PreAlgebra Curriculum

Family-facing version of the PreAlgebra curriculum

Quarterly Overview of PreAlgebra

The objectives and outcomes for each unit are common across FCPS and based on the Virginia Standards of Learning. The pacing by quarter and by week provides an example of how the curriculum can be organized throughout the year. Teacher teams may adjust the pacing or order of units to best meet the needs of students.

Units and Details

Unit 1: Real Numbers

Students will:

  • Compare and order real numbers.
  • Describe the relationships between the subsets of the real number system.
  • Estimate and determine the two consecutive integers between which a square root lies.
  • Determine both the positive and negative square roots of a given perfect square.
  • Solve practical problems involving consumer applications.
  • Describe the density property. (Honors)
  • Solve problems with Venn diagrams including the union and intersection of subsets of the real number system. (Honors)
  • Solve practical problems involving compound interest without a formula. (Honors)

Unit 2: Linear Functions

Students will:

  • Determine whether a given relation is a function.
  • Determine the domain and range of a function.
  • Recognize and describe the graph of a linear function with a slope that is positive, negative, or zero.
  • Identify the slope and y-intercept of a linear function given a table of values, a graph, or an equation in y = mx + b form.
  • Determine the independent and dependent variable, given a practical situation modeled by a linear function.
  • Graph a linear function given the equation in y = mx + b form.
  • Make connections between and among representations of a linear function using verbal descriptions, tables, equations, and graphs.
  • Represent practical problems using linear equations, tables of values, and graphs. (Honors)
  • Graph horizontal, vertical, and parallel lines and describe the characteristics of each line. (Honors)

Unit 3: Algebraic Expressions

Students will:

  • Evaluate an algebraic expression for given replacement values of the variables.
  • Simplify algebraic expressions in one variable.
  • Solve multistep linear equations in one variable with the variable on one or both sides of the equation, including practical problems that require the solution of a multistep linear equation in one variable.
  • Solve multistep linear inequalities in one variable with the variable on one or both sides of the inequality symbol, including practical problems, and graph the solution on a number line.
  • Apply laws of exponents to simplify algebraic expressions. (Honors)
  • Evaluate algebraic expressions with positive and negative exponents. (Honors)
  • Solve literal equations for a specified variable. (Honors)

Unit 4: Congruence and Similarity

Students will:

  • Given a polygon, apply transformations, to include translations, reflections, and dilations, in the coordinate plane.
  • Identify practical applications of transformations.
  • Formulate and use rules for geometric transformations on the coordinate plane. (Honors)
  • Determine/relate scale factor for problems involving rectangles. (Honors)

Unit 5: Pythagorean Theorem

Students will: 

  • Verify the Pythagorean Theorem.
  • Apply the Pythagorean Theorem.

Unit 6: Angles and Polygons

Students will:

  • Use the relationships among pairs of angles that are vertical angles, adjacent angles, supplementary angles, and complementary angles to determine the measure of unknown angles.
  • Solve area and perimeter problems, including practical problems, involving composite plane figures.
  • Identify, describe, and solve problems involving parallel lines cut by a transversal. (Honors)
  • Algebraic expressions and/or equations. (Honors)

Unit 7: Solid Figures

Students will:

  • Solve problems, including practical problems, involving volume and surface area of cones and square-based pyramids.
  • Describe how changing one measured attribute of a rectangular prism affects the volume and surface area.
  • Construct a three dimensional model, given the top or bottom, side, and front views.
  • Solve problems, including practical problems, involving volume and surface area of spheres. (Honors)

Unit 8: Probability of Multiple Events

Students will: 

  • Compare and contrast the probability of independent and dependent events.
  • Determine probabilities for independent and dependent events.

Unit 9: Populations and Samples

Students will: 

  • Represent numerical data in boxplots.
  • Make observations and inferences about data represented in boxplots.
  • Compare and analyze two data sets using boxplots. 

Unit 10: Bivariate Data

Students will: 

  • Represent data in scatterplots.
  • Make observations about data represented in scatterplots.
  • Use a drawing to estimate the line of best fit for data represented in a scatterplot.

Unit 11: Moving Forward and Digging Deeper

In this unit, teachers will provide differentiated opportunities for students to explore content at a deeper level.

Virginia Department of Education Resources

Assessments

Student assessments are part of the teaching and learning process.

  • Teachers give assessments to students on an ongoing basis to
    • Check for understanding
    • Gather information about students' knowledge or skills.
  • Assessments provide information about a child's development of knowledge and skills that can help families and teachers better plan for the next steps in instruction.

For testing questions or additional information about how schools and teachers use test results to support student success, families can contact their children's schools.

In Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS), tests focus on measuring content knowledge and skill development.

Other Middle School Information