The slope of a line through two points $(x_1, y_1)$ and $(x_2, y_2)$ is given by the formula:

$m = \frac{y_2 - y_1}{x_2 - x_1}$

For the points $(3, -7)$ and $(-8, -9)$:

$m = \frac{-9 - (-7)}{-8 - 3} = \frac{-9 + 7}{-8 - 3} = \frac{-2}{-11} = \frac{2}{11}$

Thus, the slope of the line is $\frac{2}{11}$.

Would you like further explanation or have any questions about this?

Here are five related questions for further exploration:

1. What is the equation of the line passing through these two points?
2. How do you find the y-intercept of a line given its slope and a point?
3. What is the slope of a line parallel to this one?
4. What is the slope of a line perpendicular to this one?
5. How does the slope relate to the steepness of a line?

Tip: A positive slope indicates that the line rises as you move from left to right, while a negative slope indicates it falls.