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Seagull Math
Debby Durham
WEST ROWAN MIDDLE
Contact Debby Durham

Page Last Updated Sep 01, 2009
Number of Visits: 715

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Sea Gull Math and Science

Welcome to Mrs. Durham's webpage!

Welcome to the Sea Gull team!  Your child is in 6th grade and beginning a new journey as a middle school student! I'm looking forward to a great year with my new students!
Sea Gull science information appears after this math section.

I update quarterly with occasional news, standard course of study Goals, projects, and other information.
Students, if you're absent, remember to check the class planner which contains all assignments given. Also, the week's assignments are recorded on our class planner poster on the bulletin board. Daily assignments may be accessed through the homework hotline. Please remember to ask Mrs. Durham if you have any questions related to these assignments.
Parents, this is a source for learning what your child is doing in math. Included on this page are helpful tools for various topics. Also, students and parents can find math activities by clicking on the various links provided. Please remember these plans can change due to special events, more time on a given lesson, weather delays, etc.
This quarter, we are studying the following goals:

Goal 1: The learner will understand and compute with non-negative rational numbers.
Goal 2: The learner will select and use appropriate tools to measure two-and three-dimensional figures.
Goal 5: The learner will demonstrate an understanding of simple algebraic expressions.

The topics from these goals include: 

-Compare, order, and estimate with whole numbers
-exponents, order of operations, algebraic properties
-patterns, variable expressions, one- and two-step equations
-Compare, order, and understand integers 
-Compare, order, and estimate decimals
-Decimal Operations
-Interpret quotients
-Solve Decimal Equations
-Scientific Notation
-Metric Measures

Check the materials board outside my doorway, so you will be sure you have what you need for math class. You may always assume you will need your planner, math book, spiral notebook, homework, paper, expand-a-file, and pencil with eraser. Please bring a personal pencil sharpener. Also your library book is to be taken to all core classes: Math, Science, Social Studies, and Language Arts. The board for materials for the day will let you know, when to bring colored pencils, crayons, or markers, or any other needs.


Being absent requires makeup work which may be obtained by copying the missed assignments from the CLASS PLANNER. All homework is written in this and is accessible daily. If there are questions about the work or anything else we may have done that day, please ask Mrs. Durham for further information. If a test or quiz is missed, speak to Mrs. Durham to arrange a makeup time. It is the responsibility of the student to get makeup work done. If you know you have been absent, remember to do the makeup work. You have five school days to do makeup work and give to Mrs. Durham. Do not ask for extra time, unless there is an emergency which requires a note from a parent/guardian. Some students wait until progress reports or report cards are due, and then they want to do extra credit to make up for not doing their previous assignments. Responsibility is one of the biggest lessons sixth graders need to learn.

Several avenues of communication are available to you related to interacting with the school environment. Assignments are written in planners, on a planner calendar on the bulletin board, on the board itself, and reported on the homework hotline. 

A reminder to everyone looking at progress reports and eventually report cards--Students' grades are assessed using the following formula, which is system-wide. Classwork/Participation/Quizzes 65%
Major Tests/Projects 25%
Homework 10%

 In math, when students enter the classroom, they know to take out their planners immediately, copy the day's assignment, open their textbooks to the homework page from the previous night, and have homework papers ready to check. We go over homework assignments and answer all questions. Please encourage your child to ask questions during homework discussions and new instruction. Although homework is only ten percent of each student's grade, the practice is essential for retaining concepts and skills taught. Students need 5" X 8" index cards to record their vocabulary terminology, definitions, examples, and non-examples. They need to study these cards throughout the current unit. Lesson notes are taken in a spiral notebook for math class. Students may use homework, notes, textbook, previous quizzes, ask for help, and do chapter reviews to prepare for major tests.
Please sign your child's planner each school night. They are to have written each subject's assignment every school day. This helps them to be responsible for their work and helps us communicate to you expectations of your child.
Students are requested to make corrections to the incorrect answers on major/chapter tests. They are not to change anything on the test; they are to make the corrections on a separate sheet of paper. Please sign the sheet with the actual grade on it. For each problem solved correctly on the correction sheet, I will give half of the points back. However they MUST show steps! For instance, a grade of 80 could be increased to a 90, because 1/2 of the 20 points subtracted can be credited. The grade after corrections is the permanent test grade, so this is beneficial to the student. It helps students have one more chance to learn the material, as well as to improve their grades.
Thank you for all you do to support your child in their education! Feel free to contact me, when you need to communicate with me. You may contact me through this site, voicemail (704) 633-9496: ext. 211, written notes, and using the planner. Assignments for each school day are on the homework hotline: (704) 633-9561 ext.# 6400.

Please remember to bring your spiral notebook to class every day for taking notes on each lesson.
I am looking forward to a new year of communicating with our Sea Gulls and those who support their education! 

Mrs. Debby Durham


Helpful Hint for Solving Proportions
The steel used to make the Statue of Liberty weighs approx. 125 tons. How many pounds of steel were used?

First, turn the information given into a conversion problem.
125 tons = ______ lbs
Now, put this information into a ratio.
125 tons / ? lbs
Next, create an equivalent ratio using what you already know about pounds and tons.
125 tons / ? lbs = 1 ton / 2,000 lbs
Then, cross-multiply and use variable expressions to find the missing number.
125 tons *2,000 lbs = 1 ton * ?
250,000 lbs = ?
250,000 lbs of steel were used to create the Statue of Liberty.
Converting fractions into decimals
top number (numerator) divided by bottom number (denominator)
ex. 2/5 = 2 divided by 5 = .4

Converting decimals into percents
move the decimal two places to the right
ex: .4 = 40 %
.175 = 17.5 %

Turning percents into decimals
move the decimal two places to the left
ex: 63 % = .63
14.3 % = .143

Turning percents into fractions
move the decimal two places to the left. Next, write the fraction as you would read the decimal, including place value.
ex: 23 % = .23 = 23/100
reduce the fraction to it's simplest form.

Adding Integers
Move to the right on the number line to add a positive number.
Move to the left on the number line to add a negative number.

Subtracting Integers
Move to the left on a number line to subtract a positive number.
Move to the right on a number line to subtract a negative number.

Multiplying Integers
positive times positive = positive
negative times negative = positive
one of each sign = negative

Dividing Integers
positive divided by positive = positive
negative divided by negative = positive
two different signs = negative
Formulas for Area, Circumference, and Volume

Area of a rectangle = L x W
Area of a parallelogram = b x h
Area of a triangle = 1/2x (bxh)
Area of a circle = pi x r2

Circumference = pi x d or 2 x pi x r
(pi = 3.1415927... rounded to 3.14)

Volume of a rectangular prism = L x W x H

Volume of a triangular prism = B x h
(B = area of base, h= height of prism)
to find area of base, use formula for area of a triangle.



Sea Gull Science

Here we are at the beginning of the new school year! This is the first time I've taught science, so it will be a new experience for all of us. We will alternate science and social studies each week, so I will see your child for science every other week. We will focus on:

Goal 5: The learner will build understanding of the Solar System.

The objectives included are:

5.01--Analyze the components and cycles of the solar system including: sun, planets and moons, asteroids and meteors, comets, phases, seasons, day/year, and eclipses

5.02--Compare and contrast the Earth to other planets in terms of:  size, composition, relative distance from the sun, and ability to support life

5.03--Relate the influence of the sun and the moon's orbit to the gravitational effects produced on Earth: solar storms and tides

5.04--Describe space explorations and the understandings gained from them including: N.A.S.A., technologies used to explore space, historic timeline, space shuttle, international space station, and future goals

5.05--Describe the setting of the solar system in the universe including:  galaxy, size, and the uniqueness of Earth

5.06--Analyze the spin-off benefits generated by space exploration technology including:  medical, materials, transportation, processes, and future research

The specific information regarding procedures, materials, and communication in the math section apply here also. One thing that is different is in science, we have two workbooks. I will inform them as to which they need to bring to class. We have a set of class textbooks in the classroom also as a resource. 






 


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