Finally, It's Friday!

Students chose to either use the class period to retake a test over combinations and permutations or to work on the yellow worksheet from Lesson 11.3, which they started earlier in the week. Everyone seemed to be very productive today.

Tonight's Homework: Be sure the yellow worksheet from Lesson 11.3 is done. You should not have much left to do on it!

Graphing Lines Using the X and Y Intercepts

Today students learned how to graph a line on the coordinate plane using the x-intercept and the y-intercept. These are two special points, and fairly quick to determine from the equation of a line, because one of the values (x or y) will be zero. As was stated by Melissa, "x is zero when you find the y-intercept, and y is zero when you find the x-interecpept". (Nicely done, Melissa!)

Tonight's Homework: Lesson 11.5 ( 1 - 14 ). If you are planning to take the retest over combinations and permutations, it will be given in class tomorrow. Be sure to prepare for it!

Solving Equations with Two Variables, Take Two

For some reason, students did not take Mrs. Dunn's presentation seriously yesterday, and were not very successful getting last night's homework completed. Mrs. Dunn went over the answers to the practice sheet that was supposed to be review yesterday. Students then completed another review sheet covering solving equations with two variables. Thank you for trying to behave better today--the report was much better today. I should be back tomorrow!

Tonight's Homework: Page 562 ( 1 - 4 ) and page 563 ( 1 - 7 on the review quiz)

Evaluating Equations with Two Variables

Today, we looked at functions that have two variables (namely x and y) and learned how to solve them. First, we reviewed how to make a data table (x-y function chart), and select x values to evaluate. Every x value will generate a particular y value, and the answers are expressed as ordered pairs where the x value is listed first and the y value is listed second. Students learned how to write an equation in function form.

Tonight's Homework: Read over lesson 11.3, and then do 11.3 ( 7 - 18 and 23 - 29, all )

Scatterplots

Students received feedback on the test over combinations, permutations and the counting principle today. Many did very well and others did poorly. Students also received their weekly grade printouts today.

We looked at a new type of graph today, called a scatterplot. Scatterplots look like a graph with a bunch of dots that may or may not show a pattern. We talked about what the terms positive correlation, negative correlation and no correlation mean.

Tonight's Homework: Get your grade slip signed (it's an assignment this week). Do Lesson 11.2 ( 3 - 12 and 18 - 26 )

Testing over Combinations, Permutations and the Counting Principle

Students took the test over the last part of chapter 12 today.

Tonight's Homework: None, as long as you have been keeping up with the class assignments.

Fun with Functions Activity

Today, we played a game called "Fun with Functions". Students practiced evaluating a group of functions, and tried to get the highest score. Of course, the roll of the number cube factored into each person's ability to come up with a high score.

Tonight's Homework: Study sections 12.4 - 12.6 for tomorrow's test.

Domain, Range and Functions

It was pretty evident that about half of the class did not read the lesson that was assigned as homework last night, so we reviewed the vocabulary one more time. It is very important that students know the definitions of domain, range, and function so they will be well prepared for algebra next year.

Tonight's Homework: Lesson 11.2 ( 17 - 28, not 24 - 26).

Functions and Relationships

Today we spent part of the period reviewing for the upcoming test over combinations, permutations and the counting principle. We then looked at functions by playing the input-output game.

Tonight's Homework: Read Lesson 11.1 and then do 11.1 (1 - 16)

More on Combinations

Students worked in groups and at the board to determine the answers to many combination and permutation problems. While doing this, students shared different strategies for solving problems, and shed insight on how they remember which of the two formulae to use when determining the answers to permutation and combination problems.

Tonight's Homework: Page 649 ( 13 - 19 ).

Combinations and Permutations Practice

Students had the majority of the class period to practice computing combinations and permutations. Those who wished to earn extra credit were offered an extra worksheet to complete by Monday.

Tonight's Homework: Complete both sides of the ivory colored worksheet you worked on during class time today.

P.S. Be sure to discuss whether you and your parents think purchasing a summer math packet would benefit you. All requests for packets are due to me by Friday, April 30th.

Combinations

We learned yesterday that order is important for permutations. Today we looked at situations where choices are made, but the order is not important. These situations are called mathematical combinations. Usually, the number of combinations possible is smaller than the number of permutations.

Tonight's Homework: Read Lesson 12.6, and then do 12.6 ( 10 - 32, even and 40 )

P.S. Be sure to discuss whether you and your parents think purchasing a summer math packet would benefit you. All requests for packets are due to me by Friday, April 30th.

Permutations and the Factorial Symbol

Permutations are another way of counting the possible outcomes of a particular event. The big idea that makes permutations work is that you are concerned about the order in which things happen. We were introduced to a new symbol (!), which is the factorial symbol.

Tonight's Homework: Read Lesson 12.5, and then do 12.5 ( 2 - 32, even)

P.S. Be sure to discuss whether you and your parents think purchasing a summer math packet would benefit you. All requests for packets are due to me by Friday, April 30th.

Experimental vs. Theoretical Probability

We talked about our experimental results and compared them to the predicted, or theoretical, results we might have expected. Most groups had results that were fairly close to the theoretical probabilities.

Tonight's Homework: Lesson 12.4 ( 8 - 28, even ) and finish the tree chart you started in class.

P.S. Be sure to discuss whether you and your parents think purchasing a summer math packet would benefit you. All requests for packets are due to me by Friday, April 30th.

Experimenting with Probability

Students worked in groups to gather data related to probability. Four investigations were conducted: flipping 2 coins, rolling 2 number cubes, drawing colored cubes from a bag, and drawing geometric shapes from a bag. Students constructed data tables for the data collected (30 trials per investigation were made).

Tonight's Homework: Write summary statements for each of the investigations you conducted.

P.S. Be sure to discuss whether you and your parents think purchasing a summer math packet would benefit you. All requests for packets are due to me by Friday, April 30th.

Introduction to Probability and the Counting Principle

Students were introduced to tree diagrams and the counting principle as tools to use when calculating probabilities. Several in-class examples were explained. Students had about 15 minutes to complete homework.

Tonight's Homework: Complete problems 8 - 15 on the purple handout. Also, be sure to finish your take-home test, which is due at the beginning of the class period on Thursday.

P.S. Be sure to discuss whether you and your parents think purchasing a summer math packet would benefit you. All requests for packets are due to me by Friday, April 30th.

Summer Math Packets Are Available Now!

Students received a letter describing an opportunity to purchase summer math packets. I asked students to share these letters with their parents, and bribed them with extra credit to bring back a signature indicating the parent saw the letter, regardless of whether the student ends up purchasing the packet or not.

Students began working on the take home test over graphing. These tests will be due, in their entirety, at the beginning of the class period on Thursday, April 8th.

Tonight's Homework: Work on your graphing test. Remember, you promised to not get any extra help . . . !

Misrepresenting Data on Graphs

We talked about how a graph can lead you to the wrong conclusion by using different types of mistaken practices, such as unequal sized intervals, the wrong type of graph, or a broken interval symbol. We also talked about what kind of graph would be most suitable for displaying certain types of data (line graphs show change over time, for instance).

Tonight's Homework: Lesson 12.3 (18 - 28). Be sure to include labels, titles, and keys!

Pictograms and Circle Graphs

Today we analyzed our multi-sector circle graphs and discovered that rounding percentages can sometimes cause problems in creating visual displays. Students then had time to create a new and improved circle graph of the birth date information as well as a pictograph. Both are due on Monday.

Tonight's Homework: Complete a circle graph and pictograph of the birthday data. Remember to include titles, labels, and a key. Happy Easter!

Charting Our Birth Date Information Another Way

Today, we added another piece of information to our birth date data table. We now have 36 pieces of data to work with. Students reviewed the process of how to turn a fraction into a decimal, and then how to change a decimal to a percent. This process was used in order to allow us to make a circle (or pie) graph of our data. Remember, all graphs have titles, keys and neat displays of data.

Tonight's Homework: Create a data table showing the percentage of people in our class born on a particular day. Transfer this information into a circle graph. Be sure to include ruled lines, a title and a key!