Give this before the unit. It doesn't test the new standard (8.EE.B.6, slope and y = mx + b). It checks the grade 6 and 7 skills that standard builds on, so you can see who is ready and what to review first. It isn't meant to be graded. The answer key, with what each part tells you and how to reteach it, prints on its own page after it.

Pre-Assessment: Getting Ready for Slope

Grade 8 · Checks earlier skills: 6.NS.C.8, 7.NS.A.1, 7.NS.A.2, 6.RP.A.2, 7.RP.A.2, 6.EE.C.9

Name

Date

Part A: Points on a graph 6.NS.C.8

1. Write the coordinates of each point.

A( ) B( ) C( ) D( )

2. Plot and label E(4, −2), F(−3, 3) and G(−5, 0).

How sure do you feel? Not yet A little I've got it

Part B: Negative numbers 7.NS.A.1, 7.NS.A.2

3. 5 − (−3) =

4. −2 − 6 =

5. −12 ÷ 4 =

6. −8 ÷ (−2) =

How sure do you feel? Not yet A little I've got it

Part C: Rates and proportional relationships 6.RP.A.2, 7.RP.A.2

7. Each step of these stairs rises 6 inches and runs 12 inches. Write rise ÷ run as a fraction in simplest form.

rise ÷ run =

8. Is y proportional to x? If it is, write an equation y = kx.

x	1	2	3	4
y	3	6	9	12

yes / no y =

9. A car goes 150 miles in 3 hours at a steady speed. What is its speed in miles per hour?

mph

10. Which graph shows a proportional relationship? How can you tell?

Graph because

How sure do you feel? Not yet A little I've got it

Part D: Tables and rules 6.EE.C.9

11. A gym charges $10 to join plus $5 for each visit. Fill in the table, then write a rule for the cost y after x visits.

visits x	0	1	2	3	10
cost y ($)

y =

How sure do you feel? Not yet A little I've got it

Answer Key: Pre-Assessment

Getting Ready for Slope · for the teacher

A(3, 2), B(−4, 1), C(−2, −3), D(0, 4)
E is 4 right, 2 down; F is 3 left, 3 up; G is 5 left on the x-axis.
8
−8
−3
4
6/12 = 1/2
Yes, every y is 3 times x: y = 3x
150 ÷ 3 = 50 mph
Graph A: it's a straight line through the origin (0, 0). Graph B starts at 2, not 0.
Costs: 10, 15, 20, 25, 60; y = 5x + 10 (any correct form)

What each part tells you

Part	Why it matters for this unit	If many students miss it
A: Points	Every pass in the game goes from (0, b) to a point students must read.	Play Battle on the Coordinate Plane, or practice "x first: walk, then climb."
B: Negative numbers	Slope = (y₂ − y₁) ÷ (x₂ − x₁) uses exactly these steps.	A number-line warm-up on subtracting negatives before Part A of the worksheet.
C: Rates	Slope is a rate: rise per 1 run. #8 and #10 are proportional lines, y = mx.	Review unit rates with Proportional Plates.
D: Tables and rules	#11 is already y = mx + b: $5 per visit is the slope and $10 is the y-intercept.	Build the table together and look for the "+5 each time" pattern before naming slope.

Reading the results: students who get #7, #8 and #11 already think in rates; connect "rise over run" and "$5 per visit" to slope on day one. Compare the “How sure do you feel?” circles with the answers: a student who circles “I've got it” but misses the part is worth a quick conversation.