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GEM 6
Betty Brown
NOVA MIDDLE SCHOOL
Contact Betty BrownPage Last Updated Nov 22, 2009
Number of Visits: 1538
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WEEK OF NOVEMBER 23, 2009 Monday and Wednesday are "Odd Days." Tuesday is an "Even Day." School-wide events: Monday: Scoliosis Screening through first period classes First Quarter Reward Day period seven Home basketball game 4:30 p.m. Wednesday: Assembly 3:00-4:30 Friday's plans changed due to the difficulty of Lesson 5-2. Instead of going on to the next lesson, we spent more time looking at how repeating decimals can be changed into simplified fractions and examined patterns formed by different fractional denominators in the packet, "Changing Fractions to Decimals: Patterns and Tricks." Students were told to complete Lesson 5-2 and look for patterns in the packet, which will be discussed Monday in class. Due to the many activities scheduled for this week and the possibility of absentees due to family trips for Thanksgiving, we will not be pushing to get the Chapter Five quiz taken this week. Instead, we will continue exploring equivalent fractions and decimals as well as patterns formed by different denominators. For classes that meet on Wednesday, we will see how Pascal's Triangle can be completed using modular systems of arithmetic. There will be no homework over the holiday weekend except for the bonus sheet, "You're Invited...". Plans for this week include: Monday: Warm-Up: Overhead Problems Check for Completion/Review: Workbook 5-1 and Lesson 5-2 Discussion: Patterns and Tricks with Fractions and Decimals Homework: Workbook 5-2 Tuesday: Warm-Up: Overhead Problems Check for Completion/Review: Workbook 5-2 Notes and Do: Lesson 5-3 Wednesday: Warm-Up: none Check for Completion/Review: Lesson 5-3 Activity: Pascal's Triangle: Mods 2, 3, and 5 Bonus: Graphing Activity "You're Invited..." ________________________________________________________________________________ WEEK OF NOVEMBER 16, 2009 School-wide events: BAT II Testing Monday (Reading) and Tuesday (Math) 9:25-12:39 Wednesday (Science 8th Grade only) 9:25-11:30 Sixth and seventh graders will remain in their second period class until 11:30 and period four will be slightly shorter. Students will follow a shortened class schedule for the remainder of each day. Monday, Wednesday, and Friday are "Even Days." Tuesday and Thursday are "Odd Days." Plans for this week include: Monday, 11/16 Collect: Chapter 4 Cumulative Review, Vocabulary 4D, and Activity 28 Follow-up activity on Primes (Ms. Perry) Worksheet: Scientific Notation I Tuesday, 11/17 Begin Chapter 5 notes, including GCF/LCM Oriental Method Wednesday, 11/18 Warm-Up: None (Distribute new unit materials) Check for Completion/Review: Scientific Notation Worksheet Notes and Do: Lesson 5-1 Thursday, 11/19 Warm-Up: Workbook 5-1 (evens) Check for Completion/Review: Lesson 5-1 Notes and Do: Lesson 5-2 Friday, 11/20 Warm-Up: Workbook 5-2 (evens) Check for Completion/Review: Lesson 5-2 Notes and Do: Lesson 5-3 __________________________________________________________________ WEEK OF NOVEMBER 9, 2009 Monday and Thursday are "Even Days." Tuesday and Friday are "Odd Days." Wednesday is Veteran's Day. Please take time to be appreciative of all that our veterans have done and are doing for our country. Plans for this week are as follows: Monday, 11/9 Warm-Up: None (Distribute quizzes from last week.) Collect: Halloween Word Search (bonus) and Icosahedron Activity (bonus) Check for Completion/Review: Lesson 4-7 Notes and Do: Lesson 4-8 (Exponents and Division) Tuesday, 11/10 Warm-Up: Overhead problems Check for Completion/Review: Lesson 4-8 Notes and Do: Lessons Pre 4-9 (Multiplying and dividing by Powers of Ten) and 4-9 (Scientific Notation) Wednesday, 11/11 (no school) Thursday, 11/12 Warm-Up: Literacy Activity Check for Completion/Review: Lessons Pre 4-9 and 4-9 Notes and Do: Chapter Review and Vocabulary Sheet 4D Prepare for tests tomorrow. Friday, 11/13 Warm-Up: None Check for Completion/Review: Chapter Review; Vocabulary 4D Chapter 4 Test and Chapter 4 Notebook Test Homework: Chapter 4 Cumulative Review (Quiz Score) __________________________________________________________________ WEEK OF NOVEMBER 2, 2009 School-wide Events: Monday, 11/2: H1N1 Vaccinations Monday-Friday: Book Fair through Language Arts classes Wednesday, 11/4: 4:30-6:00 p.m. Evening Book Fair event for parents GEM dates: Thursday, 11/5: Prime Number Quiz Friday, 11/6: Quiz Sections 4-1 through 4-3 Monday, 11/9: Bonus sheets (Icosahedron 3-D activity, Halloween Word Search) given to students on 10/30 are due Plans for this week include: Monday, 11/2 Warm-Up: none Collect: Circle Design Packets Check for Completion/Review: Workbook 4-2 Notes and Do: Lesson 4-3a (Prime Factorization) Tuesday, 11/3 Warm-Up: Activity Sheet 14 (Evaluate Expressions with Exponents) Check for Completion/Review: Lesson 4-3a Notes and Do: Lesson 4-3b (Greatest Common Factor) Wednesday, 11/4 Warm-Up: Enrichment Worksheet 4-3 (Number of Factors) Check for Completion/Review: Lesson 4-3b, AS 14 Notes and Do: Lesson 4-4 (Simplifying Fractions and Algebraic Rational Expressions) Thursday, 11/5 Warm-Up: Activity Sheet 29 (Simplify Algebraic Rational Expressions) Check for Completion/Review: EW 4-3, Lesson 4-4 Notes and Do: Lesson 4-6 (Rational Numbers) Prime Number Quiz Friday, 11/6 Warm-Up: none Check for Completion/Review: Lesson 4-6, AS 29 Notes and Do: Lesson 4-7 (Exponents and Multiplication) Quiz Lessons 4-1 through 4-3 __________________________________________________________________ WEEK OF OCTOBER 26, 2009 Welcome to Term II. Students will be receiving their tests from last week on Monday, 10/26. It is important that they examine their mistakes to see which ones were careless and which ones are areas they need to review. If they have questions missed on the front of the notebook test they need to improve their checking and correcting of homework and/or their showing of work, as required. Missed questions on the back of the test indicate a need for them to study and review their notes and vocabulary more thoroughly before testing. Quarter exam results were posted on Pinnacle last week. Our average score was 74%, which seems to be about the same as what is being reported throughout the District. I will be analyzing the data from these tests to determine which concepts need additional work throughout the year, but I am not allowed to send these "secure" tests home. If you wish, you may make an appointment to come in to view your child's test. This week there are several school-wide activities that will make flexibility a necessary part of our plans. Tuesday there are picture make-ups and a first quarter reward activity for sixth graders in the afternoon. Wednesday is a health screening day. The entire week is "Say No to Drugs" week, and Friday is a dress down day for those who make a donation to cancer research (a project sponsored by National Junior Honor Society)...not to mention the day before Halloween! To work around these things in a way that prevents us from becoming frustrated but, at the same time, keeps us learning, I will use days that are interrupted to work on the Pascal's Triangle activities that are planned to enhance this unit. Pascal's Triangle, which dates back to the eleventh century, is the one thing in math that connects arithmetic, algebra, probability and geometry. We will be looking at how it is developed using arithmetic, patterns formed through divisibility, and use it to see how modular arithmetic systems make difficult math easier! Later in the year we will look at the many patterns in it, including some very famous number patterns, how it relates to probability, and how it relates to geometry through a fractal, the Sierpinski Triangle. The Circle Designs in Modular Arithmetic packets are due Monday, November 2. Students will be surprised to discover that the mathematical concept that makes the circle patterns alike is a property they learned in Chapter Two. These packets will count as a project score in the "Research" class, as will the Pascal's Triangle activities. Monday, Wednesday, and Friday are "Even Days." Tuesday and Thursday are "Odd Days." Plans for this week include: Monday, 10/26 Distribute tests and new units. Collect Halloween graphing activity (bonus) and Early Release activity (period 6). Notes and do Lesson 4-1 and Enrichment Worksheet 4-1(Divisibility and Factors) Tuesday, 10/27 Warm-Up: Pascal's Triangle activities Check for Completion/Review: Lesson 4-1 and EW 4-1 Notes and Do: Pascal's Triangle activities or Lesson 4-2 (depending on which classes are scheduled for school-wide activities) Wednesday, 10/28 Warm-Up: Pascal's Triangle activities Check for Completion/Review: Yesterday's work (Pascal's Triangle activities or Lesson 4-2 ) Notes and Do: Pascal's Triangle activities or Lesson 4-2 (depending on which classes are scheduled for school-wide activities) Thursday, 10/29 Warm-Up: Sieve of Eratosthenes (prime and composite numbers) Check for Completion/Review: Yesterday's work (Pascal's Triangle activities or Lesson 4-2 ) Notes and Do: Lesson 4-3a (Prime Factorization) Friday, 10/30 Warm-Up: Halloween Puzzle #2 (Order of Operations and Exponents) Check for Completion/Review: Lesson 4-3a Classwork: Icosahedron 3-D Activity (Exponents) Bonus Activity: Halloween Word Search __________________________________________________________________ WEEK OF OCTOBER 19, 2009 Important week ahead.... Chapter 3 Tests Monday Quarter Exam (Chapters 1-3) Tuesday Term I ends Thursday. Monday is an "Even Day." Tuesday is an "Odd Day." Wednesday is a "Flex Day." Thursday is an "Even Early Release Day." Friday is a Teacher Planning Day (no school for students). Plans for this week include: Monday, 10/19 Check for Completion/Review: Lesson 3-7 and the Chapter Review Chapter Three Test and Chapter Three Notebook Test Homework/Classwork: Chapter Three Cumulative Review (to help review for exam) Tuesday, 10/20 Check for Completion/Review: Chapter 3 Cumulative Review Quarter Exam (from District) Halloween Graphing Activity Wednesday, 10/21 Circle Designs in Modular Math This activity connects and applies concepts studied in the first three chapters while, at the same time, reviews multiplication and division skills. Students will multiply in modular arithmetic systems (systems with a finite number of numbers...like a clock) and connect their answers to form designs. The challenge is to discover what makes some designs identical. Thursday, 10/22 School-wide Activity: Money Matters __________________________________________________________________ October 13th Up-Date: Overall, Chapter 2 test scores were disappointing. As a result, the warm-up activities for this week have changed to include a review of Chapter 2 topics (done today) instead of the activity sheet on averages. On Thursday, instead of a quiz for Chapter 3, all students will take another test on Chapter 2. In order to be fair to everyone, I will then program Pinnacle to drop the lowest chapter test score for this term. Tests from Chapter 2 were sent home today. Students should now be able to re-do problems they missed to see that they understand their mistakes. Please examine your child's notebook test, as it is often a window into some of his/her problems. A "D" in a box on this test indicates that the directions for showing work were not followed. (The answer is often just copied from the self-check in these situations.) Incorrect answers indicate that the work was done, but not checked and corrected, often resulting in similar mistakes being made on tests and quizzes. Students who do not check their work miss the opportunity to ask questions in class. The back of this test tells me how well a child can find information in his/her notes, how well he/she has mastered the vocabulary, and how focused he/she has been in class. If your child is struggling, this is a good opportunity to discuss what it takes to be a mature, dedicated student. Students who have always been good at math sometimes come into this class expecting things to continue to be easy when, in reality, it may be much more difficult than expected. Some of them balk at the thought of having to work hard at something, while others accept it as a challenge. The vast majority of them have the capability to succeed if they are willing to work at it. If I feel a child is misplaced, I will contact you about a schedule change. Students should prepare for next week's Quarterly Exam by reviewing their class notes, doing the Chapter Reviews in the textbook, picking random problems from the book and using their chapter self-checks, and by doing problems in the book that have check marks by them (which have answers in the back of the book, as well). It is also quite likely that we will postpone section 3-7 until Term II (recommended to GEM 6 teachers this week) in order to concentrate more on the concepts that are going to be tested. Thank you for your continued interest and support. B2 __________________________________________________________________ WEEK OF OCTOBER 12, 2009 Important dates to remember: Wednesday, 10/14: Activity Sheet 4 (bonus) due Thursday, 10/15: Chapter 3 Quiz Monday, 10/19: Chapter 3 Test, Notebook Test Tuesday, 10/20: First Quarter Exam (Chapters 1-3) Monday, Wednesday, and Friday are "Odd Days." Tuesday and Thursday are "Even Days." Plans for this week are as follows: Monday, 10/12 Warm-Up: Activity Sheet 26 Dividing Decimals Check for Completion/Review: Lessons 3-1 and 3-2 Notes and Do: Lesson 3-3 (Mean, Median, and Mode) Tuesday, 10/13 Warm-Up: Activity Sheet 19 (Averages) Check for Completion/Review: Lesson 3-3 Notes and Do: Lesson 3-4 (Using Formulas) Wednesday, 10/14 (Bonus sheet due) Warm-Up: Activity Sheet 19 (Adding and Subtracting Negative Decimals) Check for Completion/Review: Lesson 3-4 Notes and Do: Lesson 3-5 (Solving Equations by Adding and Subtracting Decimals) Thursday, 10/15 Warm-Up: None Check for Completion/Review: Lesson5 Notes and Do: Lesson 3-6 (Solving Equations by Multiplying and Dividing Decimals) Quiz Lessons 3-1 through 3-4 Friday, 10/16 Warm-Up: None Check for Completion/Review: Lesson 3-6 Notes and Do: Lesson 3-7 (Metric System) and Chapter Review Prepare for tests on Monday. __________________________________________________________________ WEEK OF OCTOBER 5, 2009 Monday, Wednesday, and Friday are "Even Days." Tuesday and Thursday are "Odd Days." Chapter Two Tests are scheduled for Thursday, 10/8. We will continue our decimal activities for warm-up activities to help prepare us for Chapter Three. The bonus sheet distributed Friday (Enrichment Worksheet 2-3) is due Friday, 10/9. I will distribute another bonus sheet this week. Plans for this week include: Monday, 10/5 Warm-Up: none (Distribute quizzes and Spirolateral packets) Check for Completion/Review: Lesson 2-8, Lesson 2-6 (Review) Notes and Do: Lesson 2-9 (Solving Addition and Subtraction Inequalities) Tuesday, 10/6 Warm-Up: Activity Sheet 23 (Multiplying Decimals) Check for Completion/Review: Lesson 2-9 Notes and Do: Lesson 2-10 (Solving Multiplication and Division Inequalities) Wednesday, 10/7 Warm-Up: Activity Sheet 25 (Dividing Decimals) Check for Completion/Review: Activity Sheet 23; Lesson 2-10 Notes and Do: Chapter Review; Vocabulary Activity Prepare for tests tomorrow. Thursday, 10/8 Warm-Up: None Check for Completion/Review: AS 25; Chapter Review; Vocabulary Activity Chapter Two Test and Notebook Test Homework/Classwork: Chapter Two Cumulative Review (Quiz Score) Bonus sheet: Activity 4 (Solving Multiplication and Division Inequalities) Friday, 10/9 Warm-Up: None (Distribute Chapter Three materials) Collect: Chapter Two Cumulative Review Notes and Do: Lessons 3-1 and 3-2 (Rounding and Estimating with Decimals) __________________________________________________________________ Tuesday, September 29: I've made some changes to the Warm-up activities for this week. __________________________________________________________________ WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 28, 2009 Tuesday and Thursday are "Even Days." Wednesday and Friday are "Odd Days." Projected test/quiz dates: Friday, October 2: Quiz Sections 2-1 through 2-3 Thursday, October 8: Chapter 2 Test and Notebook Test BAT test results are available on Virtual Counselor. After studying them, I feel it would be advantageous for students to review decimals before they attempt th concepts in chapter three. Review assignments will be built into our daily work as warm-up activities. Students have asked if there will be bonus assignments this term. I will be distributing one later this week and perhaps more next week. Credit will be given only if work has been shown on a separate sheet of paper. Plans for this week include: Tuesday, 9/29 Warm-Up: Workbook 2-3 Check for Completion/Review: Activity Sheets 29 and 40; Lesson 2-3 Notes and Do: Lesson 2-4 (Variables and Equations) Wednesday, 9/30 Warm-Up: Activity Sheet 18 (Rounding Whole Numbers ad Decimals) Check for Completion/Review: Workbook 2-3; Lesson 2-4 Notes and Do: Lesson 2-5 (Solving Addition and Subtraction Equations) Thursday, 10/1 Warm-Up: Activity Sheet 17 (Add Decimals) Check for Completion/Review: Activity Sheet 18; Lesson 2-5 Notes and Do: Lesson 2-6 (Solving Multiplication and Division Equations) Friday, 10/2 Warm-Up: Activity Sheet 20 (Subtract Decimals Check for Completion/Review: Activity Sheet 17; Lesson 2-6 Notes and Do: Lesson 2-8 (Inequalities and Their Graphs) Quiz: Lessons 2-1 through 2-3 Distribute bonus sheet: Enrichment 2-3 Find the Speed __________________________________________________________________ Thursday, September 24th If your child is struggling with lesson 2-3, please don't panic. It's one of the most difficult ones in the chapter. We will spend additional time on it tomorrow instead of going on to Lesson 2-4. Also, the powerpoint presentation I had for Open House has been added as a file to this website. __________________________________________________________________ WEEK OF SEPTEMBER 21, 2009 I enjoyed our time together at Open House. I hope you did, too. Monday and Wednesday are "Even Days." Tuesday and Friday are "Odd Days." Thursday is an "Odd Early Release Day." Special activities this week: Monday and Tuesday: Pictures (through Language Arts classes) Tuesday: INTERIM REPORTS DISTRIBUTED Thursday: Early Release Day (School-Wide Activity) Chapter 1 tests are graded; I will put them in Pinnacle as soon as I finish with these plans. Overall, many students did very well on the Chapter Test, while others made careless mistakes that they'll want to kick themselves for. The main thing is that they understand their mistakes so they can avoid making them again. The average score on the Notebook test was about a C, as students have yet to understand all that I'm looking for on it. An 80% or above is a good first score for this test but, as they adjust to this test, students should improve greatly. I always make them a "deal." If their second notebook test is at least twenty points higher than their first, the second score will count for both tests. That way they have an incentive to get their organizational and work skills up to par. (This is a one-time only offer, though.) Plans for this week include: Monday, September 21 Warm-Up: (none) Distribute tests and new chapter materials. Check for Completion/Review: Activity Sheets 21 and 25 (assigned last Thursday) Turn in Cumulative Review if not already turned in (many finished in class Friday) Notes and Do: Lesson 2-1 (Properties) Tuesday, September 22 Warm-Up: Workbook Lesson 2-1 (Workbooks will be kept in the classroom, but pages may be taken out of them.) Check for Completion/Review: Lesson 2-1 Notes and Do: Lesson 2-2 (The Distributive Property) Wednesday, September 23 Warm-Up: Workbook Lesson 2-2 Check for Completion/Review: Lesson 2-2, Workbook 2-1 Notes and Do: Lesson 2-3 (Simplifying Variable Expressions) Thursday, September 24 School-wide activity Friday, September 25 Warm-Up: Workbook Lesson 2-3 Check for Completion/Review: Lesson 2-3, Workbook 2-2 Notes and Do: Lesson 2-4 (Variables and Equations) __________________________________________________________________ Please don't forget Open House this Thursday at 6:30 p.m. I am looking forward to meeting all of you! ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Week of September 14, 2009 Dates to Remember: Wednesday, 9/16 Magazine Fundraiser Turn-In Day Thursday, 9/17 Chapter 1 Notebook Test OpenHouse 6:30 Friday, 9/18 Chapter 1 Test Monday, 9/21 Spirolateral Packets are due (including rubric and all drawn spirolaterals) Pinnacle has been down for maintenance this weekend. Quizzes are graded and will be returned to students Monday. This week: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday are "Odd Days." Tuesday and Thursday are "Even Days." Plans for this week include: Monday, 9/14 Warm-Up: Activity Sheet 4 (Evaluate Expressions) Check for Completion/Review: Lesson 1-10 Notes and Do: Lesson 1-6 (Subtracting Integers) Tuesday, 9/15 Warm-Up: Activity Sheet 32 (Subtracting Integers) Check for Completion/Review: Lesson 1-6, AS 4 Notes and Do: Lesson 1-9 (Multiplying and Dividing Integers) Wednesday, 9/16 Warm-Up: Activity Sheet 18 (Multiply and Divide Integers) Check for Completion/Review: Lesson 1-9 Notes and Do: Chapter Review and Vocabulary Activity Prepare for Notebook Test tomorrow. Be sure all assignments from Chapter One are in your notebook/folder, labeled, checked and corrected. Be sure you have your notes with you, as well. Thursday, 9/17 Check for Completion/Review: Chapter Review, Vocabulary Activity, AS 18 Notebook Test Homework/Classwork: Activity Sheet 21 (Operations with Absolute Value) Activity Sheet 25 (Mixed Integer Operations) Study for Chapter One Test ("Foldable" activity may be turned in for bonus points) Friday, 9/18 Check for Completion/Review: Activity Sheets 21 and 25 Chapter One Test Chapter One Cumulative Review (Quiz Score) Turn in Foldables Spirolateral Packets are due Monday. Students wishing to play computer games to help them study for the test or just for fun may go to my other website. www.quia.com/pages/bbrown/15/page4 User name: firstlast762 (for example, johndoe762) ___________________________________________________________________ Week of September 7, 2009 Tuesday and Thursday are "Odd Days." Wednesday and Friday are "Even Days." BAT Testing will be held Wednesday (Reading) and Thursday (Mathematics) from 9:25-12:40. The remainder of these days will be devoted to shortened classes. On Friday the eighth graders will be taking the BAT Science Test. For sixth and seventh graders, period two will be slightly longer than normal; period four will be shortened somewhat. We will be doing the lessons in this chapter out of order to maximize our instructional time this week. Don't forget the Magazine Sale turn-in day on Thursday, 9/10. Up-coming GEM Events: Thursday, 9/10: Quiz Lessons 1-1 ->1-4 Thursday, 9/17: Chapter One Test (tentative) Friday, 9/18: Chapter One Notebook Test (tentative) Monday, 9/21: Spirolateral Packet due (tentative) Students have been given a rubric for this unit. Parents, when youlook at your child's math grades on Pinnacle, please be aware that Isometimes list an assignment before recording it forstudents. If your child actually has a missing assignment, I willenter a "Z," which acts as a zero. Anything reported missing byPinnacle, which interprets empty spaces as zeros, is actually somethingI have not yet recorded. (I often record several assignments at onetime.) Plans for this week (may need to be flexible due to the testing schedule): Tuesday, 9/8 Warm-Up: Activity Sheet 1 (Order of Operations) Check for Completion/Review: Lesson 1-4 and AS 3 (Evaluating Expressions) Notes and Do: Lesson 1-5 (Adding Integers) Wednesday, 9/9 Warm-Up: Activity Sheet 2 (Evaluating Expressions) Check for Completion/Review: Lesson 1-5 and AS 1 (Order of Operations) Notes and Do: Study for Quiz 1-1 -> 1-4; work on Spirolaterals Thursday, 9/10 Warm-Up: None Check for Completion/Review: AS 2 (Evaluating Expressions) Quiz Lessons 1-1 through 1-4 Continue to work on Spirolaterals Friday, 9/11 Warm-Up: Activity Sheet 31 (Adding Integers) Check for Completion/Review: none Notes and Do: Lesson 1-10 (The Coordinate Plane); finish Spirolateral Packet ___________________________________________________________________ August 30, 2009 We made it through our first week! Students are excited, and so is their teacher, about GEM Mathematics! Special events this week include our Fund-Raiser Kick-Off Assembly on Thursday (times to be determined). Monday, Wednesday, and Friday are "Even Days." Tuesday and Thursday are "Odd Days." Students need to bring their math materials with them every day, as the "Research" class is an extension of GEM math. Up-coming tests and/or quizzes: Target date for Chapter One quiz is next Wednesday or Thursday, September 9th or 10th) Target date for Chapter One test is September 16. The GEM Entrance Exams have been graded and will be recorded in Pinnacle today. (If you are unsure how to navigate in Pinnacle, there is a link with instructions on the Nova Middle School website.) Remember, this is a pilot test, so all you can do is compare your child's score to those of the rest of my students. In my experience, a good work ethic and perseverance are greater predictors of success in this course than any test score. Meanwhile, the results for my seventy-two students are as follows: The average raw score on the multiple choice section (40 questions) was 24.5, while the average on the ten open-ended questions was 4.4. These results are about what I expected. I told the students that, if they got half of the questions right, I would be pleased. If they didn't, it only meant that they have a few more gaps to fill, not that they couldn't be successful in the course. Check for Completion/Review for Understanding: Lesson 1-3; AS 1On Friday we explored Spirolaterals, graphic designs made from number sequences. These designs have amazing mathematical characteristics! The unit, which originally came from California, addresses ten different Sunshine State Standards, encourages higher-order thinking skills, and appeals to student creativity. The activities from this unit will be part of the grade for the "Research" class. We will continue to work on this packet for the next two or three week as time permits. Be sure to ask your child to share these with you. Parents, I need your help. Students will receive a Study Guide for each unit of work from the textbook. They will also be given a set of directions for the acronyms used in the guides. These guides make it possible for parents and students to always know what is being expected in the course. Included in the Study Guide packet is a "Self Check," which is the answers to the textbook questions. Please monitor your child's use of this feature. Each student is to check his/her own work, correct mistakes by re-doing problems they missed, and be prepared to ask questions about the problems they struggled with when they come to class the next day. As they check their work they will find that most of their mistakes are careless. Our class time needs to be spent reviewing the troublesome problems. Most students demonstrate great integrity with this feature. (They are proud to be considered mature enough to be trusted with it.) Plans for this week include: Monday, August 31 Warm-Up: Powerpoint "Notes on Notes" Distribute Study Guides and Study Guide Directions Notes and do: Lesson 1-1 Variables and Expressions (See Study Guide for specifics) Tuesday, September 1 Warm-Up: Activity Sheet 35 (Expressions) Check for Completion/Review for Understanding: Lesson 1-1 Notes and do: Lesson 1-2 (Order of Operations) Wednesday, September 2 Warm-Up: Activity Sheet 1 (Order of Operations) Check for Completion/Review for Understanding: Lesson 1-2; AS 35 Notes and do: Lesson 1-3 (Evaluating Expressions) Thursday, September 3 Warm-Up: Activity Sheet 2 (Order of Operations) Assignment: Activity Sheet 2 (Evaluating Expressions) Additional work in Spirolateral packet (No new lesson due to assembly) Friday, September 4 Warm-Up: Activity Sheet 3 (Evaluating Expressions) Check for Completion/Review for Understanding: Activity Sheets 2 (both sheets) Notes and do: Lesson 1-4 (Integers and Absolute Value) Have a great Labor Day weekend! __________________________________________________________________ August 27, 2009 From now on I will put updates on the top of this page so you won't have to scroll down to find them. Yesterday students worked on a pilot GEM 6 Entrance Exam. I noticed some glazed eyes and gloomy looks, as the test was very challenging. Please know that the test will not be used to evaluate your child or your child's placement in this program. Instead, it will be used to try to determine if the test is appropriate for use with exiting fifth graders as a predictor of their future success in this program. (I have a distinct feeling it will have to be revised.) We will be surprised if the average score is greater than 50%. (I will share that data with you when it is compiled.) Meanwhile, please join me in encouraging the children to not get discouraged. My pledge to you and my students is that I will never give them a test (that counts) on material I haven't already taught them. Thanks to all of you who have sent in supplies for our classroom. They are greatly appreciated. __________________________________________________________________ WELCOME TO GEM MATH! I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO MEETING YOU! In case you are trying to get your school supplies before the rush and while the sales are on, here is a list of things you will need for your math classes. SUPPLIES FOR GEM MATH CLASSES 1) One three ring binder(We will combine both classes into one notebook.) I recommend a 1 or 11/2 inch slant ring or D -ring binder, as these hold more thantraditional binders. OR....if you tend to throw things intoyour backpack and then are unable to find, organize, or recognize them, you mayprefer to use a spiral notebook with at least two pockets. 2) Dividers (pack of 5) 3) Wide or college ruled notebook paper (white or any color) 4) Graph paper (plain) You will need this for our first unit of work. 5) Pencils (#2 or mechanical) and a good eraser 6) Highlighter(s) and/or a set of colored pencils These things are not necessary, but you may wish to have them: Spiral notebook (just for your notes) Ruler (with both inches and centimeters) Reinforcements (in case something tears out of your notebook) Classroom Wish List: tissues hand sanitizer NOTE: At some point in the year (no earlier than December) you will be allowed to use a calculator for some sections in our textbook. However, until it is decided at the District level whether it may be scientific or only a four-function "FCAT" calculator, I would wait to purchase one. In the meantime, many dollar stores have FCAT (simple, non-scientific) calculators for $1.00, and other stores have scientific calculators on sale for less than $20.00 during the summer. If you purchase a scientific calculator, be sure it has a hard case and a fraction function. ____________________________________________________________________________ August 23, 2009 Are you getting excited yet? Tomorrow's the big day! This is year number 42 for me, but I bet I still will have trouble sleeping tonight! If you came to school Thursday you probably picked up a supply list from my door. I decided to give students a choice of supply packages so that they could choose to use the one that fits both their learning/organizational styles and the household budget! I will have more of these tomorrow for anyone who needs them. Beginning next week, I will be providing you with detailed plans so that you can be fully aware of the things your child will be doing in these math classes. Meanwhile, we will need to be flexible this week, but these are a few of the things I have planned:
If possible, please send your child to school with graph paper this week, as we will be starting an enhancement unit on Spirolaterals, graphic designs which have many interesting, high level mathematical properties. Students will discover these properties which, interestingly enough, relate to ten Sunshine State Standards (but they think they are just having fun)! Please don't forget to add your name to my "Contact Me" list so that you will receive weekly updates and plans. I am really looking forward to working with your and your child this year. Please feel free to email me with any questions, comments, or concerns. B2 |
Favorite Links
- quia.com New class page, activities included
- PHSchool.com Log on for sample quizzes.
- justreadflorida Recommended reading lists for teens by teens!
- browardschools