Fun with Fractions - Day 3

First, we reviewed last night's homework, Alonzo's Punch. We also wrote some 1-step equations from the chart as another way to complete the chart and compared that to ratios/proportions.

Possible class notes:

Then, we reviewed the steps to adding/subtracting fractions with unlike denominators.

 HOMEWORK: Read over notes 1/5/16 to 1/13/16 for Mini-Evaluation #8 tomorrow.

Fun with Fractions - Day 2

First, we finished up with writing and solving equations that involved fractions.

Then, we began looking at converting recipes. The recipes involved the use of fractions and deductive reasoning for determining the various serving sizes.

HOMEWORK

Fun with Fractions and More Equations

First, we reviewed the last two items from Writing Equations for Problems.  Then I presented 2 photos; brownies into thirds and ice cream scoops into sevenths. Students practiced finding a given fraction of a whole group of items. This imagery will help better prepare students' thinking for writing and practicing with equations.

Then students moved into More Practice with Writing Equations:

We will complete these in class tomorrow.

HOMEWORK: None for tonight; except return with MTN.

Review of Writing Equations

To accommodate a high school counselor speaking with our 8th graders, the four core classes were slightly  shorter.

SAMPLE OF PROBLEM ANSWERS:

HOMEWORK: None for tonight.

Writing Equations for Probems

Students discussed their "discoveries" of yesterday's task with writing expressions. Here are the individual class recordings:

The agreed upon answers:

Then students were given problems that required them to work with his/her partner to writing an equation and finding a solution.

HOMEWORK: None for tonight.

Writing Equations

In order to accommodate Balloon Project Committee work, our team had shortened core classes.

NOTES FOR TODAY:

Practice in class:

HOMEWORK: Finish white sheet in MTN.

Math Snowflake Ornament

Here are the instructions that students received . . . .

 . . . . . the provided materials . . . .

. . . . . and the questions that needed to be answered.

Students working:

December 21

Photos of activity directions, students working, and products will be posted tomorrow.  Have a good evening.

Mini-Evaluation #7

Students working on their Mini-Evaluation #7 - Combining Like Terms with Distributing and Solving One-Step Equations.

HOMEWORK: None for tonight.

Solving One-step Equations (+, -, x, ÷)

Notes for today:

HOMEWORK: Look over MTN notes from this week. Mini-Evaluation #7 is tomorrow.

More Combining Like Terms

Notes for today's class were in several parts, but all working toward a common goal.

The group activity (above table) helped students define, thus further determine like and unlike terms.

Then, partner groups worked to answering the question by bullet listing the generalizations.

HOMEWORK: More practice combining like terms. In MTN.

Polynomials / Combining Like Terms

Notes and Practice from today's class:

HOMEWORK is at the bottom of the photo.

Distributive Property at Work

To start off the class, we began with two Distributive Property videos from Kahn Academy. The first is a review of the work we had completed two weeks ago. I particularly liked the visual concept that is explained in this video to help solidify the idea before we move into something abstract. Click on the link to watch the video.

FIRST VIDEO

The students need only watch 1:30 minutes of  the second video. This "clip" does a nice job to explain how distributive property works for examples such as the following:

7(b – 3)                                 12(a + 3)                               5(2 + 3d)

-5(m + 6)                              -7(t – 4)                                 2(y – 6)  

 The students took notes as I modeled notetaking, and controlling the video with "start," "pause," and "replay" to getting the most of the given information.

 Go to these two blogs from last year for examples with algebra tile manipulatives.
BLOG 1                                                                       BLOG 2


CLASS NOTES:

Update

1. Yesterday, I mentioned to that students that reading and commenting on their evaluations will take more time than an ordinary math evaluation. I will not have them completed till Monday or Tuesday of next week. At this writing, I am impressed with the preliminary contents of students' writing.

2. Due to a strange school schedule, we (the team teachers) redesigned our core time to meet the needs of our students. The focus was on writing time for English/science writing. We also met with the team to discuss Immersion Day (first one after Winter Holiday break; Jan.4, 2016) and Fixed vs. Growth Mindset.

3. Math classes will resume tomorrow (remember we had a large chunk of time one day last week for math).

HOMEWORK: None for tonight.

Mini-Evaluation #6

Students were given the entire class period for the mini-evaluation. I recognize that this is a different style of math evaluation, but this type of questioning/prompting is becoming more prevalent in standardized testing. It is also a piece of technical writing that supports the English standards in our district. Students can only improve their problem solving skills through opportunities that incorporate similar tasks which require them to tackle in a testing situation. This was one such opportunity.

Students involved with their evaluation:

HOMEWORK: None for tonight.

Post Discussion to Activities

Exciting discussions took place about what strategies were used and how well they worked (or didn't work) for the two problems: Ticket Totals and In a Shorter Way. Students took pride in their work and sharing their ideas to attacking the problems. Well Done!

Here is a copy of the prompt that students will be given in tomorrow's class. Tonight it is suggested that they take their first draft and add notes/bullet list of ideas to include in their reflection writing. All English conventions will apply. Good luck. (CLICK onto the link to go to the document.)
Mini-Evaluation #6

HOMEWORK: Mini-Eval #6 - Final draft to reflection writing to Ticket Totals and Shorter Way will be conducted in class on Tuesday.

Ticket Totals & In a Shorter Way

Due to the "Scrooge Musical" special assembly and schedule, our team needed to rearrange how we delivered today's instructions. One part of the day was devoted to students completing their work on Ticket Totals (see yesterday's blog). Students from the Cepheus group were mixed into the present groupings and offered their strategies to the solutions. After whole group share of strategies that worked and did not work then time to re-evaluate their solution, students were then presented with a new challenge, In a Shorter Way. This gave students the opportunity to take the learned strategies and thinking from Ticket Totals and apply them to In a Shorter Way.

Finally, students were assigned the task to writing a reflection paragraph. The paragraph must include the following:

• what strategy(ies) did you use yesterday?
• what worked and what did not work?
• what strategy did you use today after the whole group share?
• how did it improve your ability to work and find a solution?
• what strategy(ies) did you use from Ticket Totals to help with Shorter Way?

HOMEWORK: Have the reflection paragraph finished for Monday's class.

Ticket Totals

First, students finished sharing their solutions for the distributive problems and results from the Plus Minus Game. Then we moved into the next problem, Ticket Totals. Partners were to devise their strategy(ies) to acquiring a solution. HOMEWORK for tonight (and due Monday, 12/7/15) is to complete the work and find a final sum, independently on Ticket Totals. Discussions will take place on Monday during class.

Take a look at this problem. It will be the next one to solve.

Using Distributive Property to Solve Problems -- part 2

We continued with reviewing the strategies and methods which students used with solving the given problems (see 11/30 post for copies of the problems). Most classes have only 1 or 2 problems left to review together, which will be done tomorrow along with review of last night's homework.

Some students did not complete last night's homework -- so they have one additional night to redeem themselves and get it done for tomorrow. Process grades were given and updates will be made on Powerschool after they demonstrate completed work.  I can't stress enough the importance of taking the responsibility to attempting given homework. The practice with manipulating numbers, solving problems, or explaining one's thinking is in each student's best interest to understanding math.