Weekly Updates
Weeks 26 - 30
Week 30:
6th Grade students worked on measuring and identifying angles, and finding unknown angle measurements in angle diagrams using properties of angles.
(Unit 7: Angles, Triangles and and Prisms)
7th Grade students established an understanding of the rules of exponents, and then went to Camp Duncan for their class trip.
(Unit 7: Exponents and Scientific Notation)
8th Grade students worked more on Quadratic Relationships, practicing what they have learned about Quadratics as a whole, and will begin a unit on Quadratic Equations next week.
(Unit 7: Quadratic Relationships)
Week 28:
6th Grade students continued their work with Solarize Your School, doing a gallery walk of the buildings they've created with solar panels over the last week and a half. In addition, we did some work with inequalities and graphing them on the number line.
(Unit 6: Expressions, Equations and Inequalities)
7th Grade students worked on finishing their unit on Volume. They also did a buddy activity of painting rocks with their 1st grade buddies.
(Unit 5: Functions and Volume)
8th Grade students worked more on Quadratic Relationships, working on understanding the patterns in Factored Form and how to graph the parabola based on the equation.
(Unit 7: Quadratic Relationships)
Week 27:
IAR Testing for Jr High was this week....
6th Grade students continued their work with Solarize Your School, now getting into the CAD/CAE software on the Aladdin platform where they can design buildings and add solar panels and wind turbines to their environment, then simulate how much electricity they would generate. They also studied the relationship between the number of blades on a turbine and electrical output.
7th Grade students worked on a Data Project we are doing inspired by the work of Laura Vanderkam and 168 Hours.
8th Grade students had IAR testing during class time, and then we did a buddy activity on Friday with our Kindergarten buddies. Each student painted a rock that will be a contribution to our garden.
Week 26:
6th Grade students concluded their work with Linear Equations with an FAL (Formative Assessment Lesson), where they matched stories to equations, and then worked to find the solution pathway for that equation.
[ Unit 6 - Expressions, Equations and Inequalities ]
7th Grade students continued their unit on Functions, applying that learning to Volume Functions of various 3D figures. They also began the construction of a Data Project we are doing, inspired by the work of Laura Vanderkam and 168 Hours.
[ Unit 5 - Functions and Volume ]
8th Grade students continued a unit on Quadratic Relationships, practicing strategies for graphing Quadratic equations and the structures thereof. They also took Pt2 of their Practice Exit Exam for Algebra 1 as an assessment.
[ Unit 7 - Quadratic Relationships ]
Weeks 21 - 25
Week 25:
6th Grade students continued working with Linear Equations, learning how to Combine Like Terms and apply those concepts to Solving Linear Equations.
[ Unit 6 - Expressions, Equations and Inequalities ]
7th Grade students continued their unit on Functions, specifically learning and working with function notation, and interpreting that notation within a given context.
[ Unit 5 - Functions and Volume ]
8th Grade students began a unit on Quadratic Relationships, looking at visual patterns that represent Quadratic structures of equations, and making connections between the visual pattern and the equation that represents it.
[ Unit 7 - Quadratic Relationships ]
Week 24:
6th Grade students continued working on Structures of Linear Equations and the solution pathway for each of those structures, analyzing their ability to mathematically perform the task but also communicate their thinking clearly, effectively and systematically.
6th grade also continued a new project called, "Solarize your School," which is a 3-year initiative from Mr Kovach and Mr Brennan to design solar panels for the school that help offset the cost of electricity.
[ Unit 6 - Expressions, Equations and Inequalities ]
7th Grade students continued their unit on Functions, participating in an FAL (Formative Assessment Lesson), where they matched graphs to everyday situations they represented.
[ Unit 5 - Functions and Volume ]
8th Grade students continued working with Exponential functions, analyzing structures of the equations for growth and decay and applying that to various contexts.
[ Unit 6 - Exponential Functions ]
Week 23:
6th Grade students continued working on Structures of Linear Equations and the solution pathway for each of those structures. 6th grade also began a new project called, "Solarize your School," which is a 3-year initiative from Mr Kovach and Mr Brennan to design solar panels for the school that help offset the cost of electricity, followed by a proposal to the community and then hopefully solar panels being built by their 8th grade year!
[ Unit 6 - Expressions, Equations and Inequalities ]
7th Grade students continued their unit on Functions, creating and interpreting graphs as stories.
[ Unit 5 - Functions and Volume ]
8th Grade students worked this week with Exponential functions, comparing them to linear functions and then experimenting with both structures of equations.
[ Unit 6 - Exponential Functions ]
Weeks 18 - 20
Week 20:
6th Grade students continued working on Measuring Circles, working to discover the area formula for a circle, and then applying it to Area Challenges.
[ Unit 3 - Measuring Circles ]
7th Grade students continued their unit on Systems of Linear Equations, working on strategies to solve.
[ Unit 4 - Linear Equations and Linear Systems ]
8th Grade students continued working with Systems of Linear Equations and solidified their understanding of strategies to solve by practicing together. 8th grade also worked on a Practice Algebra Exit Exam together to begin exposing them to the types of questions they will encounter on their final exam.
[ Unit 5 - Systems of Linear Equations and Linear Inequalities ]
Week 19:
6th Grade students continued working on Measuring Circles, working on Perimeter Challenges and then reviewing area strategies before we discover the area formula for a circle next week.
[ Unit 3 - Measuring Circles ]
7th Grade students came back to their unit on Systems of Linear Equations, working with modeling systems in various formats and contexts (ie cell phone plans, graphs, hanger models, etc).
[ Unit 4 - Linear Equations and Linear Systems ]
8th Grade students continued working on strategies for solving Systems of Linear Equations and practiced modeling and solving systems within a given context (ie city development and bus systems).
[ Unit 5 - Systems of Linear Equations and Linear Inequalities ]
Week 18:
6th Grade students began a new unit on Measuring Circles and were introduced to the proportional relationships within a circle's measurements (ie circumference and diameter).
[ Unit 3 - Measuring Circles ]
7th Grade students finished their unit on Associations in Data, looking at scatterplots and finding patterns and relationships within them, visually and numerically.
[ Unit 6 - Associations in Data]
8th Grade students began working with Systems of Linear Equations and having multiple strategies for solving (Substitution/Elimination).
[ Unit 5 - Systems of Linear Equations and Linear Inequalities ]
Weeks 11-17
Week 17:
6th Grade students worked on a final assessment/project for Integer Operations---adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing positive and negative numbers. Groups of students are creating a video explaining a concept pertaining to operations with Integers.
[ Unit 5 - Operations with Positive and Negative Numbers]
7th Grade students worked on Associations in Data, specifically reading and interpreting Scatter Plots and a Line of Best Fit.
[ Unit 6 - Associations in Data]
8th Grade students continued working on Functions and Function Notation, specifically applying their learning to Absolute Value Functions this week.
[ Unit 4 - Describing Functions ]
Week 15:
6th Grade students worked on Integer Operations---adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing positive and negative numbers. Students began brainstorming in groups how to create a creative video that explains the rules of one or more of the operations.
[ Unit 5 - Operations with Positive and Negative Numbers]
7th Grade students worked on Linear Relationships, specifically how to solve and represent Linear Equations.
[ Unit 4 - Linear Equations and Linear Systems]
8th Grade students continued working on Functions and Function Notation, using the mathematical models within a given context, supporting their reasoning ability and understanding of the Notation thereof.
[ Unit 4 - Describing Functions ]
Week 13:
6th Grade students continued working with representing Percent Change (Increase/Decrease), using Tape Diagrams, Equations, Double Number Lines.
[ Unit 4 - Proportional Relationships and Percentages]
7th Grade students worked on finishing their unit on Proportional and Linear Relationships, taking an end of unit assessment.
[ Unit 3 - Proportional and Linear Relationships]
8th Grade students continued working with Data Analysis (Single Variable), representing data sets visually in Box Plots, Dot Plots and Histograms, then computing the Standard Deviation and Measures of Center in order to make decisions.
[ Unit 3 - Describing Data ]
Week 12:
6th Grade students worked with various representations of percent increase and decrease.
[ Unit 4 - Proportional Relationships and Percentages]
7th Grade students worked with linear relationships in slope-intercept form, and calculated slope both within a context and practiced mathematically.
[ Unit 3 - Proportional and Linear Relationships]
8th Grade students finished their work with linear relationships and inequalities, then began reviewing concepts pertaining to Data Analysis (Histograms, Dot Plots and Box Plots).
[ Unit 3 - Describing Data ]
Weeks 6-10
Week 8:
6th Grade students worked with Proportional Relationships, demonstrating their understanding through a series of poster projects and a quiz.
[ Unit 2 - Proportional Relationships ]
7th Grade continued working with Dilations, a type of Transformation, connecting the idea to Similarity of Triangles and then connecting that idea to the Slope of a line.
[ Unit 2 - Dilations, Similarity and Slope ]
8th Grade students continued working with Linear Relationships and working with contextual problems involving three types of Linear Equations (Standard, Point-Slope and Slope-Intercept Form).
[ Unit 2 - Linear Equations and Inequalities ]
***Jogathon is happening on Friday, October 20th!
Looking forward to seeing families cheer the class on!
Week 8:
6th Grade students worked with Proportional Relationships and the Constant of Proportionality (eventually becomes Slope). Students made connections between contexts, equations and graphs.
[ Unit 2 - Proportional Relationships ]
7th Grade students continued working with Transformations, but added a 4th - Dilations. Students had experiences describing Dilations and interacting digitally, then on paper, and finally completing various challenges in Desmos "golf" style puzzle.
[ Unit 2 - Dilations, Similarity and Slope ]
8th Grade students completed the HS Entrance Exam, and then continued working with linear relationships and contexts thereof, manipulating Standard Form equations to solve for one variable.
[ Unit 2 - Linear Equations and Inequalities ]
Week 7:
6th Grade students worked to understand what a proportional relationship is mathematically and within a context, using tables and equations to represent relationships between two quantities.
[ Unit 2 - Proportional Relationships ]
7th Grade students worked on an end-unit project for Transformations, designing and creating a Tessellation using Rigid Transformations. They also began a new unit on Dilations.
[ Unit 2 - Dilations, Similarity and Slope ]
8th Grade students worked on reviewing concepts for the HS Entrance Exam which is next week Wednesday. We will continue working through our unit on Linear Relationships at the end of next week, after the exam.
[ Unit 2 - Linear Equations and Inequalities ]
Week 6:
6th Grade students were given an end-unit project of redesign a classroom with various scales. They worked in groups to redesign a classroom, and then each group member had a different sized scale drawing they were assigned to create. Students then began a unit on Proportional Relationships, working within contexts to make sense of what it means to be proportional (ie same color paint, same tasting lemonade, etc.).
[ Unit 1 - Scale Drawings; Unit 2 - Proportional Relationships ]
7th Grade students worked on angle relationships (parallel lines cut by a transversal). They also estimated the amount of soil we needed to fill in new raised garden beds for the playground by measuring them (see post).
[ Unit 1 - Rigid Transformations and Congruence ]
8th Grade students worked with linear relationships and equations, reviewing steps and strategies used to solve linear equations for an unknown value. They also estimated the amount of soil we needed to fill in new raised garden beds for the playground by measuring them (see post).
[ Unit 2 - Linear Equations and Inequalities ]
Weeks 1 - 5
Week 4:
**If you were not able to attend Curriculum Night, the .pdf of our presentation is posted on our webpages. Please reach out to your child's homeroom teacher with any questions or further clarification you may need.
6th Grade students worked on Scaling shapes and defining what it means to be a "scaled copy," while practicing scaling shapes and measurements. We also took notes in our notebook and started a routine/procedure for accessing reference information in order to do work.
[ Unit 1 - Scale Drawings ]
7th Grade students worked with Rigid Transformations on the coordinate plane, identifying patterns in coordinates and using those patterns to precisely describe a sequence of transformations in the plane. We also took notes in our notebook and started a routine/procedure for accessing reference information in order to do work.
[ Unit 1 - Rigid Transformations and Congruence ]
8th Grade students began looking at visual patterns and worked on strategies for generalizing this pattern in a table, equation and graph. This will be used throughout the year as practice. They also compared Linear and Exponential Relationships structurally (the context will come when we get deeper into the units--unit 1 is a broad overview of what we will study). We also took notes in our notebook and started a routine/procedure for accessing reference information in order to do work.
[ Unit 1 - Representing Relationships ]
Week 3:
Students worked on Digital Citizenship lessons this week to set ourselves up for technology use and begin working online, including signing a Technology Agreement.
Students also worked on an identity collage exercise as well, exploring the subject areas they feel most (and least) connected to--they will be on display next week, so be sure to take a look! STAR360 was also this week.
Week 2:
All grade levels practiced seeking to understand another's perspective through a series of visual sharing activities, and we connected it to Math class in the sense that we need to seek to understand each other's math work and thinking, and juxtaposed that to just trying to get our own ideas across or disprove someone else's (the goal was to find logic in students' thought processes, even if they were mathematically inaccurate).
We also began a collage activity that explores their identities as learners.
And we set ourselves up on Chromebooks and Google Classroom -- Students will be discussing and working through some technology and digital citizenship lessons next week before we get deeper into our curriculum.