8th grade Math Guide

The bridge is up!

On the other hand, there may be situations that require prerequisite knowledge for entry into a lesson or task. For example, a 7th grader needs to understand the concept of a ratio (6.RP.A.1) in order to analyze proportional relationships and use them to solve real-world and mathematical problems (7.RP.A). In a case where students lack the former, a teacher may insert one or more lessons to address the gap before moving into grade-level content.

To build on our driving analogy from earlier, we could use the example of a drawbridge being “up,” not allowing cars to pass until it is closed. In these cases, teachers will need to “close the bridge” before moving ahead with grade-level content so students can access new material in a meaningful way. Over the past year, I’ve had a chance to explore examples of unfinished learning alongside teachers, and I’ve been surprised to see that cases where lack of the most critical prerequisite understanding actually prevents access to grade-level content are rare. Instead, far more common are situations where students can both engage in grade-level content and fill gaps

simultaneously.

Given this, and the pacing challenges that arise when teachers halt grade-level instruction to teach content from prior grades, I’d encourage teachers to ask, “Is the bridge truly up?” before deciding how to support students.

The flowchart above summarizes an approach you can take to identify and address students’ unfinished learning when planning upcoming lessons or units. You may enter into this approach at different points, depending on when student gaps are identified, and you will likely cycle between the steps as you work with students, as the double arrows suggest.