Curriculum
During their first year in middle school, our fifth-grade students will greatly expand their knowledge of arithmetic, fractions, decimals, measurement systems, geometry, and data interpretation. We will also discover new mathematical concepts such as integers, exponents, the coordinate plane, variable expressions, and data displays.
In sixth grade, we continue our accelerated math curriculum. In addition to enhancing our understanding of geometry and our measurement systems, students will acquire a great deal of knowledge about the rational number system, proportionate reasoning, percentages, statistics, and probability. Sixth grade is also where begin to build our algebraic foundation by studying variable expressions and equations.
Our seventh-grade math class is treated as a Pre-Algebra course following both seventh and eighth-grade Common Core standards. We begin the year with a comprehensive and in-depth study of rational numbers. Seventh graders will then begin to learn about the properties of exponents, radicals, and the use of scientific notation. We will review proportionate relationships, including more advanced percent applications, and converting rates.
We continue to build our algebraic skills by simplifying expressions and solving multi-step equations and inequalities. Students will learn about slope, linear functions, and their applications. We start the fourth marking period by addressing the last of the middle school geometric concepts that include area, surface area, volume, angle relationships, circle measurements, and the Pythagorean Theorem. We conclude the year with a quick review and extension of the statistics and probabilities concepts learned in sixth grade.
Algebra 1
We follow the Common Core Algebra 1 Standards and use the Pearson Common Core textbook. We begin the year with a brief overview of the essential pre-algebra skills acquired during their sixth and seventh-grade years. We expand our understanding of expressions, equations, and inequalities to include absolute values and compound inequalities. We spend the major part of the second marking period studying linear equations, graphs, and models. Eighth-grade students will complete a unit on systems of linear equations and inequalities, followed by a unit on exponents. In the fourth marking period, we learn how to add, subtract, multiply, and factor polynomials, leading to our final unit on quadratic equations, functions, and graphs.
Advanced Math
We offer two sections of Advanced Math in the middle school. Our Advanced Math students spend the year preparing and competing in several math competitions, including Math League and Math Olympiad.
Over the past six years, Pioneer math teams have earned numerous team and individual awards.