ALGEBRA 1/MATH 8

CLass news

IMPORTANT DATES:

October 8: Chapter 2 Test

October 10: Bell Ringer Quiz and Fun Math Friday

October 16: End of Quarter, all missing work due

Happy October!!

We've arrived! All of our 8th graders are studying Algebra 1 and I could not be more proud of them. Many of you shared your concerns with Mrs. Schramp during conferences about this change in our SBCS Math curriculum and she shared them with me. I will explain the change and the reasoning behind it below. Please be assured that I'm here to help your student (and you, if you want to come along for the ride 😄) to grow into a math person (see below for what that means.)

The students started the year with completing a math survey, a parent survey and the first of three STAR Math Assessments. I shared those with you at conferences.  We warmed up our math thinking skills by spending the first 2 days on a curious problem. Which is the largest number: the number of stars in the universe; the number of seconds since the Big Bang or the number of ways to order a deck of 52 playing cards? (Ask them to explain the answer to you!) We jumped in with our first chapter on Expressions, Equations and Functions, followed by Chapter 2, all about Real Numbers. We will start Chapter 3 this week, Solving Linear Equations. 

Why did we change the math curriculum from previous years when 8th graders had a choice to take Algebra 1 or repeat Pre-Algebra? In my annual conversation with the math teachers at Maur Hill - Mount Academy in June, I learned that they were doing away with the Pre-Algebra option for 9th grade, and teaching everyone Algebra 1 (Basic or Standard) or Geometry (Advanced). The longer a student delays taking Algebra 1, the farther and farther he or she falls behind. That is why most states now require Algebra 1 in 8th grade. In our case, all 7th graders take Pre-Algebra. If a student repeats Pre-Algebra in 8th grade and then again in 9th grade, she or he is now 2 years behind. We are blessed with the support of Mrs. Hill, who teaches the students with less mastery while I teach the students who have mastered more of Algebra already. All 26 8th graders learn the Algebra lesson together with me, then we split them into two rooms and work on differentiated practice problems, answer homework questions and discuss other skills or problems as appropriate. It is my hope that this is the best way to prepare ALL our students for high school in a way that meets them where they are but doesn't leave them there. 

One of my goals as a math teacher is to provide each and every student with the support he or she needs to grow into a "Math Person". That means a person who is comfortable using math in every area of life. As the students know (because I repeat it TOO MANY TIMES during the week 😅 ), "Math is the language of the universe" (Michelangelo). Through math we can know God, know Truth, know Beauty and grow in virtue. In our class, no one is allowed to ridicule anyone for trying and failing. We don't use the words, "I'm bad at math." Instead, we say, "I haven't learned this yet." And we work hard and keep trying. 

The syllabus I sent home at the beginning of the year explains how I grade and approach homework. You can download it by clicking below. Please read it. To access all of the notes and daily assignments, please email me for the access code to our Algebra 1 Google Classroom site. This is also the most up-to-date schedule for quizzes, tests, and assignments. 

Since we have a wide range of math mastery levels in our 8th grade class, I'm including two resources: one that builds math facts and one that provides curious problems that require deep thinking. Both are appropriate for ALL the students, but might appeal to different students right now. 

One way to practice math facts and build fluency is to play card games! You can change the rules of common games like Go Fish or War to include math. I have a great book (unfortunately out of print) called All Hands on Deck: Math Games using Cards and Dice. I am happy to send home copies of the games we use during Fun Math Friday. Just email me! 

For a great supply of puzzling math questions, I use the book Intriguing Mathematical Problems by Oswald Jacoby and William H Benson (available hard copy and Kindle on Amazon, but I'm not recommending that as the only source.) There are also countless websites that have math puzzles and challenge problems. I'll try to include at least one here every month.