The End of the Term Has Arrived . . .

We cleaned out our notebooks today, and then graphed "dot" patterns to see if graphs can help us see patterns, equations and rules. More on this will be covered next week.

Tonight's Homework: None.

"But Where is This in the Picture???"

We reviewed how to do the fraction problems on the "Looking Back and Looking Forward" worksheet, and many students understood their errors in thinking. We then analyzed our dot problems and saw how the table and the picture could help us come up with formulas that would allow us to calculate the number of dots at any time in the pattern. Tomorrow, we will look at the graphs to see how they can help.

Tonight's Homework: Complete the Session 4 dots worksheet.

Bye, Bye, Variables and Patterns!

Students used graphs, tables and formulas to explain what they saw happening in a series of dots problems.

Tonight's Homework: Complete the two "dots" worksheets you started in class today. Remember, tomorrow is the last day for Tax Man submissions. Keep working on this if you are trying to earn some extra credit for this term. Good luck!!!

Reviewing Computations with Fractions

Today, students reviewed how to compute with fractions while they answered a series of questions related to purchasing nuts and dried fruit. Although the questions may have seemed a bit easy, the calculations helped students really think about the processes they need to follow to get the correct answers.

Tonight's Homework: Did you finish the "Looking Back" worksheet in class? Good for you if you did. If not, please get it done tonight. Home Book, pages 29-30 (all problems). Please don't use a calculator!

Happy Thanksgiving!

After correcting homework, students continued working on finding patterns and then writing equations for the patterns they found.

Tonight's Homework: None. Have a safe and restful Thanksgiving!

Best Plans Can Be Foiled

Because a meeting this morning ran overtime, students were not able to come in early to finish their tests. As a result, time was given in class for students to finish the test over Variables and Patterns Investigation 3. We then looked at patterns created with blocks.

Tonight's Homework: Complete the triangle/pentagon perimeter problem we started in class today.

Testing over Graphs, Tables and Equations

Students received their weekly grade slips today and then took the test over Investigation 3 of the Variables and Patterns book.

Tonight's Homework: None, other than to wear yellow tomorrow!

Talent Show Assembly Shortens Class

Because so many students were absent from our class today, we played a strategy game during the shortened class period. Students were issued a challenge to develop a strategy that would give them a winning score. All strategies must be submitted by the end of the school day on Thursday, November 29th.

Tonight's Homework: None, other than to be ready for Monday's test.

Test Postponed Until Monday

After finding out that nearly 1/4 of the class will be missing 6th period on Friday, I have decided to postpone the test over investigations 2 and 3 of the Variables and Patterns book until Monday, November 19th. We practiced writing formulas and looking for patterns today.

Tonight's Homework: ACE 3 ( 30 - 42, 48 ). Making a graph for information from problem 48 is extra credit.

Reviewing for Friday's Test

Students completed a mini-assessment today over investigation 2. We then talked about the pros and cons of using data tables, graphs and equations.

Tonight's Homework: Complete all problems on page 63. Start studying for Friday's test over the information in your Variables and Patterns book.

More on Formula and Equation Writing

After reviewing the formulas written for each of the book stacks, we practiced looking for the rate of change in tables, graphs and formulas. This proved to be a bit more challenging for most students, so we spent a little extra time on it. Students completed a 4 question assessment over tables and graphs during the last 15 minutes of class.

Tonight's Homework: ACE 3 ( 22 - 27 ). Get your grade slips signed!

Measuring the Height of Books

To help students see the relationship between tables, graphs and formulas, students measured the height of stacks of books and cubes. This data was recorded in a table, and then graphed. We will be using this information as we continue our investigation on Tuesday.

Tonight's Homework: Make a graph of the data you collected in class today. Be sure to give it a meaningful title, axis labels and a key. Be sure to leave room for predicting the height of at least 20 books (or cubes!). Have a great weekend!

Writing Equations to Describe Patterns in Tables and Graphs

The goals of today's lesson are for students to be able to: • Write one-step equations to represent relationships between variables and describe how the pattern of change shows up in a table, a graph, or an equation, and • Use tables, graphs, and equations to answer questions. We spent a bit of time going over many examples to ensure student success as they attempt to complete their homework.

Tonight's Homework: ACE 3 ( 1 - 4, 43)

Finishing Up the What's My Line? Activity

Students used their understanding of the relationship between water volume and height in a container to predict which of 5 different graphs matched a particular bottle shape. We then continued our discussion of the bike trip by looking at patterns that can be related as equations. This will be our focus for the next week or two.

Tonight's Homework: Problem 4.1, found on pages 50 and 51. Be sure to do all problems!

More on What's My Line?

We continued our analysis of the data collected during the water volume vs. water height activity. Students began to see the relationship between the shape of a container and the line graph it suggests when looking at the volume and height variables.

Tonight's Homework: Reflection on page 48. Be sure to give complete answers to the questions asked.

Analyzing Bottle Shapes and Predicting Graph Lines

Today, we used our understanding of the relationship between the volume of liquid in a bottle to the height of the water in the bottle to make predictions of what the graphs of each of the other bottles would look like. Students sketched pictures of the bottles and then started on the predictions.

Tonight's Homework: Wear red, white and blue tomorrow. Finish your predictions by drawing 10 little graphs and write 10 explanations.

Filling Bottles with Water--This is Math?

As a culminating event for investigation 2 in the Variables and Patterns book, we began an activity in class today where we filled different bottles and containers with water, 25 milliliters at a time. Students recorded the height of the water in the bottle after each increment of water was added. Data tables were made, recording the volume of water and the height of that water in the container. This information will be used in class on Monday.

Tonight's Homework: Make a line graph of the data you collected in class today.

Matching Graphs with the Stories They Tell

As we continue our study of Investigation 2, we took some time to look at graphs and realize that they do tell stories about what happened. The story relates the two variables that are graphed on the axes, and depending on the scale used, graphs can take extremely different shapes. We practiced interpreting the graphs, and still had time to get started on our homework.

Tonight's Homework: ACE 2 (8, 10-12, 24)