Term 3 Math Topics at Tahuna
Year 7 Maths: Fractions, Decimals and Percentages
The key concepts and skills this will cover are:
Understanding the Basics: Students will learn to identify, read, write, and represent fractions, decimals (up to three decimal places), and percentages. We'll explore the meaning of numerators and denominators.
Converting and Comparing: Converting between fractions, decimals, and percentages. Students will also develop strategies to compare and order these different forms of numbers, helping them see the relationships between them.
Operations with Rational Numbers: This involves then addition and subtraction of decimals (to three decimal places), with a strong emphasis on estimating answers (using rounding to the nearest whole number), before calculating. Students will also learn to multiply fractions by whole numbers and add/subtract fractions with different denominators, using the concept of equivalent fractions.
Percentages in Practice: We'll explore how to find a percentage of a whole number, and even how to find the original whole amount when given a simple fraction or percentage.
How You Can Support Learning at Home:
Real-World Connections: Point out fractions, decimals, and percentages in everyday situations. Think about:
Recipes: Discuss how fractions are used in ingredients (e.g., "half a cup" or "three-quarters of a teaspoon").
Shopping: Look at discounts (percentages off), unit prices (decimals), or sales tax.
Time: Talk about parts of an hour or day as fractions or decimals.
Sports: Discuss batting averages (decimals) or team statistics (percentages).
Estimation: When dealing with decimals, encourage your child to estimate answers before calculating. This helps them develop a sense of number and reasonableness. For example, if adding $1.99 and $2.05, they could estimate it will be around $4.
Practice Everyday Math: Engage in quick mental math challenges involving fractions, decimals, or percentages. For example, "What is half of 50?" or "If something is 25% off, how much is the discount?"
Year 8 Maths: Algebra
The key concepts and skills this will cover are:
Building blocks of Algebra: We'll begin by introducing your child to the basic parts of algebra: things that change (variables), things that stay the same (constants), and combinations of these (terms). Your child will learn to turn everyday phrases into math language and figure out the value of these math expressions by putting in specific numbers. They'll also practice making these expressions simpler by grouping similar items and using a rule called the distributive property to handle parts in parentheses.
Solving equations: Your child will learn how to solve equations that require one or two steps. They'll understand that equations are like a balanced scale, and they'll use opposite operations (like adding to undo subtracting) to find missing numbers. We'll also take real-life situations and turn them into equations to solve, which will really boost their problem-solving abilities.
Discovering patterns: Your child will explore different kinds of patterns. They'll learn to tell if a pattern grows steadily (a linear pattern) and, if it does, how to write a math rule or equation for it. Then, they'll use these rules to guess what comes next in a pattern or to find specific numbers within it. We'll also get into creating and testing simple step-by-step instructions (think of them like recipes) to help them find, understand, and explain patterns.
How You Can Support Learning at Home:
Discuss Patterns: Encourage your child to look for patterns everywhere – in numbers, shapes, nature, or even daily routines. Ask them to describe the pattern and predict what comes next.
Problem-Solving Together: Engage in problem-solving scenarios that involve unknowns. For example, "I bought three items that cost the same amount, and my total bill was $15. How much did each item cost?" This is a simple equation in disguise!
Think About Formulas: Many everyday situations use formulas without us even realising it. Discuss examples like calculating the perimeter of a room, converting temperatures, or working out travel time (distance = speed × time). These are all algebraic concepts.
Balance in Action: If you have kitchen scales, use them to demonstrate the concept of balancing equations – "whatever you do to one side, you must do to the other."
"Think of a Number" Games: Play simple "think of a number" games where you give a series of instructions (e.g., "Think of a number, multiply it by 2, add 5, tell me your answer") and your child tries to figure out the original number. This reinforces inverse