AC9M8N03 • Year 8 Maths

Terminating and recurring decimals, using digital tools as appropriate: Year 8 Maths topic guide

recognise terminating and recurring decimals, using digital tools as appropriate

What students learn in AC9M8N03

This unit helps students build a clear, usable understanding of Terminating and recurring decimals, using digital tools as appropriate. The goal is not to memorise one answer pattern. Students should be able to explain the idea, recognise it in a new example and apply it in a short practice or worksheet task.

  • Start with the main idea: recognise terminating and recurring decimals, using digital tools as appropriate.
  • Use concrete examples, pictures, oral explanation and short written responses before moving to independent practice.
  • identifying when a fraction has a terminating decimal expansion from the prime factorisation of its denominator; for example, \frac7{24}\;=\;0.291\overset\_6 does not have a terminating decimal expansion, while \frac7{25}\;=\;0.28 does identifying terminating, recurring and non-terminating decimals and choosing their appropriate representations such as \frac13 is represented as 0.\overset\_3
  • Finish with mixed questions so students must choose the correct strategy rather than copy the last example.

Curriculum coverage and elaborations

The content description and elaborations below show the curriculum ideas taught in this unit. Items marked as teaching context support lesson planning but may not appear in the initial eight-question activity.

  • Content description: recognise terminating and recurring decimals, using digital tools as appropriate
  • E1: identifying when a fraction has a terminating decimal expansion from the prime factorisation of its denominator; for example, \frac7{24}\;=\;0.291\overset\_6 does not have a terminating decimal expansion, while \frac7{25}\;=\;0.28 does
  • E2: identifying terminating, recurring and non-terminating decimals and choosing their appropriate representations such as \frac13 is represented as 0.\overset\_3

How to use this unit

Read the topic guide, use the teacher slide for instruction, then complete the Worksheet, Practice and Test. These three activities use the same eight-question unit bank.

Teacher resource

AC9M8N03 teacher slide

Use this one-page PDF to introduce the key idea, vocabulary and teaching sequence before students begin the activities.

Open teacher slide (PDF)

Common mistakes to watch for

  • Rushing to a rule before checking the concrete model, drawing or number sentence.
  • Using the correct answer once but not being able to explain why it works.
  • Mixing up similar vocabulary such as more/less, before/after, longer/shorter or equal groups/sharing.

International curriculum mapping

This table gives closest-topic mapping for search and planning. The Australian Curriculum code is exact; overseas entries are broad equivalents because each jurisdiction structures outcomes differently.

RegionCurriculumClosest mapping
AustraliaAustralian Curriculum v9.0AC9M8N03 — recognise terminating and recurring decimals, using digital tools as appropriate
VictoriaVictorian Curriculum F-10Year 8 Maths: closest match in Number. Use this page as a VIC-aligned practice and worksheet reference.
NSWNSW CurriculumStage 4 Maths: closest content focus for Terminating and recurring decimals, using digital tools as appropriate and related outcomes.
United StatesCommon Core / NGSSGrade 8 Common Core Mathematics/ELA closest topic match for Terminating and recurring decimals, using digital tools as appropriate.
England / UKNational CurriculumKey Stage 3 / Year 8: closest programme-of-study match for Terminating and recurring decimals, using digital tools as appropriate.
CanadaProvincial and territory curriculaGrade 8 closest topic match. Canada varies by province, so use this as a broad Ontario/BC-style learning outcome reference.
New ZealandNew Zealand CurriculumLevel 4 Maths: closest achievement-objective topic for Terminating and recurring decimals, using digital tools as appropriate.
IndiaNCERT / CBSEClass 8 closest NCERT/CBSE topic match for Terminating and recurring decimals, using digital tools as appropriate.

Related Year 8 Maths topics

Official curriculum references