How to read this page
British Columbia publishes its curriculum as long official documents written for teachers. This page is the same content, translated for the fridge door: each subject below shows this year's units and the skills inside them. If a skill sounds unfamiliar, that's the point — now you know what to ask about at dinner.
Mathematics this year
Math builds in layers, and this year's layer matters — each unit below leans on the ones before it. In British Columbia, that's Mathematics 8 — 5 units, 14 skills.
Number
- Perfect squares and perfect cubes
- Percents below 1% and above 100%
- Rates, ratios, proportions, and percent
Patterns and Algebra
- Linear relations with integers
- Writing and evaluating expressions
- Solving two-step equations with integers
Geometry and Measurement
- Surface area and volume of regular solids
- The Pythagorean theorem
- Building and viewing 3D objects, and their nets
Data and Probability
- Central tendency
- Theoretical probability with two independent events
Financial Literacy
- Best buys
See the full Mathematics 8 curriculum, with the ministry's own wording →
English Language Arts this year
Reading, writing, and speaking skills deepen this year — less "can they read it," more "what do they make of it." In British Columbia, that's English Language Arts 8 — 3 units, 66 skills.
Strategies and Processes
- Using contextual clues
- Focusing on the speaker
- Reflecting
Language Features, Structure, and Conventions
- Tone (spoken)
- Multi-paragraphing
- Language usage and context
See the full English Language Arts 8 curriculum, with the ministry's own wording →
Science this year
Science gets more structured this year — real investigations, real explanations, real vocabulary. In British Columbia, that's Science 8 — 4 units, 25 skills.
Cells and Living Things
- The characteristics of life
- Cell theory
- Photosynthesis
Atomic Theory and Matter
- Kinetic molecular theory
- Atomic theory
- Protons, neutrons, and quarks
Electromagnetic Radiation and Light
- Types of electromagnetic radiation
- Properties of light
Plate Tectonics and Earth's Structure
- Plate tectonic movement
- Major geological events of local significance
- First Peoples knowledge of local geological formations and events
See the full Science 8 curriculum, with the ministry's own wording →
French this year
French builds through listening, speaking, and simple reading — confidence first, grammar second. In British Columbia, that's Core French 8 — 5 units, 19 skills.
Listening and Viewing with Intent
- Same-sound letter groupings and rhyming words
- Letter patterns with consistent pronunciations, liaisons, and élisions
- Asking and understanding a variety of questions
Expressing Ourselves and the World Around Us
- The present-tense system
- Passé composé (emerging): talking about the past
- Futur proche (emerging): talking about the future
Sharing Experience Through Stories
- Common elements of stories
- Narrating a simple story using expressions of time
Authentic Francophone Cultures Through Creative Works
- Exploring Francophone cultures through creative works
- Ethics of cultural appropriation and plagiarism
Culture, Languages, and Communities
- Francophone communities around the world
- Cultural aspects of Francophone communities
- Connections between indigenous communities and the French language
See the full Core French 8 curriculum, with the ministry's own wording →
Three ways parents use this list
Common questions
What does my child learn in Grade 8 in British Columbia?
British Columbia's official curriculum sets out Mathematics, English Language Arts, Science, Social Studies, French for Grade 8 — 134 specific skills in total. The big themes: Mathematics covers number and patterns and algebra; English Language Arts covers story and text and strategies and processes; Science covers cells and living things and atomic theory and matter. The full list is on this page.
Is this the official British Columbia curriculum?
It's built from British Columbia's official program of studies, reorganized into plain language — and each subject links to a course page that quotes the ministry's own wording and links to the government source, so you can check our work. One honest caveat: we're not the ministry, curricula do change, and we can't guarantee this reflects the very latest revision, so confirm anything important against the live provincial curriculum data.
My child is finding one of these skills hard. What can I do?
That's normal — every skill on this page is one most kids wobble on at first. MapleMind teaches any of them one-on-one: a short lesson in plain words, a worked example, then solving together. It's free to start, on any device, in 14 languages.
Keep exploring
Knowing the list is half the job
The other half is the teaching — and that's what MapleMind does. Pick any skill on this page and see it taught properly, free, in under a minute.
MapleMind isn't affiliated with any ministry of education. We build these guides from each province's official program of studies and refresh them from time to time — but curricula change, and we can't guarantee this page reflects the very latest revision. Always confirm against the live provincial curriculum data. Last updated 2026-08-15.
Social Studies this year
Social studies widens the lens this year — history, geography, and how communities and governments work. In British Columbia, that's Social Studies 8 — 4 units, 10 skills.
How Civilizations Organized Themselves
Innovation, Science, and New Ideas
Contact and Exchange Between Civilizations
- Interactions and exchanges of resources
- Exchange of ideas, arts, and culture
- Exploration and expansion
+ 1 more skill in this unit →Changing Populations and Living Standards
See the full Social Studies 8 curriculum, with the ministry's own wording →