Math in Grades 7/8
In the upper grades, our math lessons move, much more so, into the thinking realm. The skills of long division and multiplication, as well as fractions, decimals, and percentages are built on and exercised in the 7th and 8th grade years, as we start to look at longer formulas and equations. We follow a longer process of engagement in a given equation or question, and the students show this process on the page.
When the students found out last year that they were nearing the start of our practice of Algebra, they asked a question that, I’m sure, many of their parents might have asked in grade school: “Why do we need to learn these big math concepts, seeing as we will have calculators in our pockets all of the time as adults?”
This was a great opportunity to show the importance of math beyond computation in daily life situations – budgeting at the grocery store or paying gratuity at a restaurant, for example. What I pointed out to them was that, first of all, math studies were of the utmost importance to the ancient philosophers that we had studied in Greece and the middle ages because it is one of the few mental processes with which we can arrive at a truly objective conclusion, even if there are many ways to arrive at it. Additionally, we all use mental math at certain times almost daily, and having strong mental math skills will create ease and confidence in those situations (especially if, for example, we leave our phone in the car!).
Algebra is, in one way of describing it, putting mental math into a concise formula on the page. Once the students realized that a lot of the work we do in Algebra corresponded to a process that was already going on naturally in their mental math, they conceded that it wasn’t so hard or mysterious, after all! Starting from this place of confidence and comfort is a truly potent state for math concepts to be digested and “embodied”, and is a great foundation to build off of, incrementally, as the work becomes more challenging.
As the students approach graduation and transition to a new school – one which will have varying ways of approaching math – our students will be prepared for the challenge with the confidence they have built, and the willpower they have been exercising and demonstrating throughout their time as a middle school student at City of Fountains School!
This post was written by Mr. Josh, 2023-24 Grades 7/8 Lead Teacher.