Getting Ready for a Long Holiday Weekend

Students turned in homework and then completed a math and work habits self assessment. These assessments will be used to help with math placement for the 2010-2011 school year.

Other than that, we didn't do much math, as there were 10 students missing from class.

Tonight's Homework: None. Enjoy the long weekend.

Computing with Circumference and Diameter

Using the tear strips from yesterday's measurement activity, students folded the circumference strips into smaller portions which represented the length of the object's diameter. After a while, most students discovered that the circumference strip was 3 diameters and a little bit more (or, in mathematical terms, 3.14). This is the relationship that we recognize as pi, and was also the slope of the best fit line students drew on their scatterplots showing how circumference is a function of the diameter.

Tonight's Homework: Lesson 6.4 (12 - 23 and 33 - 43)

Comparing Different Units of Measure

Students investigated the relationship between inches and centimeters today by choosing 20 random items to measure. The collected data is to be graphed, and students are to determine the equation of the resulting line of best fit.

Tonight's Homework: Complete both sides of the worksheet you received in class today. Then write an equation for the lines of best fit to show the relationship between inches and centimeters, and miles and kilometers.

Clipping Along

Students worked in groups today to collect measurements using two different sizes of paper clips. The data is to be graphed and then analyzed tonight.

Tonight's Homework: Determine the equation of the lines you drew on each side of the worksheet entitled "Clipping Along". Be sure to write the equation in slope-intercept form.

Reviewing Chapter 11

Students received their scores on the chapter 11 test. The scores were either really good, or very poor. Those who did poorly were given the opportunity to correct their test answers. These test corrections are due at the beginning of class on Monday.

Several students turned in work without names, or without completing critical parts of the assignment. Time was allocated in class today for students to correct these errors.

Tonight's Homework: None, unless you choose to make test corrections.

Chapter 11 Test Today

The test over chapter 11 was given in class today. Students also turned in several assignments that were due today.

Tonight's Homework: None

Pattern and Preparing for the Chapter 11 Test

We reviewed how to solve several problems that will likely show up on the Chapter 11 test. Students then worked on a pattern block problem.

Tonight's Homework: Complete the Patterns worksheet (both sides) and prepare for tomorrow's test over chapter 11.

Books Upon Books

Today, students worked in groups to see how linear equations can actually be used to define patterns that exist in real-life situations. Each group stacked books and measured the height of the books. Data was recorded and then graphed. Students were able to see how the data collected related to both the slope of the line and the y-intercept.

Tonight's Homework: Complete the white and pink "Books Upon Books" worksheets. These will be collected on Thursday. Also, begin preparing for Thursday's test over chapter 11.

More on Lines

Over half of the class did not do their homework from Wednesday, which is so disappointing. We spent the class period looking at misconceptions about graphing lines, and tried to prepare for our upcoming chapter test over this material, which will be given on Thursday.

Tonight's Homework: Page 589 ( 1 - 9, all )

Not Much Math Going On Today!

With nearly half of the class gone today (field trip or track meet), we spent the day just hanging out and trying to get some more votes for Gavin's reusable bag.

Tonight's Homework: Nothing new. Just be sure to have last night's homework done for Monday. Enjoy the long weekend!

Car Race Activity Canceled Due to Poor Decisions

We reviewed some of the problems from last night's homework and I clarified the aspects of the slope intercept form of the equation for a line. Students now understand that the slope is a representation of the rise over the run, and the y-intercept is really a point on the coordinate grid, and not just a number.

We were going to do an activity with racing cars down a series of slopes, but three or four students made poor choices and caused me to cancel the activity. Maybe next week . . .

Tonight's Homework: Page 737 ( 16 - 37 ). This homework is not due until Monday, May 17th, due to tomorrow's track meet and choir field trip.

Talent Show Friday

Today's class was shortened due to the annual Talent Show Assembly. After reviewing homework, we used the handheld computers again to look at how the slope of a line changes the steepness of that line.

Tonight's Homework: None, other than to do something nice for your mother or grandmother this weekend!

Using the Slope Formula

Students discovered that the order in which you use the coordinates of the two points in the slope formula doesn't change the end result of the line's slope. Knowing this, students realized that they could do the problem one way and then check their work by doing the problem the opposite way. This proved to be a helpful tidbit when working on today's assignment. Students worked in groups to solve a series of slope problems.

Tonight's Homework: Complete the Challenge WS (the white one). Be sure the blue worksheet from yesterday is also completed.

The Slope Formula

Students learned how to use the slope formula today. The formula for slope is m = (y2 - y1 ) / (x2 - x1). This will give you another way to describe the rise over the run.

Tonight's Homework: Complete the blue worksheet you started in class today.

Graphing Parallel Lines

Students worked in pairs with handheld computers today. First, students learned how to manipulate the "Power One Graph" program, and once this was mastered, they tried to find equations of lines that were parallel to each other. This activity took up the entire class period, but students seemed to get the idea that the part of the equation that determined whether lines were parallel was the coefficient of the x term.

Tonight's Homework: Read Lesson 11.6, and then do problems 1-9.