The Hommocks Mathematics Department is committed to developing critical thinking and problem solving skills through discovery and application of mathematical concepts. Students will engage in abstract mathematical thinking that is grounded in real-world application. Over the course of three years, students will develop skills needed to independently solve increasingly complex mathematical questions.
In Grade 6, instructional time should focus on four critical areas: (1) connecting ratio and rate to whole number multiplication and division and using concepts of ratio and rate to solve problems; (2) completing understanding of division of fractions and extending the notion of number to the system of rational numbers, which includes negative numbers; (3) writing, interpreting, and using expressions and equations; and (4) developing understanding of statistical thinking.
In Grade 7, instructional time should focus on four critical areas: (1) developing understanding of and applying proportional relationships; (2) developing understanding of operations with rational numbers and working with expressions and linear equations; (3) solving problems involving scale drawings and informal geometric constructions, and working with two- and three-dimensional shapes to solve problems involving area, surface area, and volume; and (4) drawing inferences about populations based on samples.
In Grade 8, students will enroll in either Math 8 or Regents Algebra I.
Math 8 students will follow the Common Core Math 8 curriculum. The curriculum is divided into seven units of study: (1) integers, exponents and the scientific notation; (2) the concept of congruence; (3) similarity; (4) linear equations; (5) examples of functions from geometry; (6) linear functions; (7) introductions to irrational numbers using geometry.
Algebra 1 students will follow New York State Common Core Curriculum for Algebra 1. Students earn one high school credit for this course which culminates with the New York State Regents Exam. The course content includes the study of algebraic expressions; linear equations and inequalities in one and two variables; solving systems of equations graphically and analytically; piecewise and absolute value functions; polynomials and polynomial arithmetic; modeling with polynomial and exponential functions; and presenting and interpreting categorical and quantitative data.