Daily Update - 12.8

In Geometry today, students continued their study of Trig.  They had the option of reviewing the basics, trying the next level, or being really challenged.  I was pleased with the appropriate choices students made, and how much they worked today.

Homework tonight was to finish their worksheet, if it didn't get finished, and also to complete one perfect problem, which they copied down from the board.

Final Exams Information!

Algebra:  The final will actually be a Unit 2 Test.  Unit 2 includes all of the Algebra stuff we have been learning:

Combine Like Terms
Add and Subtract Polynomials
Distributive Property
Multiply Polynomials
Factor Out a Monomial
Factor x2 + bx + c into Two Binomials
Evaluate Expressions

Geometry:  The final will be a Unit 3 Test (Triangles)  The test will include the following:

Triangle Inequality Theorem (what side lengths of a triangle actually make a triangle?)
Triangle Congruence
Pythagorean Theorem
Trigonometry

Daily Update - 12.7

Today was a review day.  Students were given a set of problems including simplifying expressions (combining like terms, adding, subtracting and multiplying polynomials), factoring, and evaluating expressions.

As students progressed, they were given answer keys to check that they were doing these correctly.

We will continue this review sheet on Friday, but I gave students the option to take them home and continue working before then, which I was surprised that some students took me up on!  The official homework assignment tonight is an integers review sheet, students are to do the odd numbered problems.

Daily Update - 10.6

On Tuesday, we began our introduction to Trig!  This is one of my favorites, and I was excited to start it.  We learned the three basic Trig Rations (Sine, Cosine and Tangent) and used them to find the missing sides of a right triangle, given one acute angle and one side.

After today, students are at varying levels of understanding, which I expected.  We will review on Thursday, and I will allow students to choose whether they'd like a little challenge, or if they need a refresher on what we learned today.   We'll also all learn the inverse Trig functions, to find a missing angle.

Homework tonight is a half sheet with three triangles.  Each triangle has two missing sides, so students should write two Trig equations to find them.

Daily Update - 12.5

In Algebra today, we learned how to evaluate expressions.  We practiced by doing a scavenger hunt around the school to find the value of our variables, and then used those numbers to evaluate given expressions.

Homework tonight was to finish the evaluating expressions assignment we started in class, using the results of the scavenger hunt.

Students should really keep in mind the upcoming Final Exam, which we talked about in class today.  The final will double as our Unit Two Test, and concepts on the exam are:

Combining Like Terms
Adding and Subtracting Polynomials
Multiplying Polynomials
Factoring
Evaluating Expressions
Solving Equations

I'll be posting links to practice websites, and videos if students would like some help studying!

Daily Update - 12.2

Woo-hoo!  Friday at last.  This 5-day week seemed so long following a 5-day weekend!

In Algebra today, we reviewed factoring, and then we took a factoring quiz.  No homework!

In Geometry, we reviewed our answers to the Pythagorean Thm Word Problems sheet by having students come up and present their solutions to the class.  We are now all experts at the Pythagorean Theorem.

Happy weekend!

Daily Update - 12.1

Happy December!  I can hardly believe we are nearing the end of 2011, and the midpoint of the school year.  Wow!

In Geometry, we began our look at right triangles with the Pythagorean Theorem.  We used it to find the length of the hypotenuse, and the length of a leg.  We also did some "real-life" applications of the Pythag.  

Homework tonight is to finish the Word Problems we started in class, and be ready to present your solutions!