Seventh Grade Math Terms

Seventh-graders learn math terms to understand math concepts.

Understanding the vocabulary in any subject helps you understand the concepts and procedures you are asked to perform. Seventh-grade math involves learning algebra, geometry, data and probability and measurement skills. Learning the vocabulary and terms in these categories will greatly increase your chances of understanding the concepts.

Algebra and Number Sense

Learning algebraic math terms will help you understand the processes in algebra.

Students in seventh grade need to know the difference between rational and irrational numbers. They should learn about terminating and repeating decimals and how to convert them to fractions. In manipulating percents, they should learn about discounts, markups, commissions and profit and compute simple and compound interest. They need to be able to write expressions using exponents, powers and roots. The students need to know the difference between an equation and inequality, to give them a good basis in algebra. Understanding the difference between the properties of distributive, associative and commutative will give them a solid base for more complex maths. Variable, equation, term, coefficient, inequality, expression and constant are terms that are expected to be known in seventh grade for an understanding of algebra concepts.

Geometry

More difficult geometry concepts are introduced in the seventh grade.

More complex geometry ideas are introduced in seventh grade. Altitudes, mid­ points, diagonals, angle bisectors and perpendicular bisectors are a few of the new terms. Seventh-graders will review from previous geometry studies terms like perimeter, area and volume. They should also know how to identify a specific polygon, such as rectangles, parallelograms, trapezoids, squares, triangles, circles, prisms and cylinders. The vocabulary explaining circles will be extended to include central angles, radii, diameters, chords of circles, altitudes, mid­ points, diagonals, angle bisectors and perpendicular bisectors.

Data and Probability

Students in seventh grade are required to be able to manipulate data finding the lower quartile, the median and the upper quartile. They will need to know how to put data into organized graphs like a scatterplot, stem-and-leaf plot or box-and-whisker plot. Having a working knowledge of the terms will be imperative in being able to complete these data tasks.

Measurement

In seventh grade, the students will be working with measurement ratios. They need to be able to convert from one measurement unit to another unit of measurement. The students should understand the prefixes which help define the metric system of measurement -- kilo-, hecto-, deci-, deca-, centi- and milli - - to understand the conversions they are asked to make. Students also need to understand scale factor to make changes in proportionality.

References

• California Department of Education: Mathematics Content Standards for California Public Schools Kindergarten through Grade Twelve; June, 2009
• Internet 4 Classrooms: 7th Grade-Geometry & Measurement