Learning Targets. Unit: 8.3 Linear Relationships (Grade 8). 8.3 Linear Relationships In this unit, students learn to understand and use the terms “rate of change,” “linear relationship,” and “vertical intercept.” They deepen their understanding of slope, and they learn to recognize connections among rate of change, slope, and constant of proportionality, and between linear and proportional relationships. They learn to understand that lines with the same slope are translations of each other. They represent linear relationships with tables, equations, and graphs that include lines with negative slopes or vertical intercepts, and horizontal and vertical l