Spring Break Has Finally Arrived!

Complete State Math Assessment--check! Congratulations to all of you for doing your best on this year's test! I am so very proud of the scores our class produced on the assessment. You ROCKED the test!

Tonight's Homework: None. Enjoy the week off, and I'll see you next month!

Another Day Off

Snow caused us to have another unexpected day off from school. Enjoy the snow before it all disappears.


Tonight's Homework: Finish up the CME work you've been assigned from pages 503-511.

Unexpected Snow Cancels School

Overnight snow cancelled class today. Enjoy playing in the snow. We'll resume state testing tomorrow.

Tonight's Homework: Keep working on the assignment for this week--CME Read pages 506-7. Do CME 507-5-11 (1-17). This will not be due until the end of the class period on Friday.

State Testing Begins

Students took the first part of this year's state test in class today. Most students got through about 20 problems (or about half way through the test).

Tonight's Homework: Continue working on the CME assignment you received in class yesterday.

Reviewing for the State Math Test

We reviewed expectations for taking the state test over math topics this week. Students should bring a calculator they are familiar with to class. All scratch paper will be collected each day. No electronic devices may be listened to during the test. We'll spend about 35 minutes on the test over the next three days. Many students will need all of that time to complete the test, while others will not. Respecting the needs of others is paramount.

I took some time to answer questions about the test's content, since it will be different for 6th, 7th, and 8th graders. A considerable amount of time was spent on sharing strategies and going over proportions.

Tonight's Homework: CME, page 504-5 (1-9). This will not be due until the end of the week, but you should get at least a few of the problems done tonight. Bring your CME book to class each day, in case you get done early.

Get a good night's sleep and come ready to "slay" the math test on Tuesday!

The End of the Second Trimester Has Arrived

Students were asked to remove any papers related to inequalities, linear equations, determining slopes or coordinate graphing from their binders. Any papers related to exponents and square roots are to be kept in the binder for reference as we start the last trimester.

Students then took an assessment about computing with exponents and square roots.

Tonight's Homework: Complete the two green state assessment review worksheets (both sides of each sheet). Have a great three-day weekend!

Pi Day, 2012

We looked at the relationship between the circumference and the diameter of many common objects today and determined that this relationship is an example of a direct variation. The quotient of the circumference and the diameter is 3 and a little bit more, or π. Students enjoyed the end of the activity, as they were allowed to eat their math manipulatives today.

Tonight's Homework: Continue working on the state test review sheet. Complete the geometry/algebraic relationships problems on the new green worksheet.

More on Direct and Inverse Variations

We continued the discussion about indirect variations and saw how the curves approach, but never cross a certain point on the coordinate grid. The location of these "asymptotes" can be predicted by looking at the equation of the function. We used palms to explore this idea, and determined that adding b value to the basic form of the indirect variation's formula would shift the graph a predictable amount left or right.

Tonight's Homework: CME, pages 281-3, (5-8 and 15-16). Complete the green worksheet reviewing proportional reasoning and statistics (both sides).

Direct and Inverse Variations

After reviewing the story and picture problems from the weekend homework, we talked a little about direct variation (form is y = kx or y = kx +b) and compared this to inverse variations (form is xy = k). In direct variations, the function looks like a line when graphed on the coordinate grid. This is not true when inverse functions are graphed. The resulting graph of these problems gives you a curve (or two), with limitations put on each of the variables.

Tonight's Homework:
Math--CME pages 281-283 (3, 4, 10 - 14). Also, start working on the green review sheet for the state test. This worksheet will not be due until Monday, March 19th.

Applying Squaring and Square Roots to the Pythagorean Theorem

Now that students are somewhat adept at computing with squares and square roots, we will try to apply this to some real-life situations. We reviewed the Pythagorean Theorem and tried some sample problems to help students understand where the hypotenuse of a right triangle is located.

Tonight's Homework: Home Book, pages 83-4 (10-47, FCO and 48-51)

Simplifying and Combining Like Radical Terms

Combining radical terms is much like combining terms with variables. It's important to remember to only combine radical terms with exactly the same radicand. The trick for today's lesson is when you seem to have two completely different radicands, and then realize that one can be further simplified. Usually, this simplifying will result in a different radicand, which often can then be combined with one of the original terms. Don't be fooled!

Tonight's Homework: Complete the worksheet labeled Page 32 on simplifying and combining radical terms.

Science Field Trip Cancels Class for Most

Eighth grade students spent the morning on a science field trip, so algebra class became a study hall for the 6th and 7th graders.

Tonight's Homework: Work on the practice sheets for square roots and rationalizing the denominator--they are due on Thursday.

Two Nights of Homework Assigned Today

Since most of the class will be on a field trip tomorrow, we went over how to complete the homework for both tonight and tomorrow night during class today. Students had time to get started on homework in class today, and many used class time to get much needed answers to questions that puzzled them.

Tonight's Homework: Complete the ivory and green square root practice worksheets. Be sure to do both sides of each worksheet.

Radical Rules To Help You Save Time

Many students had no trouble with simplifying radical terms, so we spent some time on some step-by-step procedures to follow to save time when trying to simplify. It is really useful to know the perfect square numbers from 1 to 225, as they can make simplifying square roots much easier when you can't use a calculator. We also looked at how these types of problems show up in the world (tethering ropes, ladders against a house, and so forth).

Tonight's Homework: Complete the ivory worksheet (both sides).

Square Root Introduction

Students reviewed the meaning of square root, and then used the palms to discover that y = √x is a function, but not a linear one.

Tonight's Homework: Complete the green worksheet on simplifying square roots.