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/Date	Topic	Homework
Monday (10/29)	Box-and-Whiskers	WB 11-3 all
Tuesday (10/30)	Ratios
Wednesday (10/31)	Rates & Unit Rates	Unit 3 Quiz 1 Practice
Thursday (11/1)	Review
Friday (11/2)	Quiz	No 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

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/Date	Topic	Homework
Monday (10/22)	Two-Step Equation Word Problems	WB 3-8 #1,3, 5, 7, 8
Tuesday (10/23)	Two-Step Inequalities
Wednesday (10/24)	Unit 2 Review	Unit 2 Practice Test
Thursday (10/25)	Unit 2 Review
Friday (10/26)	Unit 2 Test	No 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)

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/Date	Topic	Homework
Monday (10/15)	Two-Step Equation Word Problems	Two-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)	Quiz	No 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)

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/Date	Topic	Homework
Monday (10/8)	Combining Like Terms	TB Pg. 134 #13-18 (due Wed.)
Tuesday (10/9)	PBA Demo / Multi-Step Equations
Wednesday (10/10)	Practice PBA	Unit 2 Quiz 3 Practice (due Fri)
Thursday (10/11)	Distributive Property Equations
Friday (10/12)	Review & Quiz	No 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

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/Date	Topic	Homework
Monday (9/24)	Two-Step Equations with Rational Numbers	TB 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 Demonstration	No 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

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/Date	Topic	Homework
Monday (9/17)	Fractions, Decimals, and Percents	Book 7 - Skill Builder 1
Tuesday (9/18)	Expanded Form & Fraction Review	Quiz 7 Practice
Wednesday (9/19)	Fraction / Decimal Equivalence	Book 8 - Skill Builder 1 (pg. 10)
Thursday (9/20)	Unit 1 Review	Unit 1 Practice Test
Friday (9/21)	Review & Quiz	No HW

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