Prealgebra, Wed 4/28

we are completing our assignment on data displays during class. they get turned in with the notes on these 6 topics: notes are worth 12 points and assignment is worth 20 points (1/2 for effort, 1/2 for correct answers)
We will tackle the next unit -- sampling & predicting -- still using the jigsaw method on Thursday. All work is being completed in class. Powerschool is up-to-date.

all classes, Mon - Wed, 4/26 - 4/28

We have ISTEP testing first thing each morning. The rest of the morning is a modified schedule and I will not be assigning any homework during this time. Students are encouraged to finish any missing work, however, powerschool is up to date and I provided each student with individual lists and copies of missing work last week.

In algebra class, we will do in-class practice on section 12-3.
In prealgebra & 7th grade, we will see presentations from student groups on their data display topics and students need to take notes on each one.

Tutoring happens this week, as usual: with the math coaching staff every afternoon and with me on Mon (7th grade) and Tues (8th grade).

7th grade, Friday, 4/23

We have completed our first unit -- on statistics. All five topics have been presented and students have had two full days to work on a related assignment in class. Friday, groups start to work on the next unit, data displays. We will continue this unit during ISTEP next week, so there will be NO NEW ASSIGNMENTS, all work should be completed in class.

Prealgebra, Friday 4/23

We have completed our first unit (statistics) -- all five topics were presented and students had plenty of time in class to complete the assigment, which they turned in with their notes. We have started our second unit, data displays, and three groups have already made presentations. Next week, during ISTEP, we will continue to work in class on finishing the next three presentations and follow up with another assignment. It will all be done in class so there is NO NEW ASSIGNMENT. Students with missing work and/or low grades have been assigned to tutoring.

Algebra, Friday, 4/23

We continued working, in class, on that assignment mentioned in the last blog. We turned it in today and had a quiz on the same topic.
Then we started working on simplifying rational expressions (Ch 12, Sect 3). We will continue to work on this unit, just doing work in-class, until ISTEP is done.
Powerschool is up-to-date. Students with missing work and/or low grades are encouraged to come for help during tutoring. In the meantime, there is NO NEW ASSIGNMENT.

Algebra, tues 4/20

students had a total of 35 minutes during class to complete yesterday's assignment and turn it in. We also reviewed factoring by grouping and took notes on our final method of factoring trinomials. We have now covered all the material in chapter 9. There is NO NEW ASSIGNMENT.

Extra credit is available (students need to ask me for this handout)

prealgebra & 7th grade, Mon 4/19

We started our unit on data analysis today. This will consist of four sub-units -- the first on statistical measures. Students were formed into 5 teams, each team will review/present one of five topics to the rest of the class. When these 5 presentations are done, students will complete an independent assignment that covers all five areas, but they can use their notes.
Then we will move on to the next sub-unit. When all four are completed, there will be a test on the entiree topic.
I will update the blog when students in each class have reached the time to complete their independent assignments.

Extra credit work is available.

Algebra, Mon 4/19

We had a 30 minute problem-solving exercise in class. Students did well :)
We followed with a review on solving systems of equations by elimination and an ASSIGNMENT on this: page 357, items 23 - 32. due Tuesday.

prealg & 7th grade week ending 4/16

we completed our unit on probability on Friday with a quiz on this topic.

Students have completed one in-class assignment and two independent assignments.
Any missing items can be turned in on Monday without any late penalty. Powerschool is up to date.

Algebra, wed-fri 4/14 - 4/16

On Wed we reviewed 9.5 and had a quick quiz -- then we pre-viewed 9.8
On Thursday those who were not shadowing at the high school watched Flatland
On Friday, we went to the computer lab to review linear equations at www.mathplayground.com with the game save the zogs
the few students with missing assigments need to get these made up before tutoring on Tuesday afternoon in order to be excused from it.

7th grade, Mon-Tues 4/12 & 13

We started with a quiz, taking two items from last week's world imagery challenge and having each student show how to find the correct measurement using scale. This score is added to the project work from last week and entered as a single grade.

We started our unit on probability with a two-day in-class activity about rolling two dice and finding the sum of the numbers rolled. This will be completed on Tuesday and students will receive an ASSIGNMENT to complete on their own -- Practice 12-1 & 12-2, due Wednesday.

Prealgebra, Mon-Tues 4/12 & 13

we had a quiz on last week's WIC project -- this is added to the score and entered as a single grade

We reviewed compount interest as shown in a credit card statement.

We started working on probability -- using an in-class exercise on theoretical & experimental probability that uses a pair of dice. This will be completed in-class on Tuesday and THE ASSIGNMENT is the handout - Pracice 12-1 & 12-2, due Wed.

algebra, Mon-Tues 4/12 &4/13

We took notes on factoring our second type of polynomial -- see Chapter 9, Sect 5
On Monday, students completed an in-class assignment of 10 exercises.

On Tuesday, students review these items and practice, practice, practice: completing the left-hand column of the Practice 9-5 handout as an independent practice ASSIGNMENT -- 26 items in all.

Wednesday will include a quiz on these.

Prealgebra, Thursday, 4/8

Three teams have completed the World Imagery Challenge:
Fluffy the Destroyer of Worlds, The Bieber Team, and The Geniuses

Students in these three teams will work on the Noon Day Project tomorrow :)

Others will need to complete their work on the WIC in class tomorrow.

An EXTRA CREDIT opportunity is available -- copies of the GeoNan math puzzle. For credit, this is due by Monday.

algebra, Thursday 4/8

we spent most of today's class reviewing the Practice 9-7 assignment. there were 29 items and we graded them in class -- 1/2 credit for effort and 1/2 for accuracy. Students who did a good job turned them in so the grade can be recorded. Students who didn't complete the assignment or didn't do well on it need to work on additional items from the 3rd column and turn it in tomorrow at the beginning of class.
We will have a quiz on special cases tomorrow and then we will start to work on notes and in-class practice on our next topic, factoring trinomials that are not special cases.
AN EXTRA CREDIT ASSIGNMENT is available -- the April Geonan math puzzle. this is due on Monday for credit.

algebra, Wed, 4/7

we continue to focus on those special cases -- chaper 9 section 7
We spent time in class taking notes and practicing all three types
THE ASSIGNMENT is the middle column on the Practice 9-7 handout -- yes, all 29 items!

Prealgebra & 7th grade, Tues - Fri, 4-7,8,9,10

We are working in class on two interesting projects:
the Noon Day Project, which we started before break. This lets us measure the circumference of the earth, using shadows case here and at another school from somewhere else in the world. the website is www.ciese.org.curriculum/noonday/

The other activity is The World Imagery Challenge and uses photos of the earth to answer questions that involve measurement, scale, and proportions. http://towson.edu/math/WIC

Students are working in small groups. In the meantime, there is NO ASSIGNMENT.

Prealgebra, Tuesday 4/6

We spent most of the class discussing/finishing the exponential problems on yesterday's handout.
We spent the rest of the class working on either the Noon Day Project or the World Imagery Challenge -- which will take up the rest of this week
All this work is in-class so there is NO ASSIGNMENT
But -- there is an EXTRA CREDIT CHALLENGE-- if you saved $100 starting at age 13 and it received compound interest of 5% until age 58 -- how much money would you have?

Algebra, Tues, 4/6

We started by reviewing the exponential problems on yesterday's handout -- students who were not done with it should complete it and turn it in tomorrow.
we then took notes on our special cases -- chapter 9 section 7 in the textbook
and finished with an in-class assignment -- handout Reteach 9-7
Students did a very good job today :)
There is NO NEW ASSIGNMENT

7th grade, Mon 4/5

1st day of the last quarter -- we spent our class completing a basic skills check.
This will be used to (1) share at conferences this week and (2) plan individual priorities for specific skills that should be the focus of improvements.
It will NOT be entered in the gradebook but another version of this same basic skills check will be graded later in the quarter.
Tomorrow we get back to our Noon Day Project and similar activities -- in the meantime, there is NO ASSIGNMENT.

Prealgebra, Mon 4/5

1st day of the last quarter before high school -- I will be pushing to make best use of this time.

We did a basic skills check that will be included in portfolios at conferences this week. it will also be used to determine what area(s) students need to focus some extra work on. Later this quarter, we will do a final version of the basic skills check and that one will be entered as a grade.

We started working on a handout in class -- no on completed it so it is THE ASSIGNMENT -- "cartoon corner" using exponent compuationa.

Algebra, Mon 4/5

1st day of the last quarter before high school

We spent 1/2 hr on an interesting problem solving workshop

Then we briefly reviewed multiplying special case binomials -- tomorrow we will start to do this backwards!!

THE ASSIGNMENT -- complete the handout "cartoon corner" using examples with exponents.