathematical Practices are:
1. Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them.
2. Reason abstractly and quantitatively.
3. Construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others.
4. Model with mathematics.
5. Use appropriate tools strategically.
6. Attend to precision.
7. Look for and make use of structure.
8. Look for and express regularity in repeated reasoning.
7th Grade Books:
· Shapes and Designs
Two-Dimensional Geometry
· Completely Rational
Integers and Rational Numbers
· Stretching and Shrinking
Understanding Similarity
· Comparing and Scaling
Ratios, Rates, Percents, and Proportions
· Moving Straight Ahead
Linear Relationships
· Filling and Wrapping
Three-Dimensional Measurement
· How Likely Is It?
Probability and Expected Value
· Samples and Populations
Making Comparisons and Predictions
8th Grade Books:
· Thinking With Mathematical Models
Linear and Inverse Variation
· Looking for Pythagoras
The Pythagorean Theorem
· Growing, Growing, Growing
Exponential Functions
· Butterflies, Pinwheels, and Wallpaper
Symmetry and Transformations
· Say It With Symbols
Making Sense of Symbols
· It’s in the System
Systems of Linear Equations and Inequalities