Tuesday, January 31, 2012

We began with this opener (pdf).

We then learned about Polygons (lesson, pdf).

Your homework is:

1. Prepare for the Data Graphs Assessment. Please study. 

Where Children Sleep

For a little perspective on our lives, please read this article and watch the slide show (full screen is best).

Monday, January 30, 2012

We began with our assessment over Measures of Central Tendency and Dispersion (key, pdf).

We then reviewed Box-and-Whiskers graphs, Stem-and-Leaf Plots, and Histograms (lesson, pdf).

Your homework is:

1. Check the portal for the results of your assessment, fill out your student checklist with your results, and make a plan for retake (if necessary), including making an appointment.
   
   
2. Complete the Data Graphs Online Pre-Assessment on the Moodle. 

Friday, January 27, 2012

We began with this opener (pdf).

We then learned about Stem-and-Leaf Plots and Histograms (lesson, pdf).

Your homework for Monday is:

1. Prepare for the Measures of Central Tendency and Dispersion Assessment. Please study.
   
   
2. Review your notes on box-and-whiskers, stem-and-leaf, and histograms.
   
   
3. Apple released their latest quarterly results this week and they were rather impressive. Here are just some of the numbers:
   

   It sold 37.04 million iPhones – its flagship product – and 15.43 million iPad tablets, doubling from a year earlier and easily outpacing already heightened expectations for a strong holiday season. That helped swell its warchest of cash and securities to almost $100 billion – more than enough to plug December’s U.S. budget deficit and level with California’s 2012/13 spending plan.

   Please write each of those big numbers in scientific notation.

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

We began with our assessment over Permutations and Combinations (key, pdf).

We then learned about Box-and-Whiskers graphs (lesson, pdf).

Your homework is:

1. Check the portal for the results of your assessment, fill out your student checklist with your results, and make a plan for retake (if necessary), including making an appointment.
   
   
2. Complete the Measures of Central Tendency Online Pre-Assessment on the Moodle. 

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

We began with this opener (pdf).

We then learned about Measures of Central Tendency and Dispersion (lesson, pdf).

Your homework is:

1. Prepare for the Permutations and Combinations Assessment. Please study.
   
2. Finish the lesson.
   
   
3. Watch and complete the Measures of Central Tendency video, including submitting the self-check problems on the Moodle.
   
   

Monday, January 23, 2012

We began with our assessment over Probability and Odds (key, pdf).

We then reviewed Permutations and Combinations (lesson, pdf).

Your homework is:

1. Check the portal for the results of your assessment, fill out your student checklist with your results, and make a plan for retake (if necessary), including making an appointment.
   
   
2. Complete the Permutations and Combinations Online Pre-Assessment on the Moodle. 

Friday, January 20, 2012

We began with this opener (pdf).

We then learned about Combinations (lesson, pdf).

Your homework for Monday is:

1. Prepare for the Probability and Odds Assessment. Please study.
   
   
2. Watch and complete the Combinations Video, including submitting the self-check problems on the Moodle.
   

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

We began with this opener (pdf).

We then learned about Permutations (lesson, pdf).

Your homework for Friday is:

1. Complete the Probability and Odds Online Pre-Assessment on the Moodle. 
   
   
2. Watch and complete the Permutations Video. Make sure you submit the self-check problems on the Moodle.
   
   

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

We began with this opener (pdf).

We then learned about Probability and Odds (lesson, pdf).

Your homework for tomorrow:

1. Don't forget that your Systems of Equations Writing Assignment (pdf) is due tomorrow.
   
   
2. Watch and complete the Probability and Odds Video, then submit your self-check answers on the Moodle.
   
    
   
   
3. Play around with the Cold War Kids video and try to answer the two questions from the lesson:
   
   a) If we set all of the tracks before we start, how many different videos could we watch?
   
   b) How many clips did each musician have to record?
   
   c) Bonus question: If we started watching all the possible different versions we could watch starting Tuesday in class, and only watched during our Algebra class (and did nothing else - you wish), on what day and at what time would we finish watching the videos? (Helpful link: AHS Calendar)
   
   
4. Here are two interesting articles about probability that you might be interested in.
   
   5 Worries Parents Should Drop, and 5 They Shouldn't looks at what parents typically fear will happen to their kids (but is actually pretty unlikely), and what they should be concerned about (because they have a higher probability of happening).
   
   Chances Are looks at a conditional probability problem involving the likelihood of having breast cancer is you have a positive mammogram. We won't be getting into conditional probability this year, but it's still an interesting and important article for you to see how probability is something you need a good handle on in order to make good health care decisions.

Friday, January 13, 2012

We began with our assessment over Scientific Notation (key, pdf).

We then reviewed how to solve Systems of Equations from first semester (lesson, pdf).

Your homework for Tuesday (no school on Monday):

1. Check the portal for the results of your assessment, fill out your student checklist with your results, and make a plan for retake (if necessary), including making an appointment.
   
   
2. This part is not due until Wednesday, but I would highly recommend you do it this weekend. Complete the Systems of Equations Math Write (handout given in class, but here's a PDF of it just in case). Please carefully follow the directions on the handout. To turn it in, you can either print it out, email it, or compose it in Google Docs and then share the Google Doc with me (share it with my email address).

Wednesday, January 11, 2012

We began with our assessment over Zero and Negative Exponents (key, pdf).

We then practiced with scientific notation and explored the effects of exponential growth on a retirement program (lesson, pdf).

Your homework for Friday is:

1. Check the portal for the results of your assessment, fill out your student checklist with your results, and make a plan for retake (if necessary), including making an appointment.
   
   
2. On your personal blog, create a new post titled: "Scientific Notation" In the post explain to your reader how to solve this problem:
   
   Multiply, then write your answer in scientific notation: (4.5 x 10¹¹)(3.1 x 10⁴)
   
   Make sure you thoroughly explain the steps and what you are doing so that someone that doesn't know how to do scientific notation can understand it. (Hint: Just in case, the correct answer is 1.395 x 10¹⁶).
   
   Remember, three ways you can "type" exponents on the blog:
   
   1)  Use the ^ key (shift-6). So 5^2 is 5 to the second power. This is the easiest way and probably the way most of you will do it.
   
   2)  Create an image using the tools I showed you first semester, then upload that image.
   
   3)  If you're into HTML, the code for superscript is <sup>, so you have to switch to HTML mode (there's a button at the top of your blog post window that says Compose, right next to it is HTML) and insert the code on the HTML screen. The code would look like this: 5 ²
   When you switch back to the compose window, you'll see a nicely done exponent.
   
   Then visit the moodle and paste in the URL of your blog post.
   
3. Prepare for the Scientific Notation Assessment on Friday . Please study.

Tuesday, January 10, 2012

We began with our assessment over Exponent Properties Involving Quotients (key, pdf).

We reviewed zero and negative exponents and then explored scientific notation a bit (lesson, pdf).

Your homework for tonight is:

1. Check the portal for the results of your assessment, fill out your student checklist with your results, and make a plan for retake (if necessary), including making an appointment.
   
   
2. Complete the Scientific Notation Online Pre-Assessment on the Moodle.
   
   
3. Prepare for the Zero and Negative Exponents Assessment tomorrow. We'll start with this first thing - so please study.
   
   
4. Here's the Powers of 10 video that we watched.
   
   
   
   
5. Here's the Men In Black Outro
   
   
   
   
6. Here's The Simpsons Intro
   
   
7. Here's the opening scene from the movie Contact
   
   

Monday, January 9, 2012

We began with our assessment over Exponent Properties Involving Products (key, pdf).

We reviewed exponents involving quotients and zero and negative exponents. We then explored exponential decay in the context of the level of caffeine in your blood stream (lesson, pdf).

Your homework for tonight is:

1. Check the portal for the results of your assessment, fill out your student checklist with your results, and make a plan for retake (if necessary), including making an appointment.
   
   
2. Finish steps 7-9 on the Caffeine Problem (page 4 of the lesson (pdf)
   
   
3. Complete the Define and Use Zero and Negative Exponents Online Pre-Assessment on the Moodle.
    
4. Prepare for the Exponent Properties Involving Quotients Assessment tomorrow. We'll start with this first thing tomorrow - so please study. Maybe 10-15 minutes tonight, and another 5 minutes tomorrow morning before class if you need it.
    
5. Watch and Complete the Scientific Notation video. Remember to complete the self-check problems in your notebook, then submit the answers to those on the Moodle.
   
   

Friday, January 6, 2012

We began with this opener (pdf).

We then learned about zero and negative exponents (lesson, pdf).

Your homework for Monday is:

1. Complete the Exponent Properties Involving Quotients Online Pre-Assessment on the Moodle.
   
   
2. Watch and complete the Define and Use Zero and Negative Exponents video, then submit your self-check answers on the Moodle.
   
   
   
   
3. Prepare for the Exponent Properties Involving Products Assessment on Monday. We'll start with this first thing on Monday - so please study. Maybe 10-15 minutes Sunday night, and another 5 minutes Monday morning before class if you need it.
   
   
4. Remember what I said at the end of class. Probably sometime tomorrow (Saturday) afternoon I'll go in and check to see who's caught up on homework (through what was due by today). If you're not, then I just might feel the need to contact your parents and let them know . . . 
   
   
5. This not an assignment, but just for fun: The letters A, H, and T represent digits. If THAT = (AH)(HA), what is THAT?

Wednesday, January 4, 2012

We began with this opener (pdf).

We then learned a bit about dividing (quotients) with exponents (lesson, pdf).

Your homework for Friday is:

1. If you haven't yet, complete your final exam corrections (pdf).
   
   
2. Complete the Exponent Properties Involving Products Online Pre-Assessment on the Moodle. Recall that I'm "grading" this this semester.
   
   
3. Watch and Complete the Exponent Properties Involving Quotients video. Remember to complete the self-check problems in your notebook, then submit the answers to those on the Moodle.
   
   
   
   
4. Figure out how many folds of a piece of paper it would take to get to the moon (see page 5 of the lesson, pdf).

Tuesday, January 3, 2012

We began with this opener (pdf).

We then talked about how first semester went and about adjustments for second semester. We then learned a bit about multiplying with exponents (lesson, pdf).

Your homework for tomorrow is:

1. If you haven't yet, review the adjustments for second semester and complete this form indicating that you've read and understand them.
   
2. Watch and complete the Exponent Properties Involving Products video.
   
   Recall that there are three main parts to the video: an examples and explanation part, a Guided Practice part, and a Self-Check part.
   
   Examples and Explanation: Just what it sounds like. I explain how to do the problems and work through some examples. You don't need to write anything down (unless you want to), just watch, listen and learn. Pause the video and replay parts if you need to.
   
   Guided Practice: I give you a problem, then ask you a series of questions with about 5 second pauses between questions for you to think about it and answer it for yourself. If you need to, pause the video to give yourself more time. Again, you don't have to write anything down here (although you can and it's often a good idea to)
   
   Self-Check: I give you a problem, ask you to pause the video, write the problem down in your notebook and solve it, then play the video again to check your work. You may need to pause the video again to view the solution if you need more time. These problems you definitely need to write down in your notebook and then - this part is new - go to the Moodle and enter your answers for the self-check problems on the Moodle.
   



3. If you haven't turned them in yet, remember that your final exam corrections are due by Friday (Haley and Pedro, you do not have to do these.)

Adjustments for Second Semester

Happy New Year everyone.

The basic structure of our class will be the same. My views on homework haven't changed - I really don't think homework should be a big part of your grade (it's a time to practice and get better, not get graded) - and I also don't want to take class time just to check to make sure you've done it (I think there are better uses of our class time).

Based on the feedback that many of you gave me on the evaluation, however, you have a different opinion, so I'm going to compromise a bit. I'm going to bump up the "Preparation" category to 15% of your grade (from 10%), and drop the Skills Assessment to 67.5% and the Final Exam to 17.5%. Each day we have class you will have some kind of homework assignment that you'll need to submit on the Moodle that will be graded for completion.

• For the homework videos, you'll still need to watch them and complete the self-check problems in your notebook, but now I'm going to ask you to submit the answers to the self-check problems on the Moodle. (That way I don't have to take class time to check that you've done them.)
  
• The online pre-assessments will still be on the Moodle, but now I will grade them (again, for completion).
  
• On nights when you don't have a video or a pre-assessment, you'll have some other short assignment - perhaps a couple of homework problems or a blog post - and you'll submit that on the Moodle as well (if it's a blog post, you'll submit the URL on the Moodle).

Other than that, things will be pretty similar to first semester. Please read through the course expectations again to re-familiarize yourself with them. One word of caution, second semester is a bit harder for many students. Most of the topics we covered first semester you had at least some exposure to before. Most of the topics in second semester, however, will be new to you. So I encourage you to really stay on top of things, come in for help when you need it, and do a good job on your re-assessments if and when they are necessary. 

Once you feel like you completely understand these changes for second semester, please fill out this form to indicate your understanding.