Math 7H Blocks 1 & 2
SOLs Covered: Math 8 Strand 3 (Measurement & Geometry) Review of SOL 8.5-8.10
Math Unit: Math 8 SOL Review
Daily Agenda: April 18-22, 2022
Upcoming Assessments: SOL Quiz - Strand 4 - Probability & Statistics (Fri. 4/29)
MSM2 Block 4
SOLs Covered: Math 8 Strand 3 (Measurement & Geometry) Review of SOL 8.5-8.10
Math Unit: Math 8 SOL Review
Daily Agenda: April 18-22, 2022
Upcoming Assessments: SOL Quiz - Strand 4 - Probability & Statistics (Fri. 4/29)
Hello again! In the midst of SOL review season, it's pretty much a lot of repetition each week (new week, new topic but the same general routine), so there isn't much new information to share in this update. We did move onto reviewing all of our measurement and geometry work and I did see more confusion over our work now than when we first went over each topic earlier this semester, but as I've told the kids, they need to be reviewing those old topics and their work packets (particularly the note pages) at the start of the unit. I also found that many were completing parts of the process correctly but were missing key details, so we went over all the little details that can "make or break" a response. For example, for many questions the directions would state to round to a certain place value and if the kids just forgot to do that or rounded the final answer wrong, the whole thing is marked completely wrong even if everything else is done correctly. Does that stink? Absolutely! But this is why we're reviewing. While I give no help for any first attempt for the formative checks and quizzes (this is to emulate how it will be during the actual SOL test on May 10th), we pick apart and analyze the formative checks together for a final attempt as a whole class and I will offer little bits of help on the second attempt for the quizzes. Would I love it if they could get it completely on their own the first try? Obviously, but my entire purpose is to guide them through their math work and I thus see it as part of my job to help them navigate all the little idiosyncrasies that might come there way on the great unknown that is the SOL test. As I tell the kids, my expectation is "progress, not perfection," so we'll keep working to improve each day!
The formative checks and quizzes have all been done at the end of the week for all of our SOL review, so the first half of the week has been spent going over the review packets that I've mentioned in the other most recent updates. This week, we approached these reviews a little differently. The kids worked in their groups as teams to solve the problems, conferring with each other over any questions they had, calling me over if they still had questions. Once they'd finished up a section, we'd play a game of "Survivor" with teams (all with highly unique/bizarre names like "Dirty Right Airpod") being called based on the roll of a die. If their team got it right, they could give a strike to another team (which I'm sure you can imagine made the competition pretty fierce) but if they got it wrong, they'd get the strike instead. The kids were being a little lazy with getting their work done, so I fussed at them a little and said they needed to step up their work if they wanted to keep playing. I found out on Wednesday that about a third of my 4th block kids went home and got on a group Snapchat call to work ahead on their packets and I was absolutely floored! Not only were they majorly stepping up their work, they were organizing themselves to work things out together outside of school as well. Once the rest of the class heard, others started forming their own little groups, some having to adapt a little by working through Google Docs together instead, but I've never been prouder of these kids! Let's keep that same outlook in the coming weeks!
Well, that should do it for today's update, but as always, please let me know if you have any questions. I hope everyone has an amazing weekend!