7th grade, 3/22 - 3/25

Last week of the quarter!
Monday - Tuesday, finish work /missing assignments
Wed - Thursday -- The Noon Day Project and some interesting activities.

Prealgebra, 3/22 - 3/25

Last week of the quarter! Monday, update math portfolios
Tuesday, finish work/missing assignments.
Wed - Thus, The Noon Day Project and some interesting activities.

Algebra, 3/22 - 3/25

Last week of the quarter! Monday, review on polynomials. Tuesday, test.
Wed, review test / chance to improve grade. Thus, math portfolio preparation.

7th grade, Wed - Friday, 3/17 - 19

We began with a critical thinking activity that compared the heights & circumferences of 6 different cylinders.
Then we reviewed the assignment on space figures.
We ended with a review of space figures' nets.
THE ASSIGNMENT is on these nets -- Reteach 10-4 & Practice 10-4

Thursday we will have career day instead of class.

Friday, I'll be on a field trip with the National Junior Honor Society and Mr. DuBree will be the guest teacher.

Prealgebra, Wed 3/17

We started with an exercise comparing the heights and circumfrences of 6 different cylinders. Then we divided into small groups for an in-class activity on complex 3-D shapes. There is NO NEW ASSIGNMENT.

Algebra, Wed - Friday 3/17 - 19

Class didn't meet Wed because of the Irish dancers.

On Thursday, we meet for a short class before career day activities -- we'll review the assignment from yesterday.

On Friday, NJHS is on a field trip and Mr. DuBree will be our guest teacher for the day.

7th grade, Tuesday 3/16

Our fraction review focused on subtracting with like denominators.

We reviewed space figures (3-D objects) and THE ASSIGNMENT is to complete the handout (RT 8-7 and Pract 8-7).

PowerSchool Gradebook just got fixed -- I'll get all my graded work in as soon as possible.

Prealgebra, Tues, 3/16

our fraction review focused on subtraction with like denominators

Then we explored how a plane can create different cross-section shapes with our plane figures by using salt in plastic models

Finally, we explored the front, side, top and base views of stacks of blocks -- on the back of this worksheet is an Extra Credit opportunity -- these are DUE WED if not finished in class.

PowerSchool Gradebook is still down -- I can't update grades until it is fixed :(

Algebra, Tuesday 3/16

our % review today was word problems.

Then we checked the 9.2/9.3 assignment -- students receive credit for effort.

An additional ASSIGNMENT on the same topic: p. 470, 30-38 is DUE TOMORROW.

Tutoring is self-assigned this week and DON'T FORGET to complete the ON LINE exercise (at school, if necessary)

NOTE: PowerSchool's gradebook is still down -- has been since Friday afternoon. I have a large pile of graded work that I can't enter until it is fixed :(

7th grade, Monday 3/15

our fraction review covered adding mixed numbers with the same denominator

Then we took up an assignment on congruent and similar figures, if not done in class, it is DUE TOMORROW

Note: PowerSchool's gradebook was down all weekend (and still is as of Monday afternoon). No teachers were able to enter any grades.

Prealg, Mon 1/15

We continued our fraction review with adding mixed numbers with the same denominators.

Then we looked at several space figures and their nets.
THE ASSIGNMENT is both sides of 2 handouts: RT8-7, Pract 8-7, RT 10-4, Pract 10-4

Please Note: PowerSchool's gradebook was down all weekend -- grades have not been updated since Friday morning :(

Algebra Mon 3/15

Today we continued our % review and returned to multiplying polynomials.
THE ASSIGNMENT is 16 items: P 469, 1-10 and p 477, 1,2,5,6,21,22

Reminder: don't forget to go on-line and complete the exercise!! Students can use school computers during homeroom or 3:20 - 4:00 -- needs to be done by Wednesday.

Prealgebra & 7th grade, Fri 3/12

We did a math contest today -- 30 items for 30 minutes (these are not easy, even though it was designed for 4th graders). Great example of problem-solving and many students did better than they thought! I told them the top scorers will be getting a home-made brownie from me next week :)

There is NO ASSIGNMENT, but still an EXTRA CREDIT opportunity (palette of problems handout).

Happy Pi day (3/14) on Sunday !!

Algebra, Friday 3/12

We finally checked that 9.2 assignment. If not completed, or not completed well, students should self-assign to tutoring on Tuesday for review/grade improvement.
We practiced multiplying binomials with binomials (and even with a trinomial) on the individual dry-erase boards. Students did a nice job with this in-class assignment :)
There is an ON-LINE ASSIGNMENT -- at the Indiana Dept of Educ "high achiever" site -- students have their sign-ons and passwords. This one is going to be entered AS A TEST in the grade book and must be completed by WEDNESDAY. It is best to get on-line this weekend when you can take all the time you want to look it over. If not available at home, students may use computers in my classroom between 3:20 - 4:00 on Monday or Tuesday.
I have received a few EXTRA CREDIT GeoNan math puzzles -- I'll still take them Monday.


Happy Pi day (3/14) on Sunday!!

7th grade, Thus 3/11

Our fraction review covered adding fractions with the same denominator (and simplifying the result). Then we continued with the back side of yesterday's assignment -- focusing on area and perimeter. If not completed in class, this is DUE TOMORROW.
Reminder -- there is a "palette of problems" available as EXTRA CREDIT:)
Only two weeks left in this quarter.

Prealgebra, Thus, 3/11

Our review today involved adding fractions with a common denominator -- it's getting a little trickier every day. We worked on the back side of yesterday's assignment and most completed it in class -- if not it can be turned in tomorrow. I didn't tell the students, but this is going to be graded as EXTRA CREDIT (if I told them in advance, many wouldn't do it). We finished with a brief discussion of 1D, 2D, and 3D figures, their measurements and their boundaries.

Algebra, thus 3/11

Our review covered converting fractions to percents. Then we discussed some specific questions students had about yesterday's 9.2 assignment. Finally, we took notes on our next topic -- multiplying binomials by binomials, using "foil" and special cases. These are found in the text book Ch 9, sections 3 & 4. We will check yesterday's assignment tomorrow :)
Reminder: There is that XC page -- the GeoNan puzzle page -- good review & good extra points!

7th grade, Wed, 3/10

Our fraction review covered changing improper fractions to whole or mixed numbers.
Then we spent time on areas of irregular shapes, using a handout (p 45). If students didn't complete it in class, THE ASSIGNMENT is due tomorrow. We will talk about the back side another time -- students should not work on it yet :)

Prealgebra, Wed 3/10

Our fraction review topic was changing improper fractions to whole or mixed numbers. We remembered Mr. Duey's fraction rap while
then we completed an in-class assignment on congruent and similar polygons.
THE ASSIGNMENT (which most completed in class) is Finding the Areas of Polygons (a handout, p.45). Do NOT do the back of it (yet). :)

Algebra, Wed, 3/10

we reviewed our % word problems and then spent the rest of class practicing the skills we worked on yesterday -- multiplying, factoring and dividing polynomials & monomials. The specific items (found on the Practice 9-2 worksheet) are: 3,6,9,12,30,33,36,39,42,45,48,49,50,51 and the dividing items 3,4,5,6 at the bottom of the page. If not completed in class, it is THE ASSIGNMENT -- due tomorrow.
Students who had not yet completed the on-line review were asked to do this during class -- two experienced "technical difficulties" which we will look into and two others just didn't do it -- but all others said it was interesting and useful.
We will continue to use this on-line program which is excellent preparation for our Core 40 exam.

Prealgebra, Tues 3/9

We continued with our fraction review and our geometry/measurement activity. Students completed each in class and there is NO ASSIGNMENT.

Algebra, Tuesday, 3/9

We had a second review on percent problems (this time with word problems) the final 10 items (and the bonus item at the bottom of the page) are DUE TOMORROW. Absent students are excused from this.
ALSO DUE TOMORROW -- students should have completed the review activity on-line (see Friday's blog for more information). This will earn a participation grade because students can continue to work each item until their answer is correct :)
In-class, we worked on multiplying, factoring and dividing polynomials by monomials.
There is an EXTRA CREDIT opportunity that was handed out yesterday.

7th grade, Mon 3/8

We are including a review of fractions with each class for a while. Then we are also focusing on geometry/measurement items -- particularly perimeter, area, and 3-D shapes. We started an activity in-class that had each student create a square, rectangle, parallelogram, triangle and trapezoid. We will continue to work with this on Tuesday to determine the perimeter and area of these shapes. There is an EXTRA CREDIT opportunity, but otherwise, NO ASSIGNMENT.

Prealgebra, Mon 3/8

our topic this week is perimeter, area and 3-D shapes. We are also reviewing fractions and started with an easy review in-class today, 17 students received A's on it. We also started an in-class assignment on measurement and algebra, completing the first three items in class -- we will finish this as a class later this week.
Tomorrow we will work with our figures we drew last Friday and continue finding their perimeters and areas. There is NO ASSIGNMENT.

Algebra, Mon 3/8

Back to normal this week -- we took notes on multiplying, factoring and dividing polynomials and monomials. We will work on an in-class assignment on these topics tomorrow.
THE ASSIGNMENT: three pages in all: one is to finish the 10 items (and the problem-solving item at the bottom of the page) on the percent review paper we started in class.
one is the review on solving two-step inequalities (reteach 7-6)
one is the review on transforming equations (reteach 7-7) The last two items were handed out on Friday but no one had them completely done.
An extra credit option was handed out also -- the GeoNan math puzzle.
REMINDER: the review assignment on-line must be completed by Wednesday -- if students need to use ICS computers to do this, they can do so during homeroom or 3:20 - 4:00. This is a participation grade item that prepared students for future work of this type.

Algebra, Thursday 3/4

Saw these students for the first time this week (because of ISTEP). I had told students that I've signed them up for the Indiana Dept of Education's High Achiever program and they each received their sign-on and password today. I have created one review assignment that students need to complete by next Wednesday. They can work on each item as many times as they like and the program tells them if it is incorrect or not. Other assignments will work more like quizzes -- students will not be informed if their responses are correct. The program will help students get used to the types of questions that will be asked on the End of Course Assessment and we will be using it for the rest of the year. The link is www.doe.state.in.us/highachiever/student