Wednesday 9/30

We finished Lesson 3.1 in class today. All students should now be experts in determining the rate of change and unit rate from a graph. Please remember to use the solutions linked above to check and correct your classwork and homework.

Be sure you understand and can use the key terms from this lesson:

• rate
• rate of change
• per
• unit rate
• rise
• run

Homework: Student Assignments workbook 3.1

Tuesday 9/29

Today we took a look at Lesson 3.1 in more detail, learning the four-step process to determine the rate of change from a graph.

Parents: Ask your child to describe the four-step process for finding the rate of change from a graph.

Homework: Finish textbook pages 137-139

Monday 9/28

We spent today working in MATHia and also passed back MATHia grades from the grading period that closed on Friday.

Homework: MATHia practice

Thursday 9/24

Congrats on finishing a quick, but productive, week! Enjoy your three-and-a-half-day weekend. :-D

Also, don't forget that the MATHia grading period closes on Friday night at midnight. Have you met your goals yet?

Wednesday HW Solutions: Chapter 3 Pre-Test answer key

Here is this week's extra credit:

Wednesday 9/23

We took our Chapter 2 Test today in class and will be moving on to Chapter 3 tomorrow.

Have you reached your MATHia goals?

Homework: Chapter 3 Pre-Test

Tuesday HW Solutions: Student Assignments 2.7 answer key

Tuesday 9/22

I was not there today, but in my absence you finished Chapter 2 with Mr. Simpson. Together, you took a look at non-linear functions with Lesson 2.7. This completes our introduction to functions, and brings us to the Chapter 2 test.

Math 8 teachers will be available in The Community tonight from 7:30 to 8:30 to answer any questions you have about Chapter 2. All you have to do is log on and post a question, and we'll get right back to you!

Be sure to study tonight, review the key concepts with the Chapter 2 Summary, and carefully study the Chapter 2 Pre-Test. We want everyone to be successful, so please do your part. Come fully prepared!

Homework: Student Assignments workbook 2.7

Monday 9/21

We continued our conquest of the islands of MATHia today in class. Our second MATHia grading period ends on Friday. Have you met your goals yet? If not, what will it take to get there by the end of the week?

We'll be finishing Chapter 2 tomorrow and taking our test on Wednesday. Please begin your studying right away so you'll be fully prepared to demonstrate mastery on Wednesday's test. The Chapter 2 Pre-Test that you got a couple weeks ago is THE BEST study guide. The textbook chapter summaries, old class work, and old homework make excellent study tools as well.

Homework: MATHia practice

Friday 9/18

Week 6 is in the books and Chapter 2 is now almost complete. That means our Chapter 2 test is right around the corner! Have you been studying and reviewing your homework and class work each day?

Also, are you on track to meet your MATHia goals? You can check your progress in the toolbar above.

Here is this week's extra credit:

Thursday 9/17

We finished Lesson 2.6 today, which now completes our analysis of linear functions. We should now be able to tell all the scenarios when U.S. Shirts is the better buy, and when Hot Shirts is the better buy (and be able to defend our reasoning to our boss!).

If there's anything from today's class work that didn't get finished in class or needs to be improved, please fix it up at home and feel free to check your answers with the link above. Get into the routine of checking your work at home daily and you'll find studying for tests and doing your homework is much easier!

Homework: Student Assignments workbook 2.6

Wednesday HW Solutions: Student Assignments workbook 2.5 answer key

Wednesday 9/16

Today we continued our look at linear functions, equations, tables, and graphs with the first part of Lesson 2.6 and wrapped up the last part of Lesson 2.5.

We discovered that we've got a competitor in the shirt-making marketplace and our boss has tasked us with some analysis.

Homework: Student Assignments workbook 2.5

Tuesday HW Solutions: Simplifying Expressions WS answer key

Tuesday 9/15

Today we began Lesson 2.5, which focuses on using tables, graphs, and equations. Be sure to review the solutions to today's class work to make sure you're on the right track and fully mastering all of these different skills.

Need help with your homework or class work? Be sure to visit The Community and request some assistance!

Homework: Simplify Expressions WS

Monday 9/14

We worked in MATHia today and began the second MATHia grading period. We passed back our first MATHia grades of the year, so everyone now knows their strengths and weaknesses. Many people earned perfect scores - keep it up!!

Need help getting MATHia configured at home? Check out Carnegie Learning's MATHia support page.

Homework: MATHia practice (30 minutes each week)

Friday 9/11

We took our first common assessment of the year, and on the whole, my honors classes did quite well! Here are the new performance bands for common-core based assessments:

Level 4: Standards Exceeded

Level 3: Standards Met

Level 2: Standards Nearly Met

Level 1: Standards Not Met

"Standards Exceeded" and "Standards Met" both represent passing grades for Common Assessments, Final Exams, and the CAASPP test at the end of the year. If you didn't reach your goals this time, don't panic. But please make some adjustments right away to ensure your performance improves as the year continues. We want everyone to be able to demonstrate mastery!

Parents: Ask your son or daughter how they did on today's common assessment. More importantly, ask them why they think those were their results. If they're not pleased with their scores thus far, ask them what plan they'll be enacting to be more successful next time.

The first MATHia grading period ends tonight at midnight. Have you met your goals yet?

Thursday HW Solutions: Student Assignments workbook 2.4 answer key

Here is this week's extra credit:

Thursday 9/10

We dove into linear functions today with Lesson 2.4. We took a look at how word problems, constants, variables, tables, expressions, equations, graphs, domains, and ranges are connected.

Tomorrow we'll be taking Common Assessment #1. Be sure to study tonight, to get a good night's sleep, and to eat a nutritious breakfast tomorrow. We want everyone to be successful!

Also, the first MATHia grading period ends tomorrow at midnight. Have you met your goals for this grading period yet? If not, make some plans to spent more time in MATHia today or tomorrow. You can check you progress at the link in the toolbar above.

Homework: Student Assignments workbook 2.4

Wednesday HW Solutions: Student Assignments workbook 2.3 answer key

Wednesday 9/9

We finished our introduction to relations and functions today with the second half of Lesson 2.3. On to linear functions tomorrow, and our first common assessment on Friday!

Homework: Student Assignments workbook 2.3

Tuesday 9/8

Today we began our look at relations and functions with the first half of Lesson 2.3. We'll finish the second half of the lesson tomorrow.

We'll also be taking Common Assessment #1 on Friday. It'll cover all the topics learned in Chapter 1. A study guide has been uploaded to the Documents Locker. The study guide, textbook chapter summary, and chapter 1 test will be your best study tools.

Parents: Ask your students about relations, functions, input, output, x values, y values, domain, range, mappings, and sets today to determine how much they learned. There were a lot of new key terms presented today that we want them to master.

Homework: Textbook pg 72 (#4-9)

Friday 9/4

We passed back the Chapter 1 Test today and went over the correct solutions. We then made a ton more progress in MATHia.

Have a great three-day-weekend. Happy Labor Day!

Here is this week's extra credit:

Thursday 9/3

Today in class we finished our look at making sense of graphs and how they apply to the real world with the second half of Lesson 2.2.

Also the MATHia Results tab at the top has now been updated. Definitely check that link out regularly to see if you're on track to meet your MATHia goals!

Homework: Student Assignments workbook 2.2

Wednesday 9/2

We looked at the first part of Lesson 2.2 today, which focused on the characteristics of graphs. By now you should be able to explain the following terms in your own words:

• discrete graph
• continuous graph
• linear graph
• collinear points
• non-linear graph

Parents: Ask your student to describe each graph shown here (also available on pages 57 & 58 in our textbook) using the terms and methods learned today. If they can do it without using any resources, you know they mastered the lesson! 

Homework: Summarize what we learned today, using and explaining all key terms. Extra credit: Post your summary in The Community to share with your peers!

Tuesday HW Solutions: Student Assignments workbook 2.1 answer key

Tuesday 9/1

Today we jumped into Chapter 2 with Lesson 2.1, which focused on sequences. We learned today that often times you have to do a lot of critical thinking and deep analysis to write sequences and discover patterns, clues, and rules. There's no substitute for this careful consideration and critical thinking, and it takes honest, determined practice to get good at it.

Tonight's homework will require this kind of careful consideration. Feel free to use all tools at your disposal (drawings, charts, tables, whatever!). Remember to think first about what the problem is asking you to do (is it only one thing, or more than one thing?). Then consider what you know, and what clues may have been left for you. The next step is to come up with a plan to solve.

Parents: If you're helping your son or daughter at home, please consider asking the above questions first and pushing them to try to "unlock" the problem on their own. It may not come naturally, but that's what they need to practice. The process is the goal, not necessarily the final solution. There are only a few problems on each nightly assignment, but they do require a great deal of deep thinking and careful work.

This is a very different way of approaching our math skills than many of us are used to. That's okay! Remember to continue working hard and trying your best. It may take a while before you feel good about doing so much critical thinking and problem solving on your own. Keep at it!

Homework: Student Assignments workbook 2.1