7th Grade Math Information

Below is a short description of the math courses offered to 7^th Grade students.

Listed below are skills that all 7^th grade students should be proficient and comfortable in doing prior to the start of class.  

1. Solving problems with positive and negative numbers
   1. Understanding how to add, subtract, multiply and divide positive and negative numbers without a calculator. 
   2. Being able to estimate answers before solving
   3. Solving these problems accurately 
2. Working with fractions 
   1. Understanding fraction concepts
   2. Solving fractions problems with and without common denominators
   3. Switching fractions from mixed numbers to improper fractions and vice versa
   4. Solving and working with proportions 
3. Solving equations 
   1. Simple one-step and two-step equations and showing the steps on paper that help you solve the equation. 
   2. Solving equations with both positive/negative numbers 
   3. Solving equations with fractions 
4. Understanding Ratios 
   1. Knowing what a ratio is 
   2. Finding a unit rate 
   3. Applying ratios to find missing measurements 
5. Understanding the relationships between fractions, decimals, and percents 
   1. Know how to convert from one to the other 
6. Solving story problems 
   1. Solve story problems that include a variety of different concepts including positive/negative numbers, fractions, ratios, and percents. 
7. Working, Analyzing, and Showing Data 
   1. Understand how to read different types of graphs
   2. Find mean, median, mode, and the range of data 
   3. Create a variety of different graphs including bar graphs, line graphs, and scattergrams

Pre-Algebra… Little time is spent reviewing the skills listed above as this class is, of course, designed as an Algebra prep class. The topics covered in Pre-Algebra are listed below.

1. Connecting Arithmetic and Algebra
2. Introduction to Algebra
3. Integers
4. Equations
5. Graphs and Data Analysis
6. Introduction to Geometry
7. Number Theory and Fraction Concepts
8. Rational Numbers
9. Ratio, Proportion and Percent
10. Circles and Polygons
11. Statistics
12. Probability
13. Inequalities and Graphing
14. Surface Area and Volume
15. Polynomials

Algebra… is an advanced class where students (entering in 7^th grade) complete Pre-Algebra over the summer and turn in material to his/her teacher before class.  This class uses Algebra concepts from the beginning and is a challenge to most that take it.  This course is a high school level math class, and not a simplified middle school version of Algebra.  The homework load for this class is approx. 1 hour each evening.  New concepts come frequently - often times every class. The entire text is covered, so there is little time for slowing the pace.  Students need to be independent and responsible.