Resources to Check Out This Summer

I shared these resources with students over the last few days of the school year and hope that there is sufficient diversity of topics to pique the interest of everyone.
Enjoy.


https://docs.google.com/Doc?docid=0ARO0EnlBvQCsZGNzenpnZ18yNDltdjl4aDdkOA&hl=en

What is Likely to Be Among Our Final Home Nuggets...

Home Nugget #17
Assigned on Monday June 14, 2010
Due on Friday June 18, 2010


(The home nugget has to be assigned over the course of the whole week because students will be taking their math finals on Tuesday and Wednesday. Thursday there is no school in observance of Bunker Hill Day.)

In Algebra I text,

Re-familiarize yourself with lessons 11-1 to 11-3, in particular lesson 11-3 on Multiplying Rational Expressions. Your last quiz of the school year will cover this content.

Solve:

Page 634 # 9 - 22

Page 592 # 9 - 16

Page 593 # 26, 27, 36, 37

Taking on Chapters 9 and 12 in Anticipation of the Final Exam

Home Nugget #16
Assigned on Friday June 11, 2010
Due on Monday June 14, 2010

Study Chapter 9 on quadratic and exponential functions

Study Chapter 12-1 to 12-3 on Sampling, Bias, Counting Principle, Permutations and Combinations.

These are the only remaining chapters for you to look over prior to the final exams on Tuesday and Wednesday. Chapter 10 content will also show up on my final but was covered recently.

Chapter 8 Review

In Algebra I text,

Page 461 # 1 - 10

Page 462 # 17 - 20, 24 - 27, 31

Page 463 # 34 - 37, 41 - 44

Page 464 # 46 - 49, 57 - 59

Chapter 7 Review

Home Nugget #14
Assigned on Wednesday June 9, 2010
Due on Thursday June 10, 2010

Page 411 # 13 - 17, 24 - 29

Page 412 # 31 - 37, 41 - 43

Page 413 # 47 - 50

Page 415 # 7 - 12

Chapter 6 Review

Home Nugget #13
Assigned on Tuesday June 8, 2010
Due on Wednesday June 9, 2010

In Algebra I text,

page 346 # 1 - 10

page 347 # 13 - 15, 19 - 21

page 348 # 25 - 27, 30 - 32

page 349 # 34 - 36, 40 - 43

page 350 # 47, 48, 52, 53

The Math Finals Loom Large

Home Nugget #12
Assigned on Monday June 7, 2010
Due on Tuesday June 8, 2010

In Algebra I text,

Page 285 #1 - 10

Page 286 #12 - 14 and 16-18

Page 287 #23, 24, 26, 27

Page 288 #33 - 35

Please be aware that I will solicit solutions to problems daily over the course of the next week. The same will be true of the chapter practice tests we will take daily.

Lots of Important Content Announcements

Home Nugget #11
Assigned on Tuesday June 1, 2010
Due on Monday June 7, 2010

In Algebra I text,

Read Lesson 11-3 Multiplying Rational Expressions for understanding.

Then, solve:

Page 592 # 1 - 7 odd and 17 - 25

Page 593 # 28 - 35


*****************************************************************************

Guide-To Chapter 10 is due this Friday June 4, 2010 and is worth 15% of the term grade!

*****************************************************************************

Based on abysmal student effort the last few days, a content specific notice is being provided to students and also posted here for your reference.


http://docs.google.com/View?id=dcszzgg_247dncv57g7

Making Steady Progress into Chapter 11

Home Nugget #10
Assigned on Friday May 2, 2010
Due on Tuesday June 1, 2010 (Monday is Memorial Day)

Read lesson 11-2 on Rational Expressions Pages 583 - 585

Solve the following:

Page 586 # 1 - 11 odd and 18 - 21

Page 587 # 32 - 38 even and 40 - 44

*****On Friday, May 28 students were also provided with directions to their final guide-to for the school year. The lesson will count in place of a math journal for the 5th term, meaning it constitutes 15% of the total term grade. The due date is Friday June 4, 2010.******

Reviewing Chapter 4: Preparing for the Final Exam

Home Nugget #9
Assigned on Wednesday May 26, 2010
Due on Friday May 28, 2010

In Algebra I text,

Page 243 # 11 - 15 and 20, 21

Page 244 # 23 - 28 and 34 - 38

Page 245 # 39 - 40 and 43 - 47

Page 246 # 48 - 52, 54, 55, 57

As has recently been the case with these lessons that cover review material for the final exam, we will check 10 problems for accuracy in order to determine the score for the lesson. The lesson is therefore worth 10 points as compared to the customary 4 points.

Breaking into Rational Expressions with an Introduction in Inverse Variation

Home Nugget #8
Assigned on Monday May 24, 2010
Due on Wednesday May 26, 2010

Read pages 577-579 lesson 11-1 on Inverse Variation

Solve:

Page 580 # 9 - 21 odd, 24

Page 581 # 29 - 33, 35

Come prepared with content-specific questions.

Two-Pronged Attack: Looking Back at Chapter 3 and Anticipating A Quiz on Lessons 10-4 to 10-6

Home Nugget #7
Assigned on Friday May 21, 2010
Due on Monday May 24, 2010

In Algebra I text,

Page 177 # 1 - 10

Page 179 # 21 - 27

Page 181 # 1 - 25

All of the preceding problems are drawn from chapter 3 and are part of our ongoing effort to re-familiarize ourselves with content in anticipation of our course final exam in June.

ALSO

Early next week you will have a quiz on lessons 10-4 to 10-6 covering the Pythagorean Theorem, Distance Formula and Similar Triangles. Be advised that a good source of potential questions are your class notes, in particular the PTP questions I asked for each lesson. Later in the week we will have a summative assessment on all of chapter 10.

Not Backing Down: Continuing Our Assault on the Distance Formula, Similar Triangles and Radical Expressions

Home Nugget # 6
Assigned on Wednesday May 19, 2010
Due on Friday May 20, 2010

In Algebra I text,

Page 570 # 42 - 53

Page 737 # 9 - 28

NOTE:

It is uncertain whether or not we will actually have math class on Thursday or Friday because we are administering the Science MCAS. Regardless of whether we meet or not, all students are responsible for dropping off this home nugget on Friday.


Furthermore, students should expect a quiz early next week on:
The Pythagorean Theorem
The Distance Formula
Similar Triangles
(lessons 10-4 to 10-6)

Later in the week, we will likely have a summative assessment on all of chapter 10.

A Look Back at Chapter 2 Solving Linear Equations in Anticipation of the Math Final

Home Nugget #5

Assigned on Monday May 17, 2010

Due on Wednesday May 19, 2010

In Algebra I text,

Page 134 # 44 - 52

Page 135 # 1 - 25

*This home nugget is worth 10 points and will be graded on the basis of 10 questions selected for accuracy.

Exploring Similar Triangles as an Extension of Radical Expressions

Home Nugget #4
Assigned on Friday May 14, 2010
Due on Monday May 17, 2010

In Algebra I text,

Read lesson 10-6 on similar triangles for comprehension. Then, solve:

Page 563 # 7 - 21 odd, 22

Page 564 # 23 - 30

ALSO!

For lessons 10-4 and 10-5, I came up with Prime Time Problem (PTP) questions to determine not just whether you investigated each lesson, but whether you developed a deep understanding. Let's turn the tables. This weekend, I'd like you to:
1. Develop
2. Write out
3. Answer

five questions that are grounded in lesson 10-6 and are of the same caliber as the questions I designed for you. Those of you who take good class notes will be able to refer back to the questions I am referencing from lesson 10-4 and 10-5.

Preparing for an Assessment on Lessons 10-1 to 10-4

Home Nugget #3
Assigned on Thursday May 13, 2010
Due on Friday May 14, 2010

From Practice Sheet 10-1 # 1 - 9, 16 - 19, 25 - 27

From Study Guide/Prevention Sheet 10-2 # 5 - 7, 9 - 11, 13 - 17

Realizing That Radical Expressions Play A Role in All Kinds of Math Applications, Incluiding Distance Between Two Points

Home Nugget #2
Assigned on Monday May 10, 2010 (written on the board in my absence by Mr. MacLeod and re-emphasized by the substitute teacher)
Due on Thursday May 13, 2010 (students are taking the Math MCAS on Tues. and Wed.)

In Algebra I textbook,
Read/explore lesson 10-5 (pages 555-556)

Then, solve:
Page 557 # 11 - 20

Page 558 #24 - 32, 35, 37

And So Begins the Fifth and Final Marking Period of the 2010 School Year...

Home Nugget #1
Assigned on Friday May 7, 2010
Due on Monday May 10, 2010

In Algebra I text,

Pages 568 and 569 # 9 - 41

These problems are all drawn from lessons 10-1 to 10-4 and are meant to be part of an ongoing effort to provide students with what they admit they sorely lack; practice. We have had three quizzes on these topics thus far and will have a summative test this coming Friday.

Linking Radical Expressions with the Quadratic Formula and its Applications

Home Nugget #30
Assigned on Thursday May 6, 2010
Due on Friday May 7, 2010

LAST HOME NUGGET OF THE 4th TERM!

Read through lesson 10-4 in your Algebra I book for understanding. This is a independent study that assumes you have had previous experience with the Pythagorean Theorem.

Then, solve:

Page 552 # 11 - 27 odd

Page 553 # 38 - 40 and 43 - 46

Dipping Back Into Chapter 1 of our Algebra book

Home Nugget #29
Assigned on Tuesday May 4, 2010
Due on Thursday May 6, 2010

Taking two nights to complete, this nugget continues our attempts at looking back through past content. It is our second attempt at topics from chapter 1.

Pages 61 to 64 problems 8 - 63

GRADING:
10 questions will be selected and graded for accuracy, meaning that the nugget will not count for 4 points but rather 10.

Beginning the Year-End Review Process

While we still have our sights set on two immediate objectives:

1. The Math MCAS scheduled for May 13th and 14th.
2. Our ongoing work with radical expressions and equations which are enormously relevant in all disciplines of science and applied mathematics.

We are also mindful that the year-end final exam looms ahead in June and that the final exam grade has the weight of a marking term. Given this circumstance, students are in need of sustained, continuous opportunities to prepare for these summative exams.

Tonight's home nugget initiates those lessons and will extend into June, right up into the final exam time period.

Home Nugget #28
Assigned on Monday May 3, 2010
Due on Tuesday May 4, 2010

In Algebra I text,
Page 744 # 1 - 14

This nugget will count as a 10-point quiz based on 5 questions that will be chosen and graded at random.

Solving Radical Equations

Home Nugget #27
Assigned on Friday April 30, 2010
Due on Monday May 3, 2010

In Algebra I text,

Read lesson 10-3 for understanding. Then solve:

page 543 # 1 - 10

Page 544 # 17 - 27 odd and 37 - 46

Making A Statement About Radical Expressions and Operations

Home Nugget #26
Assigned on April 29, 2010
Due on April 30, 2010

In Algebra I text,

Page 532 # 18 - 40 even, 41 - 44, 50, 53, 54

Page 538 # 18 - 28 even

Page 539 # 33 - 36 and 40 - 41

A Few Links to Sites That Allow Students to Explore Geometric Transformations

As a byproduct of our MCAS explorations, and in particular, our foray into the Geometry strand, we had occasion to discuss and explore transformations which fall into four categories.
1. Translations (sliding an object in some direction).
2. Rotations (altering the orientation of an object by rotating it around some chosen point).
3. Reflection (drawing the mirror image of an object by reflecting it around a line of symmetry).
4. Dilation (shrinking or stretching an object while retaining its core properties. i.e. angle measures, proportionality of side lengths).

We looked at the following two sites in class and their URLs are listed here for your reference:

http://www.shodor.org/interactivate/activities/Transmographer/

http://nlvm.usu.edu/en/nav/topic_t_3.html

Radical Expressions and Operations - A Natural Extension of Explorations We've Already Conducted

Home Nugget #25
Assigned on Monday April 26, 2010
Due on Thursday April 29, 2010

Complete independent study of lessons 10-1 and 10-2. This means read, make sense of and try out all content covered in these sections and have questions for me on Thursday about any topics that are not clear or that you wish to have clarification on.

The following problems are being strongly recommended for your reviewal. You will be held accountable for solving these sorts of problems when we determine that we have sufficiently discussed theses lessons.

Page 532 # 17 - 39 odd and 41 - 44

Page 533 # 45 - 47 and 53

Page 534 # 55 and 56

Page 538 # 11 - 29 odd

Page 539 # 31 - 33, 36 - 37, 40 - 43

Reflection Activity for the April Vacations

Home Nugget #24
Assigned on Friday April 16, 2010
Due on Monday April 26, 2010

Journal Entry for Term 4
Directions were handed out in class today. As always, the journal entry counts as 15% of the term grade. This particular entry is comprised of 31 questions. We spent significant time discussing the relevance and immediacy of the assignment and took a sampling of actual problems to get a taste of what is in store. Students seemed to agree that answering the questions will require a great deal of thought and were also amenable to the fact that having class notes and math textbook will be critical in answering questions.

ALSO

I provided students with the "calendar problems" for the month of March and offered that if they could solve any 12 of the 31 problems accurately, I would offer extra credit on any quiz or test grade of their choice. The actual amount, I have yet to determine. All work and evidence of solutions must be presented for credit to be awarded.

No End in Sight: More Permutations, Combinations and the Fundamental Counting Principle Problems to Mull Over

Home Nugget #23
Assigned on Thursday April 15, 2010
Due on Friday April 16, 2010

Page 685 # 9 - 13

Page 686 # 14 - 21

Page 660 # 36, 37 and 43 - 48

Much Needed Practice with Fundamental Counting Principle, Permutations and Combinations

Home Nugget #22
Assigned on Wednesday April 14, 2010
Due on Thursday April 15, 2010

From xeroxed double-sided sheet (labeled pages 985 and 986)

# 17 - 25 odd

and

27 - 47 odd

Permutations and Combinations

Home Nugget #21
Assigned on Tuesday April 13, 2010
Due on Wednesday April 14, 2010

In Algebra I text,

Pages 658 and 659

# 1 - 11
# 21 - 31 odd
# 32 - 35

Be advised that you will likely have to read the lesson in order to answer the questions that are assigned. Our objective tomorrow will be to shed light on the logic behind how these concepts work and how we can make sense of them.

Fundamental Counting Principle and Counting Arrangments: A Second Chance to Apply these Concepts

Home Nugget #20
Assigned on Monday April 12, 2010
Due on Tuesday April 13, 2010

From sheets labeled 12-2 Practice and Word Problem Practice

All problems.

Please be reminded that as has been the case all year long, it is not enough to simply write down solutions. You have the more important burden of providing evidence for where the solutions come from. You must focus on justifying the reasoning you employed to find answers.

Also keep in mind that you will be assessed in some fashion tomorrow as a gauge for what type of class we have. If the majority of students do not invest in the assignment at home, it is not reasonable to expect a meaningful dialogue to happen in class.

Learning About the Fundamental Counting Principle and Working on Our Next MCAS Strand

Home Nugget #19
Assigned on Friday April 9, 2010
Due on Monday April 12, 2010

Tonight's home nugget is a continuation of what students have just begun to explore, the arena of statistics. While lesson 12-1 was designed to provoke thought about drawing samples from populations for the purpose of data collection and analysis, lesson 12-2 instigates reasoning related to figuring out total outcomes using the fundamental counting principle. Again, students should focus on core themes and check their odd-numbered solutions in the back of their books for validation of what they believe to be true.

Read pages 650 to 652 for understanding. Then solve questions 1 - 20 on pages 653.

Please be reminded that while students are being asked to learn the content independently, as the classroom teacher, it continues to be my role to field all questions and queries that students will invariably have. However, it is up to the students to initiate these conversations.

ALSO

Solve MCAS Open-Response Questions 29 and 39 ( A car dealership problem and cylinder problem). The two problems will be graded by your peers according to a scoring guide and be worth 8 points.

A Closer Look at Random and Biased Sampling as Methods for Collecting Data

Home Nugget #18

Assigned on Thursday April 8, 2010

Due on Friday April 9, 2010

In Algebra text,

Page 645 # 2, 4, 6, 10

Page 646 # 13 - 18

Page 647 # 21 - 25

Embarking on a Journey into Statistics and Probability

Home Nugget #17
Assigned on Wednesday April 7, 2010
Due on Thursday April 8, 2010

This lesson marks a monumental shift in that students will truly investigate chapter 12 independently and autonomously. My role as classroom teacher will be to act in a responsive manner to any questions or clarifications students may require based on their inquiries into the content.

Students can expect daily assessments, some formal and others informal, to give everyone a sense of whether they are grasping booth concepts and skills as we move forward.

In Algebra I text,

Read pages 642 through 644 for understanding of core concepts. Then on page 645 and 646, do problems 1 - 13 odd so that you can check your solutions in the back of the book.

Last Look Back at Chapter 9 From Quadratic Functions to Exponential Relationships

Home Nugget #16
Assigned on Tuesday April 6, 2010
Due on Wednesday April 7, 2010

In Algebra I text,

Page 521

#'s 2, 4, 5, 6, 9, 13 - 17, 18, 20, 22, 24, 25

Expect an assessment on chapter 8 tomorrow and one on chapter 9 the following day.

Using All the Groundwork from the Past Few Days to Work on Applications of Exponential Growth and Decay

Home Nugget #15
Assigned on Monday April 5, 2010
Due on Tuesday April 6, 2010

In Algebra I book,

Page 512 # 1 - 4 and page 513 # 5 - 7

In addition to what is asked in the book, you must provide tables for each problem set, similar to what we did in class today. (We found four values for each independent variable)

Revisiting the Variety of Methods to Solve Quadratic Functions

This weekend's home nugget is actually a self-assessment quiz worth 30 points. Directions were handed out in class today and expectations were made clear. The central theme is to show mastery of five methods for solving quadratic functions as well as clear evidence of each solution process.

Trying to Maintain Continuity in the Face of Two Days of ELA MCAS Testing

The home nugget that was assigned today does not carry any particular number. Since 8th graders will be taking the ELA MCAS tomorrow and Wednesday, it is uncertain whether they will see me for math until the regular schedule resumes on Thursday. To make matters more complicated, there is no school on Friday.

In light of this, students were given directions to complete a guide-to chapter 8, comprised of four lessons instead of the usual five. The due date is Thursday April 1, 2010 when all students will see me again for certain. For your reference, the guide-to is counted as a 50 - point quiz grade and is a valuable resource for reflecting on content.

Students are also reminded to be mindful of upcoming assessments on both chapters 8 and 9 and to take necessary steps to prepare for these. i.e. work on class notes, review home nuggets.

Choosing the Right Method for Solving Quadratic Functions

Home Nugget #14
Assigned on Thursday March 25, 2010
Due on Monday March 29, 2010

From sheet labelled "Quadratic Challenge Sheet" all problems. Work should be done on graph paper that was provided.

From MCAS Open Response Questions
2006 # 28
2009 # 14

All work and evidence should be presented on a separate sheet of paper. Bear in mind that your work will be graded according to a rubric on Monday.

Looking Back at Lessons 9-1 to 9-3 AND Using the Quadratic Formula to Solve Vertical Motion Problems

Home Nugget # 13
Assigned on Wednesday March 24, 2010
Due on Thursday March 25, 2010

In Algebra text,

Page 492 # 1, 3, 4, 7, 10 - 13

ALSO

Read pages 500 and 501 and solve # 1 - 4 on page 501

Introducing...the Quadratic Formula!!!

Home Nugget #12
Assigned on Tuesday March 23, 2010
Due on Wednesday March 24, 2010

In Algebra I textbook,

Page 497 # 15 - 20, 23 - 26, 29, 30

Page 498 # 36 - 39

Working Out the Kinks with Completing the Square

Home Nugget #11
Assigned on Monday March 22, 2010
Due on Tuesday March 23, 2010

From 9-3 Skills Practice Sheet

# 3 - 6, 9 - 12 and 17 - 24

All MCAS open-response questions must be answered on separate sheets of paper.

From 2008 MCAS #9

From 2007 MCAS #9

Both questions fall into our second math strand, that of Patterns, Relations and Algebra.

Completing the Square Becomes More Sophisticated

Home Nugget # 10
Assigned on Friday March 19, 2019
Due on Monday March 22, 2010

THREE PARTS:
1. Continue to work on class notes for the 4th term. A set will be collected and graded next week. Bear in mind that these count as a 50 point quiz grade.

2. In Algebra I text,

Page 489 # 12 - 19, 23 - 28
Page 490 # 32, 34, 36, 44, 46

3. Two open-response questions from past MCAS (last two we'll work on from the Number Sense and Operations Strand)

2005 MCAS # 39

2007 MCAS # 28

All work and evidence must be demonstrated on separate sheet of paper. These particular questions will be graded by your classmates using the rubrics provided in class on Monday.

Alternative Methods for Solving Quadratic Functions: Completing the Square

Today's lesson continues our theme of contending with quadratic functions and forces us to think about how when we have many tools at our disposal, which is the most appropriate to use at a given time. Students expressed frustration in our last few classes at how inaccurate and labor-intensive graphing can be for the purposes of solving quadratic functions and it is precisely these 'complaints' that lead naturally to our work on methods like completing the square, where we are simply molding polynomials into perfect square trinomials for purposes of convenience.

Home Nugget #9
Assigned on Thursday March 18, 2010
Due on Friday March 19, 2010

In Algebra I text,

Page 489 # 1 - 11

Weaving in Strategic MCAS Prep Over the Next Few Weeks

Today's class was our first formal venture into thinking about strategies for preparing for the math MCAS in May and actually involved our trying out a number of questions from the first strand on our agenda: that of number sense and operations.

Tonight's home nugget addresses a portion of the math MCAS that counts for 40% of the exam grade, the open-response questions. Students have two multi-part questions to respond to this evening and it will quickly become apparent to them that while the math is far from challenging, much attention has to be paid to providing evidence/explanations for their solutions.

Home Nugget #8
Assigned on Tuesday March 16, 2010
Due on Thursday March 18, 2010 (no school tomorrow)

From double-sided sheet;

2006 8th grade MCAS question 9

2008 8th grade MCAS question 22

All work, evidence and solutions should be clearly presented on a separate sheet(s) of paper.

Last Practice at Graphing Quadratic Functions for the Purpose of Finding Roots

Home Nugget #7
Assigned on Monday March 15, 2010
Due on Tuesday March 16, 2010

From,

Practice Sheet for lesson 9-2 # 1 - 10

and

Word Problem Practice Sheet for lesson 9 - 2 # 1 - 5

while solutions may be presented on the sheets themselves, any additional work (which is required) should be presented on attached sheets.

Let's Face it Graphing Quadratic Functions Stinks. So Why Do It?

Home Nugget # 6
Assigned on Friday March 12, 2010
Due on Monday March 15, 2010

In Algebra I text,

Page 483 # 13 - 15, 16, 18 - 21

Page 484 # 22 - 24

What Other Insight Can We Derive From Graphs of Quadratic Functions?

Home Nugget #5
Assigned on Thursday March 11, 2010
Due on Friday March 12, 2010

In Algebra I text, you will conduct an independent study.

Read pages 480 - 482, looking for topics that seem to reveal further details about quadratic functions and their graphs.

Then, solve problems 1 - 9 on page 483.

Putting Our Ability to Graph Quadratic Functions to Practical Use

Home Nugget #4 of the 4th Term
Assigned on Wednesday March 10, 2010
Due on Thursday March 11, 2010

In Algebra I text,

Page 475 # 16 - 22

Page 476 # 28, 29, 31, 33, 36 - 38

Page 477 # 44 - 47

Graphing Quadratic Functions by Hand Using Insights from In-Class Explorations

Home Nugget #3
Assigned on Tuesday March 9, 2010
Due on Wednesday March 10, 2010

Using graph paper that was provided to you,

In Algebra I text,

page 475 # 1 - 9

(Remember that the goal is to graph without the use of a graphing calculator based on such elements as the line of symmetry.)

First Day of the Fourth Marking Term

Home Nugget #2
Assigned on Monday March 8, 2010
Due on Tuesday March 9, 2010

From Practice Sheet labelled Chapter 8 Test Form 2C

All problems. Remember that while you should report solutions on the sheet itself, all work and supporting evidence for your answers should be included on separate paper. We are most interested in process, not only outcomes. Expect a summative assessment on chapter 8 later this week or early next.

A Few Items Introducing the Fourth Marking Term

Dear Parents and Families,

At the following link you can find a document that I will share with students on Monday March 8 as they prepare to enter the 4th marking period of the school year.

http://docs.google.com/Doc?docid=0ARO0EnlBvQCsZGNzenpnZ18yNDBkNmhzZ3BuZA&hl=en

I wish all students success in the days ahead.

N. Hodjat

Last Day of the 3rd Term! This Weekend's Home Nugget is the 1st of the 4th Term

Home Nugget #1 of the 4th Term
Assigned on Friday March 5, 2010
Due on Monday March 8, 2010

From 8-6 Practice Sheet

# 1 - 6, 7 - 17 odd, 19 - 29

From 8-6 Word Problem Practice Sheet

# 1 - 6

ALSO

Given that we are at the end of chapter 8, there will be a 100 point summative assessment coming up this week. Use this weekend's home nugget in conjunction with your class notes to look back over all the connections we made in regards to factoring polynomials and how useful it is when it comes to solving equations.

Perfect Square Trinomials - Our Very Last Topic of Exploration in Chapter 8

Home Nugget #32 (last nugget of the 3rd term!)
Assigned on Thursday March 4, 2010
Due on Friday March 5, 2010

Page 458 # 13 - 23 odd

Page 459 # 24 - 32 even

ALSO

Your last assessment of the 3rd term will be tomorrow! A 50 point quiz on the most recent set of SAT questions we discussed that were assigned over the Feb. break)

Cementing our Ability to Factor Trinomials and Recognize Difference of Squares

Home Nugget #31
Assigned on Wednesday March 3, 2010
Due on Thursday March 4, 2010

Page 451 # 23 - 34 and 37

Page 463 # 39 - 45

The Factoring Journey Continues...Factoring the Difference of Squares

Home Nugget #30
Assigned on Tuesday March 2, 2010
Due on Wednesday March 3, 2010

Page 451 # 11 - 21 odd

Practice Sheet Lesson 8 - 4
# 2 - 30 even and 31, 32

(Students agreed that this amount of practice is simply necessary given the challenges posed by factoring certain trinomials)

Reaching Towards "New" Material in Lesson 8-5 (But Realizing that It is Actually Quite Famiiar)

Home Nugget #29
Assigned on Monday March 1, 2010
Due on Tuesday March 2, 2010

Read through and make sense of pages 447 to 450. It will likely occur to you that the content is very familiar as you work through the material.

Attempt problems 1 - 10 on page 450.

Continuing to Build Confidence and to Develop Applications for Factoring Trinomials of the Form ax^2 + bx + c

Home Nugget #28
Assigned on Friday February 26, 2010
Due on Monday March 1, 2010

Attention! Pay close attention to accuracy on this lesson. Strive to find valid answers and check on the odd numbered questions as much as possible to confirm your suspicions.

Page 445 # 12 - 22 even, # 27 - 35 and 40 - 41

Page 446 # 42

Factoring Trinomials of the form x^2 + bx + c

Home Nugget # 27
Assigned on Tuesday February 23 2010
Due on Thursday February 25, 2010

REMINDER! District Math 'Mid-Year' will be administered tomorrow. This assessment will count as a 50 point quiz grade/

In Algebra I text,

Page 438 # 12 - 30 even, 34 - 36 and 38 - 40

Page 439 # 43 - 45

Back From the February Break and Restarting Our Foray into Factoring

Home Nugget #26
Assigned on Monday February 22, 2010
Due on Tuesday February 23, 2010

In Algebra I text,

Page 429 # 13 - 20

Page 430 # 25 - 28, 30, 33 - 35

Lessons for the February Break

Home Nuggets # 24 and 25
Assigned on Thursday February 11, 2010
Due on Monday February 22, 2010 (the day we return from the break)

Our extensive study of monomials and polynomials (specifically polynomial operations including multiplication) have led us to a position where we can now discuss factoring polynomials. The applications for such a skill are profound: we are mainly interested in using these factored forms to find solutions or roots for equations and functions.

The assignment over the break allows students to explore 3 areas:

1. The concept of factoring polynomials and the notion that students have to identify the GCF of a number of monomials by sight. There are problems assigned in the book to cover this topic.
In Algebra I book.

Page 429 # 1 - 12
Page 430 # 21- 24, 29, 31 - 32

2. Chapter 7 which includes monomial and polynomial operations. A summative practice test has been provided for this purpose.

Sheet titled "Chapter 7 Test Form 2C" all problems except for #12

3. SAT problems on Numbers and Arithmetic. These questions allow students a break from the norm of what we are contending with in class. They are classic problems for removing students from their comfort zone and forcing them to reason and extend their logic. Students are always assessed on these problems after we have reviewed representative examples.

All problems from SAT sheets labelled sections 2 and 3. Total of 34 problems.

Using the Weekend's Super Bowl to Get Us Thinking About the Road We've Travelled

Home Nugget #23
Assigned on Monday February 8, 2010
Due on Wednesday February 10, 2010

All problems from Super Bowl themed sheets covering chapters 1 - 4 and a smidgen of chapter 6.
Bear in mind that all solutions must be accompanied with work/evidence.

Polynomials and SAT Adventures

Home Nugget #22
Assigned on Friday February 5, 2010
Due on Monday February 8, 2010


In Algebra I book
Page 415 # 1 - 25

From SAT sheet labelled pages 128 and 129 all problems. Remember that all solutions have to be accompanied with work/evidence.

Special Products (Shortcuts for Multiplying Polynomials)

Home Nugget #21
Assigned on Thursday February 4, 2010
Due on Friday February 5, 2010

Page 407 # 15 - 19 and 35 - 39

Page 408 # 40 - 43 and 51

Page 412 # 31 - 37 and 41 - 44

Multiplying Polynomials

Home Nugget #20
Assigned on Wednesday February 3, 2010
Due on Thursday February 4, 2010

Page 392 # 17 - 31 odd

Page 393 # 36 - 38 and 44 - 47

Page 401 # 1 - 11

Multiplying Monomials and Polynomials

Home Nugget #19
Assigned on Tuesday February 2, 2010
Due on Wednesday February 3, 2010

Page 392 # 16 - 30 even

Page 393 # 32 - 35, 39 - 41, 50 - 53

Guaranteeing a Solid Start in Chapter 7-1 to 7-4

Home Nugget #18
Assigned on Monday February 1, 2010
Due on Tuesday February 2, 2010

Questions 1 - 15 from Practice Sheet

ALSO

In Algebra I book

Page 386 # 5 - 10

Page 387 #27, 28

Categorizing Polynomials and Combining Them

Home Nugget #17
Assigned on Thursday January 29, 2010
Due on Monday February 1st (changed because we needed time to discuss combining polynomials)

Page 379 # 12 - 19, 25 - 30, 38 - 40

Page 380 # 42 - 45

Page 386 # 17 - 22

Collecting Our Thoughts on Lessons 7-1 and 7-2

Home Nugget #16
Assigned on Wednesday January 27, 2010
Due on Thursday January 28, 2010

In Algebra I text,


Page 411 # 11 - 30

Will Our Student Presentation on Division of Monomials Get Us to Proficiency?

Home Nugget #15
Assigned on Tuesday January 26, 2010
Due on Wednesday January 27, 2010

In Algebra I text,

Page 371

# 14 - 28 even

# 29, 30

# 34 - 36

Naturally, Multiplication of Monomials Leads to Division of Monomials

Home Nugget #14
Assigned on Monday January 25, 2010
Due on Tuesday January 26, 2010

In Algebra I text,

Page 370 # 1 - 12

Page 351 # 3 - 11, 16 - 19 and 22-24

(Use graph paper provided in class to graph the inequalities on the assignment)

Using the Guide-To Chapter 6 as a Final Prep for a Summative Test and Continuing Our Work With Monomial Multiplication

Home Nugget #13
Assigned on Friday January 22, 2010 (the Guide-to chapter 6 was assigned on Tuesday January 19)
Due on Monday January 25


Guide-to Chapter 6

AND

From Practice Sheet labelled 7-1 Practice and 7-1 Word Problem Practice all problems.

Solutions should be reported right on the sheet itself whereas evidence/explanations can be done on attached paper.

Exponent Operations and the Patterns We Uncover When it Comes to Multiplication

Home Nugget #12
Assigned on Wednesday January 20, 2010
Due on Friday January 22, 2010 (Thursday's schedule is altered because of parent conferences in the morning)

In Algebra I text,

Page 361 # 14 - 30

Page 362 # 31 - 37 and 52, 53

Page 363 # 61

NOTE: the lesson will be graded based on the accuracy of four questions chosen at random.

Also for homeroom 239 ONLY: bring in your guide-to chapter 6 to work on for Wednesday.

Looking Ahead to A Chapter 6 Summative Assessment Using a Guide-To and Diving in to Chapter 7 Monomials

Home Nugget #11
Assigned on Tuesday January 19, 2010

The Guide-to chapter 6 is due on Monday January 25, 2010. Over the course of the next few days, on some evenings, it will be the only lesson for you to work on.


Families, please note: I provided "outreach" letters to two groups of students today.

One group was comprised of those families I was simply thanking for their role in helping their children perform with relative consistency for the first half of the school year. I am just saying "thank you" and asking for your continued support.

The other group is comprised of students who are in academic crisis in mathematics. I am appealing to families to help support these children as I am convinced that there is no reason for anyone to fail the course. These letters require both student and parent signatures indicate receipt.

Really Launching A Full Reflection into Chapter 6 in Anticipation of a Chapter Test

Home Nugget #10
Assigned on Friday January 15, 2010
Due on Tuesday January 19, 2010 (Monday is Dr. King's Birthday)

1. Work on all class notes from term 3. This is a collection of only 10 days worth of notes but requires that the student meet all the requirements set forth by our common O'Bryant Notes rubric.

2. Finish Journal Entry #1 of the 3rd Term. (A collection of 14 open-response questions that delve into the nuances of Chapter 6.)

3. In Algebra I text,

Page 349 and 350 Numbers 34 - 54

Reaching the End of the Line in Chapter 6: Solving Systems of Linear Inequalities

Home Nugget #9
Assigned on Thursday January 14, 2010
Due on Friday January 15, 2010

Page 343 # 7 - 9 and 16 - 18 (Use the graph paper provided for this set of 6 questions)

Page 343 # 19 - 22

Page 348 # 23 - 33

******************************************************************************
STUDENTS!
Anticipate a quiz tomorrow on the Ratio/Proportion/Rate SAT questions as well as content from Lessons 6-4 to 6-7. Given that we are near the end of the chapter, expect that we will have a summative test on the whole chapter sometime next week.

******************************************************************************

Continuing Our Work on Graphing Inequalities in Two Variables

Home Nugget #8
Assigned on Wednesday January 13, 2010
Due on Thursday January 14, 2010

In Algebra I text,

Page 337 # 14 - 17

Page 338 # 35, 36

Page 339 # 44 - 47

Page 347 # 11 - 22

Graphing Inequalities in TWO Variables

Home Nugget #7
Assigned on Tuesday January 12, 2010
Due on Wednesday January 13, 2010

In Algebra I text,

Page 337 # 8 - 12, 18 - 22

Page 338 # 23 - 24, 27 - 28

Use the graph paper provided in class today for all graphs.

More Practice with Absolute Value Inequalities

Home Nugget # 6
Assigned on Monday January 6, 2010
Due on Tuesday January 7, 2010

From sheets titled Practice 6-6 and Word Problem Practice 6-6, all problems.

Solutions should be given right on sheets and any additional work/explanation that is required can either be included or demonstrated on additional attached paper.

A Natural Progression into Absolute Value Inequalities

Home Nugget #5
Assigned on Friday January 8, 2010
Due on Monday January 11, 2010

Reminder to work on your class notes nightly. Also, expect an SAT assessment on ratio, proportion and rate next week.

In Algebra I book,

Page 332 # 8 - 12, 17 - 20, 27 - 30

Page 333 # 42 - 45

Solving Absolute Value Equations

Home Nugget #4
Assigned on Wednesday January 6, 2010
Due on Friday January 8, 2010 (I will be absent on Thursday)

In Algebra I text,

Page 325 # 7 - 12, 20 - 23, 33 - 34

Page 326 # 57 - 60 ad 62 - 64

There is a fair amount of graphing involved which means straightedges should be used.

Compound Inequalities and the Concepts they Allow Us Access to

Home Nugget #3 of the 3rd term
Assigned on Tuesday January 5, 2010
Due on Wednesday January 6, 2010

From Practice Sheet 6-4 and Word Problem Pratice Sheet 6-4 all problems.

Present solutions on the actual papers and when needed supply work/evidence on atached paper.

Welcome Back to the 3rd Term!

Home Nugget #2 of the 3rd Term (home nugget #1 was assigned over the winter recess)
Assigned on Monday January 4, 2010
Due on Tuesday January 5, 2010

In Algebra I text,

Page 318 # 11 - 13, 21 - 27, 33 - 34, 39 - 41, 47

Page 319 # 55 - 57, 60