Happy Fall STEM Families!
We hope the first few weeks of school were a smooth transition from summer! We’ve had a great first month and a half, and we’re just getting started! Please read the blog post below to stay informed of your student’s math class!
Math 6A/7A - Core 1 - Burton & Hemphill:
For Burton’s class, the students are wrapping up their unit on decimals and fractions division focus. We will be heading into rational numbers (positives and negatives), by being peer taught by Mrs. Hemphill’s students to start. We will then be focusing on adding/subtracting rationals, followed by multiplying/dividing rationals. We are also coming up on our first math auction where we will be asking for donations, so watch your e-mail for that notice and please donate if possible! ALEKS topics total should be at least at 60 as of now, and most everyone is way past that! Make sure you are checking Twitter for daily homework updates, and For All Rubrics for summative grades, feedback, and progress.
In Mrs. Hemphill’s class, students are wrapping up their unit on adding and subtracting rational numbers. Students have been exploring positive and negative numbers through games such as Jeopardy, sports like golf and football, and other things such as elevation and temperature. They have used number lines and chipboards to see patterns and develop algorithms to use for fractions and decimals. Students will be taking this summative assessment before fall break, so you should see them studying at home! As always, students should work to complete about 12 topics weekly on ALEKS. Make sure to check For All Rubrics for summative grades, feedback, and progress.
Math 8a - Core 1 Grosskopf
The students have been working on 8th grade competencies of Expressions & Equations for the last few weeks. We have one group finishing up solving multi-step equations and identifying the number of solutions. They’re finishing this unit hopefully before fall break sets in October 25th. The other group is starting to work on square and cube roots, simplifying square roots with and without a calculator! Their skills of estimating and reasoning between numbers have been getting better! Our last group is starting to work on the Pythagorean Theorem, and understanding how it’s used in the real world.
Math 7 - Core 2 Hemphill & Grosskopf
Our Core 2 has been working on the Addition and Subtraction of Rational Numbers the last few weeks. We have talked about absolute value, negative numbers, positive numbers, and distances on the number line. We are encouraging students to use multiple methods of adding and subtracting rational numbers. Ask your student what they prefer: using the number line; using the black and red chip models, or their own algorithm (tricks).
The students are starting to see how integers are actually all around with us bank accounts, temperature, elevation, and the stock market. We are hoping to finish this unit before fall break starts next week. This weekend they should be finishing their portfolio page so they can take that summative assessment (if they haven’t already). A good way to practice/study this weekend is Integer War with a deck of cards; ask your learner to play because they got really into it during class. Our next unit of study will be Multiplication and Division of Rational Numbers.
Math 6 - Core 2 and Core 4 Burton:
For both cores 2 and 4 we have finished our decimal focus, and am still waiting for some students to re-take that assessment to show proficiency. If you are wondering if that applies to your 6th grader, simply go to For All Rubrics and check the Decimal Summative Assessment Rubric; it should be marked Proficient in both the top and bottom rows, if not then they should be re-taking it with me asap!!
We have moved on into the fraction unit, where we are practicing LCM, GCF, and multiplying/dividing Fractions. Our fraction assessment should happen by Tuesday, October 24th.
Our first math auction is coming up soon, please be on the lookout for an e-mail asking for donations. Any donations you can give are hugely appreciated!
ALEKS topics should be worked on regularly every week at home; total topics should be at 48 or higher right now, and most of the 6th graders are well beyond that mark!
Math 8 - Core 1 and Core 2 Wray
In Math 8, we just started our third unit of the year, Pythagorean Theorem. At this point in the year, your student should have Solving Equations and Square & Cube Roots completed. If they were Approaching on either of the summative assessments, then they are still able to complete a re-do during Flex or Connect. On For All Rubrics, they should have all four assignments completed in math. In the ePortfolio section, you can actually click on their portfolio and/or their assessment to see what they have learned so far this year...pretty awesome! Please remind your student to use their time effectively, both in-class and Flex & Connect so that they are completing their assignments on-time. Also, don’t forget about Aleks; each students should be doing at least 10 topics per week.
Algebra 1 - Core 4 - Hemphill & Grosskopf:
To function or not to function?! That is the question! Students have been displaying their creativity in class by creating their own graphing story. In this project, students either wrote or filmed a 15-second snapshot of a real-life scenario (such as the height of a ball bouncing, the height of somebody’s head as they are doing burpees, etc.) Then they used the information to create a graph, determine whether or not the situation was a function, and identify the domain and range. In this unit, students have also learned general characteristics of linear functions vs. nonlinear functions by analyzing linear, exponential, and quadratic situations. This unit on functions will be wrapping up next week, and after fall break students will begin exploring sequences.
Please check For All Rubrics for summative grades, feedback, and progress. As always, students should continue to work on their ALEKS pie (about 14 topics per week). At this point in the year, students should be at 56 topics. Please ask your student to show you his or her pie :)
Geometry and Beyond - Core 2 and Core 4 Wray:
Students in the Chapter-by-Chapter Geometry group have moved to Chapter 3, which is Parallel and Perpendicular Lines. This means that we all survived our first proofs unit (Chap. 2). Proofs are still here for a while though, as we will be using them for much of the first semester. If you want to see what your student did for the first two chapters, then you can see their assignments on For All Rubrics. If you want to see their progress on our current unit, you can check their portfolio in Google Classroom. And don’t forget about ALEKS. Students in this group should be completing at least 10 Aleks topics each week (which may require some time at home).
Students in the Independent Geometry group have been making progress on ALEKS. Most students on this learning path should be completing at least 25 topics each week. Some of the Independent Geometry group have already started working on their Exams and Projects too. If you want to see their progress, ask to see their Aleks and/or their projects.
Last, students in Algebra 2, Pre-Calculus, and Calc AB have been working hard on eAchieve. To check their progress and see what they are working-on, ask them to login to Blackboard and show you what they’ve been learning. In addition, student on eAchieve do still have an Aleks expectation and should be completing at least 10 topics each week.
We hope the first few weeks of school were a smooth transition from summer! We’ve had a great first month and a half, and we’re just getting started! Please read the blog post below to stay informed of your student’s math class!
Math 6A/7A - Core 1 - Burton & Hemphill:
For Burton’s class, the students are wrapping up their unit on decimals and fractions division focus. We will be heading into rational numbers (positives and negatives), by being peer taught by Mrs. Hemphill’s students to start. We will then be focusing on adding/subtracting rationals, followed by multiplying/dividing rationals. We are also coming up on our first math auction where we will be asking for donations, so watch your e-mail for that notice and please donate if possible! ALEKS topics total should be at least at 60 as of now, and most everyone is way past that! Make sure you are checking Twitter for daily homework updates, and For All Rubrics for summative grades, feedback, and progress.
In Mrs. Hemphill’s class, students are wrapping up their unit on adding and subtracting rational numbers. Students have been exploring positive and negative numbers through games such as Jeopardy, sports like golf and football, and other things such as elevation and temperature. They have used number lines and chipboards to see patterns and develop algorithms to use for fractions and decimals. Students will be taking this summative assessment before fall break, so you should see them studying at home! As always, students should work to complete about 12 topics weekly on ALEKS. Make sure to check For All Rubrics for summative grades, feedback, and progress.
Math 8a - Core 1 Grosskopf
The students have been working on 8th grade competencies of Expressions & Equations for the last few weeks. We have one group finishing up solving multi-step equations and identifying the number of solutions. They’re finishing this unit hopefully before fall break sets in October 25th. The other group is starting to work on square and cube roots, simplifying square roots with and without a calculator! Their skills of estimating and reasoning between numbers have been getting better! Our last group is starting to work on the Pythagorean Theorem, and understanding how it’s used in the real world.
Math 7 - Core 2 Hemphill & Grosskopf
Our Core 2 has been working on the Addition and Subtraction of Rational Numbers the last few weeks. We have talked about absolute value, negative numbers, positive numbers, and distances on the number line. We are encouraging students to use multiple methods of adding and subtracting rational numbers. Ask your student what they prefer: using the number line; using the black and red chip models, or their own algorithm (tricks).
The students are starting to see how integers are actually all around with us bank accounts, temperature, elevation, and the stock market. We are hoping to finish this unit before fall break starts next week. This weekend they should be finishing their portfolio page so they can take that summative assessment (if they haven’t already). A good way to practice/study this weekend is Integer War with a deck of cards; ask your learner to play because they got really into it during class. Our next unit of study will be Multiplication and Division of Rational Numbers.
Math 6 - Core 2 and Core 4 Burton:
For both cores 2 and 4 we have finished our decimal focus, and am still waiting for some students to re-take that assessment to show proficiency. If you are wondering if that applies to your 6th grader, simply go to For All Rubrics and check the Decimal Summative Assessment Rubric; it should be marked Proficient in both the top and bottom rows, if not then they should be re-taking it with me asap!!
We have moved on into the fraction unit, where we are practicing LCM, GCF, and multiplying/dividing Fractions. Our fraction assessment should happen by Tuesday, October 24th.
Our first math auction is coming up soon, please be on the lookout for an e-mail asking for donations. Any donations you can give are hugely appreciated!
ALEKS topics should be worked on regularly every week at home; total topics should be at 48 or higher right now, and most of the 6th graders are well beyond that mark!
Math 8 - Core 1 and Core 2 Wray
In Math 8, we just started our third unit of the year, Pythagorean Theorem. At this point in the year, your student should have Solving Equations and Square & Cube Roots completed. If they were Approaching on either of the summative assessments, then they are still able to complete a re-do during Flex or Connect. On For All Rubrics, they should have all four assignments completed in math. In the ePortfolio section, you can actually click on their portfolio and/or their assessment to see what they have learned so far this year...pretty awesome! Please remind your student to use their time effectively, both in-class and Flex & Connect so that they are completing their assignments on-time. Also, don’t forget about Aleks; each students should be doing at least 10 topics per week.
Algebra 1 - Core 4 - Hemphill & Grosskopf:
To function or not to function?! That is the question! Students have been displaying their creativity in class by creating their own graphing story. In this project, students either wrote or filmed a 15-second snapshot of a real-life scenario (such as the height of a ball bouncing, the height of somebody’s head as they are doing burpees, etc.) Then they used the information to create a graph, determine whether or not the situation was a function, and identify the domain and range. In this unit, students have also learned general characteristics of linear functions vs. nonlinear functions by analyzing linear, exponential, and quadratic situations. This unit on functions will be wrapping up next week, and after fall break students will begin exploring sequences.
Please check For All Rubrics for summative grades, feedback, and progress. As always, students should continue to work on their ALEKS pie (about 14 topics per week). At this point in the year, students should be at 56 topics. Please ask your student to show you his or her pie :)
Geometry and Beyond - Core 2 and Core 4 Wray:
Students in the Chapter-by-Chapter Geometry group have moved to Chapter 3, which is Parallel and Perpendicular Lines. This means that we all survived our first proofs unit (Chap. 2). Proofs are still here for a while though, as we will be using them for much of the first semester. If you want to see what your student did for the first two chapters, then you can see their assignments on For All Rubrics. If you want to see their progress on our current unit, you can check their portfolio in Google Classroom. And don’t forget about ALEKS. Students in this group should be completing at least 10 Aleks topics each week (which may require some time at home).
Students in the Independent Geometry group have been making progress on ALEKS. Most students on this learning path should be completing at least 25 topics each week. Some of the Independent Geometry group have already started working on their Exams and Projects too. If you want to see their progress, ask to see their Aleks and/or their projects.
Last, students in Algebra 2, Pre-Calculus, and Calc AB have been working hard on eAchieve. To check their progress and see what they are working-on, ask them to login to Blackboard and show you what they’ve been learning. In addition, student on eAchieve do still have an Aleks expectation and should be completing at least 10 topics each week.