|
Class Title: Humanities
For the week of: 1/25/10 - 1/29/10
I have returned the short answer quizzes and have asked that you sign them. Students will be given 5 additional points when the quiz is returned with your signature. The purpose of this exercise is to communicate the student's progress in this area. Some of the students were upset about the grades, but I have tried to reassure them that this is still a learning process. We discussed on Friday what I considered a complete answer, and I noted what they should have included on each student's paper. I told them as they were writing the test, that I was disappointed in the fact that a large number of them were only relying on their book for assistance when we had spent lots of time reading and taking notes from other sources. Even with that prompt, some continued to use only the book. This leads me to suspect that their notes were not available for some reason. As we begin a new chapter, please help me as I continue to encourage organization in Humanities as well as in Mathematics. Our focus this week is on how the new government was formed, and on the economic and foreign relations challenges faced by the citizens as they began their life as Americans.
Algebra 1 : Emily will have a test on either Monday or Tuesday (her choice) on the first 3 sections of Chapter 7 . For the rest of the week, we will focus on solving different types of word problems with systems of equations.
PreAlgebra: The students will have a quiz on sections 1-6 of chapter 6 on Tuesday. We will continue with a review of simple probability and counting and combinations during the remainder of the week. I gave the students a homework quiz this week. Since the last chapter was interrupted by the play and vacation, I warned them to get their homework in order. There were some good grades, but several student's are not checking the odd problems for accuracy. I do not put these answers on the board because they are in the back of the book. Checking odd answers should be part of their homework. Again, I ask your help in continuing to encourage them to take the extra time to do this. They usually have time to do this in class as I am checking homework.
Class Title: Humanities, Pre-Algebra, Algebra 1
For the week of: January 19-22
PreAlgebra: We are continuing our study of proportions with the applications of similar triangles and scale drawings. FYI notes and homework from Chapter 5 should be organized, checked and ready for a homework quiz.
Algebra 1: We will be continuing to solve systems of equations algebraically, and beginning an intensive study of verbal problems. There are no announced tests or quizzes for this week.
Humanities: We are beginning a new chapter and we will be studying the formation of our democratic government. We will be studying the different documents and writings that influenced our Constitution, as well as looking at the new nation immediately following the Revolutionary War.
For the week of:Jan. 11-15
Class Title Humanities
We will be testing on Chapter 4 this week. On Monday, we will be reviewing and constructing time lines in order to organize our notes. In order to develop the studen'ts skills in writing essay tests, the short answer portion will be in class and open book. The objective portion of the test will be on Thursday, and will be concerned with main ideas as highlighted in the students notes and in their textbook. If you have any questions please email.
Algebra 1
We will be testing on Chapter 6 on Thursday.
PreAlgebra
I think that students were counting on a snow day Friday, as they were very slow in working through the Chapter 5 test. Accordingly, we will be finishing the test on Monday. Students are encouraged to study chapter 5 this weekend.
Class Title: PreAlgebra
For the week of:Nov. 16 - 24
In PreAlgebra this week we will be finishing our study of Chapter 4, Fractions, Factors, and Exponents. I have been pleased with the students understanding of the laws of exponents, and with the progress we have made into actual Algebra 1 concepts. Our goal is to always understand why we use rules and theorems - not just how to use rules and theorems. Next year in Algebra we will be in a good position to review and master these concepts, and move quickly into simplyfing rational expressions. FYI, there will be a quiz on sections 4.5 - 4.7 on Wednesday, and the test on Chapter 4 will be on Thursday. We will be beginning chapter 5 before Thanksgiving break. In chapter 5 we will be reviewing operations with common fractions and mixed numbers, and expanding this knowledge to include simplyfing simple rational expressions.
Algebra 1
We will be completing our study of writing linear equations in Chapter 5 prior to the Thanksgiving break. We are emphasizing using linear equations to make predictions and decisions by modeling situations in economics and using our graphing calculators to model the line of best fit. FYI, the chapter 5 test is planned for Tuesday November 24.
Humanities
The students celebrated Veterans Day with Staff Sargent Richards, one of our TK parents. We enjoyed asking questions about his experiences in Iraq, and Afganistan, as well as questions about military service in general. In our present study about events leading up to the Revolutionary War, we are discussing reasons that nations choose to go to war to settle differences - both in 1776 and in the present. Many thanks to Staff Sargent Richards for enriching our study.
Prior to Thanksgiving break, we will be studying the Declaration of Independence, including how this document still inspires today. We will also be studying major battles of the Revolutionary War, and our alliance with France. FYI, the next current event will be Friday, Nov. 20. The students really seem to enjoy presenting these current events, and I have been impressed with their choices and their discussions.
Class Title PreAlgebra
For the week of:November 9-13
This week in PreAlgebra we will be continuing our studies in GCF and LCM, and expanding our understanding of exponent rules as we simplify rational expressions, and perform computations with numbers written in Scientific Notation. FYI, on Tuesday Nov. 17, we will be taking the MAA exam. We will be reviewing last years test, as well as general test taking strategies, in preparation for the exam on Tuesday.
Algebra 1
This week in Algebra 1 we will be continuing to write equations of lines, and furthur emphasize linear modeling and decision making. FYI, there will be a quiz on 5.1-5.3 on Thursday. Also, next week on Tuesday, November 17, we will be taking the MAA exam. We will be reviewing last years test, as well as general test taking skills, in order ot prepare for the test.
Humanities
The students are continuing the study of the events leading to the Revolutionary War. We are shifting notetaking responsibilities to the students, with emphasis on identifying the main idea, providing several supporting, and/or interesting facts, and understanding the consequences of the events. Hopefully, seeing the last test will help you reinforce this "big picture" approach, as you discuss the class with your individual students. We will also spend more time on writing answers to essay questions. On another note, Wednesday is Veterans Day. As we have talked about the reasons why nations go to war, it would be very interesting to the students if we could have a veteran of any war to come and speak to us about their experiences. If any of you know of anyone who would be willing to share some time with us, please let me know.
Class Title Humanities
For the week of: Oct. 19 - 23
Thank you for your support during my recent absence. The students were very responsible and are to be commended for satisfactorily completing all of the assignments. Since my return, we incorporated the Egyptian newspaper into our study of how other countries have influenced our country both in ancient times and today, as well as how we are influencing other countries. Thanks to Allison Simpson for contributing to our discussion of bias in news articles, by discovering that this Egyptian paper, while being the oldest English print newspaper, is not the oldest non-subsidized English paper. I will continue to share my experiences with the students at appropriate times in our study. This week we will be studying the French and Indian War, and how England's attempts to force America to help pay for this war, led to the American Revolution. A focal point of course, will be government without representation. The students did a great job with their current events. Fridays will continue to be reserved for current events. You are encouraged to discuss these with your students, I think you will find that they have definite opinions!
Algebra 1: We will be continuing our study of graphing linear equations. Emphasis this week will be on slopes as rates of change. There will be a quiz on Tuesday on the first 3 sections.
PreAlgebra: We will broaden our proceedures for solving equations to include inequalities. Students will be given an alternate assessment this week designed to emphasize our unit question: "How do linear equations assist us in making decisions?"
For the week of:Sept 7 - 11
PreAlgebra - This week in PreAlgebra we will be concluding Chapter 1 with an assesment on Wednesday September 9. We will be continuing with our unit 1 studies in Chapter 2. This week, we will be studying properties of real numbers and how they are used to simplify variable expressions. I am pleased that the the students are more consistent about starting at 8:00. We have a lot to do in each class period, and if they are to have some time to begin the assignment, it is critical that we start on time.
Algebra 1 - This week we are beginning our 2nd unit: Linear Equations and Functions. Our guiding question is "How can linear models help us make predictions and decisions?" This week we will focus on reviewing the solution of multi-step equations and applying this knowledge in problem solving.
Humanities: The students have received their grades on the chapter 2 assessment. While they are not used to formative assessments in Humanities, this was a good first effort. We discussed the strands that we would be emphasizing this year: Geography, Economics, Politics, Society and Culture, and Science and Technology. In the past we have studied the same strands from a global view. This year our focus is on the United States, but rest assured, we will not forget the rest of the world, both from the standpoint of their influence on our formation, and from our constant interaction with other nations. This week we will continue our study with Chapter 3 which focuses on the colonization of the eastern United States, focusing on contributions of England, Spain, France and the Netherlands.
August 31 - September 4
PreAlgebra: This week in PreAlgebra we will be completing Chapter 1 in Unit 1. The students have exhibited good retention of operations with integers, and have enjoyed learning to use their graphing calculators. FYI: Quiz 2 on sections 4-8 on Friday, September 4. Chapter 2 test on Tuesday, September 8.
Algebra 1: This week we will be finishing Chapter 2 in Unit 1. We have reviewed important concepts in equation solving and simplifying variable expressions. FYI: Quiz 2 on sections 4-8 on Thursday, September 3. Chapter 2 test will be Friday, September 4.
Humanities: This week we will be concluding our study of the early exploration and colonization of the Americas. I have forgotten how much I really love History, and I may be telling too many stories in class! The students seem to be very engaged in our discussions, but I am not moving as quickly as I had anticipated. If we are going to reach the 21st century, I have to get moving! I am going slowly in order to work on developing the student's critical reading and notetaking skills, and they seem to be making progress. FYI: Chapter 2 test on Wednesday, September 2.
Mrs. King's Class for the week of August 24-28 Hi from Mrs. King,
Next week in Humanities, we will be focused on early European exploration and colonization. In this study, we will continue to develop critical reading and notetaking skills. Initially, we will take notes together, exploring methods like outlinies, graphic organizers, lists, and charts. We will strive to become active readers focused on understanding what we read.
In PreAlgebra we will be beginning Unit 1: Integers, Equations and Inequalities. This unit comprises chapters 1-3, and our Guiding Question is: How do systems and patterns help organize our life? Like last year, you will find assignments for the entire week in your student's planner.
In Algebra 1 we will be covering topics in Unit 1: Real Numbers, Data, and Probability. This comprises chapters 1 and 2 in the text. With the exception of matrices, this unit is primarily review, so we will quickly move on to Unit 2: Linear Equations and Functions. The guiding question for this unit is: How can linear models help us make predictions/decisions? This unit comprises chapters 3-5. Weekly assignments may be found in your student's planner.
|
