Tuesday, September 27, 2011

We began with this astounding opener (pdf). Here's the column the opener referenced about texting while driving if you're interested.

We then had a ball learning more about slope (lesson, pdf).

Your homework for Wednesday is:

1. Watch the slope video. Make sure you complete all parts, including the self-check problems. This is a critical concept in Algebra - make sure you go through this video carefully.
   
   



2. You might consider doing a few of these problems at Cool Math for practice. Do as few - or as many - as you think you need to make sure you understand how to calculate slope from two points on a line.

Monday, September 12, 2011

Today we began with this exquisitely crafted opener (pdf). We then reviewed a bit about how to graph points on a coordinate plane and then did a bunch of review problems on distributive property, solving equations with variables on both sides, graphing on a coordinate plane, percents and dimensional analysis (lesson, pdf).

Your homework for tonight is:

1. What is considered the Earth's x-axis? Its y-axis? What quadrant is AHS in? Please write this down in your notebook. How is the Earth different than the x-axis and y-axis on a coordinate plane that we're talking about?
   
   
2. Complete the Solving Equations with Variables on Both Sides Pre-Assessment on the Moodle.
   
   (Reminder: your login is your google apps login - including the @lpsk12.org part, and your google apps password. If you've forgotten those, you can look them up on the portal; once you've logged in, click on Technology and it will list your google apps login and password.)
   
   This pre-assessment is very important and will be your best indicator of how well you'll do on the assessment on Wednesday. Please do it tonight so, if you have any difficulties, you can get some help tomorrow before the assessment on Wednesday.
   
   
3. On your personal blog, create a new blog post where you explain how you solve this equation:
   
   
   3(x - 5) = -7x + 12
   
   Don't just solve the problem (although that should be part of what you include), but explain your thought process for each step. Like your previous post, try to write this post as if you were explaining this process to someone who didn't know anything about solving equations with variables on both sides. They should be able to read your post and have a pretty decent understanding of how to approach a problem like this.
   
   This blog post is due by first period on Wednesday, but I highly recommend you do it tonight so that, if you have difficulties (either with the blogging or the concept of solving equations), you can come in and get some help on Tuesday.
   
   
4. Optional: If you need or would like some more practice problems with solving equations with variables on both sides, check out this unlimited supply of problems (and solutions) at Coolmath or, alternatively, these at Khan Academy. Do as few or as many as you need until you feel confident in your ability to solve these types of equations. If you find that you struggle, please come in for some extra help tomorrow.

Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Today was a PLC Day, so only a 40-minute class. This was our opener (pdf).

We then spent some time reviewing dimensional analysis and proportion and percent (lesson, pdf).

Your homework for Friday is:

1. We're going to be blogging soon where sometimes you'll need to include some mathematical notation in your blog posts. Unfortunately, Blogger doesn't currently have an equation editor, but we do have several ways to get done what we need to get done. Please read through the following options and pick the one you think will work best for you (you may want to experiment with several before you decide).
   
   You should be comfortable with how to use the option you choose by Friday. For each of the following, create a practice blog post to paste/insert the image into. You don't have to actually publish the post, just mess around with it in draft form until you feel comfortable with the copy/paste or insert process (then you can delete the draft post if you'd like). Try to create this:
   
   
   
   
   Note: These are in order of difficulty, with the easiest options coming first (but you may prefer some of the other ones).
   
   Option 1: Use an online equation editor, like this one.
   
   Create your equation, choose "png" from the drop-down where it currently says "gif", then click on "Click here to Download Image (png)" to download the image. Then insert it into your practice blog post by using the insert image button on the toolbar (just to the right of the "Link" button).
   
   
   Option 2: Scan or take Digital Picture.
   
   Write out the equation on paper and either scan it or take a digital picture, then insert it into your practice blog post by using the insert image button on the toolbar.
   
   
   Option 3: Use Microsoft Word/Open Office and a screencapture utility.
   
   Both Microsoft Word and Open Office have equation editors built-in to them. You'll need to explore a bit to find them (the help system is great to help you find it). Once you find it try creating some equations, perhaps with fractions in them. Once you can see your completed equation on screen, you'll need to capture it using a screen utility.
   

   Mac: Use Grab (comes with OS X). Launch Grab and drag a selection rectangle around the equation in Word/Open Office and let go. Grab will grab a screenshot of what you had the rectangle around. Once the image is in Grab, choose Edit-->Copy (or command-C) to copy it, then switch to your blog and choose Edit-->Paste (or command-V) to paste it in to your practice blog post.

   Windows: You may already have a utility on your computer that allows you to do this. If you do, great, use it. If not, then MWSnap is a decent, free choice. (While MWSnap should be safe, please ask your parents before installing any software on your computer at home.) Once you've installed it, launch it, capture your equation from Word/Open Office, copy it, and paste it into your practice blog post.

   Option 4: Install MathType.
   
   You can download and install MathType for free on a Windows or Macintosh computer. It will be a fully functional version for 30 days, and then will revert to MathType Lite, but that's okay because the Lite version has everything we need. While MathType should be safe, please ask your parents before installing any software on your computer at home.
   
   After installing MathType you'll need to launch it and change a setting so that you can copy and paste to your blog.
   

   Mac: Go to the MathType Menu, then Preferences, then Cut and Copy Preferences. Select "Equation for application or website" and in the drop-down menu choose "Google Docs" and then click "OK".
   
   Windows: Go to the Preferences Menu, then Cut and Copy Preferences. Select "Equation for application or website" and in the drop-down menu choose "Google Docs" and then click "OK".

   Now play around in MathType and try creating some equations, perhaps with fractions in them, and then practice copying from MathType and pasting into your practice blog post. As an alternative, you can also save it as a GIF (Graphic Interchange Format) then insert that image into your blog post by using the insert image button on the toolbar.
   
   
   Option 5: Some other option you know of that works better for you.
   
   If you need help with any of this, please come in tomorrow (Thursday, as you all have at least one unscheduled hour) and I can quickly show you.
   
   
   
2. If you want some extra practice solving some one-step equations, try these at Cool Math (One-step with addition and subtraction; one-step with multiplication and division). This is optional, but not a bad idea to get some extra practice.