Note taken on 9/9/10.

Note taken on 9/8/10.

Unit 1: Variables and Patterns: Introducing Algebra

The first unit in your child’s mathematics class this year is Variables and Patterns: Introducing Algebra.

UNIT GOALS

This unit’s focus is on ways to describe situations that change. In the first part of the unit, students explore three ways of representing a changing situation: with a description in words, with a data table, and with a graph. These representations are compared to one another to elicit the strengths of each presentation.

Students learn to write symbolic expressions as a shorter, quicker way to give a summary of the relationship between two variables.

List of Class Readings/Resources (organized by date)

Investigation 1: Variables, Tables and Coordinate Graphs

• Notebook
• ACE Questions
• Text 1.1 (Tuesday - 9/07)
• Text 1.2 (Wednesday - 9/08)
• Text 1.3 (Thursday - 9/09)
• Text 1.4 (Friday - 9/10)
• Text 1.5 (Monday - 9/13)

Investigation 2: Analyzing Graphs and Tables

• Notebook
• ACE Questions
• Text 2.1 (Tuesday - 9/14)
• Text 2.2 (Monday - 9/20)
• Text 2.3 (Tues 9/20 and Weds 9/21)

Investigation 3: Rules and Equations

• Notebook
• ACE Questions
• Text 3.1 (Monday 9/27 and Tues. 9/28)
• Text 3.2 (Wednesday 9/29)
• Text 3.3 (Thursday 9/30)

Variables and Patterns Project

• Metric Conversion and Unit Conversion Practice (Mon. 10/04)
• Grand Canyon Problem (Tues 10/05) For Distance Interval Trail Map Click Here and for Sample of Data Table and Graph Comparing Distance and Elevation Against Time Click Here.
• My Me Mobile Project Notebook (Wednesday 10/06 through 10/15 . . . possibly longer)
• Click Here to View Slideshow of Some Awesome Mobiles.
• Sample of how to convert weight to force.
• Sample Calculations Page

Note taken on 9/7/10.

Note taken on 9/2/10.

ALEKS Info.

Each student will have access to a great online learning tool called ALEKS.

The main login page can be found at http://www.aleks.com/

Having trouble accessing ALEKs from home? Follow this link.

Assessment and LEarning in Knowledge Spaces is a Web-based, artificially intelligent assessment and learning system. ALEKS uses adaptive questioning to quickly and accurately determine exactly what a student knows and doesn't know in a course. ALEKS then instructs the student on the topics she is most ready to learn. As a student works through a course, ALEKS periodically reassesses the student to ensure that topics learned are also retained. ALEKS courses are very complete in their topic coverage and ALEKS avoids multiple-choice questions. A student who shows a high level of mastery of an ALEKS course will be successful in the actual course she is taking.

ALEKS also provides the advantages of one-on-one instruction, 24/7, from virtually any Web-based computer for a fraction of the cost of a human tutor.

For a detailed scientific paper explaining the advantages of using ALEKS read, The Assessment of Knowledge in Theory and Practice.

Note taken on 9/1/10.