Sunday, December 9, 2012

Week 17


This week, we will explore more percent applications in commission, sales tax, profit, and simple and compound interest.  We will also look at person-day problems, which are rate problems not covered in the textbook (e.g.  It takes 12 person-hours to paint a house.  If there are 8 people working, how long will the job take?)

Homework for the week is below:

Day/DateTopicHomework
Monday (12/10)6-6 Commission, Sales Tax, ProfitWorksheet (Comm, Sales, Profit)
Tuesday (12/11)6-7 Simple & Compound Interest
Wednesday (12/12)Person-Day ProblemsUnit 3 Quiz 6 Practice
Thursday (12/13)Review
Friday (12/14)QuizNo HW - Quiz today

Monday, December 3, 2012

Week 16

This week, we will look at applications for percent problems, namely percent increase/decrease, discount, and mark-up.


Day/DateTopicHomework
Monday (12/3)6-5 Percent Increase/DecreaseWB 6-5 #2, 4, 6, 18, 20
Tuesday (12/4)6-5 Percent Increase/Decrease
Wednesday (12/5)6-5 Discount & Mark UpUnit 3 Quiz 5 Practice
Thursday (12/6)6-5 Discount & Mark Up 
Friday (12/7)QuizNo HW - Quiz today

Monday, November 26, 2012

Week 15


Pre-Algebra Announcements
This week, we will move into the next portion of our unit: percents!  Also, I will be at a training on Wednesday, so Mr. Ayala (former John Muir teacher with 39 years of experience) will be in my place.


Day/DateTopicHomework
Monday (11/26)6-1 Fractions, Decimals, PercentsFraction, Decimal, Percent WS (due Wed.)
Tuesday (11/27)6-3 / 6-4 Finding Percents
Wednesday (11/28)6-3 / 6-4 Finding PercentsUnit 3 Quiz 4 Practice
Thursday (11/29)Review 
Friday (11/30)QuizNo HW - Quiz today


Week 14


Pre-Algebra Announcements
This week, we will look at our final proportions application and quiz on the three different applications: Similar Figures, Indirect Measurement, and Scale Models & Drawings.


Day/DateTopicHomework
Monday (11/19)5-7 Scale Models & DrawingsUnit 3 Quiz 3 Practice (due Tues.)
Tuesday (11/20)Unit 3 Quiz 3
Wednesday (11/21)Thanksgiving Graphiti
Thursday (11/22)No School Thanksgiving 
Friday (11/23)No School Thanksgiving


Week 13


Pre-Algebra Announcements
This week, we will continue with more proportions applications.  Since these topics are more challenging and we have a 4-day week followed by a 3-day week, we will spend two days on each topic with no quiz this week and one quiz next week.

Day/DateTopicHomework
Monday (11/12)No School Veterans Day
Tuesday (11/13)5-5 Similar FiguresWB 5-5 odds (due Thurs.)
Wednesday (11/14)5-5 Similar Figures
Thursday (11/15)5-6 Indirect Measurement WB 5-6 all (due Mon.)
Friday (11/16)5-6 Indirect Measurement



Week 12


Pre-Algebra Announcements
This week, we will continue with more proportions applications



Day/DateTopicHomework
Monday (11/5)5-3 ProportionsWB 5-3 #5-14
Tuesday (11/6)5-3 Proportion Word Problems
Wednesday (11/7)5-4 Dimensional AnalysisUnit 3 Quiz 2 Practice
Thursday (11/8)Review 
Friday (11/9)QuizNo HW - Quiz today




Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Week 11 - New Units for Everyone

Pre-Algebra Announcements
This week, we will begin our new unit on ratios, rates, and proportions.  Below is our schedule for the week.



Day/DateTopicHomework
Monday (10/29)Box-and-WhiskersWB 11-3 all
Tuesday (10/30)Ratios
Wednesday (10/31)Rates & Unit RatesUnit 3 Quiz 1 Practice
Thursday (11/1)Review 
Friday (11/2)QuizNo HW - Quiz today



UCLA Math Announcements
This week, we will begin our new unit on ratios, rates, and proportions.


Homework for the week is as follows:
Monday (10/29) - Test Corrections
Tuesday (10/30) - Skill Builder 2 #1 - 5
Wednesday (10/31) - Practice Quiz 17
Thursday (11/1) - SP 5 #1 - 4


Monday, October 22, 2012

Week 10

This Thursday, I will not be at school.  I will be at the district office with other Pre-Algebra teachers grading the Problem Based Assessments from last week.  Mr. Ayala, a John Muir retiree with 39 years of teaching and coaching experience will be the substitute teacher.

Pre-Algebra Announcements
This week, we will be finishing the unit on equations and inequalities.  We will take our last notes on two-step inequalities today.

Homework for the week is as follows:

Day/DateTopicHomework
Monday (10/22)Two-Step Equation Word ProblemsWB 3-8 #1,3, 5, 7, 8
Tuesday (10/23)Two-Step Inequalities
Wednesday (10/24)Unit 2 ReviewUnit 2 Practice Test
Thursday (10/25)Unit 2 Review 
Friday (10/26)Unit 2 TestNo HW - test & journal check today




UCLA Math Announcements
This week we will be working on a project about equations.  On Thursday, I will be at the district office

Monday (10/22) - Equations Book Project (Two-Step & Combining Like Terms)
Tuesday (10/23) - Equations Book Project (Variables on Both Sides)
Wednesday (10/24) - Equations Book Project (Distributive Property)
Thursday (10/25) - Practice Test & Math Journal/Binder Check
Friday (10/26) - No HW (Test and Journal/Binder Check today)

Sunday, October 14, 2012

Week 9 - PBA

Week 9 - PBA

On Tuesday, all of my students will be taking the district PBA (Problem Based Assessment).  This assessment is not for a grade, but the district may use it as a factor in math placement for next year.  These problems are graded on a rubric system, so rather than a binary "yes" or "no" on points, students will be awarded points for showing work in addition to having the correct answer.

Pre-Algebra Announcements
On Monday, we will begin project delving into two-step equation word problems.  Of the 6 problems, we will complete 2 as a class in class and students are responsible for completing the other 4 on their own.  Students must also choose 2 of the word problems to display on a poster (I will provide the poster paper).  On Wednesday, we will explore solving multi-step equations with variables on both sides.  Thursday is a review day and Friday will be the quiz.


Homework and topics for this week are below:
Day/DateTopicHomework
Monday (10/15)Two-Step Equation Word ProblemsTwo-Step Equation 
Poster Project (due Wed.)
Tuesday (10/16)PBA / Poster Work Time
Wednesday (10/17)Variables on Both Sides (3-4)Unit 2 Quiz 4 Practice
(due Fri)
Thursday (10/18)Review
Friday (10/19)QuizNo HW - Quiz today


UCLA Math Announcements
This week, we will continue our study of fractions with fraction division and practice our equations using the cups/pluses/minuses drawings.

Homework for this week is below:
Monday (10/15) - Book 13 Skill Builder 2
Tuesday (10/16) -
Wednesday (10/17)
Thursday (10/18)
Friday (10/19)

Monday, October 8, 2012

Week 8 - Practice PBA

Welcome back!
I hope that everyone had a restful break and is ready to work hard.

Pre-Algebra Announcements
This week we will continue our study of multi-step equations.  Additionally, we will begin training for the Problem-Based Assessments (PBAs).  The PBA is a district assessment that will be used to gauge student learning and progress throughout the year.  It is a real-world problem where students must use math to solve.  It is free-response (not multiple choice) and students will be graded on a rubric.  This is new this year.  On Tuesday, I will demonstrate how to solve a PBA.  On Wednesday, students will complete a practice PBA on their own.  Next Wednesday, they will take the official district PBA.

Homework and topics for this week are below:
Day/DateTopicHomework
Monday (10/8)Combining Like TermsTB Pg. 134 #13-18
(due Wed.)
Tuesday (10/9)PBA Demo / Multi-Step Equations
Wednesday (10/10)Practice PBAUnit 2 Quiz 3 Practice
(due Fri)
Thursday (10/11)Distributive Property Equations
Friday (10/12)Review & QuizNo HW - Quiz today


UCLA Math Announcements

This week we will be diving into equations and practicing Problem-Based Assessments.  The school district routinely uses interim assessments like this one to determine which students will be have two math classes or one, so it is important for students to try their best and show all work possible.  Homework for the week is below:

Monday (10/8) - Skill Builder 2 (SP 15)
Tuesday (10/9) - Quiz 11 Practice
Wednesday (10/10) -
Thursday (10/11) - Quiz 12 Practice
Friday (10/12) - No HW

Monday, September 24, 2012

Week 7 - Anticipating Fall Break

Pre-Algebra Announcements

The entire Pre-Algebra department has decided to go to homework twice a week instead of every day.  Generally, assignments will be given on Mondays and Wednesdays and they will be due on Wednesdays and Fridays.  The primary reason for this change is to reduce the amount of time spent in class reviewing homework answers, which will free up time in class for students to practice skills and get immediate feedback.  Additionally, providing more flexibility in the homework due date (two days to do homework instead of just one) allows students to manage their time.  For example, if you have a soccer game on Tuesday night, you could do all of your homework on Monday night and be ready on Wednesday.

This Friday is Jog-A-Thon, which means that all of the classes will be shorter.  Because of this, we will have our quiz on Thursday.  On Friday, I will be demonstrating a Problem-Based Assessment (PBA).  PBAs are district tests designed to align with the Common Core assessments that the state of California is adopting in the 2014-2015 academic year.  When we return from Fall Break, the students will complete a practice PBA.  The week after, they will complete the actual PBA.

Homework and topics for this week are below:
Day/DateTopicHomework
Monday (9/24)Two-Step Equations with Rational NumbersTB Pg. 100 #15, 16, 19, 22
Tuesday (9/25)Two-Step Equations with Rational Numbers
Wednesday (9/26)Properties (Associative, Commutative, Distributive)Unit 2 Quiz 2 Practice
Thursday (9/27)Unit 2 Quiz 2
Friday (9/28)PBA DemonstrationNo HW



UCLA Math Announcements

Homework for this week is as follows:

Monday (9/24) - Book 9 pg. 6
Tuesday (9/25) - Quiz 9 Practice
Wednesday (9/26) - Book 10 pg. 14 #7-12
Thursday (9/27) - Quiz 10 Practice
Friday (9/28) - No HW

Sunday, September 16, 2012

Week 6 - End of Grading Period 1

Pre-Algebra Announcements
Last Friday, we took our first unit test on integers and rational numbers.

Below are some brief statistics by class period.
Total Students
Average Score
Greater Than 90%
30
82%
8

Additionally, we had 3 students earn 100% (JP Bowersox, Cameron Hoppe, & Aadarsh Mahra), and 4 students miss just one question (Darrick Hattix, Leonardo Hernandez-Duenas, Leah Peterson, & Jaylene Potter).

Students can earn half credit points back if they complete their test corrections, which we started in class on Monday.  Below are the requirements:
  • Test corrections must be completed on binder paper.
  • The original question must be copied onto the binder paper.
  • Work for each step must be shown.
  • The correct answer must be boxed.
  • Test corrections must be turned in to the Work Submission tray in class.
This week, we will extend the learning we did with one-step equations in the first unit to multi-step equations and inequalities in unit 2.  Homework for the week is as follows:
Day/Date Topic Homework
Monday (9/17) Stem & Leaf Plots Test Corrections (if applicable)
Tuesday (9/18) One-Step Inequalities (addition/subtraction) WB 3-6 #6, 7, 8, 9
Wednesday (9/19) One-Step Inequalities (multiplication/division) WB 3-7 #1, 2, 3, 4
Thursday (9/20) Two-Step Inequalities Unit 2 Quiz 1 Practice
Friday (9/21) Review & Quiz No HW

UCLA Math Announcements

This week, we will finish the 8th book in the UCLA math series.  It is the end of the first unit, so we will be having the first test (not just a quiz!) on Friday.

 Homework for the week is as follows:
Day/DateTopicHomework
Monday (9/17)Fractions, Decimals, and PercentsBook 7 - Skill Builder 1
Tuesday (9/18)Expanded Form & Fraction ReviewQuiz 7 Practice
Wednesday (9/19)Fraction / Decimal EquivalenceBook 8 - Skill Builder 1 (pg. 10)
Thursday (9/20)Unit 1 ReviewUnit 1 Practice Test
Friday (9/21)Review & QuizNo HW

Sunday, September 9, 2012

Week 5

Pre-Algebra Announcements

This week, we will be finishing our unit on Integers and Rational Numbers.  We will have our first unit test on Friday as well as our first Math Journal Check.  We will take a practice test on Thursday in class  and I will also show students what a 100% math journal should look like so that they can all earn 100% on the math journal check on Friday.  Below is the homework for the week:

Monday (9/10):  WB 2-3 #3, 4, 6, 9, 10, 11
Tuesday (9/11):  WB 2-6 #5, 9, 20, 21
Wednesday (9/12): WB 2-7 #5, 6, 7, 8, 11, 13
Thursday (9/13): Rework missed Practice Test questions
Friday (9/14): No HW - Test and Math Journal Check today!

UCLA Math Announcements
This week, we will begin our second unit: fractions.  We have just completed the first four UCLA math workbooks and after this next set of four books, we will have our Quarter 1 Test (there are 32 UCLA math books altogether).  Below is the homework for the week:


Monday (9/10):  Parent Signature on Release Form
Tuesday (9/11): Practice Quiz 5
Wednesday (9/12):  Skill Builder 2A (pg. 17 from the pink Book 6)
Thursday (9/13): Practice Quiz 6
Friday (9/14): No HW

Monday, September 3, 2012

Week 4

I hope that you all had a wonderful Labor Day weekend!

Pre-Algebra Announcements
This week, we will be beginning our study of rational numbers (fractions & decimals).  We will begin on Tuesday with converting between fractions and decimals, Wednesday we will be multiplying rational numbers, Thursday we will be dividing rational numbers, and on Friday we will have our quiz. Our first test (Unit Test 1) will be one week from Friday on September 14.  Homework for this week is as follows:

Tuesday (9/4) - WB 2-1 #4, 6, 10, 13, 23
Wednesday (9/5) - WB 2-4 #3, 13, 16, 28, 29
Thursday (9/6) - Unit 1 Quiz 3 Practice Problems
Friday (9/7) - No HW (Quiz today)

UCLA Math Announcements
This week we will be beginning our study of integers.  We will be adding and subtracting on Tuesday and Wednesday and multiplying and dividing on Thursday and Friday.  Be prepared for Quiz 3 on Thursday and Quiz 4 on Friday.  Homework is subject to change, but below is the plan.


Tuesday (9/4) - Skill Builder 1 (pg. 18) of the Week 3 (yellow) booklet
Wednesday (9/5) - Quiz 3 Practice Problems
Thursday (9/6) - Quiz 4 Practice Problems
Friday (9/7) - No HW (Quiz today)

Wednesday, August 29, 2012

Week 3 - Back to School

Back to School
Dear Parents, it was wonderful to meet you at Back to School night.  This week, we are finishing up the integer operations of adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing integers and using those skills to solve one-step equations.  Please see below for the homework this week.

Monday (8/27) - WB 1-5 #13, 16, 19, 22, 25, 26
Tuesday (8/28) - WB 1-6 #2, 6, 21, 26, 33, 34
Wednesday (8/29) - WB 1-7 #5, 8, 15, WB 1-8 #7, 11, 12
Thursday (8/30) - Unit 1 Quiz 2 Practice
Friday (8/31) - No HW

Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Week 38 - Last Week of School

Thanks for a great year!
Dear Parents, it has been an honor and pleasure serving and teaching your children this year.  I hope they are each prepared for their math class next year and beyond.


Textbooks
Students who did not return their textbooks last week must bring it to the library on their own time (before school, during lunch, or after school).  Please remember to do this so that you do not have to pay the lost book fine!

This Week
There is no homework this week!  On Tuesday, students will be creating a "Making Faces" worksheet and solution.  On Wednesday, they will be completing a worksheet that someone else made and trying to find the matching face.  On Thursday, I will be giving out the class awards and everyone will go home with a paper plate award and class signatures (yearbook style).  Please remember to bring a pen or pencil to school on Thursday, even though no back packs are allowed.

Monday, May 21, 2012

Week 37 - Textbook Returns

Textbook Returns
Our appointment with the library is on Thursday, May 24 for textbook returns.  However, students can start to bring them in any time this week.  I will store them in the classroom until Friday.  Our final exam is on Wednesday, so students may want to keep their books until then.

Field Trip
The beach trip is on Friday!   I'm looking forward to spending the day with the students at Seabright Beach in Santa Cruz.

Course for Next Year
Last Wednesday, the students took the Algebra readiness exam.  In order to move on to Algebra 1, students needed at least 80% correct or 36 out of 45.  Each student has already received their score verbally, but a letter will go home to all students with their score and placement for next year.  In case you are curious, 44 out of 82 (54%) students passed the exam.


Period
# Students 
>= 80%
# Total 
students
% Passed
1
19
29
66%
5
11
24
46%
6
14
29
48%



This Week
On Monday and Tuesday, we will be reviewing for the Pre-Algebra final exam.  This final exam will be counted in the gradebook.  The final exam will be on Wednesday.

Homework for the week is as follows:

Monday (5/22) - Final Exam Study Guide Part 1
Tuesday (5/23) - Final Exam Study Guide Part 2
Wednesday (5/24) - Bring your textbook back to class
Thursday (5/25) - Test corrections
Friday (5/26) - none

Sunday, May 13, 2012

Week 36 - Stations & Readiness Test

Stations
We will continue working on review through the stations worksheets.  All 5 worksheets will be due on Friday.

Algebra Readiness Test
The Algebra Readiness test will be on Wednesday, May 16.  There are 45 questions on the test and students will have all 57 minutes of class time to work on it.  I will scan the tests during lunch so that results will be available immediately after school.  Students need to have a score of at least 80% (36 questions) in order to be eligible for Algebra 1 next year.  In addition, they need to have at least a B in Pre-Algebra.

Homework for the week
Each day (except for Wednesday), students are to finish the station worksheet from class that they did not finish.  The entire packet is due on Friday.

Sunday, May 6, 2012

Week 35 - Algebra Readiness

For the remainder of the school year, we will be preparing for Algebra.  Some of the material will be new, some will be review, and some will build on extensions of what we have already learned.

This Week
This week, we will be factoring binomials by "un-distributing" the greatest common monomial.  Basically, it's using the distributive property in reverse.  For example, we will un-distribute 3x^2 from 12x^3 - 6x^2 to get 3x^2(4x - 2).  We will also review the concept of slope as a rate of change.

Stations
Beginning on Thursday, students will be working in small groups in stations - one station per day.  There are 5 topics: Problem Solving, Equations, Graphing, Factoring, and Slope.

A Look Ahead
Below is the schedule for the next three weeks of school:

Thursday (5/10) - Stations
Friday (5/11) - Stations

Monday (5/14) - Stations
Tuesday (5/15) - Stations
Wednesday (5/16) - Algebra Readiness Test (this is a change from before to align with when all other grade levels are testing in math)
Thursday (5/17) - Stations
Friday (5/18) - Career Day

Monday (5/21) - Pre-Algebra Cumulative Review
Tuesday (5/22) - Pre-Algebra Cumulative Review
Wednesday (5/23) - Pre-Algebra Final Exam
Thursday (5/24) - Test Results and Final Points
Friday (5/25) - 6th Grade Field Trip

Somewhere in here, we will return textbooks to the depository, but that date has not been confirmed yet.

Homework for this week is as follows:
Monday (5/7) - Factoring Worksheet ("Tadpoles")
Tuesday (5/8) - Factoring Worksheet ("Double Cross")
Wednesday (5/9) - Slope Worksheet
Thursday (5/10) - Stations Worksheet (different for each student)
Friday (5/11) - Stations Worksheet

Sunday, April 29, 2012

CST Week

CST Announcements
This week is CST Week!  Students will be released at 12:42pm every day.  Students will go to all class periods on Monday and then from Tuesday to Friday, I will see each class (except 1st period) one more time.  I will see 1st period every day this week.  Students will take the 6th Grade Math Part 1 on Tuesday in the first testing block, the Math Part 2 on Wednesday, Language Arts Part 1 on Thursday, and Language Arts Part 2 on Friday.  There are two testing blocks each day, but the 6th grade students only test in the first testing block; the second testing block is up to the discretion of their 4th period teacher.

Plan For This Week
Monday - Grade homework & ask any final questions.
Rest of the Week - Since I'll see each class once for a short period of time in the middle of CST testing week, we'll play a game called the Four Nines.  Each class period will try to use order of operations and four nines to create each number from 1 - 100.  The class period that comes up with the most numbers from 1 - 100 will receive a popsicle party!

For example:
1 = (9 + 9) ÷ (9 + 9)
2 = (9 ÷ 9) + (9 ÷ 9)
...
99 = 99 * (9 ÷ 9)
100 = 99 + (9 ÷ 9)

First Period
Since I will see 1st period every day this week before their testing block, here is our plan for the week:
Tuesday - Four Nines
Wednesday - Math Olympics
Thursday - Sustained Silent Reading (bring a book to read)
Friday - Writing & Sharing Mad Libs stories

There is no math homework this week.

Sunday, April 22, 2012

CST Prep Week 2 of 2

Algebra Readiness Test
The Algebra readiness will be administered on Tuesday, May 15.  In order for students to move on to Algebra 1 next year, they must pass with a score of at least 80%.  In addition, they must have an A or B average in class.  We have already begun reviewing for this test in our warm ups and will hit the Pre-Algebra concepts again once the CST is over.

This Week
This week, we will continue to review for the CST.  On Monday and Tuesday, we'll practice the big skills that will be covered.  On Wednesday and Thursday, students will take a final CST practice exam.  During the practice test, I will be pulling out small groups to target some of areas for development.

Homework is as follows:
Monday (4/23)CST Released Packet #51-60
Tuesday (4/24)CST Released Packet #61-70
Wednesday (4/25)CST Released Packet #71-80
Thursday (4/26)CST Released Packet #81-90
Friday (4/27)CST Released Packet #91-96

Monday, April 16, 2012

CST Prep Week 1 of 2

For the next two weeks, we will be preparing for the 6th grade math CST.  It will be a review of material that students have seen this year.  Homework for the next two weeks is going to be from the packet of released CST questions.  This packet is published by the state of California and has actual CST question that are no longer on the test.  The packet is printed small, so students should show work on a separate sheet of paper.  Treat this like a textbook that you can't lose (because it takes a lot of paper to reprint if it's lost).

In an effort to cover all 96 practice questions in the next two weeks, we will have homework every night (including Friday) of 10 problems.  Students can work ahead if they desire.

Homework is as follows:
Monday (4/16) - CST Released Packet #1-10
Tuesday (4/17)CST Released Packet #11-20
Wednesday (4/18)CST Released Packet #21-30
Thursday (4/19)CST Released Packet #31-40
Friday (4/20)CST Released Packet #41-50

Monday, April 2, 2012

Week 31 - End of Probability & Statistics

This Week
This week is the last week of new material before the CST.  We will be finishing our unit on Probability and Statistics.  Monday will be the final new lesson on taking a sample.  On Tuesday and Wednesday, we will be working on a project in class.  The unit test will be on Thursday and on Friday, students will receive the results and have an opportunity to correct any mistakes.

Homework for the week is as follows:
Monday (4/2) - WB 7-7 all
Tuesday (4/3) - Probability / Statistics Project
Wednesday (4/4) - Probability / Statistics Project
Thursday (4/5) - No HW (Unit Test today)
Friday (4/6) - Enjoy Spring Break!

Sunday, March 25, 2012

Week 30 - Intro to Probability & Statistics

Unit 6 Test Results
Last Friday, students took the third unit test of the semester.  The results are in Infinite Campus and students will receive their test booklets and answer documents on Monday.

Below are some brief statistics by class period.


Period
# Students 
>= 90%
# Total 
students
Average 
score
1
15
29
86%
5
10
23
84%
6
5
27
81%

The Road Ahead

  • In the next two weeks, we will be completing our final unit of new material before the CST (3/26 to 4/6).
  • Following that will be one week of spring break (4/7 to 4/15).
  • When we return, we will spend two weeks preparing for the CST by reviewing (4/16 to 4/27)
  • 4/28 - Saturday Academy (optional morning opportunity to take a full practice CST)
  • The CST begins the next week (4/30 to 5/4).
Probability & Statistics
This unit is taken from the 6th grade textbook, which your child does not have.  Homework will be given on worksheets from class.  If you would like access to the 6th grade textbook online, you can go to the textbook website (http://my.hrw.com) and sign in as the user 6math16 and the password johnmuir.

This Week
This week, we will introduce probability and statistics and explore experimental and theoretical probability, sample spaces, and disjoint events.  

Homework for the week is as follows:
Wednesday (3/28) - Sample Spaces worksheet
Friday (3/30) - No HW Quiz today

Monday, March 19, 2012

Week 29 - Unit 6 Geometry Test

This Week
This week, we will be taking our studies of angles, circles, and the Pythagorean Theorem to the next level, culminating in the Unit 6 Geometry test on Friday.

Homework for the week is as follows:
Monday (3/19) - Advanced Angles W.S.
Tuesday (3/20) - Advanced Pythagorean Thm W.S.
Wednesday (3/21) - Circle Application W.S.
Thursday (3/22) - Unit 6 Practice Test Corrections
Friday (3/23) - No HW (Test Today!)

Monday, March 12, 2012

Week 28 - Interim Assessments

Interim Assessments
On Tuesday and Wednesday, students will be taking Interim Assessments in their math and language arts classes.  They will take Part 1 on Tuesday and Part 2 on Wednesday.  This is the same interim assessment that students took back in November and I hope to see growth since then!  The interim assessment covers material from 6th grade math (not the Pre-Algebra that we have been studying this year).  The reason for this is that the CST that the students will take in May will be the 6th grade math CST.

This Week
This week, we will continue our study of perimeter (and circumference) and area by looking at complex figures.  We will learn how to do this on Thursday and practice it more on Friday.

Homework assigned on Thursday will be due on Monday of next week.

Monday, March 5, 2012

Week 27 - Geometry

Sub on Tuesday
I will be out for training on Tuesday.  Mrs. Myers, retired math teacher, will be the substitute teacher.  Students will also be taking the district writing test on this day, so classes will be shorter.

This Week
This week, we continue our study of geometry with area of parallelograms and trapezoids and then area and circumference of circles.  We will also learn about coordinate geometry where we plot points that create polygons and then find the perimeter and area.

Homework for the week is as follows:
Monday (3/5): WB 9-1 all
Tuesday (3/6): WB 9-2 all
Wednesday (3/7): WB 9-4 #1, 3, 8, 9, 13
Thursday (3/8): Unit 6 Quiz 2 Practice Problems
Friday (3/9): No HW  


Sunday, February 26, 2012

Week 26 - Unit 5 Results

Unit 5 Test Results
On Thursday before break, students took the second unit test of the semester.  The results are in Infinite Campus and students have already received their test booklets and answer documents.

Students were also allowed to choose their own seats, however, I reserve the right to make changes if necessary.

Below are some brief statistics by class period.

Period
# Students 
>= 90%
# Total 
students
Average 
score
1
20
28
91%
5
14
24
89%
6
18
29
91%



This Week
This week, we will be beginning our unit on geometry.  We will learn the geometric relationships between angles and triangles and we will also explore polygon congruence.

Homework for the week is as follows:
Monday (2/27): WB 8-2 # 1-12
Tuesday (2/28): WB 8-3 # 1, 3, 6, 7 and WB 8-4 #1, 2, 10
Wednesday (2/29): WB 8-6 #2, 5, 7, 9
Thursday (3/1): Unit 6 Quiz 1 Practice Problems
Friday (3/2): No HW

Sunday, February 12, 2012

Week 25 - Unit 5 Test

Sub on Tuesday
This Tuesday is the second of two trainings on Explicit Direct Instruction.  Students will be taking a practice test on Tuesday with the substitute.  Anything that is not completed in class will be homework.

This Week
This week, we will finish our unit of exponents and roots.  On Monday, we will learn the converse of the Pythagorean Theorem (testing to see if a triangle is a right triangle, based on the length of its side).  On Tuesday, students will take a Practice Test.  On Wednesday, we will review the answers and play a review game.  On Thursday, we will take the test.  On Friday, I will return the results and we will use the data to practice making stem-and-lead and box-and-whisker charts.

Homework for the week is as follows:
Monday (2/13): TB Pg. 208 #12-20
Tuesday (2/14): Practice Test (if not completed in class)
Wednesday (2/15): Review for test
Thursday (2/16): None (Unit Test today)
Friday (2/17): None (Enjoy your break!)

Sunday, February 5, 2012

Week 24 - Square Roots & Pythagorean Theorem

Substitute on Tuesday
This Tuesday, all math teachers at John Muir will be attending a workshop on Explicit Direct Instruction Part 1.  Part 2 will be the following Tuesday (Feb. 14).  There will be a substitute teacher on both Tuesdays, but I'm not sure who it will be.

Pre-Algebra Announcements


This Week
This week, we will be studying squares and square roots and apply them in the Pythagorean Theorem for right triangles (a^2 + b^2 = c^2).

Homework is as follows:
Monday (2/6):  WB 4-6 #1-9 odd
Tuesday (2/7):  WB 4-6 #11-19 odd
Wednesday (2/8): WB 4-8 #7-14
Thursday (2/9): Unit 5 Quiz 2 Practice Problems
Friday (2/10): Problem of the Week #19 - Exponent Expression Matching


Algebra Announcements


This Week
This week, we will be learning about standard form for linear equations, how to find intercepts, and how to convert back and forth from standard form to slope-intercept form.

Homework is as follows:
Monday (2/6):  TB Pg. 266 #9, 13, 14, 16, 19


Sunday, January 29, 2012

Week 23 - Unit 4 Results

Unit Test Results

Last Friday, students took the first unit test of the semester.  The results are in Infinite Campus and students will receive their test booklets and answer documents on Monday.

Below are some brief statistics by class period.


Period
# Students 
>= 90%
# Total 
students
Average 
score
1
13
29
88%
5
13
24
88%
6
9
28
85%

Students can earn half credit points back if they complete their test corrections.  Below are the directions in order to receive credit.

  • Test corrections must be completed on binder paper.
  • The original question must be copied onto the binder paper.
  • Work for each step must be shown.
  • The correct answer must be boxed.
  • Test corrections must be turned in to the Work Submission tray in the correct period.

Looking Ahead
All John Muir math teachers will be at the district office for training on Tuesdays Feb. 7 and Feb. 14.  Also, the next unit test (if you want to mark your calendars) will be on Thursday, Feb. 16.

This Week
This week we will be starting another short (3 week) unit on Exponents, Squares, and Square Roots.

Homework for the week is as follows:
Monday (1/30): WB 4-2 odds
Tuesday (1/31): WB 4-3 #6-24 even 
Wednesday (2/1): WB 4-4 #2-16 even
Thursday (2/2): Unit 5 Quiz 1 Practice Problems
Friday (2/3): Unit 4 Test Corrections



Sunday, January 22, 2012

Week 22: Unit 4 Test

This Week
This week, we will have our first unit test of the semester.  It will cover functions and graphs.  Our last lesson of this unit will be scatter plots on Monday.  We will use the rest of the week to practice our skills and prepare for the test.

Homework is as follows:
Monday (1/23):  Scatter Plot W.S.
Tuesday (1/24):  Plotting Ratios W.S.
Wednesday (1/25): Stations Packet
Thursday (1/26): Unit 4 Study Guide
Friday (1/27): Problem of the Week #18: Salary Formulas 

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Week 21: Quadratic and Cubic Functions

Sub on Tuesday
On Monday, I will be in training.  Mrs. Myers (retired math teacher and former school board member) will be teaching the lesson on quadratic functions.

Unit Test 4
Our first unit test of the semester will be next Friday, January 27.  Our first math journal check will also be on this day.

This Week
This week, we will extend our expertise from linear functions to quadratic and cubic functions.  By the end of this week, students will be able to graph all three types of functions and identify whether a graph is a positive or negative linear, quadratic, or cubic function.  There is no Problem of the Week this week.

Homework for the week is as follows:
Tuesday (1/17): TB Pg. 362 #2-9
Wednesday (1/18): WB 7-5 #3-6
Thursday (1/19): Unit 4 Quiz 3 Practice Problems
Friday (1/20): No HW (Quiz today)

Sunday, January 8, 2012

Week 20: Slope

This Week
This week, we will continue our study of slope.  Last week, we found slope by counting the rise over run.  On Monday, we will find the slope between two points using the slope formula m = (y2-y1)/(x2-x1).  On Tuesday, we will review finding slope through both methods.  On Wednesday, we will introduce slope-intercept form linear equations and learn how to graph a line given its equation.  On Thursday, we will do the reverse, writing an equation given a line on a graph.  On Friday, we will take our quiz.

Homework for the week is as follows:
Monday (1/9):  WB 7-7 #6 - 10 all
Tuesday (1/10):  Practice C Worksheet #3, 4, 5
Wednesday (1/11):  Linear Equations Worksheet
Thursday (1/12):  Unit 4 Quiz 2 Practice Problems
Friday (1/13): Problem of the Week #17 Slope Exploration

Monday, January 2, 2012

Week 19 - Welcome to Second Semester

Happy New Year!
With the new year comes a new semester and a fresh start.  Everyone has a clean slate and the opportunity to be as successful as they choose.  Let's make it great!

This Week
This week we will begin a new unit called Graphs and Functions.  There will be three quizzes in this unit (Fridays January 6, 13, and 20) and a unit test on Friday, January 27.  We will begin with the coordinate plane, plotting points, interpreting graphs, and observing rate of change.

Homework for the week is as follows:
Tuesday (1/3) - Plotting Points WS
Wednesday (1/4) - TB Pg. 355 #1, 3, 5
Thursday (1/5) Unit 4 Quiz 1 Practice Problems
Friday (1/6) - Problem of the Week 16:  Make Your Own Graphiti