3rd Edition

Open Up Resources 6-8 Mathematics

Publisher
Open Up Resources
Subject
Math
Grades
6-8
Report Release
07/17/2024
Review Tool Version
v1.5
Format
Core: Comprehensive

EdReports reviews determine if a program meets, partially meets, or does not meet expectations for alignment to college and career-ready standards. This rating reflects the overall series average.

Alignment (Gateway 1 & 2)
Meets Expectations

Materials must meet expectations for standards alignment in order to be reviewed for usability. This rating reflects the overall series average.

Usability (Gateway 3)
Meets Expectations
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About This Report

Report for 8th Grade

Alignment Summary

The materials reviewed for Open Up Resources 6-8 Math Grade 8 meet expectations for Alignment to the CCSSM. In Gateway 1, the materials meet expectations for focus and coherence. In Gateway 2, the materials meet expectations for rigor and meet expectations for practice-content connections.

8th Grade
Alignment (Gateway 1 & 2)
Meets Expectations
Gateway 3

Usability

27/27
0
17
24
27
Usability (Gateway 3)
Meets Expectations
Overview of Gateway 1

Focus & Coherence

The materials reviewed for Open Up Resources 6-8 Math Grade 8 meet expectations for focus and coherence. For focus, the materials assess grade-level content and provide all students extensive work with grade-level problems to meet the full intent of grade-level standards. For coherence, the materials are coherent and consistent with the CCSSM.

Criterion 1.1: Focus

06/06

Materials assess grade-level content and give all students extensive work with grade-level problems to meet the full intent of grade-level standards.

The materials reviewed for Open Up Resources 6-8 Math Grade 8 meet expectations for focus as they assess grade-level content and provide all students extensive work with grade-level problems to meet the full intent of grade-level standards.

Indicator 1A
02/02

Materials assess the grade-level content and, if applicable, content from earlier grades.

The materials reviewed for Open Up Resources Grade 8 meet expectations for assessing grade- level content and, if applicable, content from earlier grades.

Program assessments include Pre-Unit Diagnostic Assessments, Cool Downs, Mid-Unit Assessments, Performance Tasks, and End-of-Unit Assessments which are summative. According to the Course Guide, “At the end of each unit is the end-of-unit assessment. These assessments have a specific length and breadth, with problem types that are intended to gauge students’ understanding of the key concepts of the unit while also preparing students for new-generation standardized exams. Problem types include multiple-choice, multiple-response, short answer, restricted constructed response, and extended response. Problems vary in difficulty and depth of knowledge.” Examples of summative End-of-Unit Assessment problems that assess grade-level standards include:

  • Unit 2: Dilations, Similarity, and Introducing Slope, End-of-Unit Assessment: Version A, Problem 1, “Select all the true statements. A. Dilations always increase the lengths of line segments. B. Dilations take perpendicular lines to perpendicular lines. C. Dilations of an angle are congruent to the original angle. D. Dilations increase the measure of angles. E. Dilations of a triangle are congruent to the original triangle. F. Dilations of a triangle are similar to the original triangle.” (8.G.A)

  • Unit 3: Linear Relationships, End-of-Unit Assessment: Version B, Problem 6, “A sandwich store charges a $10 delivery fee, and $4.50 for each sandwich. A. What is the total cost (sandwiches and delivery charge) if an office orders 6 sandwiches? B. What is the total cost for x sandwiches? C. Graph the total cost of sandwiches and delivery based on the number of sandwiches ordered. Be sure to label your axes and scale them by labeling each gridline with a number (graph provided) D. Is there a proportional relationship between number of sandwiches and the cost of the order? Explain how you know. E. At a different sandwich shop, there is a $5 delivery fee, and each sandwich costs $4.50. On the same grid, graph the total cost of sandwiches and deliver based on number of sandwiches ordered for this new shop. Describe how the two graphs are the same and how they are different.” (8.EE.6)

  • Unit 5: Functions and Volume, End-of-Unit Assessment: Version A, Problem 4, “For cones with radius 6 units, the equation V = 12π\pih relates the height h of the cone, in units, and the volume V of the cone, in cubic units. a. Sketch the graph of this equation on the axes (graph provided). b. Is there a linear relationship between height and volume? Explain how you know.” (8.F.1 and 8.F.4)

  • Unit 6: Associations in Data, End-of-unit Assessment: Version B, Problem 4, “A. Draw a scatter plot that shows a negative, linear association and has one clear outlier. Circle the outlier. B. Draw a scatter plot that shows a positive association that is not linear.” (8.SP.1)

  • Unit 8: Pythagorean Theorem and Irrational Numbers, End-of-Unit Assessment: Version B, Problem 4, “What is the decimal expansion of 169\frac{16}{9}?” (8.NS.1)

Indicator 1B
04/04

Materials give all students extensive work with grade-level problems to meet the full intent of grade-level standards.

The materials reviewed for Open Up Resources Grade 8 meet expectations for giving all students extensive work with grade-level problems to meet the full intent of grade-level standards.

Each lesson is structured into four phases: Warm Up, Instructional Activities, Lesson Synthesis, and Cool Down. This structure ensures thorough engagement with grade-level problems and alignment with educational standards.

The Warm Up phase starts each lesson, helping students prepare for the day’s content and enhancing their number sense or procedural fluency. Following the Warm Up, students participate in one to three instructional activities focusing on learning standards. These activities, described in the Activity Narrative, form the lesson's core.

After completing the activities, students synthesize their learning, integrating new knowledge with prior understanding. The lesson concludes with a Cool Down phase, a formative assessment to measure student understanding. Additionally, each lesson includes Independent Practice Problems to reinforce the concepts.

Instructional materials engage all students in extensive work with grade-level problems. Examples include:

  • Unit 4: Linear Equations and Linear Systems, Section B: Linear Equations in One Variable, Lesson 9: When are They the Same? students write and interpret one variable equations to represent situations with two conditions. Activity 2: Elevators, “A building has two elevators that both go above and below ground. At a certain time of day, the travel it takes elevator A to reach height h in meters is 0.8h + 16 seconds. The travel time it takes elevator B to reach h in meters is -0.8h + 12 seconds. a. What is the height of each elevator at this time? b. How long would it take each elevator to reach ground level at this time? c. If the two elevators travel toward one another, at what height do they pass each other? How long would it take? d. If you are on an underground parking level 14 meters below ground, which elevator would reach you first?” Are You Ready for More? Problem 1, “In a two-digit number, the ones digit is twice the tens digit. If the digits are reversed, the new number is 36 more than the original number. Find the number.” Cool Down: Printers and Ink, “To own and operate a home printer, it costs $100 for the printer and an additional $0.05 per page for ink. To print out pages at an office store, it costs $0.25 per page. Let p represent number of pages. a. What does the equation 100 + 0.05p = 0.25p represent? b. The solution to that equation is p = 500. What does the solution mean?” Practice Problems, Problem 4, “For what value of x do the expressions 23\frac{2}{3}x + 2 and 43\frac{4}{3}x - 6 have the same value?” Materials present students with extensive work with grade-level problems of 8.EE.7 (Solve linear equations in one variable.)

  • Unit 5: Functions and Volume, Section A: Inputs and Outputs, Lesson 1: Inputs and Outputs, students identify a rule that describes a relationship between input-output pairs and the strategy used. Activity 1: Guess My Rule, “Try to figure out what’s happening in the ‘black box’. Note: You must hit enter or return before you click GO.” Students enter numbers into column A and a value is given in column B. Activity 2: Making Tables, “For each input-output rule, fill in the table with the outputs that go with a given input. Add two more input-output pairs to the table. a. 34\frac{3}{4} \rArradd 1 then multiply by 4 \rArr 7 b. 34\frac{3}{4} \rArrname the digit in the tenths place \rArr 7 c. 34\frac{3}{4} \rArr write 7 \rArr 7 d. x \rArr divide 1 by the input \rArr 1x\frac{1}{x}." Practice Problems, Problem 2, “Here is an input-output rule. Complete the table for the input-output rule: write 1 if the input is odd; write 0 if the input is even.” Input values given are: -3, -2, -1, 0, 1, 2, 3. Materials present students with extensive work with grade-level problems of 8.F.1 (Understand that a function is a rule that assigns to each input exactly one output. The graph of a function is the set of ordered pairs consisting of an input and the corresponding output.)

  • Unit 8: Pythagorean Theorem and Irrational Numbers, Section A: Side Lengths and Area of Squares, Lesson 3: Rational and Irrational Numbers, students determine if numbers are rational or irrational. Activity 3: Looking for 2\sqrt{2}, “A rational number is a fraction or its opposite (or any number equivalent to a fraction or its opposite). a. Find some more rational numbers that are close to 2\sqrt{2}. b. Can you find a rational number that is exactly 2\sqrt{2}?” Cool Down: Types of Solutions, “a. In your own words, say what a rational number is. Give at least three different examples of rational numbers. b. In your own words, say what an irrational number is. Give at least two examples.” Practice Problems, Problem 1, “Decide whether each number in this list is rational or irrational. 133\frac{-13}{3}, 0.1234, 37\sqrt{37}, -77, -100\sqrt{100}, -12\sqrt{12}.” Materials present students with extensive work with grade-level problems of 8.NS.1 (Know that numbers that are not rational are called irrational…)

Instructional materials provide opportunities for all students to engage with the full intent of grade-level standards. Examples include: 

  • Unit 5: Functions and Volume, Section A: Inputs and Outputs, Lesson 2: Introduction to Functions, students describe functions and identify their rules. Activity 2: Using Function Language, “Here are the questions from the previous activity. For the ones you said yes to, write a statement like, ‘The height a rubber ball bounces depends on the height it was dropped from’ or ‘Bounce height is a function of drop height.’ For all of the ones you said no to, write a statement like, ‘The day of the week does not determine the temperature that day’ or ‘The temperature that day is not a function of the day of the week.’ a. A person is 5.5 feet tall. Do you know their height in inches? b. A number is 5. Do you know its square? c. The square of a number is 16. Do you know the number? d. A square has a perimeter of 12 cm. Do you know its area? e. A rectangle has an area of 16 cm². Do you know its length? f. You are given a number. Do you know the number that is as big? g. You are given a number. Do you know its reciprocal?” Cool Down: Wait Time, “For each statement, if you answer yes, draw an input-output diagram and write a statement that describes the way one quantity depends on another. If you answer no, give an example of 2 outputs that are possible for the same input. You are told that you will have to wait for 5 hours in a line with a group of other people. Determine whether: a. You know the number of minutes you have to wait. b. You know how many people have to wait.” Practice Problems, Problem 2, “A group of students is timed while sprinting 100 meters. Each student’s speed can be found by dividing 100 m by their time. Is each statement true or false? Explain your reasoning. a. Speed is a function of time. b. Time is a function of distance. c. Speed is a function of number of students racing. d. Time is a function of speed.” The materials meet the full intent of 8.F.1 (Understand that a function is a rule that assigns to each input exactly one output. The graph of a function is the set of ordered pairs consisting of an input and the corresponding output.)

  • Unit 6: Associations in Data, Section B: Associations in Numerical Data, Lesson 5: Describing Trends in Scatter Plots, students draw a linear model to fit data in a scatter plot and describe features of the line. Warm-Up: Which One Doesn’t Belong: Scatter Plots, “Which one doesn’t belong?” Students are shown four scatter plots and justify their reasoning of which one does not belong. Activity 1: Fitting Lines, “Experiment with finding lines to fit the data. Drag the points to move the line. You can close the expressions list by clicking on the double arrow. a. Here is a scatter plot. Experiment with different lines to fit the data. Pick the line that you think best fits the data. Compare it with a partner’s. b. Here is a different scatter plot. Experiment with drawing lines to fit the data. Pick the line that you think best fits the data. Compare it with a partner’s. c. In your own words, describe what makes a line fit a data set well. Activity 3: Practice Fitting Lines, Problems 1 and 2, “1. Is this line a good fit for the data? Explain your reasoning. 2. Draw a line that fits the data better.” The materials meet the full intent of 8.SP.2 (Know that straight lines are widely used to model relationships between two quantitative variables…)

  • Unit 8: Pythagorean Theorem and Irrational Numbers, Section B: The Pythagorean Theorem, Lesson 7: A Proof of the Pythagorean Theorem, students calculate the unknown side length of a triangle using the Pythagorean Theorem. Activity 2: Let’s Take It for a Spin, students find the missing lengths of a side of a right triangle. “Find the unknown side lengths in these right triangles.” Students are given a diagram of 2 right triangles. The first triangle has side lengths of 2 and 5. The second triangle has a hypotenuse of 4 and a side length of 8\sqrt{8}. Activity 3: A Transformational Proof, “Use the applets to explore the relationship between areas. Consider Squares A and B. Check the box to see the area divided into five pieces with a pair of segments. Check the box to see the pieces. Arrange the five pieces to fit inside Square C. Check the box to see the right triangle. a. Arrange the figures so the squares are adjacent to the sides of the triangle. b. If the right triangle has legs a and b and hypotenuse c, what have you just demonstrated to be true? c. Try it again with different squares. Estimate the areas of the new Squares, A, B, and C and explain what you observe. d. Estimate the areas of these new Squares, A, B, and C, and then explain what you observe as you complete the activity. e. What do you think we may be able to conclude?” Cool Down: When Is It True?, “The Pythagorean Theorem is A. True for all triangles B. True for all right triangles C. True for some right triangles D. Never true.” The materials meet the full intent of 8.G.7 (Apply the Pythagorean Theorem to determine unknown side lengths in right triangles in real-world and mathematical problems in two and three dimensions.)

Criterion 1.2: Coherence

08/08

Each grade’s materials are coherent and consistent with the Standards.

The materials reviewed for Open Up Resources 6-8 Math Grade 8 meet expectations for coherence. The materials: address the major clusters of the grade, have supporting content connected to major work, and make connections between clusters and domains. The materials make explicit connections from grade-level work to knowledge from earlier grades and connections from grade-level work to future grades.

Indicator 1C
02/02

When implemented as designed, the majority of the materials address the major clusters of each grade.

The materials reviewed for Open Up Resources Grade 8 meet expectations that, when implemented as designed, the majority of the materials address the major clusters of each grade. 

When implemented as designed, the majority (at least 65%) of the materials, when implemented as designed, address the major clusters of the grade. Examples include:

  • The approximate number of units devoted to major work of the grade (including assessments and supporting work connected to the major work) is 7 out of 8, approximately 88%.

  • The number of lessons devoted to major work of the grade, including supporting work connected to major work is 101 out of 114, approximately 89%. 

  • The number of instructional days devoted to major work of the grade and supporting work connected to major work (includes required lessons and assessments) is 108 out of 122, approximately 89%.

An instructional day analysis is most representative of the materials, including the required lessons and End-of-Unit Assessments from the required Units. As a result, approximately 89% of materials focus on major work of the grade.

Indicator 1D
02/02

Supporting content enhances focus and coherence simultaneously by engaging students in the major work of the grade.

The materials reviewed for Open Up Resources Grade 8 meet expectations that supporting content enhances focus and coherence simultaneously by engaging students in the major work of the grade.

Each lesson contains Learning Targets that provide descriptions of what students should be able to do after completing the lesson. Standards being addressed are identified and defined. Materials connect learning of supporting and major work to enhance focus on major work. Examples include:

  • Unit 5: Functions and Volume, Section E: Dimensions and Spheres, Lesson 17: Scaling One Dimension, Activity 2: Halve the Height, connects the supporting work of 8.G.9 (Know the formulas for the volumes of cones, cylinders and spheres) to the major work of 8.F.1 (Understand that a function is a rule that assigns to each input exactly one output). Students continue their work with functions to investigate what happens to the volume of a cylinder when you halve the height, “There are many cylinders with radius 5 units. Let h represent the height and V represent volume of these cylinders. a. Write an equation that represents the relationship between V and h. Use 3.14 as an approximation of π. b. Graph this equation and label the axes (use applet in presentation mode). c. What happens to the volume if you halve the height, h? Where can you see this in the graph? How can you see it algebraically?”

  • Unit 8: Pythagorean Theorem and Irrational Numbers, Section A: Side Lengths and Areas of Squares, Lesson 2: Side Lengths and Areas, Activity 1: One Square, connects the supporting work 8.NS.A (Know that there are numbers that are not rational, and approximate them by rational numbers) to the major work of 8.EE.2 (Uses square root and cube root symbols to represent solutions to equations of the form x2x^2 = p, and x3x^3 = p where p is a positive rational number) and 8.F.B (Use functions to model relationships between quantities). Students estimate the side length of a square using a geometric construction that relates the side length of the square to a point on the number line, “Use the circle to estimate the area of the square shown here.” Students are shown a coordinate plane with a circle. Covering part of the circle is a square with one of the vertices on the origin.  

  • Unit 9: Putting It All Together, Section B: The Weather, Lesson 4: What Influences Temperature, Activity 3: Is There an Association Between Latitude and Temperature? connects the supporting work of 8.SP.A (Investigate patterns of association in bivariate data)to the major work of 8.F.1 (Understand that a function is a rule that assigns to each input exactly one output) and 8.F.B (Use functions to model relationships between quantities). Students collect and analyze data to determine if there is a relationship between latitude and temperature, “Lin and Andre decided that modeling temperatures as a function of latitude doesn’t really make sense. They realized that they can ask whether there is an association between latitude and temperature. a. What information could they gather to determine whether temperature is related to latitude? b. What should they do with that information to answer the question?”

Indicator 1E
02/02

Materials include problems and activities that serve to connect two or more clusters in a domain or two or more domains in a grade.

The materials reviewed for Open Up Resources Grade 8 meet expectations for including problems and activities that serve to connect two or more clusters in a domain or two or more domains in a grade.

Each lesson contains Learning Targets that describe what the students should be able to do after completing the lesson. Standards being addressed are identified and defined.

Materials connect major work to major work throughout the grade level when appropriate. Examples include:

  • Unit 2: Dilations, Similarity, and Introducing Slope, Section C: Slope, Lesson 11: Writing Equations for Lines, Activity 1: What We Mean By an Equation of a Line, connects the major work of 8.EE.B (Understand the connections between proportional relationships, lines, and linear equations.) to the major work of 8.G.A (Understand congruence and similarity using physical models, transparencies, or geometry software.) Students use the structure of a right triangle to examine the coordinates of points lying on a particular line and produce a linear equation, “Line j is shown in the coordinate plane. a. What are the coordinates of B and D? b. Is point (20, 15) on line j? Explain how you know. c. Is point (100, 75) on line j? Explain how you know. d. Is point (90, 68) on line j? Explain how you know. e. Suppose you know the x and y coordinates of a point. Write a rule that would allow you to test whether the point is on line j.” 

  • Unit 3: Linear Relationships, Section B: Representing Linear Relationships, Lesson 8: Translating to y = mx + b, Activity 1: Increased Savings, Problem 4, connects the major work of 8.EE.B (Understand the connections between proportional relationships, lines, and linear equations.) to the major work of 8.G.A (Understand congruence and similarity using physical models, transparencies, or geometry software.) Students find slopes and y-intercepts and write equations for lines using y = mx + b. “Write an equation for each line. a. Diego earns $10 per hour babysitting. Assume that he has no money saved before he starts babysitting and plans to save all of his earnings. Graph how much money, y, he has after x hours of babysitting. b. Now imagine that Diego started with $30 saved before he starts babysitting. On the same set of axes, graph how much money, y, he would have after x hours of babysitting. c. Compare the second line with the first line. How much more money does Diego have after 1 hour of babysitting? 2 hours? 5 hours? x hours? d. Write an equation for each line.” Students use an applet in presentation mode.

  • Unit 8: Pythagorean Theorem and Irrational Numbers, Section A: Side Lengths and Areas of Squares, Lesson 2: Side Lengths and Areas, Activity 2: The Sides and Areas of Tilted Squares, Problem 1, connects the major work of 8.EE.A (Work with radicals and integer exponents.) to the major work of 8.F.B (Use functions to model relationships between quantities.) Students find the areas of three squares, estimate and find the exact side lengths, make a table of side-area pairs, and graph the ordered pairs. “Find the area of each square and estimate the side lengths using your geometry toolkit. Then write the exact lengths for the sides of each square.” Three squares on grid paper are shown.

Materials provide connections from supporting work to supporting work throughout the grade-level when appropriate. Examples include:

  • Unit 5: Functions and Volume, Section D: Cylinders and Cones, Lesson 16: Finding Cone Dimensions, Activity 3: Popcorn Deals, connects the supporting work of 8.NS.A (Know that there are numbers that are not rational, and approximate them by rational numbers.) to the supporting work of 8.G.C (Solve real-world and mathematical problems involving volume of cylinders, cones, and spheres.) Students reason about the volume of popcorn that a cone-shaped and cylinder-shaped popcorn cup holds and the price they pay for it, “A movie theater offers two containers: Which container is the better value? Use 3.14 as an approximation for π.” Pictured is a cone-shaped cup with a diameter of 12 cm and height of 19 cm costing $6.75 and a cylinder-shaped cup with a diameter of 8 cm and height of 15 cm costing $6.25.

  • Unit 5: Functions and Volume, Section E: Dimensions and Spheres, Lesson 20: The Volume of Spheres, Cool Down: Volume of Spheres, connects the supporting work of 8.NS.A (Know that there are numbers that are not rational, and approximate them by rational numbers.) to the supporting work of 8.G.C (Solve real-world and mathematical problems involving volume of cylinders, cones, and spheres.) Students calculate the volume of a sphere, “Recall that the volume of a sphere is given by the formula V = 43\frac{4}{3}πr3r^3. a. Here is a sphere with a radius 4 feet. What is the volume of the sphere? Express your answer in terms of π. b. A spherical balloon has a diameter of 4 feet. Approximate how many cubic feet of air this balloon holds. Use 3.14 as an approximation for π, and give a numerical answer.”

Indicator 1F
02/02

Content from future grades is identified and related to grade-level work, and materials relate grade-level concepts explicitly to prior knowledge from earlier grades.

The materials reviewed for Open-Up Resources Grade 8 meet expectations that content from future grades is identified and related to grade-level work, and materials relate grade-level concepts explicitly to prior knowledge from earlier grades.

The Course Guide contains a Scope and Sequence explaining content standard connections. Some Unit Overviews, Lesson Narratives, and Activity Syntheses describe the progression of standards for the concept being taught. Each Lesson contains a Preparation section identifying learning standards (Building on, Addressing, or Building toward). Content from future grades is identified and related to grade-level work. Examples include:

  • Unit 1: Rigid Transformations and Congruence, Section C: Congruence, Lesson 11: What Is the Same?, “The material treated here will be taken up again in high school (G-CO.B) from a more abstract point of view. In grade 8, it is essential for students to gain experience executing rigid motions with a variety of tools (tracing paper, coordinates, technology) to develop the intuition that they will need when they study these moves (or transformations) in greater depth later.”

  • Unit 2: Dilations, Similarity, and Introducing Slope, Section B: Similarity, Lesson 8: Similar Triangles, Lesson Narrative, “Students will use the similarity criterion in future lessons to understand the concept of the slope of a line. Later on in high school, they will learn that three proportional sides (but not two) is also enough to deduce that two triangles are similar.”

  • Unit 7: Exponents and Scientific Notation, Section B: Exponent Rules, Lesson 5: Negative Exponents with Powers of 10, Lesson Narrative, “Sometimes in mathematics, extending existing theories to areas outside of the original definition leads to new insights and new ways of thinking. Students practice this here by extending the rules they have developed for working with powers to a new situation with negative exponents. The challenge then becomes to make sense of what negative exponents might mean. This type of reasoning appears again in high school when students extend the rules of exponents to make sense of exponents that are not integers.”

Materials relate grade-level concepts explicitly to prior knowledge from earlier grades. Examples include:

  • Course Guide, Scope and Sequence, Unit 2: Dilations, Similarity, and Introducing Slope, “Work with transformations of plane figures in grade 8 builds on earlier work with geometry and geometric measurement, using students’ familiarity with geometric figures, their knowledge of formulas for the areas of rectangles, parallelograms, and triangles, and their abilities to use rulers and protractors. Grade 7 work with scaled copies is especially relevant. This work was limited to pairs of figures with the same rotation and mirror orientations (i.e. that are not rotations or reflections of each other). In grade 8, students study pairs of scaled copies that have different rotations or mirror orientations, examining how one member of the pair can be transformed into the other, and describing these transformations. Initially, they view transformations as moving one figure in the plane onto another figure in the plane. As the unit progresses, they come to view transformations as moving the entire plane.”

  • Unit 6: Associations in Data, Section A: Does This Predict That?, Lesson 2: Plotting Data, Building on, students use previous learning in 6th grade “6.SP.B.4 Display numerical data in plots on a number line, including dot plots, histograms, and box plots, ”as they represented the distribution of single statistical variables using dot plots, histograms, and box plots to now construct and interpret scatter plots in 8th grade. Previous learning includes 

  • Unit 8: Pythagorean and Irrational Numbers, Section A: Side Lengths and Areas of Squares, Lesson 1: The Areas of Squares and Their Side Lengths, Lesson Narrative, “Students know from work in previous grades how to find the area of a square given the side length. In this lesson, we lay the groundwork for thinking in the other direction: if we know the area of the square, what is the side length? Before students define this relationship formally in the next lesson, they estimate side lengths of squares with known areas using tools such as rulers and tracing paper (MP5). They also review key strategies for finding area that they encountered in earlier grades that they will use to understand and explain informal proofs of the Pythagorean Theorem.”

Indicator 1G
Read

In order to foster coherence between grades, materials can be completed within a regular school year with little to no modification.

The materials reviewed for Open Up Resources Grade 8 foster coherence between grades and can be completed within a regular school year with little to no modification. 

According to the Grade 8 Course Guide, About These Materials, “Each course contains nine units. Each of the first eight are anchored by a few big ideas in grade-level mathematics. Units contain between 11 and 23 lesson plans. Each unit has a diagnostic assessment for the beginning of the unit (Check Your Readiness) and an end-of-unit assessment. Longer units also have a mid-unit assessment. The last unit in each course is structured differently, and contains optional lessons that help students apply and tie together big ideas from the year. The time estimates in these materials refer to instructional time. Each lesson plan is designed to fit within a class period that is at least 45 minutes long. Some lessons contain optional activities that provide additional scaffolding or practice for teachers to use at their discretion.”

According to the Grade 8 Course Guide:

  • 8 end-of-unit assessments 

  • 114 days of lessons

  • 17 days of optional lessons 

  • 8 days of optional check your readiness assessments

  • 2 days of optional mid-unit assessments throughout the materials 

  • 122 days required (lower range) to 149 days required and optional (upper range).

According to the Grade 8 Course Guide, About These Materials, A Typical Lesson, “A typical lesson has four phases: 1. a Warm-up (5-10 minutes) 2. one or more instructional activities (10-25 minutes) 3. the lesson synthesis (5-10 minutes) 4. a Cool-down (about 5 minutes).”

Overview of Gateway 2

Rigor & the Mathematical Practices

The materials reviewed for Open Up Resources 6-8 Math Grade 8 meet expectations for rigor and balance and practice-content connections. The materials help students develop procedural skills, fluency, and application. The materials also make meaningful connections between the Standards for Mathematical Content and the Standards for Mathematical Practice (MPs).

Criterion 2.1: Rigor and Balance

08/08

Materials reflect the balances in the Standards and help students meet the Standards’ rigorous expectations, by giving appropriate attention to: developing students’ conceptual understanding; procedural skill and fluency; and engaging applications.

The materials reviewed for Open Up Resources 6-8 Math Grade 8 meet expectations for rigor. The materials develop conceptual understanding of key mathematical concepts, give attention throughout the year to procedural skill and fluency, and spend sufficient time working with engaging applications of mathematics. There is a balance of the three aspects of rigor within the grade.

Indicator 2A
02/02

Materials develop conceptual understanding of key mathematical concepts, especially where called for in specific content standards or cluster headings.

The materials reviewed for Open Up Resources Grade 8 meet expectations for developing conceptual understanding of key mathematical concepts, especially where called for in specific content standards or cluster headings.

According to the Course Guide, About These Materials, Design Principles, “Each unit begins with a pre-assessment that helps teachers gauge what students know about both prerequisite and upcoming concepts and skills, so that teachers can gauge where students are and make adjustments accordingly. The initial lesson in a unit is designed to activate prior knowledge and provide an easy entry to point to new concepts, so that students at different levels of both mathematical and English language proficiency can engage productively in the work. As the unit progresses, students are systematically introduced to representations, contexts, concepts, language and notation. As their learning progresses, they make connections between different representations and strategies, consolidating their conceptual understanding, and see and understand more efficient methods of solving problems, supporting the shift towards procedural fluency. The distributed practice problems give students ongoing practice, which also supports developing procedural proficiency.” 

Materials develop conceptual understanding throughout the grade level. Examples include:

  • Unit 1: Rigid Transformations and Congruence, Section C: Congruence, Lesson 12: Congruent Polygons, Activity 1: Congruent Pairs (Part 1), students develop conceptual understanding of transformations and congruent figures. “For each of the following pairs of shapes, decide whether or not they are congruent. Explain your reasoning.” Students are shown 4 sets of figures with 2 or more transformations on a square grid. (8.G.2)

  • Unit 2: Dilations, Similarity, and Introducing Slope, Section C: Slope, Lesson 10: Meet Slope, Activity 1: Similar Triangles on the Same Line, Problem 1, students develop conceptual understanding of why certain triangles with one side along the same line are similar. “The figure shows three right triangles, each with its longest side on the same line. Your teacher will assign you two triangles. Explain why the two triangles are similar.” Activity 2: Multiple Lines with the Same Slope, students develop conceptual understanding of two lines with similar slopes are parallel. “a. Draw two lines with slope 3. What do you notice about the two lines? b. Draw two lines with slope 12\frac{1}{2}. What do you notice about the two lines?” Students use an applet in presentation mode. (8.EE.6)

  • Unit 5: Functions and Volume, Section B: Representing and Interpreting Functions, Lesson 4: Tables, Equations, and Graphs of Functions, Activity 2: Running Around a Track, Problem 1,students develop conceptual understanding of functions and non-functions by interpreting coordinates on graphs. “Kiran was running around the track. The graph shows the time, t, he took to run various distances, d. The table shows his time in seconds after every three meters. a. How long did it take Kiran to run 6 meters? b. How far had he gone after 6 seconds? c. Estimate when he had run 19.5 meters. d. Estimate how far he ran in 4 seconds. e. Is Kiran’s time a function of the distance he has run? Explain how you know.” Students are shown a graph and a table with distance values ranging from 0 to 27 and time values ranging from 0 to 9. (8.F.1)

Materials allow students to demonstrate conceptual understanding independently throughout the grade level. Examples include:

  • Unit 1: Rigid Transformations and Congruence, Section A: Rigid Transformations, Lesson 6: Describing Transformations, Cool Down: Describing a Sequence of Transformations, students independently develop conceptual understanding of information required to make a translation or reflection. “Jada applies two transformations to a polygon in the coordinate plane. One of the transformations is a translation and the other is a reflection. What information does Jada need to provide to communicate the transformations she has used?” (8.G.1 and 8.G.3).

  • Unit 3: Linear Relationships, Section B: Representing Linear Relationships, Lesson 6: More Linear Relationships. Activity 2: Summer Reading, students independently develop conceptual understanding of the meaning of slope and the y-intercept. “Lin has a summer reading assignment. After reading the first 30 pages of the book, she plans to read 40 pages each day until she finishes. Lin makes the graph shown here to track how many total pages she’ll read over the next few days. After day 1, Lin reaches page 70, which matches point (1,70) she made on her graph. After day 4, Lin reaches page 190, which does not match the point (4, 160) she made on her graph. Lin is not sure what went wrong since she knows she followed her reading plan. a. Sketch a line showing Lin’s original plan on the axes. b. What does the vertical intercept mean in this situation? How do the vertical intercepts of the two lines compare? c. What does the slope mean in this situation? How do the slopes of the two lines compare?” (8.EE.B)

  • Unit 5: Functions and Volume, Section C: Linear Functions and Rate of Change, Lesson 8: Linear Functions, Cool Down: Beginning to See Daylight, students independently develop conceptual understanding that linear functions can be represented by an equation in y = mx + b format. “In a certain city in France, they gain 2 minutes of daylight each day after the spring equinox (usually in March), but after the autumnal equinox (usually in September) they lose 2 minutes of daylight each day. a. Which of the graphs is most likely to represent the graph of daylight for the month after the spring equinox? b. Which of the graphs is most likely to represent the graph of daylight for the month after the autumnal equinox? c. Why are the other graphs not likely to represent either month?” Four graphs are pictured. (8.F.3 and 8.F.4)

Indicator 2B
02/02

Materials give attention throughout the year to individual standards that set an expectation for procedural skill and fluency.

The materials reviewed for Open Up Resources Grade 8 meet expectations for giving attention throughout the year to individual standards that set an expectation of procedural skill and fluency.

According to the Course Guide sections “About These Materials” and “Design Principles,” “Each unit begins with a pre-assessment that helps teachers gauge what students know about both prerequisite and upcoming concepts and skills, so that teachers can gauge where students are and make adjustments accordingly. The initial lesson in a unit is designed to activate prior knowledge and provide an easy entry to point to new concepts, so that students at different levels of both mathematical and English language proficiency can engage productively in the work. As the unit progresses, students are systematically introduced to representations, contexts, concepts, language and notation. As their learning progresses, they make connections between different representations and strategies, consolidating their conceptual understanding, and see and understand more efficient methods of solving problems, supporting the shift towards procedural fluency. The distributed practice problems give students ongoing practice, which also supports developing procedural proficiency.” Materials develop procedural skills and fluency throughout the grade level. Examples include:

  • Unit 4: Linear Equations and Linear Systems, Section B: Linear Equations in One Variable, Lesson 4, More Balanced Moves, Activity 2: Make Your Own Steps, students develop procedural skill and fluency in solving linear equations. “Solve these equations for x. a. 12+6x3\frac{12+6x}{3} = 592\frac{5-9}{2} b. x - 4 = 13\frac{1}{3}(6x - 54) c. -(3x - 12) = 9x - 4” (8.EE.7).

  • Unit 5: Functions and Volume, Section D: Cylinders and Cones, Lesson 13: The Volume of a Cylinder, Activity 3: A Cylinder’s Volume, Problem 1, students develop procedural skill and fluency of finding volume of cylinders. “Here is a cylinder with height 4 units and diameter 10 units. a. Shade the cylinder’s base. b. What is the area of the cylinder’s base? Express your answer in terms of π\pi. c. What is the volume of this cylinder? Express your answer in terms of π\pi.” (8.G.9)

  • Unit 7: Exponents and Scientific Notation, Section B: Exponent Rules, Lesson 2: Multiplying Powers of Ten, Activity 2: Multiplying Powers of Ten, Problem 1, students develop procedural skill and fluency in multiplying exponents with the same base. “Complete the table to explore patterns in the exponents when multiplying powers of 10. You may skip a single box in the table, but if you do, be prepared to explain why you skipped it.” Students fill in a table with columns labeled expression, expanded, and single power of 10. For example, 102{10}^2 \cdot 103{10}^3 = (10 \cdot 10) (10 \cdot 10 \cdot 10) = 105{10}^5. (8.EE.1)

Materials provide opportunities for students to independently demonstrate procedural skills and fluency throughout the grade level. Examples include:

  • Unit 4: Linear Equations and Linear Systems, Section B: Linear Equations in One Variable, Lesson 6: Strategic Solving, Practice Problems, Problem 1, students independently demonstrate procedural skill and fluency of solving linear equations in one variable. “Solve each of these equations. Explain or show your reasoning. a. 2b + 9 - 5b + 3 = -13 + 8b - 5; b. 2x + 7 - 5x + 8 = 3(5 + 6x); c. 2c - 3 = 2(6 - c) + 7c.” (8.EE.7)

  • Unit 4, Linear Equation and Linear Systems, Section C: Systems of Linear Equations, Lesson 12: Systems of Equations, student independently demonstrate procedural skill and fluency as they solve systems of two linear equations in two variables algebraically, and estimate solutions by graphing the equations. Student Work Time, “A stack of n small cups has a height, h, in centimeters of h = 1.5n + 6. A stack of n large cups has a height, h, in centimeters of h = 1.5n + 9. a. Graph the equations for each cup on the same set of axes. Make sure to label the axes and decide on an appropriate scale. b. For what number of cups will the two stacks have the same height?” (8.EE.8b)

  • Unit 7, Exponents and Scientific Notation, Section C: Scientific Notation, Lesson 14, Multiplying, Dividing, and Estimating with Scientific Notation, Activity 1, Biomass, Student Work Time students independently demonstrate procedural skill and fluency as they “use scientific notation as a tool for working with small and large numbers—to describe quantities, make estimates, and make comparisons.” “Use the table to answer questions about different creatures on the planet. Be prepared to explain your reasoning.” Students are presented with a table with three columns: creature, number, mass of one individual (kg). Students answer the following questions: “a. Which creature is least numerous? Estimate how many times more ants there are. b. Which creature is the least massive? Estimate how many times more massive a human is. c. Which is more massive, the total mass of all the humans or the total mass of all the ants? About how many times more massive is it? d. Which is more massive, the total mass of all the krill or the total mass of all the blue whales? About how many times more massive is it?” (8.EE.1)

Indicator 2C
02/02

Materials are designed so that teachers and students spend sufficient time working with engaging applications of the mathematics.

The materials reviewed for Open Up Resources Grade 8 meet expectations for being designed so that teachers and students spend sufficient time working with engaging applications of the mathematics.

According to the Course Guide sections “About These Materials” and “Design Principles,” “Students have opportunities to make connections to real-world contexts throughout the materials. Frequently, carefully-chosen anchor contexts are used to motivate new mathematical concepts, and students have many opportunities to make connections between contexts and the concepts they are learning. Additionally, most units include a real-world application lesson at the end. In some cases, students spend more time developing mathematical concepts before tackling more complex application problems, and the focus is on mathematical contexts.”

Materials include multiple routine and non-routine applications of the mathematics throughout the grade level. Examples include:

  • Unit 1: Rigid Transformations and Congruence, Section E: Let’s Put it to Work, Lesson 17: Rotate and Tessellate, Activity 1: Tessellate This, students engage in a non-routine application problem using congruence and similarity to create their own tessellation. “a. Design your own tessellation. You will need to decide which shapes you want to use and make copies. Remember that a tessellation is a repeating pattern that goes on forever to fill up the entire plane. b. Find a partner and trade pictures. Describe a transformation of your partner’s picture that takes the pattern to itself. How many different transformations can you find that take the pattern to itself? Consider translations, reflections, and rotations. If there’s time, color and decorate your tessellation.” (8.G.A)

  • Unit 4: Linear Equations and Linear Systems, Section C: Systems of Linear Equations, Lesson 15: Writing Systems of Equations, Activity 1: Situations and Systems, students engage in a routine application problem creating systems of equations. “For each situation: Create a system of equations. Then, without solving, interpret what the solution to the system would tell you about the situation. a. Lin’s family is out for a bike ride when her dad stops to take a picture of the scenery. He tells the rest of the family to keep going and that he’ll catch up. Lin’s dad spends 5 minutes taking the photo and then rides at 0.24 miles per minute until he meets up with the rest of the family further along the bike path. Lin and the rest were riding at 0.18 miles per minute. b. Noah is planning a kayaking trip. Kayak Rental A charges a base fee of $15 plus $4.50 per hour. Kayak Rental B charges a base fee of $12.50 plus $5 per hour. c. Diego is making a large batch of pastries. The recipe calls for 3 strawberries for every apple. Diego used 52 fruits all together. d. Flour costs $0.80 per pound and sugar costs $0.50 per pound. An order of flour and sugar weighs 15 pounds and costs $9.00.” (8.EE.8)

  • Unit 5: Functions and Volume, Section D: Cylinders and Cones, Lesson 11: Filling Containers, Activity 2: What is the Shape?, Problem 1, students engage in a non-routine application problem using functions to model relationships. “The graph shows the height vs. volume function of an unknown container. What shape could this container have? Explain how you know and draw a possible container.” Students are given a graph to analyze. (8.F.B) 

Materials provide opportunities for students to independently demonstrate multiple routine and non-routine applications of the mathematics throughout the grade level. Examples include:

  • Unit 4: Linear Equations and Linear Systems, Section C: Systems of Linear Equations, Lesson 16: Solving Problems with Systems of Equations, Activity 1: Cycling, Fundraising, Working, and ___? students independently engage in a non-routine application problem as they create a problem about situations involving two different relationships between the same two quantities. “Solve each problem. Explain or show your reasoning. a. Two friends live 7 miles apart. One Saturday, the two friends set out on their bikes at 8 am and started riding towards each other. One rides at 0.2 miles per minute, and the other rides at 0.15 miles per minute. At what time will the two friends meet? b. Students are selling grapefruits and nuts for a fundraiser. The grapefruits cost $1 each and a bag of nuts cost $10 each. They sold 100 items and made $307. How many grapefruits did they sell? c. Jada earns $7 per hour mowing her neighbors’ lawns. Andre gets paid $5 per hour for the first hour of babysitting and $8 per hour for any additional hours he babysits. What is the number of hours they both can work so that they get paid the same amount? d. Pause here so your teacher can review your work. Then, invent another problem that is like one of these, but with different numbers. Solve your problem. e. Create a visual display that includes: The new problem you wrote, without the solution. Enough work space for someone to show a solution. f. Trade your display with another group, and solve each other’s new problem. Make sure that you explain your solution carefully. Be prepared to share this solution with the class. g. When the group that got the problem you invented shares their solution, check that their answer is correct.” (8.EE.8)

  • Unit 5: Functions and Volume, Section C: Linear Functions and Rate of Change, Lesson 9: Linear Models, Cool Down: Board Game Sales, Student Work Time, students independently engage in a routine application problem determining if a single linear model can be used. “A small company is selling a new board game, and they need to know how many to produce in the future. After 12 months, they sold 4 thousand games; after 18 months, they sold 7 thousand games; and after 36 months, they sold 15 thousand games. a. Could this information be reasonably estimated using a single linear model? b. If so, use the model to estimate the number of games sold after 48 months, If not explain your reasoning.” (8.F.B)

  • Unit 8: Pythagorean Theorem and Irrational Numbers, Section B: The Pythagorean Theorem, Lesson 10: Applications of the Pythagorean Theorem, Cool Down: Jib Sail, students independently engage in a routine application problem using the Pythagorean Theorem and its converse. “Sails come in many shapes and sizes. The sail on the right is a triangle. Is it a right triangle? Explain your reasoning.” A picture of a sailboat with sail dimensions 97.5 m, 10.24 m, and 3.45 m is shown. (8.G.7)

Indicator 2D
02/02

The three aspects of rigor are not always treated together and are not always treated separately. There is a balance of the three aspects of rigor within the grade.

The materials reviewed for Open Up Resources Grade 8 meet expectations in that the three aspects of rigor are not always treated together and are not always treated separately. There is a balance of the three aspects of rigor within the grade.

All three aspects of rigor are present independently throughout each grade level. Examples include:

  • Unit 1: Rigid Transformations and Congruence, Section A: Rigid Transformations, Lesson 6: Describing Transformations, Activity 1: Info Gap: Transformation Information, Are You Ready For More? Students demonstrate conceptual understanding as they communicate precise information about transformations on the coordinate plane. “Sometimes two transformations, one performed after the other, have a nice description as a single transformation. For example, instead of translating 2 units up followed by translating 3 units up, we could simply translate 5 units up. Instead of rotating 20 degrees counterclockwise around the origin followed by rotating 80 degrees clockwise around the origin, we could simply rotate 60 degrees clockwise around the origin.Can you find a simple description of reflecting across the x-axis followed by reflecting across the y-axis? (8.G.3) 

  • Unit 3: Linear Relationships, Section A: Proportional Relationships, Lesson 1: Understanding Proportional Relationships, Practice Problems, Problem 2, students apply their understanding of proportional relationships as they graph a situation in context. “A you-pick blueberry farm offers 6 lbs of blueberries for $16.50. Sketch a graph of the relationship between cost and pounds of blueberries.” (8.EE.5)

  • Unit 5: Functions and Volume, Section C: Linear Functions and Rates of Change, Lesson 8: Linear Functions, Practice Problems, Problem 2, students develop procedural skill and fluency as they represent linear functions with equations. “Two car services offer to pick you up and take you to your destination. Service A charges 40 cents to pick you up and 30 cents for each mile of your trip. Service B charges $1.10 to pick you up and charges c cents each mile of your trip. a. Match each service to the lines l and m. A. Service A, B. Service B, 1. Line l, 2. Line m b. For Service B, is the additional charge per mile greater or less than 30 cents per mile of the trip. Explain your reasoning.” (8.F.4) 

Multiple aspects of rigor are engaged simultaneously to develop students’ mathematical understanding of a single topic/unit of study throughout each grade level. Examples include:

  • Unit 4: Linear Equations and Linear Systems, Section C: Systems of Linear Equations, Lesson 10: On or Off the Line?, Practice Problems, Problem 3, students develop procedural skill and fluency as they apply their understanding of a point simultaneously satisfying two relationships. “Mai earns $7 per hour mowing her neighbor’s lawn. She also earned $14 for hauling away bags of recyclables for some neighbors. Priya babysits her neighbors’ children. The table shows the amount of money m she earns in h hours. Priya and Mai have agreed to go to the movies the weekend after they have earned the same amount of money for the same number of work hours. a. How many hours do they each have to work before they go to the movies? b. How much will each of them have earned? c. Explain where the solution can be seen in the tables of values, graphs, and equations that represent Priya’s and Mai’s earnings.” (8.EE.8) 

  • Unit 5: Functions and Volume, Section C: Linear Functions and Rate of Change, Lesson 9: Linear Models, Practice Problems, Problem 2, students demonstrate conceptual understanding of linear models as they apply their knowledge of volume. “In science class, Jada uses a graduated cylinder with water in it to measure the volume of some marbles. After dropping in 4 marbles so they are all under water, the water in the cylinder is at a height of 10 milliliters. After dropping in 6 marbles so they are all under water, the water in the cylinder is at a height of 11 milliliters. a. What is the volume of 1 marble? b. How much water was in the cylinder before any marbles were dropped in? c. What should be the height of the water after 13 marbles are dropped in? d. Is the volume of water a linear relationship with the number of marbles dropped in the graduated cylinder? If so, what does the slope of the line mean? If not, explain your reasoning.” (8.F.4)

  • Unit 7: Exponents and Scientific Notation, Section B: Exponent Rules, Lesson 7: Practice with Rational Bases, Cool Down: Working with Exponents, Problem 2, students build conceptual understanding and develop procedural skill and fluency of exponent rules. “Diego wrote 646^4 \cdot 838^3 = 487{48}^7. Explain what Diego’s mistake was and how you know the equation is not true.” (8.EE.1)

Criterion 2.2: Math Practices

10/10

Materials meaningfully connect the Standards for Mathematical Content and Standards for Mathematical Practice (MPs).

The materials reviewed for Open Up Resources 6-8 Math Grade 8 meet expectations for practice-content connections. The materials meaningfully connect the Standards for Mathematical Content and the Standards for Mathematical Practice (MPs).

Indicator 2E
02/02

Materials support the intentional development of MP1: Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them; and MP2: Reason abstractly and quantitatively, for students, in connection to the grade-level content standards, as expected by the mathematical practice standards.

The materials reviewed for Open Up Resources Grade 8 meet expectations for supporting the intentional development of MP1: Make sense of problems and persevere in solving them; and MP2: Reason abstractly and quantitatively, for students, in connection to the grade-level content standards, as expected by the mathematical practice standards. 

Students have opportunities to engage with the Math Practices across the year. Course Guide, How to Use the Materials, Noticing and Assessing Student Progress in Mathematical Practices, The Standards for Mathematical Practices Chart, “The unit-level Mathematical Practice chart is meant to highlight a handful of lessons in each unit that showcase certain Mathematical Practices. Some units, due to their size or the nature of their content, may have fewer predicted chances for students to engage in a particular Mathematical Practice. A dash in the chart indicates that there may not be enough opportunities to reliably look for this Mathematical Practice in the unit. One primary place Mathematical Practice 4 is tagged is the optional modeling lesson at the end of each unit. Aside from these lessons, optional activities and lessons are not included in this chart.” The Mathematical Practices are also identified in Lesson Preparation Narratives and Lesson Activities Narratives for some lessons.

There is intentional development of MP1 to meet its full intent in connection to grade-level content. Students make sense of problems and persevere in solving them as they work with the teacher's support and independently throughout the units. Examples include:

  • Unit 2: Dilations, Similarity, and Introducing Slope, Section A: Dilations, Lesson 3, Dilations with no Grid, Lesson Narrative, “Performing dilations without a grid engages students in MP1 as they think about the meaning of dilation in terms of the given information (center, scale factor, point being dilated).” Warm Up: Points on a Ray, students use a variety of strategies to find a way to measure a ray without a grid. “a. Find and label a point C on the ray whose distance from A is twice the distance from B to A. b. FInd and label a point D on the ray whose distance from A is half the distance from B to A.”

  • Unit 6: Associations in Data, Section C: Associations in Categorical Data, Lesson 9: Looking for Associations, Lesson Narrative, “In this lesson, students study categorical data displayed in two-way tables, bar graphs, and segmented bar graphs. The different graphical representations help students visualize the frequencies and relative frequencies, aiding them in making judgment about whether there is evidence of an association or not in the next lesson. While the concepts and structures in this lesson are not very complex, there are many new terms and representations, and students are given the opportunity to study them carefully so that they can make sense of them (MP1).” Activity 1: Matching Representations Card Sort, students determine if their answers make sense as they match data tables and graphs. “Your teacher will hand out some cards. Some cards show two-way tables like this: Some cards show bar graphs like this: Some cards show segmented bar graphs like this: The bar graphs and segmented bar graphs have their labels removed. a. Put all the cards that describe the same situation in the same group. b. One of the groups does not have a two way table. Make a two way table for the situation described by the graphs in the group. c. Label the bar graphs and segmented bar graphs so that the categories represented by each bar are indicated. d. Describe in your own words the kind of information shown by a segmented bar graph.” Cards have two-way tables, double bar graphs, or segmented bar graphs with data showing numbers of children by age groups who have and do not have cell phones.

  • Unit 7: Lesson 15: Adding and Subtracting with Scientific Notation, Lesson Narrative, “Students add and subtract with numbers expressed in scientific notation, including problems where both decimal and scientific notation are used. Students must make sense and use quantitative reasoning when making comparisons, for example, when comparing whether 5 planets side by side are wider than the Sun (MP1, MP2).” Activity 2: A Celestial Dance, students determine if their answers make sense as they attend to place value to add numbers in scientific notation. “a. When you add the distances of Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars from the Sun, would you reach as far as Jupiter? b. Add all the diameters of all the planets except the Sun. Which is wider, all of these objects side by side, or the Sun? Draw a picture that is close to scale.” A table shows the diameter of each planet and the sun and their distance from the sun in km.

There is intentional development of MP2 to meet its full intent in connection to grade-level content. Students reason abstractly and quantitatively as they work with the teacher's support and independently throughout the units. Examples include:

  • Unit 3: Linear Relationships, Section E: Let’s Put it to Work, Lesson 14: Using Linear Relationships to Solve Problems, Instructional Routine, “Students represent a scenario with an equation and use the equation to find solutions. They create a graph (either with a table of values or by using two intercepts), interpret points on the graph, and interpret points not on the graph (MP2).” Activity 2: Fabulous Fish, students understand the relationships between problem scenarios and mathematical representations as they write and solve equations. “The Fabulous FIsh Market orders tilapia, which costs $3 per pound, and salmon, which cost $5 per pound. The market budgets $210 to spend on this order each day. a, What are five different combinations of salmon and tilapia that the market can order? b. Define variables and write an equation representing the relationship between the amount of each fish bought and how much the market spends. c. Sketch a graph of the relationship. Label your axes. d. On your graph, plot and label the combinations A-F. Which of these combinations can the market order? Explain or show your reasoning.” 

  • Unit 4: Linear Equations and Linear Systems, Section C: Systems of Linear Equations, Lesson 12: System of Equations, Instructional Routine, “Students explore a system of equations with no solutions in the familiar context of cup stacking. The context reinforces a discussion about what it means for a system of equations to have no solutions, both in terms of a graph and in terms of the equations (MP2).” Activity 2: Stacks of Cups, students explain what numbers in an equation represent as they graph systems of equations to find solutions. “A stack of n small cups has a height, h, in centimeters of h = 1.5n + 6. A stack of n large cups has a height, h, in centimeters of h = 1.5n + 9. a. Graph the equations for each cup on the same set of axes. Make sure to label the axes and decide on an appropriate scale. b. For what number of cups will the two stacks have the same height?”

  • Unit 7: Exponents and Scientific Notation, Section C: Scientific Notation, Lesson 12: Applications of Arithmetic with Powers of 10, Instructional Routine, “Students use numbers and exponents flexibly and interpret their results in context (MP2).” Activity 2, students attend to the meaning of quantities as they compare large quantities. “In 2016, the Burj Khalifa was the tallest building in the world. It was very expensive to build. Consider the following question: Which is taller, the Burj Khalifa or a stack of the money it cost to build the Burj Khalifa? a. What information would you need to be able to solve the problem? b. Record the information your teacher shares with the class. c. Answer the question, ‘Which is taller, the Burj Khalifa or a stack of money it cost to build the Burj Khalifa?’ and explain or show your reasoning. d. Decide what power of 10 to use to label the rightmost tick mark of the number line, and plot the height of the stack of the money and the height of the Burj Khalifa. e. Which has more mass, the Burj Khalifa or the mass of the pennies it cost to build the Burj Khalifa? What information do you need to answer this? f. Decide what power of 10 to use to label the rightmost tick mark of the number line, and plot the mass of the Burj Khalifa and the mass of the pennies it cost to build the Burj Khalifa.”

Indicator 2F
02/02

Materials support the intentional development of MP3: Construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others, for students, in connection to the grade-level content standards, as expected by the mathematical practice standards.

The materials reviewed for Open Up Resources Grade 8 meet expectations for supporting the intentional development of MP3: Construct viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others, for students, in connection to the grade-level content standards, as expected by the mathematical practice standards.

Students have opportunities to engage with the Math Practices across the year. Course Guide, How to Use the Materials, Noticing and Assessing Student Progress in Mathematical Practices, The Standards for Mathematical Practices Chart, “The unit-level Mathematical Practice chart is meant to highlight a handful of lessons in each unit that showcase certain Mathematical Practices. Some units, due to their size or the nature of their content, may have fewer predicted chances for students to engage in a particular Mathematical Practice. A dash in the chart indicates that there may not be enough opportunities to reliably look for this Mathematical Practice in the unit. One primary place Mathematical Practice 4 is tagged is the optional modeling lesson at the end of each unit. Aside from these lessons, optional activities and lessons are not included in this chart.” The Mathematical Practices are also identified in Lesson Preparation Narratives and Lesson Activities Narratives for some lessons.

Students construct viable arguments in connection to grade-level content as they work with the teacher's support and independently throughout the units. Examples include:

  • Unit 1: Rigid Transformations and Congruence, Section C: Congruence, Lesson 13: Congruence, Instructional Routines, “There are two likely strategies for identifying corresponding points on the two corresponding figures: Looking for corresponding parts of the figures such as the line segments. Performing rigid motions with tracing paper to match the figures up. Both are important. Watch for students using each technique and invite them to share during the discussion.” Activity 2: Corresponding Points in Congruence, “Here are two congruent shapes with some corresponding points labeled. a. Draw the points corresponding to B, D, and E, and label them B’, D’, and E’. b. Draw line segments. AD and A’D’ and measure them. Do the same for segments BC and B’C’ and for segments AE and A’E’. What do you notice? c. Do you think there could be a pair of corresponding segments with different lengths? Explain.” 

  • Unit 2: Dilatons, Similarity, and Slope, Section A: Dilations, Lesson 2: Circular Grid, Instructional Routines, “The purpose of this activity is to begin to think of a dilation with a scale factor as a rule or operation on points in the plane. Students work on a circular grid with a center of dilation at the center of the grid. They examine what happens to different points on a given circle when the dilation is applied and observe that these points all map to another circle whose radius is scaled by the scale factor of the dilation. For example, if the scale factor is 3 and the points lie on a circle whose radius is 2 grid units, then the dilated points will all lie on a circle whose radius is 6 units. Students need to explain their reasoning for finding the scale factor (MP3).” Activity 1: A Droplet on the Surface, Problem 3, “The center of dilation is point P. What is the scale factor that takes the smaller circle to the larger circle? Explain your reasoning.”

  • Unit 3: Linear Relationships, Section A: Proportional Relationships, Lesson 3: Representing Proportional Relationships, Instructional Routines, “The purpose of this activity is for students to graph a proportional relationship when given a blank pair of axes. They will need to label and scale the axes appropriately before adding the line representing the given relationship. In each problem, students are given two representations and asked to create two more representations so that each relationship has a description, graph, table, and equation. Then, they explain how they know these are different representations of the same situation (MP3). In the next lesson, students will use these skills to compare two proportional relationships represented in different ways.” Activity 1: Representations of Proportional Relationships, Problem 1, “Here are two ways to represent a situation. Description: Jada and Naoh counted the number of steps they took to walk a set distance. To walk the same distance, Jada took 8 steps. Noah took 10 steps. Equation: Let x represent the number of steps Jada takes and let y represent the number of steps Noah takes. y = 54\frac{5}{4}x. Then they found that when Noah took 15 steps, Jada took 12 steps. a. Create a table that represents this situation with at least 2 pairs of values. b. Graph this relationship and label the axes. c. How can you see or calculate the constant of proportionality in each representation? What does it mean? d. Explain how you can tell the equation, description, graph, and table all represent the same situation.” 

Students critique others' reasoning concerning grade-level content as they work with the teacher's support and independently throughout the units. Examples include:

  • Unit 2: Dilations, Similarity, and Introducing Slope, Section B: Similarity, Lesson 7: Similar Polygons, Instructional Routines, “In the previous lesson, students saw that figures are similar when there is a sequence of translations, rotations, reflections, and dilations that map one figure onto the other. This activity focuses on some common misconceptions about similar figures, and students have an opportunity to critique the reasoning of others (MP3).” Activity 1: Are They Similar, Problem 1, “Let’s look at a square and a rhombus. Priya says, “These polygons are similar because their side lengths are all the same.” Clare says, “These polygons are not similar because the angles are different.” Do you agree with either Priya or Clare? Explain your reasoning.”

  • Unit 4: Linear Equations and Linear Systems, Section B: Linear Equations in One Variable, Lesson 3: Balanced Moves, Lesson Narrative, “In this lesson students move from using hangers to using equations in order to represent a problem. In the Warm Up they match a series of hangers with the corresponding series of equations. They see how moves that maintain the balance of a hanger correspond to moves that maintain the equality of an equation, such as halving the value of each side or subtracting the same unknown value from each side. In the next activity students match pairs of equations with the corresponding equation move—performing the same operation on each side—that produces the second from the first. In the activity after that, they compare different choices of moves that lead to the same solution. In this activity the solution is negative, which would not have been representable with hangers. Students can check that it is a solution by substituting into the equation, reinforcing the idea that a solution is a number that makes the equality in an equation true, and that different moves maintain the equality. As students reason about why the steps in solving an equation maintain the equality and compare different solution methods, they engage in MP3.” Activity 2: Keeping Equality, Problem 1, “Noah and Lin both solved the equation 14a = 2(a - 3). Do you agree with either of them? Why? Noah’s solution: 14a = 2(a - 3), 14a = 2a - 6, 12a = -6, a = -12. Lin’s solution: 14a = 2(a - 3), 71 = a - 3, 6a = -3, a = 0 - 12\frac{1}{2}."

  • Unit 7: Exponents and Scientific Notation, Section B: Exponent Rules, Lesson 4: Powers of 10, Instructional Routines, “Students extend exponent rules to discover why it makes sense to define 100{10}^0 as 1. Students create viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others when discussing Noah’s argument that 100{10}^0 should equal 0 (MP3).” Activity 2: Zero Exponent, Problem 4, “Noah says, ‘If I try to write 100{10}^0 expanded, it should have zero factors that are 10, so it must be equal to 0.’ Do you agree? Discuss with your partner.”

Indicator 2G
02/02

Materials support the intentional development of MP4: Model with mathematics; and MP5: Use appropriate tools strategically, for students, in connection to the grade-level content standards, as expected by the mathematical practice standards.

The materials reviewed for Open Up Resources Grade 8 meet expectations for supporting the intentional development of MP4: Model with mathematics; and MP5: Use appropriate tools strategically, for students, in connection to the grade-level content standards, as expected by the mathematical practice standards.

Students have opportunities to engage with the Math Practices across the year. Course Guide, How to Use the Materials, Noticing and Assessing Student Progress in Mathematical Practices, The Standards for Mathematical Practices Chart, “The unit-level Mathematical Practice chart is meant to highlight a handful of lessons in each unit that showcase certain Mathematical Practices. Some units, due to their size or the nature of their content, may have fewer predicted chances for students to engage in a particular Mathematical Practice. A dash in the chart indicates that there may not be enough opportunities to reliably look for this Mathematical Practice in the unit. One primary place Mathematical Practice 4 is tagged is the optional modeling lesson at the end of each unit. Aside from these lessons, optional activities and lessons are not included in this chart.” The Mathematical Practices are also identified in Lesson Preparation Narratives and Lesson Activities’ Narratives for some lessons.

There is intentional development of MP4 to meet its full intent in connection to grade-level content. Students make sense of problems and persevere in solving them as they work with support of the teacher and independently throughout the units. Examples include:

  • Unit 2: Dilations, Similarity, and Introducing Slope, Section D: Let’s Put It to Work, Lesson 13: The Shadow Knows, Lesson Narrative, “This lesson involves modeling (MP4), not only because students interpret real-world data (both the given heights and shadow lengths and the measurements that they take themselves) but also because they need to make simplifying assumptions in order to justify why the relationship is proportional.” Activity 3: The Height of a Tall Object, students put a situation in their own words and identify important information as they measure the perpendicular height of objects outside. “1. Head Outside. Make sure that it is a sunny day and you take a measuring device (like a tape measure or meter stick) as well as a pencil and some paper. 2. Choose an object whose height is too large to measure directly. Your teacher may assign you an object. 3. Use what you have learned to figure out the height of the object! Explain or show your reasoning.” 

  • Unit 6: Associations in Data, Section B: Associations in Numerical Data, Lesson 6: The Slope of a Fitted Line, Instructional Routine, “This activity returns to scatter plots without linear models given. Students determine whether the data seems to have a linear association or not. If it does, students are asked to decide whether the variables have a positive or negative association (MP4).” Activity 3: Positive or Negative, students use the math they know to determine if scatter plots have a positive, negative, or no association. “Problem 1: For each of the scatter plots, decide whether it makes sense to fit a linear model to the data. If it does, would the graph of the model have a positive slope, a negative slope, or a slope of zero? Problem 2: Which of these scatter plots show evidence of a positive association between the variables? Of a negative association? Which do not appear to show an association?” 

  • Unit 8: Pythagorean Theorem and Irrational Numbers, Section E: Let’s Put it to Work, Lesson 16: When Is the Same Size Not the Same Size?, Lesson Narrative, “There is an element of mathematical modeling (MP4) in the last activity, because in order to quantify the screens’ sizes to compare them, students need to refine the question that is asked.” Activity 2: The Screen is the Same Size…Or Is it?, students appropriately model the situation as they use ratios and the Pythagorean Theorem to compare screen sizes. “Before 2017, a smart phone manufacturer’s phones had a diagonal length of 5.8 inches and an aspect ratio of 16 : 9. In 2017, they released a new phone that also had a 5.8-inch diagonal length, but an aspect ratio of 18.5 : 9. Some customers complained that the new phones had a smaller screen. Were they correct? If so, how much smaller was the new screen compared to the old screen?” 

There is intentional development of MP5 to meet its full intent in connection to grade-level content. Students use appropriate tools strategically as they work with support of the teacher and independently throughout the units. Examples include:

  • Unit 1: Rigid Transformations and Congruence, Section A: Rigid Transformations, Lesson 1: Moving in the Plane, Lesson Narrative, “In all of the lessons in this unit, students should have access to their geometry toolkits, which should contain tracing paper, graph paper, colored pencils, scissors, ruler, protractor, and an index card. For this unit, access to tracing paper and a straight edge are particularly important. Students may not need all (or even any) of these tools to solve a particular problem. However, to make strategic choices about when to use which tools (MP5), students need to have opportunities to make those choices. Apps and simulations should supplement rather than replace physical tools.” Activity 1: Triangle Square Dance, students use appropriate models and strategies as they describe translations and rotations. “Your teacher will give you three pictures. Each shows a different set of dance moves. 1. Arrange the three pictures so one of you can see them right way up. Choose who will start the game. The starting player chooses one of the three applets below and describes the dance to the other player. The other player identifies which dance is being talked about: A, B, or C. 2. After one round, trade roles. When you have described all three dances, come to an agreement on the words you use to describe the moves in each dance. 3. With your partner, write a description of the moves in each dance.” 

  • Unit 2: Dilations, Similarity, and Introducing Slope, Section A: Dilations, Lesson 2: Circular Grid, Lesson Narrative, “A circular grid is an effective tool for performing a dilation. A circular grid has circles with radius 1 unit, 2 units, and so on all sharing the same center. Students experiment with dilations on a circular grid, where the center of dilation is the common center of the circles. By using the structure of the grid, they make several important discoveries about the images of figures after a dilation including: Each grid circle maps to a grid circle. Line segments map to line segments and, in particular, the image of a polygon is a scaled copy of the polygon. The next several lessons will examine dilations on a rectangular grid and with no grid, solidifying student understanding of the relationship between a polygon and its dilated image. This echoes similar work in the previous unit investigating the relationship between a figure and its image under a rigid transformation. As with previous geometry lessons, students should have access to geometry toolkits so they can make strategic choices about which tools to use (MP5).” Activity 1: A Droplet on the Surface, Problem 1, students use appropriate tools and strategies as they dilate circles. “The larger circle d is a dilation of the smaller circle c. P is the center of dilation. a. Draw four points on the smaller circle using the Point on Object tool. b. Draw the rays from P through each of those four points. Select the Ray tool, then point P, and then the second point. c. Mark the intersection points of the rays and circle d by selecting the Intersect tool and clicking on the point of intersection.” 

  • Unit 4: Linear Equations and Linear Situations, Section A: Puzzle Problems, Lesson 1: Number Puzzles, Instructional Routines, “The purpose of this activity is for students to solve number puzzles using any representation they choose. Students then make sense of other representations for the same problems, starting with those of a partner. The whole-class discussion should focus on the strengths and weaknesses of different representations (MP5). For example, tape diagrams only work for problems with all positive values, so you could use one for the distance puzzle, but a tape diagram would not work for the temperature puzzle.” Activity1: Telling Temperatures, students use appropriate tools and strategies as they solve number puzzles. “Solve each puzzle. Show your thinking. Organize it so it can be followed by others. 1. The temperature was very cold. Then the temperature doubled. Then the temperature dropped by 10 degrees. Then the temperature increased by 40 degrees. The temperature is now 16 degrees. What was the starting temperature? 2. Lin ran twice as far as Diego. Diego ran 300 m farther than Jada. Jada ran 13\frac{1}{3} the distance that Noah ran. Noah ran 1200 m. How far did Lin run?”

Indicator 2H
02/02

Materials attend to the intentional development of MP6: Attend to precision; and attend to the specialized language of mathematics for students, in connection to the grade-level content standards, as expected by the mathematical practice standards.

The materials reviewed for Open Up Resources Grade 8 meet expectations for supporting the intentional development of MP6: Attend to precision; and attend to the specialized language of mathematics, for students, in connection to the grade-level content standards, as expected by the mathematical practice standards. 

Students have opportunities to engage with the Math Practices across the year. Course Guide, How to Use the Materials, Noticing and Assessing Student Progress in Mathematical Practices, The Standards for Mathematical Practices Chart, “The unit-level Mathematical Practice chart is meant to highlight a handful of lessons in each unit that showcase certain Mathematical Practices. Some units, due to their size or the nature of their content, may have fewer predicted chances for students to engage in a particular Mathematical Practice. A dash in the chart indicates that there may not be enough opportunities to reliably look for this Mathematical Practice in the unit. One primary place Mathematical Practice 4 is tagged is the optional modeling lesson at the end of each unit. Aside from these lessons, optional activities and lessons are not included in this chart.” The Mathematical Practices are also identified in Lesson Preparation Narratives and Lesson Activities Narratives for some lessons.

There is intentional development of MP6 to meet its full intent in connection to grade-level content. Students attend to precision as they work with the teacher's support and independently throughout the units. Examples include:

  • Unit 6: Associations in Data, Section B: Associations in Numerical Data, Lesson 3: What a Point in a Scatter Plot Means, Lesson Narrative, “In this lesson, students continue their investigation of scatter plots. They interpret points in a scatter plot in terms of a context, and add points to a scatter plot given information about an individual in the population. They compare individuals represented by different points and informally discuss trends in the data. There are two levels of analysis needed to successfully make sense of scatter plots: what is happening for a particular individual, and what is happening at a global level for the entire population. The ability to move between these two zoom levels develops over time. In this lesson, students spend a lot of time looking at the details of a scatter plot, naming the quantities represented in a scatter plot, and focusing on the meaning of individual points (MP6).” Activity 2: Coat Sales, students attend to precision as they analyze average temperatures and coat sales. “ a. What does the point (15, 680) represent? b. For the month with the lowest average temperature, estimate the total amount made from coat sales. Explain how you used the table to find this information. c. For the month with the smallest coat sales, estimate the average monthly temperature. Explain how you used the scatter plot to find this information. d. If there were a point at (0, A) what would it represent? Use the scatter plot to estimate a value for A. e. What would a point at (B, 0) represent? Use the scatter plot to estimate a value for B. f. Would it make sense to use this trend to estimate the value of sales when the average monthly temperature is 60 degrees Celsius? Explain your reasoning.” 

  • Unit 7: Exponents and Scientific Notation, Section C: Scientific Notation, Lesson 9: Describing Large and Small Numbers Using Powers of 10. Lesson Narrative, “This lesson serves as a prelude to scientific notation and builds on work students have done in previous grades with numbers in base ten. Students use base-ten diagrams to represent different powers of 10 and review how multiplying and dividing by 10 affect the decimal representation of numbers. They use their understanding of base-ten structure as they express very large and very small numbers using exponents. Students also practice communicating—describing and writing—very large and small numbers in an activity, which requires attending to precision (MP6). This leads to a discussion about how powers of 10 can be used to more easily communicate such numbers.” Activity 1: Base-ten Representations Matching, Problem 2, students attend to precision as they work with the place value structure of scientific notation. “a. Write an expression to describe the base-ten diagram if each small square represents 104{10}^{-4}. What is the value of this expression? b. How does changing the value of the small square change the value of the expression? Explain or show your thinking. c. Select at least two different powers of 10 for the small square, and write the corresponding expressions to describe the base-ten diagram. What is the value of each of your expressions?”

  • Unit 8: Pythagorean Theorem and Irrational Numbers, Section A: Side Lengths and Areas of Squares, Lesson 3: Rational and Irrational Numbers, Lesson Narrative, “In this lesson, students build on their work with square roots to learn about a new mathematical idea, irrational numbers. Students recall the definition of rational numbers (MP6) and use this definition to search for a rational number x such that x2x^2 = 2. Students should not be left with the impression that looking for and failing to find a rational number whose square is 2 is a proof that 2\sqrt{2} is irrational; this exercise is simply meant to reinforce what it means to be irrational and to provide some plausibility for the claim. Students are not expected to prove that 2\sqrt{2} is irrational in grade 8, and so ultimately must just accept it as a fact for now.” Activity 2: Looking for a Solution, students attend to precision as they investigate the value of 2\sqrt{2}. “Are any of these numbers a solution to the equation x2x^2 = 2? Explain your reasoning. a. 1 b. 12\frac{1}{2} c. 32\frac{3}{2} d. 75\frac{7}{5}.”

Students attend to the specialized language of mathematics as they work with the teacher's support and independently throughout the units. Examples include:

  • Unit 1: Rigid Transformations, and Congruence, Section A: Rigid Transformations, Lesson 2: Naming the Moves, Lesson Narrative, “In this lesson, students begin to describe a given translation, rotation, or reflection with greater precision and are introduced to the terms translation, rotation, and reflection. The collective terms ‘transformation’ and ‘rigid transformation’ are not used until later lessons. Students are introduced to the terms clockwise and counterclockwise. Students then use this language to identify the individual moves on various figures. Students engage in MP6 as they experiment with ways to describe moves precisely enough for another to understand their meaning.” Cool Down: Is it a Reflection? students use the specialized language of mathematics as they describe a figure’s transformation. “What type of move takes Figure A to Figure B? Explain your reasoning.”

  • Unit 2: Dilations, Similarity and Introducing Slope, Section A: Dilations, Lesson 4: Dilations on a Square Grid, Lesson Narrative, “Students continue to find dilations of polygons, providing additional evidence that dilations map line segments to line segments and hence polygons to polygons. The scale factor of the dilation determines the factor by which the length of those segments increases or decreases. Using coordinates to describe points in the plane helps students develop language for precisely communicating figures in the plane and their images under dilations (MP6).” Activity 2: Card Sort: Matching Dilations on a Coordinate Grid, students use the specialized language of mathematics as they dilate figures and describe the center of dilation and vertices. “Your teacher will give you some cards. Each of Cards 1 through 6 shows a figure in the coordinate plane and describes a dilation. Each of Cards A through E describes the image of the dilation for one of the numbered cards. Match number cards with letter cards. One of the number cards will not have a match. For this card, you’ll need to draw an image.” 

  • Unit 5: Functions and Volume, Section B: Representing and Interpreting Functions, Lesson 6: Even More Graphs of Functions, Lesson Narrative, “In the following activity, students identify independent and dependent variables from contexts and select an appropriate graph to match their choices. Different choices are possible, so students must be precise about which choice they are making and explain how the choice relates to the graph (MP6).” Activity 2: Sketching a Story About a Boy and a Bike, students use the specialized language of mathematics as they define independent and dependent variables as they sketch a graph to represent a situation. “Your teacher will give you tools for creating a visual display. With your group, create a display that shows your response to each question. Here is a story: ‘Noah was at home. He got on his bike and rode to his friend’s house and stayed there for a while. Then he rode home again. Then he rode to the park. Then he rode home again.’ a. Sketch a graph of this story. b. What are the two quantities? Label the axes with their names and units of measure. (For example, if this were a story about pouring water into a pitcher, one of your labels might say ‘volume (liters).’) c. Which quantity is a function of which? Explain your reasoning. d. Based on your graph, is his friend’s house or the park closer to Noah’s home? Explain how you know. e. Read the story and all your responses again. Does everything make sense? If not, make changes to your work.”

Indicator 2I
02/02

Materials support the intentional development of MP7: Look for and make use of structure; and MP8: Look for and express regularity in repeated reasoning, for students, in connection to the grade-level content standards, as expected by the mathematical practice standards.

The materials reviewed for Open Up Resources Grade 8 meet expectations for supporting the intentional development of MP7: Look for and make use of structure; and MP8: Look for and express regularity in repeated reasoning, for students, in connection to grade-level content standards, as expected by the mathematical practice standards.

Students have opportunities to engage with the Math Practices across the year. Course Guide, How to Use the Materials, Noticing and Assessing Student Progress in Mathematical Practices, The Standards for Mathematical Practices Chart, “The unit-level Mathematical Practice chart is meant to highlight a handful of lessons in each unit that showcase certain Mathematical Practices. Some units, due to their size or the nature of their content, may have fewer predicted chances for students to engage in a particular Mathematical Practice. A dash in the chart indicates that there may not be enough opportunities to reliably look for this Mathematical Practice in the unit. One primary place Mathematical Practice 4 is tagged is the optional modeling lesson at the end of each unit. Aside from these lessons, optional activities and lessons are not included in this chart.” The Mathematical Practices are also identified in Lesson Preparation Narratives and Lesson Activities’ Narratives for some lessons.

There is intentional development of MP7 to meet its full intent in connection to grade-level content. Students look for and use the structure as they work with the teacher's support and independently throughout the units. Examples include:

  • Unit 1: Rigid transformations and Congruence, Section A: Rigid Transformations, Lesson 3: Grid Moves, Lesson Narrative, “Prior to this lesson, students have learned the names for the basic moves (translation, rotation, and reflection) and have learned how to identify them in pictures. In this lesson, they apply translations, rotations, and reflections to figures. They also label the image of a point P as P’. While not essential, this practice helps show the structural relationship (MP7) between a figure and its image. Students also encounter the isometric grid (one made of equilateral triangles with 6 meeting at each vertex). They perform translations, rotations, and reflections both on a square grid and on an isometric grid. Expect a variety of approaches, mainly making use of tracing paper (MP5) but students may also begin to notice how the structure of the different grids helps draw images resulting from certain moves (MP7).” Activity 1: Transformation Information, Problem 1, students look for patterns or structures as they interpret necessary information to perform a transformation and draw an image resulting from the transformation. “Follow the directions below each statement to tell GeoGebra how you want the figure to move. It is important to notice that GeoGebra uses vectors to show translations. A vector is a quantity that has magnitude (size) and direction. It is usually represented by an arrow. These applets are sensitive to clicks. Be sure to make one quick click, otherwise it may count a double-click. After each example, click the reset button, and then move the slider over for the next question. Translate triangle ABC so that A goes to A’. a. Select the Vector tool. b. Click on the original point A and A’ then the new point . You should see a vector. c. Select the Translate by Vector tool. d. Click on the figure to translate, and then click on the vector. Translate triangle ABC so that C goes to C’. Rotate triangle ABC 90° counterclockwise using center O. a. Select the Rotate around Point tool. b. Click on the figure to rotate, and then click on the center point. c. A dialog box will open; type the angle by which to rotate and select the direction of rotation. d. Click on ok. Reflect triangle ABC using line l. a. Select the Reflect about Line tool. b. Click on the figure to reflect, and then click on the line of reflection.” 

  • Unit 2: Dilations, Similarity, and Introducing Slope, Section A: Dilations, Lesson 4: Dilations on a Square Grid, Lesson Narrative, “Students continue to find dilations of polygons, providing additional evidence that dilations map line segments to line segments and hence polygons to polygons. The scale factor of the dilation determines the factor by which the length of those segments increases or decreases. Using coordinates to describe points in the plane helps students develop language for precisely communicating figures in the plane and their images under dilations (MP6). Strategically using coordinates to perform and describe dilations is also a good example of MP7.” Cool Down: A Dilated Image, students look for and explain the structure within mathematical representations as they apply a dilation to a polygon where the center of dilation is on the interior of the figure. “Draw the image of rectangle ABCD under dilation using center P and scale factor 12\frac{1}{2}.” 

  • Unit 4: Linear Equations and Linear Systems, Section B: Linear Equations in One Variable, Lesson 8: How Many Solutions?, Lesson Narrative, “In the previous lesson, students learned that sometimes an equation has one solution, sometimes no solution, and sometimes infinitely many solutions. The purpose of this lesson is to help students identify structural features of an equation that tell them which of these outcomes will occur when they solve it. They also learn to stop solving an equation when they have reached a point where it is clear which of the outcomes will occur, for example when they reach an equation like 6x + 2 = 6x + 5 (no solution) or 6x + 2 = 6x + 2 (infinitely many solutions). When students monitor their progress in solving an equation by paying attention to the structure at each step, they engage in MP7.” Activity 2: Make Use of Structure, Problem 1, students compare the structure of equations that have no solution, one solution, and infinitely many solutions. “For each equation, determine whether it has no solutions, exactly one solution, or is true for all values of x (and has infinitely many solutions). If an equation has one solution, solve to find the value of x that makes the statement true. a. 6x + 8 = 7x + 12 b. 6x + 8 = 2(3x + 4) c. 6x + 8 = 6x + 13”

There is intentional development of MP8 to meet its full intent in connection to grade-level content. Students look for and express regularity in repeated reasoning as they work independently with the teacher's support throughout the units. Examples include:

  • Unit 3: Linear Relationships, Section B: Representing Linear Relationships, Lesson 5: Introduction to Linear Relationships, Instructional Routines, “In this task, students are presented with a situation that leads to a linear relationship that is not proportional because there is a non-zero starting amount. By trying to answer the question, ‘How many cups are needed to get to a height of 50 cm?’ the students explore the rate of change, which is the increase per cup after the first cup. The rate of change can be seen in the graph as the slope. Students use representations and ideas from previous lessons on proportional relationships. They use tables and graphs to represent the situation and make deductions by generalizing from repeated reasoning (MP8), arguing that each additional cup increases the height of the stack by the same amount. As students are working, suggest that students make a graph or a table if they are stuck or if they have trouble explaining their reasoning. Students should be prepared to share their strategies with the class.” Activity 1: Stacking Cups, students make generalizations about rate of change as they describe a linear relationship. “We have two stacks of styrofoam cups. One stack has 6 cups, and its height is 15 cm. The other stack has 12 cups, and its height is 23 cm. How many cups are needed for a stack with a height of 50 cm?” 

  • Unit 7: Exponents and Scientific Notation, Section B: Exponent Rules, Lesson 5: Negative Exponents with Powers of 10, Lesson Narrative, “In analogy to positive powers of 10 that describe repeated multiplication by 10, this lesson presents negative powers of 10 as repeated multiplication by 110\frac{1}{10}, leading ultimately to the rule 10n10^{-n} = 110n\frac{1}{10n}. Students use repeated reasoning to generalize about negative exponents (MP8). Students create viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others when comparing and contrasting, for example, (102)3(10^{-2})^3 and (102)3(10^{2})^{-3} (MP3). With this understanding of negative exponents, all of the exponent rules created so far are seen to be valid for any integer exponents.” Activity 1: Negative Exponent Table, students use the general idea exponent rules to include negative exponents. “a. Complete the table to explore what negative exponents mean. b. As you move toward the left, each number is being multiplied by 10. What is the multiplier as you move right? c. How does a multiplier of 10 affect the placement of the decimal in the product?  How does the other multiplier affect the placement of the decimal in the product?  d. Use the patterns you found in the table to write 10710^{-7} as a fraction. e. Use the patterns you found in the table to write 10510^{-5} as a decimal. f. Write 1100,000,000\frac{1}{100,000,000} using a single exponent. g. Use the patterns in the table to write 10n10^{-n} as a fraction.”

  • Unit 8: Pythagorean Theorem and Irrational Numbers, Section B: The Pythagorean Theorem, Lesson 6: Finding Side Lengths of Triangles, Lesson Narrative, “In the Warm Up for this lesson, students notice and wonder about 4 triangles. While there is a lot to notice, one important aspect is whether the triangle is a right triangle or not. This primes them to notice patterns of right and non-right triangles in the other activities in the lesson. In the next two activities, students systematically look at the side lengths of right and non-right triangles for patterns (MP8).” Activity 2: Meet the Pythagorean Theorem, Problem 1, students make generalizations about triangles as they use squares or count grid units to find side lengths and check whether the Pythagorean identity a2a^2 + b2b^2 = c2c^2 holds or not. “Find the missing side lengths. Be prepared to explain your reasoning. Find the missing side lengths. Be prepared to explain your reasoning.” Students are shown three different triangles on grid paper with side measurements labeled. 

Overview of Gateway 3

Usability

The materials reviewed for Open Up Resources 6-8 Math Grade 8 meet expectations for Usability. The materials meet expectations for Criterion 1, Teacher Supports; Criterion 2, Assessment; Criterion 3, Student Supports.

Criterion 3.1: Teacher Supports

09/09

The program includes opportunities for teachers to effectively plan and utilize materials with integrity and to further develop their own understanding of the content.

The materials reviewed for Open Up Resources 6-8 Math Grade 8 meet expectations for Teacher Supports. The materials: provide teacher guidance with useful annotations and suggestions for enacting the student and ancillary materials; contain adult-level explanations and examples of the more complex grade-level concepts and concepts beyond the current grade so that teachers can improve their own knowledge of the subject; include standards correlation information that explains the role of the standards in the context of the overall series; provide explanations of the instructional approaches of the program and identification of the research-based strategies; and provide a comprehensive list of supplies needed to support instructional activities.

Indicator 3A
02/02

Materials provide teacher guidance with useful annotations and suggestions for how to enact the student materials and ancillary materials, with specific attention to engaging students in order to guide their mathematical development.

The materials reviewed for Open Up Resources Grade 8 meet expectations for providing teacher guidance with useful annotations and suggestions for how to enact the student materials and ancillary materials, with specific attention to engaging students in order to guide their mathematical development.

Within the Course Guide, several sections (Design Principles, A Typical Lesson, How to Use the Materials, and Key Structures in This Course) provide comprehensive guidance that will assist teachers in presenting the student and ancillary materials. Examples include:

  • Resources, Course Guide, About These Materials, The Five Practices, “Selected activities are structured using Five Practices for Orchestrating Productive Mathematical Discussions (Smith & Stein, 2011), also described in Principles to Actions: Ensuring Mathematical Success for All (NCTM, 2014), and Intentional Talk: How to Structure and Lead Productive Mathematical Discussions (Kazemi & Hintz, 2014). These activities include a presentation of a task or problem (may be print or other media) where student approaches are anticipated ahead of time. Students first engage in independent think-time followed by partner or small-group work on the problem. The teacher circulates as students are working and notes groups using different approaches. Groups or individuals are selected in a specific, recommended sequence to share their approach with the class, and finally the teacher leads a whole-class discussion to make connections and highlight important ideas.”

  • Resources, Course Guide, About These Materials, A Typical Lesson, “A note about optional activities: A relatively small number of activities throughout the course have been marked “optional.” Some common reasons an activity might be optional include: The activity addresses a concept or skill that is below grade level, but we know that it is common for students to need a chance to focus on it before encountering grade-level material. If the pre-unit diagnostic assessment (”Check Your Readiness”) indicates that students don’t need this review, an activity like this can be safely skipped. The activity addresses a concept or skill that goes beyond the requirements of a standard. The activity is nice to do if there is time, but students won’t miss anything important if the activity is skipped. The activity provides an opportunity for additional practice on a concept or skill that we know many students (but not necessarily all students) need. Teachers should use their judgment about whether class time is needed for such an activity. A typical lesson has four phases: 1. A Warm Up 2. One or more instructional activities 3. The lesson synthesis 4. A Cool Down.”

  • Resources, Course Guide, How To Use These Materials, Each Lesson and Unit Tells a Story, “The story of each grade is told in nine units. Each unit has a narrative that describes the mathematical work that will unfold in that unit. Each lesson in the unit also has a narrative. Lesson Narratives explain: The mathematical content of the lesson and its place in the learning sequence. The meaning of any new terms introduced in the lesson. How the mathematical practices come into play, as appropriate. Activities within lessons also have narratives, which explain: The mathematical purpose of the activity and its place in the learning sequence. What students are doing during the activity. What teacher needs to look for while students are working on an activity to orchestrate an effective synthesis. Connections to the mathematical practices, when appropriate.”

  • Resources, Course Guide, Scope and Sequence lists each of the nine units, a Pacing Guide to plan instruction, and Dependency Diagrams. These Dependency Diagrams show the interconnectedness between lessons and units within Grade 8 and across all grades.

  • Resources, Glossary, provides a visual glossary for teachers that includes both definitions and illustrations. Some images use examples and nonexamples, and all have citations referencing what unit and lesson the definition is from.

Materials include sufficient annotations and suggestions presented within the context of the specific learning objectives. Several components focus specifically on the content of the lesson. Examples include:

  • Unit 1: Rigid Transformations and Congruence, Section D: Angles in a Triangle, Lesson 15: Adding the Angles in a Triangle, Lesson Narrative, “In this lesson, the focus is on the interior angles of a triangle. What can we say about the three interior angles of a triangle? Do they have special properties? The lesson opens with an optional activity looking at different types of triangles with a particular focus on the angle combinations of specific acute, right, and obtuse triangles. After being given a triangle, students form groups of 3 by identifying two other students with a triangle congruent to their own. After collecting some class data on all the triangles and their angles, they find that the sum of the angle measures in all the triangles turns out to be 180 degrees. In the next activity, students observe that if a straight angle is decomposed into three angles, it appears that the three angles can be used to create a triangle. Together the activities provide evidence of a close connection between three positive numbers adding up to 180 and having a triangle with those three numbers as angle measures. A new argument is needed to justify this relationship between three angles making a line and three angles being the angles of a triangle. This is the topic of the following lesson.” 

  • Unit 4: Linear Equations and Linear Systems, Unit Overview, “The second section focuses on linear equations in one variable. Students analyze ‘hanger diagrams’ that depict two collections of shapes that balance each other. Assuming that identical shapes have the same weight, they decide which actions of adding or removing weights preserve that balance. Given a hanger diagram that shows one type of shape with unknown weight, they use the diagram and their understanding of balance to find the unknown weight. Abstracting actions of adding or removing weights that preserve balance (MP7), students formulate the analogous actions for equations, using these along with their understanding of equivalent expressions to develop algebraic methods for solving linear equations in one variable. They analyze groups of linear equations in one unknown, noting that they fall into three categories: no solution, exactly one solution, and infinitely many solutions. They learn that any one such equation is false, true for one value of the variable, or (using properties of operations) true for all values of the variable. Given descriptions of real-world situations, students write and solve linear equations in one variable, interpreting solutions in the contexts from which the equations arose.”

  • Unit 6: Associations in Data, Section B: Associations in Numerical Data, Lesson 8: Analyzing Bivariate Data, Activity 2: Equal Body Dimensions, Instructional Routines, “In this activity students create another scatter plot to analyze the data they collected about their classmates in a previous lesson (MP4). A suggested linear model is compared to the data and a particular point is identified in both the scatter plot and data table. Although the scatter plots are left to students to organize, the only linear model considered is y = x which is symmetric when switching which variable is represented on each axis. If possible, identify any groups who have axes switched to bring up in the discussion. Note: Some students may be sensitive about their body measurements and providing alternate data allows the class to work with actual values without making students uncomfortable. Depending on your class, consider providing a similar data set to the one collected in the earlier lesson (measurements from the staff, a different class, or invented data that is similar to the data collected).”

Indicator 3B
02/02

Materials contain adult-level explanations and examples of the more complex grade-level/course-level concepts and concepts beyond the current course so that teachers can improve their own knowledge of the subject.

The materials reviewed for Open Up Resources Grade 8 meet expectations for containing adult-level explanations and examples of the more complex grade/course-level concepts and concepts beyond the current course so that teachers can improve their knowledge of the subject.

Unit Overviews, Instructional Routines, and Activity Synthesis sections within units and lessons include adult-level explanations and examples of the more complex grade-level concepts. Examples include:

  • Unit 3: Linear Relationships, Unit Overview, “On using the terms ratio, rate, and proportion.In these materials, a quantity is a measurement that is or can be specified by a number and a unit, e.g., 4 oranges, 4 centimeters, ‘my height in feet’, or ‘my height’ (with the understanding that a unit of measurement will need to be chosen). The term ratio is used to mean an association between two or more quantities and the fractions ab\frac{a}{b} and ba\frac{b}{a} are never called ratios. The fractions ab\frac{a}{b} and ba\frac{b}{a} are identified as ‘unit rates’ for the ratio a : b. The word “per” is used with students in interpreting a unit rate in context, as in “$3 per ounce,” and “at the same rate” is used to signify a situation characterized by equivalent ratios.”

  • Unit 4: Linear Equations and Linear Systems, Section C: Systems of Linear Equations, Lesson 14: Solving More Systems, Activity 1: Challenge Yourself, Instructional Routines, “In this activity, students solve systems of linear equations that lend themselves to substitution. There are 4 kinds of systems presented: one kind has both equations given with the y value isolated on one side of the equation, another kind has one of the variables given as a constant, a third kind has one variable given as a multiple of the other, and the last kind has one equation given as a linear combination. This progression of systems nudges students towards the idea of substituting an expression in place of the variable it is equal to. Notice which kinds of systems students think are least and most difficult to solve. In future grades, students will manipulate equations to isolate one of the variables in a linear system of equations. For now, students do not need to solve a system like x + 2y = 7 and 2x - 2y = 2 using this substitution method.”

  • Unit 7: Exponents and Scientific Notation, Section B: Exponent Rules, Lesson 5: Negative Exponents with Powers of 10, Activity 1: Negative Exponent Table, Activity Synthesis, “One important idea is that multiplying by 10 increases the exponent, thus multiplying by 110\frac{1}{10} decreases the exponent. So negative exponents can be thought of as repeated multiplication by 110\frac{1}{10} , whereas positive exponents can be thought of as repeated multiplication by 10. Another key point is the effect that multiplying by 10 or 110\frac{1}{10} has on the placement of the decimal. Ask students to share how they converted between fractions, decimals, and exponents. Record their reasoning for all to see. Here are some possible questions to consider for whole-class discussion: Do you agree or disagree? Why? Did anyone think of this a different way? In your own words, what does 10710^{-7} mean? How is it different from 107{10}^7? Introduce the visual display for 10n{10}^{-n} = 110n\frac{1}{10^n} and display it for all to see throughout the unit. For an example that illustrates the rule, consider displaying 103{10}^{-3} = 110\frac{1}{10} 110\cdot\frac{1}{10} 110\cdot\frac{1}{10} = 1103\frac{1}{10^3}.”

Materials contain adult-level explanations and examples of concepts beyond grade 8 so that teachers can improve their knowledge of the subject. Examples include: 

  • Unit 3: Linear Relationships, Unit 3 Overview, “In grades 6–8, students write rates without abbreviated units, for example as “3 miles per hour” or ‘3 miles in every 1 hour.’ Use of notation for derived units such as mihr\frac{mi}{hr} waits for high school—except for the special cases of area and volume.”

  • Unit 4: Linear Equations and Linear Systems, Section C: Systems of Linear Equations, Lesson 14: Solving More Systems, Activity 1: Challenge Yourself, “In future grades, students will manipulate equations to isolate one of the variables in a linear system of equations. For now, students do not need to solve a system like x + 2y = 7 and 2x - 2y = 2 using this substitution method.”

  • Unit 8: Pythagorean Theorem and Irrational Numbers, Section B: The Pythagorean Theorem, Lesson 7: A Proof of the Pythagorean Theorem, Warm Up Activity Synthesis, “Tell students that when you take a square and put a congruent right triangle on each side as shown on the left, they form a larger square (they will be able to prove this in high school). But it doesn’t work if the triangles are not right triangles.”

Indicator 3C
02/02

Materials include standards correlation information that explains the role of the standards in the context of the overall series.

The materials reviewed for Open Up Resources Grade 8 meet expectations for including standards correlation information that explains the role of the standards in the context of the overall series.

Correlation information can be found within different sections of the Course Guide and within the Standards section of each lesson. Examples include:

  • Resources, Course Guide, About These Materials, Task Purposes, “A note about standards alignments: There are three kinds of alignments to standards in these materials: building on, addressing, and building towards. Oftentimes a particular standard requires weeks, months, or years to achieve, in many cases building on work in prior grade-levels. When an activity reflects the work of prior grades but is being used to bridge to a grade-level standard, alignments are indicated as ‘building on’. When an activity is laying the foundation for a grade-level standard but has not yet reached the level of the standard, the alignment is indicated as ‘building towards’. When a task is focused on the grade-level work, the alignment is indicated as ‘addressing’.”

  • Resources, Course Guide, How To Use These Materials, Noticing and Assessing Student Progress in Mathematical Practices, “The unit-level Mathematical Practice chart is meant to highlight a handful of lessons in each unit that showcase certain Mathematical Practices. Some units, due to their size or the nature of their content, may have fewer predicted chances for students to engage in a particular Mathematical Practice. A dash in the chart indicates that there may not be enough opportunities to reliably look for this Mathematical Practice in the unit. One primary place Mathematical Practice 4 is tagged is the optional modeling lesson at the end of each unit. Aside from these lessons, optional activities and lessons are not included in this chart.”

  • Resources, Course Guide, Scope and Sequence, “In the unit dependency chart, an arrow indicates that a particular unit is designed for students who already know the material in a previous unit. Reversing the order would have a negative effect on mathematical or pedagogical coherence.” Unit Dependency Diagrams identify connections between units and Section Dependency Diagrams identify specific connections within the grade level.

  • Resources, Course Guide, Lesson and Standards, provides two tables: a Standards by Lesson table, and a Lessons by Standard table. Teachers can utilize these tables to identify standard/lesson alignment.

  • Unit 4: Linear Equations and Linear Systems, Section B: Linear Equations in One Variable, Lesson 6: Strategic Solving, “Addressing 8.EE.C.7 Solve linear equations in one variable. 8.EE.C.7.b Solve linear equations with rational number coefficients, including equations whose solutions require expanding expressions using the distributive property and collecting like terms.”

Explanations of the role of specific grade-level mathematics can be found within different sections of the Resources, Course Guide, Unit Overviews, Section Overviews, and Lesson Narratives. Examples include:

  • Unit 2: Dilations, Similarities, and Introducing Slope, Overview, “Many of the lessons in this unit ask students to work on geometric figures that are not set in a real-world context. This design choice respects the significant intellectual work of reasoning about area. Tasks set in real-world contexts are sometimes contrived and hinder rather than help understanding. Moreover, mathematical contexts are legitimate contexts that are worthy of study. Students do have opportunities in the unit to tackle real-world applications. In the culminating activity of the unit, students examine shadows cast by objects in the sun. This is an opportunity for them to apply what they have learned about similar triangles (MP4).”

  • Unit 4: Linear Equations and Linear Systems, Section C: Systems of Linear Equations, Section Overview, “The third section focuses on systems of linear equations in two variables. It begins with activities intended to remind students that a point lies on the graph of a linear equation if and only if its coordinates make the equation true. Given descriptions of two linear relationships students interpret points on their graphs, including points on both graphs. Students categorize pairs of linear equations graphed on the same axes, noting that there are three categories: no intersection (lines distinct and parallel, no solution), exactly one intersection (lines not parallel, exactly one solution), and same line (infinitely many solutions).”

  • Unit 7: Exponents and Scientific Notation, Section C: Scientific Notation, Lesson 9: Describing Large and Small Numbers Using Powers of 10, Lesson Narrative, “This lesson serves as a prelude to scientific notation and builds on work students have done in previous grades with numbers in base ten. Students use base-ten diagrams to represent different powers of 10 and review how multiplying and dividing by 10 affect the decimal representation of numbers. They use their understanding of base-ten structure as they express very large and very small numbers using exponents. Students also practice communicating—describing and writing—very large and small numbers in an activity, which requires attending to precision (MP6). This leads to a discussion about how powers of 10 can be used to more easily communicate such numbers.”

Indicator 3D
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Materials provide strategies for informing all stakeholders, including students, parents, or caregivers about the program and suggestions for how they can help support student progress and achievement.

The materials reviewed for Open Up Resources Grade 8 provide strategies for informing all stakeholders, including students, parents, or caregivers about the program and suggestions for how they can help support student progress and achievement.

The materials include an introductory Family Letter, and the student edition contains lesson summaries and video lesson summaries. Examples include: 

  • Resources, Family Letter, What supports are in the materials to help my student succeed?, “Each lesson includes a lesson summary that describes the key mathematical work of the lesson and provides worked examples when relevant. Students can use this resource if they are absent from class, to check their understanding of the day’s topics, and as a reference when they are working on practice problems or studying for an assessment. Each lesson is followed by a practice problem set. These problems help students synthesize their knowledge and build their skills. Some practice problems in each set relate to the content of the current lesson, while others revisit concepts from previous lessons and units. Distributed practice like this has been shown to be more effective at helping students retain information over time. Each lesson includes a few learning targets, which summarize the goals of the lesson. Each unit’s complete set of learning targets is available on a single page, which can be used as a self-assessment tool as students progress through the course. Family support materials are included several times in each unit. These materials give an overview of the unit's math content and provide a problem to work on with your student.”

  • Unit 2: Dilations, Similarity, and Introducing Slope, Student Edition, Video Lesson Summaries, “Each video highlights key concepts and vocabulary included in one or more lessons in the unit. These lesson videos are based on the Lesson Summaries found at the end of each lesson. Here are some possible ways to use these videos: Keep informed on concepts and vocabulary learned in class. Review and check understanding of the included lessons. Watch and pause at key points to predict what comes next or think up other examples of vocabulary terms (the bolded words). Dilations (Lessons 1–5), Similarity (Lesson 6–9), Slope (Lessons 10–12).”

  • Unit 5: Functions and Volume, Section D: Cylinders and Cones, Lesson 12: How Much Will Fit?, Student Edition, Lesson Summary, “The volume of a three-dimensional figure, like a jar or a room, is the amount of space the shape encloses. We can measure volume by finding the number of equal-sized volume units that fill the figure without gaps or overlaps. For example, we might say that a room has a volume of 1,000 cubic feet, or that a pitcher can carry 5 gallons of water. We could even measure volume of a jar by the number of beans it could hold, though a bean count is not really a measure of the volume in the same way that a cubic centimeter is because there is space between the beans. (The number of beans that fit in the jar do depend on the volume of the jar, so it is an okay estimate when judging the relative sizes of containers.) In earlier grades, we studied three-dimensional figures with flat faces that are polygons. We learned how to calculate the volumes of rectangular prisms. Now we will study three-dimensional figures with circular faces and curved surfaces: cones, cylinders, and spheres.”

Indicator 3E
02/02

Materials provide explanations of the instructional approaches of the program and identification of the research-based strategies.

The materials reviewed for Open Up Resources Grade 8 meet expectations for providing explanations of the instructional approaches of the program and identification of the research-based strategies.

The materials explain and provide examples of the program's instructional approaches and include and reference research-based strategies. Both the instructional approaches and the research-based strategies are included in the Course Guide. Examples include:

  • Resources, Course Guide, About These Materials, Design Principles, The Five Practices, “Selected activities are structured using Five Practices for Orchestrating Productive Mathematical Discussions (Smith & Stein, 2011), also described in Principles to Actions: Ensuring Mathematical Success for All (NCTM, 2014), and Intentional Talk: How to Structure and Lead Productive Mathematical Discussions (Kazemi & Hintz, 2014). These activities include a presentation of a task or problem (may be print or other media) where student approaches are anticipated ahead of time. Students first engage in independent think-time followed by partner or small-group work on the problem. The teacher circulates as students are working and notes groups using different approaches. Groups or individuals are selected in a specific, recommended sequence to share their approach with the class, and finally the teacher leads a whole-class discussion to make connections and highlight important ideas.”

  • Resources, Course Guide, How to Use These Materials, Instructional Routines, “The kind of instruction appropriate in any particular lesson depends on the learning goals of that lesson. Some lessons may be devoted to developing a concept, others to mastering a procedural skill, yet others to applying mathematics to a real-world problem. These aspects of mathematical proficiency are interwoven. These lesson plans include a small set of activity structures and reference a small, high-leverage set of teacher moves that become more and more familiar to teachers and students as the year progresses. Some of the instructional routines, known as Mathematical Language Routines (MLR), were developed by the Stanford University UL/SCALE team. The purpose of each MLR is described here, but you can read more about supports for students with emerging English language proficiency in the Supports for English Language Learners section.”

  • Resources, About These Materials, What is a “Problem-Based” Curriculum, Attitudes and Beliefs We Want to Cultivate, “Many people think that mathematical knowledge and skills exclusively belong to “math people.” Yet research shows that students who believe that hard work is more important than innate talent learn more mathematics. We want students to believe anyone can do mathematics and that persevering at mathematics will result in understanding and success. In the words of the NRC report Adding It Up, we want students to develop a “productive disposition—[the] habitual inclination to see mathematics as sensible, useful, and worthwhile, coupled with a belief in diligence and one’s own efficacy.”

Indicator 3F
01/01

Materials provide a comprehensive list of supplies needed to support instructional activities.

The materials reviewed for Open Up Resources Grade 8 meet expectations for providing a comprehensive list of supplies needed to support instructional activities.

In the Course Guide, Materials, there is a list of materials needed for each unit and each lesson. Lessons that do not have materials are indicated by none; lessons that need materials have a list of all the materials required. Examples include:

  • Resources, Course Guide, Required Materials, “blank paper, colored pencils, compasses, dried linguine pasta, four-function calculators, geometry toolkits, graduated cylinders, graph paper, isometric graph paper, long straightedge, measuring tapes, protractors, rulers, rulers marked with centimeters, rulers marked with inches, scientific calculators, scissors, spherical objects, stopwatches, straightedges, string, tape, tools for creating a visual display, toothpicks, pencils, straws, or other objects, tracing paper.”

  • Unit 3: Linear Relationships, Section B: Representing Linear Relationships, Lesson 5: Introduction to Linear Relationships, Required Materials, “graph paper, rulers.”

  • Unit 5: Functions and Volume, Section C: Linear Functions and Rate of Change, Lesson 9: Linear Models, Required Materials, “straightedges.”

Indicator 3G
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This is not an assessed indicator in Mathematics.

Indicator 3H
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This is not an assessed indicator in Mathematics.

Criterion 3.2: Assessment

10/10

The program includes a system of assessments identifying how materials provide tools, guidance, and support for teachers to collect, interpret, and act on data about student progress towards the standards.

The materials reviewed for Open Up Resources 6-8 Math Grade 8 meet expectations for Assessment. The materials identify the content standards and mathematical practices assessed in formal assessments. The materials provide multiple opportunities to determine students' learning and sufficient guidance to teachers for interpreting student performance, and suggestions for following-up with students. The materials include opportunities for students to demonstrate the full intent of grade-level standards and mathematical practices across the series.

Indicator 3I
02/02

Assessment information is included in the materials to indicate which standards are assessed.

The materials reviewed for Open Up Resources Grade 8 meet expectations for having assessment information included in the materials to indicate which standards are assessed.

The materials consistently and accurately identify grade-level content standards for formal assessments in the Lesson Cool Down, Mid-Unit Assessments and End-of-Unit Assessments within each assessment answer key. Examples include:

  • Resources, Course Guide, Assessments, Summative Assessments, “All summative assessment problems include a complete solution and standard alignment. Multiple-choice and multiple response problems often include a reason for each potential error a student might make. Restricted constructed response and extended response items include a rubric.”

  • Unit 2: Dilations, Similarity, and Introducing Slope, Section C: Slope, Lesson 11: Writing Equations for Lines, Cool Down: Matching Relationships to Graphs, “8.EE.B.6, a. Explain why the slope of line a is 26\frac{2}{6}. b. Label the horizontal and vertical sides of the triangle with expressions representing their length. Explain why x7x5\frac{x-7}{x-5} = 26\frac{2}{6}.”

  • Unit 5: Functions and Volume, Unit Assessments, Mid-Unit Assessment, Version A, Problem 2, “8.F.B.5, This graph shows the temperature in Diego’s house between noon and midnight one day. Select ALL the true statements. A. Time is a function of temperature. B. The lowest temperature occurred between 4:00 and 5:00. C. The temperature was increasing between 9:00 and 10:00. D. The temperature was 74 degrees twice during the 12-hour period. E. There was a four-hour period during which the temperature did not change.”

  • Unit 8: Pythagorean Theorem and Irrational Numbers, Unit Assessments, End-of-Unit Assessment, Version B, Problem 1, “8.EE.A.2 Select all the numbers that are solutions to the equation x2x^2 = 15. A. 225 B. 225\sqrt{225} C. 7.5 D. 15\sqrt{15} E. -15\sqrt{15}.” 

The materials consistently and accurately identify grade-level mathematical practice standards for formal assessments. Examples include:

  • Resources, Course Guide, How to Use These Materials, Noticing and Assessing Student Progress in Mathematical Practices, How Can You Use the Mathematical Practices Chart, “No single task is sufficient for assessing student engagement with the Standards for Mathematical Practice. For teachers looking to assess their students, consider providing students the list of learning targets to self-assess their use of the practices, assigning students to create and maintain a portfolio of work that highlights their progress in using the Mathematical Practices throughout the course, monitoring collaborative work and noting student engagement with the Mathematical Practices. Because using the mathematical practices is part of a process for engaging with mathematical content, we suggest assessing the Mathematical Practices formatively. For example, if you notice that most students do not use appropriate tools strategically (MP5), plan in future lessons to select and highlight work from students who have chosen different tools. Since the Mathematical Practices in action can take many forms, a list of learning targets for each Mathematical Practice is provided to support teachers and students in recognizing when engagement with a particular Mathematical Practice is happening. The intent of the list is not that students check off every item on the list. Rather, the ‘I can’ statements are examples of the types of actions students could do if they are engaging with a particular Mathematical Practice.”

  • Resources, Course Guide, How to Use the Materials, Noticing and Assessing Student Progress In Mathematical Practices, Standards for Mathematical Practice Student Facing Learning Targets, “MP7: I Can Look for and Make Use of Structure: I can identify connections between problems I have already solved and new problems. I can compose and decompose numbers, expressions, and figures to make sense of the parts and of the whole. I can make connections between multiple mathematical representations. I can make use of patterns to help me solve a problem.”

Indicator 3J
04/04

Assessment system provides multiple opportunities throughout the grade, course, and/or series to determine students' learning and sufficient guidance to teachers for interpreting student performance and suggestions for follow-up.

The materials reviewed for Open Up Resources Grade 8 meet expectations for including an assessment system that provides multiple opportunities throughout the grade, course, and/or series to determine students' learning and sufficient guidance to teachers for interpreting student performance and suggestions for follow-up.

Materials provide opportunities to determine students' learning and sufficient guidance to teachers for interpreting student performance. Examples include:

  • Resources, Course Guide, Assessments, Summative Assessments, End-of-Unit Assessments, “All summative assessment problems include a complete solution and standard alignment. Multiple-choice and multiple response problems often include a reason for each potential error a student might make. Restricted constructed response and extended response items include a rubric. Unlike formative assessments, problems on summative assessments generally do not prescribe a method of solution.”

  • Unit 3: Linear Relationships, End-of-Unit Assessment, Version A, Problem 5, students compare proportional relationships between time and distance. “Three runners are training for a marathon. One day, they all run about ten miles, each at their own constant speed. This graph shows how long, in minutes, it takes Runner #1 to run d miles. The equation that relates Runner #2’s distance (in miles) with time (in minutes) is t=8.5t. Runner #3’s information is in the table. Which of the three runners has the fastest pace? Explain how you know.” Solution, “Minimal Tier 1 response: Work is complete and correct. Sample: Runner #1 goes at 10 minutes per mile, Runner #2 goes at 8.5 minutes per mile, and Runner #3 goes at 9 minutes per mile. Runner #2 is fastest, because they take the least time to run one mile. Tier 2 response: Work shows general conceptual understanding and mastery, with some errors. Sample errors: Work contains correct unit rates for all three runners but concludes that runner #1 or #3 is the fastest or does not name a fastest runner; one unit rate is incorrect (possibly with an incorrect fastest runner identified as a consequence); insufficient explanation of work. Tier 3 response: Significant errors in work demonstrate lack of conceptual understanding or mastery. Sample errors: two or more incorrect unit rates; the correct runner is identified but with no justification; response to the question is not based on unit rates or on similar methods such as calculating which runner has gone the farthest after 10 miles.” 

  • Unit 6: Associations in Data, End-of-Unit Assessment, Version B, Problem 3, students look for associations between variables. “Select all the relationships that demonstrate a negative association between variables. A. Number of absences from school and final grades B. Outside temperature and ice cream sales C. Price of houses and house sales D. Number of rainy days and car accidents E. Number of hours playing video games and grades.” Solution, “A, C, and E.”

Materials provide opportunities to determine students' learning and general suggestions to teachers for following up with students. Examples include:

  • Resources, Course Guide, Assessments, Pre-Unit Diagnostic Assessments, “What if a large number of students can’t do the same pre-unit assessment problem? Teachers are encouraged to address below-grade skills while continuing to work through the on-grade tasks and concepts of each unit, instead of abandoning the current work in favor of material that only addresses below-grade skills. Look for opportunities within the upcoming unit where the target skill could be addressed in context. For example, an upcoming activity might require solving an equation in one variable. Some strategies might include: ask a student who can do the skill to present their method, add additional questions to the Warm Up with the purpose of revisiting the skill, add to the activity launch a few related equations to solve, before students need to solve an equation while working on the activity, pause the class while working on the activity to focus on the portion that requires solving an equation. Then, attend carefully to students as they work through the activity. If difficulty persists, add more opportunities to practice the skill, by adapting tasks or practice problems.”

  • Resources, Course Guide, Assessments, Cool Downs, “What if the feedback from a Cool Down suggests students haven’t understood a key concept? Choose one or more of these strategies: Look at the next few lessons to see if students have more opportunities to engage with the same topic. If so, plan to focus on the topic in the context of the new activities. During the next lesson, display the work of a few students on that Cool Down. Anonymize their names, but show some correct and incorrect work. Ask the class to observe some things each student did well and could have done better. Give each student brief, written feedback on their Cool Down that asks a question that nudges them to re-examine their work. Ask students to revise and resubmit. Look for practice problems that are similar to, or involve the same topic as the Cool Down, then assign those problems over the next few lessons.”

  • Unit 5: Functions and Volume, Mid-Unit Assessment, Version B, Problem 4, students calculate rate of change. “Mai hiked up a trail for 40 minutes. The graph shows the elevation in feet that she reached throughout her hike. Name the time period where Mai gained elevation at the fastest rate.” Guidance for teachers, “Check to see if students understand what “time period” means in this context. Some students may answer 10–22 minutes, looking at the longest section of the graph. Students answering 32–40 minutes may simply be choosing the section of the graph corresponding to the greatest height. If students struggle to calculate the different rates of change of a piecewise linear function using a graph, provide additional instruction either in a small group or individually using OUR Math Grade 8 Unit 5 Lesson 10 Activity 2. Ask students, ‘How would you describe a piecewise linear function to someone who has never seen one?’”

Indicator 3K
04/04

Assessments include opportunities for students to demonstrate the full intent of grade-level/course-level standards and practices across the series.

The materials reviewed for Open Up Resources Grade 8 meet expectations for providing assessments that include opportunities for students to demonstrate the full intent of grade-level/ course-level standards and practices across the series.

Formative assessments include lesson activities, Cool Downs, and Practice Problems in each unit section. Summative assessments include Mid-Unit Assessments and End-of-Unit Assessments. Assessments regularly demonstrate the full intent of grade-level content and practice standards through various item types, including multiple-choice, multiple response, short answer, restricted constructed response, and extended response. Examples include:

  • Unit 1: Rigid Transformations and Congruence, Mid-Unit Assessment, Version A, Problem 6, students apply rigid transformations to a single point. “Point A is located at coordinates (-4, 3). What are the coordinates of each point? a. Point B is the image of A after a rotation of 180° using (0, 0) as center. B. Point C is the image of A after a translation two units to the right, then a reflection using the x-axis. c. Point D is the image of A after a reflection using the y-axis, then a translation two units to the right.” (8.G.3)

  • Unit 2: Dilations, Similarity, and Introducing Slope, Section B: Similarity, Lesson 7: Similar Polygons, Cool Down: How Do You Know?, students construct viable arguments and explain why two quadrilaterals are similar. “Explain how you know these two figures are similar.” (MP3)

  • Unit 3: Linear Relationships, Section B: Representing Linear Relationships, Lesson 5: Introduction to Linear Relationships, Cool Down: Stackin More Cups, students analyze a graph of a non-proportional relationship. “A shorter style of cup is stacked tall. The graph displays the height of the stack in centimeters for different numbers of cups. How much does each cup after the first add to the height of the stack? Explain how you know.” Students are shown a graph of height in centimeters of stacked cups with the points (3, 5.5) and (8, 8) plotted. (8.EE.5)

  • Unit 4: Linear Equations and Linear Systems, Lesson 12: System of Equations, Cool Down: Milkshakes Revisited, students graph and interpret systems of equations. “Determined to finish her milkshake before Diego, Lin now drinks her 12 ounce milkshake at a rate of 13\frac{1}{3} an ounce per second. Diego starts with his usual 20 ounce milkshake and drinks at the same rate as before, 23\frac{2}{3} an ounce per second. a. Graph this situation on the axes provided. b. What does the graph tell you about the situation and how many solutions there are?” (MP4)

  • Unit 5: Functions and Volume, Section B: Representing and Interpreting Functions, Lesson 7: Connecting Representations of Functions, Practice Problems, Problem 2, students compare input and output functions presented in different ways. “Elena and Lin are training for a race. Elena runs her mile at a constant speed of 7.5 miles per hour. Lin’s total distances are recorded every minute: a. Who finished their mile first? B. This is a graph of Lin’s progress. Draw a graph to represent Elena’s mile on the same axes. c. For these models, is distance a function of time? Is time a function of distance? Explain how you know.” A table and graph of Lin’s distances over time are shown. (8.F.2 and 8.F.3)

  • Unit 8: Pythagorean Theorem and Irrational Numbers, End-of-Unit Assessment, Version B, Problem 4, students convert fractions to decimals. “What is the decimal expansion of 169\frac{16}{9}?” (8.NS.1)

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Assessments offer accommodations that allow students to demonstrate their knowledge and skills without changing the content of the assessment.

The materials reviewed for Open Up Resources Grade 8 provide assessments which offer accommodations that allow students to demonstrate their knowledge and skills without changing the content of the assessment.

The general accommodations are provided in the Course Guide in the section Universal Design for Learning and Access for Students with Disabilities. These assessment accommodations are offered at the program level and are not specific to each assessment. Examples include:

  • Resources, Course Guide, Supports for Students with Disabilities, Instructional Strategies That Support Access, Eliminate Barriers, “Eliminate any unnecessary barriers that students may encounter that prevent them from engaging with the important mathematical work of a lesson. This requires flexibility and attention to areas such as the physical environment of the classroom, access to tools, organization of lesson activities, and means of communication.”

  • Resources, Course Guide, Supports for Students with Disabilities, Instructional Strategies That Support Access, Processing Time, “Increased time engaged in thinking and learning leads to mastery of grade-level content for all students, including students with disabilities. Frequent switching between topics creates confusion and does not allow for content to deeply embed in the mind of the learner. Mathematical ideas and representations are carefully introduced in the materials in a gradual, purposeful way to establish a base of conceptual understanding. Some students may need additional time, which should be provided as required.”

  • Resources, Course Guide, Supports for Students with Disabilities, Instructional Strategies That Support Access, Visual Aids, “Visual aids such as images, diagrams, vocabulary anchor charts, color coding, or physical demonstrations are suggested throughout the materials to support conceptual processing and language development. Keeping relevant visual aids posted in the classroom supports independence by allowing students to access them as needed, and is especially beneficial for students with challenges related to working or short term memory.”

  • Resources, Course Guide, Supports for Students with Disabilities, Instructional Strategies That Support Access, Manipulatives, “Physical manipulatives help students make connections between concrete ideas and abstract representations. Often, students with disabilities benefit from hands-on activities, which allow them to make sense of the problem at hand and communicate their own mathematical ideas and solutions.”

Criterion 3.3: Student Supports

08/08

The program includes materials designed for each student’s regular and active participation in grade-level/grade-band/series content.

The materials reviewed for Open Up Resources 6-8 Math Grade 8 meet expectations for Student Supports. The materials provide: strategies and supports for students in special populations and for students who read, write, and/or speak in a language other than English to support their regular and active participation in learning grade-level mathematics; multiple extensions and/or opportunities for students to engage with grade-level mathematics at higher levels of complexity; and manipulatives, both virtual and physical, that are accurate representations of the mathematical objects they represent and, when appropriate, are connected to written methods.

Indicator 3M
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Materials provide strategies and supports for students in special populations to support their regular and active participation in learning grade-level/series mathematics.

The materials reviewed for Open Up Resources Grade 8 meet expectations for providing strategies and supports for students in special populations to support their regular and active participation in learning grade-level/series mathematics.

Materials regularly provide strategies, supports, and resources for students in special populations to help them access grade-level mathematics, as suggested in each lesson. According to the Resources, Course Guide, Supports for Students with Disabilities, “Supplemental instructional strategies, labeled ‘Supports for Students with Disabilities,’ are included in each lesson. They are designed to help teachers meet the individual needs of a diverse group of learners. Each  is aligned to one of the three principles of Universal Design for Learning, to provide multiple means of engagement, representation, or action and expression, and includes a suggested strategy to increase access and eliminate barriers. These lesson specific supports can be used as needed to help students succeed with a specific activity, without reducing the mathematical demand of the task, and can be faded out as students gain understanding and fluency.” Examples of supports for special populations include: 

  • Unit 3: Linear Relationships, Section D: Linear Equations, Lesson 13: More Solutions to Linear Equations, Activity 1: True or False: Solutions in the Coordinate Plane, Supports for Students with Disabilities, “Action and Expression: Executive Functions, Check for understanding by inviting students to rephrase directions in their own words. Provide the following sentence frame to support student explanations: ‘Statement ____ is true/false because …’ Provides accessibility for: Organization, Attention.”

  • Unit 6: Associations in Data, Section B: Associations in Numerical Data, Lesson 4: Fitting a Line to Data, Activity 1: Shine Bright, Supports for Students with Disabilities, “Action and Expression: Expression and Communication, Invite students to talk about their ideas with a partner before writing them down. Display sentence frames to support students when they explain their ideas. For example, ‘It looks like …’ and ‘We are trying to …’ Provides accessibility for: Language, Organization.”

  • Unit 7: Exponents and Scientific Notation, Section B: Exponent Rules, Lesson 3: Powers of Powers of 10, Activity 2: How Do the Rules Work?, Supports for Students with Disabilities, “Representation: Comprehension, Activate or supply background knowledge. Continue to display, or provide a physical copy of the visual display for the rule (10n)m{({10}^n)}^m = 10nm{10}^{n \cdot m} from the previous activity. Provides accessibility for: Memory, Conceptual Processing.”

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Materials provide extensions and/or opportunities for students to engage with grade-level/course-level mathematics at higher levels of complexity.

The materials reviewed for Open Up Resources Grade 8 meet expectations for providing extensions and/or opportunities for students to engage with grade-level/course-level mathematics at higher levels of complexity.

While there are no instances where advanced students do more assignments than classmates, materials provide multiple opportunities for students to investigate grade-level content at a higher level of complexity. These are found after activities and labeled “Are You Ready for More?” According to the Resources, Course Guide, How To Use The Materials, Are You Ready For More?, “Select classroom activities include an opportunity for differentiation for students ready for more of a challenge. We think of them as the ‘mathematical dessert’ to follow the ‘mathematical entrée’ of a classroom activity. Every extension problem is made available to all students with the heading “Are You Ready for More?” These problems go deeper into grade-level mathematics and often make connections between the topic at hand and other concepts. Some of these problems extend the work of the associated activity, but some of them involve work from prior grades, prior units in the course, or reflect work that is related to the K–12 curriculum but a type of problem not required by the standards. They are not routine or procedural, and they are not just “the same thing again but with harder numbers.” Examples include:

  • Unit 2: Dilations, Similarity, and Introducing Slope, Section A: Dilations, Lesson 3: Dilations with no Grid, Activity 2: Getting Perspective, Are You Ready for More? “Here is line segment DE and its image D’E’ under a dilation. a. Use a ruler to find and draw the center of dilation. Label it F. b. What is the scale factor of the dilation?”

  • Unit 6: Associations in Data, Section B: Associations in Numerical Data, Lesson 5: Describing Trends in Scatter Plots, Activity 3: Practice Fitting Lines, Are You Ready for More? “These scatter plots were created by multiplying the x-coordinate by 3 then adding a random number between two values to get the y-coordinate. The first scatter plot added a random number between -0.5 and 0.5 to the y-coordinate. The second scatter plot added a random number between -2 and 2 to the y-coordinate. The third scatter plot added a random number between -10 and 10 to the y-coordinate. a. For each scatter plot, draw a line that fits the data. b. Explain why some were easier to do than others.” Three scatter plots are shown.

  • Unit 8: Pythagorean Theorem and Irrational Numbers, Section B: The Pythagorean Theorem, Lesson 6: Finding Side Lengths of a Triangle, Activity 2: Meet the Pythagorean Theorem, Are You Ready for More? “If the four shaded triangles in the figure are congruent right triangles, does the inner quadrilateral have to be a square? Explain how you know.”

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Materials provide varied approaches to learning tasks over time and variety in how students are expected to demonstrate their learning with opportunities for students to monitor their learning.

The materials reviewed for Open Up Resources Grade 8 provide varied approaches to learning tasks over time and variety in how students are expected to demonstrate their learning with opportunities for students to monitor their learning.

Students engage with problem-solving in a variety of ways. Per the Course Guide, each lesson consists of four stages, beginning with a Warm Up, which prepares students for the day’s lesson or strengthens their procedural skills. After the Warm Up, students participate in one to three activities with their purpose explained in the Activity Narrative. Then students engage in the Lesson Synthesis to consolidate their learning from the lesson. This is followed by a Cool Down where students independently demonstrate their understanding of the day’s learning. Examples of varied approaches include:

  • Unit 3: Linear Relationships, Section C: Finding Slopes, Lesson 9: Slopes Don’t Have to be Positive, Activity 2: Travel Habits in July, students examine the idea of 0 slope. “Here is a graph that shows the amount on Han’s fare card for every day of last July. a. Describe what happened with the amount on Han’s fare card in July. b. Plot and label 3 different points on the line. c. Write an equation that represents the amount on the card in July, y, after x days. d. What value makes sense for the slope of the line that represents the amounts on Han’s fare card in July?”

  • Unit 5: Functions and Volume, Section D: Cylinders and Cones, Lesson 16: Finding Cone Dimensions, Warm Up: Number Talks: Thirds, students find strategies for finding unknown values. “For each equation, decide what value, if any, would make it true. a. 27 = 13\frac{1}{3}h b. 27 = 13\frac{1}{3}r2r^2 c. 12π\pi = 13\frac{1}{3}π\pia d. 12π\pi = 13\frac{1}{3}π\pib2b^2” Activity Synthesis, “Ask students to share their strategies for each problem, in particular highlighting the ways students worked with the fraction. Record and display their explanations for all to see. To involve more students in the conversation, consider asking: Who can restate ____’s reasoning in a different way? Did anyone have the same strategy but would explain it differently? Did anyone solve the problem in a different way? Does anyone want to add on to ____’s strategy? Do you agree or disagree? Why?”

  • Unit 7: Exponents and Scientific Notation, Section C: Scientific Notation, Lesson 12: Applications of Arithmetic with Powers of 10, Cool Down: Reflecting on Using Powers of 10, students use powers of 10 to make calculations with large numbers, “What is a mistake you would expect to see others make when doing problems like the ones in this lesson? Give an example of what such a mistake looks like.” Activity 1: Meter Sticks to the Moon, Problem 1, students calculated earlier, “How many meter sticks does it take to equal the mass of the Moon? Explain or show your reasoning.” Students are provided the following, “The mass of an average classroom meter stick is roughly 0.2 kg. The mass of the Moon is approximately 7 \cdot 1022{10}^{22} kg.”

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Materials provide opportunities for teachers to use a variety of grouping strategies.

The materials reviewed for Open Up Resources Grade 8 provide opportunities for teachers to use a variety of grouping strategies.

Suggested grouping strategies are consistently present within the activity Launch and include guidance for whole group, small group, pairs, or individuals. Examples include:

  • Unit 2: Dilations, Similarity, and Introducing Slope, Section B: Similarity, Lesson 6: Similarity, Warm Up: Equivalent Expressions, Launch, “Arrange students in groups of 2. Tell students they are writing a list of several expressions equivalent to 10(2 + 3) - 8 \cdot 3. Give students 2 minutes of quiet time followed by 1 minute to discuss their responses with a partner.” 

  • Unit 3: Linear Relationships, Section D: Linear Equations, Lesson 12: Solutions to Linear Equations, Activity 1: Apples and Oranges, Launch, “Arrange students in groups of 2. Give students 3–5 minutes of quiet think time to answer the first question and think about the others. Have partners compare solutions and discuss the remaining questions. Follow with a whole-class discussion.”

  • Unit 4, Linear Equations and Linear Systems, Section B, Linear Equations in One Variable, Lesson 3: Balanced Moves, Activity 2: Keeping Equality, Launch, “Arrange students in groups of 2. Give students 2 minutes quiet think time for problem 1, then 3–5 minutes partner time to discuss problem 1 and complete the other problems. Follow with a whole-class discussion.”

Indicator 3Q
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Materials provide strategies and supports for students who read, write, and/or speak in a language other than English to regularly participate in learning grade-level mathematics.

The materials reviewed for Open Up Resources Grade 8 meet expectations for providing strategies and supports for students who read, write, and/or speak in a language other than English to regularly participate in learning grade-level mathematics.

Teachers consistently provide guidance to support students who read, write, and/or speak in a language other than English, providing scaffolds for them to meet or exceed grade-level standards. According to the Resources, Course Guide, Supports for English Language Learners, Design, “Each lesson includes instructional strategies that teachers can use to facilitate access to the language demands of a lesson or activity. These support strategies, labeled ‘Supports for English Language Learners,’ stem from the design principles and are aligned to the language domains of reading, writing, speaking, listening, conversing, and representing in math (Aguirre & Bunch, 2012). They provide students with access to the mathematics by supporting them with the language demands of a specific activity without reducing the mathematical demand of the task. Using these supports will help maintain student engagement in mathematical discourse and ensure that the struggle remains productive. Teachers should use their professional judgment about which routines to use and when, based on their knowledge of the individual needs of students in their classroom.” Examples include:

  • Unit 3: Linear Relationship, Section D: Linear Equations, Lesson 12: Solutions to Linear Equations, Activity 2: Solutions and Everything Else, Supports for English Learners, “Writing, Conversing: MLR1 Stronger and Clearer Each Time, Use this routine for students to respond in writing to the prompt: ‘What does a graph tell you about the solutions to an equation with two variables?’ Give students time to meet with 2–3 partners, to share and get feedback on their responses. Encourage the listener to press for supporting details and evidence by asking, ‘Could you give an example from your graph?’ or ‘Could you make a generalization about the solutions to an equation from the specific case you mentioned?’ Have the students write a second draft based on their peer feedback. This will help students articulate their understanding of the solution to an equation and clearly define it using a graph. Design Principles: Optimize output, Cultivate conversation”

  • Unit 5: Functions and Volume, Section D: Cylinders and Cones, Lesson 12: How Much will Fit?, Activity 1: What’s Your Estimate?, Supports for English Language Learners, “Speaking: MLR8 Discussion Supports, Use this routine to support whole-class discussion. For each strategy that is shared, ask students to restate and/or revoice what they heard using mathematical language. Consider providing students time to restate what they hear to a partner, before selecting one or two students to share with the class. Ask the original speaker if their peer was accurately able to restate their thinking. Call students’ attention to any words or phrases that helped to clarify the original statement. This will provide more students with an opportunity to speak as they make sense of the reasoning of others. Design Principle: Support sense-making”

  • Unit 6: Associations in Data, Section B: Associations in Numerical Data, Lesson 7: Observing More Patterns in Scatter Plots, Activity 1, Scatter Plot City, Supports for English Learners, “Speaking: MLR8 Discussion Supports, To support students’ explanations for sorting the scatter plots in the way they chose, display sentence frames for students to use when they are working with their partner. For example, ‘I think ____ because ____.’ or ‘I (agree/disagree) because ____.’ Design Principles: Support sense-making, Optimize output.”

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Materials provide a balance of images or information about people, representing various demographic and physical characteristics.

The materials reviewed for Open Up Resources Grade 8 provide a balance of images or information about people, representing various demographic and physical characteristics.

Materials represent a variety of genders, races, and ethnicities. All are indicated with no biases and represent different populations. Names refer to various backgrounds, such as Priya, Han, Mai, and Diego. Settings include rural, urban, and multicultural environments. Examples include:

  • Unit 4: Linear Equations and Linear Systems, Section B: Linear Equations in One Variable, Lesson 4: More Balanced Moves, Practice Problems, Problem 4, “Andre solved an equation, but when he checked his answer he saw his solution was incorrect. He knows he made a mistake, but he can’t find it. Where is Andre’s mistake and what is the solution to the equation? -2(3x - 5) = 4(x + 3) = 8, -6x + 10 = 4x + 12 + 8, -6x + 10 = 4x + 20, 10 = -2x + 20, 5 = xnx^n

  • Unit 5: Functions and Volume, Section B: Representing and Interpreting Functions, Lesson 4: Tables, Equations, and Graphs of Functions, Activity 2: Running Around a Track, Problem 1, “Kiran was running around the track. The graph shows the time, t, he took to run various distances, d. The table shows his time in seconds after every three meters. a. How long did it take Kiran to run 6 meters? b. How far had he gone after 6 seconds? c. Estimate when he had run 19.5 meters? d. Estimate how far he ran in 4 seconds. e. Is Kiran’s time a function of the distance he has run? Explain how you know.” 

  • Unit 8: Pythagorean Theorem and Irrational Numbers, Section B: The Pythagorean Theorem, Lesson 10: Applications of Pythagorean Theorem, Practice Problems, Problem 6, “Noah and Han are preparing for a jump rope contest. Noah can jump 40 times in 0.5 minutes. Han can jump y times in x minutes, where y = 78x. If they both jump for 2 minutes, who jumps more times? How many more?”

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Materials provide guidance to encourage teachers to draw upon student home language to facilitate learning.

The materials reviewed for Open Up Resources Grade 8 partially provide guidance to encourage teachers to draw upon student home language to facilitate learning.

The materials include a Spanish version of the Family Letter. According to the Course Guide, Supports for English Language Learners, “This curriculum builds on foundational principles for supporting language development for all students. This section aims to provide guidance to help teachers recognize and support students’ language development in the context of mathematical sense-making. Embedded within the curriculum are instructional routines and practices to help teachers address the specialized academic language demands in math when planning and delivering lessons, including the demands of reading, writing, speaking, listening, conversing, and representing in math (Aguirre & Bunch, 2012). Therefore, while these instructional routines and practices can and should be used to support all students learning mathematics, they are particularly well-suited to meet the needs of linguistically and culturally diverse students who are learning mathematics while simultaneously acquiring English.”

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Materials provide guidance to encourage teachers to draw upon student cultural and social backgrounds to facilitate learning.

The materials reviewed for Open Up Resources Grade 8 provide guidance to encourage teachers to draw upon student cultural and social backgrounds to facilitate learning.

Materials connect to the linguistic, cultural, and conventions used in mathematics to support student learning. Examples include:

  • Unit 5: Functions and Volume, Section C: Linear Functions and Rates of Change, Lesson 10: Piecewise Linear Functions, Activity 2: Dog Bath, Student Work Time, “Elena filled up the tub and gave her dog a bath. Then she let the water out of the tub. a. The graph shows the amount of water in the tub, in gallons, as a function of time, in minutes. Add labels to the graph to show this. b. When did she turn off the water faucet? c. How much water was in the tub when she bathed her dog? d. How long did it take for the tub to drain completely? e. At what rate did the faucet fill the tub? f. At what rate did the water drain from the tub?”

  • Unit 6: Associations in Data, Section C: Associations in Categorical Data, Lesson 9: Looking for Associations, Warm Up: Notice and Wonder: Bar Association, Student Work Time, “What do you notice? What do you wonder?” Students are given a graph with two tables on it. One measures the amount of students who play sports and watch tv and the other measures the amount of students who do not play sports and watch tv. 

  • Unit 7: Exponents and Scientific Notation, Section C: Scientific Notation, Lesson 12: Applications of Arithmetic With Powers of 10, Activity 2: That’s a Tall Stack of Cash, Launch, “Ask the class to predict which is taller, the Burj Khalifa or a stack of money it cost to build the Burj Khalifa. Push them further by asking them to predict how high they think the stack would go.” Student Work Time, In 2016, the Burj Khalifa was the tallest building in the world. It was very expensive to build. Consider the following question: Which is taller, the Burj Khalifa or a stack of money it cost to build the Burj Khalifa? A. What information would you need to be able to solve the problem? B. Record the information your teacher shares with the class. C. Answer the question “Which is taller, the Burj Khalifa or a stack of money it cost to build the Burj Khalifa?” and explain or show your reasoning. D. Decide what power of 10 to use to label the rightmost tick mark of the number line, and plot the height of the stack of money and the height of the Burj Khalifa. E. Which has more mass, the Burj Khalifa or the mass of pennies it cost to build the Burj Khalifa? What information do you need to answer this? F. Decide what power of 10 to use to label the rightmost tick mark of the number line, and plot the mass of the Burj Khalifa and the mass of the pennies it cost to build the Burj Khalifa.”

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Materials provide supports for different reading levels to ensure accessibility for students.

The materials reviewed for Open Up Resources Grade 8 provide supports for different reading levels to ensure accessibility for students.

In Resources, Course Guide, Supports for Students with Disabilities, Representation, “Teachers can reduce barriers and leverage students’ individual strengths by inviting students to engage with the same content in different ways. Supports that align to this principle offer instructional strategies that provide students with multiple means of representation and include suggestions that offer alternatives for the ways information is presented or displayed, help develop students’ understanding and use of mathematical language and symbols; illustrate connections between and across mathematical representations using color and annotations, identify opportunities to activate or supply background knowledge, and describe organizational methods and approaches designed to help students internalize learning.” Examples include:

  • Resources, Course Guide, Supports for English Language Learners, Mathematical Language Routines, Mathematical Language Routine 6: Three Reads, Purpose, “To ensure that students know what they are being asked to do, create opportunities for students to reflect on the ways mathematical questions are presented, and equip students with tools used to actively make sense of mathematical situations and information (Kelemanik, Lucenta, & Creighton, 2016). This routine supports reading comprehension, sense-making, and meta-awareness of mathematical language. It also supports negotiating information in a text with a partner through mathematical conversation.” How it Happens, “In this routine, students are supported in reading a mathematical text, situation, or word problem three times, each with a particular focus. The intended question or main prompt is intentionally withheld until the third read so that students can concentrate on making sense of what is happening in the text before rushing to a solution or method. Read #1: Shared Reading (one person reads aloud while everyone else reads with them) The first read focuses on the situation, context, or main idea of the text. After a shared reading, ask students ‘what is this situation about?’ This is the time to identify and resolve any challenges with any non-mathematical vocabulary. (1 minute) Read #2: Individual, Pairs, or Shared Reading After the second read, students list any quantities that can be counted or measured. Students are encouraged not to focus on specific values. Instead they focus on naming what is countable or measurable in the situation. It is not necessary to discuss the relevance of the quantities, just to be specific about them (examples: ‘number of people in her family’ rather than ‘people’, ‘number of markers after’ instead of’“markers’). Some of the quantities will be explicit (example: 32 apples) while others are implicit (example: the time it takes to brush one tooth). Record the quantities as a reference to use when solving the problem after the third read. (3–5 minutes) Read #3: Individual, Pairs, or Shared Reading During the third read, the final question or prompt is revealed. Students discuss possible solution strategies, referencing the relevant quantities recorded after the second read. It may be helpful for students to create diagrams to represent the relationships among quantities identified in the second read, or to represent the situation with a picture (Asturias, 2014). (1–2 minutes).”

  • Unit 6: Associations in Data, Section B: Associations in Numerical Data, Lesson 7: Observing More Patterns in Scatter Plots, Warm Up: Notice and Wonder: Nonlinear Scatter Plot, Instructional Routines, “The purpose of this Warm Up is for students to analyze a scatter plot by noticing things and asking questions (MP1). This scatter plot gives students the opportunity to observe a relationship that is not described well with a linear model. As production increases, prices tend to decrease. However, there is a lower limit to the price, so the model tends to level out after a certain amount of production is reached.”

  • Unit 7: Exponents and Scientific Notation, Section C: Scientific Notation, Lesson 11: Representing Small Numbers on the Number Line, Lesson Narrative, “Previously, students used the number line and positive exponents to explore very large numbers. In this lesson, they use the number line and negative exponents to explore very small numbers. Students create viable arguments and critique the reasoning of others when discussing how to represent powers of 10 with negative exponents on a number line (MP3). They attend to precision when deciding how to label the powers of 10 on the number line and how to plot numbers correctly (MP6).”

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Manipulatives, both virtual and physical, are accurate representations of the mathematical objects they represent and, when appropriate, are connected to written methods.

The materials reviewed for Open Up Resources Grade 8 meet expectations for providing manipulatives, both virtual and physical, that are accurate representations of the mathematical objects they represent and, when appropriate, are connected to written methods.

Suggestions and/or links to manipulatives are consistently included within materials to support the understanding of grade-level math concepts. Examples include:

  • Unit 1: Rigid Transformations and Congruence, Section D: Angles in a Triangle, Lesson 14: Alternate Interior Angles, Warm Up: Angle Pairs, Instructional Routines, “This task is designed to prompt students to recall their prior work with supplementary angles. While they have seen this material in grade 7, this is the first time it has come up explicitly in grade 8. As students work on the task, listen to their conversations specifically for the use of vocabulary such as supplementary and vertical angles. If no students use this language, make those terms explicit in the discussion. Some students may wish to use protractors, either to double check work or to investigate the different angle measures. This is an appropriate use of technology (MP5), but ask these students what other methods they could use instead.”

  • Unit 5: Functions and Volume, Section B: Representing and Interpreting Functions, Lesson 6: Even More Graphs of Functions, Required Preparation, “Students are asked to make displays of their work in groups of 2–3. Prepare materials for creating a visual display in this way such as markers, chart paper, board space, etc.”

  • Unit 7: Exponents and Scientific Notation, Section C: Scientific Notation, Lesson 10: Representing Large Numbers on the Number Line, Activity 1: Comparing Large Numbers with a Number Line, Instructional Routines, “This activity encourages students to use the number line to make sense of powers of 10 and think about how to rewrite expressions in the form b10n\cdot {10}^n, where b is between 1 and 10 (as in the case of scientific notation). It prompts students to use the structure of the number line to compare numbers, and to extend their use to estimate relative sizes of other numbers when no number lines are given. As students work, notice the ways in which they compare expressions that are not written as multiples of 106{10}^6. Highlight some of these methods in the discussion.”

Criterion 3.4: Intentional Design

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The program includes a visual design that is engaging and references or integrates digital technology, when applicable, with guidance for teachers.

The materials reviewed for Open Up Resources 6-8 Math Grade 8 integrate technology such as interactive tools, virtual manipulatives/objects, and/or dynamic mathematics software in ways that engage students in the grade-level standards; include or reference digital technology that provides opportunities for teachers and/or students to collaborate with each other; have a visual design that supports students in engaging thoughtfully with the subject that is neither distracting nor chaotic; and provides teacher guidance for the use of embedded technology to support and enhance student learning.

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Materials integrate technology such as interactive tools, virtual manipulatives/objects, and/or dynamic mathematics software in ways that engage students in the grade-level/series standards, when applicable.

The materials reviewed for Open-Up Resources Grade 8 integrate technology such as interactive tools, virtual manipulatives/objects, and/or dynamic mathematics software in ways that engage students in the grade-level/series standards, when applicable.

According to the Course Guide, About These Materials, “There are two ways students can interact with these materials. Students can work solely with printed workbooks or pdfs. Alternatively, if all students have access to an appropriate device, students can look at the task statements on that device and write their responses in a notebook or the print companion for the digital materials. It is recommended that if students are to access the materials this way, they keep the notebook carefully organized so that they can go back to their work later. Teachers can access the teacher materials either in print or in a browser. A classroom with a digital projector is recommended.” Applets are provided in various lessons. Examples include but are not limited to:

  • Unit 5: Functions and Volume, Section D: Cylinders and Cones, Lesson 11: Filling Containers, Launch, “For classrooms with access to the digital materials or those with no access to graduated cylinders, an applet is included here. Physical measurement tools and an active lab experience are preferred.” Student Work Time, “Use the applet to investigate the height of water in the cylinder as a function of the water volume.”

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Materials include or reference digital technology that provides opportunities for teachers and/or students to collaborate with each other, when applicable.

The materials reviewed for Open Up Resources Grade 8 do not include or reference digital technology that provides opportunities for teachers and/or students to collaborate with each other, when applicable.

According to the Course Guide, About These Materials, The Five Practices, “Selected activities are structured using Five Practices for Orchestrating Productive Mathematical Discussions (Smith & Stein, 2011), also described in Principles to Actions: Ensuring Mathematical Success for All (NCTM, 2014), and Intentional Talk: How to Structure and Lead Productive Mathematical Discussions (Kazemi & Hintz, 2014). These activities include a presentation of a task or problem (may be print or other media) where student approaches are anticipated ahead of time. Students first engage in independent think-time followed by partner or small-group work on the problem. The teacher circulates as students are working and notes groups using different approaches. Groups or individuals are selected in a specific, recommended sequence to share their approach with the class, and finally the teacher leads a whole-class discussion to make connections and highlight important ideas.” While the materials embed opportunities for mathematical community building through student task structures and discourse, materials do not reference digital technology.

Indicator 3Y
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The visual design (whether in print or digital) supports students in engaging thoughtfully with the subject, and is neither distracting nor chaotic.

The materials reviewed for Open Up Resources Grade 8 have a visual design (whether in print or digital) that supports students in engaging thoughtfully with the subject, and is neither distracting nor chaotic.

According to the Course Guide, How to Use These Materials, Each Lesson and Unit Tells a Story, “The story of each grade is told in nine units. Each unit has a narrative that describes the mathematical work that will unfold in that unit. Each lesson in the unit also has a narrative. Lesson Narratives explain: The mathematical content of the lesson and its place in the learning sequence. The meaning of any new terms introduced in the lesson. How the mathematical practices come into play, as appropriate. Activities within lessons also have narratives, which explain: The mathematical purpose of the activity and its place in the learning sequence. What students are doing during the activity. What teacher needs to look for while students are working on an activity to orchestrate an effective synthesis. Connections to the mathematical practices, when appropriate.” Examples from the materials include:

  • Each lesson follows a common format with the following components: Warm-up, one to three Activities, Lesson Synthesis, and Cool-down. The consistent structure includes a user-friendly layout as each lesson component is included in order from top to bottom on the page.

  • Student materials, in printed consumable format, include appropriate font size, amount and placement of direction, and space on the page for students to show their mathematical thinking.

  • The teacher’s digital format is easy to navigate and engaging. There is ample space in the printable Student Task Statements, Assessment PDFs, and workbooks for students to capture calculations and write answers.

Indicator 3Z
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Materials provide teacher guidance for the use of embedded technology to support and enhance student learning, when applicable.

The materials reviewed for Open-Up Resources Grade 8 provide teacher guidance for the use of embedded technology to support and enhance student learning, when applicable.

Lessons containing applets provide teacher guidance for the use of embedded technology to support and enhance student learning. Examples include:

  • Unit 5: Functions and Volume, Section B: Representing and Interpreting Functions, Lesson 6: Even More Graphs of Functions, Student Work Time, “Note: To change the values on the axes, select the Move Graphics tool, click near the end of the axis you want to change, and drag it to grow or shrink it.”

  • Unit 7: Exponents and Scientific Notation, Section C: Scientific Notation, Lesson 10: Representing Large Numbers on the Number Line, Activity 1 Launch, “Classes using the digital version have an interactive applet. Students need to drag the points, marked with open circles and their coordinates, to their proper places on the number line. When all five points are on the line, feedback is available. Note: labels are placed above or below the points only to avoid crowding on the number line.” Activity 2 Launch, “Students using the digital materials can use the applet to plot the numbers. The magnifying glass allows them to zoom into any interval between two tick marks and plot numbers to an additional decimal place.”