Note - Internet links at bottom of page

Descriptive Statement: Discrete mathematics is the branch of mathematics that deals with arrangements of distinct objects. It includes a wide variety of topics and techniques that arise in everyday life, such as how to find the best route from one city to another, where the objects are cities arranged on a map. It also includes how to count the number of different combinations of toppings for pizzas, how best to schedule a list of tasks to be done, and how computers store and retrieve arrangements of information on a screen. Discrete mathematics is the mathematics used by decision-makers in our society, from workers in government to those in health care, transportation, and telecommunications. Its various applications help students see the relevance of mathematics in the real world.
 

Topic/Unit Timeline	Cumulative Progress Indicators	Objectives	Suggested Activities	Materials	Evaluation
Discrete Mathematics Timeline 4th Q 4th Q 4th Q	Building upon knowledge and skills gained in the preceding grades, by the end of Grade 8, Students will: Use systematic listing, counting, and reasoning in a variety of different contexts.	Create a sample space using tree diagrams and the counting principle  Determine the number of permutations  Determine the number of combinations	See Lesson 9-1. See Lesson 9-2. See Lesson 9-3.	Math journal Same as #1 Same as #1	"On Your Own" examples, teaching resources provided by the publisher Same as #1 Same as #1
Timeline 4th Q 4th Q	Recognize common discrete mathematical models and explore their properties.	Explore the relationship between the number of edges, faces, and vertices of a polyhedron Create a tree diagram to represent and analyze possible outcomes in counting problems	See Work Together on page 466. See Lesson 9-1.	See teacher’s edition for a list of materials needed for these activities Math journal	Group assessment "On Your Own" examples, teaching resources provided by the publisher
Timeline 4th Q 2nd Q	Experiment with iterative and recursive processes, with the aid of calculators and computers.	Explore the computation of a number of permutations as a recursive process Experiment with arithmetic and geometric progressions using calculators and computers	See "Students recognize the computation…" activity on page 476 of the Mathematics Curriculum Framework See Lesson 6-1.	Whatever is appropriate to the problems under study Math journal	Group assessment "On Your Own" examples, teaching resources provided by the publisher

 
 

Topic/Unit Timeline	Cumulative Progress Indicators	Objectives	Suggested Activities	Materials	Evaluation
Discrete Mathematics Timeline 3rd Q 3rd Q	Explore methods for storing, processing, and communicating information.	Classify real numbers using a Venn Diagram Investigate various coding systems	See page 328. See the Investigation for chapter 7 and pages 314 #15, 325 #35.	See teacher’s edition for a list of materials needed for this activity Same as #1	Group assessment Same as #1
Timeline 1st and 4th Q All year	Devise, describe, and test algorithms for solving optimization and search problems.	Determine the number of path and the best route in a network Devise and describe procedures used to resolve a real-life problem situation involving optimization and search problems	See Investigation for chapter 2 and pages 403 #22, 469 #7. See Putting It All Together activities in each chapter.	See teacher’s edition for a list of materials needed for these activities Same as #1	Group assessment Group assessment and portfolio assessment

 

Resources The Amazing Mathematical Object Factory  -this site is really great for discrete mathematics activities! How Many Valentines?  -an interactive problem. Studying Polyhedra  -an interactive lesson. Learning About Buckyballs  -Students wondering why we study about polyhedra can find one reason by looking through the information in the links to Buckyballs.  Remember to watch for the vocabulary that we have been studying including face, vertex (vertices), edge, polyhedron (polyhedra), icosahedron (icosahedra), truncated, pentagon, hexagon and solid.   Loaded with additional resources!