Lebanon

The Mathematics Curriculum in Primary and Lower Secondary Grades

A summary follows of the national curriculum guides for mathematics through the eighth grade. The curriculum ensures that students who finish the second cycle of basic education (elementary level, Grades 4 to 6) have the necessary skills and a solid foundation in mathematics. Students must be able to do the following in the mathematics domains described below:²

• Mathematical reasoning—Find tendencies in a sequence of results and generalize them; extract general statements from specific contexts; establish procedures; and argue by providing an analogy and giving examples and counter-examples
• Problem solving—Visualize situations and handle information; use and apply mathematics in various domains, especially in technology and other branches of learning; verify results; and use mini-calculators to carry out the four operations
• Communication—Read, understand, and interpret a mathematical text by translating it into figures, representations, or equations, and translate a given mathematical relation into spoken language
• Spatial—Represent locations on a map, characterize various plane figures and use geometric instruments to draw them, and develop an understanding of some solid figures
• Numerical—Master the Indo-Arabic system of numeration; recognize decimal numbers; master all types of calculation, including computational and mental, and learn to use a mini-calculator (for integers and decimals); perform simple operations with fractions; and estimate a result
• Measurement—Measure perimeter, area, capacity, and angles and use metric units
• Statistics—Collect and interpret data

Exhibit 1 presents a summary of the mathematics concepts and skills covered in the fourth grade of basic education (elementary level, Cycle 2).

Exhibit 1: Mathematics Content in Basic Education, Grade 4

Content Area	Main Topics	Concepts and Skills Covered
Arithmetic and Algebra	Numbers	Natural integers Fractions Decimals
	Operations	Addition Subtraction Multiplication Division
Geometry	Location	Distance from a point to a straight line Location of a point on a square grid
	Solid figures	Building models
	Plane figures	Intersecting straight lines and parallel straight lines Classification of quadrilaterals according to their sides Circles and discs
	Transformations	Drawing symmetrical figures with respect to an axis
Measurement	Length	Metric units of length
	Mass	Metric units of mass
	Area	Comparison of areas
	Angle
	Capacity	Liter and its submultiples
	Volume
Statistics	Handling data	Collecting and organizing data

In the third cycle of basic education (intermediate level, Grades 7 to 9), students must be able to do the following in the mathematics domains described below:³

• Mathematical reasoning—Find connections between the real world and mathematical models and between these models and concepts; find generating formulas of a sequence; distinguish between general and particular statements; write simple proofs; and recognize incorrect proofs
• Problem solving—Analyze situations and deduce the relevant elements; look for necessary information to clarify incomplete sets of information; construct mathematical models associated with a situation; choose strategies for finding a solution; deconstruct problems into simpler tasks, and conversely, combine necessary facts to reach conclusions; and use calculators with memory
• Communication—Read, understand, and use mathematical notation and language; present work orally or in writing with clarity and rigor, and with particular care when writing proofs
• Spatial—Construct geometric figures based on a given set of conditions, represent solid (three-dimensional) figures, prove theorems about the properties of plane (two-dimensional) figures, and perform transformations on figures
• Numerical—Find and use relations among numbers, extend computational techniques to literal expressions, and estimate answers
• Measurement—Measure area and volume
• Statistics—Make representations of statistical problems and read them, and calculate the mean of a statistical distribution

Exhibit 2 presents a summary of the mathematics concepts and skills covered in the eighth grade of basic education (intermediate level, Cycle 3).

Exhibit 2: Mathematics Content in Basic Education, Grade 8

Content Area	Main Topics	Concepts and Skills Covered
Arithmetic and Algebra	Numbers	Natural integers Fractions Decimals Square roots
	Operations	Powers of positive numbers with a positive integer exponent Powers of a negative integer exponent of 10
	Proportionality	Inverse proportionalities
	Algebraic expressions	Common identities Literal expressions with fractional forms
	Equations and inequalities	Equations of the following type: (ax+b)(cx+d)=0 Equations and inequalities of the first degree with one unknown
Geometry	Location	Relative positions of two circles Geometric loci and constructions Coordinates of the midpoint of a segment
	Solid Geometry	Plane representations of cylinders, pyramids, cones, and spheres Relative positions of lines and planes
	Plane figures	Pythagorean theorem Theorem of midpoints in triangles and trapezoids Characteristic properties of parallelograms Central angles and inscribed angles in a circle Area of a circular sector
	Transformations and figures	Vectors and translation
Statistics	Handling data	Cumulative exact values and frequencies Representation of data, including circular diagrams and cumulative frequency polygons