Mrs. Kniseley's Math Page
Week of December 8 - 12, 2008
This week we will be reviewing decimal operations. We will have a test on Wednesday covering all decimal operations and applications. On Thursday I will pass out a review packet that we will work on through Friday to prepare for next week's benchmark. The benchmark is scheduled for Thursday, December 18th.
Don't forget Family Math Night tonight (December 8th). I hope you're all able to attend.
(Previous Notes)
Week of December 1 - 5, 2008Welcome Back!
This week we will be multiplying and dividing decimals. We will have a test this Friday covering all decimal operations.
Family Math Night had been canceled, but is now back on for December 8th. I'm sorry for all the confusion. I hope you're all able to attend.
Week of November 24 - 28, 2008Happy Thanksgiving!!!
Since this is a short week we are not doing a warm up as we usually do, and we are taking a break from homework. In class, however, it is all math all the time! We are completing a Thanksgiving shopping project, which has been more of a challenge than some were expecting. They are rising to the occasion, though. The projects will be completed tomorrow.
Today, I am sending home a newsletter with students to give important information to parents. Your child can receive a free homework pass if they have a note from you in their agenda stating that you have seen the newsletter.
I hope everyone has a restful and enjoyable holiday break!
Week of November 17-21, 2008This is the first week of the third 6-week grading period. We are starting the term with DECIMALS! We're very happy to be starting this and looking at numbers that aren't whole. (Of course this is the "honeymoon" period.) Most of the six-weeks will focus on comparing and ordering decimals and performing decimal operations. We will begin conversions among decimals and fractions near the end of the term, which leads into fractions later. These lessons begin in chapter 6 of the Math Explorations text. I am at school early for tutorials. I am also around most afternoons (Monday, Tuesday, and Friday). Please let me know if your child needs to come in before school as I will need to write a pass so they will be allowed into the hallway.
Another great resource that our school has provided for the students is access to the online learning site called Study Island. I will be giving each student their user ID this week. They will be able to sign on from home and study lessons we are covering in class. If you would like your child's code, please email me and I will send the information directly to you. If you have a chance, hopefully you will also be able to check out the site.
Week of November 10-14, 2008
This is the last week of the 2nd six-weeks grading period. The 6-weeks test will be on Tuesday, November 11. Monday we will review for the test. Homework on Monday will be more review of what we have learned this period. As students finish the test on Tuesday, they will be given an "alternative assignment" to work on. By the end of the period, every student will have this to complete Tuesday night. They may turn this in on Wednesday to take the place of a missing homework grade or bump a low grade, if nothing is missing. Please encourage your child to take advantage of this opportunity. We will finish the week with Least Common Multiple.
Over the 2nd six week grading period we covered the following topics:
The Coordinate Plane: All four quadrants. Students should be able to label the x- and y-axes, the origin (0,0), and the four quadrants. They should be able to give coordinates of plotted points and be able to plot points when given the coordinates. They also should be able to locate new coordinates when given instructions to move a point however many units in any direction on the coordinate plane.
Functions: Students should be able to create a table based on given information, plot points on the coordinate plane and label the function.
Divisibility, Factors, and Multiples: Students learned divisibility rules for 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 9, and 10. Given any number, they should be able to state whether it is divisible by a certain number or not. They learned about factors of numbers, factoring numbers to prime, and how to find the greatest common factor (GCF). They learned what is the difference between factors and multiples.
Prime and Composite Numbers: Students have learned the difference between prime and composite numbers. They should be able to use the divisibility rules to check a number and quickly know if it is prime or composite.
Exponents: Students have been working this entire period and some of the first six weeks on exponents. They have learned what an exponent is and how it affects the base. They should be able to evaluate an exponent as well as write a repeated multiplication problem in exponential form. They know how and when to evaluate exponents in a multi-step/operation problem (Order of Operations). Most students have mastered these concepts. We are now working on application problems (word problems).
Unique Prime Factorization: Given any number students have learned how to factor it to a product of prime numbers. They know how to write this in exponential form. The students have also learned how to use prime factorization to find the greatest common factor and least common multiple.
Week of November 3-7, 2008
Looking at Friday's Quiz results, we are forgetting some of the old material as we learn the new. Students did well with prime factoring. However, questions from prior learning, including algebraic expressions, were troublesome. Our warm ups this week will focus on this to ensure that we retain what we learn after we move on to a new topic. This week we will begin Greatest Common Factor. There will be another test on Friday to go back over the old stuff, but also cover GCF.
Week of October 27-31, 2008
This week we will be covering exponents and prime factorization. We have already reviewed prime and composite numbers as well as exponents. We will continue to work on divisibility throughout the week. Wednesday we will start prime factoring. Friday, there will be a quiz that covers divisibility, exponents, and prime factorization.
Week of October 13-17, 2008
This week we will be taking our first test of the second six-weeks. The test will focus on the coordinate plane, functions, and the divisibility rules we studied last week. However, any topic we have covered is fair game for the test. We will review for the test on Tuesday. Students should review their vocabulary words and notes to prepare. The test will be Wednesday, October 15th.
October 7, 2008
WOW! Was that fast?!?!
It's hard to believe that the first six weeks have already passed. I am going to leave the exam review items on the webpage for now just as a resource to show what we covered the first weeks of school. We will be picking up momentum as we move forward, especially without any breaks this month to slow us down.
Your child has received a copy of the Texas State University Math Explorations text we are using in class. A lot of the activities we are doing in class come from this program. There will also be homework assigned from the book. The book is a consumable copy for your child to keep and use. I asked that they wite their name in ink or marker. They are allowed to write, highlight, and work in the book like a workbook. It does not have to be turned back in at the end of the year like the Holt text book.
Over the 2nd six week grading period we will be covering the following topics:
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The Coordinate Plane
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Functions
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Divisibility, Factors, and Multiples
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Prime and Composite Numbers
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Exponents
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Unique Prime Factorization
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Decimal Operations (+, -, *, /) and Applications
These topics are covered in chapters 4-7 of the Math Eplorations text, and can also be referenced in the Holt text. Please contact me with any questions you may have. Thank you again for the opportunity to work with your child.
First Six Weeks:
Building a number line: your child should be able to accurately draw a number line, label the origin (zero), and mark positive and negative integers. BEWARE! It's easy for students to get confused on the negative side of the number line. If you have them create one as practice for you, remind them to start at the origin and move "backwards" to label the negative integers.
(For example: -3, -2, -1, 0, 1, 2, 3 rather than the common mistake of -1, -2, -3, 0, 1, 2, 3)
Plot points on a number line: After constructing the number line, your child should be able to plot given points by making a point, or dot, on the number line and labeling it. Here it is important to watch interval spacing and numbering.
Applications of the number line: An example of this type of problem would be something like the temperature at 6:00 am was -5 degrees. At noon it had risen to 23 degrees. By how many degrees did the temperature rise?
Variables and Expressions: If given a value such as c=5, your child should be able to solve an expression like c + 2. In class, we called it "plug and chug" because they plugged in the value and chugged along to get the answer. The simple addition and subtraction expressions didn't prove much of a challenge. However, the way the multiplication problems are written has caused confusion for some. For example, 3c means three times c. This is a multiplication problem. They should plug in 5 for c and mutiply times 3 to get 15. Some students are still plugging in 5 for c and writing the answer as "35".
Order of Operations: Ask your child what this means: "Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally". This saying is hopefully helping us to remember the order of operations: Parenthesis, exponents, multiply or divide whichever comes first from left to right, add or subtract whichever comes first from left to right. We've worked on this all week, and I think we're all onboard now. (You can refer to pages 23-24 in the Holt textbook for practice problems/examples).
Vocabulary: We are building our own math dictionary in class as we learn new words. These words will be tested so it's important to look back over them for the test. After working with the material in the class, students usually explain the definition in their own words very well. It's always a good idea to review, though.
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