MATH 7 Pre-Algebra

CLass news

IMPORTANT DATES:

October 8: Lesson 2.6 Rational Numbers Graded Homework due

October 10: Bell Ringer Quiz and Fun Math Friday

October 16: End of Quarter, all missing work due

Happy October!!

7th Grade Math is all about Pre-Algebra. If those words strike fear and anxiety in you, hold my hand and relax. 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.) I have adapted our Common Core State Standards in Math curriculum to better reflect the beauty and connectedness of mathematics so our units and lessons do not follow the layout of our textbooks. Be assured, your students are still learning all of the skills but in a more cohesive and connected manner. 

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 unit on factors and multiples of numbers. We are finishing up our second unit on real numbers. The week after next we will start Unit 3, our Introduction to Algebra. 

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 Math 7 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 7th 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.