1980s
8th Grade
Moderate Rigor
Eighth Grade Pre-Algebra (1980)
Pre-algebra course preparing students for high school algebra. Balance of computational skills and problem-solving with growing calculator integration.
5
Hours/Week
8
Skills Expected
Nation at Risk Era
Era
Historical Context
Back-to-basics movement partially reversed New Math emphasis. Calculators became classroom tools. NCTM began developing new standards.
Nation at Risk Era (1980-1989)
Back to basics movement. Standards-based reform emerging. "A Nation at Risk" sparked accountability movement.
Skills Expected
What students were expected to master by the end of 8th grade
- Operations with integers and rational numbers
- Solving one and two-step equations
- Ratio, proportion, and percent applications
- Introduction to polynomials
- Coordinate graphing and linear relationships
- Basic geometric formulas
- Data analysis and graphing
- Calculator use for complex computations
Sample Topics & Assignments
Typical problems, readings, or assignments from this era
Typical Resources of the Era
Common textbooks and materials used in 1980s classrooms
- Pre-Algebra by Dolciani
- Holt Pre-Algebra
- Mathematics Today series
Get Started: Curriculum Resources
Actual textbooks and curricula you can use to implement 1980s math standards
Premium Curricula (2)
Rod and Staff Publishers
Traditional workbook-based curriculum emphasizing phonics, grammar, and arithmetic. No frills, rigorous approach.
$50-100/year per subject
Rod and StaffSaxon Math
Incremental math curriculum with constant review. Developed in 1980s as "back to basics" response.
$100-150/year
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt